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Chapter 3: Hush Matters
The day was busy but surprisingly eventful. He took to her to a bank, she explained the intricacies of robbing one without leaving a trace while waiting for service. They got kicked out of a bank. They went to the grocery store, Clint explained several times why she couldn't buy vodka and when that failed, why she had to buy more than just vodka. Clint disappeared after dropping her off at a department store, he gave her two rules: buy a lot and like what she's buys. As someone who loves clothes but hardly shopped for herself outside of dressing an alias, shopping was a rare treat. Bags and bags and casual, dressy, athletic gear, and everything it between.
She's proud of herself, because today she was a girl that shopped for herself and tried on clothes and looked in the mirror and called herself pretty. She needed that, she hasn't loved herself in a very long time but here and now was a start.
The two assassins enjoyed company at the SHIELD cafeteria around dinner time. She opened up, telling him of all of all the cities she's been too. Clint made her smile a record amount of times this evening (he's counted 23 times), retelling as many mission "mishaps" he could recall.
One could say everything was going delightful until Coulson summons them to his office. With a mission.
They're seated rather stiffly in his office. Maria Hill is there talking hurriedly into a phone. Several other agents are there, typing furiously on computers, or debating on matters of "time sensitivity" and "compromising situations".
Coulson begins speaks exclusively to them. "Two agents, Christian Demorie and Alec Sanden were sent on a rescue mission for political activist Harean Munnings in an Iranian prison. Two days ago they were given the all clear to infiltrate the prison, two days ago they ceased all communications and failed to make the extraction point. Extraction team was sent in for recovery, they released a distress signal approximately 2 hours ago then stopped reporting. Full debriefing will take place in route. Wheels up in five."
Neither daring to ask a question amidst the mayhem that had become Coulson's office, rushed to gather weapons and change into full tac gear.
They met each other on the quinjet. Coulson appears to have been waiting hours for them to arrive. Clint is barely aboard when takeoff occurs.
There is a scurry of information being tossed at them. They take everything in silently only breaking for the occasional question or two. The gist of their job is to recover all SHIELD agents silently, and retrieve Munnings only if possible.
"Now agents, due to tension between both the Iranian and American government," Clint swallows audible he hates when missions have these type of stakes, "if your identity is compromised, all ties to your citizenship will be eliminated and you will be forced to carry on your own. Are we understood?" They both nod and Coulson shifts to the cockpit.
Natasha turns to the Clint and they speak for the first time since dinner. "What did he mean in that last part?"
Clint doesn't meet her eyes he seems distracted by something, "Umm it means that were under SHIELD oath that if a government official or law enforcement of any kind uncover us as spies, we can't name any country as our own or will be killed for treason, granted they don't kill us on the spot. If we somehow escape with our lives, depending on the circumstances we may convince SHIELD to push the immigration board to grant asylum." He gets up abruptly, "I have to make a phone call, excuse me."
With that, Natasha found herself alone, quietly wondering why Clint seemed so tense. Why everyone seemed so tense, really.
After mindlessly flipping through the mission report she felt uncomfortably unfamiliar with motivation behind Clint's drastic mood change. She got up to search for his whereabouts on the small craft.
She found him in a corner leaning against the bathroom door with her back to her, she walked slightly heavier so he heard her coming.
Clint becomes aware of someone behind him he swings around and jabs the phone in his pocket staring holes into his partner. "Hey," he says casually as if she couldn't see his tiny panic attack he just had.
"You didn't have to hang up for me, I can wait"
"No, no it's fine. What's up?"
"Was the call important?"
Clint immediately begins squirming and scratching his neck, "Ummmm, uhhhh. It-umm. It was-mm-"
"None of business, I understand," Clint looks like he may want to argue but then decides against it. "I just wanted to know what's going on with you and Coulson is there something I'm not being told?"
He cocks an eyebrow at her then sighs, rubbing a hand across his face, "you don't get it Romanoff."
"Get what?" She leans toward him, looking angered. They both then hear movement on the other side of the plane. Clint opens the bathroom door a gestures for her to go in, he follows. As soon as the door shuts her scowls deepens, "Barton talk, now."
"Natasha, two agents have gone in and stopped reporting after entering the sight. An entire extraction team followed practically the exact same suite. This isn't a mission, were walking into a trap."
"A suicide mission?" She whispers. Clint looks up at her solemnly. She starts stammering, "b-but I thought I. I thought you said if-"
"I thought so too, Natasha. I can't deduce what those prude council members have warped up in their heads that they believe they can pawn with our lives like roulette." Clint clenches his fists no longer talking to Natasha who has just begun rubbing her wrist.
"I tried to be the person they asked me to become." Emotions swirls through Natasha as the rug gets pulled from under her feet. "Why did you make me do this? You told me I wouldn't fail!" Suddenly her palms on his chest shoving him back. Before she storms out, Clint quickly traps her between the door and himself.
"You're not going to fail Romanoff. We're not going to die. You are going to keep a clear head and get yourself back alive, and I will do the same." His voice is firm, he directs his pent up anger into determination. "Are we understood, Romanoff?"
She stares at him a minute before nodding slowly. He releases her and they leave together. Coulson is standing in the main area waiting for them, remaining seemingly ignorant of where they had just been. "We land in thirty minutes, gear up."
Alright, this is the last of those really, really short chapters. Tomorrow or the day after I'll post again. Please Review!