The Prisoner and The Master

Natasha woke up in her and Clint's bed. At first she thought that the whole car crash had been nothing more than a bad dream. But, the pain in her side and the coldness of the bed next to her forced her to remember the whole ordeal. She tried to sit up but, her only reward she received for her efforts was the pain in her side flaring up. Nat looked down at her side and found it wrapped in clean white bandages, clearly her ribs were broken.

"Shit!" Natasha muttered as she forced herself to sit up.

"You know the doctor said you should be resting." A voice said from the darkness. Natasha instantly grabbed her gun and pointed it in the direction the voice had come from. "Natasha, it's me Eva." Eva emerged from the darkness. Nat lowered her gun but, did not put it away.

"Where's Clint!?" Natasha demanded.

"Quite, keep your voice down. Akilina finally fell asleep." Eva pointed out a small shape that was curled up in the armchair that sat in the corner. "She hasn't left this room since you can home from the hospital. As to where Clint is we were kind of hoping that you could tell us that."

"He was right next to me in the car when we were hit. After that I can't remember what happened. How long have I been out?"

"About four days. You were drugged with something the doctors couldn't identify."

"Help me to Tony's lab; we've got to find Clint."

When Clint had woken up four days ago he was surprised with what meet him and like Natasha the first word that came to mind was shit. He was handcuffed to a simple steel bed. The room the bed sat in was concrete from floor to roof and the only light came from a signal light bulb. In addition to the bed there was also a wooden table and chairs as well as the sink/toilet combo that were in prison cells. Over all it was defiantly a hostile environment and not a place you would want to wake up in if you were in a car crash.

Clint struggled with the handcuff for over an hour till a young girl came in carrying a paper plate with a sandwich on it. She set it down on the table then pulled from her pocket a key and undid Clint's handcuffs then hurried from the room before he could say anything. Now free Clint looked for any way out but, just like he thought the only way was through the door which was locked. Just as Clint was getting bored with staring at the blank walls the door swung open reviling the man in the suit that he had seen before he had blacked out- who Clint now realized was the same man he and Natasha had encountered the night they saved Eva.

"Why have you not eaten? Surely you must be hungry." The man said in his cold accented voice. Clint wasn't really sure where the accent was from but, it had a slight German hint to it.

"I'm not hungry." Clint replied as he took a few steps away from the man in the suit.

"I see, it doesn't matter any ways this thing is about as edible as cardboard." He had pick up the sandwich and looked at it before dropping it and turning his attention back to Clint.

"I don't know cardboard can be quite tasty at times."

"I am sure it is but, I have never had a liking for it."

"Well then you should start liking it or get yourself a new chef."

"You know I was sincere when I offered you the job of head chef, Mr. Barton."

"Yeah, but I am quite happy with my current employment."

"Yes, I know all about your current employment but, don't turn down my offer just yet. You may be looking for a new job soon enough."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know what it means, Mr. Barton. Your little group of heroes will fall soon enough, all it took to get the lot of you all in the same place once was a latter from a man that has been dead for four years, and not that any of you kept track of him after all. Well I'll let you let you rest. You must be tried after your ordeal. But, you will see me soon enough and we continue are conversation." With that the man in the suit left without another word.

It was nearly two days-or as close as Clint could figure- before he saw his captor again. He had just lain down with the hopes of getting some sleep when the door opened again. Clint didn't even bother to get up but, he did sit up a bite.

"I hope I did not wake you Mr. Barton."

"No, not at all."

"Sorry I had planned to come and see my favorite prisoner sooner. But, I was so busy."

"Well I'm flattered that I'm your favorite prisoner and that you took time out of you busy schedule to see me." Clint said sarcastically. "You know prisoners normal know the name of their captors."

"Ah, names they are funny things are they not Mr. Barton. You of all people know how easily they can be gotten rid of and a new one created, all it takes is a few stocks on a computer. But, if you change your name as many times as I have you loss it all together and you are left with nothing but, a tittle."

"So what is this tittle that you have been left with?"

Herr, I assume that you know what it means."

"It's German for Master or Mister. It's fitting seeing as you're my master as I am you prisoner."

"You don't have to be to be a prisoner." Herr walked closer to Clint as he spoke. "You could have whatever you want a nice room servants and all you have to do is do something for me." Herr started to run his fingers through Clint's short-sandy hair. Clint tried to edge away but, to no avail.

"I am happily married." Clint griped Herr's wrist and held it fast and gave Herr a glare that was only surpassed by Natasha in intensity. Herr though met Clint's gaze.

"That like your employment is also easily fixed. The tittle widower fits you nicely." Herr freed his had from Clint's grasp and headed for the door. "We'll see what you think of my offer when you have been here awhile."

Now alone again Clint, laid back down and closed his eyes. But, he knew sleep would not come to him for he could not get the look Herr had given him before he left. It was same look he had seen many times on the faces of the men that Natasha had seduced and then killed.

It had been almost a month and Clint was still missing. The Avengers had tried everything they could think of. They even had the police out looking for Clint. But, still nothing it was almost as if Clint had never existed. That's when the tower systems were hacked once again. The tower's residents sat around the dinner table just like they had been when they were the clues that lead to Clint's captor.

"Oh, you all look so sad. Cheer up; your hawk is safe here in the cage I made for him."

"Where is he?" Natasha demanded. Though she tried to hide it Clint's disappearance was hitting her hard.

"I see the spider does truly miss her hawk. A bite ironic seeing as Black Widows kill their mates. But, don't worry my sweet spider; you'll see your beloved hawk again."

"Is there a point to this or did you just call to brag?" Tony asked.

"Thank you Mr. Stark, you always keep me on track when I start to ramble. The point as you say to this is to make a deal with you. You see I have your hawk which you would all like to have back and you have something I want. Actually you have three things I want."

"And what would they be?" Bruce asked.

"I am a business man and you have stolen from my business for which you have to pay. But, I don't deal in money I deal in people. Now your hawk is worth quite a bite to me so the prices I ask for him are the three Russian women that are currently sitting at that table with all. But, with all business deals I will give you some time to think about it." With that his voice went quit and all the Avengers looked at Natasha, Eva, and Akilina. Wishing they would say something but, all they did was getting up and left the room.

"Akilina, go to your room. I need to talk to Eva alone." Natasha said to her daughter. The three of them stood in Clint's and Natasha's room.

"Da, Mama." Akilina said as she headed to her room without an argument. Akilina was not entirely sure what was going on but, she knew that whatever it was had to deal with her father's disappearance.

"What are you thinking?" Eva asked once Akilina had gone.

"that we have to get him back." Natasha said as she walked about her room.

"But how? We can't let Him get his hands on Akilina. No child should have to deal with that. You can't imagine what it's like."

"Yes, I can. My childhood was ten times worst then anything they could do to her. We never wanted any of this for her. Clint and I had hoped that when we left the game we could start again. Live normal lives but, you never truly leave do you. Clint and she is the only good and normal thing I have left and if it means I have to give my dyeing breath to save the two of them then so be it."

"It won't come to that Natasha. We'll think of something." Eva said though she already had a plan forming in her mind that would keep the family that had taken her in together.

Clint stared down at the peanut butter sandwich that sat in front of him on the table in his cell. He was really getting tired of peanut butter see as it was the only thing he had eaten in the last month.

"Is something wrong Mr. Barton?" Clint looked up at the man that sat across him. He wished- not for the first time- that he had his bow with him so he could send an arrow through that man's eye.

"Nothing, nothing at all Herr." Clint said as his gaze returned to his sandwich.

Fear gripped Eva as she stared up at the old brick building. She had thought that the toughest part of her plane would have been getting out of the tower at three in the morning but she was dead wrong, it was these last few steps. Eva took a deep breath to steady her nerves; it seemed like only yesterday that she was running down these very steeps that now stopped her on that fateful Christmas eve. Then she remembered the look on Akilina's face when she had heard that her father was missing. Since that day Eva had not seen even a hint of a smile on the little red heads face. The thought of Akilina smiling and in her parents' arms was just the push that she needed to take those last few steps. She knocked one the cold metal door which was answered by a tall hulking man dressed in all black.

"Call Him and tell him that the one that got away wants to talk to him." Eva said, unfazed by the man's huge size.

A chessboard sat on the table in Clint's cell. He looked down at the pieces trying to figure out his opponent's next move. Clint had never been great at chess but, he was just glad for something to do. Herr was about to move his knight when his phone rung.

"What do you mean the one that got away? He asked of the person on the other end of the line. "Fine but, her on." Herr was quite as he started to walk about the cell-most likely lessening to the women on the other end of the line. "And why would I agree to this deal. With mine I get three not just one. . . Oh, that is true I really do want to put a bullet through your head but, again with my plan I still get that plus have something to make a profit off of. You can't be serious. . ." Herr look over at Clint and looked like her was weighing the options of the deal he was being offered. "Fine you have yourself a deal. Be there in one hour." Herr hung up his phone and walk back over to Clint.

"Who was that?"

"You'll find out soon enough. But, I am afraid that we will have to cut are game short. We have to go met someone at the park."