𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 - 𝐖. 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐟𝐟

thirty-three

                 NATASHA sat on the hotel room bed, staring off into space as her fingers nimbly pulled her hair back into two perfect dutch braids. Her eyes followed Yelena as the blonde moved to stand in front of the mirror, pulling her own hair back into similar braids.

"Are you ready," the blonde questioned, looking towards her sister as she braided her hair, dark eyebags clinging to the underneath part of her eyes. Neither of them had gotten a lot of sleep last night, too worried about the mission and Katerina killing Wanda, Tony or Bruce.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I just want to get this over and find Carson so that we can go back to the compound and make sure that Katerina is still there."

"I think she will be," Yelena said softly, Wanda wouldn't let her escape.

"But that's what I'm worried about. What if Kat hurts her? What if they fight again and this time we aren't there to break it up?"

"Nat, take a breath, it'll be fine," Yelena said, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder and squeezing gently. "Let's just focus on finding out what Carson's up to and then we can deal with everything else."

"You're right," Natasha said, taking a deep breath and standing up, grabbing her gun and holstering it. "Let's figure out what Carson's up to."

The two made their way out of the hotel room and into the hallway, meeting up with the rest of the group as they made their way out of the hotel and into the Black SUVS that were waiting for them.

"Alright, we all know our objectives," Steve said, addressing everybody over comms as Nat drove the SUV he was in. "Carson Andrews was here two days ago in his mansion just off the main road, we're to get in and find him. If he's gone find any evidence that you have of what he's up to. If he's there do not shoot to kill. This is a retreaval mission."

"Copy that," Clint said from the second SUV, before the comms went quiet. Steve turned to Natasha, noting how tense she was as she drove down the dark roads.

"You gonna be okay in there," he questioned and Natasha just nodded. "If you're not going to be okay in there I need to know now."

"Steve, I'll be fine," Natasha said, her voice determined. "I've dealt with Carson Andrews longer than you have, I know him better than anyone. If anyone can talk him down it's Yelena, Melina or I. I have to do this. I have to figure out what his purpose for coming to see Katerina was, I know he's hiding something and I'll be damned if I let it hurt Kat again."

"Alright," he said softly, studying her for another moment before looking out the windshield as they pulled onto the driveway that led to Carson's house.

Cutting the lights, the groups split off, each going around different entrances of the house in order to cut off all possible escape routes.

Natasha was on edge, it all seemed too easy. There was minimal security, if any at all. It was like Carson wanted them to find him.

Natasha crept through the dark hallways, her gun at the ready as she moved swiftly, Steve and Kate behind her.

Placing a hand on the double oak doors, she gave a singular nod to both Steve and Kate before kicking down the doors.

Carson Andrews sat in a large black cushioned desk chair, hand holding a pistol that was aimed directly at Natasha.

"Nat, what a surprise," he said, his voice calm and very unsurprised. "I wasn't expecting this little home intrusion. I take it that the rest of the team is somewhere in my house."

"Put your gun down," Natasha said, her voice cold, eyes narrowed on the dirty blonde haired man.

"You put yours down first," he said, trying to negotiate with the redhead, who was already getting pissed off.