Sitting in an uncomfortable chair in a hallway with two guards on either side, Natalia felt like a naughty child awaiting punishment outside Madame B's office. With her cuffed hands in her lap, the former Russian spy leaned her head back until it bumped against the wall and sighed. The interrogation had been the easy part. Her interrogator was by no means friendly, but Natalia had nothing to hide, no torture to outlast, and no secrets to protect. 

The interrogation had been expected. At this moment, nothing was certain. 

Raising her head so as to not strain her neck, Natalia's heart lurched at the sight of an approaching familiar face. Barton was alone–weaponless, but otherwise unguarded and comfortable in his uniform. In the recent events, she had forgotten she was still in her torn and bloody Black Widow suit. 

The guards didn't acknowledge Barton, but he didn't push his luck by attempting to get too close. Instead, he leaned casually against the dark wall opposite of her, folding his bandage-littered arms across his chest and flashing that infuriating grin of his, enhanced in ridiculousness by the bandaids taping the cuts on his face together. She doubted she looked much better. 

  "I was told you were welcomed by Deputy Director Hill herself," he remarked. "You should feel flattered."

  "The honor's all mine," returned Natalia sarcastically. "I see you haven't been arrested or discharged."

  The archer shrugged. "They were sorely tempted. I guess I'm still of use." 

She frowned at his choice of words. Having only met him the day before, she had yet to hone in on his personality and sense of humor. Whether a self-deprecating joke or hard truth, it was poorly timed if he wanted to convince her S.H.I.E.L.D. was the good guy.

Before she could comment on it, the door beside the guard on her left opened. The man who had led the welcoming committee on the landing pad stepped through. His pale blue eyes flicked between her and Barton. The latter pushed his shoulder off the wall, standing straight and alert. The smirk was replaced by soberness. 

  "The Director will see you now," he informed them both. Then he nodded to the guards. "Wait out here."

Natalia rose to her feet and Barton gestured for her to go first. 

Inside was a large office well lit by the floor to ceiling window overlooking New York City. It was simply and orderly furnished. Standing beside the wooden desk was the woman now identified as Deputy Director Hill, her arms crossed and watching them both. Leaning back in the desk chair was a man with one piercing eye and a black eyepatch. His head was void of any hair except for a short, scraggly goatee. His black coat reached down to the floor and his dark, battle-worn hands rested folded on his lap. His brown eye followed her every move and seemed to gaze down to her soul as if he knew every dirty secret, every weakness, and every strength. 

The blond man had reentered the room with them. He closed the door behind him and trapped her in a room with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s higher ups and one man she knew could kill her. Considering the small detail of leaving her armed escort outside, she doubted Clint Barton was the only person in the room skilled enough and willing enough to kill her. 

Despite the overwhelming odds, she straightened her posture and held her head high as she let the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. evaluate her with his one good eye.

  "Ms. Romanoff," the blond man began, "my name is Agent Phil Coulson. The woman who... interviewed you is Deputy Director Maria Hill." From his position on the other side of the Director's desk, he gestured to the woman across from him. Then he turned his hand toward the man in the seat. "This is Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

While Coulson's voice was pleasant and Hill had sent her a nod of acknowledgement, Fury remained stone still. Only the rise and fall of his chest and the movements of his eye told Natalia that he was human. He was unnerving, but Natalia refused to be unnerved. 

  Maria Hill stepped forward. "You were brought to our attention because Agent Barton believes you are genuine in defecting from the KGB and the Red Room to S.H.I.E.L.D. As you know, we can't take instances like this lightly, but Barton's word carries a lot of weight here."

Natalia turned her head slightly to look at the man a few feet away. He was facing them like her, making her feel less like a criminal on trial. His stance was firm and to protocol, but his arms were crossed comfortably over his chest. His expression betrayed nothing as he listened. 

  A deep voice with a hint of a Southern drawl demanded Natalia's attention. "Agent Coulson and Agent Hill reviewed both your and Barton's statements with me, but I'd like to hear it for myself straight from the source." Director Fury rose to his feet and braced his knuckles against the desk. Even bending over the furniture slightly, he was taller than everyone in the room. His one eye felt like it was burning through her. "Why should I pardon you and let you into my agency?"

Maria Hill had only been the admittance to Nick Fury's presence. She could make her assessments, but the Director would ultimately decide what to do with her. 

  "I don't deserve a second chance," Natalia began. She paused as the words stuck in her throat. She swallowed and continued, "I'm a trained killer and I've done terrible things; things that the Red Room made me do and I did without question. I was shown by Agent Barton that S.H.I.E.L.D. aims people like us in the right direction and allows investigation before making a call. I want to use my training to protect the world, not destroy it. I was hoping S.H.I.E.L.D. could give me that opportunity. In return, I'll give you everything I have on the Red Room Program and how it operates."

The room fell silent. Natalia shifted her wrists in the cuffs uncomfortably as she stared at the man who would determine her fate. Even Agent Coulson and Hill turned to look at him. The air felt heavy as everyone waited for what the Director would say. All he did was stare, searching her for deception.

  After an eternity, Director Fury straightened and there was an ease in his shoulders. "Agent Hill will escort you to your quarters. Your training starts tomorrow. If I find out you've been lying to us, Romanoff, you're out."

  Natalia barely heard anything after the word tomorrow, but she understood the threat. She softly exhaled the breath she had been holding. "Thank you, sir."

  "Congratulations, Ms. Natalia Romanoff. You'll do a great service here at S.H.I.E.L.D." Somehow, she assumed that's the closest thing she'll get to praise from Fury.

Deputy Director Hill stepped forward and nodded for her to go first.

  "One more thing," Natalia added. "I want to change my name, my first name."

Fury raised one eyebrow. 

  "I don't know if it's my real one. The Red Room gave me that name, but they don't have control over me anymore."

  "What would you like to change it to?" Coulson asked. 

Pleasant memories of fireflies, riding her bike, and playing with a little blonde girl rose to the surface. For three years, she had a home and a family. She was happy and it was ripped away from her. The people she called Mother and Father had abandoned her, but during the time they pretended to care, they called her Natasha. 

  "Natasha. Natasha Romanoff." She didn't know if her family name was her real one, but it was the only clue she had to her real parents. She wanted to honor that. 

  Fury nodded, appearing pleased for some reason. "Very well. We'll put it in your file. Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha Romanoff."

 * * * 

Deputy Director Hill escorted the ex-Red Room spy out. For now, she would be taken to a cell, but that would change as Romanoff showed promise. The door shut behind them, leaving the archer to face his superiors alone. 

The little softness Fury had shown Natasha hardened as his one eye fixed on his agent. Always a defier of authority, Barton refused to cower. 

  "We are fortunate you disobeying direct orders turned out in our favor."

Wisely, Clint kept his mouth shut. His crossed arms fell to clasp his hands behind him and he put his boots closer together. His chin lowered a fraction and he stared straight ahead. He was submitting to the consequences.

  "You are dismissed. Report back here tomorrow at 0600 sharp."

  "Yes, sir." 

A mission so soon after the last one would surely tell Barton that he didn't appreciate disobedience. However, it was not so severe a punishment that it would give him the wrong idea that he preformed poorly. It would be a boring mission, in Clint's opinion. Something that wouldn't waste his skills, but wouldn't put him at risk either. Fury wouldn't do that to the young family. 

  "Barton." The archer paused, hand on the door handle. "You did good work. Get some rest."

After his former charge had left, Coulson looked at his old friend with suspicion.

  "If she proves herself sincere, Ms. Romanoff will be a valuable asset to have on our side, sir."

  "Funny how that worked out," grunted Fury, lowering himself into his chair and writing a note to change Natasha's file. 

  Coulson blinked, a smile teasing his lips. "Did you want Clint to bring the Black Widow in?"

  Fury glanced up from his writing to glare at his agent. "What gave you that idea, Agent?" he demanded. "You're dismissed. I want you at Barton's mission briefing tomorrow, too."

  "Yes, sir. See you tomorrow."

Now alone in his office, Fury smiled to himself. After finishing the notes to add to the Black Widow's file, he closed it and rolled his chair to a filing cabinet. It was locked at all times, so he entered the combination to pop open a specific drawer. He slipped Natasha's file into place, then flicked through until he found another file. 

His smile grew wider as his vision began to take shape. One day, the world will need heroes to save it. Right now, it needed spies in the shadows. While heroes in their own right, they will operate in secret. The world will never know their sacrifices, their choices, or their stories. 

He tossed the vanilla folder onto the mahogany desk. 

It was titled, Project Delta.