Claws of Fate

Flashdrive

We sat around the kitchen table, Steve filling me in on everything that had happened. As he spoke, Natasha roamed around the apartment, inspecting everything with a keen eye. I shot her an annoyed glance, had she not had enough of snooping around my things.

"Do you mind not touching anything?" I snapped.

The redhead raised an eyebrow but didn't reply, continuing her silent examination. I turned my attention back to Steve.

"So, how did you even find me here?" I asked.

Steve sighed. "We didn't know for sure. You're a hard person to track so it was a long shot, what are you even doing in Brooklyn?"

"Remember the promise we made back in basic? To come back here together. I went my way and I thought you were dead, I decided to fulfill that promise on my own." I told him as I saw his expression soften. I had clung to that promise, hoping against hope that he had somehow survived.

Curiosity got the better of me when I remembered something Steve had told me, "What a minute, what was Nick doing in your apartment in the first place." I knew Nick wasn't exactly the man to go over and have a conversation for fun. He only ever spoke to somebody if he needed something done.

Steve's face grew serious as he shared a glance with Natasha before looking back at me. "He said S.H.I.E.L.D was compromised. He said the only people who knew were him and me. Before he died, he gave me that drive and told me not to trust anyone." He informed me as he showed me the drive in his palm.

I leaned back, processing the information. I glanced at Natasha, suspicion in my eyes. "So what's she doing here then?" What business did she have here, was Steve just rounding everyone up he could find at this point?

I could hear a scoff fall from her lips. "I'm the one who got the drive in the first place, dipshit. Plus I'm the only one who's actually fought The Winter Soldier besides Steve."

My eyes narrowed as I turned my attention back to Steve, trying to ignore the redhead as to why the name sounded so familiar."Still doesn't explain how I'm supposed to help in all of this."

"I was wondering the same thing," Natasha said as she rolled her eyes.

Before I could reply Steve, clearly tired of the bickering, interjected. "Look, I can only trust a few people with this. If S.H.I.E.L.D is really compromised, I need all the help I can get, and I know that help is limited."

I took a deep breath considering his words. "Alright, but let's get one thing straight." I turned to Natasha. "You keep out of my way, and I'll keep out of yours."

Natasha crossed her arms, smirking. "Fine by me. Just don't slow us down."

I glared at her. "Same goes for you." Despite her being a pain in my ass I couldn't deny that Natasha was beautiful. Her eyes were beautiful and that smile-

What the fuck am I even thinking I just met the woman and she already seemed to hate my guts.

Steve let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Now that we're on the same page, let's figure out our next move."

Natasha finally sat down at the table, her expression turning serious. "We need to decrypt that drive. It's the key to everything."

I looked at Steve. "And where do we start?"

Steve took the drive from his palm now placing it on the table. "First, we need to find somewhere to decrypt this."

I nodded knowing exactly where we could go. "I might know a place."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "You know what you're doing?" My god was she beautiful until she opened her mouth.

I shot her a look. "More than you."

Steve held up a hand. "That's enough. Let's focus on the task at hand. Morgan, where did you have in mind, we'll go from there."

I stood up, my resolve hardening. I had wanted peace, but it seemed my fight was far from over. I glanced at Natasha one last time before telling them where feeling the tension between us still thick in the air.

"The mall." I said

Steve blinked, thinking I was joking. "The mall?" He said looking skeptical.

Natasha, for the first time agreed with me. "It's actually a good idea. The mall is the perfect place to blend in. Once we try to open the drive, S.H.I.E.L.D, will know exactly where we are. The mall will give us a crowd to disappear into."

But even then the red head couldn't resist a jab as she turned my way. "Even you might look normal in a place like that, Wolverine."

My jaw tightened, James dog tags around my neck weighing heavier than ever. "Watch it, Romanoff."

Steve looked between the both of us, realizing we were serious. "Alright. The mall it is."

I stood up, my resolve harding. I had wanted peace, but it seemed my fight was far from over, if it was ever going to be over. I glanced at Natasha one last time before heading toward the door, feeling the tension between us still thick looming in the air.

As we left the apartment and made our way to the mall, I couldn't help but think about how strange my life had become. One minute of peace always seemed to turn into a string of chaos. But one thing was clear, I was ready to fight again even if it was the last thing I wanted, and this time, I was far from backing down.