Perhaps a Coincidence (First Update)

"Where is Natasha Romanoff?"

Faced with that question, even Clint Barton, who knew her best, could only shake his head.

The last message he had received from Romanoff indicated that she had personal matters to attend to. Clint had long grown accustomed to Natasha's elusive comings and goings. Yet this time, she had been gone for an unprecedentedly long period. Even when the Avengers uncovered leads related to Hydra, she still had not returned. Steve Rogers first asked Agent Hill, then Clint Barton, but neither could give him a definite answer. It was as if Natasha Romanoff had simply vanished from the face of the earth.

"If she doesn't want to be found, that means there's something she doesn't want us to know." Clint shrugged. "If she needs help, she'll find a way to contact us or leave a clue behind. I don't think she could be in a worse situation than being captured by Ultron. I know her. She's faced plenty of hardships, but she's always managed to deal with them."

"If it were me, I wouldn't be so optimistic, Clint."

The information network built by the former S.H.I.E.L.D. had been inherited by the Avengers. Agent Hill had played an enormous role in tracking down Hydra's leads. Rogers knew perfectly well that he could never find what he needed amid that vast sea of documents. Only S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top intelligence analysts could catch the slick trail left behind by Hydra's writhing in the dark. They were among the most valuable legacies Maria Hill had carried out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s destruction, an information blade forged by countless retired agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy.

"Especially now that we've just tracked down Hydra's trail." Captain Rogers sighed. "We need her right now."

"Actually, we've already been discussing retirement plans, Captain." Clint spoke softly, as though