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SSS Search for Answers Chapter 14
Natasha Romanov let the first knife fly hitting squarely into a scraggly pine tree. Sitwell, she thought to herself. Romanov let another knife fly hitting the tree beside the first. Malus, she thought again. The Russian let another knife fly hitting another tree a little further back. Fury, she thought. The Russian went over and retrieved each knife. She would switch to her less dominant hand this time.
Romanov let a knife fly again putting more spin on it. Sitwell, she thought pleased the knife still hit the tree. Romanov let her second knife go with a strong overhand throw. Hill, she thought. Her second knife was just above the first one in the same tree. God damn her, Romanov let anger at the director wash through her. Always the job first. I can't even speak my mind to her without being warned I don't know my place. Natasha picked up a knife in each hand and threw them simultaneously. Damn May and Hill, carrying those shots to sedate me all the time. Natasha walked over to the tree and grabbed her knives. She walked further away till she found another set of trees. She threw two knives simultaneously again. Trying to soften me up with hugs all the while waiting for me to go off like a loose cannon, Romanov kept thinking. Romanov took her third knife threw it as high in the air as she could and reaching back into the air to catch it. Damn Sitwell, I wish I could cut yours off with this knife myself.
Jemma Simmons pressed her thumb print to the family quarters waiting for it to recognize her. The lock disengaged and the doctor entered the apartment.
"Natasha? I got your breakfast. You ready to eat?" the young woman called out as she walked in apartment a plate of pancakes in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. Something did not seem right. It was to quiet. Jemma sat the plate and glass down and walked into the Romanov's bedroom. It was empty. A wet towel was on the bed. Romanov's closet was still agar. Her phone and comm were on the nightstand. Natasha Romanov was gone. Jemma Simmons ran out of the apartment and down the stairwell. The door of the War Room was opening so she rushed in and pushed past Coulson and Hill to Melinda.
"She is gone," Jemma said in a choked voice. "She said she was filthy and needed a shower. I told her I would bring up her breakfast. I just went up there and she is gone Melinda. She is gone."
Normally Melinda May would have stormed off and pushed a junior agent aside and growled at them for being lax in their duties and incompetent. But Agent May was not the same agent anymore. She gently lifted the woman's pain face and looked into her face.
"How long?" Melinda asked taking Jemma's hand and having her sit.
"Twenty Minutes maybe. But I went up there and she had a shower first so she might not have been gone all of that time," Jemma told Melinda. Melinda hood her hand out to stop her from apologizing.
"Agent Romanov can be pretty elusive when she wants and has had a difficult morning. You could not have stopped her if she wanted to leave," May told Simmons patting her leg. "I will go look for her."
Maria Hill came to sit on the other side of Simmons.
"Is the dog with her Simmons?" Director Hill also tried to keep her voice soft and free of accusation.
"Yes ma'am, he followed Natasha upstairs," Jemma turned her head and told Maria Hill.
"Save her breakfast Simmons and mine too ok?" Melinda told the doctor standing up and heading upstairs to check Natasha's Room for clues. "I and Hill will get her. Fury wants Hill and me to brief her on something anyway."
"I will check her room for clues Melinda," Maria stood up and patted Simmons shoulder climbing the steps.
"Argo's collar has GPS Melinda," Coulson offered walking to the War Room. "Why don't the two of you head out and I will direct you there."
"Let me bring Skye and Kori down with you and Simmons and get my gear," Melinda told the two heading upstairs to join Maria. Changing out of her uniform was going to have to wait a little longer.
Maria and Melinda walked away from the plane and into the center of the Island.
"She only took her knives so she is not planning to be out all day," Melinda said simply walking further and farther away from the plane.
"She left without her phone and comm Melinda," Maria comments as they walk, "She obviously does not want to be disturbed."
"Partially," Melinda said as she stopped. "But if that was totally true she would have taken more care for us not to know her whereabouts which you know she is more than capable of."
"Argo just arrived back to the yahct," Coulson said into the two agent's comms. "Romanov sent her home."
"Acknowledged. I am going to try to track her by scent. I will call you if I need some back up," Melinda told her partner on the comm in her ear.
"You think this is about earlier? She mouthed off when I told her we needed to wait and then to watch her temper," Maria asked her colleague as the two lost sight of the plane
"Seeing us both pull out vials of sedative did not help either. I think she feels the Avengers are more in her corner that Shield. We have not spoken to her about the rape as her superiors or in a more personal way either." Melinda gave her opinion sniffing the air. They were getting closer. "Probably Fury keeping out of what she has concluded was a briefing in regards of what was her plan and sexual assault was her tipping point. I suspect she thought we would stand up for her and react like the Avengers did when she shared about the rape and we didn't."
"She is angry at us as," Maria stated the obvious matching Melinda's pace stride for stride.
"You think?" Melinda asked sarcastically. "Look!" the Asian Shifter pointed at a pine tree just ahead of them. It had a gash in it. "Looks like Romanov has been out here throwing her knives," the Asian deduced. The two shield agents started looking at all of the nearby trees. Each had at least one gash some of them had three.
"Must be a dozen out here like this." Maria Hill noticed looking at one tree then another. "Yes, she is pretty worked up."
"Agent Romanov is working out her anger," Melinda told the brunette matter a factly handing the brunette the locket that was hanging from a tree limb seemingly left there for them to find. "I think Its safe to say she knows we are on her trail now."
Maria Hill snapped wiping sweat off of her brow. There walk was turning into more of a hike. "You know you could shift and just overtake her don't you," the brunette remarked suddenly realizing this may take longer than she anticipated.
"I could but I won't," the Asian answered low and smooth. "Romanov wants us to put some effort to finding her. Maria, you know as well as I she has that inner child that comes out and sometimes she does not even realize it. After this thing with Sitwell, are you not surprised Natasha would not be acting this way? Natasha Romanov is testing us to see how we are going to treat her and respond after early this morning and then her running off. She will burn off some of her anger by the time we catch her."
Natasha Romanov had already moved off from the senior agents and let them get close three times. Now sat in human form at the top of a tree doing recon of May and Hill. Widow had to give them credit, she had led them around for around an hour now. They were not cursing her or even complaining about her attitude. They were just following the trail she left. She had started having fun with them at around the twenty five minute mark. She would let them "find" her or if they were not on their toes, she would "find" them. Her Leopard especially was enjoying this. It seemed like a game of chase. Natasha was now going to "go find" them.
Melinda May's skin tingled and her fine arm hairs stood on end. Somewhere along the way, Natasha Romanov had doubled back and now was following them. A wicked grin crept on her face. Did Romanov forget who she was dealing with? She was the Calvary after all and she could do something Natasha Romanov could not do as a novice shifter. She could mask her scent.
"The game is changed Hill. Romanov is "seeking" us it appears," Melinda told her amused. "I got a plan to end this in a draw if you are game?"
"Miami?" Maria asked smiling.
"Miami!" Melinda smiled back.
Natasha Romanov was thoroughly confused. The trail had led them to this swampy like area and she had totally lost the scent. It was here but it was not. When she found the clothes of each agent it confused her even more. Natasha circled around the area and tried to pick up a trail. There was no trail leading away. They were at this site. Her nose just could not zero in further in this particular form. Natasha was going to have to shift. The redhead put her clothes beside the other two agents and shifted form.
The Leopard sniffed wildly. The Leopard confirmed she was in the correct location. They were indeed in this wetland. Water? Did they drown? They were excellent swimmers the training shield agents received matched that of a Navy Seal, Natasha Leopard thought to herself. The Leopard leaned over the water and smelled. Natasha Leopard lost her footing in the slippery mud and tumbled in.
Panic engulfed her as she slipped into the water. The Leopard tried to push her feet into the sludge and get out but was floundering. The Leopard cried to her alpha and immediately felt hands grab around her leopard waist. The Leopard breathed in a very familiar scent and went limp. The Leopard would let the Alpha handle this.
"Tasha, relax Maria is on the shore and I am going to hand you to her but we can't get out here. The ground is too mucky and like quick-sand," Melinda moved through the water in one handed half crawl holding the Leopard.
Natasha Leopard realized Maria was much stronger than she realized when she grabbed hold of her and took her out of Melinda's arms. The leopard stumbled on her four feet as soon as Hill let go of her and shook her fur out spraying mud everywhere.
"Thanks Romanov. You got mud in my eye," Maria Hill growled not really mad. Hill knew Romanov could detect that from her from voice tone. Widow could tell she was teasing her. The brunette bent down on one knee and looking at the Leopard. "You gave us quite a work-out and after the first half an hour I found myself enjoying it. I had forgotten how good you were a subterfuge. And I am sorry I did not catch you immediately after the Avengers left this morning. Your idea and plan showed a lot of thought and initiative. Good Work! And Sitwell will get his due. Shield does not tolerate such reprehensible behavior. Just be patient it will happen."
Melinda fell to her knees and lifted the animals head in her palms. "Natasha if I had known what they were doing to you. If I had known Sitwell had touched you. Hell, if I had known where you were, I would have gotten you out and castrated the bastard myself. Hell, I would have not let Fury go in on such a deep op without a more reachable back-up. If you had not called me, if I had not picked up the phone I would have lost you." Melinda grabbed hold of the leopard and enveloped the white feline in a big hug. "And I just wish I had thought up the idea about blood effecting shifters. Your mind if by far your best skill set Natasha Romanov. It's an honor to serve with you."
Natasha the Leopard's angry tirade she had planned disappeared from her mind when she heard the honest confessions of May and Hill. She believed what they said. Neither woman was one to mince words as Shield Senior Agents.
"Now let me call for a ride. I think the three of us deserve to get home and shower before the mud on our skin hardens too much in the sun," Maria told the other two.
"Speak for yourself Maria. Tasha and I are going to jump in the surf first!" Melinda spoke with a hint of playfulness in her voice picking up the Leopard and making a mad dash for the ocean. Natasha yowled in protest when the first wave hit her. Her Leopard did not like the water. So when Melinda did an impromptu bob in the water doing some body surfing, Natasha decided to shift back into human form. She splashed water in Melinda's face just to get a face full back.
"What the hell!" Maria Hill said behind them as she came running to the water at full force diving in to join them. Natasha Romanov never found out where Melinda and Maria were hiding only that it had something to do with Miami, Florida.