All the Colors of Earth (Natasha Romanoff)

2.9

Marzda

July 29, 2014

My Dearest Natasha,

I saw you on the news, standing stoically behind the president. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest at the sight of you. They showed all your faces, the boys looked angry, but you, you looked... empty.

I know that look Natasha. I'd seen it in my own eyes for years when I was trying to block everything out. I worry about you, love. I worry that you're isolating yourself, that you're letting yourself become numb to everything.

And if you are, I know it's my fault.

I'm so sorry I hurt you. Please, Natasha, let yourself feel. Don't block it out.

Forever yours,
Marz

Ps. Our child grows quickly. I think she'll be here soon.

                                ~~~~~~~~~~~

"Writing me a love letter?" Marko asks jokingly as he flops down on the couch next to me.

"Not to you," I mutter as I close the journal.

"Ouch," he says with a grin. "How's the little one?"

My hand goes to my stomach, "she's getting bigger."

He laughs, "I didn't want to point it out but you're definitely bigger." He stops laughing when he sees my worried expression, "hey, it'll be alright."

I sigh, "I hope so. It probably won't be long now and I don't know if I can do it alone."

"You're not alone, you've got me," he says. He puts an arm around me and I let him hug me briefly.

Pulling away I ask, "I'm assuming this isn't a social call."

"No," he sighs. "I need a map."

"I'm out Marko," I tell him firmly. "I don't do that anymore."

"You don't even want to know the score?" He asks calmly. "What your cut would be?"

"No."

He shrugs, "I guess you don't want your kid living the easy life then."

Anger flares in me, "that's low, even for you. I could melt your brain right now and you wouldn't be able to stop me."

He laughs, "so you'd use your gifts to kill me but not to earn some coin for your kids future?"

I don't answer his question, but instead ask him one of my own. "Is this you asking me or calling in your favor?"

He shrugs slightly, "whichever one gets me my map, Maps."

I sigh heavily, "if I do this, we're even."

"Deal," he agrees.

"What's the target?"

                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day I'm walking around a museum, scratching the incredibly itchy wig that I'd been forced to wear and tapping my fake cane while Marko holds onto my arm. "Those sunglasses suit you," he jokes as we wander slowly around a pottery exhibit.

"Were these really the only ones you could find?" I ask him angrily. The glasses in question were bright pink with gold rhinestones on them and a golden chain from each earpiece that looped behind my neck.

"You don't like them?" He laughs. "I thought they were very fashionable."

"They are conspicuous," I tell him as I all but slam my cane onto his foot. "So is this ridiculous disguise."

"We couldn't exactly have you walking around with those double irises on display now could we?" He groans.

"What am I here to map out?"

He looks at the little paper map we got at the entrance and studies it for a second before moving us towards another exhibit. "The vault should be right below us," he says once we are in position. "Do your thing."

Closing my eyes, I focus on the safe below us. It was hard to see through all the concrete, but the amount of noise that everyone was making helped. A direct, high whistle was all that was needed to complete the image. When I finally see the vault, I laugh. "You're crazy," I tell him. "Do you realize what vault this is?"

Marko keeps looking at the map, "a hard one?"

"It's basically the younger brother of the Fort Knox vault," I say, still laughing slightly. "The only way you're getting in there is with a sonic charge."

He shrugs, "all right, so you'll come with us and rip it apart."

My eyes snap open and I step away from him, "absolutely not. You can't ask that of me."

"And yet I am," he says nonchalantly, still looking at the map.

"No," I tell him again.

His eyes move from the map to my face and they are no longer light, but hard and angry. "You will do this. You owe me, Maps. Unless you want me to turn you in for the bounty on your head."

"What bounty?" I ask him. This was news to me but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

He chuckles dryly, "take your pick. Those aliens are offering their weight in gold, SHIELD and the Avengers are offering Stark Tech and presidential pardons."

"So why haven't you turned me in yet?" I challenge him. "There can't be anything in that vault that's worth more."

"Oh but there is," he grins and leans in. "Rumor has it that they've found the burial shroud of Christ and have sent it here to be dated and authenticated."

"I didn't take you for the religious type."

"Oh I'm not. But do you have any idea how much the Vatican will pay for it's return?" He folds the map and tucks it into his pocket, "the possibilities for it are endless. We could ransom it back to them, sell pieces of it to private collectors, hell we could even use it to control the pope. As you know, sometimes power is worth more than money." He sticks his hand out towards me, "so do we have a deal?"