𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 | 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

𝟎𝟐. 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬

Clint raised an eyebrow in confusion, trying to decipher the foreign language. Obviously it wasn't English nor was it Italian, so he was unable to translate the soft-spoken voice. He pressed the comm further in his ear, hoping either a translation would be provided or his tech would respond quick enough with a translation.

Unfortunately, the city blackout made that all but impossible. Just as his comm had started working again, the static returned and the coded message faded from his sound range. Frustrated, Clint removed the device from his ear and instead focused on surveilling the area before meeting back at the rendezvous spot.

Just as he deemed there was nothing out of the ordinary within the crowd. The Jumbotron at the front of the crowd sparked back to life. The crowd released a few startled screams at the light sparks that rained down on them, but quieted as the static disappeared from the screen and was replaced with a large black-and-white, maze-like symbol. However, it didn't stop just there.

Panic surged through the crowd as the symbol made an appearance on every smart-phone, smart-watch, and any other piece of comparable tech. Each individual in the crowd looked down at their cellular devices as if entranced by the idea that they were fully functional again.

Realizing there was a chance that the technology was operational once more, Clint returned the comm to his ear, but frowned at the static that prevented him from contacting the team or S.H.I.E.L.D., who had been surprisingly silent. It wasn't like Fury to be this silent, meaning that the helicarrier had been affected too.

Forced to communicate the old fashioned way, Clint jogged back through the crowd to debrief Nat on what he'd seen and heard. He had expected to catch a glimpse of her hair first as the vibrant red usually stuck out like a sore thumb in crowds; however, it only helped her blend in with the crowd decked out from head to toe in red, white, and blue.

It was actually Wilson's faulty wing pack that caught his eye first. The wings looked as if they couldn't make up their mind, half-extended as if he'd tried to activate them and failed.

"Anything?" Clint asked. Natasha shook her head and Wilson agreed. It definitely wasn't the right moment, but he grinned. "I'll take that ten in cash then."

"I'm sorry?" Wilson blinked as if he couldn't believe his ears then continued to ask for a further explanation. "You have an ongoing bet?"

The spy and the archer ignored the bird that acted as nothing more than a third wheel. Natasha shook her head as if contradicting Clint's statement. She also seemed to scoff at the idea that he'd beaten her. "You found the source of the virus?"

"No, I found something better," Clint replied. Natasha remained unimpressed, so he elected to continue without a dramatic pause of silence. "My commlink connected to a weak signal on the outskirts of the crowd and I overheard a transmission clearly meant for someone nearby."

"So you know who the message was meant for?"

"Well, no—"

"Oh, so then you must have translated the encryption so that we'd be able to track them down," Natasha offered another alternate suggestion that was clearly meant sarcastically.

Clint deflated. "Also no... The message was concealed in a foreign language and the static of the comms returned before I could take notes."

"Okay then, Barton." Natasha crossed her arms. "Please explain how this was helpful."

Clint opened his mouth to explain, but closed it just as quickly as the speakers hummed at a new frequency. A soft voice whispered the same foreign phrase that Clint had heard previously.

«Δύναμη μέσα από την ενότητα»

"That's it!" Clint exclaimed, but Natasha immediately hushed his excited behavior.