Ch. 14

"Hey, buddy? You should go take a break. I can fill in for a few hours and let you know if anything comes up," Tony said halfheartedly as he leaned against the door frame of the communication room.

Clint's reply was nothing more than a grunt as the assassin continued to watch three television stations at once. Banner had only been able to narrow down Natasha's location to the Northern Hemisphere. Helpful, but it left a lot of ground for them to cover. After nearly 8 hours they were still looking for that breadcrumb that may not even exist. Steve, Fury, Tony, and Bruce had all been there in shifts throughout the night to listen to police frequencies, watch the news, and monitor social media outlets for clues. Clint was the only one who hadn't so much as taken a bathroom break, let alone get his wound cleaned and try to sleep. Tony knew that all encompassing obsession, the drive to do whatever it took to keep someone safe. It was how he felt any time Pepper was in danger.

There was no point in trying to push his friend to stop the search, so Tony rolled up a chair and started typing away at the nearest computer. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em and all that. Of course, just because Clint felt all sullen and brooding didn't mean Tony was going to respect the silence.

"So, Hawke, how long have you loved her?"

That got Clint to glance away from those damn screens. The archer looked exhausted, angry, surprised, and so incredibly heartbroken. Another thing Tony could link to Pepper. The idea of losing what was most precious to him- that isn't the kind of pain you can keep off your face, trained spy or not.

"I... I can't talk about it, Tony. I just need to find her, okay?" Tony could see the slight shimmer in his eyes as Barton turned back to the screen in front of him.

"Sure, Clint. It's just, I'd think in your line of work there are a lot of life or death situations. It seems like you're always living on borrowed time, you know? It would be a shame to waste some of that time playing 'will we, won't we' when I can guarantee you there isn't a single person in the world more right for you than her. And Lord knows you're the only one who stands a chance of making her happy."

Clint cracked a smile as he rubbed his hands over his face. Tony really was something else; the guy could read people, he'd give him that. Other than Natasha, and maybe Coulson, Clint wasn't used to the idea of friends. Apparently he'd have to adjust, because Stark didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"I kissed her."

Tony sputtered as he gulped hot coffee in surprise. He wasn't easy to catch off guard, but he had certainly not expected that. Immediately a million snide comments or slightly inappropriate questions rose to his lips. It took a good measure of self control and the pain of a burned tongue to stop him; Clint obviously needed to get this off his chest.

Clint sighed, "On the ship. I was sure she was dead and when I saw her I just... I couldn't stop myself I guess. That's how Dr. Z got the jump on us- I didn't have my bow. I wasn't paying attention. I love her and it's gotten her in danger."

Tony wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't the serious conversation type- that was Rogers' job all the way. But Rogers would agree that it was too dangerous to fall in love; he had felt the pain of that loss first hand. To Tony, life wasn't worth living if you spent the whole time trying to stop change. Change happened no matter what, for good or bad. After a minute of silent thought, Tony set down his mug and tried to look like he knew what the hell he was talking about.

"Listen, you can beat yourself up all you want, but at the end of the day you're still human. We aren't robots- we have feelings that are outside of our control. Even if you hadn't let your guard down, they still would have taken her. The difference is they probably would have killed you first and then we'd never get Natasha back. So before you decide to swear off love forever and be a super assassin nun, try to remember you're not the only one in this. You weren't around Nat when you were with Loki. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't because you guys are such good pals. We get one life here, my friend, and it isn't meant to be lived alone. Now go take a break for 5 minutes before I kiss you myself, okay?"

Clint nodded and got up. He was a little blown away by Tony's speech and needed a minute to process what had been said. Besides, he had to pee like a son of a bitch. Once his bladder was empty and his coffee cup was full, he returned to the communication center to see Tony and Steve laughing their heads off. The warm brotherly feelings he had toward Tony a minute ago disappeared; they were supposed to be on task and he couldn't take his eyes off them for a minute without something distracting them.

"Guys, we're supposed to be looking for Nat, not watching cartoons. What's up?" Clint asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the TV screen they were focused on.

"Clint! Guess what!" Tony managed between chuckles. "Not only am I a sexy superhero, but I'm also a mad bomber!"

"What?"

"Check it out! Iron Man has threatened to blow up a train station- I left a note and everything! Because I haven't been spending all of my free time rebuilding the city or anything. They evacuated the whole place just because some punk thought they'd have a good laugh at my expense. I approve completely, of course, but you know the PR crew is going to be a wreck over my public image."

"Move." Clint sat down and rapidly read through the news report Tony had pulled up with the video. A note left in a cleaning closet. Iron Man setting a bomb. The women's bathroom?

"It's Nat. This is the breadcrumb. Steve- I need to see this note. Get Fury over here immediately and prep the team to go within 30 minutes. I want all the security footage from that train station for the past 24 hours and any large party ticket purchases. Looks like we're heading to Canada."

As usual, Natasha was having trouble sitting still. Dr. Z insisted on traveling in style, she gave him that. Their section of the train was broken into several sleeping compartments, a dining area, recreation room, and sitting room. She had her own bedroom with an attached bathroom in the middle of the car with the good doctor right across the hall. There were armed men in each public area, at every door, and beneath each roof hatch. Apparently they were expecting her to try and escape.

She once again walked the length of the car, taking note of which guards were most experienced, which ones gave her that look she so often received from strange men, and which were not to be trifled with. Dr. Z seemed to pair each top agent with a vulnerable one- he certainly knew how to keep the odds working in his favor. She wasn't going to get out of here without help.

"Natalia, you make me dizzy with all this back and forth. Come, sit a moment with me. I'd like to discuss your future before we arrive at our destination." She didn't like the sound of that, but took a seat in a leather chair next to Dr. Z.

"You may not be aware, but you are in a unique situation. Never have we allowed an agent to live once they left the program. But you are special- you know this. Killing you would be such a waste." He took a sip from his tumbler of vodka before continuing.

"Yet to go unpunished would not do, not at all. The other girls must know we do not take this treachery lightly. I have spent many days considering the best course of action. Physical punishment means nothing, of course, to a trained Black Widow. Your punishment will be of the mind. I am telling you this so that you may prepare yourself; Agent Barton will no longer be in your memory. He will be another name, another target. I know you will be angry with me, but it must be done. We will arrive in two days- I suggest you take that time to come to terms with this new reality. The reprogramming will be easier if you are willing to accept it, if you recall."

As he spoke, Natasha ran through the ways she could kill him. There were only a few possibilities that would be successful before the guards got to her. It would be worth it, but then she'd be dead. And if Clint came for her, he'd be dead too. Reprogramming. She had survived it once, when she was young, but children are easier to mold. Forget Clint? His eyes, those hands, the way he kissed her like no one ever had? She wasn't giving that memory up without a fight. Silently she rose from her seat and went to her sleeping compartment. She'd bring down this organization if it was the last thing she ever did.

"I don't see a way to do this without getting someone killed," Steve said for the third time. The team was on the move and would catch up to Natasha's train in less than an hour. The problem was, no one knew what to do once they arrived. Storming the train would result in too many casualties. Sneaking Nat out was too risky. They had talked themselves in circles for nearly an hour and Clint was slowly losing his cool.

"Run through the details one more time," Agent Hill requested. With Fury still in New York, she was technically in charge. In charge of a bunch of superheroes and one very agitated spy. It was not her favorite job ever, she had to admit. But she knew that Agent Barton would be taking action when they arrived whether or not they had a plan, so she tried to keep the group focused on the facts.

Tony sighed, "She's on the westbound luxury train. It only makes a single stop en route to Vancouver. Their car is in the middle of the train. Also, not sure if this was part of Dr. Z's plan, but the car directly behind them is full of students on a trip across the country. Convenient targets if the Russians get an itchy trigger finger. Basically, we're screwed."

Clint tried to concentrate. He had already punched the wall once, which Agent Hill did not approve of. He was Hawkeye- if there was a strategy here, he should be the one to see it. Train jobs were nothing new to him- he grew up on one. Even a luxury train would have a weakness. A way in. All he had to do was get a few choice weapons in Natasha's hands and they could take care of the guards. The question was, could they do it without any civilian casualties?

"I think I have a way," Clint said, immediately getting the attention of every person within earshot. "It isn't going to be easy, but I'm going to jump the train. While the train is stopped, the Russians will be on full alert. To breach then would be suicide, but once the train is moving again they'll let down their guard. I'll catch the train when it stops but stay outside until it's picked up speed. Tony, I'll need you to figure out exactly which room is Nat's. I'd hate to show up in the wrong window."

He was bombarded by protests from all sides. Most of them claiming he wasn't strong enough. It was too dangerous. They should work as a team. Clint slammed his hands on the table top as he stood.

"Enough! There is no other plan that even stands a chance. I need to get in there and get Nat's take on the situation. Only she can really know the best way to take these guys down."

"Agent Barton," Steve said, looking puzzled, "how will you get into her room specifically? Let alone while the train is in motion?"

"That's the easy part. I grew up in the circus, so climbing around on a moving train really isn't a challenge. As for getting in, fun fact for you. All trains, especially the more modern ones, have an exterior latch on each window. That way if there is a crash, rescuers can get to anyone trapped inside. I'm telling you, this is going to work."

Anyone here love Firefly? Because I can't think about trains without thinking about Firefly. Aaaaanyway- this is the last slow chapter! Wahoo! I'm so excited to get my little assassins back in the same room together!