Many thanks for the fav story alerts and reviews on my previous Avengers fic 'Got your back'. It encouraged me to continue this little AU storyline. This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine.
Title: Dance in the rain
Author: Cindy Ryan
Pairings: Clint/Natasha
Timeline: AU of sorts follows my previous story Got your back. Set six months after the Avengers movie.
The aging warehouse in Boston's marina district they had ducked into didn't look like it'd withstand a slight breeze. They hadn't had a choice. The fierce summer storm had caught Clint and Natasha off guard. Both of them were soaked to the skin. It'd been six months since the Avengers had defeated Loki. Since then S.H.I.E.L.D. had been chasing wanna be super villains ever since.
Most they'd been able to mark off the list from base by sending in local authorities. Some like this one they had to handle on their own.
"You'd think a mad scientist with a weather machine would be easy to catch."Natasha muttered as she slid to a stop just inside the warehouse doorway.
"We didn't think it'd be the size of a cell phone that he could activate from anywhere."Hawkeye retorted as he dumped water out of his sleeve of arrows.
"Apparently our crack intelligence team is spread a little thin."The Black Widow replied as she took off her black leather jacket. "We need to go back after him."
"Not unless you have a boat under your jacket."Clint replied with a grim smile as he watched several trash cans go by in a rapidly growing stream of water which had just minutes before been a road.
"Didn't think you were afraid of melting."Natasha countered as she strode past and out the door.
With deft fingers Clint snatched his partner back inside. Seconds later the spot Natasha would've been standing was struck by lightening. A strong gust of wind blew causing the building to tremble.
"I don't feel like being barbequed today."Hawkeye replied. "We're not going anywhere."
Natasha pulled out her cell phone and activated her radio ear piece. "Weather's blocking communication."
"Or Trimble is."Clint reasoned. "Fury will send backup when we miss check in."
"That's hours away."Natasha grumbled as she glared out at the storm. "He planned this and we fell for it. "
Clint lightly placed a hand on the Black Widow's right shoulder guiding her back towards him. "I don't like it either but everybody has bad days."
Natasha shook her head stubbornly. "Not us."
"We'll get him, I promise."Clint stated drawing his partner further into the warehouse. "Just not right now."
The Black Widow halted. "I could knock you out and go."
Barton smirked. "You could try, but you won't."
"You know me that well?"Natasha asked with a grim smile.
Clint nodded. "We've both changed. I'd like to think for the better. Come on, let's move before Trimble turns this into an ice storm."
"There's a cheery thought."The Black Widow replied with a last glance at the front entrance just as a small wave breached the doorway.
Their check-in wasn't for another five hours. The weather had continued to worsen as time went by. The wind howled and hail the size of golf balls pummeled the old warehouse. When the hail would stop the rain would increase and the flood waters would rise.
Natasha knew Trimble was making Boston an example. To get the Avengers attention as well as the world's.
Fury would send a rescue team sooner than later. It was just a matter of what vehicles they could scramble to penetrate whatever weather was currently brewing.
It was just frustrating as hell to be stuck and to have Trimble get the better of her.
Not a combo that happened often. Not to brag but usually the bad guy was the one stuck and captured.
Natasha sighed as she pulled her knees to her chest; as Clint had stated an hour before, everyone had bad days.
This one just sucked.
"Seven."Barton stated from her left as they sat on a catwalk that ran the left side of the warehouse.
"Seven what?"Natasha asked turning to face her partner.
"Seven different sizes of hail."Hawkeye replied with a brief smile.
Natasha followed Clint's gaze to the opposite wall where there was their only view of the outside. The storm surge had long since broken through the warehouse door causing it to fall inward creating a barrier. Ironically it was keeping the water out but they were blind except for this one porthole.
"Glad you're finding something to amuse yourself with."The Black Widow commented sarcastically with a shake of her head. "You've been hanging around Stark too much. I take that back he wouldn't count the different kinds of hail he'd use them somehow to escape."
Barton nodded. "That he would."
Natasha stood and started towards the other end of the catwalk. Clint's voice halted her.
"We've checked it already."Hawkeye stated. "There's no way out that direction unless you're thinking of climbing. I don't think the roof will hold us and at least we're dry here."
The wind screeched and the warehouse shuddered. A piece of the ceiling a few feet ahead of Natasha fell allowing in a trickle of water.
She had been thinking of climbing. Anything was better than feeling useless and trapped.
"So to speak."The Black Widow replied dryly as she turned back towards her partner. "I can't sit here any longer, Clint."
Barton rose to his feet and closed the space between them. "It hasn't been that long. Fury will send backup if he hasn't already."
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "So you're content to sit here and wait for rescue?"
"We're not amphibians."Clint argued quietly. "I don't like it any more than you do but we're no use to Fury if we get ourselves killed."
Natasha glanced back at the trickle of water coming through the roof and then at Hawkeye as she folded her arms across her chest. "So what do you propose we do to pass the time?"
Clint raised an eyebrow and grinned devilishly.
"Besides that."The Black Widow stated with a grin as she walked towards him.
Barton reached Natasha and drew her into an embrace. "We could always dance in the rain."
Natasha hesitated a moment before melting into Clint's familiar embrace. "You're crazy."
Hawkeye grinned. "And you're stuck with me."
"Wouldn't have it any other way."The Black Widow replied quietly as they began to dance to the sound of the rain.
end