Natasha Romanoff, better known as Black Widow, was an expert in espionage and hand-to-hand combat. As a member of the Avengers, she had been on countless missions, but the one that left her injured had been a stupid, routine extraction job in the heart of the Amazon jungle.
Natasha had been tasked with retrieving a valuable piece of technology that was in the possession of a paramilitary general-turned-arms dealer. The mission had started smoothly, but as she was making her way back to the extraction point, she was ambushed by the dealer's men. In the ensuing fight, Natasha managed to take down her attackers, but not before one of them scored a lucky shot that left her with a broken leg.
After being airlifted to a nearby hospital, Natasha spent weeks in recovery, but the injury was severe enough to require her to spend several months in rehab at the Avengers headquarters.
As she stepped off the helicopter that brought her back to the base, Natasha couldn't help but feel frustrated. She was used to being in control, but now she was at the mercy of her injury. She hobbled towards the entrance, leaning heavily on her crutches, and was met by Steve Rogers.
"Natasha, good to see you back," Steve said, giving her a warm smile.
"It's good to be back," Natasha replied, trying to sound upbeat, but the pain in her leg made it difficult.
Steve helped her inside, and as they made their way to her quarters, Natasha couldn't help but notice the smells emanating from the communal kitchen. The aromas of freshly baked bread, roasted chicken, and decadent desserts made her mouth water.
As they entered her room, Natasha couldn't hide her disappointment at the sparse surroundings. "This is going to be my home for the next few months?" she asked, gesturing around the room.
Steve chuckled. "Don't worry, we'll make it as comfortable as we can for you. And speaking of comfort, you might want to avoid the kitchen for a while. Tony's been on a baking spree, and I don't think he's leaving any for the rest of us."
Natasha smiled weakly, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in for a long and difficult recovery.