Bird Set Free | Natasha Romanoff ✓

Chapter Forty-Eight

FIVE YEARS LATER

Aquila Cadman reached down, tucking the remaining end of her shoelace into her shoe before springing back up, the house keys jangling in her hand.

The door soon swung open the immediate blast of cold air doing little to bring her body temperature. After a brisk 45-minute run had failed to keep her from the constant drum of her thoughts, Aquila was at all loss of what to do.

"Hey, Wonderpup." Aquila greeted reaching down to scratch the nine-month-old husky puppy on the head.

Harley had been a sudden but thankful addition to a household that seemed all too quiet these days. Surely caring for such a rambunctious puppy could keep the pounding thoughts away?

"You wanna come with me to pick up Nat from the compound?"

A lot can happen in five years time.

New York City was somewhere that she had called home for years, but nothing was the same anymore. Abandoned cars were still strewn across the streets, empty boats filled the lifeless ports of the city.

Even five years later people still hadn't quite worked out how to continue moving forward when everything was so different, when everyone was gone.

Aquila still hadn't quite worked out what was good and what was bad. The only things she did know was that Harley loved driving in the car a little too much and that Aquila was forever grateful for the chance to get to wear that ring on her finger.

Pulling in the Avengers Compound brought on yet another wave of mixed feelings as she parked the car and began walking to the front door, Harley leaping across the gravel in front of her.

She quickly left her things by the front door and followed Harley towards the door to the ever so familiar conference room, while Harley scratched at it impatiently.

"There you go, girl." Aquila said opening the door only to see Natasha sitting at the large desk.

Natasha first looked down at the excited puppy rushing towards her before her tired eyes drifted up to the love of her life leaning against the doorframe.

"Oh, look who finally decided to show up." The voice of Carol Danvers echoed from across the room.

"I'm quite busy I'll have you know," Aquila replied.

"Doing what exactly? Puppy-sitting?"

Aquila bit back a laugh and she sent the middle finger towards her as Rocket rolled his eyes.

"As I was saying, we boarded that highly suspect warship that Danvers pinged-"

"It was an infectious garbage scowl-"

"So thanks for the hot tip," Rocket finished off, staring at Carol as she only shrugged in response.

"Well, you were closer."

"Yeah. And now we smell like garbage."

"You get a reading on those tremors?" Natasha asked turning towards Okoye.

"It was a mild subduction under the African plate," Okoye informed the two of them in return.

"Do we have a visual? How are we handling it?" Nat continued as Aquila's eyes widened slightly in concern.

"Nat, it's an earthquake under the ocean. We handle it by not handling it."

"Are we likely to see you here next month, Carol?" Aquila asked changing the subject, the flickers of concern still whirling around in her mind.