Whatever It Takes

Chapter 37 - They Were The Monsters

After a couple of hours and an unknowingly huge amount of phone calls, you and Hill finally manage to get through to the team. Amazingly the sound of Tony Stark's voice is enough to help you let go of the breath you were holding. While Hill takes another phone call you jump in. "Tony, how's the team?" You ask frantically after hearing him describe to Hill what the Maximoff girl had managed to do. You'd read about her abilities in Strucker's notes, but had never imagined what she'd actually be capable of.

"Everyone..." You hear him let out a huge sigh. "We took a hit Volkova. We'll shake it off."

"Well the news is loving you guys right now, but no one else is," You look over at Hill, whose currently pacing around the room - clearly appealing to some government official. "There's no official call for you or Banner's arrest," you sigh. "It's in the air though. Hill and I are fighting it all the way though."

"Stark Relief Foundation?"

"Already on the ground Tony," you look over to Sam who's also on the phone helping coordinate the relief workers who had just arrived in Johannesburg. "You guys need to stay away from here for now, buy us more time."

"So run and hide..." he scoffs.

"No offence Tony, but I've read what you and Banner were up to." You shake your head. "Running and hiding is lucky compared to what could have been. Plus until you find Ultron, there's nothing else we can do."

"Yeah," he sighs, you can hear the guilt in his voice; reminding you of how much he went through with Aldrich Killian. Sensing he's about to hang up you go to do the same. "Hang on Sasha, Barton wants a word."

"Volkova," you hear Barton's voice ring out; glad to hear his voice too. You hadn't had much time to catch up with him since you got back - regretting it even more now between this and hearing about his earlier injury. "I'm sending over a care package for Nat," Your phone buzzes as he finishes. "She's going to need it." You can't immediately understand the message he's sent since its encrypted, but you know it won't take you long to figure it out.

"On it," you reply. "Keep them safe Clint, please?" You plead with him.

"Always Volkova," he replies before hanging up. Immediately you start to work on the code, deciphering it pretty quickly. It was surprisingly simple, but also a twinge of nostalgia surges through you. It was a code you and Nat had created when you were kids; a part of you is proud that she had remembered it, as well as passing it on to Barton.

Realising that the code is actually coordinates to a location, you grab Sam's attention. "I need to go Sam, Nat needs me."

"You want me to come with you?" You look back towards Hill while shaking your head. Following your eyeline, Sam looks confused. "You don't trust Hill?"

"I do," You sigh. "It's everyone else's eyes and ears I don't trust. This is some serious shit Sam, not like New York or Washington when we had Fury on our side." You place a hand on his shoulder. "I need my wingman to stay here and keep a watch over all this - WITH Hill."

Understanding your meaning, Sam simply nods. "Call me if you need anything, promise?" You nod back as he gives you a kiss on the cheek before returning to his phone calls.

In the garage you search around to try and find at least one vehicle not registered under the Stark or Avengers name i.e. nothing traceable. Spotting Steve's motorbike you go over it carefully but quickly scanning it for a tracker, before taking off at top speed - the destination already imprinted on your mind.

***

After a few hours of driving you arrive near where Barton had directed you. Confused at first by the open fields, you're struggling to find any buildings until you see the Quinjet parked in the middle of a random field, the slightest hint of a barn resting in the background - an extreme contrast to the simple and modest farmland.