𝒑𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒕 || s. rogers & b. barnes

6||; 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔

Irina squeezes her eyes shut so tight she sees colours. Gently, she sets the Starkpad aside, and rests her elbows on her thighs to hide her face with her hands, inhaling and exhaling deeply through her nose.

Natasha waits patiently, face as thoughtful and calculating as ever.

Finally, with a sharp inhale, she sets her hands down, clasping them anxiously together as she peers ahead at their team.

Steve tightens his gloves to his hands, asking Tony to check up on the Tower, on Barnes. Clint and Sam smirk at one another as they converse while stocking up on arrows and bullets. Banner shuts the flip phone he was looking at in his hands, tucking it away and looking up sadly.

"Baron von Strucker...was my handler at HYDRA," she says quietly.

Natasha stiffens beside her, but gives no other indication of any reaction. "This castle is where I was taken shortly after...after I was separated from Tony. It's where I was kept, and trained, and...and experimented on using old HYDRA weapons from World War II," she forces out, shutting her eyes again as the old nightmares came flooding back.

"Please, please, please! I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to! Please, Mr. Strucker! Don't put me in the chair again! Don't - I'll be good, I promise! Please, please!"

"You've disappointed us, Asset. Disappointment must be paid in discipline. And we both know the best ways to discipline you."

"N - No! No, please! I'll be good! Let me - Let me try again! Let me - I can do it this time! I can! Please, please, please, Mr. Strucker! Mr. Strucker!!"

Her bottom lip wobbles, and Irina sniffs, wiping at her nose and opening her eyes again. Natasha grips her wrist gently, thumbing the inside of it soothingly. It helps Irina calm down, and blink away her tears. "It's just bad memories. They don't - I'm better now. I've been better for so long. And I'll be fine today," she assures, finally looking over and meeting Natasha's eyes.

"I will be. I just can't see him, Natasha. No matter what, I cannot look Baron Strucker in the eye, or else I think I might break all over again."

"Okay," Natasha whispers, not looking away. "Okay, Irina. I believe you. I trust in your judgement," she says. "I'll make sure you don't even hear his voice, you hear me? I swear it."

Irina nods, exhaling a trembling breath. "Thank you, Nat," she says earnestly. "Thank you."

Natasha lifts an eyebrow at her, red lips quirking up in dry amusement. "Don't think I ever told you you could nickname me, Stark."

She blinks. "Oh - shit, sorry. Barton always calls you it. Caught on, I guess," she shrugs, looking away sheepishly.

Natasha's smirk grows. "Nah, I'll allow it for you. You're special enough, I guess," she says. Irina's lips twitch up, and the agents expression falls back to seriousness. "You'll really be okay?"

The brunette sighs, nodding her head once in finality. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I will be," she murmurs.

Natasha nods after a moment, thumbing Irina's wrist once more before getting up and heading over to her supply of guns, a dangerous light in her eyes as she examines her array of weapons.

Perhaps Baron von Strucker wouldn't mind a surprise visit from the Black Widow.

The hatch doors open once they land, HYDRA agents already having taken notice to them, and reigning fire on the Quinjet with weapons other HYDRA bases didn't have. Irina narrows her eyes as Tony and the Hulk immediately race out to attack the nearest agents, stalling the gunfire.