NIGHTMARE ▹ Natasha Romanoff

sixteen.

"Dima Ivanov, you're under arrest for murder in the first degree, second degree, robbery, drug trafficking and manufacturing, forgery, fraud, homicide, theft," she held the gun steady at his face, "oh, and treason." Ivanov, to his credit, didn't look as shocked as she had imagined.

"Lana," he said instead, and Svetlana could've sworn he was smiling a little, "you're okay." Svetlana glared and stepped forward, gun unwavering. At least, she hoped it was. It would be quite embarrassing if it looked as jittery as she felt inside. Ivanov barley glanced at Natasha as she came around behind him and pushed him to the ground, locking cuffs onto his wrists.

There was the sound of an engine down the street, and Ivanov's face turned solemn. Svetlana opened her mouth to say something witty. When she'd imagined this arrest happening years ago, it hadn't been this dry. She'd usually said something cool. Her mind was blank right now. The car outside was getting closer. "You should go." Ivanov said, "Please, before they hurt you."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not getting away this time, dipshit." That was a bad insult. She regretted it. If she didn't know him, she would've thought Ivanov looked genuinely worried for them. He looked at the door quickly, then turned back looked for the first time at Natasha, who was contacting Fury with a little black device. "SHIELD can't stop them." he said, and Natasha's head snapped up towards him, "No one can."

Her eyes flickered to Svetlana's. "Let's bring him in. If those people outside are his backup, we don't want to be here." Svetlana nodded, then grabbed his shoulder and hauled him up, shoving her gun into his back and pushing him back towards the rusting stairs they came down. That was when the doors flew open, and the gun fire started.

The first shots from the machine gun hit the wall, and they jumped into action. Svetlana gripped Ivanov harshly, digging her palm into his shoulder blade and pushing him up the stairs so that he stumbled, hitting his shin. She smashed the butt of her gun into his head, knocking him out briefly and dropping him on the metal stairs, his body protected by the steel banister. She then dived behind a large wooden cart, meeting Natasha loading her gun. They looked over their shoulders to the men by the door, shooting scarce bullets when they could.

Natasha swore and breathed heavily. "Backup?" Svetlana asked. Natasha nodded, "On their way," she stopped to twist and pepper the walls behind with bullets, aiming for any of the heavily armed men, "Five minutes, tops." But the masked men were coming closer, and the crates they took shelter behind would fall apart with a few more rounds.

"Not enough time," Svetlana said, shaking her head and practically yelling over the gun fire. Natasha agreed with a nod. The stairwell was the best option to make it out of there alive. Ivanov's body was slumped on the stairwell, and Svetlana sent a questioning look to Natasha. "It'll take too long. We can't." Svetlana reluctantly agreed.

In a second, they were both on the stairs, low and dodging over Ivanov's body. They scampered up, arriving on the higher wraparound platform, moving quickly to the fire escape door. The men had noticed and averted their fire to higher up, but from their vantage point they had a few seconds before they arrived. Natasha shoved at the door; the rust had jammed it again. Sliding to the floor and moving quickly, Svetlana leaned forward and shot bullets down into the crowd of approaching men. They moved slowly, picking their way through the many boxes littered around. They had the situation in control, and didn't seem bothered.

With a final push, Natasha swung the door open, calling for her partner and jumping out onto the shaking fire platform, half leaping, half climbing to the ground. Svetlana turned to follow, then heard a strangled cough. Ivanov was struggling to prop himself up, eyes scanning the debris to understand what was happening. He saw Svetlana, watching him, hair flying in the wind from the open door, gun in hand, frantic and guarded look on her face, and smiled. "Go." He said, and Svetlana took one last glance before diving out the door.

a/n; so... terribly sorry about the delay. the year delay. oops 🙊 I'll be quicker with the next one, promise