Covert Affair | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 24: Date But Not Like A Date-Date

As the chaos unfolded, Zero, Fury, Natasha, and Maria swiftly made their way to a waiting helicopter.

Meanwhile, Sam Wilson, sprinted desperately away from the devastation, his heart pounding with adrenaline.  "Please, tell me you got that chopper in the air!" 

"Sam, where are you?" Natasha's voice was tense.

"41st floor, northwest corner!" Sam's reply was tinged with desperation.

"We're on it, stay where you are," Natasha reassured him. With no time to spare, he made a split-second decision, leaping from the window 

Natasha and Zero's hands closed around Sam's outstretched arm, their pulling him towards the safety of the helicopter. With a final burst of adrenaline-fueled effort, they hauled him aboard, his body crashing onto the floor of the cabin as they dragged him to safety.

 "41st floor! 41st!" his frantic cries barely audible.

"It's not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of the building!" Fury gruff.

"Is this a bad time to say I'm afraid of heights?" Zero blurted out, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness. 

"Where's Steve? You got a location on Rogers?" Natasha's voice was urgent as she turned to Maria.
---

As Steve slowly regained consciousness in the hospital room, the smooth melody of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man" filled the air. With a groggy awareness, he glanced around the room.

A soft smile tugged at the corners of Sam's lips as he noticed Steve stirring. "On your left," Steve murmured.

Sam's smile widened, "Hey there, Cap," .

━━━━━

As Maria Hill prepared to undergo the lie detector test at Stark Industries, Stark himself observed from behind the safety of the glass by Zero. Tony's eyes flicked from the monitor displaying Maria's readings to Zero, a question hanging unspoken in the air.

"You worked with Hill," Tony began, his tone curious yet pointed. "Do you trust her?".

Zero met Tony's gaze head-on, her expression resolute. "With my life" she affirmed.

As Maria walked out of the interrogation room, Zero greeted her with a warm smile. "Hey, Mia," she said, her voice filled with genuine warmth.

"Hey smalls," Maria responded"Thanks for being here."

"Always" Zero replied.

As they walked together towards the exit, Maria turned to Zero "Nick and me are coming over for dinner tonight, Do you want to ride back with me?"

"No, it's okay. I have something to take care of first," Zero smiled.

 "Alright, well, we'll save you a plate". she said with a chuckle.

"Sounds good, but can you make an extra plate tonight?" Zero asked

Maria made her way out of Stark Industries, "Sure? Any reason why? Maria smirked knowingly. Zero smiled and shook her head.

━━━━━

Zero pulled up to the Capitol building inside the hearing room, the tension was palpable.

The solemn voice of the bailiff reverberated through the chamber, demanding her oath of truth. I do," Natasha affirmed.

Why haven't we yet heard from Captain Rogers?" he demanded.

 "I don't know what there is left for him to say," she retorted. "I think the wreck in the middle of the Potomac made his point fairly eloquently."

"Many of which you seem to have had a personal hand in telling," one member accused.

"HYDRA was selling you lies, not intelligence," she declared, her voice ringing with conviction.

"Agent, you should know that there are some on this committee who feel... that you belong in a penitentiary, not mouthing off on Capitol Hill."

 "You're not gonna put me in a prison," she declared boldly. "You're not gonna put any of us in a prison. You know why?"  "Because you need us," she asserted, her voice ringing with unwavering conviction. "Yes, the world is a vulnerable place, and yes, we helped make it that way. But we're also the ones best qualified to defend it."  Natasha rose from her seat and walked away, leaving the committee members stunned into silence. 

 Zero approached Natasha, "You did good in there," she said, her voice filled with quiet admiration.

Natasha offered a small smile in return, her eyes reflecting a steely resolve. "Thanks, It's not over yet, though."

Sensing Natasha's uncertainty, Zero leaned in, her tone conspiratorial. "You got a place to stay?" After all SHIELD was not destroyed.

Natasha hesitated, "I'll figure something out," she replied.

But Zero wasn't about to take no for an answer. she extended an invitation. "Well, how about dinner at my place? Fury and Maria will be there too."

Natasha's eyebrows shot up "I don't know..."

But Zero was already babbling enthusiastically, her excitement contagious. "Oh, come on! It'll be fun!

Nataha relented. "Alright, fine."

Zero practically bounced with excitement,  "Great! It's a date then! Well, not like a date-date, but you know what I mean."

Natasha couldn't help but chuckle at Zero and the adorable display before her. "I know what you mean," she replied, her voice tinged with amusement but a hint of disappointment.