Clint was feeling quite happy to be back on his home soil. Well close to it anyway. He was at least in the states but he had no intention to ever visit Iowa again unless absolutely necessary. Instead he was in New York City, waiting at the airport. Clint hadn't seen Natalia for over a month. She left before he woke up after they completed the job with Nikolay's men. All that she left was a note telling him to meet her here on Wednesday the 19th at 17:00. Clint spent the month telling himself to forget about it and never see her again. Though he was sure the Widow would track him down and make his life very miserable if he didn't comply. Rather than waiting in casual clothes he'd put on a suit and glasses and stood with a sign with the word 'Nat' scrawled on it. He was sure she'd be very pleased.

"You're an idiot." Came the cool voice of Natalia behind him. Clint swore and spun around.

"Nice to see you too Nat." Clint replied wryly. She was dressed in dark blue tight fitting jeans and a thin black hoody. The hood was securely pulled up over her red hair. "Are you Natalia?" Clint then asked as a second thought.

"Natalie Rushman." Natalia supplied.

"Well Natalie, I apologise about the mistake. Shall we?" Clint asked, offering to take her suitcase which was rejected quickly.

Clint had rented a car, as he never stayed in one place for long there was no point him owning one. He did have a collection of safe houses and storage units loaded with cash, weapons and passports all around the world but they were more of a necessity. Natalia put her suitcase in the back and settled into the passenger seat. Clint's radio was very abruptly turned off.

"My car my radio." Clint snapped at her. "And get your feet of the dashboard."

"It's a renal car." Natalia responded coolly without moving her feet or even turning to look at him.

"In my name!"

"Please, if you used your real name for this then you deserve to have the car ruined." Natalia finally turned but only to give him a smirk. Clint couldn't really argue with her.

"So where are we going?" Clint asked, changing the subject and his impeding loss of an argument.

"I assume you have a safe house or something here yes?" Natalia queried as if any other answer than yes would be meet with stony silence or bullet wound.

"Will a motel do?" Clint said with a shrug. "Never purchased a place in New York. I'm kind of wanted here."

"Kind of wanted." Natalia stated rather than questioned.

"It was a weird time in my life." Clint replied, not really wanting to go into details. He had hoped to own a place in New York and be some kind of hero but here he was.

"I wouldn't call getting caught weird." Natalia retaliated, understanding Clint's evasive words. He was sure he'd never get her to mention much about her past. He'd done as much research on her as possible during the month and he's sure she did the same with him. There wasn't a lot he could uncover but from what he gathered, her training in the 'Red Room' wasn't a fun experience. The comment she made about her age and him not believing made him think she was experimented on. Most likely some formula similar to what was used on Steve Rogers back in the thirties. But it was all speculation and he thought it would be better not to dig too much.

"I don't trust you, just so you know." Clint glanced over at her. Natalia was looking back out the window with her blank expression.

"That's the first smart thing you've ever said." Natalia didn't turn to look at him but he didn't expect it. "I don't trust you either Hawkeye. Mercenaries are fickle. It's all about the money."

"And yet here I am, willingly to help you with a mark. One that I have no details of and to be honest I wasn't expecting to get paid for it." Clint remarked somewhat haughtily.

"Then why are you here?" Natalia finally turned back to him and fixed him with long stare.

"I felt it wasn't really optional." Clint grinned at her. To be honest he still wasn't really sure why he was willing to help her.

"Two smart statements in less than five minutes. Look out Barton, your head will explode." Natalia remarked dryly. Clint caught the signs of the slightest smile before it was wiped again. Maybe he'd work on his own mission, get her to properly smile.

They'd arrived at the motel Clint was renting during their duration in New York. It was pretty seedy and he was sure most people who used were business men having affairs. But it was better that way, questions weren't asked. Natalia sneered at the state of the room but made no comment. He was sure she'd being in plenty worse places. He sure as hell had been. This was practically luxury compared to places he'd had to stay in. But it was all apart of the life he'd made for himself. One that he'd found himself increasingly unhappy in.

Clint leant against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed as Natalia surveyed the room. The only separate room was the bathroom so it didn't take her long.

"It'll do." Natalia declared finally and put her luggage onto the bed. Clint guessed there wouldn't be any arguments over the bed this time, she'd claimed it. "This is just a job for you, but to me it's my life. If you're anything but professional, if you don't take orders when I give them and if you leak any information I'll kill you. The KGB aren't very forgiving about fuck ups."

"Way to kill the mood Nat." Clint muttered.

"I'm serious Barton."

"I get it. I'm not an amateur despite what you like to think. Though I think you know that otherwise I wouldn't be here with you. And stop with the threats. It doesn't make a very good professional relationship and you know I can match you in a fight." Clint snapped. Natalia seemed slightly taken aback. He would accept a certain level of coldness from her, it was just who she was but digs at his work ethic and death threats he wouldn't tolerate.

"Fine." Clint continued to watch her as she pulled out a laptop from her bag and started it. "What do you know about Anthony Stark?"

"Stark? As in Iron Man?" Clint raised a brow. Was that the mark? He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Iron Man had given him the inspiration and courage to try and be a straight shooter at one point. It didn't work out but he didn't blame the man for it.

"Yes. The oversized tin can." Natalia snarked. Clint snorted.

"He's a genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist."

"Oh please don't tell me you're a fan boy." Natalia looked at him with something akin to disgust. Clint shrugged. "Well don't worry I'm not here to kill him. Unless I have to." Natalia waved him over. "This man is Anton Vanko. He's a Russian scientist but he left to work with Stark. The KGB want him taken out for the betrayal and Stark's latest designs brought back to them. I'm going undercover as Natalie Rushman but Stark as you so admiringly put it – is a genius. I won't be able to wear any gear in without getting my cover blown. I need you to be my eyes and back up."

"So essentially I'll be following you around taking photos while you romance Stark?"

"What? Jealous? If we can get you into a dress would you like be Natalie?" Natalia asked politely.

"Hilarious Nat." Clint rolled his eyes. He was surprised he was still getting away with the nick name.

"Most likely I'll need you to take out Anton while I work the undercover part. Think you can manage?"

"You know I can." Clint winked at her and was meet with a scowl. But it was better than her usual blank face.

"I've got something for you." Natalia reached pulled out an enclosed cylinder tube and a black case out of her suitcase. Clint accepted them off her with only the slightest concern something would explode in his hand. "Don't shake it." Natalia warned making him think the exploding thing was a real possibility.

Clint investigated the tube and the case. His eyes went wide and it felt like all the Christmas and Birthdays that had never been celebrated, except by a heavy intake of alcohol by his father – had been made up for. Clint looked up at Natalia with awe and confusion at the gift. She might intend to have them used in the job to make it easier but it didn't matter to Clint.

"Well, what do you say?" Natalia asked with a raised brow. She seemed amused at his awe.

"Thank you."

Clint was bored. He'd really gotten the short end of the stick with this job. He knew he could walk away any time. He didn't owe Natalia anything. Hell he wasn't even getting paid for this. Sure, he didn't need the money but it really he felt like he deserved some kind of reward. Though he remembered the gift Natalia had given him – it made this worth it. And so did working with her. Clint sighed and shifted his position on the roof slightly. Natalia had managed to get a small discrete ear piece so he'd at least been able to communicate with her and listen to her newest alias fawn over Stark.

Probably the greatest thing about it was that he could talk to her and she couldn't do anything to stop him. Except turn the comms off but Natalia needed to be able to give him instructions when necessary.

'Natalie' was Stark's latest personal assistant. He still wasn't really sure how she swung that because he was sure there were women and men alike lining up outside Stark Tower in the hopes for that position. Hell, he was sure they'd take a toilet cleaner position if meant getting them in Stark Tower.

"Mr Stark, you have a dinner with a journalist. Should I call Happy to arrange a ride?" Natalia asked. Clint wasn't able to see her location but he assumed she was in Stark's workshop. His location on the roof only gave access to certain floors and rooms. Stark's workshop was hidden within the tower. The man might have been eccentric but at least he understood the need for some sort of secrecy.

"Busy. You go." Stark replied quickly. "And please, it's Tony. Mr Stark was my...father? Grandfather maybe."

"Mr Vanko, it looks like you have everything under control here." Natalia stated. Clint thinks it was for his benefit so he knew the location of Vanko. The Russian scientist was proving hard to find in an open area. Though the paranoia definitely wasn't unfounded. Clint could eliminate the man without anyone ever knowing who did it but if he didn't time it properly then Stark would know the Russians were pissed and go into lock down mode.

If that happened it would be nearly impossible for Natalia to get the information she needed. But Clint was beginning to think he'd never be able to take out the man anyway as the only time Anton left Stark Tower was to go to Stark Industries and that was done at random intervals.

"Ask him to go stand outside for a minute." Clint suggested. His suggestion was ignored. Nat would probably make him pay for all his off hand comments later.

"Go to your meeting Tony." Anton grumbled, his voice was rough and heavy with a Russian accent.

"Fine but only because you have such a pretty face." Stark complied. Clint was hoping he was referring to Natalia not Anton. Then again maybe the other way would sit better with him.

Clint zoned out and rolled onto his back. He didn't need to follow Stark and Natalia to the meeting. Out of the slim possibility that Anton left the tower he knew he should stay here but he couldn't take the shot yet anyway. Clint tried to find a star in the sky but to no avail. He was startled when Iron Man went streaking across the sky. Natalia swore in Russian.

"Babysitting Stark too much for you? Clint asked with amusement.

"Insufferable fool." Natalia muttered. "Stay where you are Hawkeye. Anton will be going to Stark Industries within the hour. Stark will be held up at dinner for a few hours. The journalist will...catch his attention. Blackout is a go."

"Copy that Black Widow." Clint rolled back onto his stomach and prepared his bow with a grin. Finally something more interesting was going to happen.