AN: A different approach to Natasha and Clint's first meeting. It's slightly based around the comic book. Not really sure where this came from and I have no idea if I've done justice to their characters but I just had to write this.
Clint Barton was nothing but professional. Get in, get the job done and get out. Simple. He never got sidetracked from the mission. It was one of the things that made him a great mercenary. Clint worked alone. Always. There no exception to that. It was one of his rules. Working with others lead to fuck ups. People can't be trusted. Clint would rather have no one watching his back instead of an incompetent idiot getting him killed. It didn't bother his employers. The less people hired the less money they had to cough up. That being said, Clint didn't come cheap. He was the whole package. There was pretty much nothing he couldn't do. It wasn't that he was immodest, just honest about his own abilities. If something was out of his league then he'd pass on the job.
The sound of breaking glass made him glance up. A group of men were the cause of the breakage. And also Clint's latest job. A Russian gang that needed to be taken care of. They were encroaching on another's territory and that just didn't stand. The group that hired Clint had suffered a lot of causalities and were lacking the man power to just go in guns blazing. Clint hadn't really decided on how he was going to get the job done yet. For now he was just watching, looking for weaknesses and anything else that might come in handy.
Clint was in a bar that was the frequently visited by the members of Sharnov Nikolay Borisovich's vile men. Nikolay was a no show but Clint didn't expect the Boss to show. It was of a little consequence. It wouldn't be hard for him to follow one of these idiots back to their hideout. These men were all about making a scene but Clint was able to slip into the shadows. They'd never know they were being followed. But for now, that would have to wait.
There were four men seated which made Clint suspect they were of importance in the group. A few other men stood and watched quietly. They were nothing but bodyguards and would have little to no useful information. He wasn't concerned about getting caught watching them. Clint was across the other side of the room and mostly shielded from view by other patrons. This didn't affect his watching though. His eyesight was superior. Clint could easily see the features of the men and when they obstructed from his view then he'd use reflections to watch them.
The night passed by and the men got increasingly drunk. Clint waved away a waitress. He had a high alcohol tolerance but he'd been steadily drinking all night to ensure he fit in. There were quite a few things he'd discovered by now. The small ratty looking man that Clint had originally dismissed as non-threatening was without a doubt the Captain of these men. A bald man with a rough beard was recovering from an injury to his left leg and the black haired man had an appreciation for men.
Clint hadn't allowed anything to distract him through the night. The waitresses were clearly used to offering other services than just alcohol and one brunette woman seemed only too desperate to get Clint to accept her advances. It seemed the women wanted to avoid Nikolay's men as much as possible but without offending and appearing obvious. Sneaking out the back with another man would provide an excellent escape and some extra cash. Clint doubted any of the men associated with Nikolay paid for what they took.
The manager of the establishment was a grey haired man. The man wore glasses and his face looked like old leather. The manager was no doubt getting money from Nikolay as he kept directing the women over to Nikolay's men. The man seemed short tempered and Clint had watched him go red in the face from anger multiply times.
"Nadine, you're late again!" The manager shouted. Clint couldn't see the woman he was yelling at and let the threats from the manager drift away from his concious. It was no concern to him. But when he saw Nadine he felt his mouth go dry. Clint felt his focus on the loud idiots drip away and his blue eyes locked onto the woman. Nadine's red hair was a little longer than shoulder length with perfect curls. Her eyes were a brilliant blue, darker than Clint's. Nadine was slender but with curves that Clint would love to hold onto. Nadine was dressed similar to the other waitresses. A white shirt that was clearly made with the intention to be see through and black shorts that hardly covered anything. Unlike most of the other women, Nadine had forgone the tacky fishnet stockings. Also, unlike the other women Nadine hadn't smeared her beautiful face with layers of make-up. Other than her striking red lips and black eye liner to highlight her eyes. The other women had bright colours and looked nothing more than a child that got into their mother's make up. Clint was rarely so stunned by a woman.
The job momentarily forgotten, Clint watched Nadine follow after the manager in an abashed state, her thick coat slung over her arm. He was sure her long legs would be freezing with the harsh weather outside. A loud jeer made Clint snap back to reality and he focused back on Nikolay's men. They were beckoning Nadine over and the manager was only too happy to oblige. The leather faced man ripped the coat off Nadine and gestured for her to go see to the men. Clint had to hold back a glower. If Nadine made an advance on him, he'd find it hard to say no.
Nadine appeared polite and far too gentle to be working in such an environment. The ratty looking captain slung an arm around her petite waist and dragged her onto his lap. Clint felt his hand twitch, longing to reach for his bow and stick an arrow through the man's eye. It wouldn't be discrete at all but it'd feel good. Clint glanced down at his brief case that contained his quiver and bow. No, he couldn't blow his cover. If he even registers on the Mafia's radar then he'd pretty much fucked the job up. Clint wouldn't risk it just because Nadine was the most striking woman he'd ever seen.
The next time he saw Nadine was a week later. Only this time she was at Nikolay's hideout. Clint had followed Skuratov Isaak Denisovich, the ratty captain back here. It was of little challenge. Isaak was borderline drunk and never noticed Clint slipping along the rooftops and blending into shadows. The only real problem he had was finding a location where he could observe Nikolay without getting caught. The building was run down but was in a large lot with no close buildings. The best Clint could do was an apartment building full of lost souls that was at least a hundred metres away. The roof to the apartment was thankfully easy to get access to. Clint had to resort to a high tech listening device to make any benefit of the situation. He adjusted the ear pierce and fiddled with the receiver for a moment before the conversation burst into his ear. Clint focused a camera into the Nikolay's office. He didn't need the zoom lens to help see but he wanted hard evidence.
Rather than assassinating all of them, which Clint knew was a high risk operation that would likely end in his torture and slow death he'd decided to get enough evidence of their wrong doings to get them locked up or executed. The police had raided them before but every time they came up clean. Clint wasn't entirely sure whether Nikolay had a great hiding place or corrupt police were aiding him. Possibly both. Corrupt cops could be an issue for his plan but Clint couldn't take out Nikolay and all his men out by himself.
Nikolay was of average height, not bulky in appearance but not slim either. He had greasy black hair that was slicked back and a pointed face. The office was little more than a large room with a bar, couches and a few tables. Nikolay was sitting on the longest couch with two girls fawning over him.
"Did you bring me the girl?" Nikolay asked, raising a brow in a threatening manner. Thankfully Clint was almost fluent in Russian and had no issue understanding the conversation.
"Of course Boss." Isaak nodded quickly, almost too quickly. "Well it's just that..."
"Just what?" Nikolay pushed the blonde girl off his lap and reached for a gun on the table with a casual air.
"I had some of my boys bring her earlier and they wanted a taste." Issak stammered.
"Your boys?" Another raise of a brow.
"Yours Boss, yours." The tiny statued man seemed to shrink even more. Clint was relatively amused despite the dark conversation. He was used to these things.
"I want a list of the names of the men who touched her. You'll all be reprimanded for the disrespect you've shown. You especially for allowing it to happen. Perhaps Captain doesn't suit you. Maybe a demotion to a low life bodyguard will do you some good Isaak?"
"No, please Sir. She is a temptress!" Isaak was grovelling. Clint was waiting for the man to slip onto the floor and literally start begging.
"I grow tired of your pitifully pleading. Go, bring the woman to me and then get out of my sight." Nikolay spat out. Isaak left quickly and Clint watched as Nikolay sent the two women away as well.
He was about to finish up his surveillance as he didn't really want to watch Nikolay torment and no doubt rape an innocent woman. He at least now knew what Nikolay looked like and had photos to go with it. It was possible he could use Isaak's fuck up to his advantage.
Clint really was going to go back to his safe house. But then Isaak returned with a familiar woman in tow. Nadine. Clint froze and dropped back into position to continue watching and listening.
"My my my, you truly are something to behold aren't you?" Nikolay asked with reverence. Isaak left without a word.
Nadine's eyes were huge and darting around. She looked terrified. Clint could see bruises on her wrists and thighs. Clint felt his blood boil. It shouldn't affect him, he was used to this shit. He'd seen girls and women in worst states.
"I don't believe you tempted my men. Look at you, you're no temptress. Just a scared little girl." Nikolay chuckled. "Come to me. I'll look after you."
"Please...I just want to go home." Nadine choked back a sob. Trying to be braver than what she was feeling. Clint had to hole back the urge to go Robin Hood mode and save her. He wouldn't fuck up the job for a woman. His reputation would be destroyed. It was the first time he had heard her speak and he wished it wasn't ruined by the desperation in her voice.
"You are home now. Now come here." Nikolay asked more forcefully this time.
Nadine moved towards him with trepidation. But as Clint watched her move he could see there was a gracefulness there too. She moved with meaning, no step was wasted, no movement was done without prior consideration. Clint stared at her face. She seemed generally terrified. Her eyes reminded him of a doe before he sunk an arrow through it's neck. Nadine was the prey in that room. Yet something still played on his mind that she moved like a predator.
