Katya had all the weapons from the previous mission still on her, so she just followed Natasha to her locker. She stole some extra magazines from her since she had wasted one on the brainwashed SHIELD agents trying to make their way onto the bridge.

Both women carried the same guns, not the standard SHIELD assigned ones, but a special gun like the one they had always used and learned to shoot with. They were trained to use almost any kind of gun, but this was the one they were both more comfortable with, so Fury ordered it especially for them. 

Well, he ordered it for Natasha and Katya stole them from her. Even the label on the gun said 'Romanoff'. Natasha never stole them back though, so Katya considered them her property now.

''Get your own magazines,'' she said when she saw Katya steal some from her locker. She had wondered why Katya came with her in the first place, but it got painfully clear now.

Katya smirked at her. ''Sorry, mine are on the other side of the ship.'' That was not true, they were at the end of this hallway but it was still too far away. Besides, she wanted some private time with her girlfriend. Her presence alone was enough.

Natasha rolled her eyes at her laziness. ''You're refilling them.''

''What do I get in return?'' Katya made a suggestive motion with her eyebrows, hoping she would fall for it. But her tricks didn't work this time.

Natasha scoffed, a smile playing in her eyes. ''Nothing. You already have my bullets.'' She slammed her locker shut, the small sticker with her name on it starting to peel at the edges. Unlike the other lockers, hers had a lock, because Natasha hated when people touched her stuff. Not that any Agent dared to do that.

Katya's face fell. ''Good point.''

She braided her hair again, too many strands had fallen out of it before and it looked like a mess. Her experienced fingers could do the movements on her own while she watched Natasha powering up her gloves with electricity. The taser gloves were really cool and helped a lot with hand-to-hand combat, something she knew Natasha preferred over shooting.

''You ready?'' Natasha asked, her hands on her hips as she watched Katya work her hair.

She tied her braid off with an elastic and threw her hair back over her shoulder. ''I am.''

''Let's go.''

This was anything but an authorized mission. They were heading out on their own without anyone knowing, but nobody dared to stop them. Natasha and Katya were two terrifying people on their own. Add another assassin to that and a super soldier who looked like he could bench four hundred pounds or more and SHIELD agents everywhere got out of their way when the quartet walked to a Quinjet.

''Hey, you guys are not authorized to be here-'' A SHIELD Agent was cleaning the jet and moving things around, probably getting it ready for the next flight. How he conjured up the nerves to say that to four soldiers on a mission, Katya didn't know. She was prepared to knock him out stone cold anyway if he didn't step aside.

But that proved to be unnecessary when Steve spoke up immediately. ''Son, just don't.'' The guy didn't know how fast he had to get out, with the super soldier standing there with his broad shoulders and three assassins glaring at him. 

Clint took the pilot seat while Natasha jumped in the chair next to him. Katya strapped into a chair along the right wall of the plane, Steve sitting in front of her. It wasn't long before her hands had found a knife again, the movement calming her down.

She could see Stark shooting out in front of the jet in the suit he brought. Apparently, he was on this mission too. He was faster. A lot faster. SHIELD needed to get Stark to work for them. The technological advancements would get much better.

''So where are we going, Cap?'' Clint asked while he flew in the direction Stark had gone. Steve hadn't told them anything about what they figured out, but Katya guessed Tony had something to do with it too. Hopefully they knew were Loki went.

''New York City,'' he answered loudly. Katya furrowed her brows. Why New York?

Then the sudden realization hit her. ''Stark Tower.'' Tony's words from the meeting echoed in her ears. Loki needed something to kick-start the cube, something powerful. And wasn't it the most ironic thing ever that it was his own Stark Tower that would give it to him? 

Rogers looked at her, nodding silently. Stark would be pissed if Loki destroyed his building. Not that he didn't have money to fix it, it just sucked because it was finished a few days ago. Katya liked the building, unlike a lot of people. Not New York's usual style, but something new and modern. The huge Stark name on the side was a bit egotistical though. 

It was a torturing fifteen-minute flight to New York City. Katya's leg started bouncing somewhere throughout the flight, not really nervous but more uneasy and frustrated because it took so long to get to their destination. 

When a small gasp came from the front of the plane, probably from Clint, Katya walked closer to see through the front window, leaning in between the two front seats. 

She couldn't believe her eyes. A massive blue beam shot up to the sky from the roof of Stark Tower. The portal Bruce spoke about, the work of the cube. But that wasn't what was most worryingly. Dozens of aliens on carriages came down from the huge hole in the sky, created by the beam. On the other side of the portal was only blackness, ending somewhere deep in space. 

''What the hell?'' Katya breathed in shock. She had seen a lot in her lifetime, but this topped everything. 

Natasha stared at the events before sharing a worried glance with Katya. Shaking her head, she spoke up for the first time since setting foot inside this jet. ''Stark, we're on your three headed north east.''

The man's voice came back immediately, although Katya couldn't hear what he said, because she didn't have a headset on. 

She watched with big eyes as they flew through the city, Clint taking a few hard left and right turns but she didn't think about getting back in her seat. Under different circumstances, New York was beautiful. But not now. Smoke and explosions rocked the city. Civilians got cornered by the aliens and everyone ran around screaming. It was a whole mess.

Natasha shot at some aliens that tailed Stark with a big gun the Quinjet had. It must feel good to kill these basterds, something Katya hoped she got to do very quickly too.

Clint steered the jet up just in time to avoid a building and headed for Stark Tower. Katya's gaze fell on two gods fighting on the balcony. If that's what you could call the huge platform sticking out from the building at the top level. 

Thor was engaged in a fight with Loki, two brothers from another planet somewhere far away in the universe fighting on their little blue planet. Thor looked like he was losing though, being thrown into the glass barrier and then on the ground. This wasn't good. If even his own brother couldn't beat Loki, how the hell were they going to?

''Nat.'' Barton alerted Natasha of their fight, wanting her to get the gun out again.

''See 'em.'' The jet locked on Loki and she fired at him. However, Clint was too late to notice Loki raising his scepter and shooting at the left engine of the jet. It exploded in a big burst of fire.

''Shit,'' Clint cursed. ''Hold on people.'' He didn't have to say that again. He was an experienced pilot, so he could control-crash the plane, but a lot of buildings were in their way that made that difficult. 

Katya jumped back in her seat, quickly fastening her seatbelts. Rogers was too late though, the man hanging on to the ceiling of the plane to not be thrown around from side to side.

Clint narrowly avoided most of the buildings, the skyscrapers with the fancy glass walls not getting a scratch on them. A small square was his landing -or crashing- site. Katya was thrown back and forth in her seat when the jet hit ground roughly, sliding forwards before coming to a stop against a building. 

''Everyone okay?'' Clint yelled over his shoulder while everyone hastily threw off their seatbelts. 

''Just peachy.'' Katya hadn't had known the word before coming to America, but Clint said it all the time, so she had picked up the habit too. Natasha hated the word, which only made it more fun to say it. She would have definitely gotten a glare from her, were they not in a life-or-death situation at the moment.

They all ran out the jet after Rogers had opened the back door. He held his shield firmly in his hand. As if that thing alone would keep everyone safe from the aliens. Katya had to admit, his suit looked kind of ridiculous. She would never say that of course, but with all those colors, he looked like the Stars and Stripes themselves. 

She preferred the black skin-tight suit her and Natasha wore over that thing any time. Maybe also because Natasha looked really hot in that thing, her red hair looking extra red against the black.

''We gotta get back up there,'' the Captain said loudly, running in the direction of the Tower, Natasha on his heels. Katya was behind her, always watching the redhead's back in missions like these and Clint was behind the blonde woman, watching hers in return.

Katya thought this displayed the dynamics within their group of three perfectly. Clint being the most selfless one and wanting to protect both his friends before himself. Katya wanting to protect Natasha no matter what and she in turn trusting Clint to keep Katya safe. 

It was a whole new thing for everyone, especially Katya. She had never had people to fully have her back to the point where they would die for her. It was terrifying but also the best thing that ever happened to her.

A big roar made everyone stop dead in their tracks. This wasn't from something small like a lion, no this was huge, massive. It was horrifying. Everyone looked up to the sky, having to put their head in their necks to even see the black hole.

Out came one of the biggest things Katya had ever seen in her life. It was an alien, that was for sure, but there was no way to describe its form. It had scales as large as entire houses, it snaked like a worm and had teeth as high as street lanterns. And on top of that, it could also fly. 

The thing came straight for them, knocking a statue off the building in front of them. Katya readied her gun. Even though she knew it wouldn't do anything against the beast, it gave her a sense of control nobody should have while holding a weapon. They were hopelessly outgunned. 

At the last moment, the flying worm bowed up and flew right over their heads, everyone staring as it passed over them. How the hell were they going to win this fight? No way that thing came alone and more aliens jumped out of the sides of it.  

The team only had six members. How will they beat hundreds of aliens.

Natasha had never seen Katya so afraid and hopeless. She looked incredibly vulnerable with just her gun against this entire army of aliens, her eyes big and dread filling them. She guessed she looked no different.

Katya felt her stare and looked to her right. They didn't say anything, just the look in their eyes told them everything.

''Stark, are you seeing this?'' The Captain yelled in his earpiece over the noise of the city.

The metal voice of the man in the suit came back immediately. ''I'm seeing, still working on believing. Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?''

Katya furrowed her eyebrows. ''Banner?'' She thought he had disappeared after falling to Earth from the Hellicarrier.

''Just keep me posted.'' What did he know that they didn't?

The team on the ground watched as the Iron Man flew next to the enormous beast, probably trying to find a weak spot in his armor. 

When a blast from a smaller alien on a carriage almost hit Katya because she was too focused on Stark, Natasha dragged everyone behind some upside-down taxi's in the middle of the street for some cover. What were they going to do? What could they do that would help this situation in any way possible? 

''We got civilians trapped in-''  The voice in her ear was cut out because a big group of flying Chitauri flew down the street they were in, shooting at any- and everything on the ground. Moving and not moving. 

People ran around, trying to find some sort of shelter. ''They're fish in a barrel down there,'' the Captain said while looking back over the edge of the taxi to the street down below. It was obvious he wanted to help the civilians, but didn't want to leave his team. The four Avengers had found themselves on an overpass. Not safe with all these explosions, but moving was even more dangerous.

Rogers duck just in time to avoid a Chitauri shot and the other three were quick to retaliate, firing guns and arrows in the direction of the aliens. ''We got this. It's good. Go!'' Natasha said to the soldier who was reluctant to leave his teammates behind to fight all these aliens off.

''You think you can hold them off?'' he yelled at Clint who had taken shelter behind another taxi a few feet away. Katya scoffed at his distrust in their skills. Between these three assassins and the super soldier, the three would win a fight against him any given day on skills alone.

''Captain,'' he started, pushing a button on his bow that made the mechanism in his quiver pick up an explosive arrow. ''It would be my genuine pleasure.''

Releasing the arrow, Clint took down five aliens at once, causing the Captain to be satisfied with his skills, the man jumping over the edge of the overpass to the street down below.

The two women emptied their clips into every alien they saw, constantly needing to reload the guns. 

Between the shooting, Katya scanned her surroundings intently, looking for people who needed their help against these creatures. Her eye fell on a bus not too far away, the screams of children audible over the shooting and explosions. ''дерьмо,'' Katya cursed quietly, ''There's children trapped in the bus.''

Clint looked back at his two friends. ''I'll go, cover me.'' Not waiting for confirmation, he ran towards the bus, killing any aliens in his path.

Katya groaned at his heroics but it was too late to stop him. So she watched his back and made sure nobody hurt the children he helped out the window of the vehicle. Seeing that just opening the doors was a lot quicker, he moved to them, the people coming out a lot quicker now.

''Just like Budapest all over again!'' Natasha yelled to him when he joined the two Russians who were still shooting their guns non-stop. Oh, no. Budapest was something they did not talk about. Ever. 

That battle was a death trap they had miraculously made their way out of without dying. Natasha had had a gunshot wound, another one for her collection. Clint a concussion because of an explosion very close to his head. Katya a knife lodged in her thigh that hurt like a bitch. But it could have been so much worse.

''Don't talk about Budapest!'' Katya said to the woman next to her, who gave her a little smile in return.

Clint agreed with her. ''You and I remember Budapest very differently.'' 

Katya shot her guns until they made empty clicking sounds. Checking her belt, she saw she was out of bullets. Grabbing her knives, she turned around and started killing the things by fighting them hand-to-hand. 

It wasn't much different than fighting humans. They were just a little bit taller and a lot slimier, but they felt pain the same way and were also killable. She discovered that after the first one, when she went for the place a human heart would sit. The skin was thick and hard to pierce, taking a lot more effort than piercing a human's skin, but it worked, that was positive. 

When Natasha's gunshots stopped too, and she turned to fight, Katya yelled her findings to her. ''Go for the heart. Thick skin, stab hard.''

It was so tiring and soon, Katya's arms had trouble raising up and stabbing hard enough to kill the aliens. Natasha had better ideas, she just jumped on top of the creatures and tasered them with her gloves. ''I need to get me those too,'' Katya murmured to herself while twisting a Chitauri's neck until it broke. 

She kicked, stabbed and fought alien after alien. With every one she killed, two more took its place. It was an endless stream, every kill she did feeling useless. It was like mopping with the tab running. And where did Steve go? And what was Stark doing? Hopefully they worked the main problem while the three of them contained the crowd.

''Kat!'' A voice broke through her thoughts. She finished off the one she was fighting and then turned around to Natasha, who had called out her name. A long, stick-like alien weapon was thrown at her, and Katya was just in time to catch it. She was confused for a second until she saw the redhead had secured one for herself and used it to shoot the aliens. Killing the enemy with their own weapons. Smart move.

''Thanks!'' she yelled back while trying to figure the weapon out. It was quite easy. Apparently, war is a universal language.

But even these didn't help with the overwhelming swarm of aliens that suddenly surrounded the three spies. This didn't look good. They had trouble dodging the shots now coming from all around them. One even scraped Katya's right upper arm, leaving a deep, nasty burn in its place. She hissed and killed the alien with a little more force than necessary. 

The Captain suddenly dropped next to her, causing her to almost shoot him with her gun. He bashed three aliens' heads in at once and moved to the others surrounding them, helping to thin the herd. 

But the biggest relief came when lighting caused dozens of Chitauri around them to drop dead at once. It wasn't hard to guess who that was.