Chapter 140: Assassination of The Heart
Commissioned for: Jonathan Kurtzman
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*Haa* *Haah*
*Ha* *Ha* *Ha*
Two people rotated around the ring as they exchanged blow after blow in a showcase of deadly arms and legs, two highly trained spy's put everything on the line as they engaged in an MMA style sparring style of winner takes all reputation from the other.
They had already worked their muscles out before hand and had been in the ring for an hour, taking breaks every now and then. But it was now the last round and whoever was left standing would have bragging rights until the next bout.
Both were sweating heavily as they unleashed their moves, before they finally separated both taking a breather, Natasha speaking up.
"Getting a bit slow there old man." Clint released a breath of air as he backed up, sweat pooling at his brow. His consistent smirk was still present as they danced around the ring, 'sure' clint thought to himself, 'I am getting old, but I'm in my prime damnit'.
"I'll show you this old man still has some tricks up his sleeve young whipper snapper." Stepping in with a feint kick from the left, clint swung around for a low kick, something he knew Natasha would notice.
As predicted, she stepped back to dodge the blow, coming back with her own leg, Clint dropped to the ground dodging the high blow before springing back up and tackling her to the ground. From there he locked her to the ground and began to pound on her defense, something he with his larger stature was easily breaking.
Struggling to buck the pin Natasha, resorted to deflecting the blows, before finally getting out of the pin and kicking him back. The grin on Clints' face only got wider as her eyes turned sharp. 'She wasn't expecting that one'.
Smug after his small victory their bout continued for another minute or two before they finally stopped. Stretching out on the mats outside the ring, the two settled into the comfortable after match quiet.
Before Clint couldn't help himself.
"So how was your little canoodling with Peter out on the balcony yesterday?" Natasha rolled her eyes, having known the conversation was coming, she couldn't keep anything from Clint's hawk eyes. Trying to deflect but knowing that it wouldn't work, she nonchalantly replied.
"Who uses the word canoodling anymore? You really are an old man." Clint only gave her a look that conveyed 'really? You're going to try that?'
"Come on Nat, we were both trained in counter terrorism and covert operations, did you really think that, that poor excuse for a diversion was going to work?" Something that didn't appear usually on the assassins' face appeared as she smiled.
"Well, it was worth a try." With that one smile Clint knew for a fact that Natasha was really happy. 'Probably because of last night.'
"So tell me all the goss."Clint actually scooted closer and had a twinkle in his eye as he talked to Natasha about last night. Natasha rolled her eyes again in exasperation.
"You are such an old lady." Clint placed a hand on his heart a clear look in his eyes.
"My gossiping soul cannot continue if you don't share all the details." Natasha gave a small smile at his antics before finally giving in and giving him a few small details. There was no way she was going to tell him everything that they talked about last night, but she knew he would bug her until he got some answers.
It was just the way he was. Their relationship had been like this for a long time now. When they had first been partnered up, she had been much younger, but still one of the best killers in the world, they had started off pretty cold. Now that they had grown into true partners, it wasn't a stretch to say that Clint was the person closest to her and one of the only people she told nearly everything.
So, it was for the next 30 minutes or so that Clint grilled her on what happened last night, it was all in good fun and he didn't take it too far and Natasha couldn't help but admit there was a small warmth that fluttered in her chest when she recounted the events of last night.
Finally finished with their morning practice and gossip both packed their gear and made for the elevator, neither saying a word as they made it back to the 'communal floor'. Tony had the smart idea around a few months back to move everyone to the same floor. He was spouting something about building team work and all that.
At first not everyone liked the arrangement, but overtime no one really cared.
The elevator dinged slightly as it reached the floor and the doors opened. Off to the side Tony stood at his doorway looking out one of the glass windows over New York. He was cleaning his teeth while doing so.
It was one of his weird quirks to just appear in the corridors every now and then when he woke up, cleaning his teeth, eating food, working on some type of gadget. As Clint, Natasha, Laura and Steve usually trained early in the morning, they didn't usually catch him, this was one of the rare mornings where they caught each other.
Turning to look at the elevator Tony gave a small salute seeing as his mouth was full. Neither spy replied as they looked at the billionaire. Clint was pretty sure that Tony was going to say something about their 'bad manners' but they were interrupted as a door opened down the hall.
All eyes turned over and focused on the noise, Clints own eyes sharpened as he recognized it as Peter's room. His was 3rd from the end, followed by Felcia and Laura's rooms. They had specifically asked for the rooms close to Peter, and anyone with a working brain could tell why.
Would he mention anything to Natasha that had taken the room on the other side of Peter, no, no he wouldn't.
He had a family to return to.
What shocked him to the spot was the fact it wasn't Peter coming out of the room.
No, it was Laura.
He felt his jaw slacken as he took her disheveled appearance and stumbling steps as she made for her room. His eyes flickered down to the watch on his hand and noted the time as 8am. As a spy he also noticed that the clothes she was wearing were the same as the ones she had on last night and his mind couldn't help but to jump to conclusions.
On one hand he wanted to give the kid a High five as any good bro would, at the same time he had just been talking to Natasha about Peter not 10 minutes ago.
What truly made his brain short circuited though was when Felcia also trailed out behind Laura, though compared to Laura she was a mess. Her hair was all over the place, her clothes ripped in a few places and she was.... limping.
'OMG'
'Double high five?'
That were the only thoughts running through his head as Tony from behind finally spoke up when both women closed their doors back to their own rooms. His face was even more exaggerated than Clints, his toothbrush falling out of his mouth and falling to the ground, not that Tony noticed. His eyes kept drifting between the closed three doors, memories of his old one-night stands drifting through his mind.
"Damn, is it the nerd look that pulls the chicks, or the scrawny body and gangly arms, maybe the brown hair?" Tony's voice fell his eyes staring dumbfounded at the revelation before him. Clint had to also say he was also in the same boat, and the same question had appeared in his mind.
"Lucky Bastard..." Before his voice even dropped there was a chilling voice that came from behind as a red-haired woman starred daggers at him from the entrance to his room... shared room that is.
"Anthony Edward Stark, what was that just now." Her voice was sweet, but the look he was getting would give any married or committed man shivers. Tony paled as he tried to back pedal but....
"Wait Pepper, it just slipped out, I didn't mean anything by it." … It didn't matter Pepper had already crossed over to the scared man and was already dragging him back to their room.
"No, no.... have mercy please!"
"Just now and the other day with the password... I think someone needs some....
Clint gave a small prayer for Tony as Pepper dragged him back to their shared room", her words trailing off he did have to wonder what came next in that sentence, but he didn't have to guess much when he ehard a high pitch noise coming from behind the door.
He wanted to give the door a salute of comradery, memories of his own wife appearing, but he couldn't think of that right now.
Turning slowly as if to not disturb a dangerous animal he turned to look at the face of the woman beside him. Her looks were cool, her face Stoney as she looks at the scene, but he could see the emotions brewing in her eyes. Ones of betrayal, unwillingness and hurt that he hadn't seen in a very long time.
Natasha froze, her eyes tracking the two women as they both retreated to their rooms. Her eyes easily picked up the small amount of limp in their step her mind instantly thinking of why that was. 'Sore groin'. Her eye twitched for a second, but only Clint noticed as he stared intently at her face.
Her fists curled slightly, but her face stayed cold and stone like as she turned around and headed back into the elevator. Clint followed not saying anything as he watched his longtime partner press the button for the 35th floor. 'The Gun range'.
Nothing was said as the elevator made its way to the floor, Once the doors were opened, Natasha didn't stop to think as she moved over to one of the gun lockers. Opening it quietly she grabbed her weapon of choice and made her way over to the range.
Along the way she pulled out a bag of magazines and placed them on each isle as she went. The targets were already set up and good to go, something Clint was glad for as he stalked behind her. Placing the weapon on the smooth surface before her, Natasha's hand methodically began to strip and clean the Glock, disassembling it, before reassembling it.
As the last piece clicked into place, it was almost a whirlwind of death that followed as a magazine slammed into the Glock and 17 rounds were unloaded with precision and speed that was associated with only the best in the industry.
Each bullet hit vital spots on the target in front of her, but she didn't even blink as she ran out of rounds, ejected the clip and slammed the weapon back down. Moving to the next isle, she once again took apart the Glock before reassembling it and doing the same.
Clint said nothing as she continued to do this, it was only as she reached the last isle that he spoke up, he might have seen the small glistening of water on her cheeks but he didn't mention that as he spoke up.
"Is that the best you've got?" Natasha turned sharply at his words, her eyes cold and Clint wasn't sure if there were any more rounds if she might have taken action.
"I didn't miss any of my shots." Her voice was glacial but Clint only shook his head.
"Fuck the shooting Nat, are you going to give up on him?" Her eyes only turned colder as she turned back to the target, her hands disassembling the weapon once more.
"I think it's pretty obvious that his chosen." Clint rolled his eyes at her answer, he could make out the small tremor in her hands and shoulders, he knew she was hurting at the moment.
"So you are just giving up? You're Quitting? That's not my Partner!" She turned around the weapon pieces scattering over the ground as the flung out and Clint for the first time he had known Natasha saw tears streak her cheeks as she shouted back.
"He's chosen someone better Clint! He doesn't want me! Someone broken!"
There were two options before Clint right now, he could have tried to close the distance, given her a hug, told her everything would be alright, which would have been a normal response to a situation like this, but that wasn't what Natasha needed right now.
Keeping his face calm, he spoke back his words tense and solemn.
"That's not the words of the world-renowned best assassin Black Widow, she will do anything to get her target!" Natasha gripped her hands tighter at his words, she had no reply, even though she tried to stop the tears from coming down they just wouldn't stop.
She had been through numerous bouts of torture in the past, she had look death in the face and made it out by the skin of her teeth in many occasions, but she had never felt so hurt as when she caught sight of Felicia and Laura walking out of Peter's room.
'After the talk last night'
'It was a stupid idea to think of the notion of more...'
Clint could see her inner turmoil as she retreated into herself. It was something he didn't want to see. Though it was hard for other to tell, Clint had known for quite a while before Peter actually appeared in the tower that something was different about Natasha.
She hadn't been as standoffish; she hadn't been as closed off. Her life had been tough, especially as such a young assassin, some of the things she had to do before she joined SHIELD were horrific. Even after joining SHIELD, she still had to do quite a few things that no one that young should ever have to.
"You like him, Nat."
As a farther himself, he was extra sensitive to such things. Maybe she couldn't see it, but Clint had already noticed that she was in Love, maybe she wouldn't admit it, but it was obvious to someone who had already found his partner.
He would be damned if he didn't give her a much needed talking to right now, she needed to regain some of trade mark badass confidence!
"No I don't" Her voice isn't as forceful as she replied, she wasn't sure of herself, like anyone else falling for the first time.
"Don't lie to yourself Nat!" The shout seemed to snap her out of her thoughts as she fired back, not even noticing her words of confirmation.
"Well, I can't do anything about it now!" Clint just shook his head as he instantly noticed she wasn't denying his words anymore.
"Giving up before even trying is what a coward does, that's not the Natasha Romanov I know!" Natasha looked like she was about to attack him, but they both knew he was right; she was acting out of character.
She was letting what she had just found out affect her deeply. Seeing that the opportunity had finally come, and knowing that she was finally thinking on his words he went in for the kill with his old Barton Charm.
"You're the best assassin in the world damnit Nat, do some reconnaissance, ask yourself if you truly like him and go in for the kill when you figure that out! Assassinate his heart and take it for yourself." Natasha was shocked at his words as they registered. She thought on them for a few seconds as a new resolve began to build behind her eyes.
Clint easily saw the change as she got past whatever was holding her back, her posture changed, straighter, more confident. The tears on her cheek dried up as a competitive glint reached her eyes and finally a small smile appeared.
Finally, after a good minute reorganizing herself she quirked an eyebrow at Clint who was feeling pretty good with his inspirational actions.
"Assassinate the heart? That is the cheesiest thing I think I've ever heard you say old man." Clint just raised his finger up, a sage expression on his face.
"Who is the fool, the one that speaks stupidly, or the one that listens to him smartly?" Natasha laughed for the first time since entering the range.
"You need to stop watching all those b rate Kungfu flicks." Clint sent a sly smile back.
"Says the one watching all the b rate rom comms." Natasha's eyes turned dangerous and Clint knew that was a sign to get out immediately. His body was gone in a flash, the red-haired demon on his heels.
"How did you know about that!" Clint just laughed as he sprung up aiming for one of the ventilation shafts of the building, he might lose her if he was quick enough. He would just have to stay out of her sight for the next.... let's say 12 hours and he would be fine.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Zevren
Zevren Mmmmmmm, think that was a good enough reaction.... Thoughts in comments?
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