Anya, her face I remembered her and Sterling but I had remembered him long ago. Now I remembered Anya, my lovely Anastasia.
Her red hair that smelled like roses and her flawless Russian that only we seemed to understand. Oh, Anya. I remembered everything we ever did together and how he tore us apart. Only I couldn't remember who he was. Anyway, after that mission I hadn't left my room, afraid that they would try and wiped my brain.
Anastasia Volkov, the ballerina, the fighter, the perfect girl. She had always been my one. So long ago it seemed and yes maybe I still loved Anya. I shook off the thought. Love is for children, I reminded myself. Besides she was in love with someone else, Flint, I had remembered her talking about him. She told me that she used to be in love with him but he never loved her. She was oh so very wrong.
"Solider," I watched Roger Harkson walk into my room. I stood at attention
"Ready to comply" My brain snapped away from the fuzzy image of Anya and back to my current state
"This is your target" He held up an image of a familiar face, a blonde face. I shook it from my head.
"Yes sir," I answered flatly.
"Soldier, after this mission, report to camp." He snapped I just looked at him.
"Yes sir," I nodded in that vocal fry voice that I had come to know as my own. I had my target now to execute my mission.
I trembled slightly as Nat cried I wanted her to come clean. But, I knew Nat, I knew her brain.
"Nat are you ready to tell me," I held her bare body close to mine as she turned to face me.
"Yes," She muttered softly
"Who is Anya?" I asked running my hands down her bare side.
"Me," she whispered. "Anya is a pet name for Anastasia" her eyes could not meet mine.
"Then how did Barns know it?" I question my mind filling up with possibilities of how they had met.
"Barns was the only person to ever call me by it." She whispered "I didn't know him as Barns, His name was Cardinal Winters, I called him Winters or Winny." Her words barely came out of her mouth.
"Wh…"
"There is a camp in the woods of Russia, that was where I met him. Granger sent me there after you "missed" the shot. He wanted to keep us separate. I was in love with you then but you were in love with Karina and I had to let you be happy. So I went to the camp raw and missing you. There I was subjected to intensive training. Winters used to like to watch me dance at first. He would stay in the doorway and watch. That was how we met." She paused and looked me. I stroked her hair.
"So Anastasia?" I asked curiously. She and Barns were friends but I sensed that it became much more.
"I didn't trust anyone there, so I told them my name was Anastasia Volkov. Winters and I became fast friends. Soon we were training together often. We grew closer and closer. One day we went into Moscow and he kissed me, then we started something more...He gave me a stuffed bear once and we fell. After one month, he and I had slept together. I loved him, but I never forgot about you...but I knew you were happy and then I decided I could be happy too. That was when I started to go on missions with him. It was fucked up shit...I killed so many, we killed so many. Then Granger noticed the romantic and sexual nature of our relationship, after six months he sent me back to you and then my heart was filled with conflict. I loved you but I loved Winters and you loved Karina. It was hard but Winters and I sent each other messages often and met up for meeting. Then you broke up with Karina and he disappeared...I realised that I had never stopped loving you but…" She locked eyes with me.
"Natty…" I opened my mouth in shock. She cried out sadly
"Flint, I know I should have told you, I understand if you want me to sleep in my own room…" She muttered. I was still in shock.
"No, Nat," I cried "Do you still love him?" I asked slowly bracing for the answer.
"I don't know...but I know that I love you more. I want to...marry you...I want to have kids with you Flint, I don't know if I would have considered that with Barns, especially now that I know what he has become." She cried warm salty tears and I wiped them away.
"I want to marry you too Nat, I want you to have my kids, I love you," I muttered
"Flint hold me, never let me go just hold me, I need you," She whimpered.
"I need you too," I huffed and pulled her closer.
When we woke up, the team was finally not fighting. Instead everyone was silent as the tension hung thick.
"Hey man," Sam entered the room. I looked at them Nat was had left to go into theater so she could cry.
"Hey," I nodded
"So, what's eating you hmm?" Sam took a bite out of a burger.
"Nothing really, Nat is dealing with some stuff, but she is okay" I muttered. She had been in love with someone else, that made me feel weird.
"Well, whatever she processed it because she is talking with Sterling right now…" Sam creased his forehead.
"Flint" She tore open the door and ran into my arms kissing me hard. I smiled
"Take it easy Hot Sauce," I laughed brushing her hair back.
"I want to make sure you understand that I love you" She muttered into my ear.
"Oh Nat," I smiled over joyed.
"Um should I come back?" Sam asked sardonically
"No, no I was just going to tell Flint that I am going to do some training simulations and want him there ASAP." She winked at me and grabbed her widow bites and glocks.
"Damn you are one lucky guy Flint" Sam chuckled
"Yeah, I know," My voice sounded dreamy.
"Well, anyway, I got intel on Barns" He said giddily.
"What about him?" I asked.
"Well, he is Berlin, and heading to a weapon store, but we have info that he received a target." He pulled up and image of a smiling blonde man. I recognized the image.
"That is Lance, umm...Lance Warner I think is his full name, he is outspoken journalist/politician, he and Granger used to be friends but then Lance turned to the political sphere, they had a falling out but we still used to do jobs for him." I said flatly wanting to get to Nat so we could train and maybe work out these bumps.
"Oh, well, I pick up a satellite transmission to Barns, it is legit. I swear." He smiled
"You should tell Cap or Stark…" I huffed packing my travel bag to go train.
"And Let them spoil the fun? No, way we are all getting in on this," His eyes danced in ambition.
"I don't want Nat…" I started Nat was too unstable for this but she would kill me if I even tried to put it in her brain.
"It will be perfectly safe for her, I need everyone on this, Barns is not an easy challenge. I will admit it" Sam cut me off. I hung my head.
"Okay, tonight on the beach 5:00, I will bring Natty and she will bring Sterling. Nat can bring Landon and Landon will bring Ty. You got Bobbi right? Sterling can bring Maggie and Maggie will bring Corey and...Amanda." I huffed it seemed to much "I don't think us Mission Control people will be much help.." I thought
"Well Corey, knows German right? And Maggie can fight decently. Amanda can stay on the ship and call out orders
"Okay but you have to make sure the MC people aren't in over their heads" I paused wanting to hold Nat back and keep herself safe.
"We'll be fine you Jocks." Amanda walked in, smirking.
"Please, Maybe Flint is a Jock but I am definitely not," Sam replied
"Would you rather me use other words, for example… Hm.. I don't know, Asshole." She snapped.
"You know what Manda, I am done with dealing with you. Can't you just shut up and fuck off! I am sorry I cheated on you but hey you know we are on a team!" Sam growled. I got ready to hold back one of them.
"Alex was right, you were an asshole all along. Here's the necklace that I was stupid enough to keep." She ripped off a small chain necklace that I hadn't noticed she was still wearing. A small golden pendant with a diamond set in the middle.
"Thanks so much!" He picked up the necklace as she stormed out.
"Sam how much was that necklace?"I put a hand on his shoulder.
"5000 dollars, the diamond had her initials engraved inside." He huffed "I gave it to her for her 17th birthday." He held it with a silent regard
"Don't tell Nat that," I chuckled "Her birthday is coming up and I don't want her to expect a 5000 dollar necklace." I was very very broke. I had already gotten her a present it was a Sterling silver Oval locket with an arrow and Spider on. On the back read From Hawk to Spider,
Forever partners. In side I had glued a picture of me and a picture of Natasha and Clint. In the middle there was a small fold in one I put a picture of Sterling and Manda, then I left on panel blank for her to pick. It was about 95 total I had saved up a lot. I came from a wealthy family but I never used that money for reasons Nat understood.
"We better get ready for the mission." He smiled weakly, stuffing the necklace in his pocket.
"I will ready Nat." I forced a smile, started to pack and suit up texting Nat.
"Thanks, see you at the Avenge-Jet." Sam smiled and left the room.
"Yeah Nat and I can fly it…" I said flatly
"I hoped so," He laughed and left the room. I checked my stark phone.
"Hot Sauce: Be right there, luv u I just need to suit up don't forget to pack snacks…" God I love her. I cleaned my gun out and polished the black metal. I took the liberty of packing Nat's weapons the way she liked them and packed her some Coca cola and trail mix.
Soon, she was back in our room. Her beautiful thick red curled hair in a ponytail.
"Flint, I have got data on Barns," She handed me the Stark pad. I looked at it.
"Okay, hey can we hit up New York before we go back to base so I can get Pizza, I haven't had a good piece of meat lovers pizza in forever," I whined
"I hate to see you hurting" she chuckled
"Oh thank you" I smirked "All I really want is sleep, pizza, and you, but mostly Pizza" I joked lightly
"Of course you lazy ass," She giggled. Her body was coated in that sleek black suit looking like a badass.
"Hey you like my lazy ass," I kissed her cheek.
"I do," She admitted in mock guilt.
"Thank you," I smiled. She zipped up her pack.
"Flint, you want to go back to Rome for a weekend?" She asked sweetly
"Why?" I asked curiously
"Scarlet and Dimitri want to get married there and they want us as witnesses." She said nonchalantly.
"Fuck yeah! Gelato and more Pizza and alone time with you in a hotel room. I mean seriously no down side." I smiled
"I thought you would say yes," She smiled giddily. I noticed her black dress packed with her big floppy straw hat and her sun glasses.
"Hey Natty, um since your birthday is this weekend and um we might be a bit distracted by Scar and Dima's wedding so I wanted to give you your present. I handed her the locket.
"Oh Flint…" she muttered examining the lockets outside and then the inside. Tears were dripping down her cheeks. "Oh Flint, this is the greatest gift, thank you" She cried and fastened it on.
"I am really glad you like it…" I blushed
"It is the most amazing thing ever." She embraced me kissing my cheek.
"Thank you, I mean you gave me the scope for my gun and engraved your name in the side then bought me a boss ass bow." I nuzzled her.
"Tell me who do you think will get MVP this mission?" She asked pulling on her special boots.
"I thought I won it every single time…" I laughed
"Keep dreamin' cowboy," She laughed and kissed me softly
"Well then you are the constant winner?" I asked
"My ego is not that big I am not Mckinley," She rolled her eyes in response. I laughed in joy.
"Then who was your MVP of last mission?" She locked eyes with me.
"Definitely Ty," She nodded
"Cool," I smirked deciding that we had to get off the topic of last mission. "Well, I think I am going to win this one." I smirked
"Like I said Keep dreamin'" She giggled and walked away her hips swaying in a self confident motion.
"Will I ever impress you?" I taunted
"You impress me everyday, but I have gotten used to it so that when you something extraordinary it doesn't seem as much of shock…" She pulled on her widow's bites and looked at me carefully.
"What?" I asked confused
" Nothing exactly I was just thinking about this mission what if we get to Berlin and Barns is gone? What then we are we going to do?" She slung her bag over her shoulder
"Fly the jet back and get back to work on more things," I shrugged honestly I didn't think like that.
"Yeah," she said flatly
"Let's move out and then we can figure everything else out" I grabbed her hand in mine she gave me a light little smile.
"Yeah, I think we got this," Then fist bumped with me.
"Yep" I chuckled and laced my arm around her waist as we walked toward the jet.
"You two are late." Amanda raised her eyebrow.
"Flint had to do his hair," She joked ruffling my hair
"Well, of course that's who he is." Amanda smirked
"Yep, but Nat appreciates my effort" I kissed her cheek.
"Just get on board." She rolled her eyes.
"Can do...Nat you got co-pilot?" I asked as I climbed up to the plane door.
"Yep see you in the cockpit." She said happily. I noticed her lag behind to chat with Manda. I let out a huff of air and got settled in the pilot's chair.
"Hey Baby," Nat swung in putting on her headset and buckling her seatbelt.
"We clear to start flight check?" I asked locking eyes with her.
"Yep," She smiled as we did our preflight check soon we were ready to lift off. I looked at Nat to make sure she was ready. With a curt nod we decided to put the bird in the air.
"Are we there yet?" Thomas poked his head into the cockpit.
"Far from it!" I shouted back, hearing the door close
"I miss Berlin," Eva squeaked from the back. She had a thick german accent, but I barely recognized her voice because only she and Luna seemed to talk.
"Are we there yet?" Thomas yelled again.
"Thomas if you don't shut up soon I am throwing you off the plane without a parachute." Lyn snapped
"Hun' why don't ya' kiss him, it will shut him up and it will finally bring an end to your ceaseless bickering" Bobbi pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Yeah why don't you…" There was a silence. I couldn't see what was going on so I turned my head a bit just enough to see out my peripherals that Ashlyn and Thomas kissing.
"Finally," Nat laughed.
"Finally," I agreed. Now I wanted to kiss her but I had to fly plane and so did she.
"C'mon you two, break it up. No STDs on the plane." Dimitri chided.
"Jesus, I just kissed him to shut him up I am not going to sleep with this idiot." Ashlyn huffed annoyed
"We'll see about that." Bobbi laughed. Soon after that they had eaten dinner and it went quiet Nat had slugged down two cokes and four cups of coffee. I had done about the same. We had set up a sleep schedule. Nat took first shift hence the caffeine. She would sleep from 4 in the morning till 2:00 in the afternoon when we would arrive. Hopefully Barnes would still be there.
Soon I was fast asleep wait for Nat to wake me up.