1: The New Red Room Assassin

Chapter 3

Nat's POV

I was in the training room with Clint when the mission alarm went off, we were briefed in the SUV. Hostage situation, 3 men in the store, 10 hostages, 2 men out front, and 1 with a grenade launcher. Apparently they had taken out 5 police cars already. The plan was simple, get out a few blocks away so they couldn't hit us and kill us with the launcher, Clint go to the roof of the building opposite, and take out the two guys outside the store. Agents to surround the front of the store, and agents to sneak in the back and through the roof. I was benched and sent to oversee as I was still recovering from a bullet wound from my previous mission. It had been weeks, and was pretty much healed now, but the dr said 8 weeks, and it had only been 7 weeks and half, and even though I said I was fine, Fury wouldn't have it. I hadn't been medically cleared.

I watched Clint run off, and the other agents make their way forward through the mess left by the cop cars. I stayed in the SUV on comms. After 10 minutes I still hadn't heard Clint say that he was in position, not only that but the agents on the comms were calling out to him to shoot the 2 guys at the front. I knew something was wrong instantly. Clint was great at his job and always followed orders precisely. Unless it was killing me, in which he made a different call.

I got out the SUV, and checked my gun which was in my waistband.
"Agents chance of plan, shoot out the targets yourselves"

I immediately ran down the ally Clint did, and to the fire escape of the building.

"Hawkeye do you copy?" I hissed into the comms, looking up the rusty looking stairs. I got no response. I started carefully climbing them, making sure I made no sound, and as I neared the top I heard a female voice say,

"Help is on the way by the sounds of it Clint"

My eyes narrowed, the adrenaline was really kicking in now. I peeped up over the fire escape to see a women with her back turned looking down at the road, and I looked at Clint and winked as I crept forward, to which he rolled his eyes. I could tell he was please to see me. My hand was tight on my gun, I was ready for her.

I stopped behind her, and I could tell by her body language that she sensed my presence. I grabbed my gun tighter raising it as she turned around. I was shocked as I looked at her, she was young, she must only be a teenager. I looked her up and down frantically, she was just a kid what was she doing here?! She sensed my apprehension and reached for her gun, I quickly snapped back and kicked it out her hand, it flew off the roof and landed on the road below. She lunged towards me, changing her plan of attack, she threw a punch which I stopped and grabbed onto her hand, then she grabbed onto the hand and spun me round so I was in a choke hold. I flipped her over my back and she landed on the ground, I pointed my gun at her again

"Stay down, I don't want to shoot you"

But she got straight up and pulled out a knife seemingly out of nowhere.

"I have no place in this world" she muttered.

Her words caught me off guard. Memories of the Red Room came rushing back, I felt my chest tighten, I was trying to fight her off, but my mind was distracted, so she managed to clip my arm, the pain brought me back to reality, my gun was on the floor to the right of me. Somehow it had been thrown in the fight, I looked at the young girl in front of me, I looked back at Clint, she could have killed him but she didn't, although he was turning pale from blood loss, I had to finish this. There was a feeling, those words, I had to help her. But her eyes were filled with nothing. She ran towards me again, I lowered myself, kicked her feet from beneath her, pulled a widow bite from my pocket and electrocuted her. She was out.

"We need med evac now, Hawkeye's been shot" I said into comms, running over to him

I untied him and told him to pressure on the wound,
"Thanks Nat" he said with questioning eyes, Clint could read me, he is one of few that can. He was questioning why I didn't just neutralise the threat, "I just couldn't, I'm sorry Clint", I went over the young blonde haired girl and tied her up. And checked for any hidden weapons, she had a lot.