[There's not a lot to do these days, for someone without a calling. Natasha had walked out of the Avengers compound after Tony confronted her, hasn't looked back. Hasn't been able to. She's not welcome there. She's fairly sure she's not welcome at S.H.I.E.L.D. either. She doesn't know where Clint and the others were taken, after the airport, and she wouldn't be able to look Laura and the kids in the eye because of it.
As far as she knows, Tony and T'Challa hadn't revealed her deception, such as it was. He'd be after her if that was the case, and if anyone could find her, it was--embarassingly--Tony Stark. He was too persistent for his own good.
But for now, that wasn't the case. She was sitting in a coffee shop in Iowa City, nursing a black coffee and scouring the internet on a laptop she'd lifted a few weeks ago from a bunch of crack dealers in Chicago. Looking for news. Whispers. Anything.
It turns out, he'd found her first. They had protocols in place, a code they worked out between themselves, ways to let each other know they were safe. E-mail addresses they hadn't shared with anyone but each other, full of messages back and forth. Every time they finished a mission alone, they'd let the other know they were home safe.
for nested...I need more Clint in my life
As far as she knows, Tony and T'Challa hadn't revealed her deception, such as it was. He'd be after her if that was the case, and if anyone could find her, it was--embarassingly--Tony Stark. He was too persistent for his own good.
But for now, that wasn't the case. She was sitting in a coffee shop in Iowa City, nursing a black coffee and scouring the internet on a laptop she'd lifted a few weeks ago from a bunch of crack dealers in Chicago. Looking for news. Whispers. Anything.
It turns out, he'd found her first. They had protocols in place, a code they worked out between themselves, ways to let each other know they were safe. E-mail addresses they hadn't shared with anyone but each other, full of messages back and forth. Every time they finished a mission alone, they'd let the other know they were home safe.
The grass got long while I was gone.
He's safe. He's home.
She sends a response.
Guess you've got chores to do. Need some help?]