New York was still overcast when Natasha Romanoff—a spy fresh from her private mission—walked down an alley that afternoon. Natasha was still wearing the disguise she'd used to obtain vital information from someone earlier. There were no gunshots, no fights. It wasn't that she wasn't happy about it, but for her, a simple mission like this made her feel even more uneasy.
Because there's gotta be at least one weird thing happening each day.
"Nat, are you on your way home?" Steve's voice buzzed in the ear-comm.
Natasha answered as she continued walking, "yeah. It's still a long way from the compound, but I'll be there before dark."
"You should hurry home, I can't be the only sane person in this place."
Sam's voice could be heard faintly, shouting behind Steve's voice.
Natasha just grinned while continuing to listen to Steve who was now nagging Sam and Vision to stay quiet and not destroy the Compound's living room.
Three months after the events of Sokovia, Natasha and Steve are trying to rebuild from what's left of the Avengers. With Bruce and Thor gone, and Tony and Clint declaring their retirement, they're struggling to cope with the enthusiasm of the burning young souls now gathered together at the Compound.
Natasha had to listen to Steve's ramblings on the ear-comm before finally hanging up. But then she had a strange feeling, like she'd missed something. She stopped in her tracks and checked her jacket's pockets.
It's empty.
Shoot. Someone has taken her wallet.
Natasha turned her head, observing her surroundings. Whoever it was definitely moved fast enough that even Natasha hadn't noticed. And they shouldn't have gotten very far.
"Nat? Are you listening? You have to come home quickly—"
Bingo. Natasha spotted a figure she had noticed had been walking quite close to her earlier. The figure turned into a narrow alley.
"Sorry, Steve. I still have one more thing to finish." Natasha cut Steve off, then disconnected the ear-comm before Steve could protest further.
She followed the figure's movements, observing it. Agile, practiced, but not yet good enough. Natasha stepped slowly, joining the figure creeping inside the narrow alley.
That alley was a dead end, and Natasha found the thief who had stolen her wallet preparing to open its loot.
"You're not going to find any money," Natasha's voice echoed, "I don't keep my money there."
The figure froze for a moment, before finally turning around.
It was a kid, a girl, probably around 15 or 16 years old. She was wearing a worn, oversized black t-shirt. Her short, shoulder-length black hair was messy, and her face was sallow with several dry scars. The hand holding Natasha's wallet looked thin, only like a thin layer of skin covering her bones.
Both of their jaws seem to clenched.
Natasha could feel the kid's vicious gaze, as if to say, 'You tricked me.' A small burglary and hacking tool appeared from inside the half-opened wallet in the kid's hands. It wasn't filled with money indeed
Natasha tugs a faint smile, "I told you, it's not money."
Silence hung between them.
"Who are you?" the kid finally spoke. Her voice was hoarse. "That's not your real face, is it?"
Natasha nodded, "You're right. Do you want to see my real face?"
The kid didn't answer. But Natasha still opened her disguise, tearing off the nano mask feature to reveal her true face.
The kid took a step back. Of course, she recognized the face in front of her.
"Can you give me my wallet back now? I plan to leave before dark." Natasha took a step forward, slightly bending over to match the kid's height.
The girl remained silent. Natasha could see her calculating the situation. Her eyes quickly scanned Natasha's expression, then steering to look at the escape route behind her. Escape, surrender, or fight?
Finally, the slender hand thrust the wallet in front of Natasha's face. Natasha took it and tucked it back into her jacket. She thought it was all over, but a strange, uneasy feeling lingered in her heart. Natasha studied the girl again.
This kid is hungry, and probably homeless. "When was the last time you ate?"
"None of your business." She replied curtly.
Natasha took a deep breath. She recognized those looks, it's strangely, achingly familiar. It was like looking in a mirror, less than 10 years ago. Then finally, the weird thing that has yet to happen today, came straight out from her own mouth.
"How about you come with me?"
The girl lifted her head, her face a look of surprise. Natasha herself hadn't expected her to say that at this moment. However, she still managed to maintain a straight and convincing expression.
"I won't report you to the police. I won't even put you in jail," Natasha tried to persuade the kid.
The suspicious expression on the kid's face slowly faded. "What's in it for me if I go with you?"
Natasha smiled, "a shelter and some food." Hearing that, the kid's expression completely changed.
Natasha didn't wait for the girl to answer. She turned and began walking out of the narrow alley. And as she expected, the kid followed her, walking at the same pace behind her.
"What's your name, Kid?" Natasha asked without turning around.
"Elliot." The girl answered briefly.
[Author's Note]
Thank you so much for reading! Votes are much appreciated! :D
YOU ARE READING
(Eng. ver) 𝔼𝕃𝕃𝕀𝕆𝕋 - A MCU Fanfiction
FanfictionElliot was just a street urchin, surviving day by day as a pickpocket. That was until she made the mistake of targeting the wrong mark: Natasha Romanoff. Instead of turning her in, the Black Widow offered her a second chance. Now, a teenage genius i...
