Bird Set Free | Natasha Romanoff ✓

Chapter Thirteen

The sky was slowly darkening, the night looming over them. Natasha searched to try and pinpoint where the signal came from the flash drive.

Steve looked around with a look of almost longing and regret across his face.

"This camp is where I trained," Steve said to the two women.

"Changed much?" Natasha asked before turning her attention back to the search.

"A little," Steve replied.

Aquila turned away from the other two, her sharpened eyesight observing the camp that looked like it hadn't been touched in years.

"This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off." Natasha said, continuing to walk forward with Aquila beside her as Steve suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Aquila asked.

"Army regulation forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place."

The three of them made their way to the building as Steve opened the lock with his shield. The shrill noise reverberated around as they entered. The lights flickered on as Aquila let out a gasp.

"This is S. H. I. E. L. D."

"Maybe where it started," Steve said, his louder voice echoing across the room.

The three Avengers walked into another room taking in the three figures that had their pictures framed on the walls.

"There's Stark's father," Natasha observed.

"Howard."

"Who's the girl?" Aquila asked, turning to Steve only to notice the sad glint in his eyes before he walked off. Aquila raised her eyebrows at the plain dismissal of the question before following Steve.

"If you're already working in a secret office," Steve said, his hand resting on a large grey, metal bookcase. "Why do you need to hide the elevator?"

The three of them exited the elevator and into a basement looking room.

Even with Aquila's basic understanding of technology, she could tell that the computers and databanks surrounding her, were ancient.

Aquila's eyes flickered across the room, immediately noticing the small USB port that lay at the front of the computers, a stark difference from the rest of the room.

Natasha walked forward, inserting the USB drive into the port as the computer slowly came to life."

'Initiate System?'

"Y-E-S spells yes," Natasha muttered, smiling at Aquila, who smiled back. "Shall we play a game?" Natasha said turning to Steve. "It's from a movie that. . ."

"Yeah, I saw it," Steve responded.

"Good, I was beginning to get worried," Aquila replied as an accented voice started to speak.

"Rogers, Steven. Born 1918."

Aquila whipped around to see that the computer had completely come to life as was showcasing a glitching photo of a face.

"Romanoff, Natalia Alianova. Born 1984."

"Cadman, Aquila, of the long lost Uzumati tribe. Born 1985."

Aquila's lips were pulled down in a frown when the computer mentioned her old tribe. Steve and Natasha watched her slightly in concern before turning back to the computer. The tension was thick in the air as the computer analyzed the trio. No one really knew what was going on.