Bird Set Free | Natasha Romanoff ✓

Chapter Eleven

Aquila wrapped her arms around her body trying to keep some heat in, her body involuntarily shaking, as the weight of the situation weighed on her. 

Surgeons were all gathered around Nick Fury who was surrounded by machines each showing his heart rate. 

Although Aquila hadn't known Nick Fury for very long, other than in her younger years where he had never given up in trying to recruit her. But in the few years where she had actually known him, he had already had an untold impact on her life. 

Before her recruitment into the Avengers initiative, Aquila didn't have anyone. No family, no siblings, no friends. 

Of course, there were boys and even some girls too, plenty of meaningless nights that could easily be put down to a lack of proper decision making. But never any long term commitments, no strings attached. With the neverending running away, it didn't leave much room to allow for that sort of thing. 

Other, than a few houseplants that hadn't lasted the week. Aquila never had anymore, until a mismatched group of 'heroes' who hadn't even gotten along at first got together and Aquila had suddenly found herself with a family. And none of it would have ever been possible without Nick Fury's vision.  

The door nearby burst open, revealing a redhead in a huge rush. "Is he going to make it?" 

Aquila glanced over to the redhead who despite her seemingly steady demeanor had a slight crack in her voice. 

"I don't know," Steve responded. 

"Tell us about the shooter," Aquila said, her own voice holding a voice crack to it as well. 

"He's fast and strong. He had a metal arm."

Everyone looked up as Agent Hill joined the group of three. 

"Ballistics?" Natasha asked the Agent. 

"Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable."

"Soviet-made?" Natasha responded as everyone in the room turned to her. 

"Yeah."

However, everyone's attention was turned back to Nick Fury as his state quickly deteriorated. The heart monitor beeped loudly across the room as the surgeons quickly move around as Fury began to flat line. 

"Don't do this to me, Nick," Natasha muttered. 

"Oh, no," Aquila said under her breath. 

Once the defibrillator was pulled out, she could feel, her heart dropping into the bottom of her chest. Nick's body jolted up roughly every time they used it but his heart once again refused to restart.  

Her hands had a slight tremor to them as she watched Natasha examined Nick's lifeless body as it was laid out on the table, the only thing covering him a white sheet. 

There were tears that ran down the redhead's face, a strange sight for the woman who often kept an unreadable mask across her face. 

Once again Agent Hill joined Aquila and Natasha with Steve at her side. "I need to take him."

"Natasha," Aquila said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. 

Natasha tenderly touched the top of Fury's head before turning and walking out, Aquila on her heels, a strange sense of determination to comfort the woman overwhelming her. 

"Natasha!" Steve said, following the two women out of the room. 

"Why was Fury in your apartment?" Natasha asked whipping around. 

"I don't know."

Rumlow interrupted them before Steve had a chance to turn back to Natasha.

"You're a terrible liar," Natasha said before storming off. 

She didn't get very far before Aquila stopped her. Neither woman shared a single word before Natasha pulled Aquila close to her, hugging her tightly. 

Natasha had found the flash drive that Steve had stashed in the vending machine only a few hours ago. The same thought flashed around in their minds, 'what was so important that Steve needed to hide the flash drive from them.'

"You want gum?" Natasha asked, offering Aquila a small sliver of gum. 

"Sure," Aquila responded popping it into her mouth, chewing on it as they rounded the corner revealing Steve in front of the vending machine. 

The two women popped the gum in their mouths smugly as Steve grabbed their arms roughly, dragging them into an empty examination room before throwing them against the wall. 

"Where is it?" Steve said, his voice reflecting the anger he was feeling. 

"Safe," Aquila replied, her eyes never leaving the man in front of her, frustration filling every bone in her body.

"Do better!" Steve shouted. 

"Where did you get it?" Natasha butted in. 

"Why would I tell either of you?" Steve said as a look of hurt dotted across Aquila's face before frustration appeared again. 

A look of realization appeared on Natasha's face as she pieced together the situation, her own observational skills in full force. "Fury gave it to you. Why?"

Steve dodged the question, trying to change the topic. "What's on it."

"We don't know," Natasha said. 

"Stop lying!" Steve shouted, his teeth grinding together in his fury. 

"We only act like we know everything, Rogers," Aquila said, her irritation with the man finally coming to light in her tone of voice.

"I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?" Steve said, his tone dangerously loud. 

Aquila quickly glanced out of the nearby window, it wouldn't be good if they were found especially with Steve who was now a wanted fugitive. 

"Well, it makes sense," Natasha concluded. "The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you."

Once again Steve's teeth were visibly grinded together. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"I know who killed Fury," Natasha said, completely breaking the silence. 

Steve stared at Natasha, his eyes wide open in shock. 

"Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists, the ones who do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years." Natasha said, met with the wide eyes of Aquila and Steve. 

"So he's a ghost story," Steve said. 

"Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff, I pulled us out, but the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer, so he shot him straight through me." Natasha pulled up her shirt, showing a scar on the side of her stomach. Aquila felt a weird sense of protectiveness wash over her. "Soviet slug, no rifling. Bye, bye bikinis."

Aquila concealed her smirk before realization dawned on her face. "Isn't the same weapon that killed Fury?" 

"Yes," Natasha said before continuing. "Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried. Like you said, they're a ghost story."

Natasha nodded slightly at Aquila who pulled the flash drive out of her pocket, offering it to Steve. 

Steve grabbed it and Aquila could sense that something big was about to go down. 

"Well, let's find out what the ghosts want."