The days had started to blur together into an endless monotonous stream of structured routine, no surprises, no shocks and that was the way Natasha liked things. Her missions ran smoothly and she was commended for how well they turned out, her skills seemed sharper than ever and she was the lethal killing machine that everybody knew her to be. Only, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing in her life. The team had ended up regrouping, after taking a much needed break after the battle, a year had passed and one by one, they had ended up lodging at the tower.
It wasn't as bad as Natasha had initially expected, she received as much privacy as she wanted and even though she stayed there most nights that she wasn't on a mission, she still had her small flat in case she needed a break. But things had been quiet and her stress levels were low, she went to work, she trained hard and she had her down time. It was a good mix, a healthy balance. At least there was no scorned Gods trying to take over Earth and wipe out humanity.
Natasha was tired from her latest mission, everything had gone according to plan, but there had been a few worrying moments that were annoying her slightly. After every mission her mind would run its debrief, analyzing every choice and decision, wondering if there had been any mistakes or things she could have improved on. It was a positive thing, ensuring she would constantly strive to be her best, but sometimes it was negative, sending her into moments of regret. It didn't matter that she couldn't change anything, that the past was the past and what was done had been done. The only thing she could do was make sure she was better prepared for next time.
She lowered herself onto the couch in the main lounge, her head resting in her hands as she enjoyed the familiar feeling of returning to the tower. She would probably never admit it, but the place had begun to feel like a home to her, something she had been searching for and never thought she would find. Quiet footsteps sounded behind her and she lifted her head, knowing exactly who was approaching.
"Good to have you back Nat." Clint said, coming around into her line of vision. He was wearing a sleeveless black shirt and grey slacks, no doubt he had been hard at training, judging by the shimmer of sweat across his shoulders and the tense muscles in his arms. "How did the mission go?" He asked casually, knowing details were something she wouldn't be allowed to give.
"It went well." She said simply. She didn't miss the way his eyes checked her for injuries and he nodded slightly to himself, as though pleased she had come back unharmed. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it, perking her interest and she sat up a little straighter, her eyes narrowing. "Spit it out Barton." She said quietly. He folded his arms across his chest and paused, seeming to find the best way to structure his words.
"You haven't spoken to Fury have you?" He asked, clearly already knowing the answer.
"Official debriefing is tomorrow morning." She tilted her head to the side, trying to study him. There was something bothering him, she had known him long enough to figure out when he was worried about something. He knew he couldn't lie to her and he also knew that eventually she would get the information out of him, but she was a little surprised when he complied with her previous demand and actually opted to spit it all out straight away.
"Thor is back." Natasha didn't react to the words, simple enough but holding a depth of meaning that was intensely vast. She stood slowly, her aching muscles announcing themselves but they were ignored as she focused on Clint.
"I'm assuming not for a casual visit?" She said. She was well aware that Thor had returned to Earth a few times over the past year, he felt such a need to make recompense for all the agony their world had suffered. So Clint telling her that he had returned yet again shouldn't have been too much of a shock. But it was the way he said it, as though there was a specific reason behind his visit, one that should have concerned her.
"You should get some rest." He said, completely sidestepping her question as he looked down at his tightly folded arms. "You were abroad for almost a week, you deserve some time to yourself." He was talking about a break, a holiday maybe, but Natasha knew that this meant there was enough danger for him to want her completely out of the equation. It was commendable, wanting to protect her and keep her safe, but she didn't need his concern and she just stared at him.
"Tell me what has happened Barton." She moved a little so he lifted his eyes to hers and she locked them, keeping her gaze even. "What is going on?"
He sighed, never able to keep anything from her, knowing that she would have to be informed soon anyway. "It's Loki." He spat the name slightly, disgust crossing his face. Natasha felt a chill run down her spine, but she showed no visible reaction as she waited for him to continue, fearing what he was about to say. "Thor said something happened during his punishment. He won't go into much detail, apparently most of the situation 'Is of no concern to humans.' Probably a whole lot of Asgardian mumbo jumbo that humans aren't allowed to know about. Magic, or brutal torture methods. Whatever."
Natasha just nodded slightly, keeping silent. Clint took a deep breath and glanced away but she shifted her feet again and his eyes were drawn back to hers. "Apparently there is something else out there. Something that is not only more dangerous than Loki, but was the main reason behind the whole attack."
"Are you saying Loki was controlled?" She asked, reading between the vague lines. She was surprised by the anger that flashed across Clint's face.
"Like I give a shit." He almost growled, "That fucking bastard deserves whatever punishment those Norse fairies can drag up. Thor has got some nerve coming back here and asking for help."
Natasha was confused, evidentially Clint was leaving out a piece of vital information that she needed to complete the puzzle her mind was trying to make sense of. "Will you stop beating around the bush and just tell me what is happening?" She asked, a slight exasperation in her voice. Clint's eyes hardened unexpectedly.
"Thor said that Loki has disappeared. Apparently there is every reason to believe he has come back to Earth." Natasha's skin prickled anxiously, but as always, she appeared to be calm and composed.
"Does he want revenge?" Natasha asked quietly, the slightest shiver of fear in her voice, something no one but Clint would ever be able to pick up on.
"Thor says he is looking for something. He doesn't know what, he doesn't know why. He won't even tell us how he came to that conclusion." Clint sighed, stress and worry flooding his expression in an instant. Natasha wanted to press, not content in the slightest with the lack of information she had been given, but the door to the kitchen swung open and Tony waltzed in, dressed in a casual business suit that no doubt would cause people to faint if they knew how much it had cost him.
"Romanoff." He nodded in her direction, approaching with purposeful footsteps. "Good to have you back, it's been one hell of a sausage fest around here for the better part of a week." Natasha didn't say anything, remaining as blank faced as ever as she observed him. He didn't seem nearly as worried as Clint looked, or she felt. She turned back to Clint and voiced a question with the simple raising of her eyebrows. He shook his head slightly, telling her without words that Tony didn't yet know about the potential danger facing them.
"Well this reunion had been spectacular." Tony said dryly, smoothing the front of his completely wrinkle free suit. "But I have a fundraiser to attend to. Got to keep up that image of mine." He gave her a wink and headed off toward the elevator without another word.
"Get some sleep Nat." Clint said, "I guarantee that tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day."
She could only comply, understanding the logic of needing to be refreshed and her body was already crying out, begging for sleep. She denied the pleading long enough to have a hot shower, soothing the aches of her body and enjoying the feeling of the high pressured water massaging her skin. She tried to push the recent news to the back of her mind as she crawled into bed, her damp hair wetting the pillow almost instantly. Just as she was drifting off to sleep her cell phone rang, her private, untraceable phone that was linked to one number and one number only. She dragged herself from the bed and flipped it open, not saying a word as she waited for the Director to speak.
"Full call-in tomorrow, 0900 hours." Fury said, a commanding tone as always.
"I'll be there." She said before there was a click on the other end and silence. Her bed welcomed her back into its embrace and she sighed, letting herself enjoy a peaceful night, guessing that there probably wouldn't be a chance to sleep soundly for awhile. Not if Loki himself was back on Earth, the possibility of endless destruction trailing in his wake.