Covert Affair | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 21: Barney

Note: This one makes me kind of sad :(
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All five of them squeezed into the car, the confines feeling tighter with each passing moment. Sam took the wheel, with Steve seated in the passenger seat, Natasha occupying the right back seat, and Zero sandwiched between Natasha and Sitwell.

The tension in the car was palpable as Sam drove them toward Triskelion. Jasper Sitwell's words hung heavy in the air, "HYDRA doesn't like leaks.".

"So why don't you try sticking a cork in it," Sam retorted.

Natasha glanced at her watch, her brow furrowing in concern. "Insight's launching in sixteen hours, we're cutting it a little bit close here," she noted, her tone urgent.

Steve nodded grimly, his gaze fixed ahead. "I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the Helicarriers directly".

As chaos erupted around them, Zero and Sitwell found themselves in a bickering match. "Dude, move over! You're literally on my lap. I am not Santa Claus," Zero protested, her voice a mix of annoyance.

Sitwell rolled his eyes, refusing to budge. "Well, maybe if you weren't taking up so much space," he retorted.

In the front, Sam couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of their squabble. 

"Take up so much space!? I am literally 5'2! You are a grown-ass man!" Zero exclaimed, frustration evident in her voice.

Sitwell scoffed, refusing to budge. "Yeah, so I need more space," he countered stubbornly.

"Can you two shut up?" Nat finally interjected.

"Or maybe learn personal space, scoot!" Zero talked under her breath, her patience wearing thin.

Jasper Sitwell's protests were cut short with the sudden appearance of the Winter Soldier. Sitwell was violently pulled out through the window. "Well I didn't mean scoot that far! I'm sorry!" Zero exclaimed, her voice tinged with panic.

The screeching tires echoed through the streets as chaos ensued. Bullets rained down as the Winter Soldier unleashed a relentless assault on the trio, their car becoming a battleground in the heart of the city.

"Shit!" Sam cursed, his grip tightening on the wheel as he tried to navigate the perilous situation. Natasha sprang into action moving.

As another car collided with theirs, Zero was thrown out of the window upon impact. Her body tumbled landing with a thud on the roof of a car just ahead, directly in the path of the Winter Soldier. "Oops! Sorry about that!" Zero exclaimed, her voice filled with youthful innocence, as she quickly scrambled to her feet on the roof of the car she had inadvertently landed on. She glanced around, her eyes wide with surprise and concern, before offering a sheepish smile to the bewildered occupants inside the car. The other 3 was send careening along the road on the car door.

As Zero found herself face to face with the imposing figure of the Winter Soldier, memories from her childhood flooded her mind. There was something hauntingly familiar about him, a connection she couldn't quite place. And then, it hit her like a bolt of lightning.

"Barney?" she whispered, the child-like nickname slipping past her lips before she could stop it.

For a moment, there was a flicker of recognition in the Winter Soldier's eyes, a glimmer of humanity amidst the cold facade. It was as though her words had pierced through the layers of his icy exterior, reaching something buried deep within. But just as quickly as it had appeared, the spark of recognition vanished, replaced once again by the stoic mask of the Winter Soldier. He remained silent, his gaze unwavering as he assessed her.