Chapter 4

March 2009.

It was a warm spring day in downtown New York and Ken, Torunn, and Tony had decided to have a picnic in the park. This was a routine they followed every weekend, as Torunn loved the greenery of the park in the middle of a concrete jungle that was New York. They spread out a blanket and laid out the food they had brought. Tony had made his famous shawarma sandwiches, while Ken had prepared a salad and Torunn had brought her favorite fruit salad.

As they sat and enjoyed their food, Torunn suddenly saw a woman in a hospital gown walking unsteadily, holding the lower left side of her stomach. A red spot was visible where her hand was.

"Grandpa Tony, look! There are someone who look like she's in pain," Torunn said, pointing at the woman.

Tony raised an eyebrow and replied, "Hey kid, I told you not to call me grandpa, even though I'm old, I'm still cute, at least call me uncle."

"Tony! Looks like she needs help," Ken interrupted.

"Hmm, she... isn't she Natasha? The Black Widow of this world?" Tony said, recognizing the woman.

Ken, Tony, and Torunn quickly got up and ran towards the injured woman.

"Hey, are you okay? Does your stomach hurt?" Ken asked.

"Are you a patient? Why are you hanging around? Which hospital are you being treated in, so we can take you?" Tony the Wizard asked.

"Auntie, Aunt, hold on! We will help you," Torunn said, worried.

"I'm fine, can I borrow your cell phone to call?" the woman asked.

Ken reached into his pocket and took out his old Nokia cell phone and handed it to the woman.

"Hello, Nick... Please pick me up... city park... the wound on my stomach is open," the woman said, speaking into the phone.

As they waited for Natasha's ride, Torunn couldn't help but feel curious about the red-haired woman. "What happened to your stomach, Auntie?" she asked, looking up at Natasha with concern.

Natasha let out a small chuckle. "Auntie? That's cute. But to answer your question, I got into a bit of a scuffle. It's nothing serious, just a flesh wound."

"A scuffle? Like a fight?" Ken interjected, his interest piqued.

Natasha nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, you could say that. I can handle myself, though."

Tony the Wizard looked at Natasha, a glint of admiration in his eyes. "You're quite the fighter, Natasha. You remind me of someone I know."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And who's that?"

Tony the Wizard grinned. "Me, of course."

Natasha let out a laugh, shaking her head. "You wish, old man. I could take you down with one hand tied behind my back."

Tony the Wizard scoffed, crossing his arms. "I highly doubt that. You may be good, but I'm a wizard, I have magic on my side."

Ken looked between the two, feeling a bit left out of the banter. "So, Natasha, are you part of the military or something?"

Natasha shook her head. "No, I'm not. I work for a private organization. We take care of things that the government can't handle."

Tony the Wizard looked impressed. "That sounds interesting. What kind of things?"

Natasha smirked. "Let's just say, we're the ones who clean up the messes."

Torunn looked at Natasha, still confused. "But what's your name? And why are you wearing a hospital gown?"

Natasha looked down at herself, realizing she had forgotten to explain. "Oh, right. My name is Natasha Romanoff, but you can call me Natasha. And as for the hospital gown, well, I had to make a quick getaway. Didn't have time to change."

Tony's wizard raised an eyebrow. "A quick getaway? From what?"

Natasha shook her head, not wanting to give away too much information. "Just some trouble. Nothing you need to worry about."

Ken looked at Natasha, feeling a bit skeptical. "Are you sure you're okay? You should probably go to a hospital."

Natasha waved a hand dismissively. "I'll be fine. I've been through worse. And besides, I have a friend who can patch me up."

Just then, a black car pulled up beside them. Natasha stood up, thanking the group for their help. "I really appreciate it. You guys are alright."

Tony's wizard gave her a nod of respect. "Take care, Natasha. It was nice meeting you."

Natasha smiled at the group, before getting into the car and driving away. The group watched as the car disappeared into the distance, wondering what kind of trouble Natasha had gotten herself into.

As Natasha sat in the car on the way to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in New York, she couldn't help but feel guilty about lying to the people who had helped her. She had told Ken, Torunn, and Tony that she had a wound on her stomach that needed medical attention, but the truth was much darker.

In one of her recent missions, she had been tasked with escorting a nuclear scientist out of Iran. Things had gone wrong when third party had attacked them in Odessa, Ukraine. During the attack, he had fired a bullet that had gone through Natasha's abdomen and hit the scientist, killing him instantly.

Natasha knew that if she told the truth, it could put the trio in danger. She couldn't risk them getting involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the dangerous world she operated in. She had to keep her secrets hidden.

As the car drove through the busy streets of New York, Natasha's thoughts turned to her stay in the hospital. She had told the trio that she needed a quick gateway out of the hospital, but the truth was that she was just bored. She had been stuck in the hospital for days with nothing to do but think about her past and the dangerous life she led.

But now, as she rode in the car towards S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, she knew that she had to focus on her recuperation and the mission at hand.

As the car pulled up to the entrance of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Natasha took a deep breath and prepared herself for the task ahead. She knew that it would be a dangerous mission, but she also knew that it was one that she had to complete. The safety of the world depended on it.