The Beginning and Ending of Everything

Chapter Twelve

Dedicated to @thesadodere for voting! Thank you!

Natasha POV-Friday, November 3, 2023-12:13 PM-Avengers Compound

"Hey, Nat," the man on the other end of the line greeted her.

She juggled her water to her right hand, holding the phone between her shoulder and head as she wiped her forehead with her left forearm. "Hey," she replied, "What's up? You got 'em?"

Natasha pushed open the door in front of her with her left hand, walking through to let it swing shut behind her. Her left hand reclaimed her water bottle, and she grabbed her phone with her now free right hand, holding it up to her ear.

"Umm," Clint paused, and she could imagine him looking over to Steve and Thor, "-No."

"What?" She questioned, letting out a breath, "The three of you couldn't manage to bring the two of them in?" Clint's words piqued her interest. How strong were they? Did they have abilities?

"Uh, yeah," Clint replied, "I think we severely underestimated them."

She'd finally reached her room. "How so?" She asked, half paying attention, though still interested. She moved her hand to cover the end of the phone and asked the ceiling, "Hey, F.R.I.D.A.Y.? Can you open the door?" Natasha hadn't wanted to bring the key with her earlier, but she'd still wanted to lock her door.

"Look, I think we were going to review the footage as a team, so can you get everyone together by the time we get back, and we can talk about it then?" Clint asked through the phone.

Natasha considered the question as the door unlocked and swung open. Clint continued, "I just don't really want to explain it. It'd be easier just to show it to everybody."

She tossed her water bottle onto her bed, flicking the lights on. She pinned her phone to her shoulder again when she had sat down to take her shoes off. The conversation triggered her instincts- both what Clint had said and the teens in general. Natasha's body tensed- a physical reaction that had developed from years of her kind of lifestyle. She sighed, hoping that this wasn't going to be part of another world-ending conspiracy, but kept her voice free of her misgivings, "Sure."

Natasha knew that they weren't in immediate danger or need of assistance, as they didn't seem rushed, and Clint hadn't tried to tell her- in code or otherwise.

"Clint," Natasha started, "Do you think this a part of something bigger?" she finished quietly.

Clint sighed. "I don't know, " he let out a breath, where she could picture him tapping his fingers lightly against his leg, a stress reliever that they'd both picked up, containing themselves to the slight movement instead of something more noticeable- courtesy of their lives with S.H.E.I.L.D. and the Avengers.

"I really hope not, " he added as an afterthought, tiredness in his words.

Natasha didn't know if Clint loosened up around his family, but she'd seldom heard or seen him act anything less than composed around other people, just like she did. In their line of business, letting on emotion could be the difference between life or death.

It goes to show how much they trusted each other, even showing beneath their facades. Clint was the only one on the team she'd ever let her guard down in front of, their trust having been strengthened in Budapest, being on the team together, entrusting their lives to each other and a whole lot of time. She'd known him the longest.

When Natasha thought about it, though, she realized that that wasn't entirely true. She'd let her guard down in front of Steve, Rodney, and a few others before, back when what was left of the team were trying to bring everyone back, and everything had seemed pointless and hopeless. About when they'd been trying to save the universe together, and even long after, when she was the only one left, trying in vain to bring everyone home; before Scott had barged in with his crazy idea and brought them a sliver of hope.