Cobra

Nikkita jumped the short distance from the still running helicopter onto the landing pad. Her feet made contact with the paved surface and she knocked on the pilot's side window.

"Thanks for the ride, Hank!" She shouted over the sound of the rotating blades.

"No problem, kid." He shouted back and waved before lifting his chopped of the ground. Nikkita waved back before starting the short walk to the door from the helipad into SHIELD's main building.

"Hello, Miss Cobra." A voice shouted over the residual sound of the helicopter.

"Seriously Coulson?" She chuckled. "I know that you're one for formality, but Miss Cobra?"

"Sorry, Nikkita." He smiled, falling into step next to Nikkita. "Force of habit. Anyway, Fury has something special for you to work."

"So I heard. Any idea what it is?"

"Yes, but Fury wants to debrief you himself."

"Ooooh. Don't I feel special." Nikkita rolled her eyes.

"Hey- what could you have been doing that is so much more important?" Coulson laughed as he opened the heavy door and held it open for her.

"Oh you know… taking down a drug syndicate responsible for forty-eight murders, hundreds of overdoses from contaminated drugs and about sixty major robberies in and around Paris." Nikkita grumbled, stepping into the heavily air-conditioned building. "Nothing too important."

Coulson coughed awkwardly. "Well that sounds pretty important."

"You could say so…" She rolled her eyes again. "Now why are you here?"

"Is that anyway to treat a coworker Nikkita?" Clint's voice rang out. I turned my head to see him strolling down the hallway towards her and Coulson.

"Well, I was just supposed to make sure you got in okay. But it seems you have someone else to make sure you get to Fury's office." Coulson smiled.

"I don't think I need a babysitter." Nikkita sighed.

"Yeah, well the layout of the building has changed a bit since you've been here last. Remember, you have been gone for months…" Clint chuckled.

"So you're just my glorified tour guide- huh, Clint?" She snickered. He simply grimaced.

"Anyways, I have to get going. Agent Barton, meet me in the jet in say… half an hour?" Coulson smiled.

"Sure, I'll get Cobra here, all set and then I'll be there." Clint nodded.

"Nice seeing you Coulson!" Nikkita smiled.

"You as well, Miss Cobra." He smiled and turned to walk away.

"So where are you two headed?" She asked, turning to Clint.

"New Mexico" He answered as they started down the hall.

"What for?"

"You know I can't tell you, Nikkita." Clint smirked.

"Is Natasha going?" Nikkita sneered.

"Not this time. She's doing her own kind of thing for now. I'm going purely for security detail." He explained.

"And how will she ever get by without you?" She chuckled grimly.

"Well that's not very nice." Clint frowned. "Despite what happened between the two of you- the hostility isn't exactly necessary.

"It may not be necessary- but it's warranted." She sighed.

Clint remained silent. Nikkita and he walked through hallway after hallway before finally arriving before a big wooden door.

"Well, here we are." Clint murmured.

"Thanks Barton." Nikkita smiled softly.

"Anytime." He smiled and hugged her. "Be seeing you around kid."

He started to turn but stopped and turned back to face her.

"You know not every bridge between people is burnt entirely." He said hopefully.

Nikkita sighed softly. "Well, the bridge between Natasha and I isn't just burnt. She incinerated it to the point that there was nothing but ashes. Theoretically, yes- ashes could be glued back together. But neither of us have the time to mend something so broken. Not to mention the fact that a friendship between people like us would risk too much."

"Nah-" Clint smiled. " I know you and I know her- I have hope for the two of you.

"I trusted her and she abandoned me to rot away in that prison." Nikkita hissed. "If there is hope- I don't see it."

"I see it. Just give it time." He encouraged. "But, I have to get on that plane- so I'll see you when I get back."

"Back here?" Nikkita asked. "What makes you think I'll still be here?"

"Well, Stark is relatively near here. And he is your mission." Clint said. "You'll be around. He's not the easiest person to get along with. So whatever Fury wants you to do with him- it'll probably take a while." He shrugged. "Anyway- I really have to go. So I'll see you later, kid."

"Bye Clint." She smiled before he left her at the door.

Nikkita took a breath and watched him walk away. She knew he hated when there was animosity between Natasha and Nikkita. But, it was bound to happen with their unique kind of history. She opened the heavy door in front of her.

"You need to check in with me Agent-" Fury's secretary started; but she just walked right through and to the other side of the room where the door to Fury's actual office was.

"Fury! What is so important you had to take me off a case I've spent months on?!" Nikkita nearly shouted as she wrenched the door open.

Nick Fury looked up from the file he was reading and raised an eyebrow.

"Ah- White Cobra. Nice to see you too." He muttered, placing he file on the desk in front of him.

"Are you going to answer my question?" She asked angrily.

"I just have something more important for you to do, Cobra." Fury sighed.

"What does Tony Stark have to do with this important thing?" She asked.

"He is the thing." Fury said simply.

"What does that even mean, Fury? Do you want me to kill him or something?"

"No- the opposite."

"Can you please not be so vague and dramatic?" She grumbled.

"It's just how I roll, Cobra." Fury chuckled. "But, just to speed things up here, you need to protect him. Stark is an asset to SHIELD and we need him alive."

"Have there been death threats?"

"Many." Fury sighed. "Some not so serious- some incredibly serious. Stark is very headstrong- he doesn't like any sort of security around him. He thinks that he is security enough."

"Why? Is he a fighter or something?" Nikkita asked.

"Have you not kept up to date on American news?" Fury asked.

"Not really. I was in France for months and I was in Laos prior to that."

"I'm aware of all of your missions, Cobra. After all, I'm the one that assigns them to you." He smiled. "Anyway, Stark is… a hero of sorts. Stark is a billionaire and a genius- as you probably read from his profile. He used both of his gifts to design and build a weaponized suit of armor- the country is calling him Iron Man."

"So he thinks that he's indestructible, but without the suit he could be quite destructible. So, you want me to keep him alive when the suit is off?"

"Exactly." Fury smiled softly. "Natasha was actually on the same case- but she had to compromise herself to stop a crime."

"Good to know that I'm only your backup option." Nikkita groaned. "How is this more important then taking down a drug syndicate?"

"We didn't want to take you off of your mission unless absolutely necessary. You and the Black Widow are evenly matched in your abilities- neither of you comes in second to the other. As for the importance of Stark- he is a consult on an initiative and he plays an important part- he could very well end up saving millions of lives." Fury explained. "He could very well save your ass in the future."

"So, riddle-me-this Director - why do you think that he'd let me be his little bodyguard when he refuses any security detail?"

"Well, that is where this gets less simple. You'll be going in undercover as a press-liaison for Mr. Stark. He's had public image discrepancies in the past, so you will be handling and advising Mr. Stark's interaction and image with the press. That will give you the excuse to be around him twenty-four/seven."

"So not only do I have to babysit this guy- but I have to make him look good?" Nikkita huffed.

"Well… there is one other thing I want you to do." Fury glanced down at his desk.

"And what's that? Change his diaper?" Nikkita groaned.

"Not quite." Fury chuckled. "I want you to keep up to date on Stark's technology development and keep us in the loop with anything he creates or discovers."

"He's your asset. Why can't you just ask him yourself?"

"Well, Stark isn't exactly the most compliant of assets. He believes that his technology is his to keep private."

"No offense, Fury- but that seems to make sense." Nikkia scoffed.

"Well, his technology is weapons that are associated with SHIELD - therefore his technology is our business. He just isn't forthcoming about it."

"He sounds fun." Nikkita chuckled. "This should be a joy."

"Well, you should get everything you need hammered out. You're expected at Stark Industries tomorrow."