The Before [Prequel- Part 1]

Secret's Out

~~~Natasha's pov~~~

After we had left Scotland with Wanda and Vision, we realized we only had one course of action.

We had to go back to the compound.

"With Stark missing, and more sightings of these aliens in New York, it's the only thing that makes sense for us to do." Steve said to me in the back of the quinjet while Wanda, Sam, and Pietro tended to Vision's injury.

"I understand that. I just feel like we should try and contact Catherine or even Loki before we go anywhere else. The aliens could be after them too." I sighed, worried about my friend.

I hadn't seen Catherine since the whole Zemo/Bucky incident and she was taken by Hydra.

I mean, I saw her briefly during the fight in Germany, but I never got to talk to her.

After being on the run, and breaking the others out of the Raft, I was hoping I'd run into her again. Somewhere. Anywhere.

It's not an exaggeration to say that I view the younger Stark as my little sister. Well, her and Yelena.

I just miss her so much... The last real conversation we had was before The Accords, when she told me about her relationship with Loki and I told her I was with Steve.

Sometimes I wonder if that ever went anywhere...

"Nat, we have no idea where they are." He raised a brow, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I know, I know. But there has to be some way for us to get a message to them." I insisted.

"Wherever they are, who knows if they're even together? They could be on opposite sides of the world for all we know." He pointed out. "Sam said that Catherine disappeared from the Raft and left no explanation as to how. She could have escaped, sure. But it's much more likely that Ross and his men just moved her to another location. Or even..." He trailed off, sadness in his eyes.

"Rogers, she's not dead." I shook my head angrily. "She can't be. She had to have escaped. It's the only explanation." I wasn't sure if I was convincing him or myself at this point.

"If she had a way to get out of there, don't you think she would've broken the others out too?" He asked quietly, looking down at the ground.

"She..." I faltered, his words sinking in.

"Cap, Romanoff, we're here." Sam called over to us as the quinjet landed on the grass outside the compound.

"Alright, let's go." And with that, we made our way into the building, Wanda and Pietro helping Vision to walk, and Sam, Steve, and I leading the way.

"Do you think anyone's here?" Sam asked seriously as we walked through the hallways and towards the conference room.

"I'm pretty sure Rhodey looks after this place when Tony's not around. So, he must be here at the very least." Steve answered, and that's when we heard voices.

"Still no word from Vision?" A gravelly voice echoed from the room and I instantly recognized it to be Secretary Ross.

Great.

"Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh-" We heard Rhodey next, but Ross cut him off.

"On a stolen quinjet with five of the world's most wanted criminals."

Criminals is an interesting word for it.

"You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that, right, sir?"

Thanks, Rhodes.

Ross scoffed. "My God, Rhodes. Your talent for horseshit rivals my own."

That's quite literally impossible.