Retribution {BOOK TWO}

{Throwdown}

{A WEEK LATER}

{NATASHA}

Rumlow has been on the run with Pierce, causing us a lot of problems ever since we left Japan. Luckily, our battle there was contained enough to cause too many issues with the Accords. Steve was furious. He felt responsible for all of it because he nearly had him.

He was outsmarted. It was as simple as that. Steve has become more humanized if that makes sense. Unfortunately, it made him vulnerable last week. Comms had been scrambled again, and I wasn't in his eyeline. He'd been made to believe that something had happened to me.

He chose to see if I was alright instead while Rumlow had shot grenades at Sam to make his escape. He made it clear that he didn't regret coming for me. He regrets being tricked by Rumlow again. Last time, he used Bucky against him in Lagos.

The trouble was that Rumlow had spent time undercover watching Steve. He knew how to push him. He wasn't the only one in a bad headspace. Y/N had finally read John's letter. She hadn't changed her mind, she has been all about Bucky these days. I think she was upset about how HYDRA and other things had affected the friendship.

He was the last link to her previous life that she used to have. She wasn't sure who she was otherwise. After finding out the truth about her biological family, I asked her if she wanted to find them. She said she shouldn't. She wasn't sure how she'd react, and her powers were in check. She didn't want to ruin that.

But strange things were going on at the compound. I thought it was her, but she had no memory of it. I could have sworn that wisps of Aether were moving on their own without her. I think it was a side effect of whatever was in that syringe. One issue at a time, we decided. It wasn't causing any significant problems, so I dropped it for now.

We were back at the New York compound. Sam said he had something to handle in D.C., and he flew out a few hours ago. Y/N and Bucky went out into the city to see Tony. I knew the plan was to cheer her up, so that left Steve and me. I encouraged him to have a lazy day and just spend it in bed with me.

He needed to relax. Granted, I think he definitely worked out some tension, and I was only too happy to assist. He'd eventually fallen asleep, and I was surprised that he did. I got out of bed and stretched as my phone rang.

"Romanoff," I answered.

"It's Sam," he replied, and his tone was strange.

"Sam, what is it?" I asked.

He rarely sounded like this. I was ready to kill someone.

"I gotta stay in D.C.," he tells me.

"What's going on?" I ask again.

"I've been given some intel on what happened to Riley," he replied in the same tone, but I detected rage. "I'm going to see it through."

"Okay," I acknowledged. "I get that. But if you need us, you know where to find us."

"I got you," he replied.

"And check in," I plead. "I don't want another incident."

"Understood," he says in a cold voice.

"Sam, it's gonna be okay," I appeal to him.

"It'll be better once I find out the truth," he admits. "I'll call you later, Nat."

He ends the call, and I don't know what to think. He's never brought this up before, leading me to believe that he had put others before himself. Either that, or he'd been waiting on the intel before he made any moves. I should have seen it coming. I have never heard Sam sound the way he did.