"It's not true what she said, right?" You knew it wasn't true but needed to hear it from her— from Natasha.

She stood outside your cell, unable to look you in the eye. That was enough. "Natasha," your voice was condescending. "You didn't really think that I..." But her silence only confirmed it. "You thought I was dead?" You didn't know whether to feel angry or petty. "You really expected so little of me, huh?"

"It's not like that," she defended quietly. "I thought you were gone and that I didn't need to come after you."

You chuckled dryly, your lips trembling. "So you never checked up on me, not even once, because you thought I was dead?" You were disappointed and hurt. "Did I ever mean anything to you? When you put me in jail, I tried to understand, but when I stopped hearing about you, I realized that maybe you forgot about me. I tried to deny that thought until it hurt. That our connection was thrown away like garbage, and then that pain turned into anger. Did you put me there because you thought I'd die easily?"

Her head shot up, her eyes meeting yours. "No, of course not. I knew you were strong, I knew you could handle anything. I just had my doubts when..." She stopped, finding it hard to say.

"When, what?" You were growing impatient, staring daggers at her.

"When the guilt was too much to suppress. I couldn't bring myself to visit you, not because the Red Room forbade me, I could escape easily when I wanted to, but because I was ashamed. I was afraid that when we met again, all I'd see in your eyes was anger. And when we did meet again a few months back, and you looked at me the way I had imagined every day, it scared me. I had lost you so deeply that all you wanted was to hurt me."

"And I admit that it is my fault that I put you there, and I'm sorry. I wish I could do it all again, but I can't, and I'm so sorry, Y/N. I understand if you don't want to see me or talk to me ever again." It felt like you'd been here before, and some part of you knew how it would end. But before you could say anything—

"System Breached," a female voice assistant blared through the compound.

With worry and urgency, Natasha was fast on her feet. "Both of you stay here," she said firmly as she immediately walked out through the door.

You looked at Bucky, who was across from your cell, sharing the same look Natasha had given you. "You wouldn't follow exactly what she said, right?"

Bucky tilted his head, and you did the same. Without another word, you both found your way out of your cells. "We should split up," you stated, heading in the opposite direction from Natasha. Bucky was on his own.

When you reached the floor where people were running around, you immediately spotted one of the intruders. It was one of the guys who had chased you at that store in Ukraine when you had escaped from prison. "Shit, they've found me," you muttered.

Your eyes scanned the room, looking for how they could've entered and breached the SHIELD headquarters. You saw on the ceiling, glass shattered into pieces, a hole blown in the roof with a helicopter hovering above. It must be their ride.

One of the men saw you and immediately came after you. You ran, shoving past people—some were agents taking care of the rest of the intruders, and some were civilians running around, probably there to report something.

Your heart pounded as you sprinted through the chaos. The man was gaining on you, and you needed to find a way to lose him. You darted into a hallway, hoping to find a weapon or a place to hide. As you rounded a corner, you spotted an open supply closet. Without thinking, you ducked inside, pressing yourself against the shelves and trying to quiet your breathing.

Footsteps thundered past, and you held your breath, praying he wouldn't double back. After a few tense moments, the sound faded. You waited a bit longer before cautiously peeking out. The coast was clear, for now. You slipped back into the hallway, moving swiftly but silently.

You needed to find Natasha. As much as you were still angry with her, she was your best chance at making it through this. You made your way to the command center, hoping she'd be there coordinating the defense. As you approached, you could hear the sounds of fighting getting closer. You turned a corner and saw Natasha engaged in a fierce battle with two intruders. She moved with the fluid grace of a dancer, her blows precise and powerful.

You couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration, even now. But there was no time for that. You scanned the area for something to help, spotting a fire extinguisher on the wall. You grabbed it and rushed forward, using it to knock one of the intruders off balance. Natasha took advantage of the distraction, quickly dispatching the other attacker.

She turned to you, surprise and a flicker of relief in her eyes. "Y/N, what are you doing here? I told you to stay put!"

You shrugged, a wry smile tugging at your lips. "You know I never was good at following orders."

Before she could respond, another explosion rocked the building, and the lights flickered. Natasha cursed under her breath. "We need to get to the main control room and secure the building. Can you fight?"

Rolling your eyes, you hate when she underestimates you like this, as of you hadn't told her every shit that you went through. "Well, what the hell do you think?" She glared at you. "Just fucking lead the way Natasha," you spat, you were still angry at her.

Together, you moved through the compound, taking out any intruders you encountered. You were a good team, just like old times. But the tension between you was palpable, the unresolved issues hanging over you like a dark cloud.

When you finally reached the control room, you found it under heavy attack. SHIELD agents were holding their ground, but they were outnumbered. Natasha and you jumped into the fray, fighting side by side. It was intense and brutal, but slowly you began to turn the tide.

As the last of the intruders were subdued, you and Natasha stood in the wrecked control room, breathing heavily. She looked at you, a mix of emotions in her eyes. "Y/N, I—"

"Save it," you cut her off, not ready to dive back into that conversation just yet. "Let's just finish this."

She nodded, understanding. There would be time for words later. For now, you had a compound to secure.

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