I was half asleep when my phone rang the next morning. I groaned, reaching for it and pressed the talk button.

"Hello?"

"Natalia, it's been a while," the voice on the other end rasped.

I sat straight up in bed, now completely awake. Steve stirred next to me, and I slipped out of the sheets so I wouldn't disturb him. I locked myself in the bathroom.

"Alexei. What do you want?" I spat.

"I want to set up a meet. Rumor on the street is that you've been looking for me," he replied.

Silence.

Alexei laughed on the other end, making knots turn in my stomach. "You really thought you'd be able to go off the grid entirely? You're not that good, Natalia."

"Natalia is dead. That's not who I am anymore."

Alexei laughed again. "Oh believe me, I know. I have sources too, Natasha Romanoff."

"Where do you want to meet?"

"McKinsley's Bar. 10pm. Come alone." He hung up immediately after that.

I dashed out of the room, skipping the elevator and taking the stairs as I ran down to the main level.

"Keys!" I yelled.

Tony jumped holding a hand to his head. "Slow down, Nat."

"I need your keys to the lab," I demanded, thrusting out my hand.

He obliged because he knew better than to question my motives. I ran down to the lab and plugged in my phone.

"Please work, please please please work," I muttered as I clicked away on the keyboard, pulling up the tracking data.

Unknown number: location not found

"Damn it!" I hit the side of the computer with my palm, causing it to shake. I held my head in my hands.

"Is everything alright?"

I jumped at the sound of the voice. "Shuri, I—I'm sorry, I had no idea you were here."

She walked over to me. "There's no need to apologize. I have to ask though—you seem to be a bit distracted."

"Yeah. I got a call from Alexei—the guy we've been trying to trace. I thought if I got down here quick enough I'd be able to nail his current location."

"I'm assuming it didn't work?"

I laughed, shaking out my hand. I could've easily just broken my wrist from that impact. "No, it didn't."

"I might have some tech that could help," she offered. She took out a small bug from her briefcase. "Plant this on Alexei and we'll know his every move."

"Isn't that how all bugs work?" I asked.

"Technically, yes. But this one is specifically designed to make itself undetectable even when the person it is linked to sweeps for bugs," she explained. "May I?"

I nodded.

Shuri attached the bug to my camisole and went to her computer. "See, it pinpoints your location as here. The Avengers Tower. And if you touch the spot where I attached the bug, it should be undetectable."

I did as she said and was impressed. "Wow, that's amazing. And this works? Like, on anyone?"

Shuri nodded, clicking playback on her computer: Wow, that's amazing. And this works? Like, on anyone?

I laughed. "Point taken. So how do I disengage it?"

Shuri typed something into her computer and the bug resurfaced, becoming 3-dimensional again. I picked it up and handed it back to her.

"This was obviously within a few feet of my tech. But it should work from farther distances."

"You don't happen to have comms that does the same thing, do you?" I asked.

Shuri rummaged through her briefcase. "How soon would you need it?"

"Tonight."

She closed the case and smiled. "I'll make it happen."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

When I returned upstairs, both Tony and Steve were staring at me. Steve, a look of concern washing over his face, walked over to me. Emery and Bucky sat on chairs across from each other having a staring contest.

"Nat, what happened? I heard the door to our room slam and then Tony told me you went down to the lab in a panic...are you ok?" Steve's eyes searched my face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I paused. "Actually, no. I, um...Alexei called me."

Steve narrowed his eyes. "What did he want? Was he tracking you?"

"He wants to meet. Tonight. At McKinsely's. And I'm not sure if he was tracking me, but knowing Alexei, he has eyes everywhere so I wouldn't be surprised."

"McKinsely's?" Tony asked. "Isn't that the bar where...um—"

"Where Alexei shot me with the dart gun?" I finished for him. "Yes, it's the same place."

"I don't like it," Steve said.

I sighed. "Neither do I. But I have to go."

"Alone?"

I nodded. "He'll know something's up if I bring backup. I need to go in undetected."

"Wait." Steve glanced between me and Tony. "Undetected? As in, no communications? Nat, that's really risky."

"It's less risky than you may think. Shuri is working on some technology to make comms undetectable," I told him.

Tony nodded. "I've seen the tech. It's fantastic. Shuri is quite amazing at this stuff, so if we can hook you up with enough equipment that we can track you and get a read on Alexei, that would be ideal."

"I need to go clear my head," I said. I walked away without another word. Out at the pool, I dove into the water, not even caring that I was in a camisole and a pair of shorts instead of a swimsuit.

I swam the length of the pool a few times. The only thing on my mind was the fact that I was going to have to confront my ex-fiancee, my number one enemy, and the guy who'd tried to kill me on multiple occasions.

If he had really wanted to kill you that day, he would've succeeded. There's a reason he kept you alive. But the tracker is out of my ankle...what are we missing?

"Nat?"

I turned from where I was leaning my elbows on the pool deck. "Hey, Em."

"Steve told me that Alexei contacted you," she said.

I looked down in the water. "Yeah. Wait a minute, weren't you in the room when I told him that?"

Emery laughed. "Yeah. I was a little distracted. Listen, I haven't been back to McKinsley's since that night, but I know they're looking for a new bartender. If you want me to work a little magic and take the position..." She trailed off.

I shook my head. "I appreciate that, Em, I really do. But he'll see right through you. If I have anyone there, he won't talk."

"You don't know that," Emery protested. "If I wore a wig, if I had a disguise—"

"Emery, no!" I snapped.

Emery's expression shifted.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Em, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way. It's just that I've known Alexei for a long time. And he has eyes everywhere." I sounded like a broken record.

"I trust you, Nat. I always have and always will. Alexei is too dangerous to face alone," Emery said.

"Danger is my middle name. And as a trained assassin, I can handle my own against Alexei."

Emery opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it.

"It's the only way," I told her. "I wouldn't do it if it wasn't important."

Emery nodded and gave me a small smile. "I understand. Just...be careful."

"I will."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I pulled up across the street from the bar in my convertible and got out, taking a deep breath.

"Approaching the meet." I slammed the car door shut, locking it, and adjusted my jacket.

"Stay alert, Natasha," Shuri said. "Plant the bug as quickly as you can for it to activate."

I smiled at a few civilians as I crossed the street and entered the bar. "Noted." Once inside, I ordered a vodka cranberry on the rocks. That was my signal that I had eyes on the target.

I sat down across from the person I hated most in the world.

"Natalia." Alexei smiled at me.

"I told you. I am not Natalia," I said, stirring my drink.

He didn't respond to that, but rather shifted his gaze to my neckline. Tonight I had chosen to wear the gift Steve had bought me in New York: a gold infinity necklace.

"You wear the jewelry from another lover," he observed. "Who is it this time? James? Or no wait, my mistake—the soldier. Steve."

I slapped his hand away. "Enough, Alexei. Why did you ask me here?"

Alexei clicked his tongue. "So pushy."

"I don't have all night." I crossed my arms over my chest.

Alexei laughed. "You haven't changed one bit, Natasha." He leaned across the table as I narrowed my eyes at him. "I wanted to discuss Kristina Sokolov."

Before I could answer, I felt a pinch in my ankle. I gasped as my vision weakened and clawed at Alexei's arm as he waved off a few patrons with concerned looks.

"Oh, she'll be fine. Just had a little too much to drink," Alexei reassured them.

As I fought consciousness, I knew where I was gonna be taken. I hadn't engaged in an interrogation for a very long time. This could be...interesting. But there was no way I was going down without a fight.

----

A/N: Image below from Pinterest (Nat's outfit for the meet)