When Spies Collide // WandaNat Spy AU

Monaco

"Wrong choice, Romanoff," Wanda said, sauntering up to the roulette table.

Natasha rolled her eyes, ignoring the other woman, though it was difficult with the dress Wanda wore into the ballroom. Long, red, shimmering.

"You like?" Wanda asked with a smirk, giving a twirl.

"I'm working, Maximoff."

"So am I."

Wanda then took her leave, not wanting to test Natasha's patience too much (or this early in the night, at least). She really was working, after all, and if she wanted to stay two steps ahead of Natasha, there was little time for flirtation. This was the biggest social event of the season in Monaco, and her mark would certainly be rubbing elbows with buyers and politicians.

Unfortunately for Wanda, Natasha was surely thinking the same thing. After all, they were the best in the business. What a shame they worked on different sides. Natasha, the most prominent SHIELD agent since Peggy Carter herself, and Wanda, FBI wonder kid, rising up the ranks faster than a cheetah hunting an injured antelope. Wanda was essentially granted free reign, and was well on her way to finally catching the most notorious illegal arms trafficker on the market, when SHIELD stepped on her moment. When the two first encountered one another, Natasha said it was because the dealer harbored alien tech, and that fell under SHIELD jurisdiction, and Wanda politely responded 'finders, keepers'.

Since then, the two engaged in a bit of a cat and mouse game, a push and pull to see who could bag the dealer first. The 'friendly' competition had led them to a high rollers' bash in Monaco, where both spy's intel hinted at a big event happening tonight, though the details were murky. The only question was, who would figure it out first?

In the back of her mind, Wanda knew Natasha would probably win in the end. She was older, more experienced, definitely the better fighter. But Wanda thought she just might have the edge in a battle of wits, and she certainly possessed more charm. So she put her talents to good use. Prodding, teasing, flirting with Natasha every chance she got, saying that posing as a couple would be a good cover story. Natasha dismissed her each time, determined not to be distracted, but the young spy ate at her in a strange way. It wasn't fondness, it wasn't quite annoyance...

Wanda toyed with her pearl earrings as she headed to the bar, observing the massive ballroom. Ladies in designer dresses, men in perfectly tailored suits. How people came to this much wealth, Wanda would never understand. It felt odd, posing as one of these socialites when her background was definitely more blue collar than ivory tower, but it a little thrilling too. This job sometimes was a glorified game of pretend and dress up. For Natasha, though, it looked effortless, fraternizing with sharks and stars. If the redhead wasn't competition, Wanda would be impressed.

"Eyes up, Wanda," came a voice from her earpiece. "I know you wanna stare at Natasha all day, but try to stay on task."

"I know you're jealous that I'm in the field, Clint," she joked back, "but keep it to yourself."

"Very funny." Clint tapped away on a laptop, the clicking sounding through the earpiece. "Seriously, though, stay sharp. I've just spotted our guy making his way in."

Wanda grabbed a glass of wine before cutting to a more quiet, secluded corner of the ballroom. "The big guy, or another underling?"

"Underling."

"Damn it."

"I know, I know. But it's good that we have another lead. He's coming into the room now, just keep an eye on him. And do not let him leave with that artifact."

"Copy that," Wanda nodded, eyes alert. She sipped her wine slowly in an attempt to seem relaxed, though her mind raced.

The auction slated for the end of the evening featured seemingly innocuous items; a few paintings, a sculpture, but one stuck out like a sore thumb on the auction docket. A spear dating back to at least the Neanderthal era. This raised all sorts of red flags for Wanda- that item was significantly older than the rest, and if she had to guess, was alien tech in some way. That spear had to leave with the FBI no matter what.

Across the room at the roulette table, Natasha clearly had her eyes on the mark as well. He was hard to miss- young, tall, deep purple suit with a gold tie. This man looked like a James Bond villain, and clearly wasn't trying to blend in. Those who didn't care about being seen were often the most dangerous, as they didn't care about messes left behind.

"I got eyes on the mark," Wanda whispered, "and the spear, for that matter. When's this auction start, again?"

"Ten minutes." Clint responded. "You remember the plan?"

"It's a rookie plan, Clint. I get close to the spear, you knock out the lights, I high tail it outta here."

"Just stay away from Mr. Two Face over there. And don't let Natasha get the spear, please."

"You ever gonna tell me what happened with you two?"

"Turning comms off until I hit the EMP."

"Way to deflect," Wanda laughed. "I'll see you soon."

Meanwhile, Natasha recounted her own plan with her counterpart Steve as she sipped on a glass of brandy, eyes never leaving the tall man in the purple suit.

"He looks like Barney," Natasha remarked.

"Your similes never fail to make me laugh," Steve deadpanned over the earpiece. "Can we focus? What's your play?"

"Wait for you to hit the lights, grab the spear, kick ass."

"If all goes well, you won't have to kick any ass."

"You're no fun, Rogers."

"Just get into position, lights will be out in about three minutes."

"Copy that."

The two women moved into their respective positions as the auction for the spear began. Their eyes met, and Wanda shot the other woman a cocky wink. Ignoring this, Natasha returned her attention to the man in purple, who stood stoically at the back of the crowd, raising the bids by the thousands.

"Remember, the exit is directly to your left," Steve reminded Natasha. "Cutting lights in three, two-"

The lights cut before he finished, and Natasha had a feeling it wasn't Steve's doing. Through the screams and rustling of confused guests, Natasha jumped into action, lunging for the spear. She got both hands on the shaft and pulled, but it didn't budge.

"Damn it, Maximoff!" Natasha hissed through the dark, knowing her hands rested on the other end.

"Great minds think alike, huh?" Wanda joked, and Natasha could almost hear her smirking.

"Give me the damn spear, we're wasting time!"

"No way! My guy blew the lights first!"

Natasha yanked at her end, annoyed. "I let you have the amulet in Moscow, give me this!"

Wanda scoffed. "You did not 'let me'! I beat you for that amulet!"

"Ahem," said a deep voice from behind the pair. "If you two are done bickering, I'll be taking my spear."

The last thing Wanda remembered was a pinch in her neck and hearing Natasha cursing before hitting the floor, the world going black.

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Hey cuties. This is the start of what I think is going to be a really, really fun fic to write. Thanks so much for your votes, make sure to tell me what you think (I love comments).

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