Chapter 16 - Shadows of the Past

Aegis Protocol's secret headquarters was a fortress of cutting-edge technology hidden from the eyes of the world. Within its secured war room, a tense silence hung between three figures, Tony Stark, Yelena Belova, and Melina Vostokoff.

The holographic display flickered, showing a live surveillance feed from Stark Industries. On the screen, Natasha Romanoff moved through the hallways of Tony's company, seamlessly slipping into her new role as his assistant.

Yelena's arms were crossed, her expression unreadable. "She's in."

Tony leaned back in his chair, studying the feed with a neutral expression. "Yep. She is poking around."

Melina sighed, shaking her head. "This was inevitable. SHIELD wasn't going to leave you unchecked forever. Romanoff is their best agent. Of course, they sent her for a reason."

Yelena scoffed, shifting uncomfortably. "You say that like you don't know her. Like we don't know her."

Tony glanced between them. He knew their complicated history with Natasha. Yelena's anger was still raw, while Melina's was tempered by experience. He was more interested in what they weren't saying.

"She's dangerous." Melina continued. "Not just because of her skills, but because of her loyalty. You think she'll abandon SHIELD and side with us? You know that before she joined SHIELD, she betrayed the Red Room first, not that the Red Room didn't deserve it."

Yelena's jaw tightened. "I think she deserves a chance." Despite her anger of being betrayed by Natasha, she still liked her adopted sister and hoped to at the very least listen to her one last time.

Tony finally spoke, his voice measured. "Right now, she's an asset that doesn't know what game she's playing. That gives us an advantage." He tapped on the console, bringing up Natasha's SHIELD profile. "So the question is, do we bring her in, or do we keep playing cat and mouse?" Tony asked this more for Yelena and Melina.

Yelena's voice was laced with conviction. "We have to talk to her."

Melina frowned. "And what if she runs straight to Fury?"

Tony exhaled, tapping his fingers against the table. "If that happens, then we're back to square one. No need to worry about that. We can control the narrative from our end and for the meantime, don't reveal my involvement. If she runs to Fury, they will most likely write it off as another secret organization, as the remnants of the Red Room, trying to make amends. Or worse, they will consider us volatile and dangerous, subject for termination. For that, there's even less to worry about. I trust you can handle yourselves against SHIELD and with our technological advantage, there's even less to worry about. At most, they will be minor inconvenience during our missions."

The two nodded thoughtfully, thinking they were already covered.

"But I don't think she will," Tony continued, "Not immediately. SHIELD sent her because they don't trust me and you know, Fury's control issues, but I think a part of her wants to understand why, especially if it comes from you two. "

Melina wasn't convinced. "If you're wrong, she could compromise everything."

Tony smirked. "That's why I don't plan on giving her the full picture just yet. We control the narrative. We decide how much she sees."

The room was silent for a moment before Yelena spoke again. "If she's in danger, I want to be the one to get her out."

Tony nodded. "Fair enough."

Melina sighed, reluctant but resigned. She also wanted to talk to her 'daughter' and maybe patch things up before it's too late. "Then we proceed with caution."

Tony leaned back, satisfied. "Good. Because like it or not, we're already on SHIELD and Natasha's radar. Might as well make sure she's looking in the right direction." He steepled his fingers and leaned forward. "Since you both agreed we should talk to Natasha. But all of that was from the viewpoint of the Aegis Protocol, I need to hear it from you personally. What do you actually want to happen?"

Then Yelena and Melina made eye contact.

Yelena's brows furrowed, and her arms tightened across her chest. "I want her out," she said without hesitation. "Out of SHIELD, out of whatever web of lies they've wrapped her in. She's my sister, and she deserves to make her own choices. Although she betrayed and left me in the Red Room before, she's still my sister. At least I want her to have a chance at what I have right now."

Tony nodded, "Okay, I won't defend Natasha about her betraying you but based on the facts, she joined SHIELD by thinking that they already destroyed the Red Room. As much as she and SHIELD is concerned, Red room was gone and she probably thought leaving you out of SHIELD's radar was better for you."

"What!?" Yelenda looked at Melina for confirmation.

"That is possible." Melina nodded thoughtfully.

"That changes everything but I still need to talk to her." Yelena said with determination.

Tony smirked. "Of course. And what if she chooses to stay with SHIELD?"

Yelena's jaw tightened, and for a moment, she said nothing. Then, finally, she exhaled. "Then I'll make sure she at least knows the truth about SHIELD's troubles and most importantly, it being heavily compromised. After that, it's up to her."

Melina, let out a long sigh. "Honestly, I want the same but I also don't want to cause trouble for Aegis. Her situation is not that simple."

Tony turned his attention to her. "Go on."

"She's been conditioned, just like the rest of us were," Melina said, her voice softer than before. "Even if she knows the truth, that doesn't mean she'll walk away from SHIELD. She's loyal, Tony. And she doesn't trust easily. She won't just take our word for it."

Tony tapped a finger against the table, thinking. "So you're saying it's not just about showing her the truth, it's about proving it."

Melina nodded. "Exactly. If we want her to leave SHIELD and join Aegis Protocol, you'll need to give her something undeniable. A reason she can't ignore."

Yelena's expression hardened. "She already has one. The Red Room, the people who controlled us, they didn't just go away until Tony arrived. And SHIELD? They let it happen. They unknowingly let Dreykov's system thrive in the shadows for years. They are fools."

Tony let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, well, unfortunately, Natasha doesn't know that yet. And I'm guessing she's not the type to believe SHIELD would ever look the other way unless she sees proof with her own eyes."

Melina inclined her head. "She'll need more than just words."

Tony leaned back, tapping a rhythm against the metal surface of the table. "So, let's assume we show her that proof. What then? Do you really want her to become part of Aegis Protocol? Or do you just want her safe?"

Yelena hesitated, and for the first time, some of her frustration softened into something else—uncertainty. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just… I just don't want her to be used anymore. Not by SHIELD. Not by anyone."

Melina sat back, arms crossed. "If she does join, she'll need a purpose. She's been fighting her entire life, if we offer her nothing but safety, she might not know what to do with it."

Tony hummed thoughtfully. "Then maybe the choice isn't just between SHIELD and us. Maybe it's about giving her something better. Something she believes in. Like... maybe a family." He gazed at the two women in front of him.

Melina and Yelena narrowed their eyes and became thoughtful.

He stood up, looking between them. "I'm not going to force Natasha's hand. But we will make sure that when the time comes, she has the full picture. No secrets, no manipulation. Just the truth."

Yelena met his gaze and, she nodded. "That would be great, for now."

Melina sighed again, glancing at the image of Natasha still lingering on the screen. "Then we better be prepared. Because once we open this door, there's no closing it."

Tony smirked. "That's kind of my specialty."

With the decision made, the three turned their attention to the next step: laying out the undeniable truth that would bring Natasha Romanoff to her own crossroads.

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