Bird Set Free | Natasha Romanoff ✓

Chapter Fourteen

Aquila sat on the bed, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. The three of them had sought refuge at Steve's friend, Sam Wilson's place. The only person who could be trusted and who wouldn't try and kill them. It was official HYDRA had infiltrated S. H. I. E. L. D., Fury was gone and there was nothing any of them could do about it.

She was very appreciative that the three of them did have a place to lie low for a little while until they formulated their next plan.

"Aquila?" Natasha asked the woman, coming to sit beside her.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"You never did quite finish telling me about your past," Natasha said, a small teasing smile clear on her face.

"What do you want to know?" Aquila asked, grimacing.

"Well, I saw as much as you did with what Zola showed us. I saw a younger version of you and was that your family?"

"Yeah."

"What happened, Aquila?" Natasha said, concerned for the woman in front of her that she had come to know better than most people.

"As you know I grew up in the Uzumati tribe. It's very traditional and doesn't work with a lot of technology, hence my basic understanding." Aquila said, chuckling slightly. "Honour used to hold a huge place in my culture. Most of the children were already hardened fighters by the time, they turned twelve."

"What happens when you turn twelve?" Natasha asked.

"Well, up until you turn twelve, you are referred to as your last name. When you turn twelve you get to have your ceremony and you get your actual name."

"Your enhancement ceremony?"

"Yeah, but it was slightly different for me. My own ceremony was successful, and I was given my name which represents my animal. But then everything went to shit." Aquila tried to joke while her body was shaking.

"And that's what Zola showed us," Natasha said, grabbing Aquila's shaking hands and holding them tightly to her own. "It's going to be ok, Quila.

Aquila didn't say anything in return, using their joined hands to pull Natasha into a hug, ignoring the persisting fluttering of her heart.

"You guys alright?" Steve said, wandering into the room after cleaning up. The two women quickly broke apart before turning to Steve.

"Yeah," Natasha responded while Aquila completely ignored Steve's question.

Steve noticed the solemn feeling in the room and as he knew Natasha and Aquila better than to let them get away with little to no responses, he tried again.

"What's going on?"

Aquila hadn't quite found her voice yet after talking about one of the most painful experiences of her life, Natasha sensed this and her own voice soon filled the air.

"When I first joined S. H. I. E. L. D., I thought I was going straight. But I guess I just traded in the KGB for HYDRA. I thought I knew whose lies I was telling. . . .I guess I can't tell the difference anymore."

"What about you, Aquila?" Steve prompted.

"I've been spending almost my entire life, running away from my past. Even years later, I'm still completely traumatized by the events that happened when I was younger. I had held onto the fact for a long time that it was just one of my tribe's many enemies that had caused such destruction, but it wasn't. When in reality it was the same organization that helped me to stop running in the first place." Aquila said, her voice breaking.

Natasha reached once again holding Aquila's hand in hers. Silence filled the room again, the three Avengers were gratefully appreciative that they were all there still alive. Without Steve, she would be dead and that wasn't the only time, Steve Rogers had saved her life either.

"We owe you," Aquila said, holding Natasha's hand tight.

"It's okay."

"If it was the other way around, and it was down to Aquila or I to save your life, and you be honest with us, would you trust us to do it?" Natasha said as Aquila watched Steve's reaction closely.

He hesitated before responding. "I would now. And I'm always honest." He said with a small smile that the girls quickly returned.

"Well, I must say you seem pretty chipper for someone who just found they died for nothing," Aquila said, with a small teasing smile.

"Well, I guess I just like to know who I'm fighting."

Aquila sat up straighter as she heard Steve's friend Sam walk into the room. "I made breakfast," he said. "If you guys eat that sort of thing."

"So, the question is: who in S. H. I. E. L. D. could launch a domestic missile strike?" Natasha asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between everyone that was gathered in the kitchen.

"Pierce," Steve responded without missing a beat as Aquila's eyes widened.

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world." Aquila scoffed.

"But's he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star."

"So was Jasper Sitwell," Natasha replied, realization written across her face.

"So, the real question is: how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap an S. H. I. E. L. D. officer in broad daylight?"

"The answer is," Sam said walking up and dropping a file on the table. "You don't."

"What's this?" Steve asked as Aquila examined the file over his shoulder. Steve was holding a picture that showed Sam with another man standing beside him.

"Call it a resume."

"Is this Bahkmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you." Natasha asked, curious. "You didn't say he was a para-rescue."

"Is this Riley?" Steve asked as Aquia cocked her head curiously but chose not to ask.

"Yeah," Sam responded; his tone sad. It didn't take long for Aquila to work out what had most likely happened.

"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs," Natasha said as Aquila turned to Sam.

"What did you use, a stealth chute?" Aquila asked.

"No," Sam responded. "These."

Aquila looked at the file again, even she knew that it was pretty cool. "I thought you said you were a pilot," Steve said, amusement lacing his tone.

Sam responded with just as much amusement in his tone. "I never said, pilot."

"I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason," Steve said to Sam.

As much as Aquila didn't want to admit it, Steve was right. If Sam came with him, he was in just as much trouble as them.

"Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in." Sam said.

"Besides," Aquila said, butting in. "If he helps us, we have a falcon, eagle and a hawk. We might as well start a bird club at this point."

Natasha and Steve burst out laughing at her attempt of a joke while Sam stood there looking around confused.

"W-what?"

"You'll see soon enough, Bird-Man."