Budapest

Natasha - Seeing Red

A/N: In an effort to update more often, I'm attempting to split my chapters up, rather than writing these mega-long chapters that take forever to write and then more forevers to edit. So here goes :)

NATASHA

Natasha watched as Barton was knocked clear off his feet by the blast, landed flat on his back, and didn't move.

"Now we're even," she muttered. She hoisted Vanko's limp body into the back of the Hummer and climbed into the passenger's seat.

Nemirovsky raised her eyebrows. "Friend of yours?" she asked.

"Not anymore," Natasha replied. "And it's none of your damn business anyway. Drive."

The ride to the HYDRA bunker was silent. Nemirovsky showed no interest in attempting conversation and Natasha didn't try anything either. Now that the KGB had fallen and HYDRA was on the rise, Strucker made himself far too busy for Natasha and it irritated the hell out of her. He finally got that positon of power he'd been craving ever since she'd known him. And now, he insisted on exercising his power by pairing Natasha off with Nemirovsky for field work, despite Natasha's protests that she'd rather work alone.

She knew exactly why he wouldn't listen to her. Part of it could be attributed to being head of HYDRA, yes. He didn't have to take orders from anyone anymore. But it was more than that. He didn't trust her. And Natasha didn't trust him, that much was obvious, it always had been. After Strucker had revealed his status as double agent for god only knew how many years, he sure as hell was never going to earn an ounce of her trust ever again.

No, the balance was perfect now. Under normal circumstances, she had to work with a certain level of trust between other agents, but that wasn't going to get in her way anymore. Just the job. And that's exactly how she liked it.

Moscow had long since fallen behind them and the road stretched out in a long, black ribbon cutting through the golden stubble of barren fields. At exactly thirty miles outside of the city, when the neon green lights on the dashboard clock read 9:00am, Nemirovsky pulled off the road and into the field before she came to a stop. She pressed a small blue button on the dashboard and the earth shifted in front of them. A large black panel slid away revealing a gaping tunnel lined with steel burrowing deep into the earth.

Nemirovsky turned to face Natasha. "Run along now. I can take it from here."

Natasha gritted her teeth. "Strucker's orders were to bring Vanko."

"And you have," she said in a deceptively calm, sweet voice that only aggravated Natasha even further.

"I'd rather see him delivered for myself, thanks," Natasha replied.

A faint smirk curled Nemirovsky's deep red lips. "It must irritate you so much, not being number one agent anymore."

Natasha looked away, staring straight ahead. "We're wasting time."

"You're back to being a rookie," Nemirovsky plowed on, relentless. "Starting at the bottom rung all over again. Given no more information than a need to know basis."

Natasha clenched her jaw, forcing herself to swallow the burning words that singed her tongue, aching to be free. She refused to react to Nemirovsky's childish taunts, refused to give her the satisfaction she so openly hungered for. But Nemirovsky was eating it up, knowing full well Natasha couldn't defend herself.

Nemirovsky continued, dragging each word out. "And. It's. Killing. You."

Before Natasha could respond, Strucker and half a dozen armed guards exited the tunnel and came towards them.