The Third Black Widow

Always Expect The Unexpected

It's been a week since the new team of Avengers assembled. We've got much stronger and better. We're a tight knit group.

We're chilling in the living room on our one day off for the week. Saturday. We're watching Top Gun Maverick. Just for fun. It's kind of our thing. Every Saturday, we all sit in the living room and watch a movie together.

Nick, Maria, and Bucky walk into the room looking pale. Bucky is the only guest trainer who stays here all the time. Clint, Sam, and Dr. Strange drop in from time to time.

My first thought is either someone died or there's a mission. I hope I'm right about the second one.

Yelena pauses the movie earning some annoyed looks from a few of our teammates.

"Team. We have a mission. Only a few of you are needed. Kate, Peter, Kamala, suit up. Lizzie, you're team leader since you've done this sort of thing before," says Nick.

We all look around at each other. A, that's quite the variety of people chosen. B, he didn't say any back up. Not yet at least. I hope there is just in case. C, oh dear lord he chose me as team leader because I'm the only one who's gone on a mission like this before. And D, why on Earth did he not pick Yelena? She's a Black Widow too! She knows how to do this! No offense to the others. I'm excited to work with them, but I'm surprised by who was chosen for the mission.

"The mission is in Germany. Berlin to be exact. You are going undercover to collect intell on a few remaining HYDRA associates. It appears that we haven't gotten rid of them all yet. Lizzie, you will be going to a party undercover as the Chancellor's daughter. I will provide more details about your alias privately. Kate, Kamala, and Peter, you will be party guests. Lizzie will hack into the system and get you onto the list. Worst comes to worse, Lizzie's maturity and looks will come in handy and the three of you will pose as her friends from high school. Understood? The goal is to acquire a flash drive that contains valuable information on the whereabouts of the HYDRA members. My sources tell me that the Chancellor's colleagues are the only ones who have access to it. Get in tight with them. Do whatever you have to do it get it. Do. Not. Come. Back. With. Out. It. Am I clear?" says Nick.

"Yes, sir," says everyone. Even those who aren't going on the mission. "Should the mission get messy, and believe me when I tell you they do and I've heard it all, then and only then can you use your powers and weapons etc," says Nick.

I think back to when Nat told me about how Bucky in Winter Soldier mode shot a bullet straight through her and hit a scientist that she was guarding while hanging off a cliff. That had to be one of the more crazy ones.

And I'm planning on asking about the worst mission gone wrong with newbies. Those ones are the best stories ever. Not that newbie missions always go wrong, but when they do, it's funny.

"You leave tonight. Wheels up no later than 11," says Nick. I check the time on my watch. 2:00 PM. So we finish the movie and then pack and panic. Great.

The leaders leave and we finish the movie. I hope our mission doesn't end like it did for Maverick and Rooster. Even though they were saved in the end.

We start packing and Yelena quadruple checks that I have every. I packed every single holster I have for my weapons.

Shuri gave us special tech to conceal Kate's bow and arrows so she can have it with her during the party.

Peter was given a whole new suit and tech that's accessible from a ring on his finger.

Kamala's powers are within herself so we don't need to worry about her.

I got new widow bites that come from thin bracelets on my wrists.

Shuri's our tech girl. We need something, she more than happily creates it and gets it to us as fast as she can.

I read through my alias file. My name is Lorelei Steinmeier. I'm 15 and I'm in my second year of high school. Simple. And that's how I like it.

Sure the complex ones are more fun, but they're easier to be blown by one small slip up since each detail is so specific.

We say goodbye to our teammates and I say a particularly long one to Yelena.

To be honest, I'm a little scared. I haven't been on a real mission since the Red Room. That was six years ago. I know I've done missions since, such as freeing the Black Widows and attempting to kill Clint, but what I mean is real mission.

Undercover alias, a team, weapons, foreign country, speaking in another language, something to retrieve, you know, the whole shebang.

One thing is certain, I will do anything to protect my team even if it means that I don't come home. I don't care how many bullets I take if it means that they all come home in one piece. I don't care if I'm tortured as long as my friends come home alive and maybe with some cool stories and minor battle scars would be nice.

I say goodbye to America and she forces me to promise that I'll come back. I secretly cross my fingers behind my back as I say "Yes."

I never promise that I'll come back. I never have, and I never will. Especially not after what happened with Nat.

Kamala said her separate goodbye to America and then we do a group hug. We high-five the rest of our teammates.

"See you later, squirt," says Bucky. "Sounds about right," I say. He smiles at me and hugs me. "Good luck," he says. "Thanks," I say.

"Bring it on home, kid," says Nick. "Thank you, sir," I say. "Lizzie, think about it this way, it's just like another Red Room mission. You've done this before. And that means I know you can do it again," says Maria. I nod and take a deep breath.

"All right team, let's do this," I say. I'm the one flying the Quinjet since I'm the only one who knows how. I was trained to drive and pilot anything and everything.

We take off and set course for Berlin.

I put the jet on autopilot.

"Here we go. We've got this, guys. I believe in us. We can do this," I say. "Let's do this thing!" cheers Peter. "Time to get our mission on! Ooh Ooh!" says Kate as she dances. "We're on a mission, we're on a mission," says Kamala as she starts to dance as well. I laugh and join in with my teammates.