It wasn't until Clint settled on the roof that he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Occasionally he got these feelings and when he did, something got fucked up really quickly. Generally he just rolled with it because it was only ever him. But now, he was watching Natasha in Stark Tower, surrounded by dangerous tin can suits. If he had any authority on this job or even if Natasha would actually listen to him then he'd call the job off right now and go back to the drawing board. He shouldn't have let Nat convince him it was fine to go with this plan. There was nothing he could do except watch Natasha through the giant floor to ceiling windows and wait for the inevitable.
"Be careful Nat. I've got a bad feeling."Clint warned through the comms. He doubted she'd heed it but it was the only thing he could really do.
Nat didn't respond verbally given she wasn't alone. Pepper was sitting at the table going through paperwork with Nat's help. However she scratched her left cheek, the side of the comm. Clint knew she at least acknowledged his warning but he still doubted it was going to do much good.
Things looked completely normal with both the women buried in paper work. Natasha playing her role as Natalie Rushman perfectly. Clint watched as she laughed at something Pepper said. He knew it was an act but it looked so natural. A small grin forms on his face as he thinks about her laugh, even when it was at his expense.
Natasha stood up and headed towards the kitchen after a nod from Pepper after an offer of coffee. Even her voice seemed more high than usual. Clint wasn't sure if it really was or whether he was just associating 'Natalie' as not his Natasha. The Russian assassin moves around the large kitchen with ease and stops to slip a knife out of the block so casually it was as if she needed it to make the coffee. Nat hadn't been able to take her own weapons in with Stark's increased security. Clint could see the moment she dropped the Natalie act, she turned into a predator and stalked towards Pepper.
A moment of confusion slips over Pepper's face as she finds a knife held tightly against it. The confusion turns to shock and then anger.
"Stand up. Slowly." Natasha directs, her voice smooth and emotionless.
"I knew it...I told Tony there was something off about you!" Pepper spits out angrily but complying with Nat's orders and slips off the chair.
"Oh please. You had no idea, you were driven by jealously." Natasha scoffs and herds Pepper closer to the window.
"I see no reason for jealously. Even now that I'm the CEO of Stark Industries – I still take out his trash ." Pepper replied bitterly. Clint was impressed. He doubted Nat had many people stand up to her. Though Pepper also wasn't aware the imposter PA was the Black Widow.
"Brave words for a weak girl." Natasha drawled out. "JARVIS please alert Stark of the current situation."
"Right away Miss Rushman."
"JARVIS should have already alerted Tony!" Pepper looks put out.
"I did a little...tinkering." Natasha smirks cruelly. Clint rolls his eyes. She really got way too much entertainment from tormenting people.
"It's a nice change you're not tormenting me." Clint murmured into the comms. Nat shrugged her left shoulder in agitation and he smirked.
"JARVIS is an AI with unbreakable firewalls." Pepper said, it sounded like she was trying to reassure herself that this was correct.
"Unbreakable for an idiot maybe." Natasha muttered. "JARVIS ETA on Stark."
"Less than a minute Miss Rushman." JARVIS replied coolly.
"You're with the archer aren't you?" Pepper asks, things starting to click together.
"Don't insult me. I have nothing to do with that renegade fool." Natasha said icily. No doubt repayment for his last comment.
"Ouch, Nat." Clint said with fake hurt.
The elevator opened with a 'ping' and Stark hurdled through it, fully suited up except for the face plate which was still up. "Pepper! Let her go." Stark ordered.
"If you give me what I want." Natasha bartered, pushing the blade deeper into Pepper's throat to show she was being completely serious.
"Who are you?" Tony growled out.
"The question shouldn't be who, it should be what do I want?" Natasha looked at Pepper then back at Tony pointedly. "Unless you don't care that I slit Miss Potts throat."
"Don't you dare hurt her. What do you want?"
"All your designs from the last year."
"You're the elf's partner aren't you?" Stark asked. Clint wasn't sure whether he was buying time.
"I work alone."
"Right because Legolas shows up, attacks my tower, uploads a virus onto my network and kills my Russian scientist at the same time you become my PA. I assume while arrow happy was distracting me you were hacking into my systems looking for files and altering JARVIS?" Tony reasons.
Natasha shrugs. Stark might act the fool often but he still a genius. Clint frowned as Nat switched the comms off. She was still talking o Stark but he couldn't hear anything. He didn't know whether to interfere or not but after a few minutes she switched it back on again.
"What the hell Nat?" Clint asked in confusion and frustration. What the fuck was she telling Stark? Natasha of course didn't reply.
"Stop stalling Stark and get me what I want. I'm done waiting." Natasha was the shortest person in the room and yet she was controlling everything and was without a doubt the most dangerous person despite Stark being suited up.
"Fine. But first, tell me who you are so I can find you later." Stark threatened.
"It will make no difference. I won't tell you my name but I'm sure you can find it. You can call me the Black Widow."
Clint watched as Tony's eyes furrowed trying to think whether he knew the name then widening as it dawned on the man. Clint grinned, he felt the same way.
"You were trained in the Red Room and injected with serum similar to Captain America's." Stark breathed out, looking far more concerned about the situation now.
"That information is classified." Natasha's eyes narrowed.
"Nothing is classified when you're a genius."
"You're stalling again." Natasha digs the point of the blade into Pepper's neck to draw blood. The taller woman gasps in pain. "I'm not a patient person Stark."
"Then let's go to my workroom. You know that's where the information is kept."
"No thanks. I'd rather not deal with Protocol Disco Ball again." Natasha looked disgusted at uttering the words 'disco ball.'
"I'm not leaving you here with a knife against Pepper's throat. Either you come to the workshop with me or no deal."
"No deal?"
Clint can't see her whole face from her but he's pretty sure she raised a brow.
"You heard me Spidey."
Clint was surprised she didn't slit Pepper's throat straight away. But then with Pepper dead she had no leverage and Stark wouldn't hesitate to try and kill her. It seemed Stark was very aware of this fact and was using it to his advantage. "Don't leave the room Nat – you know it's a trap. I can't provide back up if I can't see you."
Natasha shrugged her left shoulder in annoyance. "I'm no fool Stark. I'm not bargaining with you. This is how it's going to go, you're going to walk your shiny metal philanthrobot ass down to the workshop and get me every Iron Man suit design from the last year. When, and only when I've confirmed the information is correct and the file has no virus to corrupt the information will I then let your precious CEO go."
"No. You know as well as I do Pepper is your only leverage. If you kill her now then there's nothing stopping me turning you inside out." Stark spit out.
"Who said anything about killing her?" Natasha asked softly. Clint knew this wasn't going to be good. Natasha slipped the knife into her waist band. Her other hand was holding Pepper's wrists behind her back. With a swift and effortlessly movement Natasha released Pepper's arms and then broke the CEO's left arm.
Pepper screamed in pain before gaining control and falling silent with a whimper. Stark stepped forward but Natasha held up a hand warning him to stop.
"I know a lot of ways to cause a lot of pain without killing someone and I can do a lot of them standing right here. Unless you want to find out my other methods I suggest you get a move on Stark." Natasha pulled Pepper's arms back behind her back. Pepper gasped in pain as her broken arm was jostled.
"Fine!" Stark conceded. "JARVIS tell me if the assassin moves even an inch."
"I don't need to move an inch to hurt her." Natasha warned. "But if it makes you feel better – JARVIS you can inform Stark of my movements."
"Yes Miss Rushman." JARVIS replied with his airy disembodied voice.
"You programmed JARVIS not to record your movements?" Tony asks with a glare.
"Get moving Stark." Natasha pulled her arm down, causing Pepper's broken arm to extend down. Clint winced at the sound of pain that came from Pepper.
Tony left with a hate filled glare at Natasha.
"What did you tell Stark when you killed the comms Nat?" Clint asked. He received no reply. "They know we're working together so you don't need to remain quiet. Just tell me." Clint received no reply and he growled in frustration. "Fucking hell Natasha, this is bullshit."
Natasha made no signs at all of hearing him.
But she wouldn't have been able to even if she wanted to.
The elevator pinged and separated pieces of an Iron Man suit came whirring into the room. They were hurtling towards both the women. Natasha fell into a defensive position and Pepper threw her arms out as best she could. The Iron Man suit latching onto her arms then legs. The final pieces latched onto her and encased the taller woman's body entirely in the red and gold suit.
Only a few seconds later Clint watched as a second Iron Man – no doubt Tony came smashing out of the window below the women then smashed through the window into the room with them. Natasha jumped back to shield herself from the raining glass. Stark clearly had no patient for the elevator.
Tony held up a repulsor, aiming it directly at Natasha's head. Pepper moved back, allowing Tony to take over but remained in the room. Tony didn't order her away, knowing Natasha's fighting skills were far superior to his own. Even in the Iron Man suit there was a high possibility Nat could take the man out. But against two suits it was an uneven match.
Clint was readying his grappling arrow. There was no way he was going to let her clash against two Iron Man suits on her own. Then she finally acknowledged him.
"We're done Barton." Natasha said coldly.
"What the fuck are you talking about Nat?"
"Manipulating you was a waste of time. You were only too easy. You're naïve and useless Barton." Natasha's tone was full of ice. "Just leave."
"Nat..." Clint had no idea what the hell just happened. It didn't make sense, why bother telling him now? It was stupid of her to try and chase him away right when she'd need back up. Clint frowned and then shook his head. He wasn't a hundred percent sure, he never was when it came to her but he's fairly certain she's trying to protect him. She didn't think he could fight either Stark or Pepper and would end up hurt or killed. But he'd done a lot in life that he didn't want to and this wasn't an exception. Natasha meant more to him than his morals and previous dreams of being a straight shooter. "No Tash. I won't leave you."
"Dammit Clint I-" The rest of Natasha's reply was cut short as Stark released a repulsor blast her.