With her head held high and her back straight, Katya marched into the hall after Natasha. She made sure not to look arrogant or dangerous, but confident and approachable. The polite smile on her lips was not entirely fake, but it did take effort to keep it genuine.
None of these politicians and important world leaders intimidated her, but they did make her slightly nervous. She wasn't here because she agreed with the Accords. She simply wanted to show them she wasn't the bad guy. Because no matter how powerful the assassin was, they had the power to lock her up, hunt her down and limit her freedom.
Now, she wasn't here because she agreed with the Accords, but simply to show them she wasn't the bad guy.
The room was big, with all the rows of tables curved around the main podium, a pulpit for the speaker. There must have been hundreds of people. Journalists, translators, politicians, all eyeing one another and talking loudly.
''Excuse me, Miss Romanoff?'' A staff member had walked up to the duo, addressing the redhead first because she was in front and was probably more loved around here. The woman who had approached them was a bit intimidated, but did her best to smile kindly.
''Yes?'' Natasha asked just as politely, clasping her hands in front of her body. It was interesting to see how much her stance changed in different situations. Right there, she was no longer the deadly assassin from the training room or the loving fiancée from the compound. She was also not the Black Widow or an Avenger. Just Natasha.
The staff member presented a clipboard. ''These need your signature.'' Natasha picked up the pen and signed quickly. Katya scribbled down her name after checking to make sure she wasn't secretly signing the Accords but just a confirmation of attendance. ''Thank you,'' the other brunette smiled and took off just as quickly as she came, looking for the next people on her list.
What an amazing life if the only thing you had to worry about was collecting signatures.
''I suppose none of us is used to the spotlight.''
An accented voice made both Russians spin around. Prince T'Challa from Wakanda stood behind them, smiling his white teeth easily. Guilt flowed through Katya at the sight of him, knowing they had killed his compatriots, but she pushed it down.
Natasha chuckled, shaking her red hair over her shoulder. ''Oh, well, it's not always so flattering,'' she answered for Katya too. Her tone was light and slightly coy. She was trying to win him over.
''You seem to be doing alright so far,'' the man answered smugly, looking back and forth between the slightly smaller women. ''Considering your last trip to Capitol Hill, I wouldn't think you would be particularly comfortable in this company.''
''Well, we're not,'' Natasha admitted, glancing at Katya. They kept being reminded of that day. Maybe it hadn't been so smart afterwards, but at the time it had been very satisfying to mouth off the Senators. Fury couldn't be there, but he had called later to say how much he had enjoyed it.
T'Challa hummed approvingly. ''That alone makes me glad you're here.''
Katya furrowed her eyebrows, unsure why he would say that. ''Why? You don't approve of all this?''
''The Accords, yes. The politics, not really. Two people in a room can get more done than a hundred.''
She had to agree with him there.
Loud footsteps alerted her a man came walking up from behind. His arm brushed along Katya's, making her cringe, but when she saw who it was, she relaxed. ''Unless you need to move a piano.''
''Father,'' T'Challa greeted the King of Wakanda in his own language. Not a language Katya knew, since the country was so exclusive and there was little information about the language.
''Son,'' the king nodded. His small eyes eradiated kindness and honesty. He was one of the purest people Katya had ever met. ''Miss Romanoff. Miss Petrova.''
Katya bowed her head in respect. This was the first time ever she had met with the leader of a country, on an official manner at least. Natasha stood a little straighter as his eye landed on her, her hands clasped behind her back. ''King T'Chaka. Please, allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria.''
''Thank you,'' the large man said genuinely, his eyes soft. ''Thank you for agreeing to all this. I'm sad to hear that Captain Rogers will not be joining us today.'' Many people had seen him as the leader of the Avengers, which was true to some extent. Him not signing or being there was a blow and a disappointment. Maybe they had expected better of him, the perfect soldier. At least Katya already had a bad reputation.
Natasha hung her head, a little bitterness in her voice. ''Yes, so am I.''
''Miss Petrova,'' Katya moved her eyes from the spy to the king, the weight of his stare pressing on her shoulders. ''I am sad to hear you will not be signing. The world will lose a great protector.''
He was like a father, a teddy bear of a father you did not want to disappoint as a child. The last thing she had expected to feel today was guilt, but it swirled around in her stomach. ''Thank you. And I'm sorry I can't sign. I hope you understand this doesn't have anything to do with Lagos. For that, I am truly sorry.''
For only a moment, his eyes flickered to the necklace around her neck. It was a small, fragile silver one Natasha had given her on her birthday a couple years back. It must have been expensive because the small diamonds in the pendant were real. ''I understand. I am grateful you are here nevertheless. After all, this is a day of unity.''
She was glad he could accept her decision and wasn't petty about it. If only more people could see that.
''If everyone could please be seated. This assembly is now in session,'' an official voice spoke from the ceiling. A shot of nerves hit both Katya and Natasha, but neither showed it.
Prince T'Challa glanced upwards, his smile momentarily fading. ''That is the future calling.'' He shook both women's hands quickly. ''Such a pleasure.''
Natasha smiled and took her leave, Katya on her heels. They had gotten a seat on the second row, meaning they were visible for almost everyone in the room to see. Katya did not like turning her back to so many people, call it a spy thing, so she wiggled uneasily in the leather chair. ''Did that go okay?'' she whispered.
Natasha clasped her hands together on the table in front of her. Her deep purple suit clashing with Katya's blue dress. ''I think it did.''
The room fell silent when king T'Chaka stepped on the podium. With his regal charisma, all eyes were on him. ''When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy.'' He started calmly, every word having a huge weight to it. ''Those men and women killed in Nigeria were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back.''
Katya got an uneasy feeling as he spoke, one that always came seconds before something went wrong. Anxiously, she glanced around at the same time Prince T'Challa stepped closer to the windows covering two entire walls of the room. He stared at the street down below, where heavy security had been placed to protect all the important people inside.
Something about the way his eyes widened in shock and muscles stiffened in anticipation changed something in Katya.
''We will fight to improve the world we wish to join. I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative. Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace.''
A dog outside started barking aggressively, giving both her and T'Challa the last push they needed. She was out of her chair before he yelled, ''Everybody get down!'' He jumped for this father, who was extremely exposed, as Katya grabbed a blonde woman next to her and pulled her under the table.
The explosion was ear-deafening.
The glass panels broke, shattering all over the floor and shards flying into the crowd. Arms were thrown up to protect faces and eyes. The force of the blow, even under the table, caused Katya to get blown forward. She had to stick out a hand to prevent faceplanting into the carpet. Glass cut in her hand, stinging her palms.
People were yelling and screaming in fear, but the only thing that happened for her was a switch flipping in her head. Now she was the Avenger, the spy, the Agent who knew exactly how to handle situations like these.
When all turned quiet, she waited a bit longer to make sure that was the only threat.
What had always fascinated her with catastrophes like this, was time. Whoever had done this had spent weeks, maybe even months or years planning, preparing and executing. The explosion lasted only a second. Only a second where something actually happened, where the plan came to its climax.
And then there was the aftermath. An aftermath differenced per catastrophe and per person. If people got severely injured, an aftermath could take months. If people got off without a scratch, mentally and physically, it only took a day or two. In this case, the aftermath took way longer. For T'Challa, it would take his entire life. He would never recover from the loss of his father.
Buildings could be replaced and fixed, but lives couldn't be replaced.
There was a second where Katya's blue eyes met green. Just one second to establish both assassins were both fine, before they concerned themselves with the people they had grabbed.
''Are you okay?'' When the blonde woman, around her age, didn't react, Katya grabbed her face and shook it slightly. That seemed to wake her up. ''Hey! Are you okay?'' Katya had to shout over the ringing in her ears, her eardrums had gotten a blow.
The woman's glazed-over eyes met Katya's and for some reason, it had a calming effect. Katya was levelheaded and her hands weren't shaking. This was what she was trained for. ''Ye- Yes. I'm fine.''
Katya crept away from under the table and pulled the woman with her, pushing her towards the exit. It was pure chaos in the room. Black smoke rolled in through the now completely open walls, the carpet was on fire and all kinds of rubble whirled in the air. Pieces of paper, paint and fabric.
Katya knew she couldn't stay long without inhaling too much smoke, so she helped people up who had fallen or ripped them out of their trance, steering everyone towards the exit where emergency services were already rushing in. She pointed out the wounded and tried very hard not to look at both Wakandans on the floor.
The king was dead. Katya had known the second the bomb went off that T'Chaka would be caught in the middle of it. The prince held his father in his arms, tears cleaning the ash from his face. It was a distressing sight Katya couldn't deal with at the moment.
A gentle hand found her elbow. ''Come on, you've done enough. Let them do their job.''
Katya was still on edge as she followed Natasha outside. Reporters and journalists pushed microphones in their faces but both women pushed through the crowd without saying a word. However, they did listen to what they told the audience at home. One name was repeated over and over again, a name Katya wished she never had to hear again.
Bucky Barnes.
He had been spotted on camera right outside the VN building. And a worldwide manhunt had started immediately. Katya found it weird they had blamed him so quickly. No investigation, no forensic leads, only that one video. Easily manipulable.
Natasha sat the brunette down on a small stone wall, meant as decoration for the plants behind it, and rummaged through her purse. Katya was lost in thought, the gears in her head working to try and figure out what had happened. But without outside information, she knew next to nothing.
She let Natasha clean her face with tissues she wet with water. As if she was a child who had played in the mud. All of them came back black from ash and red from the tiny cut in her eyebrow. A small piece of glass must have flown in her face. She didn't even notice.
Neither of them said anything. What did you say when the king of Wakanda died before your very eyes? When once again their problems got worse? It couldn't ever go according to plan. It was so simple: go to Vienna, smile and be polite, get back home without getting anyone killed. But no, of course there was a bomb.
Suddenly, Katya saw a familiar blonde walk through the crowd of investigators. Her eyes narrowed in on her, unsure if it was really her, but she never forgot a face. Without saying anything, she stood and left Natasha there, who was confused at first but then spotted the woman too.
''Carter,'' Katya called out, stopping in front of the crowd control barrier which was now used to close off the crime scene. Behind it were quickly established tents from different organizations and agencies. FBI, CIA, MI6.
Sharon finished rambling to one of her colleagues and found the brunette spy pushed up against the barrier, her blue dress a couple shades darker than it should be. ''Petrova. I would say I'm surprised we meet again, but that would be a lie.''
Katya had no time for simple conversations. She needed the deeds. ''What do you know?''
Sharon's eyes darted around, but nobody was paying attention to them. Normally, enclosing classified information was forbidden, but the blonde CIA Agent had a soft spot for the Avengers and had deep respect for Katya. ''Seventy injured. Twelve dead. I saw the video. It looks like Barnes but it is shady. I don't trust it. Tips are pouring in but most of it is noise. That's all I have at the moment, I'm sorry.''
''Steve?'' Katya questioned. It was unlikely the soldier would let it go. He would protect his friend against any and everything. And if police found Barnes, believing he was the bomber, they wouldn't simply arrest him.
''He's here.''
Katya groaned, gripping the metal fence a little tighter in frustration. ''Of course he is. He's going to fuck everything up.'' She inched even closer to Sharon, if that was even possible. ''I can't go see him. I can't make this worse for myself. But if you do, please will you tell him to stay out of it. That Nat and I are on this?''
Sharon nodded, eager to get back to work. ''I can try, but you know how Steve is.''
''Thank you,'' Katya muttered, stopping before she could walk too far away. ''Oh and I'm sorry about your aunt.'' Sharon smiled sadly. How many days did she get to grieve? Three? Three days and she was forced back into work.
With a sigh, Katya turned around, rubbing her hands over her face. She was beyond exhausted, but there was no time for rest, not now. To her surprise, Natasha sat right behind her on a bench, her green eyes following T'Challa, who walked away. They had talked and it hadn't gone well.
''Let me guess, he didn't listen to your plea to stay out of it.'' Katya sat down on the bench, letting her body lean against the backrest. If the sun had been more powerful, she would have closed her eyes and let it warm her face, but the clouds were too thick. So instead she watched the chaos unfold, ignoring how her feet had started to hurt after walking around in heels for so long.
Natasha turned her phone over in her hand, staring at the shiny grey device. ''Said he'd kill Barnes himself.''
Katya rolled her eyes, pulling her hair loose because it was a mess anyway. It did nothing to relieve her headache. ''Why are men so predictable?''
''Steve?'' Natasha guessed.
As if on cue, the man of the hour called. His name written across the screen of the phone. Sharing a drained look with Katya, who moved closer to her to hear better, Natasha pressed the green button and put the man on speaker. ''Yeah?'' she asked, too lazy to say hello.
''You and Katya alright?'' he asked without missing a beat. His voice was strained, anxious.
''Ah, yeah, thanks. We got lucky.'' Next to the two women, an ambulance with sirens raced past. But not only did they hear it in their own ears, the sound also echoed through the phone. Steve was here and he was close.
With a jolt, Natasha stood, on edge now that she knew what he was planning. ''I know how much Barnes means to you. I really do. Stay home. You'll only make this worse. For all of us. Please.''
''Are you saying you'll arrest me?''
''No. Someone will. If you interfere. That's how it works now.'' That was the reason Katya was still sitting on her ass and not running around with Steve. She was not looking forward to getting arrested and ripped away from Natasha and her home again.
Katya rose from her seat, bringing her face closer to the phone. ''Steve, please. Sharon is on this, we're on this, but with the right authorithy. I know you care about him but you can't help him if you're in jail.''
''If he's this far gone, Kat, I should be the one to bring him in.''
''Why?'' she asked confused, her eyebrows pulling together. Red hair got blown into her face by the wind. It was not enough to make her shiver, but Austria wasn't exactly warm today.
''Because I'm the one least likely to die trying.''
He hung up without giving them a chance to talk him over. ''Shit,'' Natasha muttered to herself when the screen went black. Katya said a less nice, Russian version of the curse word. Her fists clenched by themselves. They needed to punch something, or throw something.
The Accords had shoved the team towards the edge of a cliff. They had balanced there for a few days, neither tipping over and falling into the deep nor stepping back onto solid ground. But Barnes had given the last push that send them over the edge. There was no returning from this and Katya couldn't do a damn thing about it.