Barton began to unpack the luggage from the trunk of the black sedan. There wasn't much, a small kitbag each for himself and Natasha and a suitcase for Foster. In the meantime his partner had walked into the main terminal building to announce their arrival.
Hannah got out of the back seat as though in a trance. Walking around to the trunk she watched as Barton reached inside.
'Here, hold this.' he said handing her his bow without looking up. As he leant forwards to grab his quiver, Hannah weighed the weapon in her hand for a second. Raising the bow high in the air she brought it slamming down upon Clint's head with a speed and strength she had never possessed before. Completely unprepared, Barton didn't even see the attack. As the weapon connected he was knocked out cold, slumping forwards into the trunk space. Struggling slightly, Hannah managed to lift the archer's legs and force them into the vehicle before slamming the lid shut.
Panting, the girl glanced around. Agent Romanoff was just leaving the terminal building. Quickly Hannah ran around to the driver's seat. Fortunately for her Natasha had left the keys in the ignition. In normal circumstances Hannah would never have considered driving. She had only ever been behind the wheel on two occasions and each had frightened her so badly she had vowed never to try it again. Under the influence of Red pole's control bracelet however, she turned the ignition and was soon speeding off across the tarmac, albeit swerving alarmingly.
Natasha heard the screech of tyres and looked up. She registered the abandoned pile of luggage and the sedan's rapid departure. Something was very wrong.
'Barton... Barton?' She said over her com's link. When there was no response her worse fears began to surface. Running back to the building she found a jeep with the keys inside. Jumping in, she was soon racing away in the direction of the runaway.
The road began to wind as the sedan made its way through the Danube Bend and towards the Transdanubian Mountains. Uncertain as a driver, Hannah's mind was in the grip of Red pole but her skills were lacking. As the car negotiated each bend her foot refused to ease from the accelerator, but her reponses were slow and uncoordinated. The rear end began to slide as the car climbed higher.
A skilled driver at speed, Natasha could soon see the sedan on the pass above her. The road was becoming more treacherous as Foster skidded away from the modern main thoroughfare and onto the lesser used outer tracks whose traffic was normally only logging trucks.
In her 4x4 the Russian had a greater chance to stay on the road, but Foster continued to plough onwards regardless, the road now changing from tarmac to gravel as the sedans wheels spun and slid.
A hairpin bend in the road was the final test for the novice driver and she was unable to handle it. The big car couldn't possibly turn in the space allowed and headed towards the edge. Hannah slammed her foot on the brake in a final act of self preservation. The gravel screeched as the brakes locked and the car shuddered to a halt... with the front half of the vehicle hanging precariously over the edge of the mountain.
In her zombie like state, Hannah did not even appear to flinch. She reached up and opened the sun roof. Standing slowly on the seat she eased herself through the small opening and began to inch her way towards the back of the car across the roof. With the movement the vehicle creaked ominously. Foster stopped, waited for it to stabilize, and then continued to edge towards the rear. As Natasha arrived and stopped the jeep, Hannah was sitting on the back of the car staring directly ahead as she twirled the keys around her finger.
'Foster... What are you doing?' The Widow approached cautiously. There was something ethereal about the girl as she stared straight into space, unblinking.
'Where is agent Barton?' Natasha tried again.
The girl gave a sinister giggle and patted the trunk lid next to her. The car teetered before regaining balance.
'Why don't I get a rope and we can pull you back onto the road.' Natasha said softly.
Hannah shook her head. It was unnerving how she wouldn't look at the Widow, she didn't even seem human.
As Natasha stepped forward the girl suddenly shouted, 'No! Or I will get off.'
So precariously balanced was the vehicle it was obvious that the girl's weight, such as it was, was the only thing keeping the car balanced and if Barton was in fact in the trunk...
'Ok, ok...' She placated. 'Foster... why don't you tell me what's going on?'
Hannah tilted her head to one side as if not understanding the question. 'I have to make Barton pay.' The voice was distant.
'But you like Agent Barton... you like Clint... what do you want him to pay for?'
'The pain... all the pain... so much...' Hannah replied dreamily.
'Agent Foster... Hannah...' Natasha began but was interrupted.
'Hannah is gone... goodbye Hannah... good riddance to the bitch!' The girl spat the last word. Pulling up her sleeve Hannah waved the bracelet. 'Same technology used to control my beautiful army... until Barton destroyed them... I told him he should have killed me.' Hannah finally turned to face her. Her eyes were lifeless, her face twisted and cold. The voice was hard, eerie... and unmistakably Red pole.
Clicking her communicator the Widow tried to contact Coulson but the mountain passes limited her signal. She was on her own.
'Hannah, if you are in there, can you hear me?' She inched forward.
The girl simply stared blankly.
'You have to fight it Hannah...' Decreasing the distance.
A vicious smile twisted on the girls lips. 'You cannot save him.' She sniggered. 'No-one can save him... I win.'
'Just stay where you are.' If she could get to the car, she could use her own weight to hold it down until she could unlock the trunk. The girl had the keys. Subdue the girl, keep her weight on the lid and tie a rope to the sedan. A dozen scenarios flew through the Black Widow's mind.
'Too late.' The girl chirped before stepping off the car. The sedan see sawed on the edge of the cliff, a sheer drop below. In slow motion Natasha dived for the car as it slid over the edge. In desperation she grabbed for Hannah, snatching the keys. The buttons depressed under her fingers as the girl staggered backwards. Losing her footing, so close to the edge, Hannah wobbled for a moment before disappearing over the side. The Black Widow caught her arm as the girl fell. The only thing between Hannah Foster and a sheer two hundred foot drop was a woman who despised her and the bracelet stopping her slender wrist sliding out of her saviour's two clasped hands. From below there was a sickening sound of metal crashing through trees until finally a fireball exploded as the sedan hit the ground. Natasha tried to bury the sickening feeling of utter despair and concentrate on the agent hanging below her.
'I'll pull you up, but you have to help.' Natasha gasped. Hannah had become a dead weight as the girl hung lifeless by her arm. She wasn't even attempting to hold on.
'Foster!' Natasha shouted in frustration, desperate to reach the girl.
Hannah turned her face upwards, her eyes completely void of who she was. There was a click from the wristlet. Suddenly Hannah was back. She looked around in utter panic, her eyes filling with tears of terror and realisation of her plight as she desperately flailed to hang on to Natasha. It was too late. Her wrist now released by the unlocked bracelet slipped through the Widow's hands. Hannah screamed as she began to fall.