"So, L/N..." The infamous Nick Fury sat with his arms crossed in front of me, staring at me furiously with his one good eye. I was cuffed to a table in what seemed like an interrogation room. "Let's face it. You're at a disadvantage."

"And what about it? My whole life is a disadvantage, Fury." I scoffed. My hands were tied, but my tongue wasn't. "Spit it out."

His eyebrows shot up. I could see the gears turning in his head, wondering what to say next. He was an intelligent man, with an exquisite skill in manipulating people to get what he wanted. I could tell he was trying to choose his words carefully.

"Spit what out, L/N?" He leaned forward, elbows on the table. "What do you think I'm asking from you?"

I kept my mouth shut. He wanted to play games? Fine. I was going to play along—but I wanted to be the winner. "Whatever it is you had your little team of heroes capture me for. I want you to get on with it." I made sure to lock eye contact. "No use in beating around the bush."

"I see." Fury nodded slowly. "Look..."

I copied his posture, placing my elbows on the table. That's what I always did to throw people off their game.

"I have reason to think you're not associated with Hydra." He smirked. "You've burned down their facilities and killed their men."

"You don't know that for sure." What was he trying to say? That I was a 'Good Guy'? I was far from that. Obviously, I despised Hydra. But I wasn't going to let him know that so quickly. If I was going to win this game, I needed to keep my secrets to myself. "I could've did all that to throw you off my scent. For all you know, I'm the enemy. Or not."

"But you're not." He said inquisitively. "I know you're not."

"How exactly?"

"Because if you were, I'd have already put a bullet through your head."

"Of course, that's-" I started to respond with a snarky reply, but I was cut off when he suddenly pulled out a familiar black object.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't, then."

———

"I told you." Pietro whispered to the nearest teammate beside him. Unfortunately for Tony, he was the one who happened to be said teammate. "She basically told Fury what I said in our meeting the other day."

"She's just trying to avoid getting her ass fried, Speedo."

"Hey, I told you to stop calling me that. I don't exactly like being nicknamed after men's swimsuit."

Tony chuckled quietly at Pietro's irritation. But honestly, he was fully focused on Fury and Y/N's interaction. He was filled to the brim with curiosity about the girl.

Steve, Natasha, Pietro, Wanda and Tony were the only Avengers in the room where they could watch the interrogation from behind a two-way mirror.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't, then." Nick's voice was just as intense through the speakers. Everyone's spine straightened, not knowing what was going to come next.

Pietro observed Y/N intently, noticing how she didn't react at all to the gun Fury pulled out. But he caught the panic in her eyes, and the way she bit her lip to stop it from quivering. She was scared because she was in a vulnerable situation. Her hands were tied, she was weaponless, and there was no way out. He also caught the way her eyes darted around the room—although casually as to not give away how panicked she was—to search for an exit. There was only one door, and it was locked from the outside. Plus, she would have to risk getting shot by Fury.

"She's scared." Wanda put his thoughts into words. "She doesn't know what to do."

"Why won't she just tell the truth?" Steve remarked, his face contorted in frustration. "Then this will be over a lot faster."

"Shoot me." Y/N said. The room went silent.

"What?"

"You heard me. Pull the damn trigger, Fury. I've got nothing to lose."

Fury went quiet. The gun in his hand stayed pointed at her, his finger on the trigger at the ready. "You could avoid this, L/N."

"What do you want from me?"

"Information, intel. And, your loyalty."

"You drive a hard bargain."

"For your life? I don't think so."

Pietro could almost feel the tension. It was so thick and heavy he could make a punching bag out of it.

"I work alone. I'd rather die than give you my loyalty."

"Fine." Fury put the gun down. "But I know you better than you think, L/N. I know you're going to take this deal."

"What makes you think you fucking know anything about me?"

"For starters, I know how your story began." The one-eyed man chuckled dryly. "I know that you had to spend your whole life running from nightmares. Your past haunts you, L/N. And you hate it."

Wanda suddenly let out a small breath, Pietro glanced at her, only to see her biting her nails down.

"I know the monsters that hide under your bed. You act so tough because you were beaten into shape. No one likes a failure, especially not the man who trained you."

"Shut. Up." He hit a nerve.

"You spent your days in the Red Room yearning for his approval. Because of that, your whole life has been about being the best; so, you don't like failing. And the names, the thousands of names you've adopted, were partly because deep down, you don't know who you really are. But I do."

"Shut the fuck up, Fury. I mean it." She slammed her fists onto the metal table, her metal cuffs rattling loudly as she did so.

"You're still that scared little girl who's afraid of messing up." Fury was basically spitting out his words. "You've been fighting your whole life so you could make it out alive."

Y/N said nothing, yet her eyes burned holes into Fury's forehead.

"You don't really want me to pull this trigger." He gestured to the gun, letting out a deep sigh as he crossed his arms and sat back in his seat. "That is why you're going to take this deal."

Everyone held their breath in anticipation.
Y/N eyed the gun in Fury's hands as he challenged her to oppose him.

"Fine." She glared. But on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"I get to kill the one who told you these things."

Wanda's eyes widened. Her eyes glowed red as she turned to her brother, who had already expected her reaction, and had hurried next to her side.

"Pietro." She breathed, her hands clenching into fists. "I'm scared."