2014-02-26 - Come Clean

The door to Natasha's apartment is cracked open, the sound of what sounds to be Seether's 'Fake It' filtering into the hallway, along with the smell of fresh baked pastries and coffee.

Inside, Natasha is in her bedroom, the door open-- not like her to leave the front door of her apartment unsecured, but she's been somewhat off of late. A half-drank cup of coffee and a half-eaten custard-filled doughnut rest on the kitchen counter, next to a box that is sure to contain more of the sort, and probably bear claws.

Wait. /Two/ Natashas are in her bedroom. One is standing stock-still, eyes glowing a slight red, the other kneeling beside her, cursing in Russian under her breath and fiddling with a set of controls on the LMD's control panel.

After the drama of last night's meeting Clint decided to pay Natasha a visit this morning, and when he finds the door slightly askew his brow creases with concern and his hand slips into his pocket for a throwing knife. He nudges the door open and slips inside using the music to cover the noise of his movements, hey, after this long working with Nat, he did learn a trick or two. When he reaches the bedroom he cocks his hand back ready to throw the blade at the imposter Nat until he sees one of them has a control device in her hand. He'd seen those before, his hand falls back to his side and the knife is slipped away. "Jeez Nat, give me a heart attack why don't you?" he chides lightly leaning on the door frame. "And where'd you score an LMD?"

Natasha jumps, startled, a gun in her hand-- but then she takes a deep breath. "Clint." She reholsters the pistol, going back to tweaking the controls. "Fury gave it to me. You don't know about it. I'm trying to adjust to the control system-- there's no way I'm taking her into combat when I can't get her to work properly yet." Like, maybe, shutting the door completely? Probably why it was cracked.

Clint doesn't even bat an eye when Nat draws on him. It's Nat even in her current state he knows she has control. When she explains the issues with the LMD he nods then turns to head back out to close the door. That done, he returns to the bedroom and holds out his hand for the controls. "Fury never lets me play with these things, but I'm good at this controller stuff, at least on Adam's video games anyhow."

"I'm trying to get it into autonomous mode," Natasha grumbles. "I don't want to be locked to a control panel completely while using her." She tosses the panel on the bed with the assorted accoutrements for controlling the LMD. "I'll work with more later. There's bear claws in the kitchen if you want one. And fresh coffee."

Clint simply lifts his shoulders in a shrug. "Makes sense, sure you can figure it out," he says before he turns and heads out to the kitchen for a pastry and a coffee. "So how are you doing after the meeting, sorry to put you on the spot like that Nat, but the Avengers needed as much truth as they could get."

Nat shrugs, pulling the door to her bedroom shut behind her. "Not so good, but I will survive. I will not discuss the details of that place, Clint. Without experiencing it, I don't think they can truly understand how important it was to be shut down." She gives him an level look, picking up her mug of coffee. "It may be better for them to let their imaginations soar. Even that cannot be as bad as the truth of things, but I've found that the concept of 'hell' is lacking to those who've never been there themselves."

Maybe it's not a polite observation, but it's a truthful one.

"Tony knows about Alexi. Well, that he exists. I told him I had a loose end in the form of a husband to worry about, and that I'd be handling it." She takes a swallow. "He took it poorly."

Clint nods "I get that," he says about not really understanding the mind breaking nature of hell. He didn't until he went to the simulation. "And I think your reaction was enough to tell them it was bad." He moves out to the kitchen and grabs a bear claw. "Not that shocking really," Clint says about Tony's reaction before having a bite of the pastry. "So are we still going to handle this thing, or are you letting Tony and James deal with it?"

"Nyet. I didn't tell him Alexi is the Red Guardian. James already says Tony intends to kill the Red Guardian, and if anyone gets to put a bullet in my husband, it should be me," Natasha says icily. "Though I find the entire thing hypocritical and laughable. Whatever happened to 'Avengers don't kill'?" She shakes her head. "No. I want to get to Alexi before he does, Clint. It's my husband, and my problem."

She changes the subject, assuming that that will be the end of the discussion on Alexi. "As for Simon, he should know better. Sawyer is a disruption, and who is he kidding with 'bodyguard and confidante'?" She scowls darkly. "We shared this information with the Avengers--both as our teammates, as it will affect the team, and because the team is the closest thing Stark has to family." Her too, not that she'd admit it. "We made it clear it was private for now, but the man isn't even giving us the chance to speak to her first, now that we've agreed to come out with the information." Her teeth grind. She's furious.

Clint chews thoughtfully and then once he's finished says "This whole thing a mess. You killing him, Tony killing him, I mean the guy actually tried to kill me and I don't even want him dead. Maybe we're coming at this the wrong way, I mean you and Alexi haven't seen each other for decades, so, maybe there is another way out of the whole marriage thing, as for the serum, we can still deal with that, and without the Red Guardian drama, we can bring in Tony and James, that way we're not facing off against a super-soldier and god knows what on our own. He looks to Nat for her thoughts on that.

Simon gets a shrug despite her fury. "Well the fact he's fucking her is obvious, which is dumb as we discussed the other day, she needs to get away from us supers or she needs to get some training. As for the rest, yeah it was a dick move on his part and you did ask us to keep it quiet."

Natasha looks at Clint, cocking her head. "Divorce or death, I would think, are the only ways out. I thought the man was dead for... a very long time." She doesn't even want to think about it. Clint, at least, can probably catch the slight hurt in her expression for a moment. "But maybe there is another way than just us going against at least one super soldier-- I suspect it would be like the pair of us going against the mansion while a meeting is going on." Russian. Worst case scenario. "I will think about other options, unless you have any ideas."

She scowls again regarding Simon. "I may have to speak to her later. It won't be a pretty conversation, but I may have to offer her way out. New identity. She needs to leave. I won't have her pulling the team apart because she's become a superhero groupie. After she's done fucking Simon, then what? You, Bruce, then one of the Hanks? After she's worked her way through the Avengers, will she go off to Salem and sleep her way through the X-men?" No, Natasha's opinion of the matter isn't very high. "No. She needs to either leave or..." her eyes glint slightly. She's thinking of an option she probably shouldn't be considering.

Clint stuffs the rest of the bear claw in his mouth and wipes his fingers off on his jeans before he grab's Nat's shoulder in quiet (but for the chewing) support. When he's finished he lets go and leans against the counter. "Not sure, but I'll think on it. I still think leveling with Tony and getting his help might be the best option."

The bit about Sawyer, earns a frown. "That's a bit unfair Nat, and if anyone should talk to her it should be Tony. Let them sort this shit out then when they have she can look at options as far as the future goes."

"She and Tony are incapable of being rational," Natasha comments. "If she had half a brain she wouldn't be wrapping her legs around Simon, knowing his history with Stark." As far as Nat's concerned, she sees it as a calculated, intentional action designed to hurt Stark, which is counter to her own parameters.

"I'll let Stark talk to her first, but I promise you, the world will know. She'll go on a bender after finding out, which Simon will encourage, and weep in public about Stark's new girlfriend carrying his child-- and it'll be in the papers by the time a week is up." She holds up a single finger. "Mark my words, that is what will happen, Clint. And then on top of losing Steve, and a complete change-over in the leadership of the Avengers--you'll do a wonderful job as field leader, I might add, I have faith in you-- we'll be dealing with the press /and/ who knows what villains attempting to kill me, the child, or trying to rip the damn thing from me to turn it into some sort of weapon against his or her father." She rubs her temples again.

"Damn. I need to start working on counters to all this." She sighs. "Maybe you're right. I'm tired, I'm stressed, and I don't /feel/ right, Clint. I don't know how well I even /can/ do in the field right now." She looks pained to admit that. And if it had been anyone else besides Clint? She wouldn't have. "Dammit. Telling Stark that the Red Guardian is my husband? I don't want to do that. But it may affect how he handles going after him."

Clint reaches over and pulls Nat into a hug if she'll let him. He holds her close, warmly and supportive. "This is all messed up Nat," he says to her as he lets go and takes a step back. "And yeah, might be good if we left this up to the others, as for telling Tony who the Red Guardian is, well, that's up to you but, from my experience, if you don't it's probably going to come out at the worst possible time, probably from RG himself when Tony goes and fights him. In that case, it might be best if it came from you first." He blinks then, as a thought comes to mind. "Might still be able to take part though, use the LMD to draw out Alexi so Stark and James can fight him on their terms."

The rest, the rest gets no comment for now.

Natasha buries her face in Clint's shoulder for a moment, but as he steps back, she sighs. "You really think that's the best course of action?"

"Yeah," Clint says with a confident nod. "I mean you and Tony are not me, you don't have my bad luck with these things, but my experience is that it's best not to leave the world with openings like that. Especially when it can impact Tony's mental state, which is what you're trying to protect with all this," he says waving his hand towards Nat.

Nat is silent for a moment, then finally nods. "I guess I should tell him. Hopefully he'll believe I did not know Alexi was still alive until just recently." She grimaces. "And you're right. Keeping Stark from a meltdown is the highest priority right now. I'm sorry the school and the team came to you with him stepping down, Clint. I know it's a lot to be put on your shoulders." She grips his arm. "If you need anything."

Clint shoots Nat a sympathetic look. "Well it's clear he's crazy about you, or at least his idea of you, if you can't use that to make him believe you about Alexi, then I'm talking to the LMD version of you or something," Clint offers gently. The offer of support earns a little exhalation of breath. "I can manage," Clint says about the team and the school. "Though what I need is time. I keep trying to sort out my life and my relationship, and every time something comes up and I have to put it on the backburner. Kinda sick of it to tell the truth. So, yeah, time, time would be good. Actually now that it looks like I am lock for field leader I am thinking of putting in my papers with SHIELD. I can only do so many jobs."

Natasha nods, frowning slightly. "I understand why you might, but don't do that quite yet. I'll intercede with the Director, put you under my office for awhile. It'll keep you in New York, at least, and I can put you on inactive or vacation for a bit while you figure things out." She gives him a rueful look. "Since I've been bumped down to Regional Director, as far as I know-- it may have been a threat, until the official announcement comes out."

"Well it could be worse, it could be Siberia," Clint jokes lamely before he makes a face, and let's just how tired he is show. "Bad joke, but I am sorry you lost your post, well sorry you got busted down to another admin post anyhow I know you would have been happy getting demoted to the field," he offers. "Anyhow I'll think about your offer. I just got to figure out how to make all this stuff work you know? I really like America, and I'd hate to lose her because I'm dealing with other people's problems instead of my own. Which is weird for me to say I know, but heck, we're both not who we used to be anymore right?"

Nat shakes her head. "No, we're not." She sighs. "It was a lot easier when we both only had field duties to worry about-- not kids, not relationships, not command." She shrugs. "But I suppose even Peter Pan has to grow up sometime," she slugs his shoulder lightly. "Just putting a bullet into someone is easy. Being the person making those decisions is hard. I can see why Fury is the way he is. The responsibility weighs heavy. But we wouldn't be given it, if we were not capable." She gives Clint that small smile again.

Clint smirks when his shoulder is slugged and snorts. "Hey, I am never growing up, never I tell you," he jokes before he shakes his head and says "Easy for you to say, you got your responsibility from Fury, I got mine from Tony and the runners up for the king of bad life decision, so, at least you were picked by an adult," he smiles though, and it's an honest actual smile, the tiredness banished to the edges of his eyes for a moment. He leans on the counter again. "Anyhow, the way I see it this stuff here, it's just like one of our ops, we're at the part where we get over our heads and everything is on fire, and just like our ops you and me, we'll figure out how to get the heck out of it alive somehow. Just this time, there's y'know, kids, feelings and paperwork, which, admittedly, makes Cozumel look easy, but, we'll manage."