deal
"To mayhem!"
"To massacre!"
"Na zdorovje!"
"to new sheriff in town!"
It could be painkillers, not Barton's lame joke that gets Hill. Either way, she starts to laugh and cant stop, tears in eyes, opening mouth to explain what is so funny, but failing miserably. Natasha knows that Hills attempts to explain cause for sudden fit of laughter are mostly for her. Barton and Coulson are also on verge of breaking out in hysterical laugh, both mimicking drawing out gun from holster on hip, shooting each other and blowing away invisible smoke from barrels of imagined guns.
Natasha understands they are referencing movies, westerns but despite her trainers best attempts, she lacks cultural context to understand what so funny about Fury, fresh baken director of SHIELD, courtesy of group in this room, as some asskicking gun carrying western sheriff. Seems pretty fitting to her. Later she will google, but for now mimicry will have to do, so Black Widow smiles and raises eyebrow, like telling that she would love to laugh her ass off because of achers greatest ever joke, but is too profesional to do that.
All four of them are holed up in med bay, level usually reserved for infectious cases, but tonight serving as place to hide and celebrate victory. Just two days ago Natasha was sure she and Barton will feed polar foxes deep in Canada. Now she is part of spontaneous party, fueled by orange instant drink Barton found somewhere when Natasha refused to allow anyone with open wounds and loads of painkillers to drink anything stronger then tea.
"Keep eye on them, before they bleed out somewhere" Fury told when half dragged, half carried Hill and Coulson in Natashas med bay cell. Maria's left side is ripped apart in knife fight at server room and Coulson's femur is broken in two places. With comrades wounded like this, Natasha, despite broken ankle, securely in cast, is really most combat-able and therefor can guard them from any attack and most of all – from sneaking away to seek anyone still needing ass kicking.
It takes a lot of self control to not laugh when few hours later Fury guides in Barton. He has bandages mirroring Fury's eyepatch and archer is not adjusting well to accompanying changes in vision.
"The helicarrier is secured, Abel is retired with honors and SHIELD provided guards for his safety while he eases in civilian life. Changes in personel will be announced tomorrow. If I see any of you motherfuckers anywhere before tomorrow briefing, Ill shoot said trespasser myself. Is that clear?" This announcement sent everyone mumbling total approval and assurance to sit still under Black widow protection. They all are still high on adrenaline, painkillers make them tipsy and Barton running in door frame when seeking water for kool aid eased the mood to almost impromptu party.
"Why you supported Fury?" It is Coulson asking to Hill. "I mean, if you would have tried, you would make great career in SHIELD under Abel too." Coulson is right, Hill is not mutant, she is without issues, squeaky clean operative you can plaster on recruitment posters.
"He pinched my ass in my first day here" Maria is deadpan serious. "When I asked to stop, I was told I overreact and do not get that it is friendly flirt between colleagues. When he started to pinch my boobs too, I broke his fingers."
"So you decided to overthrow his ass-pinching dictatorship" The archer is laughing, Coulson simply smiles, like he already knows the tale and Natasha thinks that breaking collarbone could have been more efficient.
"I decided I will support change of management when as a punishment I was sent to technical support. HR told me it is chance for me to rethink my ability to work within team and that I am welcome to apply back to strategical management dep when I learn to play with others."
"I met some people down in techsup and realized that I will never lead operations as I dreamed when applied for SHIELD until either I will loose boobs or someone else will be calling shots in SHIELD. So I never asked to be assigned back to main team and when Fury started his revolution I joined." Natasha has participated in some ops planned and led by Hill and Abel is an idiot – to pass an asset like that just to let his dirty hands roam.
"So its all calculation for me," Hill finishes her part, waving Natasha to pass her more chemical smelling drink. "What about you, poster boy of handling challenging assets?"
"Why I supported Fury before it was mainstream?"
Nod is only reply he gets because Maria is too busy checking drawers next to her bed. There are some package with dried fruits and nuts, chocolate bar and crackers. Her findings are met with enthusiasm and blotched attempts to rig "fair distribution" of food, prosecuted by observant Black widow.
"I decided I will do this during London op. I was managing op on site, Barton and Feilar was out. Everything went wrong and only reason why we all survived was because Barton ignored Abel's plan and followed Fury's suggestion." Caulson replies after food dividing fuzz has calmed. Natasha do not know about London op, so it should be before she was dragged in. It is unlikely she will get details now, but somehow Natasha doubts that it was lot different then Abel's missions rigged to off undesirable agents she has seen.
"When we were on way home, I realized that in less then four years I have lost 16 agents assigned specially to me and in long time this is first mission without casualties. It is good feeling, you know" In sudden wave of weird emotionality Natasha wants to hug Coulson and promise that she will not die on him or let Barton to do it. Instead she checks hallway for anyone out to revenge their ex-boss.
"Why Barton decided to follow advice from guy he saw first time in his life I have no clue" despite lacking questioning intonation, this clearly is question.
The pause is heavy while they all watch archer fiddling uneasy.
"I have no idea... I watched him that day inspecting training facility, the new director of field ops and started to root for him to survive longer then his predecessors." Obviously he thinks that is good enough explanation, so Barton turns to prying crackers out of too tight packaging.
"Kinda like with her," he waves sleeve of crackers towards Natasha. "Just got feeling I should and no data to indicate otherwise"
By logic of this conversation it is her turn to tell about motivation, she got that right when Coulson started to talk, but despite that Natasha has no clue what to say. "Because it just happened" is lame excuse.
"Anyone has an idea who will run now field ops?" its Barton breaking expected pattern. After their talk in last op when she technically told she is simply waiting for him to die, their relationships are strained and extremely polite.
"I didn't wanted you to die"
Later she will rationalize that those words were needed to get him trust Natasha not to stab his back again and ensure certain freedom of movement away from hawk's watching eyes. But she knows it is true even in greater extent then four bodies of unlucky killers stashed away in medicine cabinet indicate.
She wants to make friends here, not mimic having them.
