There was something incredibly peaceful about doing the dishes. She washed, he dried. It was almost domestic and seemed to spark some long-gone childhood memory. It was rare for Natasha to give a thought to her childhood. There were no memories left, the Russian government made absolutely sure of that, but she knew there had been, once. She wasn't born the Black Widow. That part of her, nearly every part of her, had been created at the hands of men.
The sound of the running water also brought up memories, but of a less pleasant sort. That seemed to happen far more often; the sharp sound of electricity, the metallic click of chains, even the flash of a camera caused those memories to return. Like bile in her throat, she had learned to simply swallow them down. Peaceful moments were rare- she wanted to enjoy this one.
"Tasha?" Clint sounded a little wary. He was avoiding eye contact. That wasn't generally a good sign.
"Hmm?"
"You don't have to tell me, but I noticed your reaction to what Steve said at breakfast. You didn't tell me you interrogated Loki." Clint continued scrubbing a pan, his eyes never leaving the sink, while carefully taking in his partner's body language and breathing in his peripheral vision.
"I only spoke to him briefly. Seems that it isn't just humans that underestimate my ability to get information. Loki told me what I needed to know in under 5 minutes. You should have seen the look on his face when he realized I had him. Classic."
Damn, she was good. In fact, that was the only clue Clint had that it was an act. Nat was completely unfazed, not even a flinch. Like him, she lied better than she told the truth. But he went along with it, chuckling like he believed her. The archer in him knew that this wasn't the moment; he could wait her out. Patience was his game, not hers.
"I think you missed a spot on that one, it's still wet," Clint said, looking entirely too serious as he shot water at one of the most dangerous women in the world, splashing her hair, shirt, and the plate she was holding all at once.
The battle that ensued was one for the books- songs should have been written in honor of it. Clint managed to get the majority of the kitchen drenched before Natasha got the hose out of his grasp. She seriously contemplated drowning the man who stood laughing in front of her, holding his ribs in pain but unable to stop. When the first wave of icy cold water hit him in the face, however, he managed it.
"I surrender! I surrender! Please, oh mighty and powerful Black Widow, anything but the water treatment!" Clint begged dramatically, his hands in the air. Having both been on the receiving end of a water board at one time in their lives, they could appreciate how tame this water torture really was.
Natasha smiled in that way that meant trouble. "I could show you mercy, but you would owe me one. Can you accept that?"
Nothing would make him happier.
After a quick towel dry and a change of clothes, both SHIELD agents made their way down to the lowest levels of their current headquarters in order to meet with Fury for a debriefing. Natasha wasn't exactly looking forward to it; technically they had gone rogue in order to fly a jet into a restricted airway. Where they proceeded to blow up more than a few important buildings. Plus they totaled the Quinjet. She was guessing Fury would be taking those funds out of their allowance.
But if she was nervous it was nothing compared to Clint. He seemed incredibly on edge, constantly fiddling with his jacket and adjusting his sunglasses on his head. She knew that if he'd had his bow with him, he'd be testing and retesting the string- a nervous habit she found incredibly irritating.
Speaking of irritating, she couldn't help but replay the conversation the group had at breakfast. Steve was a nice guy and all, but he could be a bit numb at times. Luckily, Stark was the exact opposite of Captain America. Sure, the guy was self obsessed, snide, and had the maturity level of a 13 year old, but he knew about keeping things close to the vest. She would have to find a way to thank him from diverting attention away from her conversation with Loki. Not that his ego needed any help growing. Maybe she'd just refrain from trying to kill him for the rest of the day...
"Agents. Take a seat. We have a few things to discuss while the rest of the team is working on the media." Fury, serious as ever, actually seemed a bit worn down. Natasha quickly assessed the worry lines on his forehead, deeper than usual, and the way he kept rubbing a hand over his face like he hadn't been sleeping. If she had to guess, she'd say that the counsel had been riding him pretty hard about the Avengers Initiative taking out half the city when they weren't even supposed to exist.
"Romanoff, Barton, let me lay it on the line for you. There are going to be some big changes in SHIELD after this incident with Loki. Your roles will essentially remain the same. You're the best assassins we have, making your skill sets more important than ever. The Avengers Initiative will move forward as planned- with a little more input from our friends at the counsel. I can't tell you exactly what that means at this point, but I will inform you when I know more.
"Right now we have a few immediate needs that must be met. At noon, Thor will return Loki to Asgard. This afternoon is Agent Coulson's memorial service. I know you'd both like to be there to give your respects, but it is imperative that you do not attend."
At this, both Clint and Natasha began to interrupt, shocked that Fury would try to keep them from their handler's service. They could barely get in a word or two- Natasha's in Russian- before Fury held up a hand to silence them.
"I know, I know. But now more than ever we must be concerned with keeping your identities a secret. The battle of New York was chaotic enough that no one caught images of your face. At least, not that we know of. Unlike the other members of the team, anonymity is crucial for you both. You have too many enemies and you are too critical as undercover agents for us to take a risk. Your role in the Avengers Initiative is more complex than simply showing up as a superhero when times are tough and saving the world. You two will be saving the world when no one even knows it's at risk. I shouldn't need to tell you that, so stop looking at me like I just gave you detention."
Natasha took a deep breath. She understood, probably better than Clint. The Black Widow was an identity that was well known but had no face. If she showed up on the nightly news, her enemies would not only know who she was, but also who she was close to. They would see Clint as well; that was a risk she couldn't take. Clint also knew that Fury was correct, but it was hitting a little too close to home for him to accept the decision. Coulson should never have been in the line of fire; the guilt of all that had happened under Loki's control once again washed over him. It was all he could do to remain in his seat and breathe evenly.
"With that in mind, I need you both to clear out for the day as soon as Thor and Loki lift off. Take a trip or stay at Stark Tower- fly to Europe for a day for all I care. Just go pretend to be normal people for a change. Tomorrow you'll be leading a team through the city to collect any and all alien technology that the Chitauri brought along. Dr. Banner and Captain America will lead a second team to help track and tag, but with all the structural damage to some of these buildings I'll need your skills to get in and out safely before the government can clear out the bodies. Agent Romanoff, go sign out a vehicle and supplies for the day. Agent Barton, I need a word."
Natasha left silently, trying to communicate to Fury to tread lightly with Barton through her eyes as she walked out the door. At least she got to pick the car- Clint always wanted to drive some big clunky SUV when it was his choice. She liked something a little more... sleek.
"Permission to speak, sir," Clint said as soon as the door clicked behind Natasha.
"Speak freely, Barton," Fury replied, expecting to get an earful about forcing the assassin to take a day off.
"Sir, I wanted to apologize. You know, for shooting you. I'm prepared to accept any disciplinary action for the damage I caused." Clint had been hoping for an opportunity to let his director know that he really was sorry about that. Even though there were times when he considered it without any mind control.
"Apologize? Hell, agent, you saved my life. When you are faced with an enemy wearing body armor and you want to kill them, do you aim for their chest? No. You put one right between the eyes. Mind control or not, Barton, you made sure I didn't die. If Loki had taken anyone else in that room under his control, I have no doubt I wouldn't be standing here right now. So thank you. Will you be ready to report for duty tomorrow?"
"Yes sir. And thank you. That's about the most comforting thing anyone's been able to say to me about that. Sir, there's something else."
"What is it Barton?"
"I was hoping to see surveillance footage from Loki's imprisonment. For tactical purposes."
Tactical purposes my ass, Fury thought. He knew exactly what Barton was looking for- the man needed to know everything he had missed. Fury knew that, had their positions been reversed, he would have wanted the same thing. He nodded to his agent, pulling up the recordings on a computer before leaving the room.
Phew- I don't recommend working 13hr days to anyone who values their sanity. This chapter is sort of just a 'moving things along' type. The Blackhawke tale that won't get out of my head is mostly a few big scenes that need to be linked together for cohesion's sake. The next chapter will be so much better, I promise!
As always, your reviews make me so happy! Just stopping by to say you're reading and enjoying if a huge inspiration to stay up late and keep typing. Also, I have a question- which Nat/Clint interaction was your favorite in the movie? I'll tell you mine next time!