Chapter Text
After the “Civil War”, as the public liked to call it, the government was looking for everyone who hadn’t signed the accords and fought along Steve’s side. News said they already captured Scott Lang so Steve and Sam made a plan to go on the run. They were just about to take off when Natasha came running onto the ship.
“What are you doing here?” Steve asked his face contorting in confusion, “You signed the accords you can live a normal life.”
Natasha shook her head, “I was in the compound and I overheard them discussing who they needed to catch. One of them revealed that they were able to pull footage from the hangar to see how you were able to get away. I don’t think I need to tell you what that footage would inevitably show. I used the widow bites on the king of Wakanda… twice. They wanted to know why I did it thinking I might’ve had a good reason. I know my answers wouldn’t have been good enough. I can’t be locked up like a criminal. I’m lucky that I was able to find you before you left.”
“Why did you help me escape anyways?” He asked her softly. She shrugged, “It seemed like the right thing to do. I know I’ve known Tony longer than you and I get how he thinks so I was initially on his side but I couldn’t stand there and watch you do this. You’re my best friend and I…” Natasha trailed off unsure how to finish.
“ You what?” Steve prodded. Natasha was unsure how to articulate her thoughts so instead she just stood on her toes and kissed him softly. He was slightly confused for a second by Nat showing this side of her. This side of her that even he only got to see every so often. However, as soon as he started to kiss back she pulled away rather quickly.
“I am so sorry, I should not have done that can we forget that ever happened?”
“Forgotten.” He said even though confusion was very evident on his face. She walked past him leaving him standing with his face in that contorted position.
“What are we doing? Do you know where we are going?” Sam asked as Steve walked into the main room following behind Nat. Sam turned towards her, “I didn’t expect to see you.”
She shrugged, “They had video footage of me letting you escape, it was only a matter of time before they locked me up.”
Sam nodded understanding before turning back to Steve, “What’s the plan Cap?”
“We could settle minor disturbances, try and find terror cells and wipe them out, this ship will tell us the occurrences happening below us.”
“How?” Sam asked
“It’s pretty high tech. It can do a lot more than just that, I worked on one of these ships once.”
Steve brought up the holotable and a 3D map displayed.
“I still know all the KGB hot spots. We could fly around those areas and see if there is anything happening.”
Both men nodded and Sam’s eyes were drawn to the screen by a flashing blip.
“Look, there’s a potential threat in the compound below us.” Sam pointed out. “We haven’t been flying that long, where are we?”
“Over Maine.” Steve said. Nat came to stand next to him, “I heard one of the last hydra cells is in Maine, no one was able to go after them for several reasons, but if we are vigilantes then we might have a shot.”
“Is this the place?” Steve asked turning towards her. She had her hand at her mouth in deep contemplation, “I don’t know. Like I said I heard about it and it was only in passing so.”
Steve nodded, “Well it looks simple enough down there, I’m on it.”
“You’re not going alone, I’m coming with you.” Nat told him following him.
“Like hell you are! This is a simple mission.” Steve protested.
“You can’t go by yourself.” She argued back and he sighed, “Ok fine then I am taking Sam.”
“Sam?”
“Sam doesn’t know the layout of these tables like you. You should run recon so you can tell us where we’re supposed to go and where the hostiles are.” Steve reasoned and Nat rolled her eyes, “You’re benching me because Sam can’t figure out a table?” She asked dumbfounded. Steve nodded, “Well essentially, if Sam can’t read the signatures and I or you get shot then what would you do?”
Nat rolled her eyes dramatically, “Fine, but we’re teaching him the table when you get back.”
“See you later Tash.” Steve told her before him and same descended to the compound below. Natasha brought up the system and watched as Sam and Steve landed. Steve tried landing gracefully but instead tumbled a bit before eventually correcting himself.
“Nice landing Captain America.” Nat teased him.
“ Focus.” he chided as he stood up and looked around, “What’ve we got?” he asked Sam landed next to him. Nat looked at the layout and saw people running towards them, “OK you guys got 3 hostiles on your left, 2 on your right, they’re rounding the corner and should be there in seconds.”
Steve Swan, his shield and knocked the men on the left out as they appeared. Sam flew and knocked one out on the right and then landed getting his gun out and taking out the second guy before the guy could start shooting.
“Smooth, smooth.” Natasha mumbles she lived around you guys goofing off. She made a face; it would be great if she could hear what they were saying. She saw a speaker button with a dial, so she turned the knob. She heard some static and machine squealing before she could hear them talking in rough tones.
“That would’ve been perfect for my skill set.” She mumbled, “I should be there.”
“Next time Romanoff.” Steve told her as he poked his head around the corner, spotting the eight men storming towards him. He sighed, “Maybe you should’ve come.”
“Hey, I’m right here.” Sam informed him mock insult lacing his voice.
“You know you’re a great friend and an amazing partner. But can you take out 8 guys at the same time?”
“I can!” Natasha piped up teasing Sam.
“No one asked you.” He shot back. “I can surely try.”
Nat watched as all little figures on her screen collided. 4 of the men went down and she said, that was only half of them. Nat rubbed her temples nervously. She was glad there was a quarterback because as Sam and Steve were fighting one of the guys picked up a knife and started to charge unbeknownst to them. “BEHIND YOU.” She screamed.
Steve turned at the exact right moment and held the guys hand up, forcing him to drop the knife. The man was a quick thinker, and before Steve could blink. The guy had grabbed another knife and stabbed Steve in the side. Sam finished with the rest of the men in spun around to where the guy stood over Steve ready to deliver a final blow. Sam shot him, causing the man to grunt and fall over.
“Thanks for the assist.” Steve said, holding out his hand, Sam grabbed it pulling him up, “No problem Cap.”
“I I think we can safely assume this was the existing hydra cell because that was a lot more serious than a ‘small potential threat’.” Sam noted.
“Is he ok?” Nat asked her voice listed with worry as she watched Sam hold onto Steve as they limp back towards the jet.
“I’m fine Nat.” Steve grimaced as he held his side.
“You know I can see you right?” She deadpanned as she watched him grimace and groan.
“Yes, and I am fine.”
“You don’t look fine Steve; you look like you’re in pain.”
“Of course I’m in pain I was stabbed.” He shot back.
Sam and Steve managed to get back on the ship, and Natasha was already ready with some cleaning necessities and bandages. Sam said Steve down, and he grist. With his hands-free, Natasha looked at salmon and ordered, “Sam help me get his shirt off.”
Sam nodded, walking to the other side of Steve. They were able to get his shirt off, revealing the wound the knife had inflicted. Nat melt by Steve’s torso, examining it, and it didn’t look that bad. It was clearly causing him a lot of pain though because he wasn’t protesting her fussing. She started dabbing at the wound to clean it, and Steve hissed as it stung.
“You should go take a shower, get all the grime off of you that should help. It could’ve been a lot worse.” Nat informed him shutting the first aid box. Steve nodded, “That’s a good idea.”
“After you’re done Steve I’ll bandage it.” She called after him. Steve turned towards her, “You don’t have to I could probably bandage it myself.” He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.
“Yes, I’m sure you can, but it would be better if I did it plus, I have a better access and can actually see what I’m doing. You shouldn’t have to do that by yourself when a friend is more than happy to help you plus you know I am expert at bandaging wounds on the torso anyways and you knew this already don’t make me bring it up again with your arguing.” She folded her arms her glare challenging him.
“Yes ma’am, sorry.” Steve conceded immediately backing off the conversation as the image of her scars flashed in his mind. They had been on a mission just the two of them and something had happened where she needed to change shirts. Steve had seen glimpses of the marred skin and asked about it so she had side lifted her shirt to show him. There were more scars than the one she had shown him at the hospital with Nick fury had, presumably, died. She had scars all up and down her torso and back. Some were worse than others, but each one came with a painful story Steve wasn’t gonna make relive that so he walked away to the shower conceding.
*A few weeks later*
Steve’s wound healed nicely that after a couple weeks it was completely healed. During those few weeks he had been sidelined and stayed on the ship to do the recon and quarterbacking. This prevented anyone from taking advantage of his vulnerable spot. Now that he was healed and ready to get back into action, everything was quiet, it had almost been a week, and there was no chatter anywhere and it was driving him crazy. Sam noticed pretty quickly and slapped him on the back while asking, “What’s going on man?”
“We should get off this ship. Stretch our legs a little.” Steve announced.
“You going a little stir crazy there cap?” Nat teased him and he folded his arms.
“It would be good to be on solid ground at least a little, don’t you think?”
“Sure.” She conceded looking at Sam who shrugged. She focused back on the map, “ Let’s try to get further south first.”
“Why is that?” Sam asked curiously looking at the map himself, “Where are we?”
“Over Irkutsk.” Nat said a haunting tone to her voice as she said it. Steve folded his arms, “Let me guess, that’s in Russia.”
Nat nodded. Sam looked at her confused, “Wait why not Russia? Aren’t you Russian?”
Natasha balled her hands into little fists, “Yeah, I am, which is why we don’t want to go there. Nothing good happens in Russia.” She walked out of the room clearly not open to more questions.
Sam’s face contorted, and Steve sighed, “Have you ever heard of the Red Room program?”
“I don’t think so?”
Steve nodded, “They took orphaned girls and manipulated them into thinking they were learning ballet, but what was actually happening was they were being trained to become professional assassins able to kill whomever they were ordered to eliminate without any guilt or remorse. They were all young little girls essentially trained to be robots.”
“Oh. That sounds…” Sam started at a loss for words.
“Horrible?” Steve finished and Sam nodded, “Yeah, Nat was a part of that program.”
“Really?” Sam asked, “I’ve only heard of Natasha Romanoff in SHIELD.”
“Her legal full name is Natalia Alianovna Romanova. It’s Russian, she changed it to Natasha Romanoff when she wanted to blend into Western Society. She wasn’t just part of the program either she is THE Black Widow. The one that surpassed them all. Yes they had the black widow program, yes, these girls were a part of it, but one girl surface to the top and became an example to all the other girls, and that was Natasha.”
“Woah, that’s insane, how did she get out?” Sam asked.
“That’s a different story for a different time.” Steve sighed.
“What’s the story with you two?” Sam pried and Steve rolled his eyes, “We’re just friends, Sam. I met her when the Avengers assembled to stop Loki in New York. We did a few other missions together before taking down Hydra and meeting you, but she basically did whatever fury wanted her to do before he ‘died’. after Hydra revealed itself, we went on the run to figure out how to make them stay down for good. With the help of Coulson and his team here and there we were successful. I remember there was this one agent on Coulson’s team he felt sorry for she told me she saw herself in him, said he was no different than her but there’s nothing she could do. We’ve saved each other’s lives a few times, I trust her with my life.”
“Steve, the way you two look at each other? You’re gonna have to do a lot more to convince me you are just friends.”
“What is that supposed to mean Sam?” Steve asked him tiredly and Sam shrugged, “You tell me.”
Steve opted to just tell Sam good night as he walked out of the room. Sam said good night back and watched him go