"Fury didn't want Ross to get his hands on you. He didn't think that would turn out well for anyone," she confesses, watching him, watching his reactions, her own voice quiet. "Then again, I'd happily keep Ross from getting his hands on anyone or anything he's after. The man's a menace and an asshole and that's on his good days."

Natasha's not a fan.

"But I wanted you to know... I've been watching the Other Guy longer than you think. Although some of it didn't make sense until after New York. I had some free time on my hands just after that. It gave me a lot of time to think. And even back then... Well. I find it interesting that even when you lost your control in one of the most violent ways possible, you ignored all the innocent people that could have been caught in the crossfire and went specifically after the aggressors. Who'd, granted, picked the fight with you first. I don't believe that was accidental."