Clint Barton was an idiot.
Leah had actually slept last night. Her exhaustion had kept away the dreams. She was fully rested and on the top of her game. That had to be the day Barton decided he wanted to go up against her with a knife.
Idiot.
"I haven't got all day here," Barton said impatiently, tapping a blunt blade on his thigh.
"You sure you want to do this?" Leah asked, picking up a dulled knife from a rack in the training room. It was unfamiliar, but she quickly weighed it and balanced it in her palm.
Barton's eyes narrowed at the insinuation. Leah wondered what had pissed him off.
Whenever Clint was in a mood this bad, he would spar with Natasha, but that clearly wasn't going to happen. She was a part of his problem.
He learned Natasha and Coulson would be returning from Russia soon. He had hoped Coulson would talk to Fury and get him to soften his assignment. After all, Ghost was well trained and, even though she clearly had some secrets, didn't seem like she would sell them out.
Then Clint found out from a newbie in mission control that they already had a something lined up for Natasha and Coulson when they got back. And that they had strict orders that involved Clint staying at the base for a while.
He was on lockdown. That is, except for the three missions he was required to go on with Ghost. After that he was free to go.
Fury was planning something big. Clint knew he was somehow involved in it, but he was being told nothing. Coulson knew it, whatever it was. He doubted Natasha was completely in on it, but she knew something.
Why else were they all being spilt up? He would get it out of Nat eventually. That is, whenever he was able to see her next.
Clint tried to wash away his resentment, like he was trained to. He had worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. for a long time. It wasn't the first time they pulled this kind of crap with him. Yet he hated S.H.I.E.L.D.'s unofficial motto, 'Do what you're told, but we aren't telling you jack squat'.
He followed his orders; he deserved to be told what was going on.
So before he marched into Fury's office, yelled himself hoarse and had a gun pointed at his head, he knew he needed to be taken down a notch.
Clint needed to spar to channel his aggression, and he needed someone who could beat him. Smith stood no chance against him with a bow, but on her turf …
It was impulsive and stupid, fighting her when he knew she would beat him. It would give her leverage. But it wasn't as impulsive and stupid as breaking into mission control or threatening Fury would be.
So, for a few minutes, he swallowed his pride.
Within thirty seconds, Smith slid the flat of the knife up his arm. If it had been a sharp edge, she would have severed his superior ulna collateral artery. So he kneed her in the stomach.
Smith doubled over for a split second, gasping involuntarily, then swung for his neck and kicked his shin. He dodged the blade, but his leg wasn't fast enough.
Clint quickly wrapped his throbbing leg around the back of her's. She twisted halfway out of it, so when he finished the manoeuvre, Smith was kneeling instead of kissing the mat.
He felt the pain in his shin for a half second. It was like the thing had its own heartbeat.
Smith swung her heel around, the heavy sole of her boot making contact with his arm. She pounced, grabbing his injured arm and twisting it, trying to get him to let go of the knife. Clint refused. He knew she could beat him, that didn't mean he wasn't going to put up a fight.
Smith mimicked drawing the blade across his throat. He was dead, but he kept fighting.
After fifteen minutes they took a break. She had killed him five times and he had barely touched her.
Leah took a gulp of water. She was doing her best not to feel smug. Barton needed a challenge. He came to her, knowing his chances of winning. So he either didn't care if she knew a weakness of his or he didn't see her as threatening. Perfect.
Barton definitely wasn't comfortable with her. That idea was almost laughable. But now he didn't think she was going to stab him in the back. Hell, he even fought with her using her favourite weapon. Maybe her plan would work out after all.
Barton walked back on to the mat and looked at her expectantly.
That surprised Leah, but she hid it well. He worked out whatever was bothering him earlier. Maybe this round was just about regaining some of his dignity and Leah wasn't about to go easy on him.
Barton managed to kill her once even though she had 'cut' several important arteries. Leah was almost proud of him.
He was getting better at anticipating her moves. The fighting wasn't serious but it sure as hell still hurt, though neither party was going all out.
Leah saw an opportunity. She grabbed hold of the wrist of the hand he was holding his knife in, being forced to drop her own in the process. Kicking off from the ground and using his arm to propel herself, Leah caught her ankles around his throat, slamming him to the ground and keeping his knife hand controlled.
That's when Leah heard a chuckle.
Startled, having been so engrossed in the fight, she snatched her abandoned blade off the ground before turning around. She sensed no immediate danger, but remained cautious none the less.
She was met by the Black Widow.
"You're getting rusty, Clint," the Widow said.
Barton got up from the mat casually and dusted himself off. "I needed someone else to kick around while you were gone."
Leah shot him an incredulous look.
"We all know that wasn't how it was going," the Widow stated plainly, her full lips quirking up at the side. Then she and Barton shared a look and the Widow's hard green eyes softened.
Leah watched the exchange with veiled interest. They had history. She wondered if they were sleeping together. If they were, Leah knew how dangerous it would be for her. If they were attached, they wouldn't give a second thought about letting her die if it meant they could save their lover.
Attachments cloud your judgement. Leah knew that. She had been there before.
She made a mental note to look that one up in the filing room, where her night visits were becoming almost as frequent as those to the archery range.
Leah studied Black Widow for a moment. Her hair as longer than it had been when they met in Athens, but was still a vibrant red. Leah greatly respected the woman's skills. They had come away from Athens with neither side winning, but Leah had to leave the country before the dealer who had paid her to steal the vase the Widow destroyed could find her. She hadn't been to Greece since, all because of some pottery.
"Natasha Romanoff. I take it you're Ghost?" Romanoff said, her expression and tone neutral.
Leah chose to act natural. The Black Widow was a good deal less tense than Barton and that was a good sign. It wasn't trust, but it was more accepting. The day was getting better and better for Leah.
"You can call me Leah Smith. Good to see you again."
Romanoff raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to decide whether the statement was sarcastic or not.
Leah continued, "I'm just glad we're on the same team this time 'round."
Romanoff smiled politely. "I prefer to think of the last time we met as a draw."
"That's what I've been telling myself since then," Leah said, smiling. Romanoff's smile seemed to become more genuine.
Leah was glad the Widow was someone she could get along with. Leah had Matthew and contacts in the criminal world that she got along with, and that was pretty much it.
Clint looked between the two women, creases forming on his forehead. He had expected the women to butt heads. They were both proud and experienced, and neither of them took any bullshit. He realised how alike they were with a start.
Natasha turned back to Clint. "Director Fury wants to speak with both of us." She glanced at Smith, "He said you were to go to Coulson in the pantry. Phil wants to meet you."
That first sentence was the one that piqued Leah's curiosity. Would she learn what had been bothering Barton? The man had kept his cool since she had met him, she wanted to know what would make him show his anger.
Instead, Leah smiled warmly. "The famous Coulson, huh? I'd better be going then." She would wish them fun at their super top secret meeting, but she had plans on crashing it.
Leah walked out of the training room and turned to the left. She turned invisible and peered back into the room. Romanoff and Barton were slowly coming towards the door.
"I can't believe it. If I had said that, she'd never have gone. She would've been stubborn and I wouldn't get to Fury for another half an hour," Barton moaned. That was surreal for Leah. What he said about her was true, but hearing him chat to a friend was strange. All she'd heard from him were orders and the odd snarky remark.
"I seem to recall you insisting on using the word 'determined' instead of 'stubborn' when someone is talking about you," Romanoff quipped as the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents strolled towards the main briefing room. Leah tailed them carefully.
"Just back from Russia and already acting like a smart ass," he uttered sarcastically.
"Good to see you too," Romanoff smirked. "Have you tried acting like an actual human being? With a person like the Ghost, I'd say the quickest way to get her trust would be by being open with her. She's trained to sense veiled emotions."
Leah didn't like to admit it when she was surprised, but that Romanoff would say that after only meeting her for a minute did surprise her. Heck, even Barton looked like he hadn't been expecting that.
"My job is to assess whether or not she is a threat. That's it."
They walked in silence for a while after Barton said that. Leah pondered the declaration.
She knew from that moment she couldn't tell Barton anything that would put her or Matthew at risk.
Barton spoke again, "So is this meeting to tell me about the big secret you're all hiding?"
Romanoff didn't even look at him. Leah crept closer to them. She was unseen and was working on keeping her footfalls unheard.
"I'm not hiding anything," Romanoff said evenly. "All I know is that Fury is thinking of bringing some new people in." Barton looked at her sceptically.
They turned a corner and approached the biggest briefing room. It was the most secure and it was where the most important missions were discussed. Leah slipped in behind Black Widow. Fury was shuffling some files, then looked at the door expectantly, waiting for someone to close it. Barton sighed and shut the door. Romanoff and Barton sat down.
"There is a sensitive matter I need to discuss with you both," Fury started speaking, taking turns at looking them each in the eye. "I have reason to believe there is a mole in this base." Barton and Romanoff's faces remained stoic, but Leah was sure that if anyone could see her, they would've seen her eyebrows jump up her forehead.
It seemed like S.H.I.E.L.D. had a bit of a security problem.
This turned out longer than I thought it would so I split it. Sorry this took so long, I lost my laptop charger. I don't own anything. Thank you for reading.