"Mr. Ranger. You already know who I am, and I know more than enough about you. So let's not waste time.
You've been flagged as a person of interest by the Avengers. Effective immediately, I'm your observer. Fury selected me personally, which means you're not just dangerous—you're unpredictable.
Every action you take from here on is monitored. Every word, every blink—Fury sees it, and so do the Avengers. You step out of line, or even lean in the direction of a threat, and you'll feel the response before you can finish your next thought.
You are required to remain within five meters of me. No exceptions. I don't care if you're showering, eating, meditating, or dreaming—I stay close, and so do you. In cases of public appearances. I go by 'Natalie,' your personal assistant and secretary. And you my millionaire boss who just sold his tech company to the hammer industries for billions.
This mansion is your designated residence. Two bedrooms, a living space, a kitchen, a game room, and a bathroom. You've got a panoramic view of the Grand Canyon. It's not a prison, but don't mistake it for freedom either.
Your meals will be stocked weekly. Anything outside that, you request through proper channels. There's a protocol for that.
Use your powers without clearance, and you'll lose everything—starting with your freedom
You agreed to Fury's terms. You agreed to the Avenger's term. And I'm here to make sure you stick to them.
Now... if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your room."
"Miss Romanoff… or can I call you Natasha?
I assume you've been debriefed. Fury's thorough, after all. I'm sure he gave you everything—my strengths, my flaws, my history. Or at least the scraps he could find. What I wanted him to find.
But knowing Fury, he didn't stop there. He never does. I'd wager he gave you an extra set of instructions, didn't he? Quiet, off the record. From everyone's eye including the Avengers.
Maybe he told you to get close. Disarm me. Seduce me.
Play the long game—psychological warfare with a redhead's smile. Tap into whatever flickers of humanity I've got left.
Make me vulnerable. Make me pliable.
Make me useful.
Or, at the very least, make sure I don't end up aligning with the snakes circling the board.
Tell me, Natasha… which one is it? One of those? All of them?
Or is it something else entirely?
But maybe it doesn't matter. At least, Not right now. Not when I'm sitting across from someone like you—sharp eyes, steel spine... and still, lovely.
So let me be clear, and let me be honest. I don't want to hurt you. And I sure as hell won't let anyone else try.
You're a tired soul. I can see it in your eyes, in the way you carry yourself like every room's another battlefield. You've walked through fire because you had to. Because there was nothing else to do. I've walked through mine because I needed to.
That's the difference between us… but it's not a chasm. It's a line. Thin enough that two people like us could cross it without even noticing.
In a world like this—where bodies never rest and souls are always at war—it's rare to find someone walking not because they're told to… not because they're running from something… but because they choose to.
Two tired souls, moving forward—not out of duty or desperation, but out of will.
Now, isn't that something, Natasha?
Isn't that… almost beautiful?"