#ao3 fanfic | chiefdirector (2024)

Duck, spin, point, shoot.

Duck, spin, point, shoot. It had been drilled into Natasha Romanoff’s head for years as she underwent her transition from helpless child to an assassin; to become the Black Widow. She had learnt how to escape impossible situations, avoid death and to kill the worlds most feared and dangerous people in the Black Widow programme. She has also learnt how to survive.

She wasn’t taught that lesson through rigorous training or violating torture sessions. She was taught that by something that was so rare that it became a myth in the Red Room: compassion.

(Y/N) (L/N) taught her that lesson when she was sold from a nameless man and wound up in the Black Widow programme.

At first, they were rivals. Natasha hated that there was someone who was on the same skill level as her. As much as she hated her situation and the people who had placed her in it, she took a liking to knowing she was the best out of the other Widows (although she also felt guilt for all the damage her skills had caused).

Eventually, the rivalry died down until the pair would consider themselves friends. They capitalised on the fleeting moments they managed to steal and as time passed, their friendship blossomed into something more.

It was when they realised what they had between them was special did the thoughts of betraying their oppressors come to mind. The idea of having a life where they wouldn’t have to cause so much pain, suffering and sadness became their sole goal.

All they wanted was a better life.

-~-~-

“Are you sure you want to do this?” (Y/N) whispered to Natasha as she locked a round of bullets into a handgun. “Once we go, there is no turning back.”

The redhead hummed, checking over her own weapons. She had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like forever. “That’s the point of this, любовь, to put this behind us. To make a new life.”

(Y/N) smiled, “To a new life.”

As quick as light, (Y/N) turned the corner, heading into the empty hallway. She waited to hear Natasha’s quiet footsteps behind her before continuing down to the set of double doors where she knew a series of guards and officials were waiting to put down anyone who opposed their regime. Bursting through the doors, it was hard to tell who shot first, (Y/N) would have liked to think she wouldn’t attack unless provoked but she had too much red in her ledger to do that, everyone in this building did.

The first wave of guards didn’t scare the duo, as they used the fact that they caught them off guard to their advantage. It didn’t take long for the guards to fall around them, letting the girls get closer to the freedom they so heavily longed for.

As they ran through the hallways of which they had become so familiar with, the sounds of more troops approaching them grew louder. Almost as if they read each other’s minds, both stopping simultaneously and turning to face the incoming wave of their old associates.

“Hey Nat.” (Y/N) murmured to her partner as she saw the first of the troop turned the corner in the hallway.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t die.” And with that, (Y/N) ran forward, launching herself onto the guard closest to her, knocking him down with her bodyweight before stunning him and moving on to her next opponent. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Natasha proceed to the same. (Y/N) always found it strange how calm her girlfriend looked when she was in battle.

It was the sixth guard she tried to fight that got in the first major blow on (Y/N), temporally stunning the escapee. Taking the advantage, the guard raised their gun to (Y/N)’s head before they fell limp towards the floor. Behind them an angry looking Natasha holding her staff upwards, electricity blasting from the rod.

As quick as she was there to defend her partner, Natasha was gone again, running to take down another guard. It took another second for (Y/N) to stand and continue fighting. Something was off through; she felt slower and weaker. It took longer for her prevail over her opponent. At first she had placed it to exhaustion until she felt her shirt grow wet. She didn’t need to look down to know what it was.

Blood.

“(Y/N).” Natasha called out. Getting no response, she quickly discarded the man she was fighting, and ran to assist her girlfriend who looked seconds away from loosing consciousness. “(Y/N). I need you to focus, (Y/N). We’re nearly there. We’re nearly free. Just a little longer.”

Natasha could even feel the doubt in her words. There was no way that she could simultaneously fight the guards and carry (Y/N) out of the facility.

She reached to grab her girlfriend from where she had rested herself against the wall. “Come on. We need to go now before they-“

“No.”

“We need to go. I need you with me.” Natasha begged. “Please.”

“Nat, we both know how this ends.” (Y/N) blinked back tears. “You go. I’ll hold them off. Go live the life we wanted. Get that house in Budapest that we always talked about.”

“But-“

“Don’t. We can both hear more men coming. I’ll hold them off. Go; go for me.”

Natasha wiped (Y/N)’s eyes from the tears that had started to spill. She quickly kissed her girl for the time before she disappeared down the hallways of the facility which stole so much of her life.

As she reached the exit, she heard a single gunshot ring out, bouncing off the metal walls. She knew what it meant but she also knew that (Y/N) wouldn’t want her to hesitate. So, she kept moving forward, leaving the love of her life behind her.