Under or Over: Hawkeye & Black Widow

CHAPTER #38

With careful planning, Barton managed to convince S.H.E.I.L.D. that Nick Fury was dead, due to an explosion in his secret location.  He took some pictures of the equipment that Fury left behind and then before blowing up the place, Barton took video evidence of Fury going into the building and never coming out.  Fury had even provided a tooth for DNA evidence. It would buy him more time.  If Agent Hill analyzed the ashes from the blast, she would find out that there was no way it could have disintegrated Fury's entire body.  But for now, Agent Hill was satisfied and too busy hunting Romanoff and HYDRA to care. As was to be expected, S.H.E.I.L.D. covered up the explosion by having an agent tell the press that it was a gas leak that caused it.

"Since you took care of Fury, you're back on the mission to capture or dispatch ex-agent Romanoff," Director Hill ordered agent Barton.

Clint accepted the mission, "are you going to be on my ass if I don't constantly show up on radar or report in?"

She frowned and then snapped, "I have better things to deal with.  Just make sure you report in at least once a month.  My guess she'll lead you all over the globe."

Barton grinned, agent Hill was giving him the freedom he wanted.  This way he could do his own investigating and throw in a little Romanoff time too.  Having a steady pay-check didn't hurt either.  Bird cloaked him and blocked his signal once he returned to Manhattan.  Then he went to talk to Stark about any progress with the black alien diamond and on tracking who was stealing his tech.

Stark and Banner had already heard about the explosion and Jarvis reported the truth based on S.H.E.I.L.D. files.  Barton didn't elaborate on what happened, so they stopped questioning him.  Stark wasn't 100% convinced that Fury was gone for good, he suspected that the former S.H.E.I.L.D. director had got away and just fooled Barton.

Most of Stark and Banner's focus was still on working with the black diamond, as each day they discovered something new that it could do.  It was almost ridiculous how much time they spent on it.  So much so, that Stark had ignored investigating his missing tech.  Jarvis insisted no one had hacked his system, so Barton went back undercover as an employee on the night shift at Stark Industries. The first two weeks revealed nothing and that included footage from the undercover cameras too.  It was in the last week of the month, that the footage showed an unknown black van arrive at 3 am and talk to Hong Duk the evening security guard of the shipping and receiving area.  Hong Duk talked to a man, who was definitely Quentin Beck, while the evening shift guys were all on break.  Barton now knew one of the spys of Beck, but he needed more information.  Some how he would make Mr. Duk trust him and introduce him to Beck.

"Why don't we have Barton steal one of the new prototypes for the missile your making for your Iron Man suit?  If Hong Duk catches him doing it, first I doubt he'll turn Barton in and second he may just introduce him to Beck,"  Bruce suggested.

Tony thought about it, "that might work. But instead it will be one of the devices that requires the black diamond to operate. That way if it isn't returned, no harm no foul."

"Works for me.  Let's set this up for Friday night," Clint said. "In the mean time I have to look for Romanoff to keep Agent Hill off my back."

"AGENT Hill?" Tony repeated with a question attached.

"She's not my director, so I wont use the title except when I have to."  Clint rose an eyebrow in challenge.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think that you and Natasha love this cat and mouse game," Bruce smirked.

Barton shrugged and left.  Let those two science geeks think what they wanted. He'd rather be working with Romanoff, then against her.  Once he solved the Beck problem, he would try and get Romanoff to meet up with him.  Even if it meant she'd kick his ass, it was worth it just to reconnect.  He missed her more than he wanted to admit.

While Barton was trying to get closer to Beck, Romanoff was busy with HYRDA and keeping S.H.E.I.L.D. out of her way.  She was able to confirm that at least 50% of her former agency, was in league with HYRDA. And thanks to a bug that HYRDA themselves had developed, she finally got a name for one of the Council members.  The breakthrough was astounding, but she had no time to pat herself on the back.  She was in the office removing the bug, so that her deception went unnoticed.

"Natuska was there something you needed?" Baron Von Strucker asked as he walked into his office.

"No Baron, just checking in to see if there is anything you needed.  As you know I am scheduled to return to S.H.E.I.L.D.'s airship to plant that virus into their system."

Baron Von Strucker shook his head.  "Change of plans.  Agent Hill has become a nuisance, we... that is I, want you to kill her."

She wondered if what he had just said was a freudian slip. Natasha raised an eyebrow, "how and when do you want this done?"

"Now and with this poison dart.  It will look like she is just not feeling well, but slowly her energy will be drained and then a painful death.  Once she is dead, you are to take over running S.H.E.I.L.D. until the council assigns a new director."

"They will never let me be director."

"We have people in place to influence those not under our control.  Your transition to director, will be seamless."

She grinned, "taking down Agent Hill will be a pleasure Baron."

He smirked, which was more of a grimace.  "I knew that you would, just make sure you use the poison Natuska.  Timing is everything."