I am so sorry for it being so long! Crazy week, studying for exams I can't believe we're not out yet! Still I tried to give you something good!
Chapter 7
Yelena was seriously ticked, she'd had to plow her way through over 40 men to get to the room, but some of them were her own! Actually they were the Red Skull's henchmen and she was disgusted that he thought they would stop her.
She burst in the room, and immediately saw Captain America getting ready to throw another punch at the Red Skull. She rushed in, and pushed Captain America to the side, kicking him in the gut to make sure he stayed out of her way. She had unfinished business with Red Skull.
"I wondered when you'd get here, my dear." Red Skull taunted.
"Yes, your weak force merely slowed me down." She said, as she began a series of kicking and punching. She was forcing him into a corner to limit his movements, when his fist shot out. She had been aware that he had taken the super soldier serum when it had first began, but now she felt the power of the fist, and she rolled her chin to the side to prevent him from breaking her jaw. She then continued the attacks.
"As they were meant to." Red Skull continued. They said no more as each tried to fight for dominance.
Red Skull had known that Yelena was skilled, it was one of many reasons he had been interested in her. He also knew his own strengths, and while he had thought it would be easy to take her down without resorting to the poison coursing through her veins that would allow him to give her simple commands, he hadn't been able to give her enough to make her a complete slave, but that was okay, he was actually being challenged by her.
He felt her relentless fury and merciless precision targeting pressure points, tendons, and other weak points to inspire pain. He was intrigued she was aiming for pain more than to kill him, but she was doing a fair share of trying to do that as well.
Captain America could only watch as his arch nemesis and the woman he had thought he had disabled fought. He had been very bruised with the Red Skull battle, and Yelena had quite the kick, but the smartest thing would be to let one finish the other off and then apprehend the victor. He glanced over to Natasha and Clint. Clint was trying to make Natasha more comfortable.
As quietly as he could, to not draw notice to himself, which was quite difficult due to his very patriotic red, white, and blue stars and stripes, he got closer to Natasha and Clint.
While Natasha had been spared the immediate effects of the poisons, Clint knew she was still very much at risk.
"Cap, how bad are you injured?"
"I'll be fine, what do you have in mind?" Steve was determined to do what he could to help.
"I need you to take Natasha back to SHIELD immediately. She needs to get through the tunnels safely and get some medical attention. Not only from the poisons, although that is a large part of it, she also has experienced many untreated injuries as well." Clint explained.
"No, Clint I'm not leaving you here alone with Red Skull and Yelena. I'll be fine, you have my guns right? I'll do what I can here." But Natasha's voice was faint and she cursed it for betraying her weakness at a time when she needed to portray every inch of strength and formidability she possessed.
"Nat, there is no way I'm letting you go another minute without medical attention. I don't know what Red Skull used on you or what effects it could leave on your system. Not to mention the fact that a few minutes ago you were dying in my arms." Clint looked deep in Natasha's eyes.
She knew what he was really saying, I don't want you to die because you didn't get medical attention in time. She knew he was begging for her to do this with every fiber of her being. She knew if the roles were reversed, there would have been no question. She also knew there wasn't much she could do, she wasn't entirely sure she could even hold a gun stable in this condition, much less help stop Red Skull and Yelena.
But they were the problem, that was two very dangerous people and Clint would be left alone with them. There would be no one to help him, and she knew very strongly that Yelena was dangerous and with her new found knowledge, that Red Skull was bad news too. She knew she just had to trust Clint. She had to trust Clint not to die. It hurt but she knew that Clint needed to know she would be okay.
"Fine." She said. Cap nodded, and gathered her in his arms. He slipped out the door with her noiselessly and the combatants didn't notice him go.
Natasha felt Cap running as smoothly as he could to not jostle her, but her entire body was tense as she fought the urge to leap from his arms and run to help Clint. She just needed to trust Clint.
Steve felt Natasha in his arms, and he saw the sweat on her face and how she held her body. He had seen pictures of the Red Skull's captives and they had not been very pretty. He admired Clint choice to get her out of there, possibly at the risk of his own safety and back up. Natasha's face was getting paler and paler as blood left her face. He tried to be as gentle as he could, it would only be a few more minutes.
Clint watched the battle, carefully. Looking for injuries to be exploited, weaknesses in fighting styles, etc. He was also maneuvering his way around the room to get the best spot to use his arrows. He wasn't anticipating using many of them, as this was a relatively enclosed space, but he could use a few to wound his opponents making it far more likely the fight would go in his favor.
His arm was still sore, but he wouldn't let that him. Once he'd had to shoot with a broken arm, so then of course Natasha had him practice for hours shooting with a broken arm so he would never have to worry about that again. That had been a painful few weeks. He needed to focus, but he remembered when the Avengers had teamed up for the first time. It seemed so long ago.
Of course, he didn't remember most of it, being Loki's slave and all. Natasha had been quite…peeved when she learned he still felt guilty for that. She was very adamant, and she had gotten him to understand that it wasn't his fault he'd been manipulated. He had never spoken of it again, it was too close to what Nat had gone through, and it was painful for her.
Wow, he had to give it to Red Skull and Yelena, they were both talented fighters. She was very precise, but still had strength. Red Skull was using mainly blocks to stop her attacks, but he noticed when he struck, Yelena staggered.
"Well, it's always good to practice although I was hoping for a more challenging opponent. I will see you again." Red Skull sneered, and then threw something at the ground that exploded into smoke.
Clint and Yelena coughed a little, but listened very carefully. There were a few faint steps, which meant he was still in the room. Clint assumed Yelena knew, Natasha would at least. Besides, he wasn't planning on underestimating her.
"Damn" Yelena swore, she knew Red Skull was still in the room. That wasn't what she was angry about, she was angry about was that she hadn't noticed Natasha and Captain America disappear. That would get her killed! The archer was still here, Clint Barton. She'd kill him, and then Natasha would come to him. Then once he was dead, she'd kill Red Skull. There was no rush for him.
She turned toward Clint, and that was all the cue he needed to loose several arrows in her direction. She flipped her way past most of them, but they nicked her arms and legs. She didn't give her injuries a second glance, as she cartwheeled towards Clint keeping her movements so fast he'd have difficulty getting a target.
Once she was close enough, Clint swung his bow at her and it hit her on the side of the ribs, pushing to her one side. He pressed the attack, not letting her readjust to the pain. He followed through with a series of punches. She returned the favor with continuing the kicks and acrobatics. She pulled out a gun and began firing. Now Clint was on the defensive, he tried to move them out of the way, but she shot him in the arm, thankfully not his shooting arm.
He fell backwards; he aimed himself to land on the bed. The room was pretty open, well now it was filled with signs of a battle, but it had been very nice. He fell on the bed, and she lept on the bed with him, pressing a knife to his throat.
I'm sorry Natasha, Clint thought.
Please review! I promise to be faster in the coming days...hopefully!