asthehawkflies | [#003] {Violence for fun and profit} Action/Video

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[#003] {Violence for fun and profit} Action/Video

[It's a routine they indulge in whenever they're in the same place for more than a couple of days. This seems like a good enough time to pick it back up, test each other a little, and they claim one of the rooms in the Battle Dome, equipping it with mats and padded walls because while the simulation won't allow them to get really hurt by weapons, Clint isn't sure that it can make getting slammed to the ground any less painful.]

Ready, Tasha?

[He's grinning, as much a mask to hide his intentions as her blank expression. They take up position on the mats opposite each other, and there's no bowing, no politeness, just stillness.

He strikes first, a punch that she blocks, returns with a blow of her own, and then they're fighting in earnest. It's vicious, both of them making use of every move at their disposal, a brutal mix of martial arts and outright brawling, dirty tricks and all.

A throw sends Clint sprawling, hitting the bench where they'd left their stuff, and his journal falls open, starting to record the rest of the fight. To anyone not familiar with them, it does look like they're genuinely trying to kill each other. Neither of them really believe in pulling their punches and they're eerily silent while they fight, neither of them making any noise besides grunts of exertion.

They seemed evenly matched for the most part, Clint's size and strength well matched by Natasha's speed and agility and the training she'd undertaken since childhood. Eventually though, one of them comes out on top, and it's Clint who ends up floored and winded, laid out on his back, Natasha above him, pinning him down and her elbow pressed against his throat.

He groans softly, and then smiles.]

I yield.

[OOC: Responses will be answered by Clint, or Natasha, or more likely, both.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fighting simulations hand to hand is kind of boring.

[And he hasn't found anyone here he trusts enough to go all out with. He graps her hands and lets her help him up, wincing as a whole other set of aches make themselves known.]

On the draft I was actively avoiding hand to hand.

I suppose it would be. Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't get bored anytime soon.

[She hauls him up, not missing his grimace as she does so, and makes sure he has his feet under him before releasing him.]

Sore?

The zombies, right? [She'd heard references to it, but not a lot of details yet.]

I never thought you would.

[He stretches, rolling his shoulders to start working out the stiffness. No point in making it worse than it has to be.]

A little.

Yeah. The further away you could take them out from, the better. If you were close, you ran the risk of infection.

[She's a little sore herself, but she hasn't been here as long as him. It's still been only a few days since the invasion on Manhattan for her, which is where most of her lingering aches are from. Still, the workout felt good and she takes a moment to stretch, checking herself for any stiffness or pain.

She listens to him explain, her expression serious, because she'd heard a little, here and there.]

Not exactly the same thing as those movies you were fond of, I suppose.

[He smiles wryly.]

I promise I will never make you sit through a George Romero marathon again.

[He's not sure he can stomach zombie movies after that draft if he's honest.]

They were fast, and strong, and they were drawn to large groups of people. Made the hospital a prime target.

[He gets a slightly conspiratorial look on his face though.]

I did get to shoot at a group of them from a car while Luke Skywalker ran them over.

Can I get that in writing? [She laughs softly as she says it, but she's quick to turn serious again when he explains. She listens intently, understanding details there that he might not have included, but able to picture the dangers all too clearly.] It sounds like an almost impossible situation.

[At his addition, her lips quirk back into a smile and she glances sideways at him.] Let me guess. Best part of your visit here so far, yes? It's a pity you didn't have any cards for him to sign. [She couldn't help but tease him, but she had to admit encountering Luke Skywalker here was one of the more surreal moments so far.]

I had a drink with him, my first night here. it made me think of you. I wondered if you'd run across him yet.

You'll probably want it signed in blood.

[He sobers quickly as their conversation turns more serious. Impossible? Perhaps. He's still amazed that the casualties weren't higher.] They ordered an evacuation once the hospital was overrun but a lot of people stuck around. Good thing. It's only because of that that a cure was developed.

[Oh well, when she puts it like that... He smirks and gives a brief nod.] Absolutely. I fought zombies alongside a Jedi Knight. The internet would be so jealous.

He's a nice guy. Obi-Wan Kenobi is here too.

Not this time. [She smiles indulgently and sinks down onto the bench where they'd left their things. Natasha nods in understanding as he continues to explain.] A cure for zombies. That's pretty amazing. There must be some brilliant minds here somewhere. [She glances up, eying him intently.] You were one of the ones who stayed?

[She laughs at his statement, stretching her legs out in front of her.] If they even believed you. That sounds a little far-fetched.

The young one or the old one?

[He moves to sit down next to her, elbows resting on his thighs.]

There are some great doctors and scientists here. They worked really hard. [He looks up to meet her gaze and she knows the answer already, he's sure. He nods anyway.]

Yeah, I stayed. Right until the last minute. They were gonna bomb the place if the cure wasn't found. The scientists were staying. They needed security. And then Billy and Teddy needed help.

[He leans back against the wall, grinning.]

Don't care. Still the best thing ever. And the young one.

[Of course he did. She'd known he would. It's what she both loved and hated about him. It was going to get him killed one day. Her lips thin for a moment but she doesn't comment. He did what he felt what he needed to do, and this time, it had apparently come out alright. He also had uncanny luck on occasion.]

Billy and Teddy. Were they...? [This was the first she'd heard mention of them in the battle.

She playfully slugs him in the arm for his smug grin, although its light, with none of her strength behind it.] I'm sure that must have been startling for the pair of them, considering the amount of years and... events that exist between them.

[His expression sobers and he sighs softly.]

Rogue called me. We found them in a cabin in the woods. Billy had turned. Bitten Teddy. We got them back to the hospital. They got the cure and they're fine but... not the greatest day.

[He laughs softly, nudging her back.]

I bet. All we need now if for Darth Vader to show up, film the results and we'll be YouTube famous for the next... three days.

[Natasha winces, because she genuinely liked Billy and while she hadn't met Teddy yet, she'd heard about the pair.] No, I can imagine it wasn't. At least you found them.

That is the last thing we need. [She laughs, rolling her eyes at him.] That's just your inner fanboy getting the best of your common sense.

Yeah. We found them.

...there was a couple of hours early on in the draft when I thought I was infected. Got scratched by an arrow I was retrieving. Didn't know whether it was from a cultist or someone who'd turned.

[Oh come on, what greater contribution to the internet can he make?]

It would be glorious. We could have him face off against Loki and see who comes out on top.

[She nudges him again, a frown on her lips.] You've gotta be more careful than that. This is something wholly different from what we're used to.

[She pauses, then glances over at him] I heard mention of another mission coming up in a few days. i take it you're going?

[Natasha gives a quiet snort of amusement.] I wouldn't phrase it that way on the internet if I were you. Otherwise you might get vastly different answers than the ones you intended.

[He meets her gaze for a moment, and there's a grim look in his eyes.]

Not just here. The whole world. Don't know about you but I was never trained to deal with aliens and magic and gods.

[He gives a small nod when she mentions the mission.]

It seemed to require my skills. Doesn't seem too different from SHIELD missions.

[He thinks about that for a moment and then winces.]

That is just... no. Bad. do you think there'll be Avengers stuff online when the chaos has died down a bit?

I'm still not entirely sure we can be trained to deal with aliens and magic and gods. [Still, she leans against his shoulder and pokes him in the ribs.] Although you did alright. You got to blow Loki out of the sky. Did anyone tell you? It was a beautiful shot.

[She studies him a moment, her manner serious.] You be careful. I'm not gonna be there to watch your back. Not this time, at least. I think I arrived too late for this one.

Of course there will be. [She scoffs.] It's New York, there's already posters and graffiti popping up all over the streets. It's on the news. I didn't spend much time looking, but I wouldn't be surprised if it spreads like wildfire. Aliens and superheroes. Who thought that would ever become reality?

True. But we're gonna have to learn anyway. [He catches her hand when she pokes him, squeezing it lightly. He grins widely at the thought of that.] No. No-one told me that. I'm starting to wish they had. It sounds like it was beautiful to watch.

[He takes a moment to indulge in how that must've looked, the expression on Loki's face.]

I'll be careful. Coulson's going, I think. I'll fine a perch somewhere and stay out of unnecessary trouble.

[He lets out a breath at hearing that. That is big. They're used to being covert.]

It does sound like a movie, I admit. There goes anonymity.

It was. You shot him and he caught the arrow. And then it just exploded and sent him plummeting. Nice tactic. [She can't contain a faint grin, because she'd hoped he'd have something like that planned the moment she set him up for that shot.]

You'd better. And is he? I hadn't heard that. Try to keep an eye on him as well, if you can. [She frowns slightly in concern over that.] How is he doing, do you think? Is he ready for something like this? [She's glad he's not there, because she suspects her handler would be highly offended by the question. But it is a worry for her.]

Don't worry, I don;t think you were close enough to most for them to get a good look at you, so you're probably safe, other than maybe your weapon giving you away. There were some videos of me fighting street-level. Who knows, maybe Fury has some master plan to deal with this as well.

[She hoped so. There were some people back home she'd rather not have noticing her face.]

[He sighs happily at that. Alright, that was good revenge.] I'll look forward to coming up with an executing it in future.

[He frowns slightly, thinking back to what he'd seen of Coulson, especially that first day.]

I think he's still having trouble. When I first saw him when he arrived, I thought he was gonna pass out. Chest wound?

I don't know. But I think being kept from work like this might be worse for him than whatever comes up. [Doesn't mean he has to like it.]

I hope so. Not sure I'm ready to step into the limelight.

[Natasha's grin over his delight is short lived and her expression falls, closing off slightly as she looks away.] Yes. He was stabbed. He was all that stood between Loki and escape. I... I was elsewhere and couldn't get there in time.

[She wasn't sure what she could have done, but the fact that she'd been frozen stiff with fear and pain after her encounter with the Hulk still galled her. She should have been there, should have been paying attention to the comms, should have been predicting what was going on quicker than she had. Regrets. Another death she wished she could have prevented. This blood wasn't entirely on her hands, but she still felt as if it were, if only because this one hit her harder than most.]

He never did deal with inactivity very well. Kind of like you. [Not that she was any better.]

And here I thought you loved being the center of attention. [It's said teasingly, because she knows it's not true, not outside of those Clint wants the attention of. But the conversation was turning too heavy for her not to try and lighten it.]

[He tilts his head slightly, looking at her as she pulls away. He can feel it now, the distance between them, things he hasn't done yet.

She was elsewhere. Just before Loki's escape. He goes a little pale at that.]

Elsewhere. That's where I was heading when you...

[Any longer and it could have been... he would have...

He stands up suddenly, moving to start stretching in a proper cool down because if he doesn't move, he might go mad. It feels that way at least.]

It's not your fault, Natasha. You can't be everywhere all the time.

[He manages a small smile at that, glad for the change. And he knows he's proving her point about inactivity.]

No point in a weapon if it isn't used.

And hey, maybe it'll be good. Take in a few premieres, dinner at one of those restaurants you need to reserve three years in advance, stay a few nights at the Walford-Astoria, best suite in the place...

...and then go back to SHIELD barracks and order in take-out because I will never be comfortable with that much luxury.

No.

[Her interruption was swift and left no room for argument as she shook her head at him.]

No, it wasn't you. When you and I found each other, I suspect it was already too late. His entire plan was to trigger the Hulk and it worked. Banner and I got separated from the others. It was just us when he... changed. Thor got there eventually, drew him off. I think out of all of us, he was the only one that could stand a chance, and even he wasn't having an easy time of it.

[She'd frozen. And her moment of weakness might have cost Coulson his life. It wasn't until Clint's name had sunk in, reported in Fury's frustrated voice, demanding a response in her ear, that she'd come back to herself, uncurled from that little ball.

Maybe she should have gone after Loki, but that choice... she couldn't regret going after Clint instead. She suspected Coulson would agree with her.

She watches him stretch, knows what's fueling the sudden need for movement, gives him a small smile.]

Neither can you.

[Natasha's lips quirk when he describes how he'd use his fame, then laughs softly at his conclusion because yes, she's the same way. While she can blend seamlessly into just about any scene, if given the choice, she'd probably be curled up on a couch with him, eating take-out and watching bad movies on his tv. Or trying to out-cheat him in poker.]

No, it doesn't really seem your style. We can break into Stark's giant tower and have a picnic on the top. You'd like the view.

[The sharp word forces him to stop and look over at her, his expression hard and grim.]

I know what his plan was. I came up with most of it. The sceptre... we were tracking it. Get it on board and it didn't matter where the helicarrier was, I could find it.

[He doesn't like hearing about how close it had been though when he knows how very badly she could have been hurt. That she'd been there when he changed...

He walks back over to her, meeting her gaze.]

No-one would have. None of us anyway. The Hulk is... You came out of it.

[It could have gone so much worse.

He gives a soft huff of laughter and nods.]

No, I can't be everywhere either.

[His smile widens when she laughs and he can relax a little.]

Oh, I like that idea. We should do that. And then confuse the hell out of Stark when he finds us there without setting off his alarms.

[Her expression is wry and her eyes hold dark shadows, but she lifts her shoulders in a halfhearted shrug.] I did. Eventually. It scared me, though. More than I anticipated. More than when I saw him two years ago. This was up close and personal, one-on-one. It was... let's just say it's been a very long time since I felt that kind of fear.

[And that was hard to admit, to voice the words out loud. She wasn't one who let fear cripple her. She was the one who acted, did what needed to be done. And if she fell apart afterwards, in the silence and privacy of her own dark quarters, that was always her secret, or so she assumed. She was the Black Widow. She couldn't afford weaknesses like that.

Still, she meets his gaze, because he knows her better than most, and she doesn't want to lie to him, not about something like this. The experience had shaken her, was responsible in part for why she'd waded into a war with an unknown enemy, and she knew he'd understand that. Had understood that, even though he couldn't remember the softly exchanged conversation on his bunk. And when he huffs out a laugh, she gives him a crooked smile, because it's good to hear him laugh, to see him smile. That much, it makes some of it feel like it was worth it.]

It would. I'd enjoy the challenge of it. Besides, baffling Stark sounds like a fun new pastime.

[His eyed widen at the frank honesty in what she says, and in the way that she looks at him. She had been scared. Anyone would have been, but for her to admit it, that's not something that happens. Ever. And even after all this time, it hits him on the rare occasions when it does happen.

And it's not everything that he wants to know, but it helps him piece things together. Why she'd walk into a war like she had.

He brushes his fingers against her shoulder lightly, as much affection as either of them will usually permit when there's a chance they could be seen.]

I'll add Stark Baiting to the list along with duping new recruits, pissing off Hill and Poker Night.

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