The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 9

Somewhere over the Atlantic

Spring 2015

Each of the three Avengers eyed her grimly at her soft, bitter confession, Natasha most intently of all.

"You're being blackmailed." It wasn't a question, so when Barton said it, Nadine felt no compulsion to respond. If she had, it would have been a resounding 'obviously.' Instead she changed topics. There was nothing more to be said on the matter. Nadine fidgeted again, shifting her feet beneath her. Neither the captain nor the archer reacted beyond an absent glance, focused instead on her silent admission. Natasha eyed her, seeming not quite sure what to make of the assassin in front of her, of her former friend, her once sister.

"Where are you taking me," Nadine asked, voice once again impassive. She easily restrained a sigh of satisfaction that no one paid any notice to a faint, muffled snap as she spoke, not even hearing the sound, attentive as they were instead on her controlled tone. Rogers stood slowly, his arms crossing as he did, still surveying her curiously with a gaze far less distrustfully critical than even a few moments before. While she hadn't intended for her true situation to come out, she had to admit it was proving useful.

"Back to New York, to the Avengers Tower," the Captain said frankly. Had she been in any other situation, Nadine might have been tempted to respond with some manner of acerbic quip.

Instead all the blood left her face.

"I can't go to New York."

"You're not really in a position to negotiate," Barton retorted dryly. Nadine's pulse was thrumming as a feeling disturbingly close to panic began building in her chest. It took every ounce of training she had to keep her reaction to herself. Yet Natasha's eyes were nevertheless sharp on Nadine.

"I can't go to New York," she simply repeated, her voice far steadier than she felt, "you're not dead, Natasha, which means they might very well make good on their threats. I have a life that I have to protect." Natasha's eyebrows lifted in skeptical doubt. Nadine scoffed, though the sound that came out was nearly a growl. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"In this line of work?" Natasha's head tilted, the doubtful expression still hovering in her eyes, "a bit."

"It can be done," Barton interrupted with a nonchalant shrug, shooting Natasha a look. "It's not impossible. There are agents who have lives outside this job; families..." Rogers glanced over at his companions, giving Barton an exasperated look that had the archer trailing off vaguely, "...hobbies...chickens..." Natasha merely rolled her eyes at Barton's cheek, earning a sly grin in return. Rogers, meanwhile, had turned his focus back to Nadine. Nadine met his serious look with an impassive one of her own.

"Still, we have some questions for you. We need to find out who has put a hit out on Romanoff, and we need you for that. You're our only link to whoever is behind this. It might not be long before they come after the rest of us," the soldier said stoically, his hands shifting to rest on his hips. Barton snorted.

"Could you see them trying to go after Banner?" Hawkeye stage-whispered, a faint, mocking laugh in his voice. Natasha spared him a disapproving glare while Steve shot him another pointed look. Barton sobered instantly this time.

"I can. That's why we need to know."

It was then that Nadine broke in, surreptitiously shifting again: "as curious as I am myself, I still can't go to New York."

In a single, rapid motion, Nadine rocked back onto the balls of her feet and launched herself up into Roger's middle, her shoulder driving hard enough into his gut that he grunted thickly in pain and shock. With a sharp jerk, she snapped the last remaining tie around her ankles, flowing into a swift, spinning kick that collided with a harsh smack across the Captain's face, knocking him back off his feet.