𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄 || 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪 𝘖𝘱

NOVA PLACED THE PAYPHONE AGAINST ITS MOUNT AND GLANCED AROUND. Biting the inside of her cheek she marched past the multitude of doors of the motel rooms. The cold metal gently kissing her lower back made her vigilance height with her eyes flickering to her surroundings. Keeping a steady pace with her hand gently reaching down to rub her upper thigh, clenching her jaw at the white-hot pain that shot up.

Running a hand through her hair as she pushed open the motel door and quickly kicked it shut with her foot. Thankfully, Andrei had likely joined his sisters in drinking while they planned what to do next. Which left Nova to slowly crumble to the ground beside the single bed and hold her head in her hands.

"Agent Barrett is the first member to be attacked. 5 attackers are dead and Ava Starr is in critical condition," Maria announced to the room filled with higher-end personnel and high-ranking agents. "Along with that, David Barrett is M.I.A. with his blood being found at the scene."

"Anything actionable?" Nova asked.

Maria sighed. "As far as intel goes, these 5 attackers do not correlate with any cells. Our best assumption is they raided the wrong house and paid for it."

Booker let out a laugh as he tapped his hand on the table, frowning. "So, what you're trying to tell me is David Barett–The Atlas–is M.I.A. with no further information on where he could be?" He asked, letting out a laugh as he glanced around the room. "I can't be the only one that finds that highly-fucking-unlikely?"

"Agent Grahm, we're working with what we know," Maria stated. "You are on a need-to-know basis from this point forward. If the modern Captain America is revealed to have gone missing, there'll be more than the Director to deal with."

"Then how do you expect us to sit on our hands and wait?" Nova questioned, staring at her colleague incredulously. "For most of us, David's our friend. We aren't going to wait."

"Is that a threat, Agent Usoro?" Fury's voice sent a chill down her spine as she looked at her Father seated in the corner of the room. His one eye sharpened as he challenged her abrasiveness.

Inhaling deeply and swallowing the lump in her throat she shook her head with a faint bow of her head. "No, sir."

"Good. Because you would've been grounded for the next year if had been." Standing from his seat, Fury moved to the door. "Need-to-know, people. You're all dismissed."

As Agents and personnel began to funnel out, Nova braced her hands on the edge of the table and sighed. Shaking her head as she glanced up at Booker. "There's gonna be hell to pay, you know?"

The man huffed and pushed himself from the table. "Damn right, and David is gonna be at the center of it."

A knock alerted Nova from her thoughts as she looked up at the door. Hand instinctually reaching for her pistol that she gripped in a vice. Exhaling sharply as she watched the door open with Natasha stepping.

Nova let out a sigh placing the gun behind her. "Did you eat?"

Natasha let out a soft laugh. "You know, the last person I'd seen hiding from interacting with people was Carter when you went into that coma." She leaned against the wall, resting her head against it with a smile. "Guess his way of doing things rubbed off on you."

"Yeah, if you want to put up an emotional blockade from anyone willing to try and be there for you, I'm the gal to talk to," Nova scoffed, lifting herself to sit on the bed. "Only now, I have your siblings who don't exactly allow that type of shit, do they?"

The woman shrugged. "Well, Andrei has been open about talking to people about how he feels. Yelena's the one that has trouble opening up at certain points," Natasha explained. "She sucks at showing it, but she does like you, Nova."

That didn't feel as genuine as Nova would've liked to hear it. Yelena did not attempt to conversate as Andrei did. It's probably why she gravitated toward the giant oaf. And if that was how Yelena got to know people, then fine. But Nova already had the anxious feeling that she wasn't meeting the standards of Natasha's siblings.

Rubbing her eyes, Nova sighed quietly. "Do you think he's going to be searching for me?" She asked softly. The confused look on Natasha's face made Nova sigh in exasperation. "David. Do you think he's going to hunt us?"

"He's likely dead, Nova. And even if he is, do you think he's getting through me, Yelena, and Andrei?" Natasha asked, pushing off the wall. "David's been out of commission for years, Nova. He's probably too caught up with how everything has changed."

"Nat, c'mon. You know David couldn't give a shit about circumstances. When that man has his mind set on something, he's going to follow through on it. It's why I got along with him so well," she explained with a huff and wandering hand brushing through her hair. "I'm his main target."

Natasha frowned. "Where is this coming from?" She crouched in front of Nova and grasped her hands. "What's up?"

Clenching her jaw, Nova stared at their hands for a moment. "I got in contact with my Dad. He told me Ross had deployed David. His target; me." Looking up at her wife, Nova exhaled shakily. "I don't want to pull any of you into this."

"What makes you think I want you to take me out of it?"

"You've got enough going on. Yelena and Andrei are back and from what I can tell the Red Room and Dreykov are your target, right?" Her question made Natasha press her lips together. "See? Bringing David into the picture would only make this worse, and I'm not about to be the group member to weigh us down."

Shifting the blinds from the window Nova stared out at the dark streets of a town they had stopped at. There is a sense of someone watching despite there not being anything suspicious. Nova would know each advantage point that could stake them out until they left. But there was nothing. Just her mind spiralling with the news given by Martin.

It was the anxiety getting to her, she knew that. But this was an issue she'd been suppressing for years. Something that was her own little "Budapest" op.

"I put David on the sidelines," Nova confessed, looking over her shoulder at her wife. "Cooper and I with 3 random mercs took him and Ava out. Their mission was to be a front for us to get in and grab him before he could cause any real damage. Stormed their safehouse in Helsinki and took David to a facility to put be in cryosleep. Not after he promised to kill me when he got free. And since the team fell apart, I'm guessing his body got into HYDRA hands and now... Well, I guess he's working with Ross."

Natasha scowled, shifting her weight from between her feet. "S-So, you lied? To me? To everyone?" She asked. "How did I never know this?"

"Unlike you and Barton, Cooper and I didn't have enough freedom to talk about an op like that. Fury would've had our wings clipped the moment it had been uttered," Nova explained with a shrug. "And so what I lied? You aren't exactly painted in a good light either, Nat."

"That's because my idiot brother and sister are spewing everything about our pasts-"

"Passing the blame doesn't change that, Nat," she responded in exasperation, frowning. "Would you have told me if I asked? Despite what I told you in Washington, would you have told me anything more about your past?"

The silence made Nova inhale deeply and sigh. "With this, I'm telling you face to face and I am not going to drag you into something you have no part in."

"Once again; who said I wanted you to pull me out of it?"

"I did! And I'm going to continue saying it until something changes," Nova huffed.

She was desperate, Nova understood that about herself. She hated the idea of involving people who didn't deserve to be in this fight with her. And having only met Yelena and Andrei almost a day ago, it wasn't ideal to add any more problems to their timeline.

"Pup, are we fighting? Our first fight as a married couple?"

The outlandish question put Nova on the back foot as a smile flashed across her face. Realizing it, Nova let out a groan of annoyance as she ran a hand over her face, hopeful of wiping it away. Nonetheless, she was unsuccessful. "This isn't the time for jokes, Nat."

"I mean, we should mark this in our calendars, shouldn't we?" Natasha suggested, slowly closing the space between her and Nova. "This is a huge step forward in our marriage. You know, communication is key in a healthy relationship."

"Nat, I swear to god! This is serious!"

"Oh, I know. Do you have somewhere we can remember this moment?"

"Nat." Nova grabbed Natasha's hips, yanking her abruptly until they were flush. Looking up at her wife she was more than amused. "I've lost too many people. I will not risk putting your life in front of mine. I won't be able to sleep at night if you get hurt."

"I also have, but I won't lose you. And you won't lose me." Natasha smiled and wrapped her arms around Nova's waist. "What is it going to take for you to believe me?"

A knowing smile formed on Nova's lips and Natasha felt her own widen. "I was thinking the same thing, Pup-"

As Natasha's lips were about to meet Nova's, a loud set of knocks filled the air as they both looked at the door. "Hey, stop fucking one another and let's go! Yelena got the transport."

Whilst Nova giggled, resting her forehead against Natasha's shoulder, the assassin growled in frustration. "2nd time in almost two days." Her hands roamed Nova's body freely, reaching around to grab the mounds of her ass with a groan. "Can't I just have you to myself for a few minutes?"

"Unless you're willing to put your revenge mission on hold, no," Nova breathed, biting her bottom lip at the intoxication of Natasha's touch. "And if you start this, we're not stopping, Nat. I mean it more than anything."

Natasha weighed the pros and cons of the situation and ultimately knew that the decision was already made in her head. 10 minutes was all she asked for. 10 minutes to taste Nova in her entirety and die happily.

Sighing, Natasha pecked Nova's lips before backing away to not change her mind. "I'm telling you, the moment we're alone. You are mine."

Nova laughed, fixing her shirt before walking past. Slapping Natasha's ass with a giggle. "You're sexy when you're hungry, spider."

As the door swung open with Nova greeting Andrei, Natasha inhaled deeply and exhaled through her nose. "Goddamnit."

THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING ALLOWED A SOFT LIGHTING OF THE TREES THEY CLEARED, STEPPING INTO AN OPEN FIELD. But Nova almost wished the night sky still held control because the ancient helicopter sitting half a dozen feet from the treeline they emerged from was a sight for sore eyes.

From what had been requested, this was the farthest from what was exceptional. With the amount of information Nova had to absorb to help improve most of the vehicles back at S.H.I.E.L.D., she felt obligated to absorb as much information as she could and take inspiration from prior creations in any country. So, the sight of the Solovyov Mil M-8 had left Nova feeling faintly reassured. But the rust on the exterior of the frame and blades left her hopes dwindling like water down a drain.

The good thing about the M-8 was its spacious cabin. It could hold up to around 10 troops, half a small platoon and was perfect for day-and-night flights for personnel in almost every type of weather condition it was thrown into. Its navigation systems had been one of the building blocks Nova used when creating one of the prototypes of the Quinjet with a long line of other engineers and technicians. Of course, all of the systems from the M-8 were superiorly outdated by miles, but it could still be useful.

But it wasn't a fucking jet like Natasha had asked.

"I said we needed a jet," Natasha called out to Rick Mason, the arms dealer/asset, who stood by the cabin door.

"Yeah, you know what you didn't give me? Time. Or money," he countered. "I'm not made of jets."

"I thought you were supposed to be the best. Like a real pro," Yelena pointed out, injuring the man's ego.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, tsarina. Was the free flat and lifetime supply of kissel not to your liking?" He asked, earning a sarcastic laugh from Yelena.

"You could barely keep up with those drops of Vodka. I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up with hardware," Andrei muttered, passing by the arms dealer and stepping into the helicopter. "But it's good to see you, Ricky."

"Don't let 'em wind you," Natasha reassured, closely inspecting the helicopter, hopeful that she wouldn't find anything damaged to stunt their plans.

Rick shook his head. "No, I take exception to impugning my professionalism," he stated.

"Well, if your professionalism was to set us up with a generator that busted after six hours and nearly got my wife killed, then yeah. Be proud of your work." Nova smiled and chuckled softly as Yelena nudged her softly with a snort.

"Why am I suddenly getting attacked by a whole family of assassins? And when did the two of you get married? I thought I would at least be invited to the wedding," Rick commented.

Yelena smirked. "Aw, he's sensitive," she teased, glancing at her sister and Nova. "I see why the two of you keep him around."

Sighing, Natasha stuffed her hands in her pockets and approached the man. "Where's the rest?"

As Rick was about to turn around, Andrei appeared at the entrance with two bags and tossed them to the ground. "Got some weaponry back here. Ricky just knows what I like."

"Yeah, if it makes things turn to dust or create a pink cloud of smoke, it's your type of thing, Andrei," Rick stated as the giant Russian smiled devilishly.

Turning to one of the bags, Rick unzipped it, muttering, "Volia," and backed away. Yelena let out a sound as she grabbed a chocolate bar, which grabbed Natasha's attention. "Oh, I stashed that, like, five years ago." Nonetheless, Yelena took a bite and an immediate look of disgust could be seen. But she continued to chew, eliciting a laugh from Nova as Natasha raised a brow. "How is it?"

"It's dry," she stated, turning to the cabin door and climbing. "It's very dry."

Natasha began to pull out a white suit, one that brought a lot of intrigue to Nova as she stared at it. Rick sighed, "You know, you're getting dangerously close to running out your tab," he announced which only made Natasha glance up at him with a smirk before sifting through the bag. "Supplies I can tally, but you bring me attention from the authorities, all my prices go up."

That earned a frown from Natasha as she stood to her feet. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your mate, Secretary Ross, has been sniffing around my affairs to the point I have contacts declining my calls. I'm a private contractor," he reminded.

"You are sensitive," Natasha realized softly, only furthering the teasing act the entire group had been forcing the man through.

"You're a very annoying individual."

Natasha smiled, grabbing the pack. "I'll make it up to you."

"You always say that," he huffed, turning to Nova as she crouched in front of the last bag. "And you. You're father offered up a lot of money for me to get all this equipment to you. Broke half a dozen laws to get it. Which means I'm now roped further into your guys's mess."

Nova scoffed as she unzipped the bag and pulled out the black S.H.I.E.L.D. suit that had seen far better days. "Well, I'm sure you were paid handsomely, weren't you?" She questioned, stuffing the suit into the bag and zipping it up. "Don't get so emotional, Mase."

As she stepped into the cabin, she stopped halfway and turned to the man. "And the last of your worries won't be Ross, but Natasha."

The man frowned. "For what?" Nova raised a brow, waiting for him to catch on. But when he did, he shook his head with a waving finger. "No. Nope. You don't get to use that as blackmail against me. I've helped enough."

"Oh? So, you wouldn't mind if I told Natasha about that one time we hooked up?" She said loud enough to hear the sudden thud from something in the cockpit and quick footsteps.

Natasha's head peeked out with a glare in her eyes. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing! Just conversation," Nova reassured, stepping inside with her resting on Natasha's shoulder as she looked back at Rick. "Be seeing you soon, Rick."

Slamming the cabin doors, Nova looked back at Natasha who still wore a jealous look and winked. Marching down the cabin to where Andrei stood by the multiple crates of weapons.

Placing the bag beside the man, Nova unzipped it. "Got you some gear."

Andrei glanced up from the M240 in his grasp and looked at the bag for a long moment. Glancing between the bag and Nova, he placed the weapon down and dragged the bag to rest in front of him.

Peeling it open, he stared at the suit for a moment and hummed. "At least I won't be going in without anything special."

Nova laughed. "They belonged to a friend. They were collecting dust and I thought you might want something for the rest of the mission," she explained as he pulled it out and hummed. "Do what you want with it. No one needs it anymore."

Andrei smiled, looking at the woman. "Thank you."

She nodded before moving past him and toward the large crate at the back. Lifting the lid off, she was greeted by AK's disassembled resting on top of fake hay. She couldn't help but laugh at how conspicuous Martin had wanted to be with it. Then again, when do you find Avenger-level gear inside a normal weaponry crate?

Tossing the pieces out of the way to where they clanged against the ground, grabbing Natasha's attention to wander her way over. Shifting the hay aside, Nova grinned widely as she grabbed a small cube.

Natasha appeared by her side, frowning. "What is that?"

Nova smiled. "My new suit."