All the Colors of Earth (Natasha Romanoff)

2.10

Natasha

August 1, 2014

"Coming to you live where the museum of London has just been robbed," the news woman says on the screen. "Sources say that a group of powered individuals came sometime in the night, blasted their way into the vault and stole the burial shroud of Christ before disappearing without a trace. Local authorities say that there's no evidence of explosives, leaving them to wonder what kind of an individual could blast through solid metal and rock."

The feed cuts off and everyone turns to me, "what?" I ask, looking at each of them.

"I think we know exactly who could blast through solid rock with just a whistle," Tony says sarcastically.

"No," I tell them. "She wouldn't."

"Nat," Steve starts gently. "It's been months. She could be desperate."

"No," I repeat. "She wouldn't. She promised."

She promised you a lot of things though, didn't she? Like how she'd never leave you, never betray you. How she'd always love you. And how did each of those promises work out Natalia? Oh yeah, she broke all of them.

I sigh heavily, "she's broken promises before though." I stand up quickly, "we can't protect her anymore can we?"

"No, we can't," Steve tells me. "It's not just our government hunting her now."

"So we find her first," I tell them. "That part doesn't change. Now we just have to avoid several other governments and the Church." The fact that I had to say that sentence was so insane it almost made me laugh. Of all the things to steal the shroud of Christ was not one I ever thought would be on her list.

"Are there any leads Stark?" Banner asks.

Tony laughs, "what do you think? She's a master at disappearing. She could be in Russia or back in New York for all I know."

"She'd never go back to Russia," I mutter. The boys turn to me and I say louder, "she has no contacts in Russia. She's more likely to be in the Maldives then back here." Getting up I head to the door, "I'll be searching facial recognition if anyone needs me."

Going back to my room, I log back into my computer and bring up the facial recognition that's always running. The boys have let me have this while they search for sound wave anomalies. Apparently they think it would be easier to track her when she uses her powers, but she hasn't been using them. Not until the bank anyway.

I spend the next week glued to my computer, searching for her. I start at the museum hoping that the cameras would catch her, but they were all knocked out. So the next thing I check is the train and bus stations. She's too smart to get on a plane, at least I hoped so.

Maybe she would take a boat to her next stop but she's have to get to it. If she even left London. Maybe she was just warming up and the museum was just the first?

She's always been a criminal. Always been a liar and a thief. A snake is still a snake no matter how many layers it sheds.

"Shut up," I tell the voice.

You know I'm right. I'm always right Natalia.

"No you're not!" I argue. "Maybe she had no choice. Maybe someone forced her to rob the museum. We don't know."

Maybe maybe maybe. So many maybes Natalia. We don't deal in uncertainty though do we? We like facts. So tell me, what are the facts? I don't answer the voice and it continues. Fact one Natalia, she lied to you several times. Second fact, she made several promises that she broke. And thirdly and probably the most important one, she hasn't reached out to you at all. If she truly loved you wouldn't she have at least sent a postcard?

"She's probably busy."

Too busy for the woman she supposedly loves?

"Stop it," I order the voice. "You're just going in circles and it's not helping anything." 

But do you really want help? Or do you want to be punished? I am a voice in your head Natalia. I voice your thoughts, your emotions. I am you and you are me.

"Shut up," I tell it.

And for once, it obeys.