Almost Dusk {A Black Widow Story}

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

(Natasha's Perspective)

All hell breaks loose as SHIELD agents run amuck.

One of the shipment containers had contained a bunch of canisters full of a thick purple smoke that creates a hallucinating effect of being burnt alive when encountered.

Currently, we have a whole team of agents writhing in pain with invisible wounds covering their skin, eating their flesh.

Their screams are frightening as we transport them to the decontamination showers to flush the effects of the smoke from their systems.

Another team has barricaded the contaminated areas and quarantined them so no one else is afflicted.

Barton and I are assessing the damage around the shipment when the smoke is vacuumed away.

"All the doors to the containers have been unlatched. Someone must have knocked the canisters over and that's how the smoke spread." Clint says, surveying the sight.

I frown. "But why wouldn't they put out an alert if they saw what was happening?"

Clint shrugs. "Maybe they didn't notice it, or maybe they were looking for something in here that they aren't supposed to have access to."

"You think we have an enemy on the inside?" I ask.

"I think we don't have much to go on aside from that." He admits, no happier about it than I am.

"It looks like that visit to Stark's is cancelled." I sigh in annoyance.

--

Once the chaos finally subsides, Fury announces the lockdown.

"Until we can account for the situation on Level 2, everyone is to remain in lockdown while we determine the next steps in finding the perpetrator."

Barton and I head back to find Rose and Eva.

Rose is easy to spot as she stands in the doorway to her room, waiting.

"Is everything okay?" Worry evident in her eyes.

"It's fine. Someone just knocked some canisters of dangerous fumes and they're trying to find out who." I explain.

Her panic subsides.

"Let's go find Eva." I signal both Barton and Rose to follow.

When we get to her room, I first think she isn't there, but then I spot the lump under the bed covers.

"Hey" I murmur as I move to sit on the bed, "Everything's okay, there's nothing to be afraid about."

I pull back the blankets from on top of Eva and find her red eyed and clutching her toy turtle.

Then it hits me.

"I'm sorry" she stutters.

"You went to the storage to find your turtle." I say, piecing it together aloud.

"I didn't mean to knock it over, and when I saw the purple fog.." she rambled through a fresh wave of tears, "I didn't know what to do, I panicked."

"It was you?!" Clint said, stunned.

Eva just nodded meekly.

"What were you thinking?" Clint burst out, "Someone could have seriously been hurt. You could've been hurt. You put us all in jeopardy for some toy!"

Something in Eva must have snapped at that, for she stopped crying and her face grew flushed.

"It was an accident!" she yelled back, rage building.