For heroines_fest!
Title: Element of Surprise
Characters: Natasha Romanov, Raven Darkholme, Clint Barton, Erik Lehnsherr, Irene Adler, Nick Fury
Rating: PG
Word Count: 915
Disclaimer: Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox own.
AN: for heroines_fest! Prompt- Marvel Cinematic Universe, Natasha Romanov & Mystique, against each other in a spying situation
It all started in Monte Carlo. The last day of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-nine. All it took was one small, stupid mistake with huge repercussions.
...
He watched her approach the car, walking in that no nonsense steely gait of hers. The one reserved for plotting precisely executed plans of revenge. When she slipped into the car all she said was, "Drive."
Natasha's face was almost serene by the time they'd traveled four blocks.
"What happened?" Clint asked. That was as close to an 'are you okay?' as they ever got. They'd been working together one year, but after all they'd been through before, that one year seemed so much longer.
Natasha kept her gaze on the oncoming traffic in front of her.
"I didn't get it," she said flatly.
That much he knew. If she had managed to acquire the information onto a floppy disk, she would have arrived at their rendezvous on time, not twenty minutes late. Her hair would still be up in that fancy chiffon she had going in. And, the elegant black dress she wore would be in one piece.
Clint pulled over to the side of the road.
"What are you doing? We need to get out of the city," she reminded him. Still, she wouldn't look at him.
"What happened?" he asked again. This time a sliver of worry laced his tone. For some reason he couldn't fathom, she seemed upset with him.
Jaw clenched, she focused on the side mirror. After a seemingly endless silence, she turned to face him. Her green eyes held his gaze.
"We - I - wasn't prepared for him...her," she shook her head slightly. "I wasn't prepared. That's unacceptable."
Clint's almost scowl said it all, but he gave her a curt nod anyway. After he pulled back onto the road, they didn't exchange another word.
...
Erik took the floppy disk from Raven. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he waited for her to look up at him. The look in his eyes said it all: sometimes, sacrifices need to be made.
"Thank you," he said and meant it. Things would have been much easier had Azazel still been around, but that wasn't an option anymore. Rising from the chair, he left to check the contents of the disk.
When he was out of earshot, Irene stepped closer.
"Are you alright, Raven?"
She looked shaken and bothered, not at all like she had a tendency to be after a successful mission. Especially if her mutation is what got her out of a tight spot.
"It was necessary," was the only reply Raven could make.
"It is imperative we get the information before anyone else does," Erik explained and inhaled deeply before adding, "Do whatever you must to secure it."
Even when Irene tried to stop her, Raven left the premises. She felt like she needed to move.
Erik and Irene - all of them! - had maintained such a low profile and managed to remain hidden for decades. The government might have been aware of some mutants, but The Brotherhood wasn't anywhere on their radar. Emma had made certain of that. But now... now Raven had exposed herself.
Perhaps it should have upset her more, but Raven liked the idea that at least one person outside their group knew she was around. After all, they shouldn't have to hide.
...
"It won't happen again," she promised Fury.
"Oh, I have no doubt about that Agent Romanov," the Director assured her. It had been a short debriefing and when he dismissed her, she paused at the door.
"There's more of them than we are aware of, isn't there?"
Natasha didn't wait for a reply because she already knew the answer.
...
The red-headed woman, whose name they did not know had been too good, moving from the party to the back offices unseen, like a ghost. For a second Raven even considered the idea that the other woman might be a mutant, her power something akin to Azazel's.
Raven excused herself from the man chosen as a cover and followed the red-head's lead. When she got to the hallway Destiny envisioned, the woman was already in the office, probably downloading the files.
Without giving it too much thought, Raven shifted and walked into the room.
A gun was pointed at her head the minute she did so. That is until the woman seemed to realize who she was pointing the gun at.
"What are you-?"
"We've been compromised," Raven replied, her voice low and deep, an exact replica of the man's she was pretending to be. The man who was waiting a block away in a getaway car, the woman's partner.
...
It had been Clint. Clint Barton. Hawkeye, himself. Natasha saw him with her own eyes, heard his voice, had a goddamned conversation with him.
Increasing her speed, she ran faster. Cursing herself with each step because she should have known. Natasha had read all the reports in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s possession. She was well aware powerful mutants like Sebastian Shaw existed. She knew and should have been prepared for the shape-shifting individual she ran into.
Barton would never leave his post. Just like she wouldn't either. Seeing him, or rather the person who shifted to look exactly like him, that caught her completely off guard.
"Damn it."
She ran even faster.
Natasha was itching to go up against the shifter again. Next time, she thought, increasing her speed again, next time.
Characters: Natasha Romanov, Raven Darkholme, Clint Barton, Erik Lehnsherr, Irene Adler, Nick Fury
Rating: PG
Word Count: 915
Disclaimer: Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox own.
AN: for heroines_fest! Prompt- Marvel Cinematic Universe, Natasha Romanov & Mystique, against each other in a spying situation
It all started in Monte Carlo. The last day of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-nine. All it took was one small, stupid mistake with huge repercussions.
...
He watched her approach the car, walking in that no nonsense steely gait of hers. The one reserved for plotting precisely executed plans of revenge. When she slipped into the car all she said was, "Drive."
Natasha's face was almost serene by the time they'd traveled four blocks.
"What happened?" Clint asked. That was as close to an 'are you okay?' as they ever got. They'd been working together one year, but after all they'd been through before, that one year seemed so much longer.
Natasha kept her gaze on the oncoming traffic in front of her.
"I didn't get it," she said flatly.
That much he knew. If she had managed to acquire the information onto a floppy disk, she would have arrived at their rendezvous on time, not twenty minutes late. Her hair would still be up in that fancy chiffon she had going in. And, the elegant black dress she wore would be in one piece.
Clint pulled over to the side of the road.
"What are you doing? We need to get out of the city," she reminded him. Still, she wouldn't look at him.
"What happened?" he asked again. This time a sliver of worry laced his tone. For some reason he couldn't fathom, she seemed upset with him.
Jaw clenched, she focused on the side mirror. After a seemingly endless silence, she turned to face him. Her green eyes held his gaze.
"We - I - wasn't prepared for him...her," she shook her head slightly. "I wasn't prepared. That's unacceptable."
Clint's almost scowl said it all, but he gave her a curt nod anyway. After he pulled back onto the road, they didn't exchange another word.
...
Erik took the floppy disk from Raven. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he waited for her to look up at him. The look in his eyes said it all: sometimes, sacrifices need to be made.
"Thank you," he said and meant it. Things would have been much easier had Azazel still been around, but that wasn't an option anymore. Rising from the chair, he left to check the contents of the disk.
When he was out of earshot, Irene stepped closer.
"Are you alright, Raven?"
She looked shaken and bothered, not at all like she had a tendency to be after a successful mission. Especially if her mutation is what got her out of a tight spot.
"It was necessary," was the only reply Raven could make.
"It is imperative we get the information before anyone else does," Erik explained and inhaled deeply before adding, "Do whatever you must to secure it."
Even when Irene tried to stop her, Raven left the premises. She felt like she needed to move.
Erik and Irene - all of them! - had maintained such a low profile and managed to remain hidden for decades. The government might have been aware of some mutants, but The Brotherhood wasn't anywhere on their radar. Emma had made certain of that. But now... now Raven had exposed herself.
Perhaps it should have upset her more, but Raven liked the idea that at least one person outside their group knew she was around. After all, they shouldn't have to hide.
...
"It won't happen again," she promised Fury.
"Oh, I have no doubt about that Agent Romanov," the Director assured her. It had been a short debriefing and when he dismissed her, she paused at the door.
"There's more of them than we are aware of, isn't there?"
Natasha didn't wait for a reply because she already knew the answer.
...
The red-headed woman, whose name they did not know had been too good, moving from the party to the back offices unseen, like a ghost. For a second Raven even considered the idea that the other woman might be a mutant, her power something akin to Azazel's.
Raven excused herself from the man chosen as a cover and followed the red-head's lead. When she got to the hallway Destiny envisioned, the woman was already in the office, probably downloading the files.
Without giving it too much thought, Raven shifted and walked into the room.
A gun was pointed at her head the minute she did so. That is until the woman seemed to realize who she was pointing the gun at.
"What are you-?"
"We've been compromised," Raven replied, her voice low and deep, an exact replica of the man's she was pretending to be. The man who was waiting a block away in a getaway car, the woman's partner.
...
It had been Clint. Clint Barton. Hawkeye, himself. Natasha saw him with her own eyes, heard his voice, had a goddamned conversation with him.
Increasing her speed, she ran faster. Cursing herself with each step because she should have known. Natasha had read all the reports in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s possession. She was well aware powerful mutants like Sebastian Shaw existed. She knew and should have been prepared for the shape-shifting individual she ran into.
Barton would never leave his post. Just like she wouldn't either. Seeing him, or rather the person who shifted to look exactly like him, that caught her completely off guard.
"Damn it."
She ran even faster.
Natasha was itching to go up against the shifter again. Next time, she thought, increasing her speed again, next time.