Clintasha- The beginning

Training

While we walk towards the training room we pass other endless corridors with white metal doors. Don't they have maps here? How am I supposed to find anything? Sure I can memorize every way with ease but I would have to walk down every corridor to know the whole building. That sucks.
Not going to ask Barton for a map though. No way. He would just take it as a boost for his enormous ego. Maybe I'll ask Coulson. He seems nice.

The training room is big. Very big. There are several Sparring mats and shooting ranges with different weapons. All over the room I see people fighting each other in hand to hand combat or shooting at targets.

„This is one of the four training rooms we have here. One for every two floors. "Barton explains holding the door open for me. Obviously trying to be a gentleman.

I ignore him and walk inside. Not going to thank him for that. I'm the Black Widow I don't need no help at anything.
I wonder if they actually have real weapons here and not only training stuff. But even if they had I am pretty sure he wouldn't even let me touch them.
Still, the equipment is pretty impressive. Lots of space and gear to use. S.H.I.E.L.D obviously has some generous founders. I heard Stark is one of them. That would at least explain the advanced tech. But who needs tech if they can't even fight with it? I smirk at the sight of a junior Agent trying to hit a target with a Glock. Failing miserably.
"That one is a scientist. Works in a lab usually. Smart guy but no soldier." Barton explains as if knowing what I thought. "Obviously" I answer while walking further into the room.

"I already know that you are quite lethal, so there's no reason to test you. What do you want to do?" he asks and gestures towards the training agents in the gym.
"Combat?" I ask while looking for an empty sparring mat.
"Sure. With me or one of the rookies here?" He smiles at me.
Weird that's the first time I actually see him smile and I suddenly feel the urge to smile, too.
"You" I say holding the smirk back. Now I really want to know what he is capable of. He won't defeat me though, that's for sure. Nobody managed to do that since I completed the Black Widow Programme not even my former trainers.
"In that case you might wanna change in gym clothes. Just go to the locker room" He gestures to a small door to my right "There is a cabinet with spare sports clothes for the agents. Just take what you need. Meet here in 10." With that he walks off and vanishes in the men's locker room.
About seven minutes later I leave the locker room in gym shorts and a tight black tank top. I can see him waiting at a sparring mat in the far back of the room, obviously trying to avoid attention. He's also in gym shorts and a black tank top that shows his toned arms. So you don't want them to see me kicking your butt? I smirk and grab the water bottle he offers me. Fine. In that case I will make sure they hear it.
"Ready?" he asks and sets his bottle aside. I nod and get on the mat.

At first we just circle each other trying to estimate the strength of our opponent.
I watch him closely while holding my guard up to not give him the opportunity to strike.
Obviously he is waiting for me to make the first move.
Clever Barton. Testing me before striking yourself. Very clever. We continue to move around the mat.
His eyes never leaving me, watching me closely and taking in every move I make. His eyes are cold and his look professional but I see a faint glimpse of joy and amusement hidden in his gaze.
So he likes to fight.
A confidence lays upon him that I haven't seen in years on people I met either in the field or in training. He looks like someone who never lost a fight but still seems like he also knows the pain of losing a battle.
Not in training- in the field, where your own life is on stake. This is going to be interesting I think before I dash forward with an almost inhuman speed and aim for his head.

He swiftly sidestepped me the moment I began to move and my fist only catches air.
Okay, so he's fast. Good to know. He doesn't looks like it though. He is at least one and a half head taller than me and therefore should not be able to move that fast.
So what Barton may be fast but he can't be faster than me. No one is faster than me. No one. And I am going to teach him that lesson.
Now it is his turn to strike. He starts with a blow to my ribs only to stop halfway and kick to my legs instead. I jump avoiding his feet and block the punch he throws at me while dodging my counterattack to his left ear.

This actually starts to be fun. So it seems like I don't have to go light on him. Fine let's see who the better one is. I smirk and let myself drop into battle-mode. Everything is now focused on him and his movements. Anything else becomes a blur, the room around me, the people. Just me and him. Circling around each other like satellites.

I don't have time to think about my movements. Everything is a reflex. The information forced into my muscles since I was four. The body remembers and never forgets.

Several minutes later we still exchange blows and kicks neither of us gets tired or lacks concentration. It's like a dance. We move around the mat in almost perfect harmony. He throws a punch I dodge. I aim for his stomach he blocks. It could have been hours since we started or just minutes the sense of time is completely lost to me. I realise that he, as well as I, doesn't give everything and start to quicken my pace and make my attacks more complicated and faster. He adapts automatically as if knowing exactly what I'd do next.

That cannot stay this way. I am the Black Widow I am undefeated. He is just some sniper who caught me out of pure luck. I am going to end this now I try my signature move, one that is only taught in the Red Room. It should work on him. Barton could not possibly know that move. I jump and attempt to wrap my legs around his neck to bring him to the ground but he just grabs my left leg mid-air and throws me on the ground hovering over me.

Yeez that hurt. I try to get up but he is over me before I can move and pins me down. I frown and start kicking out under him until I finally manage to turn us around so I am top. Instead of fighting me further he smiles grabbing my wrists. I don't know what he is up to but I don't like it. I struggle against his grip but Barton is stronger than I am and I'm exhausted from the fight. I look at the clock in the middle of the gym and realize we have been sparring for at least an hour and a half if not more. Now I can feel the burn in my muscles and the bruises which start to grow. Suddenly he starts moving and lifts me up like he is doing push ups but in a reversed way. His arms are not even shaking.
Sure I am light but not as light as that you could lift me up with your arms while lying on the ground that easily. Then he pulls his knees up to his chest and stands up changing his grip on my wrists to my shoulders and pulling me with him.
I am going to kill him for that that's for sure. Nobody lifts me up like a doll. Nobody.
I glare at him and he smirks back. Suddenly I hear applause and realise that we had an audience the whole time. Yeah perfect everyone witnessed it.
Fuck you Barton.
I am going to poison your coffee tonight.
Barton shoos the junior agents away "Go back to your own exercises! There is nothing to look at here." He shouts and adds "Just professionals at work" while smiling at me. Why is he smiling the whole time? He was cold when we met and now he is smiling at me like we are old friend or soul mates or anything stupid like that.
It's only been four days calm down Barton.
I'm still raging over my defeat. I haven't been beaten in years. I am a shame for every Russian Assassin. Not that I would care about Russia but if I were still in the Red Room they would have killed me for that.

"Good fight!" Barton says and holds out a hand for me to shake. He smirks a bruise forming on his cheek where I had hit him earlier. At least he looks pretty beat up for a sparring session.

"You, too." I respond trying to sound professional and not like a fed up child.
"But if you lift me up again I swear I'm going to kill you!" I hiss while walking towards the locker room to take a shower. I can hear him chuckle as I walk away.
Jerk.