A/N: Welcome back, guys. Before you start reading, keep in mind it's a fan story and the plot may not strictly correlate with MCU and so do the character who may differ from their screen counterparts.

Also sorry for a slight delay, I don't know what happened, but this chapter didn't upload itself correctly.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to Marvel Cinematic Universe, etc.

Chapter 6

DISTRESS CALL

"How do you run from what is inside your head?" – Lewis Carrol

1

"What do you mean he escaped?!" Natasha yelled, trying to sit, but Clint halted her in place. "Don't tell me he has escaped from the most secured prison in all of United States, just like that?!"

"Hey, don't do that, Princess. You need to rest." He gently motioned her to lay still on her hospital bed. "We don't want that neck injury to get worse, now do we?"

She glared daggers at him, but eventually complied. The archer was of course correct. Dr. Mitchell told her yesterday that her spinal cord was fortunately only mildly damaged and hell she could feel that. She was lucky she wasn't paralyzed after that 'accident' and deep down was grateful for Barton's support, despite involuntary rejection of emotions.

However, after hearing the news, the Black Widow inside her took over and was now in full operational mode. The spy composed herself and started asking questions, that would help her in locating the stubborn soldier or at least give her an anchor point. She had to find him, she felt it was only right thing to do. And if Clint could help her, then for the better.

Because the redhead spy knew it wasn't Steve Rogers who hurt her.

"Where did he go, Clint?"

"No idea, S.H.I.E.L.D. is still trying to pinpoint his location, but practically he can be anywhere." Clint responded in a concerned tone. "I would search for him myself, but I'd rather be your personal bodyguard for now."

Natasha rolled her eyes, but then her brows furrowed. "What do you mean 'still'? When did he leave?"

"A week ago."

Natasha fell silent, while quick thoughts raced through her mind with speed of sound. She knew this had to be conscious decision; Steve wanted to disappear off the grid and deal with his problems by himself (as always), though 'problems' were an understatement of the year. If Steve decided to leave New York City, he probably dumped away everything S.H.I.E.L.D. or herself could use to track him down. No electronic devices, no phone, no GPS, no credit cards, nothing.

And with that damn motorcycle of his, he could be anywhere by now, maybe not even in the United States.

"What the fuck Rogers? Why do you make everything so complicated?"

Perceptive as always, the archer guessed what she was thinking about right away.

"Natasha, he needs time to figure out what's going inside his head. Not to mention the fact that we need time to come up with some sort of plan to help him."

"On the contrary, Clint. Haven't you seen the red in his eyes?"

Clint hesitated before nodding his head.

"Then you know, he won't figure anything on his own. We both are well aware Steve would never do such terrible things to any of us."

"I see your point, Nat." The archer said, not looking at her. "I'd like to believe it as well."

"Second thoughts?" She carefully observed her friend. "After everything he's done for the Avengers?"

"Look, Nat, I try to understand but there is a teeny-tiny problem here. First, he punches my friend so hard, she ends up in hospital, then I am sent to capture him like a wanted criminal, almost paying with my own life. I do my best not to think it was Steve, but it's hard." Clint looked directly in her eyes. "And you still want to go after him."

"You know I do, Clint. Please, don't make this harder than it has to be."

Barton sighed and rubbed his head, avoiding to look at the spy.

"I can't let you get hurt, Princess. If he was to harm you again... I won't hesitate to take him down."

Natasha didn't fear death, as she faced it on everyday basis. But something in her friend's tone caused a cold chill going down her spine and she knew that Barton wasn't joking.

"I won't do anything stupid, Clint."

"Promise?" His eyes were dead serious, but a small smirk graced Natasha's lips.

"Do you seriously need promises? What are you, twelve?"

"And a half."

She chuckled softly and then nodded.

"But you're staying here until you get back in shape, Romanoff." Clint said using a 'dangerous' tone. "That's an order."

"Pulling your rank on me? Dick move, Barton."

They sat there for a long time, silent.

"You love him, right?" Barton finally asked in rather matter-of-factly manner.

She didn't utter a single word, which for Clint was more than an answer.

2

Another week later Natasha slammed the door to Nicholas Fury's office open and stormed in, not even bothering to knock. The director reacted instinctively, drawing a gun from his thigh holster but the redhead spy didn't even flinch.

"I need to know where Wanda Maximoff is." She said skipping the hello-stuff and completely ignoring the fact that she might have earned a bullet.

"What is the meaning of this, Romanoff?!" Fury growled, looking seriously angry. "Have you lost your mind? I could have shot you, god dammit."

"Whatever, Nick, no time anyway. I need to know where Maximoff girl is."

Fury scoffed, holstering his gun and leaning against the desk, not facing her.

"Why should I tell you? I promised Wanda Maximoff nobody would know her location, except me, so that she would be safe from such bastards like von Strucker or anyone who could possibly follow an agent to her hiding place. And now you just burst into my office, demand highly-classified information, not even Agent Barton has an access to, without asking me for permission. What were you thinking, Romanoff?"

"For fucks sake, I'm looking for Rogers, Nick. I know where he is. How does that sound to you?"

Fury looked as if he wanted to say something unpleasant, but instead he just asked. "Where is he, Natasha?"

"I won't tell you, because you'll send STRIKE team to bring him in."

"Considering what he has done, I probably should, even though I don't like it. For his own safety."

"I know what he has done, Nick, better than you I might add. But that's unimportant right now, as I probably know a way to help him and bring the old Steve back."

"Oh, you do? A whole team of doctors, including Bruce Banner had studied him and couldn't find a solution. This episodes of aggression cannot be scientifically nor rationally explained. How do you plan to make it better?"

She would rather go on a date with Tony Stark then answer this question so she just kept her emotionless mask on and responded in a certain tone. "I just do, okay? Trust me on this. But I need to see Wanda first."

Nick was silent, looking at her carefully with his one eye.

"Please, Nick."

He sighed and scratched the base of his head. "You know what you're doing?"

"For the most part, yeah."

"I'm so gonna regret this." He said and pressed small red button on his desk. Phil Coulson entered the office a minute later, dressed in a suit and with an official smile on his face as usual.

"Yes, director?"

"Agent Coulson, you will help Agent Romanoff find Maximoff girl. Apparently it is of utmost importance and we need her help in localizing Captain Rogers." Fury stated, still looking doubtfully at the redhead spy. "She's clear to see the files, but just for this one mission."

"Understood, sir. Agent Romanoff, please follow me."

Natasha strutted out of Nick's office after Captain America's greatest fan. Coulson took her to his office, which was one floor below and was decorated with dark-wood furniture as well as a large painting depicting a picturesque landscape. There was a small bonsai tree sitting on top of Phil's desk, where every document was perfectly positioned, nice and tidy.

The spy took a seat, while Coulson handed her a thick file marked with red words CLASSIFIED across its cover.

"Wanda Maximoff, codename Scarlet Witch, was born on 10th of February, 1986 in capital city of Sokovia, Novi Grad. She was doing her PhD in Behavioural Psychology at National University of Novi Grad when she was abducted and forced to undergo illegal laboratory tests under supervision of HYDRA's most prominent scientists – baron Wolfgang von Strucker and dr. List – who harnessed the power of Loki's Sceptre, and thus the Mind Stone within in, in order to enhance both Wanda and her twin-brother Pietro Maximoff.

Primarily manipulated and threatened, Maximoff siblings were used to feed crisis and reap war in their homeland, as well as create safe headquarters for HYDRA operations in central-south part of Europe. However, prior to the Battle of Sokovia, Wanda and Pietro were convinced to leave enemy's side and eventually joined the Avengers, providing invaluable help during the conflict, which took place on 6th of May, 2015.

In the aftermath of the Battle, Pietro Maximoff was killed in action, sacrificing his life and successfully rescuing Agent Clinton Barton, codename 'Hawkeye', and a Sokovian child named Costel from certain death."

Natasha closed her eyes for a few seconds, as she knew how difficult was the topic of Pietro She sighed and moved to the description of Wanda's powers. The redhead had a very vague plan on how to help Steve and she had to be sure if young Maximoff was even remotely capable of providing it.

"…Scarlet Witch possesses a wide range of telepathic abilities, including mental manipulation, telekinesis, levitation and energy blasts. She is able to efficiently fight both in close and ranged combat, though oftentimes opting for the latter. Ability to levitate and manipulate both the psyche of her opponents and the solid matter around, makes her a formidable fighter, yet still extremely dangerous. Currently inactive, awaiting eventual orders."

Then her eyes locked on Wanda's last known address.

"Phil, how's capital of Scotland this time of the year?"

"Oh, it's lovely, Agent Romanoff. Should I call a transportation for you?"

3

"Soooo, just like the old times, huh?" Clint smirked, preparing the vehicle to take off. He flipped a dozen of different switches and levers causing a shiver to go through the machine. The engines fired, giant turbines started to spin, filling the air with loud humming and they rose from the helipad number four, up into the rainy sky.

"If you're talking about that disastrous mission back in Mozambique…" Natasha replied, launching S.H.I.E.L.D. navigation computer and typing the coordinates in. The screen lit up and counted the exact distance to Edinburgh; if everything went smoothly they should be on the spot in six hours, much faster than by regular plane.

"The one, when you posed as a Russian model and your target actually dumped you?"

"I am a Russian model." She said feigning an offense, as her friend chuckled. "Should I remind you, that you got shot in your ass the very next day?"

"Oh yeah… I forgot that."

They both laughed at the memory, flying over the Hudson river.

Meanwhile, at the airstrip they've just left, stood a man, in a suit and with glasses on, even though it wasn't sunny. He looked like dozens of other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but if you would ask Phil Coulson, he would tell you has never seen this man in his life. The individual was talking on the phone, watching the quinjet flying away.

4

They were approaching Edinburgh, Scotland, when the comlink activated and voice of Nick Fury, come through the onboard speakers.

"Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, there is an abandoned farmhouse, seven miles north of the city. You'll land there and take the car, prepared for you in the barn. Under no circumstances should you attract excessive attention. Maximoff girl must remain safe, no matter what happens."

"I think you're a bit exaggerating the situation, Nick."

"I wish I was, Agent Romanoff, but it's better to be prepared for anything. United Nations Council is convinced we can protect Maximoff and I wish to keep it that way."

"We'll be careful, sir. I'll see to that." Barton spoke, heading towards their secluded landing site.

"Good." Director said and the speakers went silent.

Clint pressed a button above his head and the quinjet started to hover over a large grassy pasture. Barton expertly put the machine down on the ground and switched off the engines.

Both agents headed for the hidden stashes in the quinjet's hold, where they kept their weapons of choice. Natasha armed herself wither trusty dual glocks 17 as well as a bunch of combat knives of all shape and size (widow bites were as always on her wrists), while Clint opted for his FN Tactical pistols, as they were less bulky then a bow and arrows.

They walked into the barn, as Fury instructed them, and found an old-looking Honda from 2007.

"A perfect car for an undercover mission, don't you think?" Natasha asked, looking at the beat-up vehicle. Clint just rolled his eyes and opened the driver's door. "What is Nick worrying about, anyway?"

"I don't know, Nat, but I've got a bad feelings about this. Plus I'm not sure if I'm ready to see Wanda after all this Sokovian mess, but I feel it's a right thing to do."

Natasha put her hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed. She knew how hard was for her friend to get over Pietro's unjust end. Clint still felt guilty, even though Wanda has never blamed him for her brother's death.

"It'll be alright, Clint. We'll just talk to her and go get Steve. Don't worry."

Barton silently nodded his head and drove out of the barn. They couldn't know the redhead spy spoke too soon.

5

It was afternoon when they arrived at the right address, a tenement building tucked between an old teashop and a bookshop. They left the car next street, so as not to draw much attention, at the same time scanning the surroundings for any suspicious activity. Having found none, Natasha climbed a few steps towards door painted dark green, with big brass knob and number 8 on them.

Having rang, they heard rushed footsteps and sounds of someone look then turning the key. The door cracked open, allowing them to see pretty, young woman with long blonde hair and clearly surprised green eyes.

"Natasha? Clint? I didn't expect you here, guys!"

The redhead spy smiled at Sokovian girl, whom she always had a soft spot for, while Barton gently hugged Wanda.

"Hey, little one. I wondered how you managed."

Wanda didn't say anything, instead returning the embrace. Then she looked at Natasha.

"But how did you find me?"

"Don't worry, it was Nick who told us. Nobody else knows your location." Natasha explained, hanging her coat on the rack. "We need your help, Wanda, and we need it badly in fact."

Barton gave Wanda an apologetic smile, who nodded in response.

"I'll make some tea then. Come inside, we'll talk."

While she was moving around the kitchen, Clint and Natasha inspected gingerly the apartment. It was modestly furnished but comfortable and had a nice little garden in the backyard. They sat on a sofa, next to a small fireplace and multiple book shelves.

"Here you go. I really missed good tea back in the US, so now I drink hectolitres of it." Wanda chuckled and gave them their cups, full of steaming-hot brew.

"Thanks, little one."

They spent next hour catching up and just having a good time, but eventually Natasha felt it was time for the less pleasant part of their meeting. She put the empty cup on a small table to her right and looked at Wanda, mustering all the strength she had inside, as she was about to show her vulnerable side of personality.

"I'm very sorry we're bothering you with this, but I fear we have no other choice."

"It's Steve, am I right?" Wanda asked, which earned her surprised looks from both agents.

"How…?"

"Getting inside people's head is a bad habit but I can't always control it. Your emotions were very evident so it wasn't hard to sense what you were thinking about, Natasha."

Clint smile under his nose, observing the confounded spy out of the corner of his eye.

"Right… It's about Steve. He's been suffering from PTSD for months now, a very severe one, I must admit." Natasha responded, feeling a bit flustered she was easily read. "He disappeared a few weeks ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't find him."

"What happened?"

Clint answered, because Natasha was silent. "Cap… he attacked us, back in the New York and I was forced to bring him into custody, for interrogation."

Now it was Wanda who had an startled expression on her face. "But why? Did he hurt you or Natasha in any way?"

The redhead spy didn't look at Maximoff and nodded slightly.

"Natasha had to stay in a hospital for a few weeks, I was fortunate not to get killed."

Wanda covered her mouth with her hand, which made the spy more than nervous. What if Maximoff was too scared to help them?

"That's why we're here. We believe Steve has lost his sanity due to memories of war and Natasha figured, since conventional means didn't work, maybe you could help Cap, you know, using your abilities."

"If I'm thinking correctly you want me to get inside his head and help him get over whatever is troubling him?"

"More or less."

"You assume this only because, I played some mind games with you a few years back?"

"That's about right."

Wanda waved her fingers, conjuring a small sphere of red energy. "It's not that easy. You know after this, I learned that human mind is our unique, private world. For some of us it can be a sanctuary, while for the others a cage."

Wanda smiled sadly. "If what you are saying is true, then Steve is in fact trapped inside his head and the worst part is that he carries his prison with him, wherever he goes. "

"Can you bring him back, Wanda?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know. But I don't think I am supposed to."

"Then who is?" Barton asked, his brows furrowed.

"It shouldn't be me or you, Clint, but Natasha. I can let her in."

The spy didn't respond, pondering what she has just heard. She was planning to invade the most private aspect of the super-soldier's being. Heck she was about to invade everything; each and every thought, all of the emotions, every intent he has ever had – all that she would see and feel, according to Wanda. Honestly she has never been more nervous before.

"You do realise it is probably the most dangerous mission you could possibly go for?" Scarlet Witch said, looking directly into Natasha's eyes. "This mission can be your doom."

Clint twitched nervously and Natasha already knew what he was about to say.

"What do you mean?" He asked with a hint of uncertainty.

"If I let you in, I can guarantee nothing. As I said our minds are a different place, where rules of the real world don't apply anymore. What you fear most can take substantial form and hurt you more than you can expect." Sokovian sighed, once again looking into the spy's eyes. "You both stand upon the edge of a knife, Natasha. Stray but a little and everything will fall. I might not be able to bring neither you or him back."

When Natasha responded, after a long period of silence, her voice was tired but sure.

"What choice do we have? I've got to try. The Steve I knew would do the same for me."

Scarlet Witch nodded, observing the spy carefully. "I know. So… do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, I called in a few favours in Washington and Clint also managed to help me. He is somewhere in the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. I guess he really was terrified of what he has done..."

Clint hugged her and to their surprise she didn't resist at all.

"I… I have to bring him back. The team needs him." Natasha mumbled, looking over Clint's shoulder through the window. It was almost the end of the winter, but the branches were still mostly leafless and dead. It was a depressing thought to know Steve was out there fighting a battle he could not win alone. "I..."

She would have finished the sentence if it wasn't for a fist-sized black object which broke the glass and landed on the carpet in the living room of Wanda's apartment. Without much thinking Clint grabbed both the spy and Wanda, throwing them out into the corridor. The next second the grenade went off completely demolishing the room.

6

"Agent Barton, do you copy?" Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. shouted into his communicator, but the only thing he heard was static. Something must have went wrong, because the two agents were supposed to check in every hour after landing in Scotland, yet the last report he got was when they were still inside the quinjet.

"Barton! What's your status?" He tried once again, but heard no response. "Barton, do you copy?!"

Fury cursed under his breath, turning the device off. He sat in his chair weighing the options when a small red diode he had on his personal control panel started to flicker incessantly. Without further thinking he pressed a black button on his desk and thirty seconds later Phil Coulson walked into the office.

"Agent Coulson, I can't contact Natasha nor Clint. I suspect their mission has been compromised." Fury asked, drumming his fingers on the desk. "Do we have any backup in Scotland?"

"Not in Scotland, director, but agent Carter is on a mission in Northern Ireland right now." Phil responded, perusing through the information on his Stark-issued tablet. "She can be in Edinburgh in less than two hours."

"Very well then. Agent Carter is to be reassigned, no matter the status of her mission. She needs to find Barton, Romanoff and Maximoff girl and get them out alive. It's of utmost importance, Phil."

Coulson tapped on his device and a few minutes later they got answer from Sharon Carter, one of the best snipers in the agency (right after Clint and Natasha of course), who was to take care of a dangerous leader of an international crime organization called 'Death Hand', which was believed to be cooperating with HYDRA in terms of drug dealing.

"Also, ready your team and suit up. You need to be on the spot in maximum five hours. We both know agent Carter is a temporary solution. Communication through encrypted channel only."

"Understood, sir."

"Dismissed."

7

Natasha had awful ringing in her ears, not to mention blurred vision.

The apartment was completely ruined – the explosion turned out to be quite powerful for a regular grenade, but the spy suspected it was because the first one was probably followed by few others. She groaned in pain, feeling numerous bruises on her chest, but she had to check Wanda's vitals as soon as possible. Sokovian girl was unconscious and had a nasty cut on her forehead. Natasha sighed with relief when she palpated a faint pulse.

The spy didn't know who attacked them or why, but if it wasn't for Clint she would have been dead along with Wanda. The archer, however, was nowhere to be seen so she stood up carefully in order to look for him.

The next second a bullet missed her head by mere millimetres, causing her to duck and fell to the ground, against the protests of her broken ribs. The bullet came from the eastern part of the building, from the direction where they had parked their Honda. "Fuck! That was a close one…"

She grabbed her dual glocks and fired a dozen or so times, creating an illusion of barrage; the plan worked and enemy shooting ceased a little, allowing her to inspect the living room. After brief search she didn't find anything but pieces of glass, metal and crushed bricks.

"Clint!" Natasha yelled, trying to assess the situation through smoke and dust. "Clint!"

Her heart was racing uncontrollably until she found him in a small kitchen stash. How he got there was a mystery to Natasha, but he was alive nonetheless. She helped him get out of the small space.

"Oh, there you are. Am I glad to see you, Princess." He muttered in a tired tone.

"You've been hit?" Natasha asked worriedly, but the archer smiled in response.

"I'm fine, just a little battered. Wanda?"

"Knocked out cold but she'll be okay…"

She was interrupted by multiple sounds of machine guns. It seemed that the enemy resumed the attack and the spy knew they didn't have much time, until the apartment will be overrun, who knows by who.

"Take the car and Wanda and get out of here ASAP. Head for the quinjet, I'll hold them for a while here."

"It's not the best time to play a hero, Clint." Natasha said quietly, firing a few bullets at the black figures she saw through the broken windows. "Plus how are you going to get out yourself?

"I've been through worse. I'll manage." The archer shrugged his shoulders, reloading his gun and carefully peeking from behind their cover. He pulled the trigger and one of the thugs armed with a rifle collapsed to the ground, a whole in his head. Barton turned to look at the redhead spy and smiled tiredly. "We'll meet again, Nat. Go!"

The spy looked as if she wanted to say something but instead she nodded and made her way towards unconscious Wanda, keeping herself close to the ground. She grabbed the Sokovian girl and dragged her through the back door, silently eliminating the two thugs, using her combat knives. The must have been waiting to ambush them in case of evacuation.

"Motherfuckers…"

When she disappeared Clint slid down to the floor, panting heavily and covering a wound on his abdomen, where one of the grenade shards pierced his bullet-proof vest. Crimson fluid seeped slowly but steadily through his fingers and the last thing he did, before darkness took him, was to press a button on small pager-looking device and tuck it in one of his boots.

When the enemy soldiers finally stormed inside, they found him lying in a pool of blood, among debris and broken glass. The leader of the attackers crouched beside motionless archer, checking for his pulse.

Jared Hunt took his protective facemask off and smiled.

A/N: Sooo, what do you think? What's the role of Wanda in all this mess? And what will happen to Clint? Share your ideas and stay around until next week. Goodbye! / WS