~* Hello! First Avengers Fanfiction I hope you all like it! Constructive criticism welcome! *~
It was a maneuver they had practiced a few times. One that Barton thought they would never use but here they were. He was dangling over a cliff, a cheap set of handcuffs keeping him from certain death. Natasha's arm swung uselessly as it held his weight, blood slipping down her fingers as the metal of the cuffs bit into her wrist.
"Tasha?" His voice is gruff, the cold night air forming clouds with each breath he took. She hadn't moved for quite some time. "Tasha... Come on. Talk to me."
The red headed assassin shifted as he spoke, a soft groan told him she was coming to. After a few long minutes she peeks over the snowy ledge, eyes clouded with what could only be pain. He felt a spark of guilt as he realized he was to blame.
The way they had practiced the maneuver had their roles reversed. It had happened too fast. He was meant to be holding her up not the other way around. His weight had undoubtedly dislocated her shoulder. He was sure the damage was deeper than that. She was stronger than a dislocated shoulder.
"Alright. I know I need to look into a good diet when we get back.. Are you ready for me to start moving?" He asks even if he knows the answer. The look on her face told him all he needed to know. Despite that she nods, squeezing her eyes shut. "Try not to make any noise." He didn't need to remind her that they were in enemy territory. They both know he's stalling.
With a grunt he starts his slow ascent, doing his best not to jostle her too much as he climbed. It took him some time but he managed to pull himself up and back onto solid ground. He turned quickly to undo the cuffs, biting his lip as he took in the sight of his partner.
She was moving slowly, sitting up seemed like the biggest chore. Her left arm hung limply at her side, blood seeping from her mangled wrist into the snow. He cringed as he found her right arm held taunt by a grappling hook secured tightly around the base of a nearby tree. No doubt her quick thinking. There would have been no way she would have been capable of holding up his body weight on the slippery snow covered cliff side. His eyes met hers, clouded green silently asking for the obvious.
Wrapping an arm around her for support he pressed the release on her gauntlet, lowering her arm gently to her side. He tried to ignore how she was shaking, or how quickly her breaths puffed into the cold air. He needed to focus. He needed to get them to the evac point.
With his free hand he dug into the pocket of his stark white winter coat, tugging a small first aid kit free. "I'm going to patch up your wrist okay? Then we'll see about resetting your shoulders." She nods, blinking quickly to fight off what must have surely been nausea. He's quick with wrapping her wrist, ignoring the blood that peeked through in some places her grabbed a nearby stick.
Tasha looked at him, then at the stick, "I suppose you think I need that?" She says and he's glad she's feeling up to snarky comments with two dislocated shoulders. Clint gives her a half smile for the effort and she accepts the stick, teeth biting into the wood.
He doesn't count down. He gives no indication. He moves with practiced ease, ignoring the look of agony that twisted the red headed assassin's face. He was quick to move onto the other arm, giving her only a moment to catch her breath before repeating the action. When its said and done the stick falls from her mouth, her breathing quick and shallow. True to her word she hadn't made a sound through the whole ordeal and he was more than a little impressed.
"We need to move. The evac point is ten miles south of our location. We also have a Hyrdra squadron on our tail. If they weren't dumb as doorknobs they would have found us by now." He knows she doesn't need reminded of their current situation. She knows he's trying to fill the silence.
"Lets not forget that somebody dropped their bow over a cliff as well." Her voice is hoarse, arms hanging limply at her sides. Pain, white hot and unforgiving, radiated from her limbs. Her chest burned with each breath telling her she must have cracked a rib or two somewhere along the way. "I feel like.. You didn't get your fair share of lumps this time."
Clint can't help but grin, evaluating their surroundings before turning to help her stand. They had to get moving. "Well the day is still young." He says, supporting her as they made their way through the woods.
Natasha didn't know how long they had been walking when he stopped, her breathing labored from the uphill path they had been taking. She was about to ask him why he had stopped when she heard it as well.
Barking. Dogs. They had dogs. Green eyes met with blue. She let out a small grunt as they started running, her hand gripping at his shoulder weakly. How were they tracking them?
~* I Do not own the Avengers. Thank you for reading! *~