STRIKE Team Delta: 26 missions

Nat snickered at Pepper’s latest text. They’d grown to be friends, after she’d gotten over the fact that Nat was an international super-spy rather than Natalie Rushman, and Pepper’s dry sense of humour and hilarious anecdotes always spiced up a particularly boring mission.

They were allegedly there as back-up in case Phil’s op failed, but Nat was pretty sure that meant “moral support”, because his op was fine, he just didn’t want to mess up in front of the pretty lady he was supposed to be protecting.

Marcus Daniels was an Index candidate who was stalking Audrey Nathan, a pretty hot cellist. Phil had a plan to take down Daniels, and so far it was going perfectly, but he had called in Delta just in case. Clint was getting updates from one of the agents Phil had with him, and from what they could tell, there was genuinely no reason for them to be there, other than Phil’s worry at messing up in front of the pretty girl.

Pepper agreed with Nat. She was sure if she asked Clint, he would agree too, but Clint was all the way on the other side of the room, and she was snuggled in her blanket, and she could not be bothered to go get him, so she texted Maria instead.

tash: we’re here for moral support and that is it. i feel used.

masha: Where does Coulson have you now? Also, bug him about it. It’s the middle of the night in Canberra.

Nat swore and looked forlornly at her phone. She’d feel bad if she had woken Maria up, but knowing Maria, her texts were probably just keeping her from going to sleep.

tash: oregon. he’s here cos he’s trying to impress a pretty girl. i’m upset :(

masha: Oh, Stumptown?

Nat had no idea what she meant by that. At all.

tash: um, no. portland.

masha: Oh my God.

Then there was an audio file of Maria’s breathless laughter, and Nat couldn’t help a smile spreading across her face. She untangled herself from her covers to pad across the room to Clint, and showed him the texts. He laughed, too.

“Natty, Stumptown is a nickname for Portland. Plus, I think Maria has friends here.” He gestured at where a new text had come in.

masha: If you’re in the mood for good booze, check out the Bad Alibi and tell Gray that Dex sent you.

tash: will do. gtg, love yooouuuu xxxxxxx

masha: Love you.

Nat flicked from Maria’s contact to Phil’s, frowning as she saw there were no unread messages.

tash: philllll seriously we’re getting bored

Clint grabbed his go-bag, and kicked Nat’s across the floor to her.

“Let’s go see what’s going on.” He tugged on his hoodie and tossed Nat her leather jacket, trading grins. “At the very least, we can help Phil get a date.”

Nat agreed with Clint, and her phone only buzzed when they were in the backseat of a cab and already homing in on Phil’s position.

phil: It’s under control, Natasha!
phil: Daniels has been handled. I’m making sure Ms Nathan is alright.

Nat shook her head and smiled bemusedly at the screen.

“Is he missing the fact that she’s both hot and available?” Clint bumped her in the shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re hot, and decidedly not available. Keep it in your pants, Long-Legs.”

The taxi driver dropped them off in front of Audrey’s house, and Clint and Nat shared a look when they saw Phil’s abandoned SHIELD car. Nat knocked, because she was polite, dammit, and the door opened to Phil’s alarmed face. The alarm quickly morphed to exasperation, and he called out, presumably to Audrey.

“It’s just my agents. They were here for backup, and they just wanted to check up on you.” He let them in with a shake of his head, and Nat flounced into the sitting room, taking a seat on the sofa next to Audrey. Phil followed with Clint in a friendly headlock, and Audrey stifled a giggle. “Audrey, these are Agents Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. I’m their handler - we’re a team called Strike Team Delta.”

There was no mistaking the flush of pride Nat and Clint both felt at being part of a STRIKE team and having Phil announce them like that. Audrey smiled at them, her hands lying in her lap.

“Thank you for coming, agents, but really I’m fine. Dan- Daniels is going away into one of your prisons and he won’t be able to find me again.” She nodded like she was reassuring herself more than them, and Nat hid a grin and Phil reached over to squeeze her hand. “I’m so grateful for what you’ve done - is there anything I can do for you?”

Phil flushed bright red.

“This is our job, Miss Nathan - and we’re happy to do it. Keeping people like you safe is reward enough-” he was cut off by Nat elbowing him surreptitiously in the side.

“I understand you play in an orchestra?”

Audrey lit up and nodded, beaming. “I play second chair cello in the Portland Philharmonic! That’s a great idea; I can get tickets for you three!”

Clint opened his mouth to say something but Nat reached out quickly to stomp on his foot.

“Clint and I are meeting with a friend at one of the local bars - we’d love to see you play but we already have a meeting time set. But- oh, I bet Phil would love to come! You could show him all around the backstage area! I was a ballet dancer,” she confided, “and I always loved the backstage. I’m sure Phil will love it too, especially if he gets to be shown round by someone as lovely as you.”

There was a beat of silence before Phil started stammering out how he would love that, how he would be delighted to see her play, how he did love theatres. Clint had a look of confusion on his face, poor dear, but Audrey didn’t seem to have noticed anything off.

Nat and Clint had to say their goodbyes fairly soon after that, but they left Phil to keep chatting as they exited arm-in-arm.

“So obviously we’re crashing the orchestra-” “Natty, no!” Nat pouted and cocked her head to look up at Clint, using her best pleading face. “But I already have a decent dress. I can’t let it go to waste, can I?”

Clint barely lasted five seconds before releasing a long sigh. “Oh my God, fine.”

“Great! So we’re crashing - it’ll be fine, I can weasel tickets out of someone - and we’re there to spy on Phil and his new date.”

“It’s not technically a date, we’re going to be there.”

“Clint, comrade, that’s why we’re not telling them we’re going.”

Clint took a moment to contemplate the plan.

“Nat, Coulson is a spy. He literally teaches a class on situational awareness.”

“People become dumb when they fall in love. Like you ogling the Winter Soldier before he literally shot me.”

Clint took a moment to contemplate how best to murder a Russian superspy and get away with it.

“Yeah, well, you become dumb every time you think you have a text from Maria.”

Nat gasped and shoved him a little, pulling him back when she saw he was in the way of other pedestrians. “I absolutely don’t do-” her phone buzzed and she had it open in less than a second, before sheepishly realising that she was proving Clint’s point.

pepper: I had the dress and the tux sent to your hotel room. They should be waiting for you. Send pics!!!

Nat grinned a predatory grin.

Once they reached the hotel, the clothes Pepper had sent over were lying in boxes in front of the door to their room. Nat scooped them up with a smug look on her face and hustled Clint inside, starting to toe off her shoes as soon as the door slammed shut.

“Hurry up and get changed, we don’t have long.”

Pepper had asked for pictures, so pictures Nat had to take. The dress she had packed was tight-fitting, black, and fitted Nat like it was made for her. Clint cut a dashing figure in his simple tux, but Pepper had included a waistcoat which actually really suited him.

pepper: looking good!!!!!

The Portland Philharmonic Orchestra was very, very good. Nat had managed to smuggle them in without tickets, and once they reached backstage, she had taken off her criminally high heels to make her way up to the lighting rigging. Clint had left his suit jacket with her heels and rolled up his sleeves - the look gave Nat pause, and she resolved to get Maria into a waistcoat and shirt - and to get her to roll up her sleeves - next time they went out together.

Once they were situated at their vantage point, overlooking the crowds and stage, Nat slipped an arm around Clint’s waist and leaned into his side, smiling smugly when his arm wrapped around her shoulders almost unconsciously.

“Let’s settle in and listen, hmm?”

Audrey was very good. The whole orchestra was very good - Nat was reminded of her ballet exercises, but the memories weren’t accompanied by the usual guilt and sadness.

When the performance was over, they watched Phil go backstage, arm in arm with Audrey, and traded knowing grins.