I'm Sorry | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 5: Mine

Natasha walked into the briefing room, a file tucked under her arm. She placed it on the table with a decisive thud, catching the attention of the team.

Steve gave her a curious look as he opened the file. The pages inside were filled with detailed information about Hydra operatives and their bases. As he flipped through the documents, his eyes widened with disbelief.

"What's all this?" Steve asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

Natasha's gaze was steady and resolute. "Hydra is gone."

Steve's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, 'gone'?"

Natasha nodded, her tone unwavering. "I mean they're gone. The operatives are dead, their bases have been destroyed. This is the proof."

Steve continued to peruse the file, his expression shifting from skepticism to surprise. He glanced up and showed the rest of the team the folder. "This is detailed. But how did we get this?"

Clint's gaze narrowed, his tone skeptical. "You're not talking to Inferno again, are you?"

Natasha nodded, her expression resolute. "She neutralized Hydra."

Steve's eyes were intense, his voice firm. "We can't trust her, Natasha. She's dangerous."

Natasha met Steve's gaze, her voice steady. "I understand your concerns. But she did help us. She gave us crucial information that led to this."

Steve's jaw tightened, his expression conflicted. "You're saying you trust her?"

Natasha took a deep breath, her eyes unwavering. "I'm saying she helped us when we needed it. I'm not asking you to ignore her past, but we can't ignore the fact that her assistance led to a significant win for us."

Tony finally spoke up, "I thought we agreed that after the coordinates, you would cut off all ties with her unless it was to help bring her in."

Natasha turned to Tony, her gaze steady. "We did agree on that. But circumstances have changed."

Tony's expression was a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "So, what, we're just supposed to overlook the fact that she's a wildcard? She's helped us this time, but what about the next?"

Steve's expression remained stern as he addressed Natasha. "I'm sorry, Natasha, but Tony is right. We can't afford to overlook the risks just because she helped us this time."

Tony's face lit up with a smirk. "You guys heard that too, right? Cap just agreed with me."

Steve shot Tony a look that was both exasperated and amused. "I'm just saying we need to be cautious."

Tony's smirk widened, and he leaned in slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. "No, no, just say it again. I want to make sure I heard it right. Rogers actually agreed with me."

Steve rolled his eyes, "Alright, alright, I agree with you. But only because we need to be cautious, not because I'm giving you a free pass to gloat."

Tony grinned triumphantly, raising an eyebrow. "I'll take it."

Natasha looked around at her team, her expression resolute despite the tension. "What if she proves that she can help us and be a valuable asset to the team?"

Steve's gaze remained firm as he shook his head. "Useful or not, she still killed thousands. We can't ignore that."

Natasha's eyes flashed with a mix of frustration and disappointment. Without saying another word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

━━━━━

A week had passed since that intense, unexpected kiss, and the world had moved on. (No we haven't) Natasha was back to her usual routine, engrossed in a mission. Inferno found herself on a rooftop, a colorful lollipop in her mouth, observing the city below with an almost detached curiosity.