Natalia wiped a thin trickle of blood from the corner of her lips, her green eyes locked onto Seph with burning determination. Her chest rose and fell heavily, her body aching from their earlier exchange.
Seph, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed. His eyes gleamed with excitement, and his posture relaxed, as if he had just been warming up.
Then, he moved, and this time, he was even faster and sharper.
The air whipped around him as he launched himself forward, closing the distance between them in an instant.
Natalia barely had time to raise her guard before a precise palm strike landed on her wrist, knocking her Widow's Bite away before she could activate it.
BAM!
Her body reacted on instinct, twisting into a counterstrike, but Seph caught her fist in mid-air.
His grip was like iron.
She gasped as he effortlessly flipped her over his shoulder. The world spun, and in the next second, she was crashing onto the cold concrete floor.
She groaned, rolling onto her knees—only for Seph's boot to lightly tap her forehead, knocking her back onto the ground.
"Stay down, sweetheart," Seph teased, his smirk playful.
Natalia gritted her teeth and swept her leg, attempting to trip him.
But Seph leaped over her attack with ease, as if he had predicted it.
From above, Clint saw the tables turn.
"This is bad…" He muttered, narrowing his eyes as he aimed.
Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!
Three arrows shot through the air, moving with deadly precision toward Seph.
Without even looking, Seph dodged, tilting his head just enough for the arrows to narrowly miss.
Clint gritted his teeth, and he reached for another arrow, but it was too late.
CLANG!
A metal pipe whizzed through the air, thrown with terrifying force.
Clint barely had time to twist his body before the pipe slammed into his bow, knocking it from his hands.
"What the—?!"
Before Clint could react, Seph hurled a handful of small rocks in rapid succession, like a human machine gun.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Each rock struck precisely, hitting Clint's shoulders, arms, and legs, forcing him to stumble backward onto the scaffolding.
"Shit—!"
He tried to regain his footing, but another brick came flying at his chest.
Clint barely dodged, but the force sent him toppling off the scaffolding.
CRASH!
He landed on the ground with a dull thud, groaning in pain.
Natalia didn't waste time.
The moment Clint went down, she lunged, her movements sharp, calculated, and ruthless.
She struck with lightning speed, her fists aiming for Seph's throat, ribs, and solar plexus.
Seph deflected every single blow. His forearms blocked her strikes with effortless precision, redirecting her attacks before they could land.
She tried a feint, faking a high strike before twisting into a brutal elbow aimed for his ribs.
Seph caught her arm mid-motion and yanked her forward, spinning her around.
Whack!
His open palm smacked her ass.
Natalia froze. Her face flushed red in pure fury.
Seph smirked. "You should focus, sweetheart."
Natalia snapped, and she attacked with renewed aggression, throwing a devastating series of punches and kicks.
Seph sidestepped every strike.
Her fist barely missed his jaw; he ducked.
A spin kick aimed at his head, he leaned back, letting it pass just inches from his face.
Natalia landed and twisted, her foot sweeping the ground.
Seph jumped over it.
The frustration built in her. She wasn't used to being toyed with.
"Stand still and fight me properly!" She hissed, trying another high kick.
Seph caught her ankle and, with a quick tug, he threw her off balance, making her stumble forward.
Before she could react, he leaned down, his lips grazing her ear.
"Fighting me properly means you'd lose even faster," He murmured.
Natalia growled in frustration and twisted in his grip, using her flexibility to flip herself up and around, her other leg swinging down for a crushing axe kick.
Seph let go of her leg, dodging at the last second.
She landed, breathing hard, her body burning from the intense exchange.
Seph stood there, completely unruffled.
"Damn, Nat," He teased. "You're cute when you're frustrated."
Natalia glared. "Shut up."
She charged while Seph as she launched a flying knee strike, aiming directly for his head.
Seph caught her knee mid-air. Before she could react, he spun, using her own momentum against her, and slammed her into the nearest wall.
BAM!
Natalia gasped as the impact stole the air from her lungs. Her arms moved instinctively to counter, but Seph was too fast.
His hand gripped both her wrists, pinning them against the cold concrete. His body pressed against hers, completely trapping her.
She struggled, but it was useless.
He had won!
Seph smirked, golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Told you, sweetheart. You can't win."
Natalia glared at him, breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed from exertion. "Let me go."
"Oh, I will," Seph said smoothly. "But first—"
He tilted her chin up with his fingers.
Natalia's eyes widened.
"—I'm taking my prize."
And then, he kissed her.
It was passionate and possessive.
Natalia gasped against his lips, her entire body tensing at the unexpected heat.
The kiss was intoxicating and overwhelming.
Her knees went weak. Her mind screamed at her to fight back, but her body betrayed her.
She felt hot, dizzy, and breathless.
Her fingers clenched into fists, but Seph's firm grip on her wrists didn't loosen.
When he finally pulled away, her lips were swollen, her breath ragged.
Seph chuckled, brushing his fingers against her flushed cheek. "Damn, Nat… if I didn't know better, I'd say you enjoyed that."
Natalia's body twitched. Her breath was shallow, her mind still trying to process what had just happened.
Seph leaned in again, whispering against her ear.
"If you wanna play with me again, sweetheart, you're welcome anytime," He murmured, his voice like velvet.
Then, he patted her head.
"But next time, I'll take even more interest… for wasting my time."
Natalia's eyes burned with humiliation, anger, and something else she refused to name.
She tried to lunge at him, but her legs wouldn't move.
She could barely even stand.
Seph gave her one last smirk, then turned around, casually walking away as if nothing had happened.
A few moments later, the sound of his car engine roared to life.
And then, he was gone.
Ten minutes passed.
Clint finally stirred, groaning as he pushed himself up from the ground. "Ugh… what the hell happened?"
He rubbed his sore ribs and limped toward where Natalia was still sitting against the wall.
When he saw her expression, he frowned.
Natalia was staring into the distance, her face unreadable.
"…What the hell did he do?" Clint asked suspiciously.
Natalia didn't answer. Her fingers subtly touched her lips.
Her expression darkened, frustration flashing in her emerald eyes.
"Nat?" Clint pressed. "Did he—?"
She cut him off.
"Just… relay the message," She muttered.
Clint blinked. "What message?"
Natalia sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before exhaling.
"We failed."
Clint stared at her, utterly baffled.
"Wait. That's it?!"
Natalia stood up, dusting herself off. Without another word, she walked past Clint, her movements stiff.
Clint squinted, watching her carefully.
Then, the realization hit him.
His eyes widened.
"…He kissed you, didn't he?"
Natalia froze for a split second, just barely.
Clint grinned. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."
Natalia clenched her fists. "Clint."
"Yeah?"
"Shut. Up."
Clint laughed.
And for the first time in a long time, the Black Widow didn't deny it.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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