For Ava, who opened my eyes to power of praise ;) thank you for your kind review.
"What the fuck happened?"
"Amateurs"
"Us or them?"
"Take a pick"
You should always fear more from eager amateurs then ruthless professionals, her trainers repeated. Now she knows why.
With professionals you never end up thrown out of car in the middle of god forsaken Canadian tundra. Professionals never panic and just push every button they can reach, releasing tailgate cap and sending two thieves sitting on it tumbling down. Professionals take guns and attack and then you take their guns, car and documents and drive to evac spot.
With amateurs you end in middle of frozen nothing with full 8 GB thumb-drive, clothing meant for seducing not surviving and partner, dressed equally uselessly.
"We are sooo screwed," Barton states the obvious.
"Unless we find a shelter, we have some 4 hours till we freeze" Natasha agrees
They look to each other. Only clothes more inappropriate for walk on freezing forest would be bikinis. Natasha's fur coat is warm, but her boots are tight, thin stilettos with twelve centimeters heels. While they were on heated car, it was just cold. Now in less then 20 minutes she don't feel her toes. Barton should be as bad - he's shoes are made for ballroom and coat are for fancy look, not warmth.
"No offense, Romanoff, but you cant plan an op where more then one person is involved," archer states the obvious while seeking for higher spot to evaluate surroundings. He sniffs air and again Natasha wonders what kind of training he has had, if he also can smell faint odor of human settlement at west.
"I think this way. Its far, but better then nothing," Barton says looking to her for confirmation. Natasha nods head agreeing that there is some human dwellings somewhere in west. Not that she hopes to find that, at least 20 kilometers away, rough forest terrain, with stilettos she can barely walk on carpet.
"I really hope whatever is on that drive, is worth our lives," her partner rants, starting to walk west.
"I think it is lead for leverage on council that Fury needs, nothing else would be serious enough for Coulson to arrange my escape from helicarrier, risking Abel finding that out," Natasha admits. It is not good, Black Widow mentally slaps herself for volunteering information. She is getting involved, getting tangled in SHIELD intrigues and games and worst of all, letting debts and ties between her and Barton to grow and widen.
And the bastard is not dying! In half a year she has spent in SHIELD, Barton has knocked on heavens door at least once in week. And for every time she gets her hopes high, Natasha later has to hurry to remove evidence of planned escape when archer crawls out of infirmary looking like total crap, but alive. It is telling that she even went to cathedral and got holy water. Not that she believes things like that, but there is something unnatural about this agent Barton. Better be sure then wait for undead to die. Needless to say, it was awkward when he woke in med bay looking right to Natasha leaning over him and holding glass of water.
"Fat lot of good the lead did to us," he still rants, plowing path in deep snow. "We got in the party, stole data, but now some bear will find our frozen bodies and eat us along with thumb-drive, packed with info I even don't want to know exists, and later will shit us out in deepest and darkest part of forest, where thumb-drive will rust and we will rot."
She laughs, because what else can you do? Freezing is good death, like falling asleep. Way better then many of her sisters got.
"Most of our bodies will be eaten by rodents and polar foxes before bears get here," she says, way more cheerful then things like that should be said.
"I will not even ask how you know that." He returns to rambling about amateurs, bad planning, fucking cold and motherfucking snow.
Its an hour later when she trips on rocks while crossing frozen creek and dry crack of her ankle sends cold chill through her spine.
"Blyad" The fact that she is cursing in Russian is telltale sign that things got real nasty.
"Romanoff, show me" He is right next to her way faster then it should be possible in knee deep snow.
"Nothing to show - broken right ankle" the pain swells on edges of conscience, cold helping to keep it away.
"Can you walk?"
She carefully listens to her body. "No"
"Even if we tie it and get you a stick?"
"There is no way I will walk more then couple hundred meters without cast and shot of anesthesia/adrenaline" Natasha looks right in archers eyes. Karma is funny bitch, Barton will be the one to see her die. In fact, his instructions for half wild asset should be quite precise. "Make it fast, please"
"You know why you Russians loose all the time? you people cut losses too soon," he looks right back to her eyes. That is one of reasons she feels uneasy with archer. Agent Barton has an ability to look right back in Black Widows eyes and not flinch. Never flinch.
"I know you don't like favors and owing, so lets make deal," he says still looking in her eyes. "I carry you as far as we get before freezing, but you will tell me something. deal, Natasha?"
She already told SHIELD everything she found out and knew about red room, except for anything that can be used to restore program after she burnt down most of it. Somehow Natasha doubts that black widow programming routine is what Barton is after, so only viable option is that her partner is curious about something he think Black widow will not tell if he simply asks. Her risk agreeing is extremely low and survival instinct is screaming to grab at every opportunity to prolong life.
"Deal"
She opens coat, so it's lapels covers them both when Natasha is securely locked in fireman's carry. The swing sends pain to ankle and feeling of hot blood in boot tells that the broken bone has fractured skin too. But somehow this is a bit warmer then before, archers shoulders are hot against her, coat keeps the heat close and her added weight make trek through snow hard enough to break a sweat.
"What you want me to tell?" it is not easy to speak while shoulder digs in your ribcage with every step, but damned if she lets them die before paying at least this debt.
"What you want to talk now, like this?" Barton don't change speed but gives her look.
"There might not be another chance and we made a deal that I want to honor."
"Your penchant for fulfilling promises are weird for spy and assassin considered among best" He is openly laughing about her. He does that a lot. Sometimes Natasha understands why, sometimes she don't and he explains now and then that all becomes ties between them, debt over claim, claim over debt.
"There is nothing wrong with some structure and order in life. So what you are curious about?"
"Why are you waiting for me to die?"
Blyad. He is way better then she thought.
"You think I am?" Someone could harvest innocence and confusion from her voice.
"I know you are. You watch me like vulture every time I am in life threatening trouble. Don't do anything to hasten my death, but are not too keen on keeping me alive either." he takes pause to catch breath. "Except for that time when you brought me water."
Her lips stay sealed. He has not asked to elaborate on that and there is no way Natasha will volunteer explanation how she in the moment of insanity actually brought holy water to test if her partner is not some mythical living dead from her fake childhood memory of granny telling gruesome fairytales. Even if it means leading Agent Barton to think that she cared about his wellbeing enough to carry glass of water instead of calling nurse.
"So Agent Romanoff, why are you waiting for me to die?"
"I.." She tries to string together explanation that would be not lies and in same time would not give him additional leverage on her. "I owe you my life. You asked me to work with you. I am keeping a promise."
"By waiting till I die?"
"And then I am free from debt." Really, it is not that hard to understand and Natasha is quite sure that Barton should get it.
"then why you are participating in this? Without you we would not get that info and Abel would off me one of those days"
"I was bored..." it comes out more as question, because really, why? Bored - of course, preferring Fury over Abel - sure, not liking idea of Clint dying from shoot in back - what the actual fuck?
"You are a piece of work, you know. Owe guy one, so become his partner to stay around him, bored, watching till he kicks the bucket, then spit on his corpse and go your merry way? this is not partnership, Nat. And becoming partners was offer, not a deal or payment for not killing you"
She tries to say something but hard dig with shoulder telegraphs her to shut up. Stupid people do not become black widow, so she keeps silent and allows archer to carry her in to sunset, following a trail only he sees. If there is any later, they can make fun of this movie trope - damsel in distress being carried away at sunset. Only ungracious way she is carried and blood dripping from her leg spoils the picture.