A/N it's been a bit chaotic and i've been too exhausted to write but here ya go!

this is canon fyi, basically created a novel chapter for: 

IRON MAN 2- BLACK WIDOW: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (2010) #1 

(fyi there's only one)
(most dialogue taken directly from the comic, some I switched up a few words)

MAY 12, 2010

Natasha was on a mission. Sasha was at school and Maria was on whatever long mission that currently occupied a lot of her time. No one really knew what was going on with Maria, but it was affecting her family. Not that she didn't show her love, she was just having trouble managing both. It was something personal, that's all Natasha and Sasha could figure out. "LET ME HELP YOU!", they both almost screamed on so many different occasions. But when she was home she pushed all her troubles away. As best she could. She wanted to be that kind of mom. The kind of mom who could do both. Who wouldn't break. Who could always be the best and never show despair when around her kid. Natasha wanted that too, but so far she just hopes Sasha forgets about what happened when she came back from Budapest. Sasha needed to forget it and so did Natasha. Parenting is hell, both when the kid acts up... and when the parent does. It wasn't all sunshines and lollipops. Maybe Maria wouldn't admit it but she didn't want to be Natasha. She didn't want to break. And Natasha knew that, even if Maria didn't.

When Natasha was on a mission she was all in. All in or not in at all. Which she never was, she was always in.

She was doing something related to stopping some Ten Rings people. She didn't really care. SHIELD was good and the Red Room was bad. That's all she needed to know. At 25, she finally knew good from evil.

"...so we need to get you embedded right away," Fury was saying in her ear piece. He'd been explaining the Tony Stark situation. For one, he's sick. And for two, she needs to do a personality assessment. See if he's fit for The Avengers. That wasn't really Natasha's style, being the face of good. Her work was the little big things. The things no one would know about except her and a few select others. Finally she didn't have to worry about what others with power over her thought. She'd do the work no one else could. Plus, she had a child. 

Fury continued talking. "We'll have your new I.D. and your credentials all set up. What's your current status?"

Natasha looked around, elbowing a guy in the face, kicking a dude in the nuts. "Oh, you know, sir. Just a routine op." She was thinking double. Would she be back in time to pick up Sasha from school? Clint was back at the farm again. Is this how she wanted to raise her daughter, with two absentee moms?

Fury came back through coms. "Right. Well, wrap it up and come home." Maybe this was a release from all the hand-to-hand fighting random hour numbo jumbo. With Maria going through her own shit that she hasn't come around to talking about yet, a boring desk duty job under a pseudonym where she was able to come back by supper every night didn't sound so bad. 

"Structurally, Stark's company is byzantine, to say the least. This is deep cover so you'll have to work your way in to get close to him." Easy. She'll figure out what to do with Sasha and work when she actually gets to Stark. 

Natasha took a deep breath and smiled. A guy just threw a bomb on a plane... was he that stupid? "That's what I do, colonel," she laughed, jumping out the open emergency door. "Although what you're describing doesn't sound all that exciting."

"That may be true, Agent Romanoff..." 

The entire engine exploded, destroying the cargo plane with it. 

"But I need the best for this."

Natasha wasn't in a parachute.

"I need the Black Widow."

"Fine," Natasha rolled her eyes. "Just give me a few minutes to finish up here."

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

MAY 13-20th, 2010

"Well, your résumé is incredible! I'm surprised we haven't heard of you before," the employer tells Natasha. She seems a bit sceptical, but not in the 'I think you're a spy' type of way, more of a 'everyone's a spy' kinda idea. Then again maybe at Stark Industries she has to be that way. "Natalie Rushman... interesting name." 

Natasha smiled warmly, but not too warmly. Her legs were crossed and hands held together over her thighs, a tight office skirt and grey suit top over a collared baby blue shirt. Her hair was slicked back in a bun and her lips were two shades darker than nude. 

"Obviously," the woman emphasized. "Stark Industries has an extensive legal department. So you'll feel like a small fish in a big pond at first. Qualifications aside, there is a pecking order here." She looks up from Natasha's résumé paper. "Keep that in mind and you'll do fine."

Natasha nodded. "I understand, I expected nothing less. Thank you for the opportunity, Mrs. Arbogast."

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

Natalie started her day off on desk duty and Natasha wasn't happy. There was corporate bloat all around her. There was american inefficiency everywhere. Twelve employees for one job. And so far this "job" was just proving to be a walking model that did all the lazy work for Stark's lawyers. All men with no real brain. 

Natalie passed out papers around the meeting table. The men looked at her. Their look lingered on places only acceptable for Maria. But she was doing this for something good. Her body wasn't the concern. 

"Listen honey... try a lower cut next time. Helps these meetings run a lot smoother."

She could kill him in an instant, and she wanted to. The company of terrorists at least didn't disguise themselves as good people doing good things. At least they're easier to dispose of. To deal with. 

These lawyers are already useless.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

Soon enough Natasha learned firsthand what that pecking order thing is. Samantha Carlisle helped with that.

"...it's all about navigating the minefield, Nat. You'll learn. It may take some time, but you'll get there. We all did." She offers encouraging smiles. Though two years younger she's a senior paralegal. Natasha's a killer.

Natasha sits around the table with men and women alike eating Stark cafeteria food. It was fine, better than the Red Room, maybe a bit better than SHIELD. She usually let Maria cook, though it hasn't been like that since Ria started imploding. 

Natasha made sure to stay attention to the conversations that matter around this table. 

"It's all about making that personal contact," Samantha said. "That's how you get ahead in this company."

A fifty-something-year-old woman laughed at that. "I've worked here seven years and I've never even seen him! Well, in person that is..."

Samantha smiled and you could hear the cheeriness in her voice. "Well, Tony Stark may be big superhero boss, but he's still a man. RIght, Nat?" 

Only my family calls me Nat, Sam.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

MAY 21st, 2010

It became intriguing to Natasha quickly how similar Samantha and her agendas were. 

Natasha walked into one of the many office rooms, specifically one with some sort of boss. Maybe a copying room, maybe his room. It's all bland and boring to her. So useless. At least Russia knew how to get its priorities in check.

"I didn't just fall off the truck, okay?" Samantha argued, though to Natasha it seemed so stupid. "I know those documents need his signature."

You don't need to say Tony Stark's name if you're talking about something important with a 'he' or 'his' in it. This conversation was not so stupid to Natasha anymore.

The boring boss sighed. "Samantha, I really don't have time for--"

Natasha came in, taking her time, keeping her ears open for anything she can use. She placed the papers on the table and slowly tapped them even. She wasn't slow enough to seem like she was eavesdropping but not fast enough to seem like she was in a hurry. That sweet spot is where spies love to exploit.

Samantha grumbled. She needed this, Natasha knew that. But Natasha's the spy who's main priority is redemption. 

"I know these papers are time-sensitive. So don't forget who has seniority in my division! And someone from my department needs to be there when he signs them."

Suddenly Samantha turned to Natasha, though Natasha only waits until she directly speaks to her to perk up and seamlessly pay attention.

"Hope you're paying attention, Nat. Don't let anyone get in your way if you really want something. I don't. Get what I'm saying?"

Oh, Natasha definitely did. Game on. It was time for Natasha to use her real skillset.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

There's people talking about the signing a few office files over. So Natasha grabs a pen and pokes a small hole to hear better. Inconspicuous, there's holes everywhere.

"...Heard she stopped into the coordinator's office and pretty much marked her territory."

"Well, bet that as it may... we still need someone to head out to Malibu today with those papers." 

"Fine. We'll send Samantha there this afternoon."

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

Nick Fury wanted Natasha close to Tony Stark. This was her chance. Here are the facts.

Samantha's on her coffee break in the Dining Hall on level four. Six levels down. She's only there for another three minutes give or take. Natasha couldn't afford that so she went down the elevator, but not in it. 

It's an old trick Natasha learned from an old K.G.B. man. Dirty, but affective. 

While Samantha's not looking Natasha drops a pill in her drink. Drink it up, babe. Today's not your day.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

An middle-aged lawyer of some sort came up to Natasha as she stared at her laptop, doing some work to at least help the legal department out. 

"Miss Rushman. We need you to take some documents out to Mr. Stark's house right away." 

"Oh? What happened to Samantha...?"

She supressed her smirk. 

"No idea. But she's in the infirmary puking her guts out. Probably something she ate. But we don't have time to wait on her and the other paralegals are in a meeting, so if you wouldn't mind..."

No, Natasha most certainly wouldn't.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

Tony Stark lives like a king, but supposedly he basically is. A superhero, genius, rich bitch. But he designed his own crown, a suit of armor he uses to protect the world. But anything manmade is bound to have its imperfections. 

"So... go right inside..."

He wouldn't know the first thing about suffering. He doesn't do the small things, he does the things that take the world's attention.

"Mr. Stark," Virginia "Pepper" Potts says. "The notary's here." 

Finally... there he is. And here we go...