Under or Over: Hawkeye & Black Widow

CHAPTER #52

The darkness descended like a blanket.  Wearing their gear, agents Romanoff and Barton rode in Bird.  They were in stealth mode, so Bird made no sound and couldn't be seen.  The sand displaced by the air movement when they cruised over the desert to the pyramids, looked like a sand storm or twister. It wasn't a comfortable ride, since Bird was designed to only carry one person.  But it got the job done.  Both Romanoff and Barton wore the standard S.H.E.I.L.D. ear coms, so they could communicate easily between each other.

"Once we get there, I'll keep watch while you go below."

Natasha smiled, "standard procedure."

He rolled his eyes, even though she couldn't see it.  "Try not to leave any dead bodies behind."

She didn't reply, instead focusing on the radar that Bird displayed of the area.  Where she needed to go, there were no guards.  As Bird lowered to the desert floor, Romanoff jumped off.  Barton watched as she stuck to the shadows and made her way to the previously located secret latch.  To provide cover, Barton found the power source for the flood lights that shone on the pyramids.  He disabled it and made the system look like it was shorted out due to sand getting inside the panel.  This would take the guards a while to reconnect. Hopefully they would keep to the main entrance of the pyramids instead of driving around to check the area.  Bird disabled the alarms near the pyramid that they were close to. 

"I'm in, no problems."  Natasha reported quietly.

"Same out here," Clint replied into the com.

Romanoff went down a flight of stairs, not making a sound, her senses on red alert.  She peaked around a corner and found the hallway empty.  As she went, the place appeared deserted.  For a while she went down and then after a few twists and turns there were two different flights of stairs leading up.  She chose the set on the left.

"I think I'm in the pyramid.  Can Bird track me?" Natasha asked.  There was no response.  "Clint?"

"I had to keep radio silence for a moment. We can see you and yes it appears you are inside a pyramid, but not the one closest to the entrance you came through. No other heat sources on the scan," Clint finally replied.

Natasha began breathing again.  "Thanks.  Everything okay out there?"

"As predicted the ants went to fix the problem.  You know that saying, about how it takes five men to do one job...." Clint chuckled.

"I'd be bored out here too, if I had to guard a pyramid."

"True enough."

Natasha finally came to the control room, where there were monitors and computers streaming data.  There was no one there.  "The place is empty."

"Don't sound so disappointed," he replied.

"I'm going to see if I can upload Bird's connection," she said.

Romanoff wasn't ready to link Bird, she tapped keys quickly, eyes scanning the screens.  She smiled when she found what she was looking for.  Only then did she put the AI unit online too.

"Connection established, stealth monitoring commencing," Bird reported.

"On my way back," Natasha said.

Barton could hear a change in her voice, even though she didn't say anything.  He could tell she'd found what she'd come for.  He watched Romanoff's progress on the wrist band monitor.  

Bird warned, "armed men approaching from west side of the pyramid."

"Nat, wait by the door.  Do not exit until I give you the okay," Clint said.

"Standing by," she replied.

He sneaked up behind the two armed men. One he zapped unconscious with a taser tip and the other he choked to sleep.  Both bodies were dumped in the dark shadow of the pyramid.  "Okay, let's go."

Romanoff came out and they got in Bird, who flew them back to their hotel.  Even though they'd only been in the desert not even a half hour, both had sand on them that a shower would get rid of.  She let him go first, using her lap top to determine the next move based on the intel gathered.  

Clint came out towelling his hair, wearing a t-shirt and track pants.  "I hate sand.  So what did you find out?"

She ignored the question and asked one of her own, "how do you like the cold?"

"Better than sand, so where to next?"

"Iceland," Natasha replied with a smirk, when his smile fell.

"I'm beginning to dislike this operation," Clint grumbled heading for the mini bar.

"Save me a beer," Natasha said before closing the bathroom door.

While she was in the shower, he looked at her computer, but couldn't break her password.  So he decided to check in with Stark.  "Tony how's it going?"

"Actually something really funny just happened.... the Hulk just swallowed a piece of the diamond and turned purple...ahaha....hey big boy, don't even think about punching me!"  Tony laughed.

"So he looks like Barney?"  Clint chuckled, knowing the Hulk could hear him.

Banner in his alter ego turned a darker shade of purple.  Tony laughed harder and just barely got out of the way from a hammer fist.  "He heard you and is now a really cool shade of purple."

"Why'd he eat it in the first place?" Clint asked.

"Well he didn't mean to.  See there was this explosion in the lab and Banner got mad, so his mouth was open and then it was all too late," Tony explained.

"You did it on purpose didn't you?" Clint accused.

"Not this time....I got to go... everything cool with you?  Jarvis say's you're in Africa?"

"Heading to Iceland now.  All good, on an operation for Fury."

The call ended and ten minutes later Romaoff came out of the bathroom.  She saw that Barton was eating steak.  "Room service got here quick," Natasha observed as he handed her a plate.

"I had Bird call in the order, before we arrived."

"Clint how do you survive on the operations where you can't eat for days?"

"Why do you think I refuel when food is handy?"  He asked rhetorically.  After he let her eat a little, Clint asked, "so Nat what are we hunting for in Iceland?"

"Hopefully the next council member."

"And what are you really looking for?" He asked, not expecting an answer.

"Closure and revenge," she mumbled.

Clint heard her, yet still asked, "what was that?"

Natasha replied, "we'll leave in the morning. I'm going out for a while."

Barton watched her leave, more confused than ever.