Starting Over

Ch. 11

Natasha awoke to the sound of the alarm on her nightstand. It was currently 4 a.m, she sighed rolling over burying her face in her pillow. Surprised when the super soldier was not next to her, both had fallen asleep in her bed after watching an episode of their favorite show on Netflix. She opened her eyes to the sound of her door opening.
"Hey sorry, I figured you would want coffee." Steve said making his way back to her bed, still dressed in the pair of grey sweats and a white t-shirt he had wore last night.
"Thanks." She said taking the cup as he sat down next to her.
"You ready for the mission?" Steve asked
"I'm just afraid of what we'll find. I mean experimentation in general is one thing but DNA experimentation...I just have a bad feeling." Natasha replied taking a sip from her cup.
"Me too, but we need to do this for Wanda. If those that hurt her are still out there...I don't know if I can live with that." Steve said
"This is the first time I've left her sent the farm, I'm just worried that she'll need me and I won't be able to get to her quick enough." Natasha said a worried expression on her face.
"It'll only take a day, maybe two tops, Nat. She'll be okay." Steve said reaching out to run his thumb over the worry lines appearing between her eyebrows "Don't worry."
Natasha seemed to relax instantly at his touch, leaning her face into his hand.
"What would I do without you?" She asked
"I don't know, it's a good thing I'm not going anywhere." Steve said smiling as he pulled her into a hug

"We'll only be gone a day, maybe two" Natasha said handing Wanda cup of coffee across the kitchen island, currently dressed in her suit.
"And you'll keep me updated?" Wanda asked
"We'll try our best, Wands." Steve said handing her a plate of pancakes.
"Okay." Wanda nodded drizzling syrup over the plate.
"Guys, Maria's here with the jet." Sam said walking into the kitchen
"Bye Wands try not to give Rhodey too much trouble alright?" Steve said making his way towards Wanda
"No promises." She joked
"Bye, love you!" Natasha said kissing the girl on the cheek.
"I love you too, both of you!" Wanda called out as the three walked out of the kitchen.

Sam, Natasha, and Steve made their way to the jet. Sam immediate took Maria's position behind the wheel so she could focus on briefing them.
"Here's what we know so far." She started "We've had heat sensors on the place for a few days, never more than 30 guys. There must be a shift change some where around 18:00, leaving 20 people. That's when we intervene. We discovered numerous files from the Sokovia facility, that were illegible. We're assuming they are those being experimented on. We are unaware of their capabilities, so be cautious. Romanoff, your on data retrieve. Wilson and Cap, get out the hostages."
"Sounds good." Natasha said clipping on her widow bites. Steve nodded in response, while Sam gave a thumbs up from the pilots seat.
Soon they arrived, hovering the jet over the facility and setting it onto stealth mode.
"Okay, the change just occurred. 24 heat signatures." Maria said giving them the go ahead as she opened the jet doors.
Natasha finished clipping her parachute
"Be careful out there." Steve said from her side
"Always am, soldier." Natasha smirked, stepping off the jet. Sam and Steve following close behind

They landed on the roof easily and found the roof exit.
"I'll take the south hallway. Sam you and red wing take the north. Nat you're with me." Steve said
"Got it." Sam said making his way down the steps. Steve and Nat following close by.
The hallways were clear but not for long, bodies quickly littering the floors.
"I'm not seeing in of the hostages." Steve said into the comms, as the made through the entire south hallway.
"We got down at least 12 guys." Natasha added "How's it looking your way, Sam?"
"I've took down seven." Sam replied
"Where's the last one?" Steve asked
"We still have to find data. Let's find the labs." Natasha said motioning towards the end of the hallway, to a window of glass. They slowly made there way toward it guns ready. Natasha quickly able to disable the alarm. The room was large with cells lining one wall. Three in a row, with small metal beds.
"Well this is were they were..." Natasha said looking at the cells which were open. "You think they evacuated on during the raid?" She looks up hearing Steve exhale, shaking his head. Her eyes find their way to the corner of a cell, where wooden blocks liter the floor and a small matted stuffed bear sits.
"They're just children." Steve said in disbelief
"Come on, let's get the data." Natasha said pulling him away from the cells, wincing as she turns her leg.
"Nat, we can't go without making sure they're not here." Steve replied "hey... you're bleeding." He replied looking at her leg.
"I'll be fine... I've had worse." She said swallowing "They're gone, Steve. Let's get the data and maybe we'll be able to track them down." Natasha said walking towards several computer screens with a slight limp, pulling a flash drive from her suit.
"You're hurt. why didn't you tell me you got shot?" Steve said looking over her shoulder at the screen, turning her to face him.
"Didn't seem like a good time, we have work to do Rogers. The data's at 75%." Natasha said
Steve looked down noticing the trail of blood now across the floor. "Nat."
"What?" Natasha asks
"You're bleeding out, let's go." Steve said in his Captain America voice, grabbing her arm.
"What about the data, it's not finished." Natasha said pulling her arm away from him
"The data doesn't matter, let's go!" Steve said not backing down
"We need to get it all, we can't miss any of the files." Natasha said voice wavering, as she tried to ignore the pain in her thigh "95%"
"That's enough." Steve said pulling the flash drive from the computer. "Let's get out of here." He said going to Natasha's injured side and bracing an arm around her waist. Natasha followed in shock. "Sam, get a med kit ready for me on the jet."
"You got it, Cap." Sam replied