A Different Call

War-Torn Bridge

A.N. This chapter is short and angsty just like me in middle school, but it is setting up for a fun chapter next week.

Natasha's P.O.V.

I had just finished scaling the demolished air-control tower, when I saw what looked like a very upset archer standing on the other side, arms crossed over his chest.

"If you want to say something to me right now can it," I snapped, walking past not even bothering to look him in the eye.

"No," Clint demanded, "You're going to tell me why you agreed with Tony's nonsense. I mean you of all people should be against the government controlling what you do with your life."

I turned on my heel and stalked over to him, finger driving into his chest. "I did what I had to do to keep this team together and you of all people should know why I had to follow through with what they were doing. Because like unlike the rest of you idiots instead of just being sent to some prison, I could be handed back over to a country that more likely than not want's me dead, so yeah that's why I signed."

"We could change that you know?" I almost had to laugh at the seriousness within Clint's eyes.

"First off now really isn't the time for that conversation, secondly, no we can't because now you're a wanted fugitive which I don't even understand because you were supposedly going to quit this whole superhero gig."

"Yeah and then I heard that Tony was holding Wanda against her will."

I threw my hands up in the air, "For the love of God, she was staying with her boyfriend in a house that's better than most of SHIELD's safehouses and if it weren't Vision's disaster in the kitchen, she wouldn't have even known what was going on."

"It still doesn't change anything and besides that Stark's obviously unhinged. I mean he brought a god-damn kid into battle."

"And, it's not like Wanda is much better. She's barely eighteen although let's thank whatever drunk puppeteer that controls our lives that she is or else who knows what other shit we'd be in. Now, if you don't mind I'm going to go back to the compound and see what happened with Rhodey and see if Tony can't pull some strings and get all of you a leaner sentence before one of the Rosses tries to throw me in there with you." I turned to leave the tarmac but was stopped by a gentle grip on my hand.

"Why did you stop Mr. Catsuit and let them get away? If you were so scared of getting sent back to the gulag, why did you risk doing what you did?"

I looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet Clint's eyes. "Barnes."

"Barnes, as in Steve's friend from the forties? As in the same one trained you? As in the man who shot you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because there's still good in him, he just needs help to reveal it."

"And how do you know?"

"Because I've seen it before." With that I pulled my hand out of Clint's grasp and ran off the tarmac as Clint sat down, the sound of sirens getting louder and louder.