After breakfast, Clint left without a word. The alarm bell in Natasha’s head slowly started to ring. What if he’s going after backup to capture her? No, that can’t happen. She’s not giving herself up that easily, not without trying to escape.
She didn’t even think about the option that maybe, if her theory had been true, Clint surely would have locked the door and the windows. She was blinded. In the Red Room you couldn’t trust anyone, not even the prisoners held there to be executed in front of the younger Widows, for them to get used to the sight of a shot body.
She climbed out of the window, ignoring the pulsing ache in her arm. She slowly landed on the road like a cat and started to tiptoe in the shadows. She saw a motorbike without its owner nearby, and being a professional, stealing the motorbike seemed like a piece of cake. No, she wasn’t stealing it, just borrowing without permission.
As she started to slowly break the hood, a shadow appeared at her back, and an angry voice literally slapped her.
“Seriously? You are still trying to escape? And where, if I may ask?”
”Not your business.”
“Right. My business was to kill you, instead I made a different call, and that’s how you thank me?”
“Why, what shall I do?”
“Stay on your butt.”
“So you can kill me?”
“For God’s sake, I don’t want to kill you!”
Clint was nearly yelling, but he forced himself not to. Instead, he changed his tone to a “try to explain to a stupid” one.
“Look, I know you can’t imagine this, but not everyone is your enemy.”
“Why? Why didn’t you finish your mission?”
“Because I’m tired of killing.”
“I think I might understand, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stab you if I feel in danger.”
All the answer she got was a roll of his eyes. The agent turned back and started to walk towards the building. Natasha ran after him, because now she was very confused. It’s simple, you might think, but not for someone who didn’t see one drop of kindness in her life, was always told not to trust anyone, was forced to kill at a young age, was beaten up thousands of times and was always running, because she had no place in the whole world, except for the places she imagined in her mind.
“So that’s it? You’re leaving?”
“As you have a pair of eyes and see clearly, yes, I am.
“I still want the real answer! Why am I not dead?”
“Because the Lord spat you back.”
“Very funny! Explain! Now! Tell me!”
“Shut up! Don’t you realize how your squirrel voice is echoing?”
“Not until I get answers!”
“You won’t get answers until you learn to trust someone and see the good side of things! Seriously, you are worse than a grumpy me without a morning coffee.”
“Fine, I’ll try.”
“You promise?
“Yes. But if…”
“If I try to kill you, I’m going to get hell, I know. Could you change to a new motto?”
“Answer.”
“Look, as you know, I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. Or I used to. It was supposed to protect the world from threats, but I can see that the only threat for this world so far is the S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. In good there is bad and in bad there is good. And bad can always change. You can fight, you’re not that dumb and want to start a new life. That’s why I let you live. I realized the only way to make something change is to be the change. You happy now?”
“That’s not the word I’d use. And what’s your genius plan to make things change?”
“I have a man inside S.H.I.E.L.D. who would be capable to become the director with the right help. To do that, we need to get rid of the old one.”
“So, I suppose you won’t ask, only act.”
“Yes.”
“Will there be much blood?”
„Only the amount one single man has.”
“When and where?”
“Tomorrow, right here in Budapest.”
“How?”
“Too many questions.”
“You have no idea.”
“I do.”
“Then tell me.”
“No. Just wait and see.”
They were walking on the shore of the Danube. The people and tourists were enjoying their pleasant afternoon, having no idea who the young man and woman were and what they were planning…
Balázs-Blénessi-Pataki Kincső VIII. C
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