Under or Over: Hawkeye & Black Widow

CHAPTER #62

"Where the heck are we, is this a war zone?"  Clint asked.

Bird replied, "Astrakhan, Russia."

"Are these even considered roads?" 

"Stop complaining Clint.  We are where we need to be for the moment," Natasha said cooly.

"Hey don't take offence, but I thought we were going to where you were born.  And wasn't that Stalingrad, now Volgograd?"

"Actually sir, agent Romanoff said that she was returning to where it started," Bird corrected.

Clint looked at Natasha, "where what started and why did it start here?"

"This is where the... Red Room... facility was," she said hesitantly. "It's now called R2."

"Nat, you sure you want to do this... I can look for whatever it is without you."

Slowly she shook her head, "this is more than just revenge, I'm completely rational.  This is about stopping them. I have to go back into the past and I'm glad you're here with me as I do it Clint," Natasha confessed, unable to look at him.

"You told me once that Ivan Petrovich raised you.  So how did you end up here?"

Natasha's eyes showed she was reliving the past.  "The last thing before... the Red Room... that I remember is Ivan taking me to this place that had other young girls there.  We were trained in combat and espionage, then taken to the facility.  I don't know why Ivan dumped me there and I never did find him after that day."  Her breathing got harsher, until she felt his hand cover hers.  She held on and regained control.

"Did you search his name when you were at HYDRA or just at S.H.E.I.L.D.?"  Clint asked, having her refocus on something less stressful.

"Of course; name, face, variations of both.  Nothing, it's like he never existed.  I don't even know if I made him up or if he really did exist."

"You and I rely on instinct when we do our jobs, so what does your instinct tell you about Ivan?"

She looked at him, "it tells me he was real."

"Did he work for HYDRA or someone else, maybe being a chauffeur as his cover?"

"It's possible.  I don't think this has anything to do with HYDRA. I even talked to Ivan Vanko when he was in prison. Not even his father had heard of Petrovitch.  Anton, his father, had deep roots in the Soviet underground. But eventually I found out that the Council or a member of the twelve, had been involved and still are." 

"So why are we here now?"

"The Mongolian said something that triggered a memory of mine.  Semion Mogilevich when he was younger, was involved with managing the facility. It's where he got the idea to call his organization the Red Mafiya." Natasha began to explain, giving Barton pieces of the puzzle.

"The place around here, was where Semion picked us up.  I'm hoping that something will be familiar and my mind will remember more."

"You think your memories will lead us to where the Red Room was and then where R2 is today?" Clint asked.

"Yes.... my nightmares were of the Red Room facility."

He put his hands on her arms and turned her to face him.  "Tasha... "

"It's okay Clint... I know I'm asking a lot... I don't know what's going to happen to me, but I can't do this without you."

"You don't have to say it.  You're not sure if you can control yourself without me," Clint stated, more than just asking a question.

She nodded mutely, too may unspoken words and feelings jumbled up inside her.  Training once again won out and she was in cold control.  The moment of weakness was gone and Barton saw the change in her eyes.  This was all her, not some duelling personality disorder, the Black Widow and Natasha Romanoff were one and the same.  Up until that moment, he didn't know that he himself was her anchor to reality.  He felt honoured and disturbed all at once.

"Alright let's go find that building I was dropped off at, so many years ago."

Like with some internal GPS, Romanoff lead them to a broken down, boarded up structure.  The brick was crumbling and it was obvious that rodents called it home.  With a strong kick, the front door shattered inwards.  They stepped over it and continued on.  The various holes gave off enough light to see inside.

"Wow this place stinks.  I'd say cats and things have made this their home in the past," Clint commented.  "Anything kick start your memories yet?"  He saw her shake her head negatively. 

"Maybe we need to talk to Semion instead," she said.

"You think he will tell you where R2 is?"

Again his question met silence, with a single shrug.  They looked through the rubble, but found nothing.  Barton wasn't surprised at all, that they found nothing and that Romanoff's memories didn't return.  He believed that anything pre-brainwashing, was lost forever.  He also didn't think that finding the R2 facility would bring her the closure she wanted.  But maybe it would give them a clue to who the Council member involved was.

"Bird locate Semion Mogilevich and then take us there in stealth mode," Clint directed.  "Come on Nat, we're wasting time here. Let's go find out some truths."

"It use to be Budapest," Natasha recalled.

"He is in Prague," Bird announced.

"Great, the largest city of the Czech Republic."

"At least it's not in the desert Clint," Natasha teased as she got into Bird behind him.  "What district Bird?"

"Prague 7 agent Romanoff," Bird replied.  "In the quarter of Troja."

"That's along the left bank of Vitava," Natasha said.

"When we get there I want a scan of all the armed men on site.  See if we can prevent a private war breaking out on our arrival," Clint added.

"Don't feel like a blood bath today?" 

He threw a glance over his shoulder at Romanoff, his raised eyebrow saying it all.

"What?" Natasha asked with fake innocence.

"Never mind," he sighed.