In Their Hands ✧･ BARNES ✔

eighteen

    Clint was excited to show the girls the amazing sights on this island, but he just didn't have the time. They never even got to try pineapples on pizza, which was a let down. He wanted to hear how they thought the combination worked out. 

   They were already back on the jet. He had to let it air dry all day and night while they prepared to go. It did turn into a submarine, but it didn't work too well if it had not dried for the most part. 

    The ride back so far had been quiet. Zola was on the verge of falling asleep. She didn't want to leave the beach yet. She thought they would have more time to relax there. She also didn't like flying too much. It made her feel weird and kind of uncomfortable.

  Clint would look over his shoulder to check on Zola every once in a while. She had been quiet and it was scaring him. He would feel responsible if they somehow managed to sneak away with the small girl.

  Natasha knew why they had to leave, and she knew exactly where they were going. She hadn't spoken for that specific reason: she was scared and anxious. Clint could practically see the waves of fear radiating off of her, so he decided to leave her alone for now.

   He did want to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say. Nothing would comfort someone who had been through what she had. Nothing would take away that pain. Maybe that was a good thing, because those years of pain had made her stronger. 

   She stared off at the clouds that seemed to disappear as they got closer. Clint watched her out of the corner of his eye. He was worried for her, and the little one, especially. 

   Zola didn't know where they were going. She never did. Zola would've never thought that they would be going so close to the base back in Russia. The thought seemed so stupid. Why would anyone take them into the vicinity of that place?

   They were going to take Zola away, anyway. She wouldn't get to stay with her Mom nor her Dad when they went in to destroy the place. Even if she did, it would be risky and she would most likely be caught. It wasn't smart. It wasn't even smart for Natasha to go in, but they needed all of the secret weapons that they could muster.

   Fury had ideas. He had a very smart one. He knew someone who could take that place down in a second, with her eyes closed. It just wasn't an emergency. This was a choice of theirs. They were choosing to take the KGB down, just because they needed time to allow Natasha and Zola to grow in a new environment.

   Yes, they knew that the KGB could easily gather resources and rebuild themselves. It was going to happen in the future if they did this now. 

   However, that was where Fury's plan came in. He held this idea in the back of his mind for years and years, but he knew that now wasn't the time to execute it. He would know when that was. Most likely, it would be sometime when the KGB rebuilt their agency. 

   Hopefully, technology would be more advanced by then. Hopefully, they'll have the right crew needed to execute his ideas. They just had to find them, and he would be keeping his eyes out for a good amount of time.

   Clint looked to his right to check on Natasha. She still seemed scared and unsure. She was hesitant. She didn't want to go back, she didn't even want to be close. She was more afraid for Zola, because they could keep tabs on her to locate her when Fury and Coulson took her away. 

   They weren't sure what to expect, which was a terrible thing for a pair of assassins, but they were prepared for the worst. Natasha wasn't ready to go in. She wasn't sure about whether her fight or flight would kick in. She wanted to choose flight, but she had to fight if she wanted this to temporarily come to an end.