[AN: This is my take on how Natasha (she's called Natalia because that was her name originally[comic verse]) and Clint (though he's never named cause she doesn't know him) meet. It starts in the middle so bare with me and all will be explained. (Also if you're Russian and/or know more about Russian geography than I do (being an ignorant American who has never gotten to go to Russia (but I would love to)) please bear with my inaccuracies)]

{{Disclaimer: I don't own either of the characters… or the universe...partly inspired by the Borne Movies... which I also don't own… I own nothing really T.T}}

Chapter 1

Natalia repressed a shiver as the wind whipped against her bare legs and between the straps of her heals and pulled her fur lined coat closer around her shoulders. She got many strange looks for the passersby who were all dressed more warmly than she was. No self respecting Russian would dress so stupidly they all thought as they passed, long pants, boots, and warm hats in contrast to her bare calves and flaming red hair that fluttered the breeze. Another shiver threatened up her spine but a her train was arriving, she'd be warm and cared for soon.

The 9:00 train out of Novosibrisk, south and then west to the Chinese boarder slid to a graceful squealing stop with a hiss of steam in the cold air and warm glow emanating from every open door.

Natalia hurried, her heals clacking across the cold concrete as she hurried to the cars. She could have stood on that platform for hours more but her cover was important from the moment that train pulled in to the moment her target was in her custody.

"Excuse me?" She asked the door man, "This is the train to China, correct?" Her English accent was impeccable and the man's minute expression of distaste and annoyance showed it.

"No English," he said in a heavy Russian accent and she distorted her face into a mask of conceit and offense before boarding the train with a huff. Inside was delightfully warm, like soft velvet after lying on concrete for days. Natalia stopped for a moment to sigh in comfort, make a pretense of gathering herself and letting her coat open down to the low scooped collar of her dress. It was deep red and contrasted nicely with her pale skin and black jacket. It was an outfit meant to grab attention and foster attraction, not something Natalia even liked though. Her heals made muffled noises as she walked the length of the cars looking for her mark. She wasn't surprised to find him quickly in a middle car on the first level halfway between each entrance sitting angled in his seat so all lines of approach were covered. He therefore couldn't help but notice her enter.

Over the intercom a voice came on with specifics of their departure and arrival times then asked all passengers to take their seats and prepare their tickets to be stamped.

Pointing to the seat next to him Natalia asked "May I?" in slightly accented Russian, enough to give the impression of an American but only enough so her mastery of the language was clear.

"Yes, of course," he replied, moving out of the way but putting his weapon, cleverly hidden against the seat in easier reach.

"You look well," She said when settled and began removing the heavy coat to show the tightly fit red dress and pencil skirt bottom that reached her knees.

"Do I know you?" Her mark asked cautiously.

"Not yet but my people know of you Agent Baranski," she said softly in flawless English, her American accent thick and slightly southern.

"Hmf," He smirked, "pretty women will not be enough to move me. I'm sorry the Americans will lose such a pretty, young face to a useless cause," he replied, his face a mask of polite pitty but his eyes dark and emotionless. It stole a little of Natalia's breath to see such a flawless Agent leaving the field. He must have been amazing. "You might have been effective somewhere else but alas," He went on.

"You may find my offer more persuasive if you give me time," Natalia offered.

"You have two minutes," He conceded. He's waiting for the tunnel Natalia realized as he gave the time limit. In the dark he could kill her without being caught if he was skilled enough. His smile softened and he looked at her with complete openness. Yes, she assured herself, he was skilled enough. Someone must think very highly of her to assign such a mission to someone so young. But her time was ticking and her act was going cold. With just enough tint of fear she went deeper into her cover.

"I did not come here alone," she explained, leaning in and whispering, "My partner and I were followed from Volgograd. You have not made may friends in the past few days. He… my partner," She paused let sentimentality, perhaps even attachment show in her empty words, "died in Chelyabrinsk. I come with an offer of asylum and peace. You want a way out, we can give that to you but if you turn it down you will not make it to the boarder. The assassin that took out my Partner will come for you even if I am dead."

"There are very few people I fear anymore, Ms?"

"Robin," she smiled and let her shoulders relax ever so slightly then tense up as she talked on. "You will fear her, the Black Widow?" She probed and got the appropriate response.

"That they would go so far," he muttered under his breath is Russian.

"Get off with me at Iskitim and we will help you out of the country."

"How do I know you are not the Black Widow herself?"

"Because she would not need to address you," Natalia said with a shiver of fear. "You'd already be dead." For a moment Baranski seemed to doubt her answer then went still.

"The Black Widow works alone does she not?" He questioned.

"Rumor has it, we've never observed her…" But he cut her off.

"It seems I have many fans," Natalia's eyes got away from her in a rookie move and scanned the car till they met piercing blue. No, she gasped in her mind as she looked at the boyish face. Even with the lines of time and stress it was a child's face and one she couldn't forget. He can't be alive, she tried to tell herself but it was a problem for another time but his eyes held hers and the impossibly long second passed.

He jumped to his feet hand to his waist and Natalia launched herself at her mark, removing her weapon from the folds of her coat and returning fire as screams went out up and down the car as shots went off.

Bang Bang, Bang! Hisss, Whoosh! Darkness feel in the car as screams of terror and shots of names and gods went on.

"Move!" Natalia yelled in Russian, her accent falling away in her surprise. I saw him fall, I saw him fall, she repeated to herself but it didn't change the danger. Her feet were moving, shoes hindering her progress as they hurried for the door at the opposite end. Heavy foot falls and grunting shoves followed her in the darkness getting louder and closer but there was nowhere to go. Her jacket was yanked from behind and she pulled out her second piece turning as the clothing slid off of her shoulders and got off two shots before a jab at her stomach didn't quite hit its mark but knocked her off balance and strong caloused hands found her weapons. With a quick twist she had one hand free but his powerful thumb found the tender pressure point of her wrist and the second pistol dropped to the floor. She knew where he was though and brought the butt of the free gun down hard on his wrist. He cried out in the dark and she dashed for the door and the footsteps of her mark. The train car doors flew open with a cracking sound and she was in the next car as Whoosh! The light was back blindingly. Her mark was already closing the door to the next car. The Black Widow gave chase.

Baranski make it three cars before she caught up, having dropped the heals. He saw her closing in and made a new strategy and bolted for the second level stairs, knocking passengers into her way as she dashed for the other set. Just rounding the corner, the man who'd started it all dashed past the upstairs door. He sent three halfhearted shots in her direction before taking her mark in the middle of viewing deck hallway. Screams of surprise went up from the passengers and Natalia burst into the aisle, her gun trained on the foreign agent.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the childishly face man warned spinning her mark before him as a shield.

"You gonna shoot him too, Agent Robin?" He asked in English with a cocky american accent, "That's not your real name is it cause my Director would be very happy to know if it was?" The man laughed, a grin plastered over his face as he panted. She could just about see the adrenaline coursing through him. His voice was elated but his stance was solid. The jokes were a ruse.

"I will if I have to but that's not what either of us wants," She warned him, her own adrenalin making it hard to stay still and aim straight but she was trained for this, trained her whole life.

"Your right," he shrugs, feet still stable. Suddenly his gun wasn't threatening her mark but pointing to the window.

Bang Bang, Crack, Whoosh! Wind exploded into the car as the man, crazy grinning, child-faced bastard jumped against the broken glass and toppled from the train car.

"No!" Natalia didn't think, didn't register the blistering cold against her arms, her legs, her face, whipping through her hair and jumped after.

Landing hurt like hell, more than breaking an arm, breaking a rib, more like both, only worse because it was cold! The gravel side way of the tracks slid under her as she rolled along with the left over momentum of the train and it continued to whizz by her for more than a few seconds. The sudden cold and the haze of pain gave way with the soft clicking sound of a pistol, her pistol.

"You're crazier than I thought, Black Widow," the real American agent laughed and she looked up into his childlike, stress worn face. "Cold?" He questioned, breath making clouds in the air as he chuckled. Natalia fought the pain that seemed to hail against her sides, the dizzy feeling in her head, the numbing, needle stabbing cold and let her training take over but her body wouldn't move fast enough, wouldn't respond as it should.

"You're lucky I have good timing," The American told her amiably. "The road is nearby, and in that dress hitchhiking will be a cinch." She felt his strong calloused hand under her arm, the hand with the bad wrist and didn't fight as it lifted her smaller body up into a shaking stand. It became very clear to even her throbbing befuddled mind that she wouldn't be getting out of this one at the moment.