Work Text:
Run.
Down the corridor, third left, avoid the stairs, get to the second floor.
Run.
You can get up there somehow, there's always a way. Pipes and airvents and busting your way through the ceiling if you have to.
Run.
No explosives on you right now mind, busting through the ceiling may be out of the question.
You need to move faster. Run.
There’s a fire extinguisher up ahead, you can use it to slow them down. Set it off or throw it at their heads. Doesn't matter.
Run.
Still need to get to the second floor, can’t use the stairs. Stairs here run form the top of the building to the bottom. This building has 40 floors easy, they catch you in the stairwell and you’re done.
Please run faster.
Change of plan. There’s a detour up here, break the lock, one shot should do it, then across the hall through the second door, left, left three doors along to your right and there’s a warehouse space through there.
RUN.
If they've suspected you’ll go through there you’re done for, but if they'd suspected you’d go through there they would have posted more men out this way. Seems more likely you've caught them out.
RUN.
From the warehouse it’s an easy break to the exit. Factory space, plenty of things to swing on, room to manoeuvre.
RUN.
What brought you in here anyway? You've got nothing but featureless grey walls and a hand gun with three bullets left. Two bullets now.0
YOU NEED TO MOVE FASTER. RUN.
You’re distracted, they’re catching up with you, why you came here doesn't matter anymore, you need to get out. Get out through the warehouse. You can make it I know you can.
RUN.
You can hear them. They’re too close, you’re getting tired, think this might be it.
PLEASE RUN FASTER.
You’re so close though, closer than they are to you, don’t lose hope, you can do this. The warehouse will be hard, you’ll have to sprint for it. Worth a shot though, you might even make it.
RUN.
If not you’ll be the one who nearly got away.
RUN.
No one gets away.
RUN.
If anyone’s going to get away it’s you.
YOU NEED TO MOVE FASTER. RUN.
First time for everything after all.
RUN.
But luck is not on your side this time. No such thing as luck of course, you’re as good as you’ve always been, you can do this.
PLEASE RUN FASTER.
The door’s right here.
RUN!
Hand’s on the doorknob.
RUN!
Through the door.
RUN!
More stairs.
YOU NEED TO MOVE FASTER! RUN!
Big empty room. No guards though.
RUN!
Scratch that, one guard at the door;
PLEASE RUN FASTER!
It’s him. He shouldn’t be here.
He’s in your way.
You can’t kill him.
You’ve got to run.
But you’ve stopped moving.
Where are the guards?
You’ve got to run.
He is looking at you as if you had brought yourself back from the dead. Ridiculous, he knew you were alive.
He saved you.
He didn’t need to.
This is more complicated than it should be.
He calls off the guards, hardly surprising; he was always a favourite hunting hawk of the higher ups. Of course they’d put him in command.
He is confused, you know why; it affects you more than it should.
You are not supposed to be on the side that you are on.
It is entirely your decision but you are not supposed to be here.
It is entirely your decision and you are not supposed to be here.
It is entirely your decision and you are here.
This has moved way beyond complicated.
He has moved closer, left his perch in the doorway.It would be all too easy to get yourself out of here.
You are rooted to the spot.
Your heart is pounding and your breathing is heavy, probably from the run.
Probably.
Hopefully.
His eyes are heartbroken, you suspect yours are too. Your hand is on your gun but you have forgotten what to do with it. There are only two bullets left and you fear you will not have the heart to use them
This is more complicated than it should be.
He has moved close enough that he can place his hand on your shoulder. He speaks. One word.
"Nat."
Your eyes meet for a second.
You remember that you cannot kill him because he saved your life. You owe him a debt.
He cannot kill you because he loves you.
He loves you and you owe him a debt. It's that simple.
Nothing is that simple.
You’ve got to run.
Grab his arm. Over your head, behind his back, swift kick to the back of the knees. This shouldn’t be so easy, he’s lost his focus. Obvious lesson: never lose focus.
Round him, out the door, into the sun, into infinity.
You’ve stopped though, looking back into the building. You've turned around. Why would you turn around?
He isn’t even trying to chase you. He looks miserable, betrayed, he hasn’t called the guards.
If you were him would you call the guards?
The answer to that question is unbearably simple. It was supposed to be more complicated.
“Sorry Clint”
You are gone before you make the decision to leave. You don’t know what you’re sorry for, you don’t know what you were even doing here in the first place.
You probably failed your mission.
You can hear him saying your name over and over again in your head. The memory is a never-ending loop designed to drive you insane.
You probably owe him twice now, his fault, he should have tried to stop you. You would still have gotten away mind, you're good.
You could have taken him down.
Probably.
Maybe.
Guards are back on your heels again. Stay focused.
Run.
Gunshot uncomfortably close, not close enough for them to be onto you yet, probably the new guy.
Run.
There’s always a new guy.
Run.
Clint was the new guy once, you didn’t know him then. Would Clint-The-New-Guy have let you go?
You need to move faster. Run.
He’s not so new anymore. He’s old enough to know better than to let you get away. Why would he let you get away?
Run.
You know exactly why he let you get away.
Please run faster.
If it were you you’d let him get away.
You would let him get away because he loves you and you owe him a debt.
If you close your eyes and wish really hard maybe it will be that simple.
No time for wishes now Nat.
You need to run.