"Sorry, who is this?" The voice on the other end of the phone asked.
"Matty, how many people would call you from a burn phone in Siberia?" Natasha replied, folding her legs.
"Natasha?"
"Ah-huh."
"W - what the hell? It's not like I can see the number. Just - hang on."
Natasha waited while she heard a chair scrape, then a door click shut.
"Ok," Matt said, "What the hell?"
"Have you heard any news lately?"
"About what?"
"The world, Matty. You know, that place outside of Manhattan Island."
"It doesn't much interest me. Why?"
"Anything about Germany?"
"Dunno. Foggy and Karen may have been speaking about it this morning. At an airport?"
"Oh, Matthew, you are a terrible liar. Yes, Leipzig. So you do know."
"What do you want, Natasha?" He didn't want to talk to her. She didn't care. This was the most fun she'd had in days.
"Answers. Legal ones."
"Seriously?"
"At $250 an hour, I'd hope you'd give me serious ones."
"Since when are those my rates?"
"Aren't they? I'm happy to pay the usual, then."
"Wait, what? No, wait. Sorry. I'm just - I, things here are a bit of a mess."
"I'm not paying you $250 an hour to listen to your problems, Murdock. You wanna talk, we can do that next time I'm State-side. I have plenty of questions for you too. Who are you sleeping with at the moment?"
"I - what?"
"Two hundred and fifty dollars, Matt. Though that is a serious question, but not for today. I need everything you know on diplomatic immunity, international ghosts, legal hideaways, et cetera."
"In an hour?"
"In however long it takes."
"It - it's hardly my speciality, Natasha."
"Yeah, well finding a lawyer I trust isn't one of mine. Or, you know, people I - like."
"Is that a compliment?"
"I'm asking you to help me have Captain America acquitted, Matt. Before we leave here, I need to know our options. Do your lawyer thing. Go."
"What about you?"
"Two hundred and fifty dollars. We'll get to me, and Sergeant Barnes here, and Clint Barton and the others. But start with Rogers. Before I make any decisions, I need to know…"
"Right," said Matt, "So, you and your little band have kind of pissed off everyone who's anyone…"
"Things I don't know, please, Matt."
"Natasha, let me talk. So..."
"So," Natasha said after close to an hour of questions and answers with Matt. "That answers that, then." She couldn't take Steve and Bucky back to the States. Steve, maybe, after giving everything time to cool down, but not Bucky. Not like this. And there was hope for the others. That was all she needed.
"You must be pretty desperate," Matt said, "To be calling me for help."
"Like I said," Natasha said, "It's not easy to find a lawyer I can trust."
"I don't trust you, Natasha." He had never trusted her, and he had been right not to. It was easy for her to try to be someone else with him. But she always felt like there was something else to him too. Something he wouldn't say, as though she'd never believe him. Sometimes she had thought about coming clean, but to a guy like that? Matt Murdock was closer to God than Steve, and Natasha was very far away.
"I don't need you to, Matt."
"You - you must have other friends."
"Not really. Not at the moment."
"In the whole world…"
"Nope," Natasha said. "Successfully alienated the lot."
"Well, no one knows how to loose friends and alienate people quite like you."
Natasha chuckled. "I will take that as a compliment. I'll call you back in a few days. Keep an eye out for a cheque in a fortnight or so."
"Right," Matt said, "Try not to get... shot or arrested. I dunno."
"Careful Matty," Natasha said, "You almost sound like you care."
Matt hung up. Natasha put the phone in her pocket, refilled the pot and put it on the boil while she went to the bathroom. She then made herself another cup of tea and sunk back into the creaky armchair. One more friend. All girls together, what? She took a sip of her tea, pulled the phone out and dialled.
The phone rang. Natasha had no idea what the time was in New Zealand.
"Hello?"
Natasha tipped her head back in relief. "Hill, it's Nat."
"Nat! Hey! What's the time there?"
"I don't know. Like, three in the morning."
"Wait, what? You're not in the States?"
"No, Siberia. What are you doing? It's kind of loud."
"Oh, I'm just finishing breakfast," Maria gushed, "Fergburger. It's not a lie. This place makes the best burgers in the world, breakfast and otherwise. Oh man, it's so good to be back in civilisation. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved hiking. The Milford Track was amazing, and the group I was with was super cool. And I loved the Routeburn Track. It's just stunning. The climbing tour on the North Island was great too. But now only three more nights, then back home."
"Great, so - " Natasha said.
"So, this morning I'm going to a spa, then champagne lunch, because after all this climbing and hiking, I totally deserve it. I'm staying five-star here. It's shoulder season, so it's fairly quiet, and the hotel was totally reasonably priced. Then probably jet-boating this afternoon, because this is Queenstown and that's just what you do, right? Wait, did you say you're in Siberia?"
Natasha chuckled. "Sorry to interrupt your holiday."
"Are you taking one in Siberia? Catching up with old friends?"
"Rescuing recent ones, actually."
"Huh?"
"Steve and Bucky."
"Barnes?"
"Yeah," Natasha said, looking at Bucky.
There was silence for a moment, and Natasha could hear only background noise from Maria's end. "What have I missed?" Maria asked.
"We can stay here for a couple of night, but then…"
"What happened, Natasha?"
"You've been off grid," Natasha sighed.
"Totally off grid," Maria said. "Damn. Ok. Forget the story. What do you need, Nat?"
"I need to get myself and two injured soldiers out of Siberia. Consider us all exiled, so we can't go back to the States. Not yet. And where would the US put extremely dangerous, highly-powered prisoners?"
"That place in the Pacific is still operational as far as I know, but go back a second. Where in Siberia?"
"I'd prefer not to be specific."
"It's a big place."
"Central."
"Is there anyone who doesn't hate you where you could go?"
Natasha bit her lip. It was a long shot. "Possibly T'Challa. He's…"
"Oh, the Wakandian Crown Prince?"
"Wakandian King. You've missed a lot."
"Oh, hell," Maria said. "So your only remaining friend is an African King. Great. Ok."
"And I tasered him."
"Oh, for… What about Barton?"
"One of the prisoners. We'll get to that."
"Stark?"
"Don't know. Not currently a friendly."
Maria sighed heavily. "Ok. There's a place around the corner that does really good coffee. I am going to get a double shot, drink that, make some calls, and call you back, then go to the spa and forget about everything to do with the Avengers. Sound good?"
"Sounds perfect."
"Wait, what number do I call you on?" Maria asked.
"What if I call you in twenty?," Natasha replied.
"Ok," Maria said, "Speak soon."
"Thanks, Hill."
"You owe me one hell of an explanation. And breakfast, and a half-day at a day-spa."
"I will get you tickets to the NYCB," Natasha said.
"Accepted. Speak soon." The line cut out.
Natasha sat in the darkness for the next twenty minutes. She didn't need to check the time, she just knew. After nineteen minutes, Natasha pulled out the phone and the little screen cast dim shadows around the room. Asleep, and covered in blankets, Bucky looked just like anyone else.
Dripping with red…
Natasha closed her eyes, blocking the taunts outs. She dialled for Maria. Natasha had to stay busy, stay focused. A lot of people owed Maria a lot of favours, so she could get a lot of answers very quickly.
"Nat?"
"What have you got for me, Hill?"
"Oh Nat, with the coffees you can get down here, I can get you anything you want. Ok. Listen up."
"I'm listening," Natasha said, and had a feeling that even though his eyes were shut, Bucky was too.