Love Like Winter
Need to have a little trust in me
SIX MONTHS PRIOR
I’m sitting in my apartment, unpacking from the mission I just returned from and cleaning up. It’s nice to be home, especially after the chaotic week I just had in South America. My shoulder is still tender and bruised and I just started being able to put pressure on my left ankle; all in all I’m just starting to heal again. I have a few cuts and bruises on my face, but that’s nothing a layer of make-up can’t take care of.
Over the sound of The Doors blaring through my iHome, I hear a knock on my apartment’s door; a single knock. I walk out of my bedroom and see Clint Barton walking into my apartment, a bottle of whiskey in his hand; unopened with a black bow wrapped around the bottle’s neck.
“What’s the occasion, Barton?” I ask as I walk over to the assassin, pulling him into a hug, before taking the bottle from him.
“I figured you’d like to celebrate your first successful solo mission,” he shrugs out of his coat and plops down onto my couch; propping his feet up onto my coffee table.
“It was easy stuff,” I shrug as I sit next to him; opening the bottle then taking a large swig of the brown liquid. “It was nothing I haven’t dealt with before I joined SHIELD.”
“Well, I’m still proud of you kid,” he laughs taking the bottle before taking a swig of his own, “Fury also impressed, he didn’t think you’d be able to work by yourself.”
“I can work by myself, I don’t need you and Nat babysitting me all the time,” I chuckle, “I did miss working with you though, I probably would have come out of this less bruised.” He just chuckles before taking another drink. “You’re here for another reason, aren’t you?”
“You were always able to read people, Keely.”
“It’s a gift,” I smirk, “but spill Barton, why are you really here?”
“Fury needs you,” he replies looking at me, “I know you just got back from South America but this mission is extremely important; you’re the only one that could possible do it.”
“Just tell me what I’m doing, I don’t need the whole song and dance.”
“It’s best if Fury tells you himself.”
“So this visitation was a retrieval, huh?” I sigh as I get up off the couch and walk over to the front door. I pull out my boots, shoving my feet into them before turning to my fellow agent; pushing sunglasses over my blue/green eyes. “Well are you ready or not?”
**
“Ok let me get this straight,” I begin to say, “you are going to be sending me to Russia in the middle of winter; am I correct?”
“Yes.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind!?” I yell, “not only did I just get off a mission, a mission I’m still healing from, you’re sending me into a frozen wasteland! Why can’t Tasha do this mission? You know, she’s really from Russia.”
“She’s busy with something else, you’re the only other agent that’s highly trained and can speak fluent Russian; you’re the clear choice for this,” Hill replies.
“But, it’s going to be cold!” I whine, “you can’t just send a girl to South America, -where it’s nice and warm- then send her to fucking Russia where it’s fucking cold!”
“You’ll live, Marx.” Fury says, walking into the room with Clint and Natasha standing on either side of him. “Besides, I think you’re ready to start doing more solo missions by yourself; you’ve proven yourself time and time again.”
“It’s about time,” A humorless chuckle escapes my lips, “I’ve only been working for you for ten years.”
“We had to make sure you could be trusted,” Fury explains, “like I said before, you’ve proven yourself time and time again. You’re ready for your first extensive mission.”
“Well are you going to brief me or not?”
“Agent Romanoff, Barton, please wait outside while I talk to Agent Marx.” Fury orders my partners in crime. Natasha gives fury a skeptical look but does as she’s told; Barton walks couple steps behind her. He mouths, good luck before following the red headed bombshell.
“So why am I being brought onto this mission?” I ask, “Natasha is from Russia, she’ll be a better asset than me.”
“We fear she’ll be compromised,” Fury replies, “she knew the target.”
“So who is it?” I ask, “a fellow Black Widow?”
“Winter Soldier, the man that trained her and she fell in love with.” Fury explains, “he’s the target you’re after Keely; he’s the reason why you’re being brought in and not Natasha.”
“So what am I doing?” I ask, “bringing him into SHIELD or what?”
“You’re going to kill him, Marx,” Fury replies, “you’re going to kill him….”
I’m sitting in my apartment, unpacking from the mission I just returned from and cleaning up. It’s nice to be home, especially after the chaotic week I just had in South America. My shoulder is still tender and bruised and I just started being able to put pressure on my left ankle; all in all I’m just starting to heal again. I have a few cuts and bruises on my face, but that’s nothing a layer of make-up can’t take care of.
Over the sound of The Doors blaring through my iHome, I hear a knock on my apartment’s door; a single knock. I walk out of my bedroom and see Clint Barton walking into my apartment, a bottle of whiskey in his hand; unopened with a black bow wrapped around the bottle’s neck.
“What’s the occasion, Barton?” I ask as I walk over to the assassin, pulling him into a hug, before taking the bottle from him.
“I figured you’d like to celebrate your first successful solo mission,” he shrugs out of his coat and plops down onto my couch; propping his feet up onto my coffee table.
“It was easy stuff,” I shrug as I sit next to him; opening the bottle then taking a large swig of the brown liquid. “It was nothing I haven’t dealt with before I joined SHIELD.”
“Well, I’m still proud of you kid,” he laughs taking the bottle before taking a swig of his own, “Fury also impressed, he didn’t think you’d be able to work by yourself.”
“I can work by myself, I don’t need you and Nat babysitting me all the time,” I chuckle, “I did miss working with you though, I probably would have come out of this less bruised.” He just chuckles before taking another drink. “You’re here for another reason, aren’t you?”
“You were always able to read people, Keely.”
“It’s a gift,” I smirk, “but spill Barton, why are you really here?”
“Fury needs you,” he replies looking at me, “I know you just got back from South America but this mission is extremely important; you’re the only one that could possible do it.”
“Just tell me what I’m doing, I don’t need the whole song and dance.”
“It’s best if Fury tells you himself.”
“So this visitation was a retrieval, huh?” I sigh as I get up off the couch and walk over to the front door. I pull out my boots, shoving my feet into them before turning to my fellow agent; pushing sunglasses over my blue/green eyes. “Well are you ready or not?”
**
“Ok let me get this straight,” I begin to say, “you are going to be sending me to Russia in the middle of winter; am I correct?”
“Yes.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind!?” I yell, “not only did I just get off a mission, a mission I’m still healing from, you’re sending me into a frozen wasteland! Why can’t Tasha do this mission? You know, she’s really from Russia.”
“She’s busy with something else, you’re the only other agent that’s highly trained and can speak fluent Russian; you’re the clear choice for this,” Hill replies.
“But, it’s going to be cold!” I whine, “you can’t just send a girl to South America, -where it’s nice and warm- then send her to fucking Russia where it’s fucking cold!”
“You’ll live, Marx.” Fury says, walking into the room with Clint and Natasha standing on either side of him. “Besides, I think you’re ready to start doing more solo missions by yourself; you’ve proven yourself time and time again.”
“It’s about time,” A humorless chuckle escapes my lips, “I’ve only been working for you for ten years.”
“We had to make sure you could be trusted,” Fury explains, “like I said before, you’ve proven yourself time and time again. You’re ready for your first extensive mission.”
“Well are you going to brief me or not?”
“Agent Romanoff, Barton, please wait outside while I talk to Agent Marx.” Fury orders my partners in crime. Natasha gives fury a skeptical look but does as she’s told; Barton walks couple steps behind her. He mouths, good luck before following the red headed bombshell.
“So why am I being brought onto this mission?” I ask, “Natasha is from Russia, she’ll be a better asset than me.”
“We fear she’ll be compromised,” Fury replies, “she knew the target.”
“So who is it?” I ask, “a fellow Black Widow?”
“Winter Soldier, the man that trained her and she fell in love with.” Fury explains, “he’s the target you’re after Keely; he’s the reason why you’re being brought in and not Natasha.”
“So what am I doing?” I ask, “bringing him into SHIELD or what?”
“You’re going to kill him, Marx,” Fury replies, “you’re going to kill him….”