Marvel one-shots

46. Which side? - P2

A month after the airport battle, I was still on the run. I knew that Natasha had turned and was also on the run. Steve and Bucky, god knows where they were. I was hiding out in the north of Sweden in a nice little hut. The cold reminded me of home. Although I'd only lived there for a month, I was practically fluent in Swedish.

"Fucking hell," I muttered as peered down the well near my hut.

The water had frozen. I sighed and went back to the hut, grabbing a bag and stuffing a few water bottles in. I went outside and got in my dirty Range Rover. As I shut the door and sat down, I noticed something on the back seats. A piece of paper. My hand instinctively going to the gun I kept in the car, I reached to grab it. I read the words.

Meet me at the shop down the road. I've got a surprise for you.
          - your fav Avenger

I was immediately suspicious. The handwriting was vaguely familiar. I couldn't quite say who's it was, but I'd definitely read it before. However, curiosity overtook me and I drove down to the shop. Parking the car, I stayed alert. I stayed alert as I got out and walked towards the shop door. I had a slight limp from the battle as the wound I got in my side damaged the nerves.

"I've been waiting to see you," I heard a familiar friendly voice as I got inside the shop.

I looked at the person. Her once short ginger hair had grown out long and she had it in a ponytail that lay over her left shoulder.

"Natasha..." I greeted, not sure whether to trust her.

She had her hands behind her back at the time, but seeing my wariness, held them above her head.

"I'm not here to cause trouble," she assured me calmly.

"Why did you come all the way to Sweden to meet me?" I questioned.

"I was only in Norway," Natasha replied with a small smile.

"The last time you saw me you didn't believe me and tried to get me locked up," I told her sharply.

She sighed and looked down.

"I knew what I had to do to help Steve," she admitted. "Even if it meant hurting you."

I scoffed and looked at my arm, which had scarred.

"They never healed properly did they?" Nat guessed in a mutter.

I shook my head.

"Tony damaged the nerves going into my leg. He dropped me out of the sky."

Natasha came over to me and put her hand on my upper right arm.

"I'm sorry," she apologised. "For Tony too. He wouldn't have wanted to damage you permanently."

I laughed.

"I hope it's not permanent," I replied.

Nat strained a smile.

"Anyway, surely you travelled all the way here for more than a catch-up?" I changed the subject, getting uncomfortable.

"Yeah," Natasha sighed. "We have a mission."

"Huh?"

I was confused. We weren't Avengers anymore, we were simply vigilante fugitives.

"By who?" I asked.

"By me."

"Are you my boss or something?"

"The Red Room," Natasha ignored my comment. "They exist."

"It's gone Natasha. You're wrong."

I turned to look at what was on the shelves of the shop.

"Y/n, I wouldn't risk coming here and getting us both caught if I wasn't sure."

My head shot around.

"Have you been followed?"

As if in answer to my question, there was the sound of screeching tires.

"Oh for fuck's sake," I muttered. "I only came for some water."

Nat grabbed my arm and we ran around the back of the small shop.

"Hallå!" the shopkeeper called. "Vad gör du?" (Hey, what are you doing?)

"Ge oss en paus! Vi håller på att dö!" I snapped back. (Give us a break, we're about to die!)

"Since when could you speak Swedenish?" Natasha muttered as we sped out the back door.

"I've lived here a month, I guess I was kind of forced to learn it," I replied. "Also it's Swedish. Not whatever the fuck that was."

"Shh!" Nat shushed, pushing me into the wall.

I bit my lip and stayed silent as Nat scouted a few meters ahead. She signalled with her hand for me to follow. I followed behind the red-head silently as we slipped away from the hoard of vans that had gathered. When we were far away enough, I slapped her face.

With a grimace, she muttered, "I guess I deserved that."

"You fucking idiot," I hissed furiously. "I came here to not be found!"

Nat avoided my cold gaze.

"I was sure I hadn't been followed," she replied, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

I snatched it from her hand and walked off a few steps.

"Hey!"

I ignored her and searched through her software, checking for tracking. I found a loophole in her programming.

"Nat, someone's keylogging you," I groaned.

She came over to me and looked at the screen over my shoulder.

"Stark," she muttered angrily. "That bastard."

I scoffed and threw the phone into a rock, smashing it.

"Well, now I need a new phone," Nat mumbled with irritation.

I glanced at her then began to walk back in the direction of my house. She followed behind me, staying quiet for once.

"How much further do we have?" she asked after we'd walked through the forest for at least half an hour.

I smirked and grabbed her wrist. I pulled her through what looked like one of the densest thorn thickets.

"Y/n are you crazy, we're gonna-"

I cut her off as we emerged, completely fine. We were stood at the side of my hut.

"Secret entrance huh?" the assassin guessed with a smile.

"Come on, tell me inside," I told her, leading her inside my hut.

When we got inside my hut, Natasha sat down beside me.

"The Red Room is still alive. We need to find out where," Nat told me.

"We searched all over the world for them, they're impossible to find," I replied doubtfully. "And all widows are sedated on entry and exit."

Natasha shrugged.

"Let's find out," she said with a smile.

"I assume we're still running from Ross?"

"You bet."

Nat had a smirk on her face that told me everything. She was going to take down the Red Room, fugitive or not.