Different Kinds of Torture

10. Natasha

Here's a short little treat as a thank you for waiting so long.

I've thought about the whole Romanogers side of this. And after reading the comments, I decided to leave it, Gen.

So, while I personally ship Romanogers, this is not a Romanogers story. However, if you wish to read it that way, be my guest.

Like I said, I know it's short, but I thought I would go ahead and post this to hopefully make up for my long absence.

DAY 6

Tower - Natasha

"Idiots! Men can be such idiots!" she hissed as she made her way through Avengers Tower. "I told Steve to get out, but did he listen? No!" She rubbed her face as she leaned her head against the wall.

They were entering there sixth day after Tony and Steve's disappearance. Their comms and trackers had been found in an open field in Germany. Of course, the remaining Avengers had gone after them. "A waste of time," she murmured.

She was worried about them, though she would never admit it. Tony could be annoying at times, but he was still part of the team. Her team. Her family. Pepper was trying to remain calm, but anyone could see she was practically in meltdown mode. Natasha had promised Pepper that they would get him back,nd that was one promise the Russian intended to keep.

But if Steve had just listened to her! She growled as she stepped into the elevator. Grumbling orders to Jarvis, she closed her eyes.

When the building had collapsed, her first thought had been that he was dead. After clearing some of the rubble, it became clear that he wasn't there.

She had become the unofficial leader after Cap's disappearance. Leading was not her style. She was more of a background, only seen when necessary, spy. And while Tony's disappearance upset her, it was Steve's that left her feeling completely helpless.

Somehow, she and Steve had become friends. Not as close friends as her and Clint, but closer than she would usually allow people. After the Chitauri invasion, she had agreed to stay in the Tower with the rest of the Avengers. However, Nat hadn't expected to be paired with them on missions. The first time she was sent with someone other than Clint, she was not happy. But, by the time she was paired with Steve, she had become used to working with others. To an extent.

To Nat, Captain America was too perfect. His perfection didn't sit well with her. It wasn't until Steve suffered an anxiety attack that she realized he wasn't as impenetrable as he appeared. He was much more broken than anyone realized. After that, they had each tried to let the other in, something neither of them was very good at.

And as much as she hated to admit it, he worried her. She had watched on several different occasions as he slipped deep within himself. When that happened, not even she could reach him. She also knew that Tony... well, Tony brought out the worst in him. She could see how much Tony's thoughtless jokes bothered Cap. She knew Stark wasn't doing it on purpose, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

A couple of weeks prior, Natasha had finally confronted Tony about it,* and since then he and Steve had been getting along better. She only hoped it could last.

But none of that really mattered now. She scolded herself for letting her mind stray off of the present situation. Entering Tony's workshop, she glanced at Bruce. "Anything?"

Bruce shook his head. "Tony had a chip implanted in his arm in case anything like this ever happened." He scrubbed his face with his hands, "But nothing, no sign of it anywhere! I don't know what else to do." He sighed. Suddenly the computer started beeping. Bruce's eyes widened and he began typing furiously.

"You got something?" Natasha watched intently.

"I-I think I might. His chip! He must have changed the frequency to keep it from being detected. Brilliant!"

"But you found it?" Nat asked impatiently.

"Huh? Oh, yes, yes. It's in Munich, Germany. A couple of miles from where we found the comms. I can't believe this!"

"They tricked us by telling us where they were," the Russian mumbled to herself. Then to Bruce, "How soon can we get there?"

"We should be able to get there in a little over six hours," he replied, still typing.

Natasha grabbed his arm, "Let's go."

So, watcha think? As I have already said, I thrive off of comments.

Let me know what you think of my portrayal of Natasha. I know that she is both loved and hated in fanfictions. So, if there is something I need to fix in her character let me know because I plan on using her again in upcoming chapters.

Also, A commercial flight from New York to Munich, Germany takes about eight hours. So, as I'm not sure how quinjets work I mad it take six. Sorry for any confusion.

Don't worry, you'll get plenty more of Tony and Steve time.

Thanks again!

God bless,

*References my short story "Don't Stop, and Hope"