79 Natasha's new mission -77

The trip to the Hand's location was unnoteworthy, as were the events that took place there. Alex was merely there to seek the specific area, even though his agents had known about it for weeks already.

So he just kicked the ground a few times. Talked a tiny bit with the others before he excused himself and left them to their final business. After all, Wenwu wanted to be told about every detail of the serum, something while Alex wouldn't have minded; he wasn't exactly invited.

Thankfully, there were plenty of tiny technological gadgets spread around, so someone would be watching and listening in, recording the explanation so that once Wenwu was back to living a quiet life, the Foundation could secure and contain the Hand and their serum.

That, however, was a job for someone else; Alex was quite ready to leave the whole Hand business to someone else, as long as they didn't do something crazy and try to destroy the city or something.

No, he was fairly sure that things would once more calm down with the whole Mandarin situation. Hopefully, his actions had not only allowed the Foundation control over much of China but also ensured that SCP-13666, the dweller in the dark, wouldn't be released from his prison.

This meant that it was finally time to move ahead with getting his own revenge; no one got away with introducing a bullet to the inside of his skull. "And it just so happens that I might get the last tool I need soon." Alex mused.

---------------------

[with Natasha Romanoff]

Natasha grit her teeth as she got dressed. Each movement made the pain of her wound flare up again. She had only just gotten out of the SHIELD medical facility after her mission. Escorting some nuclear scientist out of Iran.

It should have been an easy enough mission, yet from her wounds, it had clearly been anything but that. Somehow, the enemy had known about the mission, even known some details about the mission that should have been highly secret.

It was only because of her fast thinking and willingness to pay any price to fulfill the mission that she hadn't died or failed the mission in Ukraine, though it had been really close. Still, she had been shot three times and even her target had been shot once, though thankfully he too would make a full recovery.

The worst part was that after that ambush she had taken her target with her underground. Used her own contacts to get some treatment and then moved towards the extraction location on her own, avoiding anything to do with SHIELD on the way, and it had worked.

Which clearly told her that there was something wrong within SHIELD, that she had been betrayed. She couldn't help but think back onto the mission with Ricci. It all made her suspicious that there might be a division within SHIELD, another group working outside of the directive of Fury, it would explain a lot of things.

However, she hadn't been given much time to rest, recover and think about this possibility before she had been called in by Fury again, though she had carefully made sure it was indeed Fury who called her in.

She hated all the caution and suspicion, yet she wasn't sure if she could trust SHIELD anymore. Sure, she knew that she could most likely still trust Fury, those close to him most likely as well, and of course, Clint. The rest, however, not so much. 

…

Entering Fury's office, she instantly knew that he was in a foul mood, not that she was any different. The entire walk through the building had her nerves at edge, wounded, and in potentially hostile territory made her feel weak, woundable.

"You wished to see me Director."

Fury glanced up from the array of monitors and paperwork cluttering his desk, his one good eye fixing Natasha with a gaze that managed to be both weary and piercing. "Romanoff," he greeted, his voice carrying the weight of unspoken concerns and mounting pressures.

"Yes, I did. Have a seat." He gestured to the chair opposite his desk, but Natasha remained standing, tension evident in her stance. Fury sighed, a rare admission of frustration. "I'm aware of your recent... complications on the Iran mission. Care to shed some light on what exactly happened out there?"

Natasha's mind raced, weighing the risk of full disclosure against the need to protect herself and possibly uncover a traitor within SHIELD. "The mission was compromised," she started, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "It seems there was prior knowledge of our movements. We were ambushed."

Fury's hand paused over a file he'd been pretending to consider. "Prior knowledge," he repeated, letting the words hang in the air. "That suggests a leak." His statement wasn't a question, but the implication was clear. SHIELD's integrity was under threat from within.

Natasha nodded, a silent confirmation of Fury's fears. "I have reason to believe there's more to it. The ambush was too precise, too informed. It's possible we're dealing with an internal division or... a mole."

Fury leaned back in his chair, the lines on his face deepening. "That's a serious accusation, Romanoff. You understand the implications if you're wrong."

Seeing Natasha nod, Fury let out a sigh. "I know, I have been suspecting much the same. It is seeming increasingly likely that this group we are after, the one Coulson is hunting, have some moles in us." He didn't like to admit such a thing, but the clues were becoming too many to ignore.

"I'm already starting to look into that; I need you for something else, Romanoff. I know you are still wounded, but you are the only one who can do it," Fury explained, pushing a photo toward her.

Natasha looked at the photo and saw that it was of the Mandarin Xu Wenwu stepping out of a car. "The Mandarin?" she asked, suddenly not sure if it had been Fury who wanted to kill her off on that last mission. Going after this man here would be suicide.

"That. Fury said and pointed to the picture. "Was taken yesterday, in New York City. The most wanted man in all of the United States, just walking around the streets of our biggest city, and we knew nothing." Anger and frustration were evident in his voice as he spoke.

"Why was he here? Is he still in the States? These are all questions I don't have answers for, and it's not good enough!" He continued, and Natasha understood the situation better.

"Let me guess, he met with someone from the Ricci family?" she asked, and Fury confirmed it with a nod and a picture of the same car as the first one driving into Ricci's mansion.

"We need information, and it seems that the only place we can get it is with Ricci, and that's where you come in. I need you in there, Romanoff; I need you to do whatever it takes to become trusted and have access to the information we need."

Natasha could understand why Fury wanted her to do this. That someone like Xu Wenwu could wander around in New York just showed the amount of power his 10 rings and the Ricci family had.

Not to mention the question of what else they used their powers for. What else happened that they didn't know. That's all without even mentioning the possible secret peacekeeping underworld cabal and this unknown group causing chaos.

The Ricci family seemed to be at the centre of a lot of major events. Being able to know what was going on there would be a huge boon. And the only one able to enter into there was herself due to her past reputation and the invitation from Alexandra.

"I understand the importance of the mission," Natasha began, her voice a mixture of determination and caution. "But infiltrating the Ricci family, it won't be quick. I will have to work my way up, earn trust, and I won't be able to communicate much."

Fury met her gaze, his expression hardening. "I know, but it's the only thing we can do. We can't touch the Ricci family right now. They got too much positive press going, not to mention that the current president owes his position to them."

You'll have all the resources and support SHIELD can provide covertly," he added, acknowledging the limitations imposed by their need to operate in the shadows.

Natasha knew that he wouldn't get much help from SHIELD, not that they wouldn't want to help her, but that they wouldn't be able to. She would be on her own for this mission. Then again, maybe it wasn't a bad idea to get away from SHIELD for a while.

After but a short moment, Natasha accepted the mission. "Alright, boss, I will do my best."

Fury showed her a rare smile at her words. "Then from this moment on, you aren't an agent here, not unless someone is rank 7 at least. Just let Barton know if you need anything; he will be your contact."

Natasha was thankful that she could at least still talk with Clint doing this undercover mission. Hopefully she would find a way to make contact with him at some point. For now, she just thanked the Director and left his office to make her preparations.

The first thing she did was go to her SHIELD-issued apartment and pack her things. She left there within an hour of her meeting with Fury and went under the radar. Then she stayed low for a few days, waiting for Fury to work his magic and ensure that there was no trace of her being a member of SHIELD left for anyone under rank 7.

Next she secretly left for Clint's farm. There, she would be able to talk with him, plan what he could do for her, and say goodbye for a time. After all it would be some time before she would be able to visit again.

…

When Natasha arrived at Clint's farm, the atmosphere was a mix of warmth and concern. Clint himself was fiddling with something in the barn/garage when she pulled a rented car up to the house.

"Didn't expect to see you out here in the middle of nowhere," Clint remarked as he approached, his tone light, trying to ease the tension he sensed in her posture.

Natasha managed a small, strained smile in response, feeling the ache of her wounds with every step. "Neither did I, but here I am. It seems I can't stay away from trouble for too long."

Clint's expression turned serious, his eyes scanning her for a moment, taking in the visible signs of her recent ordeal. "Heard about your little adventure in Iran. You okay?"

She shrugged, a non-committal gesture. "I've been better. But it's nothing I won't recover from." The weight of her recent mission hung heavily between them, a shared understanding of the costs of their line of work.

They walked towards the house, their steps in sync. "Fury briefed me. Said you're diving back in. This time with the Riccis," Clint said after a moment of silence, concern lacing his voice.

Natasha sighed, her gaze fixed on the horizon where the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. "Yes, it's a mess, Clint. The mission in Iran... it wasn't just bad luck. There's a leak, maybe even a mole in SHIELD. And now, Fury wants me to get close to the Ricci family, find out more about the mysterious cabal and who they are up against, who we are up again."

Clint stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "Nat, that's dangerous. The Riccis aren't like our usual targets. They're deeply embedded and have connections everywhere. And after what happened in China..."

"I know," Natasha interrupted, her voice firm yet weary. "But this is the only way to uncover so much; they are at the center of so many events, too many secrets. They know stuff, Clint, stuff that we need to know."

Clint looked at her, the fading light casting shadows across his face. "I can see there is no talking you out of this. Stay a few days, rest. You are still wounded after all," urged her. The two might not have known one another for long, but they had grown close.

Natasha had planned on turning the offer down, but when Laura also insisted, she had no choice but to concede. "Fine, a night or two won't hurt."

A/N

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