Fourteen

                                    

                                          
"Clint, look out!" Natasha yelled into her earpiece. She heard the screech of feedback that was surely in everyone's ears but she didn't care. Clint ducked then shot an arrow at the alien that had nearly killed him. She breathed a sigh of relief. 
                          
"Thanks, Nat," he said. 
                          
"No problem," she replied and turned to Steve. "Captain," she said, "can you secure that cafe with me? I think I saw some of the Chitauri walking in there and I don't want to risk leaving any of them on Earth."
                          
"Of course," Steve said. He held his shield in a defensive position and she walked forward to the smashed up cafe. The gun she was holding had only two bullets left but she had a Chitauri gun on a holster on her back. It was hard to use but better than nothing. 
                          
"Where are you two going?" Tony's robotic voice came through the earpieces. She could see the Ironman suit zooming around above them, firing lasers and bombs. 
                          
"Checking out this cafe." Natasha walked quietly through the broken window. "Cap," she whispered. He looked over and she pointed at the kitchens. Loud bangs and screams were coming from those rooms. 
                          
"Civilians!" Steve whispered loudly. "Okay, I'll get them out of here and you kill the Chitauri."
                          
"Don't give Romanoff the hard jobs," Tony said and Natasha rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Romanoff, I was thinking that we could go out for a drink after all of this. Maybe schwarma?"
                          
"What about Pepper?" Natasha asked coldly as she stepped through the debris leading to the kitchen. She didn't really want to have this conversation with the rest of her team listening. Well, Steve and Clint listening. Bruce obviously couldn't have an earpiece and Thor couldn't work his. "Steve, I go first, okay?"
                          
"You sure? That's more dangerous." Steve paused but she carried on walking towards the door. She nodded at him and gave a small smile, resting her hand on the door handle, ready to push it open. 
                          
"Ready?" She asked. He nodded. "Three..."
                          
"Be careful, Nat," Clint said hastily.
                          
"Two..."
                          
"Romanoff, I-"
                          
"One!" She yelled, cutting Tony off before he could embarrass both of them by finishing that sentence. They burst into the kitchen. Around ten Chitauri were cornering three scared civilians. Steve instantly ducked under the cover of the table and slowly started making his way over to the victims. 
                          
The Chitauri looked at Natasha, their faces unreadable and aiming their guns at her. She wasn't concerned about the guns. She was worried about the safety of her team. Of New York. Of the world. She knew that the safety of the world didn't boil down to this one fight but it sure as hell felt like it. 
                          
Natasha moved. She was quick as she leapt towards the Chitauri, kicking their guns out of their hands and wrapping her legs around ones neck. She tightened and it gasped for breath. As another approached, she shot it twice and it slumped over the oven. Two more came rushing towards her and she grabbed the weapon from her back. She hit the Chitauri she was currently choking with the butt of the gun and it started falling. She instantly dived off and punched another Chitauri. It let out a cry of pain as she dodged its right cross and head butted it. The other was behind her, its fingers grasping her shoulder...she screamed in pain as it yanked back and probably dislocated her shoulder. 
                          
"Agent Romanoff!" Steve yelled. He was trying to get some ruins off a guy's legs. The other civilians had escaped. 
                          
"I'm fine! Go!" She shouted back. Ignoring the blinding pain, she used the Chitauri gun. She tried not to use the painful right shoulder but it was almost impossible. Natasha dropped the gun in annoyance and then instantly regretted it.