Whatever It Takes

Chapter 7 - Natasha?

New York, 2008

You manage to make it to your room without being interrupted by any guards. Hammer's security definitely didn't live up to his promise, but you'd expected better than this. What mattered now was speed. You had travelled light when Hammer had brought you to the US, mainly because you knew it would always end this way; you running for your life. Keeping your weapons to a minimum, you tuck extra knives into your sleeves; the gun into the small of your back. On your way out, you rip telephone cables from the wall; just another weapon to try and take Vanko down.

Making your way to Vanko you hear the commotion coming from close by. Maybe the other security had intercepted him; by now Hammer would understand what he had done and would be sending as much back up as he could afford. "Pity," you think to yourself, "All those innocent lives, then again idiots chose to work for a clown like Hammer."

Getting to the room, you wait until there is complete quiet before entering, not expecting what you would see. The room was empty; Vanko was gone. Perhaps he had tried to make his escape and that's what the fighting had been about. "Fuck," you grumble. You know you can't let Vanko escape.

You hesitate when you see the computer screen. Stark is being chased down by most of the Hammer drones, as well as Rhodes. You can see the devastation left by the attacks at the Expo; people fleeing the scene in panic, injuring themselves and others just trying to get away from the onslaught as more and more drones fill the park, firing at will. You feel a lump in your throat. "It wasn't supposed to go this way."

Tears stream down your face as you notice an innocent child standing in the way of one of the drones. Wiping them away, unwilling to watch as a drone takes out a child, you turn away; but not before Iron Man himself appears into view, taking the machine out before escaping the firing squad chasing him.

You throw your fist in the air in excitement. "Where the hell did that come from?" you ask yourself. But deep down you already know. You are not the same woman who arrived here with the plan to kill Stark, if anything you felt more attached to him. There was just something about him, a man who understood what his actions had cost other people, and was now trying to make amends for it, something you could relate to. You had been questioning yourself and trying to pass the buck ever since you teamed up with Hammer; and had been kidding yourself with that trip to Malibu in the hopes of catching him unawares, you simply just wanted to see him up close. You just needed someone else to kill him so that you could keep the KGB off your back while you made a run for it. "Speaking of which," you stammer, realising now is the best time for you to run. Only thing bothering you is that you never got to deal with Hammer. "I really should have cut it off when I had the chance!"

You take one last look at the screen before turning to be met with two guns pointed at your face, by none other than the red haired woman. Someone you had never expected to see again. "Sasha?" she questions, looking shocked, and almost to the point of tears.

"Move." You demand.

"H-how is this possible?" she asks. "How are you alive? Why are you doing this?"

"Don't make me move you." You say calmly. You haven't managed to focus on every memory of this woman, but you remember how much she meant to you; specifically how it broke you completely when she left and how Madame B used that to her advantage. If only you could remember her name.

"Sasha," she lowers her guns and takes a step towards you. "It doesn't have to be this way. Whatever it is you've done, I can help you."

"No-one can help me. I can only help myself. But you should know all about that." She steps back slightly, shocked at your reaction. You are fighting a losing battle with your emotions, always a pressure point of yours. You can feel the tears prickle at the back of your eyes.

She looks over your shoulder to the monitor; she can see the battle going on. Her demeanor changes. "I need to stop those drones, if you won't help me, I'll go through you."

"Then step aside. Let me go." She dwells on it for a second before lifting the gun once more.

"I can't do that."

"Then more people are going to get hurt."

"Not if you help me."

"And then what? Spend my life in a cell or be killed? I don't intend on being another S.H.I.E.L.D puppet." You sneer at her. She's underestimated that you know who she works for, her gun hand wavering slightly, giving you an ample opportunity to pull your own gun out. "Now, I'll tell you one more time," you move forward pointing the gun in her face, a classic standoff. "Don't make me move you."

Tension building in the air, you know what's going on behind you. This time it's you that breaks, moving your head to hear better; to hear Rhodes shouting out how close he's getting to killing Stark. "Can you stop them?" she asks you. You nod your head, again tears fighting their way to come out. "If you stop the drones, I'll let you walk."

"Bullshit. They won't let you do that."

"No-one knew you were here. No-one needs to know," she lowers the gun once again, this time tucking both back into her holsters. "Sister," she calmly walks towards you. Your hand starts to tremble. Another wave of memories takes over your mind, again none of which you can really hold onto, except for one.

"Natasha?" You can't stop the tears from filling your eyes now. She nods at that name. Emotion floods your body, hitting you so hard you almost collapse to the ground. You just manage to hold onto your nerve, but slowly lower your gun.

"We need to stop those drones, Sasha." Natasha passes you and starts to work on the computer. "A little help?" she asks, typing furiously. Coming to your senses, you push her away from the keyboard, placing the gun on the opposite side of her; close enough for you to still grab it. Hacking into Vanko's programme you find it's more complex than you expected it be, but you focus on the key elements attached to Rhodes' suit. Even if Stark doesn't survive the drone attack, you won't let it be Rhodes that kills him.

"Congratulations Stark," Natasha smiles as an image of him appears on the screen, "You got your best friend back."

"Thank you Agent Romanoff, bit of a close call....." You start to walk away, lifting the gun and making your way towards the door. You're so focused on getting out without Natasha noticing that you don't pick up much of the conversation until a notification pings on the computer.

"Wait Stark, you have more incoming. One more drone, but this one looks different, repulsor signature significantly higher." Natasha turns and looks at you. It was something you didn't know anything about, but you could guess.

"Vanko." You state. "I caught him working on something. It was similar to the weapon he used in Monte Carlo, but I didn't think...." You hesitate as you hear Vanko's voice come over the monitor. Whiplash, the moniker the US tabloids had given him, had made his own suit. Natasha's attention was once more focused on the computer, trying to hack her way into Vanko's suit.

You take this as your opportunity to leave once again. With one last look at Natasha you head out the door, only to be interrupted by a heavy-set curly haired man. Before you can react, you feel immense pain as a surge of electricity rages through your body and you hit the floor. Before you black out you see Natasha's face hovering over yours, tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry sister," she wraps an arm around you. "It has to be this way."