I put on the clothes set on the toilet,and they are a bit snug,but its only the shirt.I walk into the kitchen where the woman cooks breakfast."Hello,David."
"Do you have a name ma'am?"
"Bernie."
"Do you mind if I use your phone."
"No.Right there,on the wall."
I dial Coulson who answers quickly."Phil its David."
Coulson catches on quickly and I look back at Bernie who is engulfed in her cooking."What happened?"
I lower my voice."We were on our way to our camp and we were attacked.Mason was taken out and we hit an IED.Natalie and I were the only two that pulled out."I look over my shoulder again.Bernie's eyes dart back to the pan of food and I curse.
"I want you two to finish the mission."
"Nat got hurt pretty bad."
"Terminate hostiles with extreme prejiduce."
"Copy."
Coulson hangs up the phone and I turn back to Bernie."Hungy?"
I nod and Bernie shovels a sick amount of eggs onto a wooden plate and I scarf them down.She shovels more onto the plate and I scarf down those quickly and drink the water she gives me."Thank you,Bernie."
She smiles and leaves.
I walk down to Natasha's room,finding her redressed in clothes that hang off her back a bit.Her face has been cleaned and the faintest traces of scratches remain.
I sit in the wooden chair nearest the wall.I fall asleep in the chair as the sun sets.
"Steve."I snap my eyes open and realize that Natasha is awake.I kneel down beside the bed and wrap Natasha's hands in mine.
"I'm here.Welcome back."
She smiles weakly and brings my hands to her lips.I smile.
She moves her hand to her stomach."What happened?"
"We hit an IED.The tacical squadrant," I swallow the lump in my throat."They're gone."
"There were four cars!"She says.
I shake my head."We're whats left of the squadrant."
"We have to get out of here then.Have you talked to Coulson."
"Yes.Terminate hostiles with extreme prejudice."
"We need to get to the city if we want to keep these people-"
"Do you hear that?"
Natasha tackles me to the ground as the front of the house explodes."MOVE!!!!"She yells.
I throw the chair through the window and help Natasha outside,me jumping out after her.We run to the forest behind the house hiding in the vegetation.The house explodes and debris flies toward us.I instictively throw my body over Natasha,protecting her from the debris.
"Go,get up."She scrambles to her feet and runs in front of me..
We stop at a lake,Natasha plopping down on a rock.I notice the blood splotch on her shirt and I lift it up."Its opened back up,"She says tiredly.
"We need to get to the city."
She looks down at me."I can't.Not tonight."
I can see the fatigue on her face and I sigh."We can't stay out here."
She nods her head toward the rundown cabin across the stream."We can stay there."
I nod."Alright."
Natasha and I trudge across the stream pushing open the flimsy door of the cabin.We look around realizing that this is a fully occupational cabin."Whoever was here,left in a hurry."
Natasha examines the mail on the table."Whoever was staying here is not coming back.They saw this and fled."
She holds out the letter to me,and instantly I nod."We can't stay here long."
"I just need to rest a little while."She says sitting down on the long bench.I look behind me finding a first aid kit.
I change her bandages and find some new clothes for her."Whoever was staying here was a woman."
"I think you'd look amazing in a pair of skinny jeans and a crop top."
I smile down at Natasha."I'm gonna go get some water from the stream.The plumbing here is pretty bad.You get dressed and see if you can find anything useful to have on the road."
She nods and I walk outside,a bucket swaying in my hand.I dip the bucket into the stream and carry it back to the cabin."You decent?"
"Yeah,"I walk inside and pour the water into a pot and turn on an eye on the stove."I found a map."
"How far away are we from the city?"
She looks down at the map."Very far.Two maybe three days to get there."
"We set out at dawn."I say."We find a shelter for the night when we get..."I examine the map."Here before the mountains to get is closest to the city."
"We need weaopns.Seems to me they're one step ahead everywhere we go."
"I know," I say."This woman had something to do with Hydra or else they wouldn't be sending her death threats.She can't be living empty handed,thats suicide in itself."
"The floorbords,"
I tear up the floorboards and laugh."Your a genius,Natasha!"
"I know."She says tiredly and I smile up at her.
"Get some sleep.I'll keep watch."
"Don't do anything stupid."
"I won't.Sleep well."
Steve
Start from the beginning
