Natalia Alianovna Romanova
In this universe, some things are the same.
Natalia Alianovna Romanova is still born an unknown date, 1984.
She is still recruited by the Red Room Black Widow Ops program at a young age.
Still trained to spy and kill.
Still becomes the best Black Widow ever trained.
She still kills her handlers and goes rogue some undisclosed time later.
Still becomes an assassin for hire.
Still is marked as a threat by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Still is confronted by Clint Barton.
She still changes her name.
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In this universe, other, far more important things are different.
Maybe in this universe, she was the best because she, like many ruthless individuals (Fury - Coulson - Stark), had high-functioning sociopathy.
Maybe, she didn’t feel guilty when she killed, but cold and detached.
Maybe, in this universe, she doesn’t accept Agent Barton’s offer, but instead of killing him, disables him on a whim.
Maybe, she becomes more careful, and SHIELD never finds her again, except for the trail of bloody bodies she leaves behind.
Maybe, in this universe, she accepts a contract from one Justin Hammer in 2009.
Maybe, the contract is to assassinate Tony Stark.
Maybe, Hammer was stupid enough to pay up front.
Maybe, in this universe, when she infiltrates Stark Industries, she is found out.
(Natalie Rushman, from legal.) (I know who you are, Ms. Romanoff.) (I, uh...)
Maybe, the smirking man with eyes of electric blue offers her a chance for revenge on the world which wronged her.
Maybe, she takes the hand of the only person who’s ledger is as red as hers.
Maybe, they work well together, killing, murdering, purging.
(We’ll burn the world down together.)
Maybe, in this universe, SHIELD is far more terrified of her, of them.