Trapped in her own Web

Out of Time

After they received the call from Natasha they all hurried to suit up. Tony tracked the call as far as Austria before she cut it off. They weren't going to listen to her warning. There was no way little red was being left behind. Bucky was prepared to kill to get her. The others had similar thoughts running through their heads.

In no less than five minute they were all on the quinjet and out for blood. Clint fired up the engines and they were off. In record time the snowy peaks of the Alps were zipping beneath them. They slowed only a fraction so that they could keep an eye out for anything resembling a Hydra base. The town of Zell-am-see passed beneath them and they headed into the more remote, harsher landscape. In the distance they could make out an elaborate castle. They scanned it and found it far more heavily armed than a normal castle would warrant.

"It is like ze one een Sokovia." Wanda's Sokovian accent became thicker as she became more upset. Steve stood at the ramp and addressed everyone.
"Remember, Nat said this was a trap. So this is how we're going to do it." He then proceeded to make a plan where Thor and Tony would fly on the north side, Sam and Rhodey on the south and Vision and Wanda on the east. Hulk would come in on the west whilst the jet would drop Steve, Peter, Clint and James behind the defences. Steve and Peter would take the right side and Bucky and Clint take the left. Once the others got through the perimeter they'd fan out and search too.
"How to trap the trappers trapper." Clint murmured under his breath. Bucky smiled slightly as Steve opened the door and all hell broke loose.

Natasha heard the sounds of battle. She shook her head at the stupidness of her team mates. She should of known they were all loyal idiots. Steve was rubbing off on them too much. She got up and stood near the door. Ever since she'd woken up a shock collar was wrapped around her neck and her hands were in assassin proof cuffs. Well not entirely, no prison could hold her but it would take a fair amount of time to get out of them.

She made sure she was loud enough for the guards to hear her but quite enough not to raise suspicion. "James! I told you not to come here it's a trap. Shush, they'll hear you." She purposely knocked the chair over and cursed. She heard the guards outside shuffle nervously. To make her play more believable she used her hands to awkwardly grab the chair and swing it at the window. It smashed, but the chicken wire was still intact. She raised her voice in a loud "TONY," before clapping a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. She heard her door unlocking. "Bingo."

The door swung open and she launched herself at the guards. Three snapped necks later and she was creeping down the stairs. She didn't get far before a sharp volt zapped through her neck and she hunched over in pain. She stood up but was instantly blown back by the more powerful volt that made her body spasm. Alexei stormed up to her and lifted her up. He was interrupted by the sharp twang of a bow and ducked as an arrow sailed over his head.

"Cap, come in. Winter Soldier and I have eyes on Widow. We're in the south west tower."
"Copy that."
"Cap, this is Scarlet Witch we've secured the hostage."
"Roger that take them to the jet."

James and Clint stared down Alexei as he held Natasha in front of him like a shield. The electricity had made her weak but she nodded at Clint and closed her eyes. She felt the fletcher skim her neck as the sharp tip of the arrow broke the collar. James gasped an Alexei dove sideways to avoid it. He dragged Natasha back with him and held a knife to her throat, the same one as earlier. She humphed, she was not some damsel in distress. When she moved though he pressed a gun barrel to the base of her spine. That made things a little more complicated.

They retreated up the stairs and onto the ramparts. From the other side Peter and Cap came. Thor and Tony landed next to them. Alexei was boxed in. He held the knife closer and backed up until his back was facing the open air. Everyone halted. If they attacked him he would fall and so would Natasha. They were at a stalemate. Or maybe not. Natasha was working the cuffs and finally popped them open. They fell to the floor and she twisted around gaining a shallow graze.

"Burn in hell," she snarled and grabbed his pistol, shooting him three times in the chest. The knife fell from his grasp and his body jolted from the force of the bullets.
"If I'm going then you're coming with me," he reached to grab her shirt but she swivelled away, somehow he managed to snag her hair and then they were both falling. He pitched over the edge and dragged her down with him. She hears James's "TALIA!" And Alexei's;
"Hail Hydra," before the ground rushed to meet her and she passed out.

James rushes to the edge of the rampart and faintly hears screaming. All he sees is his Natalia falling. Her beautiful red hair blows around her like an angels would. Her eyes close and he feels the tearing in his throat and realises he's the one screaming his voice hoarse. His heart shatters as she falls out of sight and before he can understand what he's doing he's thrown himself off after her.

Thor flies after him and grabs him around the torso and the descend is slower than he would of liked. He wants to fall with her. To feel the pain of his bones shattering as penance for his failure. For forgetting his promise to her. He wants to die, to be with her.

As soon as he's in jumping distance he twists out of Thor's arms and rushes to the side of his lover. He drops to his knees and cradles her broken form, sobbing. Her crimson halo is spread around her head and her eyes are shut, as if she were only sleeping. Bucky knows better. The worst part of the image is she's smiling gently, her lips curved up as if to say "it's ok." Tears fall thickly and he hugs her tighter to him. The school uniform further imprints the image of an innocent girl. Her skin is tinted a pale blue from the cold and asphyxiation, the oxygen having whipped past her too fast for it to enter her lungs. Her limbs are twisted in unnatural ways yet her perfect features show only the briefest trace of pain. His silver dog tags are draped carelessly over her chest and are clutched in her limp hand. James throws his head back and howls in misery.
"I'm so sorry Natalia, I failed you I told you I would be there for you that I'd always come back. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This should be me. All you wanted to do was to clear your ledger and I've only been adding to mine." He hung his head and cried. His sadness turned to rage and he tilted his head to the heavens.

"WHY, WHY HER? WHAT DID SHE DO TO YOU?! WHY? Why Natalia?" He lost all the fight and just slumped in defeat, rocking her back and forth. It fittingly began to snow and he stood up with her in his arms. The white crystals dusted her porcelain face. The snow matched her pale icy skin. The red of her hair was in stark contrast and reminded him of the first time they met after Hydra in the hospital.

He turned to face his friends. Their faces ranged from devastated to blank. Clint threw himself at the body of Alexei and started beating the crap out of his already disfigured and very dead corpse. Bruce gently took Natalia off of Bucky and Steve wrapped him in a hug. Tony's face was stone and he turned on his heel and kicked off into the air.

Bucky's eyes were already rimmed with red but he still had tears to spare and he just sank down into the snow with Steve still holding him whispering reassurances. He was numb to the cold and biting wind. He watched almost detached as the other avengers bundled into the quinjet and let Steve and Sam help him up and sit him down. He couldn't fall asleep, no matter how exhausted he was but his thoughts remained with Natalia the whole time. She wasn't gone, she couldn't be. He refused to believe it and tried to tune out the talk of the others as they discussed possible funeral plans. After the glare he sent them they all shut up.

He walked over to where Bruce was desperately trying to do something and sat down next to the bed. He took her hand gently and with his metal one caressed her cheek lightly. He tucked the tags back under her shirt and kissed her forehead. He ruffled her hair slightly before resting his head on the cot and finally succumbing to the brief escape of sleep.

A/N Sooo... hehehe. What if I just ended it? Left it like this? Like ok she's dead time to pack up and go home? I never said it'd be a happy ending. Nah I'm not that mean. Maybe. Guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens. ;)