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    You remember the last time you saw Natasha Romanoff. So well, in fact, that it feels just like yesterday. She was the better fighter, back when your heart still had a beat and you weren't a walking pop sickle, so you had no chance of fighting back. None. It was unfair and cruel.

It had been just a few months after you had escaped from the Red Room and you thought that she had, too. You thought that she was going to join you because in that horrible place, you only had each other. Turns out, you were her mission.

She had approached you wearily after she had spotted you stealing, as if not really believing you were alive. She explained that she escaped as well, twisting a planned story of how she escaped, luring you back to a safe house with empty promises and smiles, where she hugged you, and later, plunged a knife into your stomach and watched as the light died from your eyes.

But you're back now for reasons that are still unclear. Deadlier than the Black Widow ever will be, and as you hastily pack up your belongings and shove them into a bag, you make the decision that if HYDRA had been so keen on making your death something to play with, you'd make their downfall epic and brutal.

To do that, thought, you're going to need a team. A very skilled, very trusting team. And you know just where to go.
_____

The Avengers Tower is bigger than you thought. It was easy to download its blueprints off their database, using that to guide you as you roam the air vents.

You thought the place would have better security, you know, for being so huge. But then again, SHIELD kinda did get overthrown by HYDRA, so it's understandable why they're so short of staff. Maybe if you just showed them that your on their side, they'd somehow-

The panel under you is suddenly gone, and you hold your breath as the ground comes into view five meters down. Well, from this distance you'd definitely break something, but if you positioned yourself just right you'd- your train of thought is cut off when you land in a pair of arms.

"Funny seeing you again."

You quickly slip out of his grasp, tugging on your jacket and give Captain Rogers a nasty glare. "Yeah. Funny. Because last time we met I killed a man." His eyes narrow and you quickly try a different approach. "But, uh, that's the past."

"How'd you even get in here?"

"Long story."

"Why are you here?"

"I'll tell you in a second."

"After you kill me?"

"No." You mutter in exasperation.

His eyes catch your backpack. "Going on a trip?"

"Sort of," You say, opening it and he immediately gets into a defensive position. You snort, giving him a duh look as you dig around in the bag. "If I wanted you to be dead, you'd be dead, Captain Rogers."

"Right. Because I'd trust anything you'd say."

Finally finding what you're looking for, you hold up the usb. "This usb is everything I have on HYDRA." You toss it to him and he catches it with ease, inspecting it closely.

"How do I know it's not another one of those smoke bombs or a stunner?"

"Even if it was, I'm on your home base. I'm here because I need your-" you wince as something sharp embeds itself into your neck, and you turn while pulling out the dart from your skin. "Seriously. Do you guys ever.. run out of these..?"

Clint Barton steps out of the shadows in the hallway, followed shortly by Natasha, a small gun pressed against her palm.

"What's she doing here?"

"Long sorry." You answer.

"She works for HYDRA-"

"Not since after they tried to kill me."

"But how do we know you're not-"

"Wait," Steve steps forward and looks at you in confusion. "Why aren't you passing out?"

You shrug. "Maybe it's because of my pulse.

"Your pulse?" Taking his hand, you press his fingers against the inside of his wrist and his eyes shoot up to yours. "You.. That's not possible."

"What?" Natasha demands. "What's not possible?"

"She's-"

"A zombie? A walker? A corpse?" You shake your head. "That's beside the point. What I came here to do is ask for your help."

"Oh did you, now?" Clint scoffs. "Yeah, like we'd believe a word you'd say."

"She used to believe me, once." Your sharp eyes meet Natasha's and she sighs.

"Nat? What's she talking about?"

"What, you didn't tell them about me? I'm truly hurt, Nat." You sneer, trailing an icy finger along Captain Rogers' shoulders and pause. "You didn't tell them how we were friends back in the day? She was a real fighter, that one. Tougher than the other girls. Learned that the hard way when she-"

And then the atmosphere suddenly changes as heavy footsteps come closer and closer to the room, making all three of them stiffen.

"What, is the big bad wolf coming to get me?"

Clint sighs. "He's so going to kill her."

"Who's going to kill me?"

"We need to get her out of here." Steve fusses, spinning around like he's looking for a place to hide you but the footsteps are just seconds from entering the room.

"I can handle myself, Rogers. If you hadn't noticed, I'm-"

You turn to the doorway, freezing so completely you stop breathing. You should've known he'd be here. He's come to kill you and you're suddenly unsure of what to do, where to run.

But he doesn't charge at you like you thought he'd do, but instead blinks rapidly and squints.

"You're supposed to be dead."

And that's what Winter Solider said before grabbing Natasha's gun and shooting you in the chest.