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Shadows - Chapter 11
The Shadow regained consciousness half way through the flight back. She remained stubbornly silent and stared at the team for the entire time.
As soon as they landed a SHIELD medical team took Clint and Steve to the infirmary. Another group of agents took the Shadow to an interrogation cell.
Natasha thanked May and followed the agents with the Shadow. She'd have loved to go with Clint and Steve but Natasha knew, from past experience, that the medical staff didn't appreciate people hanging around.
The Shadow was cuffed to a chair in one of the many identical interrogation rooms. They were all bare with only two chairs and a table.
Natasha watched her through the one-way glass that made up one of the walls. The other (conscious) Avengers didn't have the security clearance to get anywhere near the room she was in so they had all gone back to Stark Tower to change.
Director Fury entered the room and Natasha stood attention. "That her?" He sounded hesitant.
"Yes sir, Stark found her unconscious and bleeding close to where Rogers and Barton were. We stopped the bleeding and removed the bullets that was in her."
"Who shot her? Barton?"
"It was a Soviet slug and it didn't match the gun that Rogers had."
"Then who shot her?"
"I don't know. She hasn't spoken a word, but I have a feeling that it was one of her superiors."
"She was defecting?"
"We can't know for sure, the Red Room uses extreme violence as a punishment."
"Alright Romanoff. If you want she's all yours."
"I can interrogate her?"
"You know more about the Red Room than anyone else at SHIELD. Maybe you know how to get answers."
Natasha nodded and moved towards the door to the interrogation room. It opened silently and the Shadow stared at her as she stood behind the table facing them.
"What did you want with Agent Barton?" The Shadow didn't respond. "Who shot you?" Still no reply, but Natasha had expected that. The Red Room trained you to keep your mouth shut and your ears open. However Natasha hoped she knew a way that might get a reaction.
"What did you want with Agent Barton?" The Shadow raised an eyebrow but didn't give any signs of being shocked.
"Are you listening to me? I could make you tell me but I'm going to be nice and give you a chance to tell me on your own."
The Shadow shifted in her seat. "You know Latin is a dead language."
"Then why do you speak it?" Natasha hadn't expected to get a response so easily.
"Same reason you do. It's easier to learn a dead language than to make one up."
xxx
Bruce didn't like leaving half of the team at SHIELD HQ. Especially when two of them had just got back from being kidnapped. He was, technically, a doctor for God's sake.
"Come on gang," Tony sounded weary, "let's clean up and head back."
They each headed off for their respective floors and Bruce jumped into a shower hoping that he could get the smell of burning gasoline off of his skin.
The group spent as little time as possible at the Tower and half an hour later they were speeding back to SHIELD HQ in one of Tony's flashy cars.
Not being allowed in the interrogation area, they headed for the infirmary to try to see Clint and Steve. Once an helpful nurse pointed then in the right direction it didn't take long for the trio to find the adjacent rooms.
They crowded into Steve's room first. Since there were no doctors in sight Bruce picked up the chart from the foot of the bed and looked at it.
"How badly has Steve been injured?" Thor sounded concerned.
"He's just bruised, he should be absolutely fine. Nothing's broken but he'll have a concussion and one hell of a headache when he wakes up."
"Good." Tony sounded relieved, Bruce never knew that he cared so much for Steve. They were always fighting and arguing but maybe that was just because they were so similar.
Woah Bruce, becoming a psychologist now are we? Leaving his thoughts, he followed the other two into Clint's room. His chart was a bit more worrying.
"Burns ranging from minor to basically still on fire. He's covered in bruises but he should be-"
"Clint?" Tony interrupted Bruce and they all looked down at the archers face. His eyes were opening.
xxx
"What did you want with Agent Barton?" Natasha's Latin was a bit rusty and she hadn't really used it since she had joined SHIELD because the only people who spoke it were either dead or Red Room operatives, but she remembered enough to get through a conversation.
"What do you care? You got him back, right?" She sounded slightly concerned. Why would the Shadow care if Clint survived?
"I'm not going to ask you again."
"Then you'll never know."
This girl was starting to annoy Natasha but she refused to let any emotion show on her face. "Who shot you?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Was it Agent Barton?"
"Would it really matter if it was?"
"Was it a Red Room operative?"
"Like you?"
"So it was. Why'd they shoot you?"
"None of your business." The Shadow looked like she was about to stop talking. A glare crept onto her features. It looked out of place on her young face.
"Why did they shoot you?"
The door to the interrogation cell opened and Tony stepped in; he looked out of breath.
xxx
Tony could see Clint's blue-grey eyes. "Hey, wake up Legolas. Hello?" Clint tried to sit up but Tony pushed him back down. "You don't want to do that."
"Do they...have her?" Clint's speech was slurred and he looked pained. His eyelids started to droop.
"Have who?" Bruce moved closer to the bed. "The Shadow?" Clint nodded. "She can't get to you or Steve, don't worry. Natasha is interrogating her as we speak."
Clint's hand gripped Tony's. "You have...to tell...Natasha."
"Tell her what?"
"It's Lily. You have...to tell her...it's Lily."
"What's Lily?" Tony asked but Clint slid back into unconsciousness. Tony turned to his companions. "Do I tell Natasha?"
"You must." Thor looked concerned. "Natasha may understand his message better than we do."
"How are you gonna get to her though?" Bruce wrung his hands. "She's in the interrogation room. You don't have the security clearance."
"No," Tony smiled, "but Clint does."
xxx
"Tony, how the hell did you get in here?" Natasha was shocked by the Shadow looked unperturbed.
"Not important." He was panting like he'd run. "Barton said to tell you-"
"What?"
"Hold your horses, let me finish. Jeez, be more patient."
"Tell me what Stark?"
"That it's Lily. I don't know what that means. Do you?"
Natasha stopped listening to him. She turned to look at the Shadow whose eyes were wide.
Her eyes! How hadn't she noticed earlier!