Fears of the Widow

A New Mission

Fury pinched the bridge of his nose as the security monitors blinked a bright red, "INTRUDER ALERT!" Director Fury and Officer Laden Cassidy stood in the security center of the SHIELD building upon learning of a hacker.

"Origin?" He asked the tech, Cass.

Cass typed in some instructions on the computer before accessing the location where someone had hacked into SHIELD's servers.

"The roof sir. The roof lounge," Cass replied, "want me to send a team?"

"Send team Alpha. Tell them to bring Agent Romanoff to my office, immediately," Fury barked.

Casa pulled out a phone, "how do you know it's Agent Romanoff, sir?"

"Who else would be hacking into the ER docs?" Fury grimaced before marching out of the room.

Cass pulled the phone to his ear, "team 1084 report to Security Center entrance B. I repeat. 1084 entrance B. We have a D38"

Natasha Romanoff sat atop the SHIELD center with a laptop she conveniently found in the research center.

"Almost there," she spoke to herself, "officer recs... Files... Hospital origin... Clint Barton..." Her fingers moved faster as she got closer to what she wanted. Clint's medical files and room number.

"Gotcha," she grinned as she scrolled down to recent medical history.

Then her face slowly turned into a frown, "comatose sleep..." She repeated the words. "Comatose sleep" over and over. The rest of it looked good. Bullet hole fixed. Levels steady... Just... Comatose sleep was typed in bold at the bottom of his page. A period marked at the end.

Comatose Sleep.

It was like an absolute ending to life here and now, comatose sleep. And then there was no more Clint Barton. Natasha snapped herself out of her thoughts at the sound of someone coming up the stairs.

Room Number! Room number? It was higher up in his records. Hospital room number 302. 302 she reminded herself before placing the laptop on the coffee table on the roof, and then sprinting to the edge.

It was not the first time Natasha had to get off of this roof without being noticed. She slid down the drain pipe for three stories before hearing the knowing shouts of an Alpha search team, and then a head poked over the side and searched for her. She remained absolutely still, pressing her body between the gutter and the building.

The head disappeared and she dropped down to the closest open window before slipping through. She fell into a supply room with agents lining the walls. They stared at her, all knowing she was SHIELD but unsure of why she came through the window.

She moved her hand about a millimeter in a wave, "just some escape training," and then she was out the door, running to the staircase.

The hospital was on the bottom floor. That was too far to go down twelve flights of stairs. Instead she jumped onto the railing and slid down ten flights before running and then walking through the entrance of the hospital.

There was a newer nurse standing there, "can I help you?"

"Agent Romanoff, I uh... Need to see a doctor. I think maybe the toxin I was exposed to may be coming back," Natasha lied easily.

The nurse didn't hesitate to take her down a hall and leave her in a room, "wait here. I'll be right back," the nurse shut the door to the small check up room.

Natasha waited a moment before cracking open the door and slipping down the hallway. The smart ass doctor from earlier rounded the hall, and Natasha ducked into a side closet, holding her breath. He passed without noticing her. She let out her breath and started up the hall, glancing over her shoulder once.

Nothing.

She found the floor numbers quickly. 302 was just down the hall, but she could suddenly hear the nurse's alarmed cry and then the Alpha Team's instructions to spread out.

Crap. Natasha sprinted for Clint's room knowing they were coming, but she had to see him, just for a minute. Even if he couldn't answer back.

And then she was there. The minute she entered his room, time slowed down. He looked kind of peaceful laying on the bed, full color, tan skin, dark hair matted across his head.

He looked peaceful.

Natasha walked up to his bedside and placed her hand on his forehead. He didn't move an inch.

"Clint I..." More noises from the hallway... "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I just... I don't have long. I just wanted to tell you thank you for giving me a chance, and I hope I can see you soon. Please wake up Clint..." She closed her eyes, willing him to be better. To wakeup.

His heart monitor picked up a few beats but that was all.

"Thank you..." And then the door swung open and the alpha team entered yelling, "BACK AWAY! BACK AWAY!" Their weapons up like scared little boys.

Natasha rolled her eyes as she turned around, "chill. Put your guns down, idiots. I know. I know. Fury wants to see me. Honestly, call down," she grunted.

They dropped their weapons slowly, "you're coming with us," the head, Trasher they called him, barked. He pulled out cuffs.

"You don't say!" Nat snapped, "forget handcuffs. Fury wanted you to APPREHEND me not cuff me like a prisoner. He said D38. Do your homework boys. An assassin shouldn't know your playbook better than you do."

Trasher and the others were speechless as she pushed passed them towards Fury's office, leaving Clint behind.

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"That was an incredibly irresponsible thing to do!" Fury barked at Natasha as if she was his kid. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she was glad that they were alone.

Natasha groaned, "it's not my fault you wouldn't let me see him. You always say go for what you want. If it doesn't hurt anybody it can't be bad. That's what I say..."

"And often times what you say is wreck less," Fury snapped, "you put people in situations." She didn't do anything Fury hadn't done before, and she always got them out if not herself as well.

Natasha frowned, not wanting to argue any longer but rather to put her own plans into motion, "that's why I want a mission alone."

Fury was about to counterattack when Natasha's words finally hit him, "a mission? After that stunt!"

Natasha nodded, "yes sir, a long term mission. A long term single operative mission far from here."

"Now wait a minute. Before you make any rash decisions concerning Clint..." Fury objected, but Nat butted in, "it has nothing to do with Clint. Director. I need to get away. I need to find my reason for being a spy again."

Fury sighed, nodding in understanding, "you need time."

"Yes sir," Natasha replied, "a long term mission will give me time to find myself again. Time to adjust and leave this stuff behind for now. I'll do a better than great job, Fury."

Fury's eyes seemed suddenly sunken in, saddened, "I have this one mission I need completed... And none of my short term pairs have been successful... I suppose..."

"I'll take it."

"But Natasha its in..."

"...I don't care where it is, sir. I want to leave. For some time. How long?"

"I'd say at the rate of my last agents at least a year. No contact with us until you have the necessary knowledge." Fury began typing on his desk computer.

Natasha nodded quickly, "that's perfect. I'll go as soon as possible."

"It's in Francis, North Carolina."

"No one can change my mind. I'm leaving for North Carolina, tonight. No contact, not with anyone unless there is an absolute emergency."

Just Natasha and a short term new life.