Nick Fury had had enough of this. It was the same every damn time. It wasn't that he didn't admire her spirit or thought she wasn't up to the task, but did she have to be so stubborn about it? All his other agents were so obedient. Okay, sometimes they went a bit rogue, but not too far off the tracks. And they wouldn't chose their own cases. They stuck to what they were assigned. Mainly because they weren't meant to access the case database. He wasn't even sure how she did that. Black Widow was an accurate name. She was spider-y alright.

"Nat, for the last time, the Rome case is going to Agent Hill. She hasn't done field work in a while, and I want to get her back out there, working a case,"

"I'm not saying it isn't. I'd love to co-run it with Maria, we'd have a blast,"

"You can't do tequila shots on a case," He shouted. He was vividly reliving the time Nat and Maria had rung him up whilst on their weekend off. Hill had told him his voice was sexy. Nat had said he was like a father to her. Never again.

"Okay, one, I'm Russian. It's vodka or I'm out. Two, this case is bigger than you think it is. I want Barton on it too,"

"What makes you think you're smarter than me? And Barton's busy,"

"I never said- Okay look. I've been running my own investigation for a while. This isn't just Hydra clergy. There's something more,"

"And you're planning on telling me what that more is?"

"Of course. Okay you know how Bruce does that thing where he gets all big and green?"

"Kind of his defining factor,"

"No it isn't. But it's a genetic mutation. I think the rogue Hydra agents have been creating more mutations. We've all seen the Hulk. And as luck would have it, Bruce is on our side. But what if he wasn't? What if there was mutant who could do what Bruce does but for Hydra?"

"And I suppose you have proof of this?"

"Of course," She pulled up a huge file out of her bag. Fury took it and leafed through it. Oh, she was good. The Black Widow was one of S.H.I.E.L.D's best assets. Her investigations were always flawless. Sure she liked to leave more dead than alive, and Fury wasn't entirely sure she had the best emotional range, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Nat delivered.

"One day, Nat, you gon be wrong,"

"I wouldn't hold your breath on that one," A smirk appeared on her face.

"I'll tell Hill you two are partnering up. And I want you to head straight down to Level 9,"

"Ew why?"

"You have a profile now. A spy cannot be recognised, genius. The hair goes,"

"Rude," Natasha grinned then. "Cheers Fury,"

Fury shook his head at her. She was always a risk. Natasha would follow his orders and defend S.H.I.E.L.D and planet earth until her dying breath but she just had her way of doing things which he wasn't sure was always going to go as perfectly as it had been so far.

"What about Barton?"

She wouldn't quit on that one, would she? You should have known that, Fury, you fool, he thought to himself. It was not love that Black Widow and Hawkeye felt for each other, but they had an understanding. They were friends. But Fury had no doubt that both of them would take a bullet for the other, whatever the costs.

"Barton is pre-disposed,"

"I can't get hold of him. I've been ringing for months now. Where is he Nick?"

Fury didn't want to tell her. He knew he would inevitably have to, but he had hoped it could last a little longer. He bit his lip and motioned for her to sit. She shook her head and remained standing. Fury had known she would. Whatever the news was, Natasha wouldn't allow herself to look in a position of compromise. Even if he told her Barton was dead, he knew Natasha would never cry in front of him. She would leave and cry elsewhere.

"After New York, Barton had a psychiatric break down. He blamed himself, Nat. People died and Clint thought he had been easily corrupted-"

"It wasn't his fault! It could have been any of us!" Nat cut in incredulously. She thought she had gotten through to him. She had thought he knew it wasn't his fault. After everything they had been through together how could he have let this get to him?

"I know that! And Clint knows it too, but it's just. New York was more than he ever planned on taking on. He didn't handle it well,"

"Let me see him,"

"He'll be out when you get back from Rome. You and I both know it's nothing you and Hill can't handle,"

"Nick please-"

"It's his own request. I don't know-"

"If I wrote a letter, could you take that to him?"

Fury sighed. Sometimes he forgot how much Natasha cared. It was easy to paint her as a robot. And she would certainly never show when she was sad or hurt. Her anger and care though, that was easy to read. He believed in Barton. Clint wouldn't let this destroy him. And he knew Nat did too. And whilst he was highly doubtful that Clint would read it, given that it was Clint himself who had insisted the breakdown be kept as secret as possible, he didn't see what harm there was in trying.

"I suppose so. No guarantee he'd read it mind,"

"Great. I'll write it whilst my hairs in the foils,"

And she left his office. Fury sighed and leaned back in his chair. He knew she was right. Agent Romanoff was always right. She would be right about Rome. She would be right about her and Hill being the team for it. She would be right about writing to Hawkeye. But without her around, he couldn't help but feel a little less safe. Her and Hill were two of his most valued agents. He prayed to a god he didn't believe in that they would come back in one piece.