All the Colors of Earth (Natasha Romanoff)

1.11

There's a ringing in my ear, dust in my eyes and mouth and someone very faintly calling my name followed by a string of Russian. "You know I only speak select phrases," I groan. Natasha crushes me in a hug, "Are you ok?" I ask her as the ringing in my ear starts to die down.

"I'm ok," she tells me, her voice muffled. "Are you?"

"Aside from the fact that I can't hear out of my left ear I'm fine," I tell her as I try and get a picture of our surroundings. We were in the dark, that much I could tell, surrounded by chunks of rocks.

"Can you see?"

"Kinda, it's not as strong as it usually is."

"At least you can see. It took me ten minutes to find you in all this."

"I'm so sorry Natasha," I tell her as I sit up.

"For what?"

"This is all my fault."

Her hands find mine, "you couldn't have known this would happen."

The ringing in my ear was slowly going away and I could see her better, "you're hurt."

She shrugs, "it's nothing."

"You have a giant cut on your head, you could have a concussion."

"I don't have double vision so there's no concussion."

"Natasha," I deadpan, "you can't see in the dark."

She laughs softly, "oh yeah, then let's get out of here and get you checked out. Don't think I didn't notice you wincing when I hugged you."

Struggling to stand, I found myself leaning to the left. "Who knew your ears played into balance so much," I mused.

"Pretty much everyone knows that Marz."

"I didn't."

"Well you're the exception to many things."

"Like what?" I ask as I start to look around. There wasn't much to see other then rock and more rock. Finally I spot a narrow opening on the far side of the cavern.

"Well you got me on a date," she answered as I put her hand on my shoulder and started us towards the opening and hopefully freedom.

Chuckling I tease, "like it was hard."

"Nobody else managed it."

"Because everyone who asked you was a man," I remind her.

"Hey there have been a few women to ask me as well."

Slight jealousy flared in me, "like who?"

She squeezed my shoulder, "nobody who matters."

We reach the opening and I peak in, "stay here, I'm going to look down this tunnel."

"You're leaving?" She asked, slight panic in her voice.

"I'll be right back I promise," I reassure her before heading off down the tunnel. After a few yards it splits into two and I throw a pebble down each trying to figure out which one to go down, but they both looked the same so I pick one. Clicking my way down the tunnel it opens up into another cavern with no way out. Going back to the fork I head down the right one, nearly falling off a ledge fifty feet down it. There looked to be another ledge on the other side, and tossing another pebble it was confirmed. There also appeared to be carved steps leading up but there was still no light to be seen.

Heading back to Natasha it wasn't long before I started to hear my name being shouted and fear pulsating through the bond, forcing me into a run, worried that somehow someone or something was hurting her. But when I broke out of the tunnel there was nothing except Natasha on the ground, fear written all over her face. Kneeling in front of her I try and take her hands but she just yells and tries to hit me. "It's me!" I tell her and she throws herself into my arms. "It's ok, I'm here."

"You were gone forever," she sobbed, clutching my shirt.

"I'm sorry, I tried to be fast." Rubbing her back I say, "why didn't you tell me you were afraid of the dark? I never would have left."

She groans and pulls away, "I didn't know it myself until you were gone."

Ripping a piece off my shirt I use it to wipe her face, "well I found a way out so you didn't suffer for nothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah," I hesitate, "random question though, how far can you jump?"

****
"You've got to be kidding," she says as she feels the edge of the ledge. "Tell me you're kidding."

"Unfortunately I'm not."

She stands up and backs away slowly, "how do you expect me to jump that? I can't see it!"

"It looks to only be about a six foot gap," I tell her. "What if I go first and then you jump towards my voice?"

"Or you go and find a flashlight or something," she says sarcastically.

I frown not sure if she really wanted that, "do you want me to leave you alone again?"

"No!"

"Ok then we go with my plan," I inform her as I back up.

"Can you even make it?"

I take off running and jump, trying not to look down. But I did, straight into the points of a dozen stalagmites. I crash into the second ledge and roll, smacking into the wall, "made it," I groan, feeling my ribs protest as I get up.

"How far?"

"Five feet, maybe."

She shakes her arms out, "ok that's not that far, I can do that." She feels the edge of the ledge and backs up, counting the steps. Taking a breath she takes off, jumping right at the edge and soaring over the gap, landing with ease in front of me.

"Show off," I mutter.

"That was easy," she smiles. "What's next?"

Taking her hand I lead her to the stairs, "we go up."

We climbed for what seemed like hours but the dark has a way of warping time. Eventually there was a slight sliver of light above us and we raced towards it, busting out of the dark staircase into a cellar that thankfully had a light on. It also had a Hydra agent who looked just as surprised to see us as we were to see him. We stared at each other for a second too long, and then there was a shot and Natasha fell to the ground.

The Hydra agent and I both turn towards the shot to see another agent standing there, gun raised. Before he could get another shot off I melt his brain, drowning him in his own blood. Turning to the first agent I give him a look and he runs from the room.

Kneeling beside Natasha and a growing pool of blood I try and stop the bleeding in her stomach, apologizing when she winces as I press her wound. "What do I do?" I ask in a panic.

Her breath comes in shirt gasps, "nothing you can do," she gasps out. "Find the others."

"I'm not leaving you!"

"You don't have to," a voice says and suddenly Fury was standing beside me with Stark. "We were in the next room digging through rubble trying to find you two. Figured it was you that agent was yelling about."

"Move," Stark ordered as he shoved me aside and scooped up Natasha. We run from the room and find ourselves in the same room where I vaporized all those agents, only now half the ceiling was gone. Stark takes off and out of the giant hole and Fury and I run as fast as we can back to the ship. When we get there the others are waiting and Bruce is doing his best to patch Natasha up.

"She's stable but not for long," he says to Fury. "I need to get her to my lab."

Fury jumps in the pilots seat and takes off, throwing us back in our seats. My eyes never left Natasha the whole way back, one thing circling in my head-

Dear God don't let her die.