MENTAL RECOVERY WAS something Y/N had to go through. Three weeks of mind control. Three weeks of being Dreykov's puppet. Three weeks of being something he longed to avoid becoming.

It's been a few days since the Red Room was taken down. He and Natasha stayed in a safe house provided by Rick Mason which was located in the outskirts of Ohio. The super-soldier sat at the edge of the bed in his boxers and t-shirt as he'd just awoken from a nap. He looked out the window, catching his breath after experiencing a nightmare during his slumber.

Was it really him? All the things he did as Taskmaster...was that his true nature? Was the chemical subjugation just a way to unearth his true personality?

Y/N sighed and buried his face into his hands. He was right. He reckoned that his ability to mimic could be exploited. It was a gift and a curse, and he just experienced the danger of it.

There was a light knock on the door behind him. He looked back and saw Natasha with an arm propped against the door frame, wearing comfortable clothing as well. She also now sported short blonde hair.

"Hey." Y/N greeted in a whisper before looking down.

"Hey." She answered back. "Mason called and said he'd have our jet ready in a few days."

All the man did was nod. He continued looking out the window, and Natasha walked up beside him.

"What's wrong?" She asked although she had a slight inkling of what was troubling him.

He let out a sigh and looked down. Natasha sat next to him on the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.

She placed a kiss on his cheek. "Come on. You can talk to me."

After a moment of silence, Y/N decided to speak.

"I was given a second chance at life. Fury found me, and despite knowing the threat I could be, he decided to take me in. I never wanted to become what HYDRA intended me to be...the monster I saw in my nightmares...but it happened." He said. "I killed those agents. I don't know if Dreykov had me kill any more people during my constant reactivations. But worst of all...I tried to kill you."

"That wasn't you." Natasha reassured him.

"I don't know which part was me." He replied. "I'm still not sure."

His statement mirrored what Yelena told her back in Budapest. The mind control put doubt into the minds of who it affected.

Y/N continued. "Like I said before, Nat, as long as I can mimic...I'm susceptible to being exploited." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I feel like I'm stuck. I'm stuck with this...curse."

Natasha held his chin up and looked into his eyes. "Don't think of it as a curse. It's a gift. They didn't instill that in you out of nothing, it's because you had that ability already. It's what makes you...you."

"Nat...I hurt you." He replied, recalling their encounters in Budapest.

"No, you didn't." She said with a reassuring tone. "And it's never going to happen because I won't let it. Nobody will ever exploit you again."

Y/N gave a light smile as a tear ran down his cheek. Natasha wiped it away with her thumb.

"I'll always be by your side, моя сияющая звезда (my shining star)."

She placed a kiss on his lips which Y/N reciprocated. Natasha gripped the back of his head as their kiss deepened, and her lover reached over to cup the side of her face.

A/N: It's going to get pretty steamy from here so prepare yourselves. 🧍‍♂️

He tugged at her shirt amidst the embrace, and Natasha pulled away to take it off before locking lips with him again. Y/N unclipped her bra with swiftness and let it fall between them.

The super-soldier picked her up and plopped her in the middle of the bed, in which the blonde let out an excited yelp. He knelt over her and discarded his t-shirt. Natasha ran her hands along his toned abdomen.

"Now, who takes off their next piece of clothing?" She asked with a sultry smile.

Y/N smiled at the topless beauty beneath him. All she had left was her sweatpants and the panties underneath. "I thought we were taking turns. You're next."

"Well, all you have are boxers." She said with a chuckle. "And I could feel something trying to break free."

He laughed and leaned in to kiss her again. Y/N placed kisses along her jawline and neck, then stopped and looked at her with a smile.

"You're gonna have to wait for that." He said as he started undoing the knot to her sweatpants. "Let me help you with this."

She smiled back before letting out moans as Y/N placed kisses on her toned stomach, his lips also brushing over the scar left from her mission years ago in Odessa. He chuckled upon hearing her excitement and continued pleasuring his lover.

The passion that ensued that evening was what they needed after many weeks of confusion, separation, and distress. They had each other again.

• • •

NATASHA AND Y/N met up with Rick Mason on a field. The couple's hands were entwined as they walked beside Rick, who had his hands in his pockets. They looked up and saw a large aircraft parked ahead.

A quinjet.

"You see what I can get you with a bit of time and money?" Rick told Natasha, who smiled and gave a simple nod.

He continued. "Go on, say it. I wanna hear it. It would really be good for me to hear it. Really."

"I'm impressed." She finally said.

"Well, yeah."

"Nice work." Y/N chimed in. "Might need to get in touch with you if I ever need anything."

"I'd give you a business card, but I forgot to print some out ." Rick jested.

"You've always been a really good friend to me." Natasha told him.

"That's what every man wants to hear." He chuckled, but after noticing the super-soldier's stare, he changed the subject. "Where you gonna go?"

"It's funny. My whole life, I didn't think I had any family. Turns out I got two, so..." Natasha looked at Y/N and tightened their hand-hold. He smiled as she continued.

"One of them's a bit of a mess right now. I'm gonna go break a few of them out of prison...see if I can help patch things up."

Rick nodded. "Good luck, then. To the both of you."

He walked away, leaving the couple alone with the jet fueled up and ready.

"So, a prison break, huh?" Y/N asked. "You know, that might piss some people off...especially Ross."

"He let us go, that's on him." Natasha chuckled and pecked him on the cheek. "Let's get going."

The two of them exchanged smiles, then started making their way toward the aircraft.

• • •

FATHER AND SON had reunited. As the quinjet flew toward their destination, they detailed the events that transpired in the last few weeks. Steve told Y/N what happened between him and Tony in Siberia, which honestly shocked the young man. After his story, Steve listened in on Y/N's explanation of what happened to him.

"If it wasn't for Nat, I wouldn't be here right now." Y/N finished.

Rogers let an exhale and placed a hand on his shoulder. He studied his son's dispirited expression.

"I made it my life's goal to make sure nothing happened to you. That an organization like HYDRA wouldn't be able to touch you again." He looked down. "I failed to do just that...because I was preoccupied with other things. I'm sorry, son."

Y/N looked at his father and nodded. The older super-soldier pulled him in for a hug which the younger man reciprocated. In the cockpit nearby, Bucky and Natasha smiled at the sight of their embrace.

Moments later, the one-armed Barnes saw the Raft in the distance nearby.

"Steve. We're here."

The super-soldiers walked up to the cockpit and looked out the window toward the maximum-security prison in the middle of the ocean. It was time to break out their friends.

"Let's get this done." Rogers said.

Sam Wilson leaned against the doors of his cell. Being confined to the small room for the last three weeks started getting to him mentally, he couldn't imagine what his other friends were feeling...especially Wanda and Pietro, who were in straight jackets most of the time.

In the corner of his eye, he saw one of the security cameras shut off suddenly. He raised a brow, but chose to ignore it. Some time later, the lights in the room dimmed and the mechanical doors whirred opened.

Sam expected guards to come in and do their routine checkups, but he looked through the bars and saw a familiar face come out from within the shadows.

"Told y'all he wouldn't leave us behind." Sam remarked with a smile. Y/N stepped out behind Steve, and he continued smiling at the sight of one of his best friends.

Y/N went over to the access panel and shorted it, causing the cell doors to open.

"Sorry I couldn't make it sooner." Steve told them.

"We'll try not to hold it against you." Clint said as he left his cell.

Pietro's door opened and the younger super-soldier went over to help him out of the constraints. Once he was free, the speedster ran to help his sister.

"Finally." Wanda breathed out after getting out of the straight jacket.

They all regrouped in the room and there were smiles all around.

"Shouldn't we be worried about the guards?" Scott asked.

"We dealt with them." Y/N answered. "Bucky and Natasha are back in the jet."

Clint stretched and cracked his knuckles. "This has been fun, but believe me when I say that I am officially retired now."

Steve chuckled. "Understood, Clint. Go back home and take care of that brood of yours." He looked at Scott. "Same with you, Lang. I'm sorry we pulled you into this."

"No hard feelings, Cap. Helping you guys was an honor."

Y/N sighed and looked down at his hands as he fiddled with them.

"Look, I'm sorry...about all of this." Y/N began. "I fought against you guys...against my friends. I shouldn't have." He looked back up at them. "You guys mean the world to me."

They listened in as the young man tried to hold back tears and keep his composure. Y/N thought back at the battle in Germany, his activation by Dreykov, the events in the Red Room. He was so close to losing everything he cared about.

He continued. "You are my family. Letting Ross arrest all of you...locking you up like animals...it hurt seeing that. I felt responsible." A tear finally dropped from his eye. "I'm sorry."

Wanda immediately pulled him in for a hug and embraced him. She forgave him and didn't need to read his mind to sense his remorse. Clint smiled and joined in on the embrace. Sam and Pietro ultimately entered the hug as well.

Scott smiled at the sight of the embracing friends. "Is there space for me in there or...?"

Y/N pulled away from the embrace and smiled at Lang. He chuckled and hugged Scott as well, which the man appreciated.

"You're a good man, Scott." Y/N said as he parted. "You would've been a great Avenger."

"Wow." He breathed out and pat his back. "That means a lot coming from the son of Captain America."

They shared a laugh. Steve looked at the team and nodded.

"Come on, let's get moving."

• • •

IT WAS THE DAWN of a new era now that the jailed Avengers were free. Clint and Scott decided to take a deal with Ross and the authorities in order to reunite with their families. Wanda, Pietro, and Sam were going to stick with Steve and Natasha while on the run.

For Y/N, he was going to Wakanda with Bucky for assistance. Rogers and Romanoff joined them on the trip.

The super-soldier sat in the lab. They had just put Bucky in a cryogenic stasis which was what they were going to do to Y/N to kick off his rehabilitation. Like Barnes, Y/N started to doubt his own mind. He wanted help in removing the programming.

Besides, being able to listen to Fortunate Son without the fear of being activated sounded nice.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Natasha asked him as T'Challa's sister, Shuri, typed on the console nearby.

"I think it's best." Y/N answered. "This way I'll be sure that I can't hurt anybody anymore."

Natasha nodded and looked at Shuri. "How long will this take?"

"Fortunately, his programming isn't as deeply rooted as Barnes, so it won't take as long." She answered, then stopped typing and looked at Y/N. "There's a slight possibility that when we remove it...it'll also take away your photographic reflexes. A slight possibility. Are you okay with that?"

Y/N sighed and glanced at Natasha. He looked back at Shuri. "Do what you have to do, Princess."

Natasha held his hand and smiled with teary eyes. She hoped this process would end sooner than later.

"I'll miss you."

Y/N held her hand tighter and ran his thumb over it. "I can't wait to wake up and see you again. I love you."

The two kissed. The doors to his chamber opened, ready to take in Y/N and put him in stasis. He got up and walked into it. T'Challa and Steve stood by the console with Shuri and Natasha.

Y/N gave a nod to his father then looked at T'Challa. "Thank you for this, Your Highness."

"We'll see you again soon, Lieutenant." He replied.

The young man smiled as the doors closed. Sub-zero temperature air hissed within the chamber and immediately froze Y/N.

Natasha wiped a tear from her cheek and walked out of the lab. Steve looked on at the blonde and sighed. He went up to the nearby window and looked out of it for a while before T'Challa walked up to him.

"Thank you for this." Rogers told him.

"Your friend...your son...my father. They were all victims." He replied. "If I can help them find peace..."

"You know, if they find out they're here...they'll come for them."

T'Challa looked out of the window through the fog and toward the large statue of a panther in distance. He wasn't going to let anything happen to them.

"Let them try."

END OF: BLACK WIDOW