Natasha was ready. Stripped of all weapons and dressed in her uniform, she walked out of the hotel rear entrance towards the waiting vehicle. Coulson would drive her to the abandoned buildings where their mystery man had arranged to exchange her with Foster. Clint was leaning against the sedan, his arms folded. He was wearing casual clothes, jeans and a tee shirt, so as to blend in. Natasha thought the ray bans were possibly a little much. He stood up as she approached and took off the sunglasses...
As she reached him, Clint took her shoulders in his hands and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.
'Natasha.' He said softly.
The Black Widow pulled back. 'If the words 'be careful' are marching ill advisedly this way Clint Barton, I swear I will punch you so hard you will see stars!' She snapped.
Clint's eyes opened wide in surprise as he opened his mouth to speak. He didn't get the chance.
'Just because things have... developed... between us does not mean that you can start worrying about me. You are I are the same people doing the same job we were yesterday. A kiss cannot make any difference. We have to keep things professional. Sentiment clouds the judgement and you're likely to make a mistake... I need you not to make any mistakes!' She scolded.
Barton had his head on one side watching her quizzically.
'Are you done?' He asked.
She nodded once.
He leant forward and pressed his lips gently against hers in a brief kiss. 'What I was going to say before you gave your little speech was, Natasha, please try not to kill him, I would very much like that pleasure for myself.' Smirking, he put the ray bans on with a flourish.
'Oh.' Natasha responded non plussed as Clint held the back door of the car open for her.
The journey would take a slight detour to drop Clint off at the building he'd chosen for a vantage point. It was silent in the back of the car.
'All right, I promise I will try not to kill him.' Natasha said eventually as the Coulson pulled the black sedan over the side of the road. Barton hopped out onto the street and collected his bag of weapons from the boot. Slinging the duffle over his shoulder he leaned back into the car.
'Oh and don't forget, we have a date.' He said quietly with a wink before closing the door and banging on the roof.
Natasha's lips turned up in a small indulgeant smile as she glanced in the side mirror but the archer was already gone.
Foster paced the carpet, her hands behind her back. 'I don't understand how Agent Barton is going to find us.' Hannah insisted. 'We were taken away in a helicopter. Even he can't follow that... unless... unless he managed to fire a grappling hook and hitch a lift along with us.
The Black Widow sat in one of the ornate chairs her head bowed as she recovered from her ordeal. 'No.' she said simply.
'You don't know that.' Foster warmed to her theme. 'He could at this very moment be storming the building.'
'No.' Natasha said again.
The two were silent for a few moments.
'I can't hear anything.' The younger agent said eventually. 'That could mean he has overpowered the guards?'
'Agent Barton was not on the helicopter.' Natasha said with effort.
'Ah, you will have made a plan. I can help, what's going to happen?' She asked eagerly.
'Are you feeling better?' Red pole entered the room cautiously wearing the dragon mask. Natasha was almost grateful for the interruption. She lifted her head slowly to stare at the Chinese enforcer. Foster scuttled from her place to sit in the chair next to her.
'You need to let Foster go, that was your part of the bargain.' Natasha said slowly.
'It was Agent's Barton's part of the bargain to be suffering this...' He gestured towards his head. 'But of course, he is not.'
'If you hadn't run away we would have been able to decontaminate you.' Natasha countered.
'Ha! You expect me to believe that. You would have tortured me until I was no longer useful to you and then allowed me to die.' He scoffed.
Natasha shrugged. 'I didn't say it would have all been unpleasant. What will it take for you to let Agent Foster go?'
'In your current predicament, I don't think you have very much to offer my dear Agent Romanoff, do you?' Red pole attempted charm.
Natasha shuffled forward in her chair, the legs scraping loud on the floor. Red pole jumped.
'On the contrary.' The Widow said. 'If you release her I will give you my word that I won't kill you, in fact, I will even co-operate.'
Removing the mask, Red pole eyed the Russian Agent suspiciously. 'Why would you co-operate?' He asked.
'Barton wants the girl. He was willing to have me compromised in order to get her back... that does not make me very happy.'
Red pole tried to process the information. 'Are you saying that you are not the woman Barton loves?' He asked confused.
Natasha arched an eyebrow. 'You don't seem to be a stupid person. If I were would he happily send me in here?'
'He wouldn't?'
'Honestly, what man would send his woman...' Natasha cringed inwardly at the phrase. 'into a dangerous situation?'
The triad considered the problem. 'My informants were very certain...' although he no longer sounded so convinced.
'Agent Foster.' The blonde looked up nervously. 'When we left U.S. soil to fly to Budapest, did you or did you not kiss Agent Barton good bye?'
'Well... I?'
'A simple yes or no will suffice.' Natasha snapped, her eyes widening at the girl's reluctance.
'Yes.' Foster said miserably.
'We were aware of this.' Red pole said his bloodshot eyes now trained on Foster. 'But we were informed that this was simply a gesture and that Barton was in love with you?' The inference was not lost on the Black Widow.
Natasha snorted. 'I am a highly skilled Red Room trained Agent.' She said haughtily, ' If he ever had any intentions with regards to me they would have been most definitely extinguished long ago. Relationships within fellow agents could lead to compromise and I cannot allow that. I owe Agent Barton a debt and that is the extent of my loyalty. By agreeing to come here today to affect the release of Agent Foster on his behalf, I would have considered the debt repaid and I would be free, free to leave S.H.I.E.L.D and possibly join with someone else...' The statement hung in the air momentarily. 'However, as you have reneged on your part of the arrangement I still find myself indebted and trapped. I am simply trying to find a way out of the problem.'
Red pole scratched his head. 'In order to make Agent Barton suffer, I need the woman he loves...?'
Natasha held out her hands. 'Then you may as well let me go then.'
'But now you may be willing to change allegiances?' He continued.
'Once my debt to Barton has been repaid and that can only be done by releasing Foster.' She added firmly. 'And I won't be needing the fancy jewellery.'
Red Pole looked from one woman to the other in an agony of indecision. 'The Black Widow would be a very powerful ally.' He muttered.
Red pole climbed into the cockpit as the helicopter ascended whilst Hawkeye had already switched to his bow and taken careful aim. He was proficient with a rifle if the job required it, but his bow was his weapon of choice. The arrow flew in an arc before embedding itself in the undercarriage. Once he was certain the missile was secure he pressed the button on his bow for the stem and feathers to disengage leaving the locator beacon in the arrow's tip. Wherever that 'copter landed, he could find it.
'I'm coming Tash.' He muttered as the craft flew away.