Red Burning Satin (Natasha Romanoff x Reader)

Chapter 4

There was a sharp knock on the cell door and your eyes opened, looking up to the window immediately. It was a dull yellow, meaning it wasn't time for questioning yet and it couldn't be Natasha. Your mind was drowsy as you sat up, confused as to who it was. The next knock was more abrupt, echoing against the walls of the cell.

"Am I really going to have to knock again?" You frowned, recognising Fury's voice. When you had been called out for questioning before, it was always from the hidden speaker in your cell – he had never approached the door before.

"Is it time for questioning?" you called, your eyes still adjusting to the morning light.

"No, I need to talk to you." There was a click and the door swung open, Fury's silhouette appearing in the doorway. You kept the covers over your body, trying to smooth down your bed hair to make it less noticeable. He stood with his arms folded over his chest, waiting for you to answer.

"We can talk," you said, a hint of uncertainty in your voice. You figured the sooner this conversation was over, the sooner you could go back to sleep. Your late nights with Natasha were starting to take a toll and you wondered if she was suffering the consequences too. Fury walked to the centre of the room, clicking his fingers. "Can someone turn a light on in here?" The room brightened a few seconds later, forcing you to squint as your vision was flooded by artificial, white lighting.

"How did you do that?" you questioned. Fury chuckled, pointing at a strange device in the corner of the room that you hadn't been able to identify before.

"Don't pretend you don't know, we're aware you've been tampering with it at night," he said, "It's what we call a CCTV camera. It watches what you do at all times, except when you've been turning it off." You had no idea what he was accusing you of. This was the first time you had been given a name for this piece of technology, why did he think you had been messing with it or could even switch it off in the first place? You thought about what you had been doing at night, the dots starting to connect; you had been with Natasha. She must've switched it off to stop herself from getting caught. "We'll discuss that in a minute but that's not what I'm here for," he added, clearing his throat. "So, I've been asking you the same questions every day for the past week, you know that. Are you sure you can't tell me anything?"

"No," you said, "As you know from what I've told you, the information you want has the potential to put Earth in immense danger. I know you don't trust me but I'm telling the truth, I promise. I'm sorry I can't cooperate."

"You're right, I don't trust you," he said, "...But I'm willing to give you a chance to prove yourself." Your breathing halted for a moment. You didn't know what to expect of the outcome of your imprisonment but you had thought over many different scenarios, most of them being quite negative. This was different, hopeful even.

"Can you elaborate please?" you requested. Fury took out his phone from his pocket, tapping the screen and bringing up a projector behind him, moving to the side so you had a clear view. There was an outline of a man and his details on the side, all in an electric blue, hovering above the ground. He tapped his screen again and the image shrunk, a circle containing what looked like an eagle growing in size in front of you, the words S.H.I.E.L.D. scrolled below it.

"I've already told you what S.H.I.E.L.D. is, are you clear on our aims?" You nodded. "To protect this planet, we have to carry out a wide range of missions. Stopping criminals, identifying threats, finding faults with the global security system... you get the idea." The outline of the man was amplified again, his figure rotating, new text appearing beside him. "We've been after this target for months. He's the leader of one of the most lethal gangs in New York and it's imminent that we put a stop to his actions as soon as possible."