A/N: Hey friends. I probably should have done a more introductory note in the first chapter but oh well. This is the first time I've written superheroes (like...ever), but so far I'm really enjoying it. Black Widow and her back story fascinate me (at least as laid out by Richard K. Morgan) and I want to incorporate some of that into this story. I also love the subtle but present Clintasha stuff in the Avengers.

Please, if you've got a moment, review. I strive to become a better writer and feedback is really the best way.

Thank you for reading, I really do appreciate it.

-Kingshammer

Hell's Kitchen Park, 2250

The park was dark save for a few street lamps on the basketball court. Teenagers, excited for a warm Friday night played basketball in the warm, orange glow of the lights. It was like a temporary sunspot, blocking out the darkness of the rest of the park. The darkness that was protection for those who did their work in the night. On the other side of the park from the basketball court, Clint and Natasha were waiting under the jungle gym that looked like a man reclining on his elbows, checking their radios.

"Black Widow to OD, radio check," whispered Natasha into her head piece. OD responded with a click on their microphone.

"Hawkeye to OD, radio check," another click. "You think they'd take the time to actually respond on the radio."

"You're not actually offended are you?" asked Natasha, rolling her eyes.

"A little bit. For once, New York's quiet. What's S.H.I.E.L.D. got going on tonight that keeps them from a friendly response?" he replied. Clint had his mask in hand, purple and black and he was dusting it off.

"A click is more efficient. And what are you doing with that old thing? You haven't worn that since, what, Budapest?" asked Natasha. She was checking her Widow's Bite bracelets. She knew they were secure. She never went out into the field unprepared. Unlike Clint, Natasha wasn't sporting her trademark skin tight black widow suit. Instead she was in the S.H.I.E.L.D black cargo pants and black jacket with well-worn black boots.

"This 'old thing' as you say is a part of the Hawkeye uniform, an important one mind you. I stopped wearing it after Budapest, but that had more to do with doing more work for Nick Fury. Without it I'm Agent Barton. With it, I'm Hawkeye," he replied. He pulled on his mask. It covered his forehead down to his nose but left his mouth and jaw free until it got to his neck. It was also open at the top, leaving him with a crown of blonde hair. Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Wearing that mask doesn't make you not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent," she replied dryly.

"Yes, but it's part of what makes me Hawkeye. And I'm Hawkeye first. Is that what you're hoping for, that that uniform will change who you are? Aren't you the Black Widow underneath it all? I mean, you still use your Widow's Bite bracelets; I mean, they're called 'Widow's Bite'," he replied, looking her in the eye. Natasha stared at him for a moment, looking for something mocking or sarcastic in his eyes. All she saw was curiosity. She looked away, letting her auburn colored hair obscure her face more than the darkness already did. Clint opened his mouth to say something but didn't get the chance.

"So Nick sent you two out to play, huh?" came a voice from the shadows around the jungle gym. Clint and Natasha, distracted by their conversation, were both startled but were too well trained to jump. Daredevil stepped out from the cover of foliage to the jungle gym. Just looking at him you couldn't tell Daredevil had been in a fight for his life the night before. His crimson suit was buffed, all scuff marks gone. If there had been better light though, Natasha and Clint would have noticed the bruise on his jaw that went and disappeared beneath his cowl.

"You bet. We watched your home video today," replied Clint wryly. He extended his hand, which Daredevil shook. Clint couldn't help but be amazed by Daredevil's ability to see without his eyes.

"Not one of my shining moments I'm sure," replied Daredevil ruefully.

"No, but we're glad you made it. It's good to see you Matt, it's been too long," said Clint.

"You too, Clint. Sorta," he chuckled. Daredevil looked over at Natasha. "Natasha, it's always a pleasure. How are you?"

"About the same as always I suppose. You two watch it, we're on code names tonight," she scolded lightly.

"Of course, of course. No one's going to shake in fear if Matt Murdock shows up, but Daredevil: that'll keep people from picking fights," replied Clint with a little too much sarcasm. He regretted it instantly, but Natasha didn't seem eager to hear apologies.

"Where should we get started?" she asked Daredevil, ignoring Clint completely.

"The rooftops are always good. Gives me a vantage point for the neighborhood," he replied. Natasha nodded and started walking away from the men towards the edge of the park and to the buildings on west 48th street. Daredevil looked at Clint, but Clint just shrugged.

"I don't know what's got her so quiet and edgy. I'm not sure what to do," he said.

"I'm not sure you can begin to figure that out," replied Daredevil. Without another word the two took off after the Black Widow.

The next two hours consisted of intentional parkour. Sure people were out and pickpockets cornered the fools who decided to walk the streets of Hell's Kitchen alone, but those were scuffles that Clint and Natasha let Daredevil handle. They were under strict orders from Fury not to engage unless they were dealing with juiced up druggies. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't want anyone, especially NYPD, to get the impression that their agents were teaming up with Daredevil in his vigilantism. Sure, people accepted Daredevil. He kept the streets cleaner and safer. He went for the people that the system wouldn't. But they weren't about to be okay with government sanctioned vigilantes running through their streets. S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't afford bad press. That being said, orders didn't forbid Clint and Natasha from being seen, and seen they were. It made Daredevil's job easier because crooks thought twice when they saw the Black Widow and Hawkeye silently flanking Daredevil. More often than not, they simply ran. Aside from these run ins, the heroes climbed up and over buildings, Daredevil listening for sirens and other signs of trouble.

"What's the strangest thing you've walked up on out here, barring your friend from last night and any of our superhero friends? Real life, what's the strangest situation you've run into?" asked Hawkeye as they rested on one of the rooftops.

"That's an easy one I think. One night I was out and heard a bad domestic argument outside one of the apartment buildings. I couldn't tell you what they were arguing about, but the man was crazy. He was screaming about how his wife hated him and that everyone hated him. I got there and before I had a chance to say anything, he cut his throat. Right there in front of me. His wife screamed and screamed. She tried to stop the bleeding. Someone must of called the police because sirens came not long after," said Daredevil quietly, after some thought.

"Jesus. I can't imagine," muttered Clint.

"Can't you? You've seen men die before," asked Natasha. They were the first words she'd said in two hours.

"Well sure, but that's always been part of the job hasn't it. I've seen men die and I've killed them too. But I've never seen anyone kill themselves, not like that," he replied. Natasha looked away from him, not saying anything in response. It made Clint mad. She'd been closed off today. Sure she wasn't the most open regarding her emotions but she wasn't always so cold and never towards Clint. He wanted to know what was bugging her, but now wasn't the time to figure it out.

"They're here," said Daredevil suddenly, interrupting Clint's thoughts. The vigilante stood at the very edge of the roof, cocking his ear towards the city below. "Two blocks away, they're breaking storefront windows, making a lot of noise. Two of them."

"Sounds like a trap," said Clint.

"Undoubtedly, but we can't help it. If they run into someone, they'll kill them," replied Daredevil. Without another word he jumped off the roof to the fire escape on the building next door, crawling down in it like a spider. Hawkeye looked briefly at Natasha, catching her eye.

"Watch yourself," he said before launching himself off the roof.

Daredevil was right about there being two druggies. One was a man, the other a woman. They both were incredibly skinny, their skin yellowing and pulling tight across their cheek bones. Their eyes were sunken in and looked hollow. Their senses must have been heightened in addition to their strength and speed, because as soon as the three heroes appeared on the street they ceased their vandalism. The woman let out a feral screech before launching herself at Clint.

"Black Widow to OD, enemy is engaged, one male, one female," she barked into her radio quickly.

"Lure them into the alley," hissed Daredevil. Clint caught the full weight of the woman's attack and turned as she ran into him, sending her sideways into the alley with her own momentum. He went after her with a kick to the knees and a fist to the face. She took both but spun in a circle catching the side of Clint's face with her fist, knocking him over with the shear force. Before Daredevil or Natasha could respond, the man attacked.

He lunged for Natasha but she ducked and rolled under his swing. Daredevil came up on the man's side, kneeing him in the stomach and driving his elbow into the man's back. The man, unfazed, swung back with his own elbow catching Daredevil in the ribs. He dropped to his knees with a gasp. The man brought his hands up, clenching them together, ready to hammer them onto Daredevil's skull. Before he could bring his hands down, Natasha was there. She snuck her hand in between his arms and grabbed him by throat while wedging her hip behind his, shoving him away from Daredevil. He was fast though, and before the hand that grabbed his throat was clear he grabbed the wrist and pulled, literally throwing Natasha past him as he fell.

The spy rolled to avoid the worst impact only stopping she hit the side of the building.

Clint was trading blow for blow with the woman. She attacked him with a complicated series of kicks and punches which he managed to block but only barely. Seeing Natasha hit the ground out of the corner of his eye spurred him to the offensive, however. Dodging rather than blocking one of her kicks, Clint spun and pulled a cartridge of black powder from his waist while doing so. He threw the cartridge at her face and black powder exploded out. She snarled in frustration but Clint smirked. I guess Super Serum doesn't make you see any better, he thought. He delivered a stomp kick to her midsection sending her sprawling onto her back. She was down for maybe a moment before she got back on her feet.

"These guys just don't quit," muttered Hawkeye. The woman lunged for him again, but Natasha intercepted her with two kicks, one to the stomach followed by on to the head with the same foot.

"Help Daredevil," she barked at Clint.

The woman stumbled back slightly and tried to punch. Natasha caught the punch with her garrote cable and then pulled the woman's arm back until it crossed her chest and Natasha was behind her. The spy kicked out the woman's knee which caused her to collapse. She was juiced up but that didn't keep ligaments from tearing.

Clint turned and drew an arrow, leveling it at Daredevil's attacker. Since Natasha had departed them, Daredevil had been using his billy club to fend off attacks. He was still injured from the night before and so every strike to his body was agonizing.

"Get away from him," he yelled at Daredevil. With a jab, Daredevil rammed his billy club into the man's throat and shoved him away. Clint's arrow struck him under the armpit and after a moment the man began to shake and jerk as an electrical current ran through his body, knocking him to the ground.

Clint fit a similar arrow to his quiver and faced back to Natasha but there wasn't a clear shot. The woman hadn't been ready to be subdued by the Widow and so the two were engaged in grappling struggle on the street. Natasha managed to get behind her and put her in a sleeper hold, but the woman continued to struggle. Natasha, noticing Clint was at ready, yelled out,

"Clint shoot!"

Trusting their years of partnership, Clint let the arrow fly. At the same moment, Natasha released the woman and shoved her up and away from her body. She rolled away just as the woman fell again, clear of the electric charge of the arrow.

"This one's dead," remarked Daredevil, checking the man. Once the initial charge of the arrow died, the woman lay twitching, still conscious, though in Clint's experience he knew she shouldn't be.

"This is only the beginning, doch'," she gasped out with her last breath. Clint looked over at Natasha and was surprised to see in her eyes was fear.

"Tahsa?" he asked tentatively. She glanced over at him but didn't have a chance to answer. A cough and gasp behind them had them both spin around just in time to see Daredevil collapse to his knees, coughing up blood.