Bird Set Free | Natasha Romanoff ✓

Chapter Ten

Aquila leaned against the railing as she listened to Rumlow describe the mission they were about to embark on. 

"The target is a mobile satellite launch platform. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them, 93 minutes ago."

"Any demands?" Steve asked. 

"A billion and a half."

"Why so steep?"

"Because it's S. H. I. E. L. D.'s."

"So it's not off course, it's trespassing."

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Aquila said, joining the conversation. 

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of being Fury's janitor," Steve said looking to Aquila.

"Relax," Natasha said from beside the woman. "It's not that complicated."

"How many pirates?"

"Twenty fire, top mercs, led by this guy. George Batroc."

Aquila looked at the picture of the man that appeared on the monitor, her head slightly cocked to one side as she took all the detail on his face. 

"Ex-DGSE, Action Divison. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilized him, he had thirty-six kill missions. This guy's got a rep for maximum casualties."

Aquila let out a small groan from beneath her breath. Of course, it was just their luck.

"Hostages?" Steve asked Rumlow.

"Uh. . . mostly techs. One officer, Jasper Sitwell." Rumlow said pulling up a picture of said officer. "They're in the galley."

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship? Alright, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, Quila, kill the engines and wait for instruction. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to the life pods, get'em out. Let's move." Steve said giving his orders. 

"STRIKE, you heard the Cap. Gear up." Rumlow said. 

Aquila was standing by Natasha preparing her gear when Steve walked over completely prepared to go. 

"Secure channel seven."

"Seven secure," Natasha responded. "Did you do anything fun Saturday night?"

"Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so. . . . No, not really."

"You know," Aquila began, a small smirk across her face as she turned to the Captain. "If you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she'd probably say yes."

"That's why I don't ask," Steve replied, finalizing everything before he jumped. 

"Too shy or too scared!" Aquila shouted. 

"Too busy!" Steve said before jumping out of the jet. 

"Was he wearing a parachute?" A STRIKE agent asked Rumlow.

"No," Rumlow said with a sight chuckle. "No, he wasn't."

Everyone still on the jet prepared for their descent as well. Natasha watched as Aquila grabbed a parachute for herself.

"What, no Talons today?" She asked.

"I'm trying something new," Aquila responded by jumping out of the jet after Rumlow. 

She touched down on the ship with Natasha right on her heels, quickly getting rid of her remaining parachute. 

"What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you?" Natasha said to Steve.

"Yeah, she seems kind of nice." Aquila butted in. 

"Secure the engine room, then you two can find me a date," Steve responded.

"We're multitasking," Aquila said before jumping over the railing, Natasha moving in sync with her movements. 

Aquila was leaning against the wall, waiting for the pirates she had been assigned to take down walked by. Her ears twitched slightly as her enhanced hearing could hear them getting nearer.

Taking her gun out of the holster on her thigh, she quickly cocked the gun before revealing her position.  

As it turned out her new training had come in handy, as she had taken down the group of four pirates in no time.

"Nice," Natasha said. "Now I see what you meant when you were trying something new."

"Well, it's not exactly something new. It's basically what I did when I was younger."

"Yeah, you never quite did tell me what happened when you were younger."

"Another time, perhaps?" Aquila asked.

Aquila spun around lazily in one of the chairs as Natasha saved S. H. I. E. L. D. intel. She was supposed to be watching the door however with the pirates occupied with the ambush that Steve and the STRIKE team were mounting, no one would disturb them. 

Or so they thought. Only moments later, the door came crashing to the floor revealing two figures. Steve and Batroc.

"Well," Natasha said, her eyes shifting to both Aquila and Steve. "This is awkward."

"What are you doing?" Steve asked, almost angrily. 

"Backing up the hard drive." Aquila began, the lie falling off her tongue easily. "It's a good habit to get into."

"You're saving S. H. I. E. L. D. intel, aren't you?" Steve said. 

"Whatever we can get our hands on," Natasha said. 

"Our mission is to rescue hostages." 

"No. That's your mission." Aquila replied, accepting the flash drive that Natasha finished with, tucking it into a small pocket on her sleeve. "And you've done it beautifully."

Natasha and Aquila started to move towards the door but were stopped by Steve grabbing their arms roughly. 

"You just jeopardized this whole operation."

Aquila turned her head slightly as she heard shuffling from her right ear. 

"I think that's overstating things."

Aquila whipped her head around to sight the unconscious Batroc by was quickly met with a grenade instead. 

Steve quickly blocked the grenade with his shield, before grabbing the two woman as Natasha shot the window out, sending them flying through the window just as an explosion rocketed above their heads. 

The three of them rested against the wall, bodies aching, breaths coming out as pants. 

"Okay," Natasha said to Steve. "That one is on us."

"You're damn right," Steve said, getting up angrily before leaving the two woman.