The Budapest Objective

Fourteen

Natasha finally reached the top. She was tired and winded from the long run up the tower stairs, but the fight had all but receded from her. For the first time in what felt like ages, she was hungry for blood. But this time was different. It was far more of a righteous hunger, if you can have a righteous hunger for blood.

She tried the doorknob of the only door at the top of the stairs. It was locked, so she kicked it down, her gun cocked and ready to fire. A man was standing looking out of a window with his back to her. She pointed her gun at the man.

"My, my, my. Your boyfriend's sure putting up a fight, Miss Romanoff." She recognized the voice at once. It was the same one that had laughed while she was being tortured.

"I should kill you," Natasha stated. "Right here and now."

"And what would that accomplish? Hm? Nothing. Another soul on your conscience; do you really want that?"

"I think I could cope."

He turned to face her, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. "You look awful. Did you get my little message?"

The mountain of bodies flashed across Natasha's mind. They were the reason her heart and soul were screaming for this man's blood. Why wouldn't she just pull the trigger? Had she really changed that much in the last four years?

"You killed people. People who had never done anything to wrong you," she said, her voice shaking.

"I know I did." The off-hand way in which he admitted it made Natasha furious.

Cross began pacing the room, glancing at her from time to time as if she were a mere pet. "We're not that different, you and I. We've both killed people who never did anything to us. We're both running from something. Both of our souls thirst for blood."

He suddenly turned to look her straight in the eyes. "Join me, Natasha. You don't have to be the good-girl anymore. What could SHIELD possibly give you? You're far above them. All of them are beneath you. A woman of your skills shouldn't be resigned to fighting for the weaklings that walk this earth. You and I could rule the world. I can give you anything you want."

It was then that Natasha realized how much SHIELD and particularly Agent Barton had changed her. Four years ago she would have been tempted by this offer. He'd have had a point; SHIELD could give her nothing she couldn't give herself. She wasn't remotely interested in Cross, but he would have been one small steppingstone to having everyone follow her. She would have thought she'd deserve the world.

But now, his request sounded foolish and horrible. It didn't sound remotely tempting to her.

"I'd rather die!"

Cross looked slightly disappointed. "I thought not. Clint has changed you far too much for your own good. If you wanted, you could kill him."

"The truth is, I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to kill anyone as innocent as him anymore."

Cross laughed. "Innocent, is he? Has he told you about what he did before SHIELD? Have you heard what happened to those closest to him?"

Natasha hesitated. "I honestly don't care."

Cross smiled evilly. "He hasn't trusted you with that?" he said in a mocking voice. "I thought he loved you."

Natasha smirked. "That's not going to work on me, Crossfire. He can choose to trust me with what he wants, or not. This isn't about romance, either. This is about all those people down there on the street that you killed because you were bored."

"I'm not going to let you destroy the transmitter, Romanoff."

Natasha's eyes narrowed. "You can't stop me."