Forgotten Ghost | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 62: Breaking Hearts And Broken Bodies

''Glad you like the view, Romanoff. It's about to get better.''

The sentence was so unexpected Katya found herself manically laughing. She sounded absolutely insane. Who knew, maybe she was. 

In front of them, flying up through the clouds, was a real life Helicarrier. The ones that all went down during the fall of SHIELD. Fury was always saving their asses, wasn't he?

The situation from ten seconds ago, where Katya had essentially accepted she would die today, had made a full one-eighty to one where there was hope again. 

''Nice, right?'' Fury said casually. ''I pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She's dusty, but she'll do.''

Steve shook his head in disbelief, chuckling silently. ''Fury, you son of a bitch.''

Katya turned to him in shock. Did he actually curse? Wasn't he the one who reprimanded Tony for cursing only a couple days ago in the woods outside this exact same city? Even Fury was surprised. ''Oooh! You kiss your mother with that mouth?''

Lifeboats started to deploy from the thing, slowly flying to the rock that kept climbing to more dangerous altitudes by the second. 

Steve wasted no more time admiring the thing, instead he shot back into soldier-mode and ordered, ''Let's load 'em up.''

Katya went to turn away, following him to the buildings surrounding the square to get people out and onto the boats. Instead, she was stopped by Natasha. ''Wait,'' she called out softly, almost careful. 

Katya sighed, already feeling where this was going. ''If you're going to tell me to get on the first boat, I'll throw you off this rock myself,'' she half-joked. Although she was tired of people telling her what to do, she also knew she was being very stupid by continuing to fight. 

But Natasha was already shaking her head while she talked. ''No, I just wanted to give you this.'' Pulling a gun from the holster on her right leg, she offered it to Katya who took it with slightly trembling hands. 

''Oh,'' she mumbled embarrassed, ''thanks.''

Natasha nodded, walking off to follow Steve. Katya stopped her after a couple steps, body still frozen in place while staring at the weapon in her hands. ''Nat?'' Natasha turned around, waiting on what she had to say. Now Katya looked up. ''I'm sorry.''

Natasha exhaled in relief, she hadn't realized she had been holding her breath. ''I know, babe,'' she smiled softly. A real, genuine smile. And for the first time since they had landed in Sokovia, Katya felt good, light. 

There was hope again, in both the mission and between her and Nat. 

Katya shook her head, trying not to celebrate too early. Everyone knew what happened if you did that. Shit happened. 

Holstering the gun but keeping it ready to go, she started to guide civilians to the lifeboats. 

The vehicles were large, able to hold more than a hundred people, maybe more than that. But all those hundreds of people came rushing towards her like the sea to the beach. Once again, Katya found herself unable to move, getting swallowed by the masses. 

That was until a firm but gentle hand gripped her wrist and tugged her to the side, out of the path to the lifeboats. It was dropped as soon as Katya was safe. The owner afraid to touch her skin longer than necessary. 

Turning to her left, the last person Katya had expected to help her smiled awkwardly, fiddling with her hands. 

''I'm sorry,'' a thick Sokovian accent said. ''I heard your mind from across the square.''