Under or Over: Hawkeye & Black Widow

CHAPTER #34

Barton returned to Stark's place first, Jarvis uploaded all the information available on agent Hill's hunting party to Bird.  Due to the weaponry that S.H.E.I.L.D. would be carrying to take down Romanoff, Stark added some new pieces of gear to Barton's pack and guns that would be strapped to his thigh and ankle, that were equipped with specialized bullets.

"Just like your arrow heads, the bullets in the gun that straps to your thigh have different capabilities," Tony explained.  He demonstrated a few of the bullets and educated on the use of others.  

"If Romanoff comes back with me, she's going to want these guns," Clint grinned.

"Not if, but when. And don't worry, I can modify a pair for her too. This quiver is the one with the homing devices, that we modified.  The glove you need to wear for them to work is attached."

"Thanks Tony.  Is Bird ready to go too?" Clint asked.

"Bird is also equipped with some weaponry, that she can use on your command. Also, Jarvis will monitor her progress, so he can keep her off S.H.E.I.L.D.'s radar. They won't know you're there, until it's too late."

Bruce looked at Barton, "you know this is going to piss off Fury again, right?"

Clint smirked, "counting on it."

Jarvis suddenly interrupted, "S.H.E.I.L.D. reports that the Black Widow was spotted in Sweden, in the Turning Torso building."

"They have any idea why she's there?" Clint asked.

"Nothing reported as of yet Hawkeye," Jarvis replied.

"Alright I guess I'm going to Sweden.  Let me know if agent Hill figures out why she's there, or when S.H.E.I.L.D. is airborne."

** ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ **

While Barton began his flight to Sweden with Bird, Romanoff was meeting with one of her contacts.  He was one of the best industrial spies and was on contract to HYDRA.  They had used him before for industrial espionage and stealing military plans.  Quentin Beck had once just been a stunt man and performance wizard, but that didn't make enough money.  He was known to HYDRA by his old stage name, Mysterio.  She knew not to underestimate a man like him, because she'd done that when she had first met Clint Barton, thinking he was just a circus performer and Carny.  That had been a big mistake and she learned from it.  How Beck had come to get an apartment in the Turning Torso building, she didn't know, but found it fit his profile.

She buzzed into the building, with the code he had given her and took the elevator up to his floor.  Everything seemed too normal and that put her on red alert.  He was in his costume or suit, whatever you wanted to call it, when he opened the door.  He wore a cape, with some globe thing on his head, like an astronaut and his body suit, left nothing to the imagination.  Romanoff could see that Beck was in great physical shape.

"Natuska?" He asked.

She nodded, "Mysterio I presume."

"Come in, please."  When he had determined she was no threat, he took off his helmet.  "Call me Quentin."

He sat down in a lounge chair and she sat on the couch.  They got down to business right away.  She told him what HYDRA was contracting him to do.  Paid him half of the requested amount and gave him the intel that he would need to steal what they wanted.  She made arrangements to meet him again in two weeks.  Something flashed in the dome helmet and Mysterio put it on immediately.

"We have unwelcome visitors.  Looks like S.H.E.I.L.D. is here,"  Beck said.

"They are an annoyance.  Do you have a private exit?" She asked.

"I'll take care of them. The emergency exit is down the hall.  Until we meet again Natuska," he said.

Mysterio took out the quinjet that was hovering outside, to show her that he would handle S.H.E.I.L.D.  She left him and ran down the hall, the door opened. It was an exit that he had clearly installed himself and was not part of the building.  The steel beams that ran on the outside of the building, providing added stability, now helped her as she used it to climb up.  She had HYDRA agents standing by to pick her up. On the roof she came face to face with Agent Hill.

"You're not going anywhere, except to hell where you belong."  Agent Hill turned on the weapon she had in her hands and shot Romanoff.

To her surprise the gun was like her widow bites; it generated an electrical current.  Romanoff fell to the ground twitching, like many of her own victims had in the past.  Agent Hill took out her gun, to finish her kill with bullets.  As her finger went to pull the trigger, a knife sliced through the air and almost took off her finger.  The gun flew from her hand, she brought the taser gun up to shoot with and another knife went into it.  The result was the electrical current travelled up agent Hill's arm and knocked her unconscious.  She never saw who had saved the Black Widow and when she woke up they were long gone.  The quinjet was on the ground in a smoking heap.  Agent Hill cursed HYDRA and radioed the airship to send backup and have her picked up.

** ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ **

When Romanoff regained consciousness, she realized she was in some sort of craft flying through the air.  The man who held her, she recognized instantly.  "Clint!"

"For someone who doesn't want my help, it seems you need it quite often," he observed.  "I'm taking you back to Stark."

"No Clint, I can't go back yet. Drop me off in New York somewhere, but I won't be going with you."

"Why? What is so damn important that you're willing to work with HYDRA and possibly get killed?"

Natasha sighed, "I can't explain it right now."

"Well we're here.  I'll set down in that alley."  Bird landed and immediately cloaked herself, via a switch on the handlebars that Clint touched.  "Natasha wait," he said as she began to leave.

She turned around and came back. Natasha pulled him close to her and gave him a long, emotional, passionate kiss.  "That's to apologize for stabbing you and to thank you for saving me again."  

"I can help you," Clint offered.

"Not this time.  I'm on an assignment, that's all I can tell you.  No one can know anything, that's why I keep pushing you away."

He sighed, "Tasha are you trying to clear the red from your ledger or adding more to it?"

She hugged him tight, wet eyes looked back at him, but no tear fell.  "It hurts me that you have to question my loyalty."  She touched his chest, "in here you know the answer.  Trust that."  

As Natasha Romanoff turned to go, he grabbed her arm, spinning her back to face him.  This time he kissed her, his heart not on his sleeve, but on his lips.  Then he let her go, because he knew he had to.  "I've always got your back Nat. You know that."

"Stay out of it Clint, I mean it." She said it, but knew that wouldn't stop him if she was in danger. Romanoff loved that about him and hated it equally.  

He watched her run down the alley way and disappear around the corner.  "Okay Bird, I want to know everything we have on this Mysterio guy."

"Yes sir."

Barton changed into motorcycle mode and rode down the streets of New York, as he headed back to Stark Towers.  He was on his own mission; to find out what was going on.  Romanoff had not turned on them, but who she was truly working for he didn't know.