Chapter 28
2016, date redacted
Natasha sits in silence.
"New York, Sokovia, and the recent one," Ross drones.
He was a power hungry politician, willing to do anything to ascend the ranks, but the rest of the UN, most meant well. They were concerned for their citizens, their countries.
Flick Ross off the chess board, have a good playing field.
Ross puts the Accords down onto the table, leaving the Avengers.
"What if we were to come to a decision you do not like?" Natasha asks, lifting her eyes to stare at Ross, letting her Black Widow persona wrap around her, walls going up higher than ever.
"Then consider yourselves retired," Ross says, and leaves.
2016, date redacted
Natasha sat there as she tried to find a loophole around this, a way of reasoning. All sides were valid. On one hand, from the view of civillians, it was terrifying. They were also getting a little out of hand, they were messes. The Accords would limit them, but for good. It would help keep the innocent safe. But with Ross as the leader... Natasha knew they were just extremely scared of the Avengers. Overthrow Ross, get someone decent on the seat, they might stand a chance of being the Avengers Fury had meant for them to be.
But the Avengers were created to deal with threats the usual men could not. If they were limited by the UN, they would have terrible chances of defeating the attacks. If the Chitauri, if the Mad Titan came, the UN would be terrified. Fear is a double edged sword. Enough of it motivated humans, but too much? The human would be thrown off their game. Then it all depended on what kind of person the human was.
But, Thor had not come to inform them of anything.
Natasha glances at Sam and Rhodey fighting.
She needed to know who stood on what side to make a decision.
"Tony, you're very quiet," Natasha notes.
"That's because he's made up his mind already," Steve replies, fixing Tony with a hardened look.
Tony got up to make coffee, snarking a bit about coffee grounds.
"This is Charles Spencer," Tony says, bringing out a holographic picture.
Tony explains who he is. Then he says that the boy had died in Sokovia, during Ultron's attack.
"There's no decision making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary less…we're no better than the bad guys," Tony concludes.
Tony was suffering from survivor's guilt. PTSD, anxiety, guilt, he probably thought that the Avengers were using him for resources, dismissing him as a bliionaire and playboy, reckless. While he may be, Tony was a genius. Natasha was well aware he was capable of making sound decisions too.
She glances at Wanda, staring blankly into space. She knew that if she signed the Accords, she would be detained and used. Ross did just call all of them weapons, after all. It wasn't Natasha's first time, so she was fine. But the others, they were taking this personally. This is why usually she, Pepper, Maria and Tony dealt with the politics.
Everything Ross said, was to hurt them, used to convince them, but Natasha could see the sense behind it.
Would she hand them over to someone who viewed them as weapons of mass destructions, as things to be controlled though?
It would be easier to manipulate from the inside though. To keep them safe. To keep the Avengers and her family safe.
"Tony has a point," Natasha finally speaks up.
"If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off…" Natasha was practically pleading Steve, letting the first layer of her walls down.
"What happened to the woman who told the government to kiss their ass?" Sam asks.
"Ross is an ass, but we do have to reassess our ways of defeating the villain. The UN do mean well, you know. Not everyone of the politicians are doing this because they want power. We have to re-negotiate slowly, we cannot throw this world into chaos."
Steve abruptly stands and leaves.
Natasha stares.
Then she receives a text of her own.
"Peggy's departed," from Maria.
Natasha bites her lip.
This was going to get messy.
2016, date redacted
Natasha kisses Maria as a thank you and Maria drives off.
Natasha sighs, adjusts her dress before stepping in.
Natasha comforted Steve. She knew, with James still in cryostasis, he would not sign. If he signed, it would be signing James over too. James was considered a criminal too. But where would James go? James was under Tony's care and recovering because of Tony. Steve was, again, thinking with his heart, not his brain.
Still, there was no going back now, only running with it. She just hoped they would stay safe while she helped out from the inside, also helping Tony stay safe. And Maria and Clint and the rest of her family at the farm. They had to stay low, stay undercover.
Maria would be safe, no one besides the Avengers and the Bartons and a few select S.H.I.E.L.D. agents knew about their relationship.
Idiot, she shouldn't have revealed her relationship. Now they had a bargaining chip, anyone could expose her and Maria, anyone could slip up.
She shouldn't have been this relaxed with them.
Who was she kidding, the only one who really knew her, who has been with her this entire time, who had truly earned her trust, were Clint and Maria.
Alarm bells pealed in her head, and she let go of Steve.
She turns around to leave.
2016, date redacted
"Tony, we'll have to let James go. If you sign the Accords, we'll have to hand him over," Natasha says.
Tony nods.
"I'll let him go with Cap."
Natasha evaluates him.
"You know, if we work together, not make any rash decisions, we could just pull this off," Natasha comforts.
"I hope so."
2016, date redacted
James did not go to plan. He had taken one look at Steve, widened his eyes, and ran.
Natasha was still massaging her forehead. Oh gods, life was getting real hard.
She knew that Steve would take this against himself too, would feel like he failed them.
Natasha beat the shit out of a punching bag.
2016, date redacted
She had called Maria, had calmed down slightly. Maria had told her that she would talk to her after her signing of the Accords.
Maria had sounded like she disapproved.
Natasha ignored the hollow feeling in her chest.
She couldn't deal with emotions, but the UN, she could.
Natasha notices T'Chaka and T'Challa.
Wakandians. The king and prince.
Natasha apologised for their loss. T'Chaka accepted the apology, putting what looked like a plastered smile.
Natasha gave one too and settled into her assigned seat.
The meeting begun. T'Chaka was starting his speech. Natasha was high on alert. T'Challa was a good man, a skilled warrior by how he moved. He would be a good ally in this dangerous world.
Then, before she could do anything, there was an explosion.
Natasha ducked and drew out her guns, ready to incapacitate.
Her ears were ringing slightly, but she was otherwise unscathed.
She sees T'Challa grabbing T'Chaka, checking for a pulse.
"Medic!" Natasha yells for T'Challa.
T'Challa looked in shock, grieving, sorrow.
Natasha ran down the steps looking out into the horizon.
She kept her guns, but still was on alert.
There was no one in sight.
Natasha sighs. Life just got even more complicated.
2016, date redacted
"I'm sorry for your loss," Natasha offers to T'Challa as he finds him sitting on a bench, his father's ring in his hands.
She needed to evaluate T'Challa, to see if he would make stable decisions.
T'Challa told him about death in his culture. It was quite beautiful, to be honest.
"Barnes is the task force priority," Natasha says. She had received a text from Sharon about the news, about the people that had seen what looked like James.
"I will kill him myself," T'Challa vows. And that's when Natasha decides that she'll keep an eye on him.
2016, date redacted
She and Maria were currently on opposite sides.
Maria had argued that the UN could be as corrupt as S.H.I.E.L.D. had.
Natasha had rebutted, saying that the Avengers could to, and that they needed to reflect, but with Steve and James and now T'Challa, they would not be able to calm down.
Maria had argued, said that they would be under control of the man who viewed them as weapons, who was going to use them to his advantage.
Natasha had said that they could deal with Ross.
"I hope you know what you're getting into, Natasha Romanoff. Think about it, then we'll see. But if you were Barnes, if you were Wanda, I would not hesitate to rip apart the Accords with my own two hands in front of UN and go into hiding," Maria had said.
Natasha ignores the stab of in her heart. Natasha nods, as she watches Maria with a lump in her throat.
"I'll deal with the consequences," Natasha whispers and leaves.
Love is for children and all other lies Red Room told her.
These are not all lies, she realised.