Under or Over: Hawkeye & Black Widow

CHAPTER #60

While Romanoff was away, Barton spent time with Marcy and her son Tucker.  At moments it almost seemed like they were a family, but something always held Barton back.  He knew what it was, or more whom it was.  Tucker thought it had to do with dedication to his job and obligations, so Marcy and Barton left it at that. While he was around, most of Barton's time was spent mentoring Tucker. The day the Carsons had to leave for the USA, was a bitter sweet moment for them all.  He had made sure that the Japanese turf wars didn't cause problems for their departure.  Marcy and her performers, had a safe boarding and flight out of asian airspace.  Before they boarded the plane, Barton had promised to visit them, whenever he had a chance.  What stayed with him, long after they were gone, was how emotional Tucker had become.  

"Bird what is agent Romanoff's status?" Clint asked, he wanted to get back to work.  

"She'll be here within the hour sir.  She asks that you be ready for dinner.  There is a suit for you at the front desk of the hotel," Bird reported.

He rode back in motorcycle mode, enjoying the simple pleasure of the ride. "Great, that means hobnobbing with the over indulged rich. I'd be happier if she left me out of those dinners."

"Yes sir."

Barton rolled his eyes and shut up for the rest of the ride.  At the hotel, he let a cloaked Bird park wherever and went to the front desk.  Two garment bags were handed over.  One was for him, the other for Romanoff.  He peaked in her bag and his mood got better.  Tonight Black Widow would play the seductress.  The mission was back on track.  She would never wear something so sexy, just for him, he was sure of that. Barton hoped that dinner had some cooked meat and wasn't all sushi.

Barton was dressed and waiting, when Romanoff arrived.  She took the garment bag he held out and went straight to the washroom.  It wasn't long before she began to update him on what was happening tonight. They were relocating to the Suginoi Hotel in Beppu Yuya, two rooms were already reserved for them.  The agents from the quinjet would take them there and put their things in the respective rooms.  She'd already relayed the coordinates to Bird.

"Okay you said; Ichiro Fujisaki the Ambassador of Japan to USA, normally meets in Tokyo, but today is attending a dinner at a private spring near this Hotel.  He is also meeting up with the US Ambassador to Japan.  So who exactly are we tracking?"

"Neither, it's who will be joining those two that we need to pay attention to. One of those people, is our new lead.  Not a Council member, but a liaison to the Council member we came to Japan to find," Natasha explained.

"Then why aren't we going in swim trunks, if it's at a private hot spring?" Clint teased.

"Who knows what happens after dinner.  Where's your imagination?" Natasha winked and spun around to get his approval.

"You're drop dead gorgeous... will that be literal tonight?"

She laughed, "hopefully not."  Then she spoke after activating the ear com and said, "let's head out."

Undercover S.H.E.I.L.D. agents entered the room, took their bags and equipment.  Barton didn't want them touching his bow and quiver. He carried that out to Bird, who was waiting cloaked in jet mode.  He gave Bird his own instructions, which was not heard over the S.H.E.I.L.D. com. Once onboard the quinjet, they flew to the hotel. Then agent Barton and agent Romanoff were picked up by a limo and taken to the private location.  

There were no introductions made when they arrived and that suited Barton and Romanoff just fine.  The men attending the function, were old and fat, Barton didn't  think he was really needed tonight.  Even their body guards or security men, did not impress him.  He watched their reaction as they caught sight of Romanoff.  Some mens eyes widened, others broke out in a sweat.  Barton suppressed a smirk.  Japanese men loved foreign women, and Romanoff was magnificent tonight.  Men who usually were very conscious of their personal space, let her touch them. When she spoke fluent Japanese, they practically swooned. There were only two men that were more uptight, these were who Barton watched. When they moved to the dining area, he made sure that he sat near the two reserved gentlemen, but across from Romanoff. The discussion focused on politics and policies for the most part, things that completely bored Barton. He became alert, when Romanoff told him in the com, that she'd found their mark. Once he knew which man it was, then he tagged him with a tracker.  The two poker faced men, that he'd been watching all night, came towards Barton. He went outside and casually walked to the hot springs, appearing not to notice the tail.  When they were far enough away from the main building, Barton rendered them unconscious.

"Everything okay?" Natasha asked.

Clint replied into the com, "two guys decided they needed to take a nap by the hot spring."

"Need you inside, target is on the move and I can't follow.... Someone is about to loose his fat little hand!"   Natasha hissed.

Clint grinned, "I'm on my way."

As Barton returned to the dining room, he saw Romanoff slither out from under the attention of a Japanese diplomat.  He saw the man they wanted, go out the far door and followed. Once no one could hear him, he had Bird send the tracking signal to his wrist band.  The target was picked up in a black SUV,  but it only circled the parking lot.  Then the man got out and headed towards the hot springs.  If the two goons were his men, he'd know someone was watching him.  Barton went off the path and sprinted to the spring. Quickly he stripped down to his boxers, folding his clothing neatly on a chair, then got in the hot spring with the two unconscious men, pretending to be relaxed and sleeping himself.

"You were at dinner," the target said in perfect English.

It was a little rude of the man to say it so bluntly, but Clint took no offence. He slowly opened an eye and then replied.  "Politics bore me, these two looked so relaxed, I decided to join them."

The man's eyes narrowed, but he rang a bell and a woman came out to take their drink orders.  The man disappeared a moment into the changing room and then reappeared in a towel.  Barton closed his eyes again, waiting to see what would happen.  There was a displacement of the spring water when the man got in, but made no move towards Barton at the other end. Their drinks came and still no one spoke. The silence was interrupted by voices coming up the path.

The man almost sighed, "Aristotle once said that whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god."

Clint opened his eyes, "every man has a wild beast within him, and God made man in his image."

The man grunted and made a motion of toasting Barton.  The others arrived, Romanoff declined going into the spring with the other men.  Their target got out of the spring, wrapped in a towel.  

When asked why she wouldn't join them in the spring she replied that she preferred to do so in the mornings, when she had the spring to herself.  Romanoff winked and then everyone watched her walk down the pathway.  

In Barton's ear she said, "where do you keep that nano-mite tracking spray?"

He pretended to talk quietly with the unconscious man beside him, "don't worry I have Bird close by. I'll change and if the original tracking beacon isn't working, I'll tag him with the stuff.  Don't worry, I haven't lost a man yet," Clint teased.

Natasha snorted, "I seem to recall a time that exact thing happened... or do you forget Hama, Syria?"

"That wasn't my fault, agent Jordan was doing the tracking.  I joined the team after they lost the mark," Clint replied getting out of the hot spring and picking up his pile of clothing.  He too changed and then went down the path, to where Bird waited cloaked.  "The tracker is still active."

"Fine, but I'd feel better if you had eyes on him Clint," Natasha said.

"Alright, but I want to change.  Where are you?"

"I've got eyes on him now, hurry up."

Barton went to his room and changed into his usual gear.  Once again comfortable, he stuck to the shadows and got in position.  "I have my eyes on the mark," Clint reported and saw Romanoff nod ever so slightly, confirming she heard but was unable to answer.

The man with no name had some sake and Awamori, then went to his room for the evening.  He had two government people visit him, but never left the room again.  Barton put a spy cam in the hall and on the window outside, so if the man left, he'd know.  Then he returned to his own room and reported the information to Romanoff.  She then went to the man's door and knocked, Barton knew they'd have the name of another council member shortly.

When Natasha was done she said into the com, "I took the tracker off him, you can remove your cameras.  I have what we need.  We'll leave for Mongolia in the morning."