Bird Set Free | Natasha Romanoff ✓

Chapter Seventeen

Aquila let out a small caw, her talons outstretched as they ripped into the flesh of HYDRA agent after HYDRA agent. 

Their mission objective had been explained to them by Fury what felt like millions of times. 

Steve and Sam were assigned to place the chips into the helicarriers whilst Aquila's mission was to keep agents from affecting those two from achieving their mission. 

Aquila ducked and rolled throughout the air as bullets even single one shot to try and kill her ripped through the air. 

Her eyesight easily picked up the fight happening between Captain America and the Winter Soldier below but knew that it wasn't her fight to intervene, preferring instead to stop down incapacitating several agents on her way. 

Agent Hill's voice rang from the comm in her ears, specially designed to accommodate both her human and eagle form without affecting it dramatically. 

The issue of her not exactly being able to communicate in her eagle form with her comm hadn't exactly been worked out yet, but having a basic understanding of what was going on was better than nothing. 

"Hey, Sam, Aquila? I'm gonna need a ride." 

Aquila let out a disgruntled caw almost to signify that she was a bit preoccupied, her claws ripping into the flesh of yet another victim. 

But Sam's voice called over her caw. "Roger! Let me know when you're ready."

From there the fight only continued, Aquila's beak and claws tearing roughly out of flesh only to sink into another. 

Time was slowly running out and at this rate, it wasn't looking hopeful that this mission was going to be successful. 

But then they fell. The Helicarriers plummeted through the air before crashing into the water. 

Aquila flying above the wreckage, a lot like she had been on that day so many years ago. 

The sun shone through the trees as Aquila stood observing Nick Fury's grave from a small distance, a small smirk gracing her face at the irony of the whole situation. 

Fury was dead, then he wasn't dead, then now he was on the run.

Aquila really did need to get out more and meet new people, considering her current ones always found themselves in insane situations. 

"Aquila." Nick Fury said, walking over to her. 

Instead of his usual eyepatch and black ensemble, a pair of sunglasses and a hoodie had taken their place.

"Fury." Aquila greeted back. 

"I know I'm probably not your favorite person right now but I do believe that I, at least, owe you this." Nick Fury said, extending her hands to Aquila, who gasped at the sight of the folder sitting in his hands.

"Is that?" Aquila gasped, hardly believing what she was seeing right in front of her. 

"Yes, leads, photos, contact details, anything you will need, to try and locate any remaining survivors."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." 

Aquila walked over with Nick Fury to where Steve and Sam were. 

"So, you've experienced this sort of thing before?"

"You get used to it," Steve replied. 

"We've been data-mining HYDRA's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm headed to Europe tonight, wanted to ask if you'd come."

"There's something I gotta do first," Steve replied and Aquila immediately knew exactly what he was talking about. 

"How about you, Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities."

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy."

"Aquila?" Nick Fury tried for the final time. 

"I think I've got a little bit of soul-searching to do first," Aquila said with a small smile, holding the file still clutched in her hands up. 

"Alright then." 

Aquila watched Nick Fury leave but as her eyes settled on where Natasha was walking up to the trio, she couldn't help the smile that broke onto her face. 

Aquila quickly walked forward, embracing the woman in a tight hug which Natasha quickly returned but let go as Steve approached them. 

"You should be honored, that's about as close as he gets to saying thank you."

"Not going with him?" Steve asked. 

"No."

"Not staying here?"

"I blew all my covers. I gotta go figure out a new one."

It had been a good and bad side effect in order to aid their victory against HYDRA, Natasha had released all of both S. H. I. E. L. D. and HYDRA's files onto the internet and it had been trending for quite a while now.

"That might take a while." Aquila chimed in.

"I'm counting on it," Natasha said, sharing a smile with Aquila before turning to Steve. "That thing you asked for, I called in a few favors from Kiev."

Aquila looked at the file, almost identical to her own one that she held in her hands. 

"Will you do me a favor?" Natasha asked Steve. "Call that tour guide." 

"She's not just a tour guide," Steve replied with an admiring smile. 

"And you're not an S. H. I. E. L. D. agent," Natasha replied. 

"What was her name again?" Aquila asked turning to Steve.  

"Quinn. Quinn Greene." 

"Well I like her, she's nice," Natasha said, before Steve saying his goodbyes to the two girls walked back over to Sam. 

"So, what's the plan for you?" Natasha asked Aquila.

"Well, considering what I said to Fury earlier, I've got a bit of soul-searching to do. But I'll be back, eventually."

"I'm sure you will," Natasha said. "I guess I'll see you soon."

"I guess I will."

The last thing Aquila registered before Natasha walked away was the gentle touch of her lips pressing lightly against her cheek, sending shivers down her back and a blush to her cheeks. 

"I saw that," Steve called out, teasing from behind her. 

"You saw nothing, Rogers," Aquila called back.