Hot sun beating down on his back, he was laying out in the prone, his elbows supporting the bunkie binoculars. His week long assignment has turned into something completely different. Nearly 6 weeks had past since the last time he saw Natasha and she agree to marry him.
In those 6 weeks he has been tracking and investigating a young woman, barely into her first year of high school and her amazing talent with a bow and arrow. Clint was taking his time with his report, weighting the good things and bad things. If he reported she would be a good asset for S.H.I.E.L.D., her whole life would change. They would mold her into an agent and be ready for field work as soon as she turned 18. Much like Clint and Natasha, both coming into S.H.I.E.L.D. at a young age.
He would not change a thing about his past, but this girl has a loving family that takes care of her and provides everything she needs. If there was any indication that there was abuse, or she didn't have a family- no brainer, he would send up the report for S.H.I.E.L.D to bring her in. He had to word his report very carefully. Though her raw talent made him question if there was something more to it than just talent.
Following her to school, from her house and attending the archery club she was apart of. No one at her age could be this good. He had seen people with extraordinary abilities, most being on the Avenger Team, he could not imagine anyone giving this little girl to enhance her physically or mentally. Volunteering at the archery club she was apart of, he watched her trying to see if maybe she was not of this world but he still came to the conclusion she just had the talent and drive.
He didn't like being on this type of mission, it made him question everything and over think too much and not focus clearly on the objective.
He was perch on top of a building, watching as she left school to walk home. Just like everyday he would observe her seeing if there was anything out of the normal with her. That could disqualify her as a S.H.I.E.L.D asset. The things he did know about her was, she is a honor roll student, is a only child and she loves Justin Beiber. Other then she had a knack for getting into trouble, or she had a good heart and didn't like when someone was being a bully. This was definitely a positive thing, but still she was just a kid.
Clint starting cursing himself for forgetting to grab the sunblock, as he felt the sun burning the back of his shoulders. His phone vibrating against his leg.
"Barton" he answered.
"You're needed back in New York, report at 0900 tomorrow morning." The person on the other end hanging up.
"Nice to talk to you too." Clint said shoving his phone back into his pocket. He taking a long look through the eye pieces the dark hair girl walking along the sidewalk. "Not this time." He mutter to himself deciding how he will submit his report. 'She would do much more good in the world being on the streets as a civilian than she will do behind a desk awaiting orders.' He thought to himself as he started climbing down from the fire escape. When his phone vibrating in his pocket again. A smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as the name that blinked across the screen.
"Hey you." He answering.
"Hi. What are you doing?" Natasha asking him.
"Just got call back to New York. You?" Clint asking in return.
"Do you think Rogers is a virgin?" She said bluntly not missing a beat.
"I don't know. Why?" Chuckling as he climbed into his rental car, and turning the A/C on full blast.
"I think he needs to start dating. Who do you think I should set him up with?" She not missing a beat. Clearly having too much time on her hands.
"Nat, it's not your place. I think you are just bored with your assignment and looking for some type of entertainment. Don't meddle in Captain's personal life." He told her, while turning on the laptop and adding his finally notes to his report.
"I can't deal with Rumlow or this assignment, I know it's more than just leading the Strike Team but I imagine tearing Rumlow fingernails out with a pair of pliers, every time he opens his mouth." She explaining in a low growling voice.
"Your not in the office talking about this?" He questioning her.
"Do you know that Rogers has picture of Peggy Carter in his desk draw?" She telling him with a smile in her voice.
"Natasha boundaries." He told her in a stern voice.
"Clinton you know my better than that. Like the velvet ring box sitting in the safe in our closet." She maintaining a quiet voice.
"I might as well have left it on the dresser." He joked.
"You might as well have. But what do you think of Becca from Records?" She still snooping.
"No, I think you should focus on something positive and more constructive. Like maybe how and when you want to get married." He told her.
"Fine, I am leaving his office. But If I walk into Rumlow anytime soon, I can't promise that I won't attempt to push him down a flight of stairs." She telling him. He could hear the soft close of a wooden door on the other end.
"Babe it won't be much longer. Then when you get home we will pin a photo of Rumlow on a dumbie and you can kick the shit out of it." Clint told her. He was stuck in the stop and go traffic as he headed back to his rundown motel.
"Or use it for firing practice. Rogers is heading this way, Bye." She hung up the phone in a hurry.
Laughing as he drop the phone into the seat next to him. He loves the fact she didn't say yes to his marriage proposal for almost six months, but knows where the ring is and probably tried on the ring. She will avoid the topic of marriage and the wedding but will try to set up a 90 year old Steve Rogers. Their wedding will be nothing but unexpected and unplanned, much like their relationship.
/
"Romanoff, we need to talk about this morning." Steve Rogers said, dressed in his dark navy blue Captain America uniform, approaching her in the hallway just outside the room they use as an office.
"What about?" She questioned, pushing down the guilt her felt for putting Steve and herself in danger on boat earlier.
"You having your own mission when your suppose to be apart of the strike team. I need the heads up if you are going to be occupied doing something else. I will not put the lives of the team in jeopardy." He quieting his tone, as group of agents and techs pass them.
"Cap, I will inform you what my plans are if the orders allow. I am not the Boss, just do as I am told." She told him. Her mask firmly in place covering her feelings about the almost blown mission.
"Is there anything else you would like to clue me on?" Steve questioning her, 'I am spying on the Chain of Command looking for any potential threats, per Fury's orders.' She thought to herself keeping her face completely neutral.
"No. You?" She asking him. His facial expression twitched briefly, this was his tell. He did know something and he wasn't willingly to share with her.
"Not at the moment." He told her before turning on his heel and walking away.
She could feel the creeping feeling of uncertainty starting to crawl over her skin. She didn't like not knowing what was happening, she was use to it by now in her field of work. She still didn't like it.
Her phone starting to buzz in her thigh pocket. Opening the unread text message.
Maria Hill: Will be back in D.C. tonight. Thai for dinner?
Natasha: Sounds like a plan, see you soon.
'Need to clean up her apartment before she gets into town.' Natasha thought to herself before making the wide strides and fast pace walking towards the parking garage were her sleek black corvette sat. Finding Captain Rogers parking space – which was directly next to hers, empty.
Hoping Steve and herself could come to a place of trust to be able to become more of an effective team. Like her and Clint.
Just thinking of his name pulled her from her task and she became distracted. She was clingy to his familiar, and the feel of his rough calloused hands on her bare skin.
The screeching of tires echoing through the confine parking garage, jolting her from daydream. Before she climbed into the driver side, turn over the key and her car purring to life.
/
The loud violate vibration on the bedside table, startled awake Clint from his sleep. Before answering the phone, he look around the room, reminding himself where he was.
His shared room with Natasha, back at Stark Tower, in New York City. The sweet scent of vanilla and cinnamon filled his nostrils as he reached over to answer the phone.
"You ok?"
Sniffle, Sniffle. "Fury, is..." Taking a deep shaky breath "He is dead." She finished telling, letting out shaky emotional breaths.
"What? When?" Clint starting questioning. He could not believe what he was hearing.
"He, got shot. Soviet slug... He was in Rogers Apartment." She continued to tell him.
"Nat, you don't think it's him?" Clint now sitting up in bed, leaning over his knees. Processing the information he was being given. He didn't know what to tackle first: His own emotional grief with the loss of Fury, Natasha's range of feelings dealing with Fury's death and if it was the same person who shot her-he could be dealing with a ghost of her past. Someone from the Red Room that created the Black Widow.
Aside from the personal feelings he was trying to process through, in the far back of his mind he wonder what it meant for them at work. What was going to happen at S.H.I.E.L.D? The Avengers? Who would ensure that him and Natasha remained together? Or their team?
"Maria just got here, we barely started eating dinner when the alert went out. What are we suppose to do now? He was the head everything. First we lose Phil and Fury? Who is going to lead us now?" She muffled through her silent sobs.
"I don't have the answers for you, Natasha but we will figure it out. What is Cap saying?" Clint told her.
"Nothing at this moment. He was recalled to the TriSkeleton. Fucking Rumlow escorting him back, for debriefing. I am not sure what to do, I may just stay here and wait to for the autopsy to be done. Maria is here, somewhere taking charge and telling someone how to do their job." She lightly chuckled in her low voice.
"Ignore Rumlow. Make sure Maria doesn't have a weapon on her, we don't need her to pull a gun on a someone simply trying to do their job. Just follow Caps' lead. And stay safe, I need you to come home to me." He told her, debating if he should drive up to D.C., or should he woke up the rest of the Avengers and tell them what has happened. Or wait to see what the office is saying when he reports in.
"I will, watch your back not sure what effect this will have there. Be careful." She told him, as she turned over the silver thumb drive in her hand, after retrieving it from the vending machine.
"I love you." He finally told her as his alarm began to chime to life.
"I know." She reply hanging up the phone.
Pulling the covers off the lower half of his and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, with his phone firmly in his hands. He was checking his email and messages seeing if anything was sent out about Director Fury death.
There was nothing that was sent out.
Deciding he would get ready to go into the office and act as if he doesn't know anything. Though it is suspicious that nothing had been sent out about Fury's death. He isn't even going to mention anything to Tony or Bruce if he sees them before leaving.
/
It's 0915 sitting in the conference room waiting for someone to come in and to brief him. Drumming his fingers against the conference table.
'This is what it is like when Natasha is waiting for me.' He thought to himself, half smiling as he continue to wait for anyone to come in and tell him what the hell is going on.
The angry vibration buzzing of his phone in his pocket, adding to his annoyance.
Natasha: Manhunt for Steve. Don't go to the Office.
He reread the message twice, before standing on his feet and moving quietly to the stairwell and making is way down. Finally making it to the ground floor and opening the last door to the alley behind the skyscraper buildings. Leaving his car in the parking garage he walking down the busy New York city street a while until hailing a cab.
Taking the elevator up to the common area in the Stark tower, Clint had the urgency to get his other teammates and Pepper, and go. Not sure if Captain Rogers manhunt would turn into an Avenger manhunt.
The dinging of the elevator door announcing his arrival, a sigh of relief filled him as he saw found Tony, Bruce and Pepper all in the kitchen. Each at different stages of breakfast, looking though Pepper was about to leave for her office at Stark Industries.
"Jarvis said you arrived last night. Nice of you to say Hello after a month of not hearing from you." Tony sounding now like a father than a billionaire playboy.
Clint trying to keep his cool and not to alarm them too much. Though he didn't know how much time they would have.
"Hi." He said in his normal rough voice. Standing next to Pepper, gently lower her hand with blackberry in it to the top of the marble island. Both Tony and Bruce seeing his action. Both becoming on edge. "Something has happened. We need to leave. We can't take the cell phones. We need to hurry." He told them in a quiet, soft low tone, though only staring into Peppers eyes knowing she would be the most nervous with this news. He slowly removing the phone from her hand. Holding his index finger to his lips. Pulling her away from the island, both Tony and Bruce following them towards the elevator. Bruce not even having shoes on his feet as they descended in the elevator in silence.
Once in the parking garage Clint pointed at one of the black SUVs. Bruce and Pepper both climbing into the back seat of the oversized vehicle. Tony digging through the center console for the keys.
While Clint went over one of the vehicles him and Natasha both drove on occasion and opening the back passenger side door. Carefully removing the paneling of the door below the window and revealing a holder within the door. Holding half a dozen licenses plates. Grabbing 3 out of state plates and carefully putting back the door in its original state, before changing the rear licenses plate on the SUV.
Quickly climbing into the driver seat he calmly he drove out the underground garage.
"What the Hell Barton is going on?" Tony saying once they were on the street away from the Tower.
"Last night Director Fury died. Now there is a manhunt for Captain Rogers. We need to lay low for a little while we hear what is going on." He told them worrying about Natasha a little. He wasn't sure where she was or how she was doing. "Your house in South Hampton is still being renovated?" He asking, as he already had planned to take them there. In hopes that no one come looking for them there.
"What does this mean? It's terrible that Fury died. But who is in-charge now? What about the Avengers? Why is there a manhunt for Rogers?" Tony firing questions at him.
"I don't know, Natasha texted me and told me about the manhunt and not to go into the office. We will wait to hear from Natasha or Maria and go from there." Clint told them, knowing that's all he has plan. Trying to push aside the worry and fear he has for Natasha.