Chapter 21: Clint's Farmhouse

Very softly, and with only a small amount of apprehension, Clint knocked on the study door, "Nat? You mind if I come in?" he glanced to the folder tucked under his arm to be sure no pages were loose.

After a moment the door opened and Natasha leaned out, "What's up?"

She'd been silent, mostly, the last week or so as she looked high and low for anything to prove or disprove the film reel, but now she looked... normal, or at least closer to it. "Delivery from Fury," he held out the folder.

"You saw him?" she was hopeful.

"No, but," Clint pointed to the red hourglass sketched onto the file, "his calling card, doodles."

Natasha was disappointed. She'd been trying to reach Nick for a week- if anyone knew her past, it would be him. "What is it?" she remembered suddenly the other folder, well hidden, with pictures of Clint's long-dead (more or less) brother Berny.

"No clue, Fury didn't draw a bow and arrow on it, so it's none of my business unless you decide it is."

He wanted to help, but she couldn't let him. If he knew Berny was alive and that Natasha had kept that from him for seventeen years? "I'll handle it for now," she could tell he was disappointed as she took the file, "thanks."

"Hey," he stopped her as she edged the door closed, "It doesn't matter how long you did what you did. You've helped more people working for SHIELD than you ever could have hurt. All this changes is the candles on the birthday cake." she nodded and he let go of the door.

Natasha waited for Clint's footsteps to fade away before setting the folder on the desk and opening it. Her caution proved unnecessary. There were a half dozen photographs of the man from the video in modern dress- definitely taken with the utmost secrecy. Under the photographs the word "ALBATROSS" was typed. No dates, no locations, just the name. Another set of photographs were of a young man with the air of a military commander, someone used to giving orders and having them obeyed, "JOHN RYKER", beneath that "AAM", Artificial Age Modification.

All photographs were clear, but not perfect, taken from great distances as the two men entered or exited vehicles. How had Fury found them? How did he know- Natasha froze for a moment on the last picture of Ryker. Beside him was the man from the pictures of Berny- Dennisson's assistant. Ryker- Banner's first enemy, Berny- Clint's potentially most dangerous and emotionally damaging enemy, and Albatross- Natasha couldn't remember him, but she got the distinct impression they weren't exactly long lost friends.

"Fucking hell Nick," Natasha swept the pictures together and headed for the door- Clint was about to get his wish, "can't even tell me in person we're screwed?"

Thor, Banner, Clint, and Natasha gathered in the kitchen to discuss the photographs before alerting the New York team. She wanted the input of the others before adding to Steve, Tony, and Sam's already monumental workloads.

"So," Clint inspected the Albatross images slowly, meticulously, "he's alive too," he reached across and grabbed a pen from Banner's shirt pocket (which surprised the scientist to say the least) and noted on the back of one photograph a street sign partially visible in the foreground.

"Ryker's had work done," Banner shot Clint a small glare and returned to the photos in his hands, "him being alive explains how some less than desirable individuals over the years knew so much about the Hulk."

Thor was trying to help Clint identify background features, but he wasn't as much use. He didn't know Midgard well enough to guess what may be relevant, "is the wide and narrow thing on the front of this automobile something unique?"

Natasha took a look, "Partial license plate, no numbers or letters visible, so not really. Color might help narrow it down if we get to a region though. Look at reflections, try to see people in the background. What they are wearing may help."

"So we've got this mystery guy digging up a couple of old opponents or allies or whatever Albatross was, why?" Clint frowned, "And how does it fit with the attempt on Bucky and Inessa- or does it? These could be two totally separate things."

"Mystery guy is Hydra, Dennisson's assistant," Nat had a story planned out already, "Inessa described this guy Morris who she saw when she grabbed Bucky from Dennisson's base. Based on her description I'm 75% sure this is the same guy," 100% actually, but she didn't have a good enough story to cover certainty.

Thor looked over at the man indicated, "Was not Inessa's childhood friend a false ally of Hydra? She may be able to verify his identity, particularly since he was relatively high up in the second battle of New York, she may have seen him."

"Good idea," Clint pulled out his phone and snapped a quick photo of Morris' face. Thor smiled with pride.

"If he's got these two, we have no idea how many he's pulled together or who's giving him directions, if anyone. At least in SHIELD you didn't usually hear about secretaries being in charge of asset recruitment."

Clint's phone buzzed and he quickly checked his inbox, "Alright, it is one Sebastian Morris, but these pictures are at least 2 months old. His body was reported destroyed by Hydra just before the fight. Dennisson suspected him of releasing Bucky and smashed in his skull." he nodded approvingly, "Score one for Inessa."

Natasha shook her head, "They must have been duped somehow, Nick wouldn't send me old intel."

"Unless whatever Dennisson had Morris set up is still in play."

"Then why not tell us when these were taken?" she tapped the images impatiently, "Why only share now?"

"We were kind of preoccupied by a homicidal shadow-demon and a Hydra attack."

Thor cut the argument off, "Either way, our task remains unchanged. We must find these men, yes?" Clint and Natasha nodded, "Then we get back to our mission. Let those in New York worry about what happened there. If these issues are connected then their trail can only further enlighten ours."

"This is going to end badly," Banner spoke up.

Natasha glanced at him, "Maybe for once we'll get ahead of this."

Banner nodded and muttered to himself, "And maybe the Hulk will sprout wings like a pretty pretty butterfly."

The growl in his mind from Hulk was almost enough to make him smile.

Avenger's Tower- Inessa's Room

"Hello Nadya, are you feeling better today?"

Inessa glanced over from her bed as Doctor Pryor entered her room. The neck brace was off thanks to the Asgardian stone, but it still was uncomfortable to move too much, "I'm fine."

"Do you feel safe here?" Doctor Pryor sat beside her on the bed and whispered quickly.

"Why wouldn't I?" Inessa was genuinely curious. She felt Pryor's nudges at her mind, making her skin crawl as if she were genuinely afraid.

"Are they punishing you for asserting your freedom? Are they afraid of you recovering? Is that why they did this to you?"

"You think the attack was planned?" she tried to sound concerned.

Pryor turned to see if anyone was watching from the doorway, then ran quickly to shut it, "You tell me. You tried to leave without their permission and three of their people- their fans tried to kill you? JARVIS, according to Steve, is an unparalleled security force, he wouldn't know enemies were nearby?" she glanced up at the speaker in the ceiling, suddenly afraid, and hurried back to Inessa's side, "And the suits with the prisoners blown up by one of Hawkeye's arrows?" she shook her head and took Inessa's hands, "I'm prepared to fight for you. If you want to leave, I will help."

And there's the angle, Inessa considered her response carefully, "Hydra has tried to trick me in the past. If the Avengers did do this, I will find out and I will deal with them, but I can't condemn them just like that. If they truly did though, I will respond in kind." enough to give Pryor hope, not enough to draw suspicion.

"You are such a brave girl," Doctor Pryor patted Inessa's cheek (the teen resisted turning and biting her hand), "I can only hope they don't realize it, or you will be in horrible danger."

The wide-eyed girl had one flaw as a spy, Pryor noted, she wore her emotions on her sleeve for the world to see. It was obvious she was buying into the rhetoric. If Hydra had been less heavy-handed with her and chosen to pay for her services, this would be an entirely different story. Inessa burned with suspicion of the Avengers. It was too easy, she smiled slightly as she hugged the girl.

Inessa could almost hear the voice of Mallory's mother echoing from so long ago, "Stop playing with your food!"

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