The Story of a Bird and Spider || Clintasha

9

"I was taken in by the police for questioning. It's a good thing they didn't recognize me, but they did know I was at the airport at the time of the shooting. The plane ticket that I bought Nat was recorded, and they found me walking rather aimlessly around, as if I were in shock like everyone else who survived.

"They told me there was nothing to worry about. They said they were bringing in everyone they could find so they could identify the names of the shooters, or where they were from. I wasn't there long-- there was nothing I could tell them that they didn't already know.

"However, it was a huge waste of time. I'm still in Budapest. I know that Esztergom is a city... I can't believe I didn't recognize it before. I've been there, a long time ago. Now I have no idea if Nat's still there, or not.

"I'll find you, Natasha. I'll flip the whole country upside down to make sure you're safe."

"Even though I've lost something special, I feel like I've been reimbursed with something else... important. Maybe not exactly better, but it's something I can say I'm glad I have. I don't regret what I did, although I may have added more theatrics than I'm used to displaying. But, now I have to get back someone that was taken.

"Nothing can fill a gap like Natasha. The necklace being replaced with something mental is incredible in itself, but there's definitely nothing that could replace this week."

"Einstein once said, 'When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than an hour.'

"I'm not much of a science guy-- I don't have the time. I'll leave that to Stark Enterprise crew. But, this week with Natasha has seem much shorter... When she was gone for a little more than a day, I felt like she'd been missing for months.

"'That's relativity.'"

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20. Hungary: Esztergom, Tuesday, August 18, 9:49

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"My name is Laura Matthers. My mission is to eliminate Hawkeye."

Katya smiles, pleased that she didn't even have to ask twice. The doctor puts away the light he was flashing in Natasha's eyes and says, "They aren't twitching. She's either a very good liar, or we've developed a better method of hypnotization."

"Obviously the latter, you twit," Katya hisses. "But you know very well that she's one of the best liars. I trained her myself, after all." She dismisses him. His steps are full of confidence, but even he knows not to go against Yekaterina II.

She turns to Natasha, allowing herself a small smile of satisfaction. Last time was such a disaster for her; it threatened her rank, and people became a tad less scared of her. A tad is too much-- no one is to defy her. It hasn't been long since the accident. In fact, it's only been the might of three months since Natasha left her position.

Three months can go by fast when the question, Will she come back to destroy us? comes to mind every day.

Natasha, with the thought process of Laura Matthers, stands and pulls her fingers through her hair, feeling for tangles that are non existent. It shines and flows between the spaces of her hand.

"I hate him," she growls under her breath, speaking of her target. Katya smiles at Natasha's remark, feeling exceptionally pleased that her victim of brain washing still has a mind of her own. It would be a shame to waste such skill and ideas. The sick part of Yekaterina can't wait to find out how Natasha will go about killing Clint Barton.