The first meeting
Natalia was facing the interrogation room for about a few days now. Even as the hours passed, her eyes lay full awake. She was cautious of every little detail of the place, she remembered the walls she was allowed to see. She had already formed a strategy to break out of this SHIELD building. With shame, would she return to the red room. Disappointing Dreykov was every widow's nightmare. Natlia was lucky, she never had to face the wrath before but now she feared beneath her stoic face. A Black Widow captured by a bow and arrow freak does deserve a punishment. A severe one at that.
She was a grown up woman, a threat to the world, classified assassin with not a record of failure and all she could bring herself to think was Dreykov and his reaction. She swallowed hard at the thought of it. She wanted to break free from the Red room, live a normal life, one she could earlier only look at and never experience. "No, that pitiful situation is not worthy of a black widow." She would remind herself. But the truth was she wanted to reside in the normal livelihood she had always envied.
As she was rethinking all her life's decision and her purpose in life beneath her trained mask of a face, a spectator was looking very carefully at her from the surveillance cameras.
"Clint Barton!" A deep voice commanded. Clint looked up and found Fury staring down upon him. "Boss" he replied as if he hadn't yet seen his disappointment and rage.
"Explain to me why I have an extremely dangerous Russian assassin in this building right now." His voice had the usual commanding authority, only a man who had spent as much time with him as Clint could notice his fear. Maria, standing quietly yet attentively behind noticed the slip too.
"I suggest she could be an asset."
"For the last time I am not having a Russian assassin for an agent. God this even sounds ridiculous. Look I appreciate you for your accomplishment in finally grabbing a hold of the infamous black widow. She was a great threat to us all. But now your mission is completed. Half so, for I wanted her dead. Now I decide what to do with her."
"Please sir- Clint appealed desperately-"Trust me on this"
He didn't know why he wanted another chance for a target he had barely known. Maybe he could sense the broken. He always had a thing for them- broken things. He would be lying if he was saying he wasn't one of them. However hard the black widow tries she couldn't resist displaying a slight emotion of helplessness during the time she was encaged in that box of a room. Something in him wanted to protect her. He knew it was a stupid idea. He had a wife, a happy family. He couldn't risk it for a target and yet here he was arguing with the man he respected the most about a target who was a pain in his ass for a few months. He cursed the feeling and yet adhered to it.
She would burst his vein out with the force of her feet and chop his remains into a million pieces. She would have fun with the body but she would leave the head and present it to Dreykov. He always pictured the guy as a threat. Surely, Hawkeye's head would compensate for the first mission she lost. Yes, she would go on to become the best as she was. Now all she needed was timing.
She had mentally took a note of the days passed in that dark room with only one metal chair she was placed on, her hands and legs cuffed, she liked it better that way, she could never sleep with her hands not placed on the headrest, even on missions, out of habit of course. It had been four two days. No food and water. She didn't need them anyway, she reminded herself. But she noticed her mouth going dry, the saliva she earlier used to satisfy her thirst began to dry. She watched as she was becoming more vulnerable with each passing minute. "Just kill me already!" She thought to herself.
Finally a few people made their appearance in the room. One she hated with every inch of her body. The Hawkeye. The other two she had heard about only in mission briefs, Nick Fury and Maria Hill.
Nick was actually really impressed with the sheer determination. Four days in a compact room with no food and water and she didn't even let herself fall asleep. That was worth appreciation. He poured her a glass of water and occupied the seat in front of her. He offered her the glass but she refused.
"Black Widow! Your red room has always endulged you in a life of plight and captivity. If a person as agile and strong as you join forces with us, we would collaboratively work towards the betterment of this world. We can grant you a life of your own where you don't have to abide by the rule of your masters." He began his long prepared speech which would later cover up righteousness as well.
Natlia interrupted mid-way,"Oh cut it out. We are both the part of the same war. You justify your actions by claiming yourselves righteous. Tell me then has Shield never implanted spies for their benefit." Nick couldn't manage to speak up. Maria looked startled at the sharp response.
"Thought so- She continued "I don't fear you. You claim yourself to be the hero bringing everyone to justice. But you forget, you make these rules of justice. You, like us, control the others. You give them an illusion of a free life while we are just presented with the true facts. You hide and lie, all in the name of betterment of the world when it is only you and your band of agents that actually benefit. Rest of the world, they are just left to scrap out the remains. We are the same, we just accept our methods, you deny its very existence." Natlia could see her tactics of manipulation bringing an effect to the two agents but her main target- the Hawkeye remained still and didn't react in a way she anticipated.
"We came here to make you an offer" Nick suggested while swiftly driving away from the conversation he knew he had lost.
"Not in a million years" she said immediately.
"I see Dreykov has raised his pets well." Fury added with a smirk.
Natlia looked at him with a disdainful expression. He was right, of course he was, Natlia was nothing more than a puppet trained to kill and maim people Dreykov wishes to erase. She operates at his command. He pets her with his hand patting her back after successful missions. She was scared from the moment she was arrested, not for her life, but what would become of her if she lived and had to see him again. The hand that clapped her at her ruthlessness would strangle her to death and she wouldn't resist.
She wasn't a pet, pets aren't cursed with such a life. But again, she owe it to her master who took her from an orphan life, he gave her food(however little it may be), provided her shelter when instead she would've been rotting in the streets.
"He has loyal ones. The ones who would never betray his trust."
Nick remained still for a moment and then turned to face Hawkeye.
He drifted his gaze back to Natlia and said, "Well then there is nothing more to add! Maria, take care of the target."
Widow smiled inside. Finally, her death was here. She wouldn't have to pretend anymore, wouldn't have to abide by commands, she would get what she deserved for killing innocents during her missions. Many will get the justice they deserve and Widow will be free. Many said the famous Black Widow isn't afraid of anything, but everyone has their fears. Natlia's was freedom. She never got the chance to experience it and the thought of it was unnerving.
"Sir, if I could've a word with her alone." Hawkeye added. She wanted to beat him to death for that intrusion. Wasn't it enough that he defeated her that now he wants to take away the one thing that can bring her pleasure.
Fury hesitantly gave him half an hour to talk with her. Natlia adamantly decided to sew her mouth close.
He placed himself at the seat and stared directly in her eyes. Natlia was never one to break off the eye contact first. So, she gazed back.
"You still like the red room?"
Natlia didn't answer. Of course she did, they gave her an identity that the world feared. An identity was always better than being nothing.
"You know, my real name is Rainn. My mother raised me all by herself. We had financial trouble for a long time. I decided I would help her with it. So, I started off with the simplest way possible, I stole. My mother grew suspicious after a while and followed me while I didn't know. She slapped and cursed me when she found out. I was only trying to help her. I became rebellious and decided to go on with my tactics but this while only to satisfy myself. Then, after a few months I located my mother's dead body, killed in an accident they said. I was devastated I reminded myself time and again I hated her for not trusting me but the fact was I hated myself, all these years I knew I was wrong but I admitted it too late.
You are a strong person, no amount of torment could break you. I don't intend to break this massively strong wall you've built around yourself but I intend to appeal to the heart that is hidden behind that wall. If a person like me could change, then certainly a stong minded individual like you wouldn't find it difficult.
They asked me, why I wanted to help you, I didn't know that myself, but after these observations I do. I sense a huge heart behind those numerous layers you've built to hide them. I sense you regretting and feeling sorry for your kills and I would be disappointed if that gem of a heart got lost in this obscure world.
Dreykov never gave you choices. He took away your childhood. Freedom must sound terrifying but it's kind of cool. You make your first choice here. There is no Dreykov, you choose for yourself. You reject this offer, and you reject the chance of being something more than the puppet he made you or you accept it and work towards cleaning your leadger which must be haunting you by now." He concluded his speech.
Natlia would be lying if she said she was unmoved. No, that bastard did it, he appealed to her conscience, something she never believed she had. Dreykov didn't give her a home, he snatched that away from her. She could've been so much more than a killer if she hadn't been taken to the Red room. She could've been the daughter she once portrayed in a ruse. "Never let them take your heart." She remembered the best piece of advice she had been given all those years ago. This was her chance to maybe start a new life that she had earlier envisioned. One chance of fulfilling her one wish, to disobey Dreykov's commands. Hawkeye guy, didn't take away her life instead he is giving her one. Real life. Where you make your own choice, where you don't kill people you feel sympathy for, where you let your emotions command you. Freedom was still haunting but she wanted it, she craved for it and it was time to grab hold of it.
When she hadn't said anything for a while, Hawkeye prepared to leave.
"Rainn! That's your name?" Natlia's voice surprised him. He looked towards her with a warm smile and nodded.
Natlia shook her head and added with a smirk, "You're a terrible liar."
Clint was impressed and praised himself on his decision to add her to the team.
"Clint.- He said earnestly. "What's yours."
It was her new life. She makes one more choice today.
"Natasha Ramanoff."