Chasing Shadows ;; Steve Rogers

one.

New York City - 2023

Anastasiya was sitting on the fountain in Central Park, taking in the chilly night air. She loved Central Park under the moonlight. It was quiet and empty, just the way she liked it. Only the homeless and displaced wandered around. She liked to stop here whenever she was in New York. It was a moment of weakness she allowed herself. A police officer had offered to drive her home when he saw her alone, but she had smirked and told him she was fine. She knew there was no one that could hurt her. Not anymore.

Her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket and she pulled it out, looking at the text she had received.

Avengers Tower. 75th floor. Microchip.

And that was the reason she was here. It had been years since she had escaped from her handlers, faking her own death to get out. She made sure to burn it all to the ground before leaving. They had used her for two decades before she had enough. Now, she worked as a mercenary, using the skills they had given her to stay under the radar. To the world, Anastasiya Petrov was dead. Then again, Anastasiya Petrov had been dead to the world since she was 7.

She put her phone away and grabbed her helmet. The Avengers Tower was obviously going to be difficult to break into. She knew there would be every kind of security known to man and then some protecting Earth's defenders, protecting her. But this is what she had been trained for. She was used to moving in the shadows and remaining unseen.

She knew of course who was in the Tower. It had caused a big commotion on the news when Captain America returned with her. Everyone thought she'd sacrificed herself for them but the Star Spangled Hero had saved her. They obviously didn't know her very well. But Ana did. She knew better than anyone to not trust her. And she was ready for this mission. Past memories would not distract her from the job, and more importantly the compensation. Natasha Romanoff was nothing to her anymore.

She got on her motorcycle and kicked the stand up. Natasha would never even know she was there.

• • •

"Tony really knows how to throw a party," Yelena said, eating the olive from her martini.

"Don't tell him you said that, he'll never let it go," Natasha smirked, topping off their drinks. "Hey, I know I've said this a million times, but I'm really glad you decided to come back here with me."

"You still have my vest," Yelena said. "I told you, it was cool, right? So handy with all the pocket."

"It was very handy yeah," Natasha said. "But I kind of forgot it at the compound that was blown up by Thanos. Sorry."

Yelena glared at her. "You owe me a new vest. I want more pockets this time."

"Tony sent me over here to let you know he read your lips and he knows he throws the best parties," Steve appeared next to them, grabbing a beer bottle from behind the bar.

"Great," Natasha said. "This is your fault."

"That's okay, I will just kill him if he gets too annoying," Yelena said nonchalantly.

"She's kidding," Natasha said to Steve, who's eyes went very wide. "I think."

"So, how are you liking New York?" Steve changed the subject.

"I love it here," Yelena said. "I have never been to New York. I want to see everything. Have you been to the Rockefeller Center? In the Christmas time, they put that big tree. I've seen it on the tv."

"We'll go sight seeing this weekend," Natasha told her. "But it's a little early for the tree."

"It's still crazy to me that you have a sister and I never knew," Steve said. Natasha and Yelena exchanged a look. Because they had another sister, one they never spoke of because it hurt too much.