A Love Out of Time

Chapter 31

Clint saw it happen, and his radio was in his hand before Steve could even get back up. Natasha's radio sounded in Steve's hand before he could press a single button. He keyed it, a little unsure.

"Yes?"

"Rogers, let her go."

"You saw what she did. She attacked her own teammate."

"Yes, I saw it, but you have to release her."

There was a certain urgency in Clint's voice that Steve couldn't ignore.

"Why?"

Static filled the silence in between them.

"We need to talk."

Steve cast a suspicious look at Natasha, and he was surprised. She looked afraid. Steve keyed the radio.

"We'll be right there." He handed her the radio. "Come on, let's go."

Natasha clipped it back on her belt and flipped her hair a little bit, trying to regain her sarcasm.

"Am I under arrest now?"

Steve's heart leaped just a little bit. This could be a trap. The two of them together could take him down. Steve shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"Not until I hear what Clint has to say."

Natasha's eyebrows were playing games with each other, and she turned away in a huff. Steve followed, a little more cautiously. He didn't trust her, but he did trust Clint. Whatever he had to say would be important.

Up in his nest, Clint let out a deep sigh and redialed security. Natasha didn't have to make so much trouble for him.

"Yes, this is the hawk. The situation in the gym is resolved. Stand down. I'll contact you if it becomes a threat."

Clint set the radio down and collapsed into the chair. She saved him, he saved her, and the eternal tug of war just kept on going. Slowly he rubbed his fingers across his jaw. What was he going to say to Steve? How would he explain?

A few minutes later, they were knocking on the door to the security room.

"Come in." 

Natasha stepped in first, Steve following. The door clicked shut behind them. The silence felt so heavy, Clint could have cut it with a knife. He still didn't know what to say.

"Clint," Steve's voice was calm. "What do you need to say? I'm here to listen."

Clint nodded. "I appreciate that."

He shot a look at Natasha, who was seething, and he sighed.

"I know what I need to communicate, I just don't know how to say it in a way that you would understand."

Natasha crossed her arms and glared at the wall. "He already knows, Clint."

Clint's eyes narrowed, and he glanced at Steve. "What exactly does he already know? You've got a lot of history."

"He knows about the Stargate program. I told him."

Clint's eyes widened. "Natasha, that's classified!"

She glared back. "You wouldn't believe me! Not even when you saw her with your own eyes! We all know he has feelings for her! Someone had to warn him!"

Steve looked back and forth between them. 

"Wait, how do you know about that?" He gave Natasha a pointed look. "You said no one was supposed to know."

Natasha smiled for a moment. "That's right. No one should know. Unless they were involved."

Clint nodded. "I was a part of Stargate command, though only briefly."

Steve put up a hand. "Wait, how many of you are there?"

Natasha shook her head. 

"There isn't much of a crossover. Just Clint and I. Tony has a long history with the military, but he was civilian only. You were kept as a field operator, and not involved in the 1940's research. And Banner-" Natasha's brow furrowed. "I'm pretty sure the military tried to recruit him before his accident. You'd have to ask him why he refused."

"So this-this was a large operation?"

Natasha and Clint shared a look.

"Steve, this is a big operation. The Stargate hasn't disappeared. The military is still using it. A lot of the technological advances of recent years came directly out of the program. They wouldn't just stop using it."

Steve was still confused. He didn't remember most of what Natasha had said only a day before.

"If the program is still running, why aren't you still working there? The Avengers Initiative doesn't have a stargate."

Natasha smiled slightly.

"Not exactly."