Covert Affair | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 74: The Breakout

June 2013

The tension between Tony and Natasha hung heavy in the air as they stood facing each other, their voices sharp with frustration and regret.

"The doctors say he shattered L4 through S1. Extreme laceration in the spinal cord. Probably looking at some form of paralysis" Tony grimly reported, his voice tinged with sadness at the severity of Rhodey's injuries.

"But" he added, a glimmer of hope in his tone, "Jenna managed to heal him enough. So, there's only minimal damage now."

Natasha's expression hardened as she absorbed the news, her eyes reflecting the weight of their failure. "Steve's not gonna stop. If you don't either, Rhodey's gonna be the best case scenario," she warned.

Tony's gaze hardened as he met Natasha's eyes, the tension between them palpable. "You let them go, Nat" he retorted, his tone tinged with bitterness as he shifted the blame onto her.

But Natasha refused to back down, her resolve unyielding. "I promised her, Tony" her voice softening her thoughts wondering off to Jenna. "We played this wrong" she admitted.

Tony's response was swift and cutting, his words filled with accusation. "'We'? Boy, it must be hard to shake the whole double agent thing, huh? It sticks in the DNA," he taunted, his ego bruised by the failure of their mission.

Natasha's jaw clenched in frustration at Tony's barb, her patience wearing thin. "Are you incapable of letting go of your ego for one goddamn second?" she shot back.

"T'Challa told Ross what you did, so... they're coming for you" he warned.

Natasha's frustration reached its peak, her voice laced as she confronted Tony. "Let them come. I'm getting her out, with or without your help," she declared, her eyes flashing with resolve.

Tony's expression hardened as he retorted, "Oh, please. You were the one who insisted on bringing her to Vienna. Don't try to pin this on me."

Natasha crossed her arms, her gaze unwavering. "I only brought her in because she wanted to get away from the team fighting." she argued.

Tony scoffed, shaking his head. "And look where that got us." he shot back, his frustration evident.

The weight of Tony's words hung heavy in the air, and Natasha's shoulders slumped as she realized the truth in them. "I know" she admitted softly. "We should've been more cautious. I should've protected her."

Tony's expression softened slightly as he took in Natasha's admission. "We both should've" he agreed quietly, a hint of regret in his voice.

━━━━━

As the chopper descended toward the broiling sea,  A voice crackled over the radio, announcing their clearance for landing at the Raft Prison.

The massive circular structure emerged from the sea, its fortified exterior illuminated by small lights around the sides. The chopper touched down on a helipad, and Tony, his left arm in a sling, stepped out to meet Secretary Ross.

"So? You got the files? Let's reroute the satellites, start facial scanning for this Zemo guy," Tony inquired.

But Ross's response was cold and dismissive. "You seriously think I'm gonna listen to you after that fiasco in Leipzig? You're lucky you're not in one of these cells" he retorted sternly.

Inside the operations room, Tony's gaze fell upon a surveillance screen displaying Zero, her figure restrained by power dampeners on her neck and wrists. His heart sank at the sight of her, her eyes pale with defeat.