She recognizes silence before coup d'etat, she has organized or averted plenty of those. But this time there is no ignorant government, power-greedy generals or revolutionary with burning eyes. This time under fever of revolution to come is one of most powerful organizations, controlling way too much things and people able to end existence as we know it. The SHIELD is about to have coup d'etat and most likely successful one. At least Natasha would bet on Fury and his supporting group, not on Director Abel and his people, most still stuck in cold war ideas. And what is the weirdest is that she is counted in Fury's supporters. Coulson will follow Fury, in fact, he, Fury and Hill are the core of this little power game, Barton will follow Coulson, she will follow Barton, so yeah, count Black Widow in Fury's merry band of revolutioners.

Too bad that she and Agent Barton most likely will not live to tell the tale.

"Evac successful, team inbound, eta 3 hours. Do you copy?" through the cracks and statistics Natasha and Maria Hill are listening to shield operations comm feed. They share a glance, relief in their eyes. He is alive, he is coming back to helicarrier in one piece, judging by lack of calls for medics. This marks seventh operation Agent Barton has survived despite eager and active attempts from half of the team to off him.

That is what you get for becoming apple of the quarrel or whatever the saying in English is, Natasha thinks. Director Abel believes that SHIELD should not have "whackoos and weirdos", no matter with bow, brainwashed, turning green now and then, able to talk to computers, falling in love with own gender, sprouting wings or having enhanced healing. Fury, on other hand, collects them as much as as head of SHIELD field ops department can and believes that unique snowflakes will make excellent spies for world security organization in 21st century.

Regrettably, it means that Director Abel are making active attempts to prove Fury wrong by showcasing that his pets die on field like flies and Barton is last standing. That at least explains how her former employer was able to find her in Narva and shoot that dart despite safe perimeter established by SHIELD agents.

"You'll sleep together tonight or I have to set up surveillance alarm?" Hill asks while still messing with some program. From looks, Natasha concludes, should be analytical program, Maria's forte. Her programs borders on AI and are scaringly amazing in analyzing, organizing data and predicting.

"We all will crash together I think," she replies.

"That will feed the rumor mill," Maria laughs, eyes sparkling. "Black widow, lover of her handler agent Caulson, decided to spice things up between them and invited Hawkeye to join. You do realize that there will be betting pool on who is doing who and some indecent rumors about Coulsons manly powers?"

Natasha smiles. People are predictable suckers for some hot and dirty rumor and that allows you to manipulate with them. While everyone is taking bets who is on top - she or Coulson and what Barton thinks about it, none has time to see that in reality it is security assignment once they realized that Abel is not above granting their enemies one time pass to helicarier. Nothing like four months of cold war in closed space to learn that it is better to stay awake and alert half of the night, then spend all night listening for footsteps.

"If I hear any rumor about my anatomy and need for two men, I might let slip story what exactly you are doing with that eye patch" Maria's eyes widen a bit and Natasha realizes that she has hit home. Damn, black widow must be slipping, she had no idea that Hill and Fury are really doing it, not running security decoy like she is.

"Mine will spread faster" she has composed herself and laughs earnestly. Of course, they both will use every advantage they can and they will carefully plant strategical lies and half-truths to keep people from prying.

"Romanoff," suddenly there is no humor in Maria's voice. "You do understand that they are keeping you away from field operations just because Abel is sure you will run away and he wants to kill you, right after he offs Barton and sends message to council asking demote Fury?"

"Actually he wants to trade me in to red room for research data and methodical guides of creating black widow," she replies, voice unnaturally calm

"What the fuck, Natasha! How you know that?" Maria Hill is shocked, but she is also smart and analytical so few seconds later she understands it too. "Paralyzing dart that Clint got in that Estonian town, was for you from red room, right?"

Natasha nods. She likes Maria Hill, eager and yet so composed and in this little revolution Hill is away from spotlights so if it all goes south, she most likely will stay alive and in SHIELD. And when director Abel, armed with red room research of brainwashing, comes seeking his enemy's ex-lover as lab-rat, Natasha will feel better knowing that Hill is warned.

"You should run," Hill says. "I can arrange passage for you. This could be safer then waiting"

It is not that running has not crossed Natasha's mind. By all logic she should run and let them sort their management issues themselves. But her running means that Abel gets chance to kill Coulson and that most likely means end to little revolution and then she will have revenge driven red room teamed with SHIELD after her. And there is limits even to her abilities - the analysis says staying till breaking point her survival chances are at 37 %, running - at 12 %.

"It is wiser to stay" Natasha says aloud, silently continuing "at least until Barton dies."

She has four plans how to use havoc of Abel clearing out people loyal to Fury to escape. And if Fury manages to manipulate council in retiring Abel, she could stay. It is useful to be in organization where leader owes you quite a debt. Still, in back of her head there is small hope that Abel will have strike of genius and kill Barton once and for all. Black widow longs for her freedom.