Aftershock

Mind Over Matter

"That wasn't smart Steve." Natasha reprimands him as they're escorted out of the facility.

"It was worth it." Steve argues. "You saw how upset she was. She said she wished she was dead." Natasha swallows hard, shaking her head.

"But Steve.. Those doors... They weren't supposed to open. If Willow had realized the dampeners were off as well in that split second."

"She wouldn't have done anything! Even if she had noticed. She's not a violent person. She didn't hurt that man on purpose. She was scared, they were hurting her, somebody should have checked to make sure the power dampeners were working."

"They've been having glitches and power outages all week. S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't know what to make of it. Their systems are off the grid, they have their own energy source.. They have no idea why it's failing now."

"But you seem it have an idea as to why they're failing." Steve knows the look on her face. Natasha is holding back on something. The S.H.I.E.L.D Agents drop them off in the lobby and give Natasha instructions on getting Steve off the base completely.

"I know." She tells them with a frown. They march off and Natasha sighs as she begins to escort Steve out of the building. "The power outages, the failing of their grid.. It has to be linked to Willow." Steve pauses just before they get outside and glares at Natasha.

"She wouldn't know how to do that. She can't be doing that. She moves the earth, she doesn't deal with technical stuff."

"No, I know that." Natasha says, opening the door for both of them. "I didn't say Willow was causing it. I said it's linked to her. All this started the second she got to base. I literally watched someone's computer malfunction moments after we got here."

"What?" Steve asks confused.

"I think somebody knows she's here, knows that she's awake. Whatever's left of HYDRA might be trying to get her back."

"But this base is new, or old or whatever. Should they be able to hack into the system? What if some of HYDRA's Agents held back, didn't make themselves known at the initial reveal? What if they knew I would be able to stop them?" Natasha gets closer to Steve.

"Be. Quiet." She says through her teeth as they head down the stairs. "You don't know who could be listening to us." That sends a chill down Steve's spine. Were people listening to them? What did they want with Willow? To turn her back into a brainwashed HYDRA soldier? "All of what you're saying might be a possibility."

"Might? You don't sound too convinced yourself."

"We don't know what this is Steve. I informed Coulson and he informed one of the other higher ups of another impending attack but.." She pauses. "It might not even be HYDRA at all."

"Then who? Who would be able to do this?" Natasha pursed her lips, obviously not wanting to say anymore. "Natasha if you know anything."

"I don't." She says hurriedly before sighing. "It's best if you go now Steve." She tells him as they approach the waiting car. "I'll let you know when you can see Willow again." She walks away before Steve can ask anymore questions and since Steve knows it's best not to stall, he gets into the car with the S.H.I.E.L.D Agent.

----

"Heard you and Willow got cozy in her cell." Steve frowns at Tony from his place on the bench. Setting the weights back down carefully, Steve sits up and wipes at the sweat on his forehead.

"How do you know that? And don't make it sound like we did anything other than hug each other." Steve scolds, feeling almost like a dad as he does.