Budapest

Chapter 13

Clint adjusted the strap on his back-pack. He had been following these guys for over an hour and there still hadn't been any sign of Natalia
The tallest man, whom Clint had nicknamed 'Snouts' (due to the irregular shape of his nose), stopped in front of a building door.
The other three men, (Pinocchio, Goldilocks and Pickles) stopped behind him and began speaking in fast Russian.
'Why Russian? Why did I have to chose the scout group that spoke a language I don't know?'
Pickles tapped Snouts' shoulder. While he spoke, he kept pointing to the door and the tracking machine. Out of the whole conversation, Clint only understood "Black Widow" and "Death."
'Hey look, Goldilocks is joining in.'
The piercing covered man with extremely long, blonde hair, stepped forward and grabbed the machine out of Snouts' hand. After looking at it, he shook his head and started to yell.
'Again with the Russian?'
The 4 men backed away from the door and began to walk back the way they'd come.
"Whaaat??"
Clint turned on his com-link to contact Coulson.
"This is Agent Coulson."
"Why did Fury pick the agent who doesn't know Russian, to go after a person that comes from Russia and has people after her that also speak Russian?"
"What?"
"Just curious."
"Barton what are you on about now?"
"Well as I said, I don't speak Russian but that's, what I'm assuming, the only language, Snouts, Goldilocks, Pinocchio and Pickles speak. And it is really hard to understand why they stop at a door, argue for 5 minutes by the door and then walk the other direction. So what I wanted to know is, do you think I should check out what's behind the door or follow them as they go back the way they came?"
"Who's Snouts, Goldilocks , Pinocchio and Pineapple?"
"Pickles, and it's the men I'm following. I didn't know their real names so I made them up. So what do you think I should do?"
"What I'm wondering is how you're good at this type of work?"
"Never-mind that...just what should I-"

Barton put his arm up to block the fatal side punch being thrown his way. Grabbing the attacker's wrist, he turned the arm so it was behind the man's back. He put weight on his arm to push the man to the ground.
Clint felt his feet be swept out from under him, just before his face hit the ground.
'I hate close combat.'
Clint groaned before turning on his side quickly to avoid a guy kick. Getting to his feet again, Clint stepped back to assess the fight.
5 men. Snouts, Goldilocks, Pinocchio, Pickles and someone unknown. The 5th man wore a mask. His blue eyes peeled through.
Clint ducked as Goldilocks attempted a punch to the nose. Clint saw an opportunity to take out Goldilocks with an upper-cut. He took it.
He then used the man's body against his comrades, downing two of them.
Kick, block, punch, block, knee, block.
The fight had gotten dirty. Knives were drawn, no mercy was given.
•
Now it was just Clint and man number 5. Clint wiped off the blood from his face and stared at the last man. Something about those blue eyes made Clint uneasy. He felt like he knew this man.
Sensing Clint's sudden discomfort, the man smirked.
What happened next, Clint was unprepared for. Instead of going in to strike, the man stood up straighter and took his mask off.
Clint froze. Even with the new cuts and bruises, he was recognizable.

Something inside Clint snapped. He changed. His heart went cold. His eyes went cold.
This man standing before him, this once loving man, was a traitor.
Clint now knew who the masked man was. And he knew he would kill him.
•

Clint would not be merciful.