Time Unchanging

Chapter 56

Everyone went to the meeting room, with the exception of Eva. Sitting at the head of the table was Fury, Maria Hill next to him, working on her computer. They both wore hard expressions. Everyone took a seat, waiting to hear what the head of SHIELD had to say.

"What the hell happened in there?" Fury asked.

Clint replied, "She pushed for a reaction."

Of course, he knew what Nat was doing. He had seen her interrogate people before. Even with her in the hot seat, she would turn it to her advantage and make the other person react how she wanted.

"Without Loki and Hank," Wanda added, "Eva would have killed her, but we got a confession."

Bruce interjected then, "I have to question why they did this now. We all know they-"

"It was now or she be set free," Nick informed the group. "She was an Avenger, and-"

"I'm a villain and Evelyn now poses a threat because of her powers," Loki finished.

"Exactly."

Steve stood up, anger radiating from him as he asked, "Wait, she's still considered an Avenger?" His voice began to rise. "After everything she did, how can you even think of her as a hero?"

"We had no proof. Their pasts worked for her."

Bucky clenched his fists and growled, "Even with us as eyewitnesses? Her best friend even saying-"

"It wasn't enough, not with her record."

Hill added, "As much as we wanted to put her behind bars, the government tied our hands." She typed a few last keys before sitting back. "Until we had a confession, it was their word against her record." She looked at Steve. "Which now means nothing."

"Good," Steve said. "She doesn't deserve anything heroic to be associated with her."

Meanwhile, Eva sat in the kitchen, playing with a knife. Dark thoughts ran through her head. She remembered Loki saying how every snide remark and weary glace would play in his head as a child until he became obsessed with teaching others who they were dealing with.

She tried to stem them, but this only made the thoughts grow louder. She wanted to march up to the holding cell and show Nat what she had created.

However, a group of armed SHIELD agents came in. She watched them walk through as if they owned the place. Several minutes later, they walked back. Nat was in the center, her hands cuffed behind her and attached to her waist to prevent her from attacking. There were also chains around her ankles, making her movements slower.

The Widow looked at Eva as she passed by her. She mouthed a single sentence to the amethyst-haired woman. See you soon, любовь - love.