All the Colors of Earth (Natasha Romanoff)

1.14

"You have to tell her," I say to myself in the mirror. "She's going to figure it out soon, so woman up and just tell her." It had been a week since our midnight talk and things had been slightly weird, neither of us knowing quite how to get past it.

"Pardon the interruption," JARVIS says, "but you are requested to join the team in the briefing room." They had left early this morning and I wasn't expecting them back so soon.

"They're back?" I ask, suddenly worried. Natasha usually alerts me immediately that she's home.

"They got back an hour ago."

"Tell them I'll be right there," I say, already halfway out my door. I make it to the briefing room in record time and bust in, "what's wrong?" My eyes scan the room and my entire body freezes when I see the figure standing by the window.

The giant lizard looking alien grins sickly at me before turning to Tony, "you have upheld your end, my forces will retreat once she's on the ship."

His claws go to the electrocuffs on his belt. Before he can grab them, the building starts to shake and everyone turns to me. I'm still frozen, terror rising up in me, and the building  shakes to reflect it.

"Stop shaking my building!" Tony yells.

Daxomite takes a step towards me, "she will be powerless when the restraints are on her."

Natasha finally speaks up, "will that be necessary?"

The ceiling cracks and dust rains down on us. My breathing quickens and I look over at her, "Natasha?" Her name is all the question I can muster, but when she looks away from me, it's all I need to know.

She won't help me.

My focus returns to the Daxomite who has managed to make it halfway to me. "Take one more step and I'll melt your disgusting brain," I tell him, my voice cold.

He smiles at my words, "you will do no such thing. You belong to me now."

My fists clench, "I belong to nobody. That has been made very clear today." I look at the team, "if you do this, I will defend myself and you will loose."

Steve grips his ridiculous shield, "we don't want to hurt you."

I look at him, "you will not." He takes another step towards me and I let out a sharp whistle, pitching it higher and higher. He drops the cuffs and grabs his head, blood dripping out of his eyes and ears. It takes less then ten seconds for him to drop dead and I look back at Natasha, "tell them to stand down. I don't want to hurt them, but I will."

"You can't take all of us at once," Tony scoffs. "Your little whistle only works in one direction at a time."

Tearing my eyes from the woman I love, I look back at Tony, "the whistle yes. But I don't need to whistle to bring the entire building down."

"You wouldn't do that with Natasha here," Steve says.

"I will do whatever it takes to defend myself."

The boys move on some unseen signal but they only make it a few steps before they are blasted back into the wall. They groan and stand back up, only to be blasted again and again.

"Stop," Natasha says softly.

"Why should I? They were going to turn me over to the species that enslaved and destroyed my planet," I remind her, glancing at her over my shoulder. She's still in her spot, untouched by my blasts. "You were going to let them."

"You're better than them."

I smile humorlessly, "I know. I never would have betrayed any of you." I wanted to kill them, but I didn't. Because despite everything that they think, I am better than them. Instead, I let them fall to the floor and walked towards the door, "don't follow me. I won't stop next time."

"There's no place you can hide from us!" Tony yells.

"Don't worry Tony, you'll never have to see me again." I look at Natasha, "I'm going home."