CHAPTER TWO
Sitting on a bench outside, Dana glances toward the meeting room, noticing Steve and Tony engaging in an intense conversation.
She crosses her legs, the summer breeze washing over her face gently. Wearing a light-fitted blue summers dress, Dana tilts her head back. Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of the purse beside her feet.
"Thought you quit?" a voice trails toward her.
Dana smirks, lighting the cigarette in her mouth, before gesturing the pack toward Clint. He shakes his head before taking the seat next to her.
"The wife… she'll have my balls."
"I thought she already did?" Dana questioned, laughing. Smoke floating out of her throat.
Clint chuckles, resting his elbows on his knees, looking out at the open garden in front of them.
"Yeah, s'pose you're right," he sighs, "wouldn't have it any other way though."
Dana nods, taking another drag on her cigarette, listening sizzling of the fire.
"We're taking the heat you know, from the outside world" Clint murmurs, leaning back. "Seems good old American's aren't too pleased with our work."
"They were never going to understand." Dana replies quickly.
Clint nods, his forehead creasing into wrinkles.
"Ah, fuck it." He groans grabbing the packet on Dana's legs.
"Don't even think about it" a voice creeps from behind. Dana smirks, taking another drag. "She will kill you."
Natasha saunters up slowly, her black heeled boots clinking on the floor. "Cap wants to see you Clint. Wouldn't keep him waiting."
Clint drops the packet back to Dana before getting up and leaving. Dana stomps on her finished cigarette before pulling out another one to light.
"Going heavy today?" Natasha asks, replacing the seat in which Clint resided in. Dana nods without replying. "What's got you in a knot?"
Dana glances back at the empty meeting room, noticing Steve and Tony's absence.
"It's only going to get worse you know? People hate what they don't understand, they despise what they can't control."
"A risk we gotta' take to do the right thing" Natasha says firmly, cracking her knuckles. Dana drags on the cigarette.
"What is the right thing?"
Natasha glances to the side, a wave of irritation flooding into her eyes.
"You may have turned the Avengers down, but you didn't turn Steve down" she states.
"Maybe I should've both…"
Natasha's face crumples in confusion, but the sound of Steve's footsteps interrupts the conversation.
"Hey you two" Steve calls out walking half way down the steps. The two women look back at him, "we need your help."
