Clint Barton (
thehawkinhisnest) wrote2016-03-17 02:49 am
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I lose the joys of life. (For
speaks_latin)
Warning: Will contain violence.
Clint fiddles with his cufflink, looking away from the window overlooking the street below. This is the last step of a mission he's been working for the last two weeks, and while he's as anxious as ever for it to be over, there's no sense of victory on the horizon. He's used to that with these missions, of knowing that once he's finished, he'll feel a sense of accomplishment, of having something to be proud of. But no matter how hard he tries, he just wants this one to be over.
He's supposed to kill a child.
Not really, of course. The girl (The Black Widow. Natalie. Natalia.) is only a few years younger than him - their intel says she is actually eighteen, though he's wondered about that in the time he's been watching her this week, while he decided the best way to play this, while his contacts set up this meeting. Natalia was his date to a dinner for some rich assholes this evening, and the longer the night goes on, the more certain he becomes that he can't go through with this. She's a killer, has taken out more targets than S.H.I.E.L.D. can actually keep up with - but he sees more when people don't know he's watching. He's seen the black cars and men that dog her heels, and the looks she gives them when she thinks no one's watching aren't to reassure herself that they're there. He's seen her steel herself before she talks to them, before she came up to meet up, tonight, and they all paint a picture different than the one in her file.
He has weapons hidden nearby, should be hiding one of them on himself now while Natalia freshens up in the bathroom - he doesn't want to think about why she thinks she needs to freshen up, she's a child and not even one allowed to make her own decisions - but he can't. He can't do it.
But he has to, and he finally takes his hand away from his sleeve, turning to find the closest handgun, to tuck it away as the sound of water stops in the bathroom and the door opens, to school his own expression and posture back into the relaxed, confident swagger this cover requires, to let himself leer a little when he turns to face her.
Another hour, and this will be done.
Clint fiddles with his cufflink, looking away from the window overlooking the street below. This is the last step of a mission he's been working for the last two weeks, and while he's as anxious as ever for it to be over, there's no sense of victory on the horizon. He's used to that with these missions, of knowing that once he's finished, he'll feel a sense of accomplishment, of having something to be proud of. But no matter how hard he tries, he just wants this one to be over.
He's supposed to kill a child.
Not really, of course. The girl (The Black Widow. Natalie. Natalia.) is only a few years younger than him - their intel says she is actually eighteen, though he's wondered about that in the time he's been watching her this week, while he decided the best way to play this, while his contacts set up this meeting. Natalia was his date to a dinner for some rich assholes this evening, and the longer the night goes on, the more certain he becomes that he can't go through with this. She's a killer, has taken out more targets than S.H.I.E.L.D. can actually keep up with - but he sees more when people don't know he's watching. He's seen the black cars and men that dog her heels, and the looks she gives them when she thinks no one's watching aren't to reassure herself that they're there. He's seen her steel herself before she talks to them, before she came up to meet up, tonight, and they all paint a picture different than the one in her file.
He has weapons hidden nearby, should be hiding one of them on himself now while Natalia freshens up in the bathroom - he doesn't want to think about why she thinks she needs to freshen up, she's a child and not even one allowed to make her own decisions - but he can't. He can't do it.
But he has to, and he finally takes his hand away from his sleeve, turning to find the closest handgun, to tuck it away as the sound of water stops in the bathroom and the door opens, to school his own expression and posture back into the relaxed, confident swagger this cover requires, to let himself leer a little when he turns to face her.
Another hour, and this will be done.
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"Let's go with that, then."
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He's not trying anything, here, he just wants to make sure there's not a proximity alarm enabled on it or that someone isn't going to come out of a bar and yell at them to get away from their ride.
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When she breaks away, she takes a moment, only half-feigning breathlessness as she looks up at him, expression smoky, and then softly, points out, "No alarm."
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There's nothing, though, either from the car or people on the street, and he hums agreement to her assessment. "Or anybody telling us to fuck off," he murmurs. "You got a pin?"
In her hair, he means, considering he doesn't have his picks on him.
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"I'm a ballerina," she answers, as if that wasn't answer enough. Like she wouldn't have a hairpin or two on her.
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Trusting her to help him sell this or at least keep an eye out, he gives his attention to getting into the car. It doesn't take long before there's a clunk, and he stumbles to his feet (a twinge in his side means he doesn't have to work as hard to sell that). A quick glance back the way they came doesn't show him anyone watching, and he reaches for the car again, this time to open the door.
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She feigns disappointment and breathlessness, both, as he stands again, and then turns them, to push him into the car, still carrying the act.
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That way, if anyone has been watching, they'll assume they had a quickie.
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He also does wait to start the car, as she's advised.
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Should be good, she thinks.
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"You ready?"
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"Drive."