Poisoned Freedom

#08

"Anything?"

"Nothing. You?"

"Nothing," Clint throws the headphones down in desperation, putting his head in his scarred hands.

"¿Agente?" Katarina asks, worried for the archer she has come to know and care for- just a little. "There is no need to worry, you will find her. Lo encontrarás." She places her hand on his shoulder, a gesture designed for comfort. It works, Clint lifting his head up to lock his blue eyes with her pale grey, so pale they look a stark, glimmering white, ones.

"I still don't understand your Spanish," he smirks, always the one to make a joke. Kat smiles back warmly, hurriedly returning her hand to her knee.

"Lo siento- actually, I am not, es hilarioso," the girl winks, before quickly sobering herself. "You care for la asesina, ¿correcto?"

"We have a long, complicated history."

"What kind?"

"I was sent to kill her; didn't. Brought her back to become an Agent instead. Uhm, she once saved me from mind control after I helped Thor's brother- sorry, adopted brother- and yes, you did already know about that. I can see you nodding your head-" Clint pauses after Kat holds up her hand. "What?"

"Auriculares, agente. Uhm... Headphones," the girl says after finally remembering the word she needs. The agent slips his own on, confused, but after a few moments of listening his customary grin returns to his face.

After Clint scribbles something down on a scrap of paper, two jump from their chairs; Clint hugs Katarina with so much force it almost knocks her frail form over but she returns it anyway. "Go on, you need to tell el capitán," the girl smiles warmly, pushing the man off of her. A quick nod, and then he's running off, she making her way up to the lab.

Kat walks in on Bruce and Tony, discussing the cradle and decides against interrupting them. "This framework is not compatible," Tony sighs, gesturing towards one of many computer screens.

"The genetic coding tower's at ninety-seven percent. You have got to upload that schematic in the next three minutes," Bruce says. It's probably for the best Kat didn't disturb the two; she has absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

Suddenly, Steve and the twins turn up at the lab, the Captain burning with an ordered sort of rage. He pushes past Kat and she grunts, annoyed; Pietro catches her before just as quickly setting her on her feet again. Wanda eyes their exchange sadly.

"I'm gonna say this once-" Steve starts, speaking just as a Captain should.

"How about 'nonce'?" Tony interrupts.

"Shut it down!"

"Nope, not gonna happen."

"You don't know what you're doing."

"And you do?" Bruce interject, voice raising slightly in volume. He points towards Wanda. "She's not in your head?"

"I know you're angry," the redhead states, voice wavering ever so slightly.

"Oh, we're way past that. I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade."

"Banner, after everything that's happened..." Steve continues with an attempt to bring the conversation back on track.

"That's nothing compared to what's coming!" Tony argues with all the passion he has in bed.

"You don't know what's in there!" Wanda declares, remembering her encounter inside Ultron's head.