"Emery, where the hell is Nat?" I asked when she returned alone.

Emery sighed. "She's not herself. I—I don't know what happened. I was telling her that none of this was her fault and then she just...she told me I didn't know her."

I looked over at Bucky, who ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"Buck, any ideas?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Sorry, Steve. But what Kristina said to Nat—about her knowing herself. That could've triggered something. I know how sensitive she is about her past. It's one of the reasons it's hard for her to get close to people."

"We need to find her," I said. "And I'm not saying this as her boyfriend."

Emery and Bucky nodded.

"Believe me, Steve. We want to find her as badly as you do," Emery said. She walked through the container that we were still in, stopping by the chair where Kristina had been and crouching down.

"What is it, Em?" Bucky asked.

Emery shook her head. "I don't know. It's...just a feeling." She touched a spot on the ground that looked oddly like a scorch mark. "We need to analyze this."

"The equipment is in the car," I said. "I'll go get it." I left her and Bucky alone and headed back to the car. I took the equipment we needed out of the car and started back to the container.

Emery took the device from my hands when I returned. "The molecular sequence here is strange."

"In English, please," I said.

Emery stood up. "It means that whatever caused this mark...it's not natural. We already know Kristina has mind manipulation powers. This could mean she has something else as well. We might need to call in reinforcements."

Bucky nodded. "We should collect whatever else we need here then go back to the hotel. I'm not sure how much longer we're gonna be safe out here."

We ran back to the car and drove to the hotel. There was a lot that needed to happen if we wanted to have any luck finding Natasha and bringing her back to us.

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

"I'm glad you called," Fury said after we'd explained everything that had happened—from the voice that interrupted the facial recognition sequence to Natasha running out on us and the weird scorch mark."

"What are our orders?" I asked.

"Well, I've informed Stark and the others of the situation. Everyone is on board to join you in Budapest in the morning. For now, I'd say try to get some rest," Fury replied.

"You don't want us to go looking for Nat?" Emery asked. "It's my fault she left."

"Agent Coulson, it is no one's fault. We could never have seen this coming. I would advise against taking matters into your own hands. For now."

"What about Katya? Is she awake?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, she has been unable—or unwilling—to tell us anything."

"Make her."

"Agent Coulson, I cannot force a witness to—"

Emery slammed her hand down on the table, making both me and Bucky jump. "Damn it, Nick! My best friend is MIA, you want us to sit here and do nothing and you're not even going to try to get anything from Katya? Do I need to come back home and do it myself?"

"Em, let's go for a walk," Bucky tried to reason, taking Emery's arm.

She glared at him but then softened her gaze. "Ok."

They left and I turned back to Fury. "Sir, are you sure there is nothing we can do? Natasha is—"

He held up a hand to stop me. "I know how much she means to you, Cap. It doesn't take a genius to figure out you're more than just work colleagues. I'll check back with you in the morning, but for now the best thing to do is try and get some sleep."

I nodded. "Will do, sir. Thank you." I hit 'end call' on the computer then stared at my reflection in the darkened screen.

"Natasha, wherever you are, please come back to me," I whispered. 

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I stripped out of my suit and threw on a pair of flannel pants. I took Natasha's sleep shirt, which actually belonged to me, and put it on. It smelled like her. I fell asleep dreaming about Natasha, hoping that when I woke up she'd be in bed next to me.

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

"Capsicle, wake up!"

I groaned, aimlessly waving my arms in the air. I patted the bed next to me, hoping to feel Natasha's sleeping form.

No luck.

"Ow!" Someone hit me with a pillow. "Geez, can't you leave me alone?" I opened my eyes and found Tony and Sam standing over my bed.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," Tony said, more cheerful than I expected.

"Tony, why are you here?" I asked. I rubbed at my eyes, hoping that I was still dreaming.

Tony clasped his hand to his chest dramatically. "I'm actually hurt, hurt, Rogers. That you would even think I wouldn't show up after what happened."

I glared at him. "Cut the crap, Stark."

"Steve." Sam sat down on the edge of my bed, giving Tony a look. "We might have a lead on Nat."

This woke me up. "Wha—how? Where? Why didn't you start with that?!" I threw the covers to the side.

"Woah, take it easy, Steve. Look, Clint got a call a little while before Fury told us that Nat went missing. It's logical to assume that she called him," Tony said.

"Then where is he?" I demanded.

"We're still working—"

"Then you don't have anything!"

I stood up, ready to punch something. Bucky came running into the room.

"Steve! Steve, you need to see this," Bucky said.

"God, Barnes, can't you see we're trying to keep him calm?" Tony complained.

"Well then, keep calm and look at the surveillance data. Because we just found Nat."

I rushed over to the computer. Sure enough, someone—I hoped it was Nat, or even Clint—had activated their tracker.

"She's at the casino," I breathed. My heart beat faster and faster in my chest.

"Steve, we need to be rational here. We don't even know if it's her. I think it's best to come up with a plan of atta—" Tony started to say.

"I have a plan. Attack. Whoever is in our way. One way or another, we are getting Natasha back."

"Ok, I deserved that. But, Steve, you're gonna need backup," Tony said. "The team has already suited up. We're ready to go."

"Let me get dressed first."

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

"Did we ever figure out who that voice belonged to?" Emery asked. We'd all piled into the giant van Tony had rented to infiltrate the casino. Again.

"I don't think so," Bucky replied. "But I think it was meant to throw us off. Someone knew we'd be there. They were prepared. I think that's why..." He trailed off, glancing at me. "Steve, we're gonna get her back. I promise."

The van stopped and I engaged my shield, preparing for whatever came my way. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Buck." I turned to the team. "Split up. Keep your eyes open for movement. We don't know who or what we may be dealing with here."

"Roger that, Cap," Tony said.

We split off into two groups of three: me, Bucky, and Emery; Sam, Tony, and Wanda. The casino was oddly deserted for this time of day.

I walked around the perimeter, instructing my friends to watch my back. Broken glass littered the ground. My heart skipped a beat when I caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye.

"Found something," I said. Emery and Bucky ran over to join me.

"Oh no," Emery breathed.

I picked up the shoe. I recognized it from last night. I pulled the pin on the bottom of the stiletto, praying that Nat had left us a clue. To my dismay, a small black disk fell out. In pieces.

"Oh, Nat. What have you done?" I held up the tracker.

"She had to have led us here for a reason, right?" Emery asked. She looked around us, carefully sifting through the broken glass. "Maybe she left us something else around here, too."

"Steve!" I heard a voice cry out.

Natasha. I started at a run toward the voice, but Tony pulled me back over comms.

"Don't do it, Steve. It might be a trap," Tony warned.

"I don't care, Stark. I want to get Natasha back." I ran toward the voice. Sure enough, I found Natasha. She was standing over Clint's unconscious form. He was alive—I gathered that much—but something had happened.

"Nat, what happened to you last night?" I asked.

"I—I'm sorry. I had to do some things. Clear my head," she replied shakily. She was no longer wearing her red dress. At some point, she must've changed because she was now wearing a black suit and boots: her signature Black Widow wear.

I stepped toward her, ready to sweep her into my embrace and reassure her that she was safe. I wanted to comfort her after everything that had happened the night before.

"No, don't!" she cried out.

My face fell. "Nat, I—"

"Steve, I love you. But please, don't touch me," she pleaded. "I—I can't control it." Nat held up her hands and my breath caught in my throat. Tears spilled out of her eyes as blue light swirled over her fingertips.

---

A/N: ok so the powers are sort of similar to Wanda's in the sense that the energy shoots out of her hands but is blue :)