Black Hawk Down

Chapter Twenty One

It took Clint nearly 20 minutes to get Natasha out of the building because she refused to let him carry her. Once out he lead her to the last quinjet left on the ground. The door was open and the team waiting inside with Coulson. Stark had obviously headed back to Stark Tower as he was the only one missing. Coulson headed into the cockpit followed by Steve. The jet started up and Clint realised that Coulson was piloting. He had sent everyone else back to SHIELD on the other quinjets. Clint was grateful for that as Natasha tensed up and threw scared glances towards Banner who was seated next to the cockpit. Clint quickly guided her into the seat furtherest away from Banner then sat next to her so he was between her and the man she could only see as a potential threat after whatever Ivchenko had tortured her with. "They will only keep you around to experiment on you now that they know you had a serum similar to Captain America's. They will hate you for lying to them for so long." She shrank as far away as she could from the doctor. She knew the fears were irrational but she couldn't stop herself from letting them get to her. Ivchenko had tried to use Clint against her too. To make her fearful that he just wanted to use her, that he didn't really love her. But she knew Clint wouldn't lie to her about something like his feelings for her and he was proving his love was real by standing between her and their team mates because she was feeling insecure. The quinjet flight was only a short one, but she had fallen asleep on Clint's shoulder by the time they landed. He had his arms around her knowing she needed the feeling of protection until she could begin to block the fears out again. Coulson landed the quinjet softly and opened the ramp. Natasha woke with a start as the door hissed open. She immediately went for a weapon feeling the proximity of others, not finding one she leapt to her feet eyes scanning the area for potential threats.

"Tasha, it's ok," She heard Clint's voice behind her. She allowed him to stand up beside her, ready to guide her down the ramp, when she saw Banner watching her from his spot by the cockpit. She started to back away as Steve and Phil exited the cockpit.

"Tasha," Clint stopped her with a hand on her arm. "I'll be right beside you. You're going to be ok." She nodded numbly to him and allowed him to turn her around to lead her off the quinjet. He sent a quick pleading look to Coulson asking him to make sure the team kept their distance for a bit. He didn't know how she managed to tense up even more as she spotted Stark waiting for them by the door to the landing platform. He had at least changed from his Iron man suit into his usual casual clothes. Clint carefully led her off the quinjet and away from the door to the Tower.

"Tasha, I don't know what Ivchenko's told you or done to you, but I need you to know the team will not hurt you. And that whatever happens I will not let anyone hurt you," Clint whispered quietly. "Now you need a blood transfusion so Stark has set it up ready to go but Banner is going to need to put the IV in. Do you trust me to not let them hurt you?" Natasha nodded. "Can you allow him that close for a few minutes? I'll be right beside you through it all." Natasha nodded again.

Clint allowed her another minute to prepare herself before leading her into the Tower past where Tony was waiting for them and down in to the lab where Banner was already to go. He sat her on the hospital bed that had been set up in this lab since soon after their first mission as Avengers. He sat next to her with and arm around her as he nodded to Bruce to get on with putting in the IV. She hadn't lost consciousness since being in the room at the base, she had to be putting a lot of strain on her body to stay conscious for so long after losing so much blood. Bruce worked very quickly and efficiently to put the IV in before moving back to give the assassins some space.

"That should be done in about an hour," Bruce informed them. "In the mean time I would suggest you rest and eat something. Coulson said he'd be by to debrief in about 20 minutes in you're up for it. I would like to check your wounds if I may before that."