"Any sign of him Romanoff?"
"Yes sir. He's in a donut sir."
"In a what? I'm coming up."
"How long have you been here?" He asked, handing her a black coffee.
"Thank you sir." She accepted it gratefully, having been up all night at the party and then tracking Stark all morning. "A few hours. You should have seen him getting in there sir, it wasn't pretty." She sipped at the drink, allowing herself the tiniest of tired sighs as the hot liquid settled over her, smiling as she tasted it. 'I just assumed you Russians took all your drinks neat.' He had remarked the first time he bought her one many years ago.
"Fill me in Natasha." Nick prompted, perching himself comfortably on the low wall around the roof where she was currently lying, one eye focused on her scope.
"Stark is definitely dying from the palladium poisoning sir. He's keeping a toxicity meter with him at all times and as of Monaco he was up to 53%, with a palladium concentration of 89%. He is aware of the projected rate of acceleration too and has increased the transference of his assets, as well as increasing his childish behaviour in equal measure. Miss Virginia Potts now has total control over Stark Industries and its associated holdings."
Whilst she was talking Nick had removed a pack of playing cards from his pocket and had begun shuffling and dealing the deck. "Anything else I should be aware of?" He asked, handing her a pile of seven.
"There's more than one Iron Man suit sir." She propped herself up on an elbow, fanning out her stack and holding it up beside her scope. "Stark has an array of marks downstairs in his laboratory. One was taken last night by Colonel Rhodes at the party, though protocol indicates Stark allowed it to be acquisitioned."
"He let the suit be taken?"
"Yes sir."
"Interesting. Any sixes?"
"Go fish. Any Kings? Is there update from Monaco?"
He handed her a card. "R & D say Vanko's weapon was using Stark's tech. He almost got it perfect too which has them worried. Eights?"
She picked off two cards and held them out behind her, face still trained on the Diner. "Justin Hammer was in Monaco as well sir, it will be worth keeping an eye on him. Queens?"
"Go fish." He answered, for ease passing her a card from the deck.
They both went silent as they contemplated the possible outcomes of Vanko, Hammer and Stark being in the same space before quietly resuming their game.
"How's your cover?" Nick enquired.
"Working well sir. Miss Potts doesn't like me, and Stark does not help at all but I can handle it."
"Has Stark tried anything?"
"No sir-"
"You'll tell me if he does though Natasha? Because I trust you to go as far as you want, but you don't have to be coerced into anything more."
She shifted slightly, taking a moment to look at her boss directly.
"I know. Thank you." She responded quietly before going back to monitoring Stark.
They continued playing comfortably beside each other, Natasha watching Stark, Nick watching Natasha. Even now, after all the time she had been at SHIELD he was still impressed by her. Impressed by her abilities and in awe of the journey she had made – and thoroughly relieved and grateful at her progress. He wasn't sure he had the nerves or the budget to continue if she had been unable to deprogramme and stabilise.
"Good work Natasha. I'm proud of you." He said at last, a rare tender note to his voice.
Her chest fizzed with the praise. "Thanks Nick." She allowed a brief moment of eye contact and small smile before resuming her stillness.
"You're terrible at cards though. That's 3-0 now." Nick smirked, laying out his matching suits on the ground. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and she placed her hand over his. "Secure the perimeter Romanoff. It's time Stark and I had a chat."
"Yes sir."
"Sir! I'm gonna have to ask you to exit the donut."