The guard clearly wasn’t buying her act, and considering how utterly terrified Stevenson looked Natasha really couldn’t blame the man. When he put a hand on her shoulder she had a split second to consider whether to try to keep up the act or blow her cover and take the guard down, but the choice was taken out of her hands by the sudden explosion. With all eyes on the stage where it had taken place, she grabbed the guard’s wrist and twisted his arm behind his back, moving swiftly behind him as she did so, almost simultaneously hooking one leg around his and pulling them out from underneath him. Sending him crashing to the floor, she went down with him to slam his head into the floor, effectively knocking him unconscious. The entire altercation took about two seconds.

“Hawkeye, what’s the ETA on backup?” she asked quickly into her comm piece. Grabbing Stevenson, who had been scared frozen, she pushed him into the commotion, hoping to hide in the masses and slip out with them. Even so, she had one of her small guns in her hand, ready to go. She really didn’t count on making it out of here without a fight, especially if she truly intended to keep her charge alive as well. “Stay with me and stop whimpering. If anyone gets close just drop to the floor and I will handle them.”