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“I'm sorry, Clint, I never meant for it to get this far.”
Clint could read the words off of his boyfriend's lips better than he could hear them, but either way the message was clear.
No.
And it made his heart heavy where it sat in his stomach. His body felt numb, probably from all the excitement that he had felt leading up to this moment. He could feel one thing for sure, though: the ring he held in his hand. There was no box; not because Clint didn't have one, but mostly because the box in his pocket would have been too obvious in the tight jeans he had worn for their date. Surely Phil would have figured it out before then. Not that it mattered.
Phil was giving him the look. The look that people gave him when they first realized that he was hearing impaired. The look his brother gave him when he left. Again. And it was the look that Clint never wanted to see on Phil's face. The look of pity.
It stirred up emotions that Clint hadn't felt in a long time. Anger. Embarrassment. Regret.
Regret. If he had never asked Phil to marry him, then this wouldn't be happening now. They'd still be in a quaint relationship. Happy and kissing. In love.
Well, was it really love?
It was on Clint's end, but he wasn't sure about Phil anymore. What had he meant by never meant it to get this far? Their relationship? Their bonding? Clint's feelings?
None of it mattered right now. What mattered was that Clint was standing here stupidly with a ring in his hand in the middle of the sidewalk outside of their favorite movie theater in Manhattan. And Phil. Phil, beautiful Phil, was standing in front of him with that look of pity and slight sadness on his face that Clint had promised to never make him feel. Never wanted anyone to feel. Pheel.
“Yeah,” Clint managed to finally whisper. “Sorry.” His hand closed on the ring and he shoved it back in his pocket. “I should go before this gets more awkward.”
Phil looked like he wanted to say something, anything, but Clint turned around swiftly and fled. He broke out into a rushed jog, not wanting to stop and think about what had just happened. And to avoid Phil. Who was not following him.
Clint didn't look back to find out. Twice.
And even still, he could feel his heart sitting at the bottom of his stomach, beating like a hummingbird.
123199384
Growing up, Clint had thought he would never get married. Not that he didn't want to, but because he was too broken for somebody to want. He was damaged goods. Nobody wanted damaged goods.
He thought this way until he met Special Agent Phil Coulson, the guy who shot him before recruiting him to SHIELD. This man had saved him from the life that he'd been living, had taken him in and let him flourish as one of SHIELD's top agents. They became friends quickly. Clint's snide remarks had paired nicely with Coulson's sarcastic, yet monotonous outlook on life and soon Coulson became Phil and Barton had become Clint and there were hugs then kisses then...
Well, Clint, for the first time in a long time, thought that maybe this was it. This was the man he was meant to be with. And it wasn't one of those things where he believed in a destiny, Clint just found the man that was it. His everything. His reason for being in this field of work. Or even alive at all, because surely Clint wouldn't have made it this far without the agent.
None of it mattered anymore. It all went down the drain. There was no reason for him to be loyal to an agency that offered nothing more than a means to fight. He could still be a mercenary and get the same thrill. He wouldn't have had the comfort of a familiar voice in his ear to help him, because he worked alone, and he wouldn't have reliable evacs or medical help, but if it meant he didn't have to see Phil every day...
Clint left New York before the sun had set.
He found himself in Malibu before the sun rose the next day.
(Admittedly, he went back to NYHQ to change into something more appropriate for a sudden leave of absence, because, let's face it, a bright purple shirt was too much of a giveaway.)
(And maybe while he was there he reaffirmed that all the spyware Natalia had put up to gain access to SHIELD's entire everything was still in good order. Which, if he hadn't, he wouldn't have come up with his next plan. Natalia might have been proud if he had told her what he was doing.)
(Scratch that, Natalia would be proud. Because, honestly, she had put up the spyware for a reason. And as much fun as she was having with SHIELD, she didn't expect to stay with them forever.)
“Stark!”
Granted, Clint had never personally met the billionaire-playboy-genius before now, but he knew that if he wanted to hide from SHIELD, then he would have to go to the only person that wanted to avoid SHIELD just as much.
“Please state your name and business.” The voice came from all around Clint, as if omnipresent.
“Clint Barton. I'm running away from SHIELD.” A moment of silence hung after those words, but before long the door unlocked and swung open in front of him.
“Please proceed inside and wait in the sitting room, Sir will be with you shortly.”
It was a British voice, Clint realized, but it sounded almost electronic. Not that he could hear much. His hearing aids were losing power because he hadn't charged them in over two days. He closed the door behind himself and stepped further into the house until he was in what he assumed was the 'sitting room.' (He assumed because there was seating next to a window, but he could never be too sure.)
“It's a curious thing,” came a voice from around the corner. Clint looked up and saw the man he was here to see; his arms were covered in grease and sweat, but his face and signature goatee were still the same. “A SHIELD agent saying that he's running away. Not something you come across every day. You've got my attention. How may I help you, Agent Barton?”
“Bare bones is that I don't want to work for SHIELD anymore. Their secrets have secrets. I was a mercenary before they found me. I like things that are simple and straight to the point. Something happened recently that made me realize that I was never loyal to SHIELD like everyone else. I was loyal to one person, and now...” He trailed off, unsure of what to say that wouldn't need a longer explanation. “The point is, we can help each other avoid SHIELD. They're about to send someone undercover to keep an eye on you. I'm not sure who it is yet, but I can help you avoid them if you help me. All I ask is that you hide me.”
“You want to hide right under their noses?” Stark's arms were crossed as he calmly looked Clint over. “I looked you up, you know. I didn't get much in thirty seconds it took me to get up the stairs, but I know you're a sniper named Hawkeye. What makes you think you can help me?”
“I would be able to recognize the agent they send in to babysit you. I could be the voice in your ear as you're dealing with them. They called me Hawkeye, World's Greatest Marksman. I never miss. Nothing slips past my attention.” Words were tumbling out of his mouth now, nerves shaken at the very thought of being here and asking for help. “Also, SHIELD access.”
Stark seemed to consider him for a moment longer before he slowly nodded. “What makes you think they haven't already seen you come to me? Wouldn't they monitor me and know you're here?”
“That's part of the reason they want to send somebody. It'll be easier to get into your security systems if they have someone on the inside. They don't have access yet, so they can't see.”
“And they're not tracking you?” Stark's eyes were shining with something that settled Clint's stomach. What it was, he couldn't name.
“That's where I need your help. I've only been gone for a couple of hours.” Clint lifted his shirt to show the other man where he had dug out a small tracking device in his hip. “I did this on the way over, but I'm not sure if there are any more. You think you can scan me for anything?”
Finally, Stark's face softened as a smirk stretched his lips. “Let's go down to the workshop. The scanners in there will actually determine all that. And we have to outfit you. Sniper? What kind of guns do you like?” But Stark had turned and was already walking back to where he had come from, all while muttering to himself about security.
“I'm more of a bow and arrow kind of guy,” Clint replied as he followed.
“Ooh, medieval. But you must be good if that's what SHIELD lets you use. I guess if you're hiding from them...” Stark had trailed off again, muttering under his breath about secrets with secrets. “Jarvis,” he said aloud to the house. He led Clint down some stairs as he spoke. “We need to plan to install a room. A security room. Somewhere hidden, but where we can run a security command center from.”
“If I may suggest,” came the British voice once more, but Clint wasn't paying attention anymore. He and Stark had just walked through glass doors. Laid out in front of them was what he assumed was the workshop. Robots were moving around on their own while holograms showed ever changing numbers that seemed to be monitoring something. Cars were in the background, almost like a showroom of sorts.
“You're a genius, right?” Clint heard himself ask, a fair amount of awe in his voice. Stark scoffed and waved his hand around, too busy playing with one of the holograms to answer. “You think you can find me some new ears?” Stark turned to him then, eyes narrowed and staring at his ears.
“Hearing aids?” he asked. Clint nodded his head as he dug the left aid out and showed it to the other man. “You're giving me all these new ideas. I have a feeling you'll be good for me. Hey, J, scan his body for any tracers, outgoing signals, anything that SHIELD might have used to track him.”
Clint watched in fascination as Tony Stark began to work. “Who is Jarvis?” after a curt explanation from the A.I, he began to ask more questions when Stark cut him off.
“The hearing aids,” he demanded, though he pointed to the counter of the workbench. “Both of them. Put 'em there.”
Clint popped the other one out without question, eyes following Stark's lips as he placed them on the bench. Stark gave him a tablet he had picked up from another of the work benches in return. Clint watched in amazement as the device seemed to be manipulated by an invisible hand to open a note taking application. Words began to appear.
We can use this until I come up with a better solution. The scan J did showed that the aids were attempting to transmit something, but the batteries were dying, so the signal was extremely weak. There's a good chance you lost their signal a while ago, but I'm covering your tracks just in case. Scrambling things up.
Clint could feel his stomach grumble after reading the word “scrambling.” He couldn't remember the last time he had actually sat down to eat. He had been eating protein bars since he left New York, and before that...
Before that he had lunch with Phil.
The tablet screen changed again to an online menu of some diner in town. A text box appeared at the top.
Please order enough food for yourself and Sir.
With glee Clint began to pick things off the menu. Two hours later he and Tony were sitting on the couch as they ate their food and watched television in companionable silence, subtitles helping Clint keep up with the Kardashians.
Once the meal was over Tony had sent him away to get some sleep, assuring him that when he woke up there would be new toys to play with. Clint walked away with his chest feeling lighter than ever. (Phil's name was still on the tip of his tongue. And if he closed his eyes and tried to think back to a time when Phil had showed true affection towards him, no one would have to know.)
(Turns out, he couldn't remember Phil treating him any different off the field than on, if he weren't counting the nights they shared a bed.)
Despite(or maybe because of) the events of the previous day, sleep was slow to come.
123199384
It took three days to build a room that both Clint and Tony were happy with. One wall housed a large monitor that cycled through the different cameras Tony had access to. Which meant Clint had access to almost any camera in the world. Tony had explained that as Iron Man he wouldn't always be here, but this way he always had a set of eyes at home watching everything.
Tony filled the silence with inane chatter while the construction crew came in to work their magic. Clint listened to the rambling with half a ear(well, one ear, as Tony was working on the other 'aid). He was more fascinated with the robots that wheeled around the workshop, taking note of the one called DUM-E, who seemed to have a fire extinguisher ever present. Tony had informed him that the 'bots played catch, which amused Clint to no end.
“Everything is essentially handled by Jarvis. There's no need for you to actually do anything. You tell him what you want to see and he'll show it to you. But in case of some freak accident and Jarvis isn't running, manual overrides can be input in the keypad.” Tony waved his hand to the electric keypad located on the far wall of the 'shop. “Those security measures run on a completely different power source, and, as a safety precaution, Jarvis has no access to them. Anyway, how are the ears?”
“They're amazing,” Clint praised as he touched his aids. They were similar to the BTEs SHIELD had issued him, wrapping around his ear comfortably. “I've never been able to hear so clearly.”
“I'll make you some IIC when I have less on my plate,” Tony said with a wave. He was referring to the nearly invisible type of aids that Clint had been wearing when he got here. “All your hearing aids have a direct link to Jarvis. I'll need to make those IIC for myself as well, if we plan to have visitors from SHIELD.” Tony went on to talk about hearing aids, showing off what he had learned in the time Clint had stayed with Tony.
“How long will the batteries last?” Clint had to ask. “The ones SHIELD gave me I had to charge every night.” Tony gave him a narrowed look and shook his head.
“Those will last a week, at best. I want to find a better power source, but for something so small it's hard. The ones SHIELD gave you needed to be charged nightly because they were also tracking you and used as comms, I'm assuming.” At Clint's nod Tony continued. “Plus, I didn't make them.”
They had been talking about SHIELD off and on while Clint had been with Tony. He explained as much as saying he left due to a breakup that made him realize there was no loyalty among spies. “I didn't want to spend the rest of my life wondering if someone was keeping something from me. Hell, at one point I was the secret.”
Tony, in turn, explained his background with SHIELD. About his 'Aunt Peggy' and 'dear-old-dad' and even a little bit about growing up around agents like they were family. “Howard wasn't around, so I guess it was fair.” But when his parents died, SHIELD dropped all contact until he returned from Afghanistan. (“And isn't that killer? I used to call Fury my uncle. Now he's trying his damnedest to get me for everything I have.”)
The newly installed alarm was tripped down the road as they were settling Clint into his new office. A screen popped up, footage from half a mile from the driveway displayed in clear HD. It showed a mid-sized town car getting closer.
“Show time,” Tony muttered as he dug around in his pockets. He came back up with a Bluetooth device that he put in his ear. “Hey, J, you mind connecting us?”
“Of course not, Sir,” came Jarvis' voice, but not from the room itself. Clint twitched when he heard it come from his left hearing aid speaking directly into his head.
“Oh, this is cool,” Clint muttered. He sat down in the only chair in the room, a large black office chair, and gave Tony a smirk. “You ready to be a spy?” he asked as he spun in a complete circle.
“There is something about this that's more than a little appealing,” Tony admitted. They watched as the camera followed the car turn onto the driveway and park in front of the house. Virginia “Pepper” Potts stepped out of the back seat first, eyes focused on her phone already. Another woman stepped out from the other side and Clint couldn't help his—
“Well, fuck.”
“Is that the SHIELD spy, then?” Tony asked, eyes already taking in everything about her. “She's pretty.”
“And deadly. That, my dear boss, is the Black Widow.” Clint was already pulling out his tablet. He recognized the background of the website he had just pulled up, but allowed Jarvis to log him in. “Ex-KGB, assassin, and, once upon a time, my best friend.”
“Woah,” Tony stopped him, “best friend?”
“She wanted me to join SHIELD with her, so I did. But she loved it much more than I ever did. She lives for the spy life. The secrets were like fuel to her flame. I'm pretty sure we're still best friends, but I didn't tell her I was leaving.” Clint recalled his last conversation with the assassin, but pushed it away before he made himself angry. Or sad. “Here, I'll have Jarvis send all of this to you. Her name is Natalia Romanova. I'm not sure what name she'll give you, but I think it might be similar.”
Pepper Potts was stopped when she realized the door was locked. She pulled out a set of keys and tried to unlock it. “Jarvis, could I get front door audio to in my ear?” Clint asked. Tony slipped out of the room and back into the hall where the “door” to the office slid closed and seamlessly became a wall.
“Ms. Potts, is something wrong?”
Clint cringed at the way Black Widow spoke in a softer tone, reminded that it was all a front for her.
“Usually the door is unlocked for me. The pin pad isn't responding, either. Maybe I should call Tony?”
“Open the door,” Clint said out loud. He heard the AI respond in his ear and open the door for the two ladies. They were joined by a bullish man who Clint knew to be Happy, though he didn't look too happy.
Jarvis followed the guests with cameras that allowed Clint to watch their every move. He had to admit that this was the best surveillance job he had ever had. He looked to his side and frowned. He would need to talk about a mini fridge to Tony. Maybe even a microwave.
“Pepper! What's the occasion?” Tony appeared on one a smaller screen that popped up. He stepped into the open space of the foyer while giving Natalia a long once-over. “And who is this?”
Pepper looked up from her phone long enough to give Tony a tight smile. “You're signing over your company to me. This is the notary.”
“What's your name?” Tony asked with a flippant wave of his hand.
“Rushman.”
“Natalie Rushman, sir.”
Pepper and the Natalia both replied at the same time. Clint frowned when Jarvis pulled up a file on the name she had given.
“She's made to look perfect for you. It's a trap.”
Tony gave no indication that he heard Clint as he smiled at the spy. “Thank you for the eye candy, Pep.”
“She's not eye candy, she's here from Stark legal to make sure you sign and print.” Pepper's no-nonsense attitude was hilarious with what Clint knew about the situation. He glanced over at the file Jarvis had pulled up. Who put modeling pictures in a resume? SHIELD, that's who. Especially if they knew Stark would look into her.
“Of course, my apologies.” Tony waved her forward so that he could look at the binder she held.
“If I could get your impression?” Natalia asked while holding out the binder.
“Redheads are all crazy. I've sworn off of them for the time being,” Tony responded with a pointed look to Pepper.
“Your thumbprint impression, Mr. Stark,” Natalia clarified without missing a beat.
“Of course.” Tony pressed a into the stamp pad before stamping next to his name. He took the offered pen and signed his name with a flourish. “Will that be all, ladies? I need to get back to...” He waved at his workshop. “I may not be CEO anymore, but I do still have a job.”
“What.” This was the first time Clint was hearing of this. Did Tony really just give his company away to Pepper? “You never told me you were doing that.”
Again, Tony ignored him by smiling at the ladies in the room.
“We'll leave you to it, Tony. But before I go, did you give that list a look? You need a real PA.”
“I've got Jarvis. He's plenty for me.”
“Tony,” Pepper said with an exasperated sigh.
“If anyone needs a PA, Pep, it's you. You're the CEO now.” He gave her another pointed look but gave one to Natalia as well. “Will that be all, Ms. Potts?”
“For now, Mr. Stark.”
Pepper and Natalia both took their leave, leaving Tony to trek back downstairs.
“What did you think, Hawkguy, was that spy enough for you?”
“Sure,” Clint mumbled. “But it's a weird, don't you think?” he asked. “SHIELD sent one of their best to keep an eye on you. This isn't her usual gig. She usually refuses honeypot missions like this.” Clint let himself out of the office and stepped out into the workshop.
Tony had a strange look on his face. “Jarvis, keep tabs on her. I want to know everything she does, down to the very bottle of dye she used for her hair.”
“Of course, Sir.”
123199384
Jarvis had informed him this morning that Tony's birthday was coming up. Clint wondered if he should prepare a gift or just wish him a happy birthday. He thought back to his own birthday with bitterness, remembering the gun that Phil had gotten him that year. The gun he had left behind in haste.
Though now that he thought about it, there was a good chance that had been bugged as well.
“I need a weapon of some sort,” he said to Tony at lunch. “Also, what are you drinking?” The black liquid didn't look appetizing in the least, but Tony seemed intent on finishing it with the sandwich that Clint had brought him.
“Health shake or something,” Tony replied after he took the last gulp. He set the bottle down and gave Clint most of his attention. “You said you work with a bow and arrow?”
Clint grimaced with a shrug of one shoulder. “SHIELD knows what I usually use, as do a lot of other people.”
“Sniper, right?” Tony wasn't looking at him anymore, instead he was tapping furiously at his tablet. “Bolt-action, or semi-auto?”
“Bolt,” Clint responded immediately. “L115A1, if you can.” It was what he was most comfortable with when it came to guns. “It's the best for sitting still but still good in action.”
Tony nodded absentmindedly, fingers still moving around on the tablet.
“So. Jarvis said it was your birthday soon?”
“Yeah, Pepper wants me to throw a party, but I'm thinking about foregoing that. Who wants to celebrate turning 40?” Clint asked him about a gift, but was shot down when Tony pointed out that he was a millionaire. After a lull in in the conversation he looked up at Clint with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Ever been to Monaco?”
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Clint wasn't sure what to expect when Tony had asked about Monaco. Despite his world travels he had not been to the small territory yet. It was a beautiful, he admitted to Tony over the comms. He was perched on the hotel Tony had gotten a room in, staring down his scope at the events of the race. Traveling, Clint learned, was hard when they were hiding from everyone. While Tony was used to flaunting his whereabouts he had brought up the concern of people seeing Clint.
“You're my ace,” Tony explained. “If they know I have you, then what's the fun in that?” Clint had still grumbled from where he had been holed up in the cargo belly of the Stark private jet. It wasn't the most uncomfortable he had been while traveling(a thought brought up an image of his return from Milan after his first encounter with the Black Widow) but it didn't discount the fact that he hated flying in the first place. It always bothered his ears to a point of pain and discomfort.
Now, though, he was exactly where he wanted to be: the tallest building he could find in the city that still gave him a great vantage point of the race. His tablet was set up beside where he had 'nested' so that he could watch the cameras inside and the news footage from the race.
Pepper had apparently taken Tony's words to heart about getting a personal assistant, if Natalia was anything to go by. She hung off of every word that Pepper and Tony spoke, making it seem like she was the eager, young girl she portrayed.
“Note to boss,” Clint muttered as he heard Natalia's voice come through Tony's new ICC that picked up Tony's conversations. “Spy camera. Like in those Bond movies where Bond wears a pin on his jacket.”
He knew Tony couldn't respond to him. Instead, Tony's focus was on not focusing on Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries.
“Hawkeye,” came the voice of Jarvis through his ear. It was a debate between Tony and Clint as to what the AI would call him. Tony had contested for 'Hawkguy' while Clint had wanted to use anything but his real name. In the end, they had allowed Jarvis to choose for himself as Tony crowed about the smartest learning AI in the world—nay, universe.
“What's up, Jarvis?”
“SHIELD is trying to hack into our security measures as we speak.”
“Code word is Gravy, if they breach,” Clint muttered, tamping down the curses he wanted to say instead.
“Noted. Currently I'm keeping them out, but I'm not sure how long I can if Sir is not helping me.”
Tony finally seemed to pull away from the conversation with the reporter and Hammer. He made his way across Clint's Tablet screen.
“Jarvis, Code Anne Frank,” Tony muttered under his breath, and, no, wait, what?
“Anne Frank?” Clint had to ask.
“I've been working on it since SHIELD started showing an interest in me again in me last year. A good way to let them have what they want without giving them what they need,” Tony explained, almost as if he weren't truly paying attention. “It hides everything without seeming like anything is amiss. They'll see what they expect, but nothing more. If you expect to see a wall, your brain processes it as such, but if you're looking for a door in the wall...”
“Like my office?”
“Exactly. As long as we give them what they think they want, they won't know anything is wrong. It's not a permanent fix, but I can do that when we get home. For now, though...”
It wasn't the first time Clint had been impressed with Tony. Clint wasn't the brightest, he admitted, but Tony was on a completely different level from everyone else in the world. And, sure, he was a little paranoid, but who wouldn't be after what Stane had done to Tony and SI? Clint wasn't even sure if Phi-Coulson could out smart the genius in espionage.
A thought occurred to Clint just then and he blinked away from his scope to look fully at the tablet. “You didn't come here to watch the race.”
Silence rang over the comms before Tony answered quietly, “Now, what makes you think that?”
Dread came over Clint as he spluttered. “I'm your body guard,” he said with a tone of graveness. You said so yourself, yesterday. Please don't put yourself in unnecessary danger.”
“I'm Iron Man, I'll be fine.”
Iron Man, Clint decided after the creepy electrical whips guy, was not fine.
“I could to take the shot!”
“Yeah, but I wanted to talk to him first. That tech hit a little too close to the heart.”
“Was that a joke?”
“The entire time I was fighting him I thought that you would appreciate the joke.”
“I'm taking the shot next time. No excuses.”
Clint wasn't sure but he thought Tony was smiling. Maybe whatever Tony had been dealing with to want to race a car had worked its way out of the billionaire's system.
123199384
Clint had asked Jarvis to keep an eye out on Vanko. (And if he maybe had Jarvis use SHIELD's database to find out more, then it was more of an excuse for Clint to stretch his new bodyguard powers.)
So it was unfortunate that just hours later there was a mysterious explosion in the jail where he was being held for transfer.
“And now the word on the street is that Hammer says he has something for the Expo? His failed Iron Man wanna-be is hopeful, at best. Hammer tech, at worst.”
Tony paused for a beat when he heard Clint's statement. It seemed like something was churning in his head—
“No, you're right. That's suspicious. Jarvis? What did they say about the body they found? Dental records a match?”
“There was nothing in the autopsy that mentioned dental records, Sir.”
“Then how do they know it was him?”
“The report states that the body was wearing the matching jumpsuit with printed ID number.”
“And where did this bomb come from? They don't give you anything to make a bomb with, especially in the first five hours of holding,” Clint piped in, thoughts running through all the times he had been thrown into a jail himself. “I would know, I tried.”
Tony straightened his back and closed his eyes while he let out a long sigh. “Alright, so new plan. We're on high alert for Hammer's Expo presentation. Jarvis, have the Expo committee vet his presentation, make sure he has video footage of it working before we let him on stage. Actually, make sure everyone from here on in has undeniable proof of what they're presenting. Keep your eyes out for arc reactors or anything that might be close. I'll be releasing a public statement about the arc reactor tech.”
“Of course, sir. I've booked the steps of Stark Industries at 9 AM with both news stations and newspapers, three of each. Shall I inform Ms Potts?”
“Let's hold off on that for now. This is an Iron Man concern, not SI.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Why did you need a PA, again?” Clint asked. “Jarvis is all you need, really.”
Tony shot him a smile. Clint wondered if he had ever truly seen Tony Stark smile before this moment. (And if he was being honest, he was sure he hadn't.)
(Clint would later think back to that moment with a fierceness that rivaled Natalia's own, because he wanted to make sure that Tony smiled like that more often. Because, in that rare moment, Tony had a look in his eyes that screamed content pride, not unlike a parent whose child had just won the school science fair. That, Clint decided, was true happiness to Tony.)
(Even later he would realize that it was because Tony had been recognized for something he alone had created and essentially brought to life. The good that Jarvis brought to this world, compared to the weapons he had created before, was what Tony was truly proud of.)
“Sir.” A live video feed of the driveway camera was pulled up as a smart looking car pulled in.
“You sent Pepper home, right?” Clint had to ask. Instead of SI's CEO stepping out of the car, though, it was a man Clint had briefly been briefed on: Colonel James Rhodes.
“My Platypus is here to check up on me!” Tony warmly muttered. Clint turned back to Tony and read the exhaustion on his face.
“You've had a rough day. Take it easy, yeah?”
Tony ignored him as he kept reading the files Clint had pulled up on the Vanko family.
Clint returned to his office to settle in and watch from the live feed. Military always made him uneasy. Commissioned officers always had an air of authority around them.
“Hawkeye, your personal case from SHIELD has been updated. Would you like me to pull up the report?”
“Send it to my tablet, please.”
An action report was pulled up on the screen of his tablet and Clint let out a low whistle. “Aw, shit.” Coulson's ID number and name were listed as the one who started the report. “Well, J, they declared it.”
“It seems so, Hawkeye.”
Clint, in no better terms, was uneducated. It had taken him years to get the paperwork SHIELD wanted down to a point where it wouldn't end up right back on his desk after review. Coulson had a way with paperwork, though. Efficient and straight to the point, leaving no detail out. That was one of many reasons as to why they worked together so well.
All the details were in the report. The day they had first fallen in to bed with each other. Missions that were compromised due to Clint's emotional outbursts. Even the rejection from last week. The report sounded like an apology. An apology to SHIELD for having slipped into a relationship.
(“I'm sorry, Clint, I never meant for it to get this far.” )
The report was dry, just like any of Coulson's other reports. It made Clint think that Phil hadn't been lying when he had said what he had. Phil had been just looking for a convenient fuck.
(And, like the idiot he knew he was, Clint had gone and fallen in love with the man.)
His heart did weird things in his chest, like constricting and feeling things: things like a painful feeling he didn't want to feel(fuck feelings. Fuck 'em all.).
He would have to ask Tony about the palladium thing Rhodes had brought up. He wouldn't ask about the look of total loss that had flitted over Tony's face when he realized that Rhodes wasn't here to check up on Tony and his injuries, just to yell at him.
Clint didn't get much sleep that night. He didn't think Tony would either.
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The next morning Clint watched from the safety of his office as Tony gave a press conference on Ivan Vanko.
“I had said the other day that the arc reactor was a marvel that no one would come across in five to ten years, but I stood corrected yesterday.”
Flashes from cameras blinded everyone as Tony paused to let the words sink in. All the reporters waited for him to keep speaking, knowing there was more. Clint and Tony had discussed what he would say in front of everyone. Their conclusion was simple: tell the truth.
“The man that attacked me yesterday was Ivan Vanko, son of Anton Vanko. Anton Vanko was one of Howard's old associates and partners. Vanko Junior spoke to me of a stolen design, but upon further research it was founded that Vanko Senior had worked with Howard on the original arc reactor design. Turns out he was nothing like my father.” Tony paused here and Clint could see the restrained smile on his face as the reporters let out a chuckle. “Where Howard wanted clean energy and a way to help those who couldn't help themselves, Anton Vanko was greedy. He was guilty of espionage with an attempt to sell the design for an ass-load of money. He was shipped back to Russia, but when he couldn't create a working arc reactor on his own, the Russians threw him away in Siberia. Yesterday everyone witnessed a son lashing out in anger over a father who had made his own mistakes.”
The crowd hung off of every word Tony spoke.
“Just like Howard Stark, I want to further our society with products such as this. But when men like Anton and Ivan Vanko stand against us with their grudges holding everyone back, the world suffers. This kind of technology is powerful, and as you saw, can easily be weaponized. All of you have asked why I don't want to share, but the example has been made right before your eyes. The first person to use it tries to kill me in a fit of misplaced vengeance.”
Tony's pause went on a little longer than his previous lulls. When not a word was said, Tony smirked into the closest camera. “Questions?”
The crowd of reporters went wild as they all threw different questions at him. Tony watched with a small smile and let the questions wash over him. After a couple of questions were asked he held up his hands in a sign of silence.
“Let me answer the questions that I've picked up so far. Yes, Ivan Vanko was in prison yesterday. But as of this morning his cell was blown up. He is currently an escapee, despite the fact that the government of Monaco and the Maison d'Arrêt of Monaco insist that his body was found. Dental records were not used to match the body, combined with the explosives he somehow got his hands on within being in prison for only several hours—well, whatever. Long story short, he's still out there, and probably still out to get my ass. But who wouldn't? It's a fantastic ass.”
More chuckles rippled through the crowd while Tony smiled for the flashing cameras and live reporters.
“With this impending threat over my head, I've decided to put my social calendar on hold. As of now, my birthday is canceled until I can figure out safer way to celebrate being old.”
Clint admired him. The way he could play a crowd and drum up support from even those who had once done him wrong in the spotlight was admirable, if not a bit frightening.
“And to answer that last question, yes, I'm still single.”
The crowd went crazy at Tony's words and Clint gave the barest of smiles. The video cut to a news reporter when Tony declared the press meet over. Clint waved it away as he had seen Tony do many times. To his amusement it worked the same and Clint was a little giddy. It made him feel like hwas in some cool sci-fi movie.
Clint knew Tony would stay at SI today to work for a couple of hours before returning home. With that in mind he let himself think to the previous night.
“Jarvis? What can you tell me about the crossword puzzle that's on Tony's neck?”
Jarvis took his time responding. “Sir has not limited what I can say on this matter. The 'crossword' on his neck is buildup of palladium in his blood.”
“And what's palladium, exactly?”
“It is the source of power for the arc reactor.”
“Is it bad?”
There was another silence, another moment of calculating.
“It is not as bad as it seems, though the progression is alarming. Sir is currently working to find a new material to use for the core.”
“Have you checked SHIELD?”
“I have not, but now that the option is available to me I shall begin right away.”
“Good. I would hate for the boss to die on us.”
“Indeed.”
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“Please don't die.”
Tony startled as he stepped into his workshop after a day at SI. He resettled himself before responding. “What brought this up?”
“Jarvis said that the crossword was palladium poisoning.”
Tony mumbled under his breath but it was too low for Clint to pick up with his 'aids. Eventually he heard “Jarvis, you traitor.”
“Hawkeye has brought up a good point, Sir. I had yet to check SHIELD for anything helpful. But I think we may have something.”
Tony's head whipped up quickly to look at the information Jarvis was presenting. Notes and pictures started to pile up on the screen.
“It seems that Howard Stark was looking into something called the Tesseract as a means to replace the core. Nothing comprehensive was found on the database, but it seems that maybe he had written it all down in several journals.” One of the pictures enlarged and Tony's eyes widened.
“That. I need that.”
Clint studied the journal before he nodded. “That looks like some high level shit if they didn't scan the pages in.” It was a picture of a journal opened to a page with a drawing of a cube on one side and equations on the other.
“J, you think you can locate it? I have a feeling that journal will be extremely useful.”
“From what algorithms I've run the most likely place seems to be a secure SHIELD facility known as 'The Sandbox.' The actual location is not known.”
“Aw, Jarvis, no,” Clint whined. He knew exactly where that was. And he knew exactly how hard it was to breech.
Tony turned to him, eyes gleaming. “Tell me you know where that is.”
Clint explained what he knew: it was a safe location to contain weird things. In Africa. In the middle of the desert.
“Do you think you can get in and find it?” Tony asked after Clint was done complaining. “Because I need that if I'm going to live.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Clint grumbled. “But it's high security. I'm going to need help.”
Clint could identify the gleam in Tony's eyes now.
He saw hope in Tony's eyes. Clint's heart resonated with it.
(Later, though, he felt his heart break when he heard the biting words Pepper had used on him and— really? Clint was starting to see a trend in Tony's friends that he didn't like. They both cared way too much about SI than the man they claimed to be friends with. Tony had done a good thing when he explained everything to the public.)
(He wondered if all of Tony's friends expected something from him. Were they taking advantage of him? Rhodes seemed more loyal to his country while Pepper was more loyal to SI. Clint wondered if Tony ever had someone who was loyal to him first.)
(He remembered Happy. Loyal to a fault. But Tony had tasked him to watch over Pepper, who was now the CEO.)
(It seemed to Clint that no one was in Tony's corner.)
(Clint was. And for now that had to be enough.)
(Jarvis and the 'bots didn't count. Tony made them. He was a dad. They were his kids.)
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16%
That's what the palladium level in Tony's blood was.
It really wasn't as bad as he had originally thought. Tony had sat him down to explain exactly what was going on. Palladium wasn't truly harmful to the human body. A quick search on the internet calmed Clint down marginally.
Tony decided to let Clint go to the Sandbox on his own. There was no reason to tip Natalia off with a suspicious trip to the African country. (“I almost slipped and called her Natalia the other day. I caught myself, though. Thankfully it's similar to her cover name. It's all your fault, birdbrain.”) Tony had spent three days in the workshop as he made toys for Clint to take with him.
“It's like a real spy movie. I bet you guys don't get things half as cool as this.”
“Is that a pen laser?”
“You'll never know when you'll need it!”
To avoid security measures Clint had stowed away in a cargo plane heading to Mauritania with Stark products. The tri-wall he was settled in to was fairly spacious, especially compared to the usual tight spaces Clint was used to. The space wasn't the problem, really, but rather the 20 hour flight he had to endure to get to the location. Jarvis kept him company in his ear when he wasn't sleeping, feeding him bits and pieces of information Tony had discovered from just a single photo of the journal. Tony sometimes cut in to talk to Clint as well, alleviating the boredom(and loneliness, but Clint didn't want to say that out loud).
Once near the facility Clint focused more on the mission, letting Tony's words soothe him.
“You'll need to place the transmitter just inside the door of the building so that I can stay with you while you're inside. Once inside, I'll be mapping your progress to help you find the fastest escape. The transmitter will allow me to 'see' inside the building.”
Clint and Tony had opted for stealth rather than the usual 'blow it up and walk away' method Iron Man tended to used. Once inside the building, though, Clint would do what he did best. Fit in small spaces. Air vents were bigger in warmer places, which allowed Clint to shimmy himself through the walls once he had evaded the patrol and other agents. Cameras and sensors were taken care of as Jarvis worked his magic with the computers that ran them.
It was, honestly, laughably easy to get inside with the tech Tony had provided. Once in the vents Clint had a clear idea of where he would find the journal. Well, not the journal, per se, but the location of the location of the journal. (The sunglasses that acted as a camera and HUD made it difficult to see in the darkness of the vent. That was until the night vision activated.)
Fury's office, even in a location such as the desert, was right where Clint had expected it to be. Second story on the west side of the building, more north than south. (He had noticed the pattern before he had even joined SHIELD, back when SHIELD was hunting him to... well, hunt him.)
“You don't even have to boot up the computer. Just place the Sucker inside an unused USB port,” Tony's voice came through his ear. The 'Sucker' in question was a small, black metal thing that was smaller than Clint's pinky and flat enough to slide right in to the port with minimal detection.
Once done, Clint hopped back into the vent and covered his tracks, making sure nothing looked amiss.
Tony was babbling in his ear again. “So many secrets!”
Tony was able to start calling out directions for Clint to lead him to another room, this one maybe a little more secure than the last. Jarvis took care of the security which allowed Clint to tumble into the room with grace.
“Um, that's weird.”
“Oh, that is.”
Clint stared through his sunglasses at the poster of the Stark Expo layout, beside it on a shelf was a cardboard box. “Is that...?” It looked so out of place with everything else in the room.
“Yeah, the Expo layout. Why is it here? J, scan that. Why does it look wrong? Why is there a poster of it hanging up?”
As the AI and genius were working, Clint moved to look in to the box. A wave of relief washed over him when he caught sight of what he wanted. “Journal acquired.” He flipped through every page so that Jarvis could scan and save the contents of the journal.
“Wait, that.” Clint paused to look around and see if he could spot was Tony was talking about. “The briefcase. Looks important.” The briefcase was sat next to the cardboard box. It was a hard, black metal case with a classic three-dial combo lock next to the handle. “That. You think you can take that with you?”
Clint stuffed the journal back into the box and moved to grab the briefcase. Clint lifted it up and eyed it while thinking of the vent. “Yeah, I think I can manage. Is that all you need?” Clint made sure to do one last sweep of the room to allow the sunglasses to take everything in.
“We're good. Get out of there.”
Returning to the entrance was a little harder with the suitcase in hand, but almost an hour later Clint was peeling the transmitter off the wall of the door and was on his way out with no one the wiser.
The trek back to the airport and into a decent hiding spot was harder this time around without Tony's help of a scheduled transfer of goods. Still, twenty-four hours later found himself back on US soil and being picked up by Tony himself in a not-so-flashy sports car. (It was still a sports car, though, because it seemed Tony had to do everything with flair.)
“It was the display!” were the first words out of Tony's mouth when Clint was buckled. When Clint gave him a nod to continue, Tony began to gush. “The Stark Expo display was different from what was actually used that year. I had Jarvis pull up old footage from the promo. After a couple of comparisons, I realized it was an element all along! He hid it in plain sight and I'm a little angry he was able to teach me something from beyond the grave.” Howard was a touchy subject with Tony, Clint knew. He didn't have the full story, but it seemed that Howard didn't know how to raise a child, especially not one as brilliant as Tony. He could guess at what happened(though he hoped it was nothing like what Clint's own father had done to him and his brother).
“So you can cure yourself?” Clint asked. He let the hope he felt bleed into his words. Another chance at life for one Tony Stark.
“I built a particle accelerator in one of the SI labs, so all I need to do is actually fire the thing up now. I'll be able to displace an element to make another one. Recycling, almost. A brand new element. I can't believe...” Tony trailed off. When Clint looked over Tony was giving him an odd look. He turned back to the road. “Thank you, Clint. I don't know how I would have done any of this without you.”
The appreciation sounded genuine, though a little foreign coming from Tony. “Can't have you dying on me, boss,” Clint replied. Tony filled the silence of the rest of the ride with classic rock jamming from the speakers as Clint leafed through the journal. He had done so before, while on the plain ride back, but it didn't make any more sense than when he first read it.
“What do you think is in the case?” Clint asked later over dinner of drive-thru.
“If I read the files right, and the pages of the journal will be able to clear some of it up, it's called the Tesseract. That's the thing Captain America was fighting for before his plane went down. A source of power is what the files had said, though no one but Howard really knew more about it. And he's dead, now. So, I guess it's my turn. Finish what he couldn't.” There was a bitterness in his voice that Clint chose to ignore.
“So, wait, does that mean the Tesseract was found? Doesn't that mean they found Captain America?”
Yony opened his mouth but nothing came out. “I... Didn't think about that. I'll have to see how they found the Tesseract before I can hazard another guess. The expedition that Howard had funded is still looking for him. They won't stop until they find whatever is left.”
Tony and Clint crash in front of the TV with the take out that had just arrived. Tony worked on his tablet after they ate, but Clint's eyes were glued to the subtitles of 'Dog Cops.'
Later Clint woke up briefly to see that Dum-e had rolled over to place a blanket on them, though with only one arm he seemed to have difficulty. Clint moved to take the blanket but froze when he registered the warm body leaning on his arm. Carefully he looked to the side and glanced at Tony while he slept, drool slowly forming at the corner of his open mouth.
Carefully, making sure not to disturb Tony, Clint settled the blanket around themselves and slumped further into the couch. As he drifted off Clint tried to remember the last time he had slept next to someone.
(Later Clint would realize that it was Natalia. Not Phil. Because, wow, turns out Clint missed the huge neon sign when Phil didn't want him to stay the night after sex, quoting fraternization regulations as he saw Clint to the door, an almost guilty look on his face.)
(And wasn't that just a kick in the ass.)
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Tony came back after several hours at the SI lab with a brand new arc reactor powering his armor and chest. Elation filled Clint when he saw the pure joy on Tony's face.
“It work?”
“Like a dream, though I really want a Pina Colada now.”
Clint moved to the bar and prepared the drink of choice, mixing himself one as well. Tony had moved downstairs and Clint followed after a moment. Tony seemed to already be hard at work on a new suit, one to match the capabilities of his new reactor. Clint set the drink down next to him and moved back to the couch they had fallen asleep on last night.
He had Jarvis pull up 'Dog Cops' and sat back to watch dogs being cops while Tony worked on his projects.
“Any news on Hammer?” Clint asked after he finished one episode.
“Good thinking. Jarvis? Hack in to Hammer Industries. Let's take a look at what he's doing.”
A holographic screen pulled up after some time, security cameras flicking to life.
“It looks to me, Sir, that he's hired Ivan Vanko to help him build his suits.” True to the AI's words Vanko was on the camera feed working on one of the armors Hammer had made. In a room full of armors. Just how many armors did Hammer need for this Expo?
Clint let out a heavy sigh. Hammer, despite his brains, seemed to be the dumbest rock in the world. And Clint never went to school!
“Not it.”
“Yeah, me neither. J, can you call Pepper?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Pepper?” Clint asked. “What can she do that you can't?” Pepper still made him uncomfortable and uneasy. Her flippant behavior towards Tony's health was unnerving. Watching Tony get injured had enraged Clint. Pepper had simply screamed in the face of danger. Later she hadn't even asked about Tony's injuries. Not even Rhodes had brought them up. Social media was the first to ask if Tony had been okay. Clint had been second. Hell, the medics on scene cared more about Tony than his two supposed best friends.
Tony grinned brightly at Clint. “Not her, but the other redhead.”
“Tony? Is something wrong?”
“Pep! Hey! So, good news! I found Ivan Vanko!”
“What?”
“Yeah, turns out Hammer is hiding him and making him build robots. Crazy, right?”
“Tony! Don't you dare do anything! Let me deal with it. I'll have authorities apprehend him so that you don't get in more trouble and ruin your image even more. Stay at home.”
“Yeah, not sure if that's possible.”
“Tony!”
“Listen, I'm working on something right now and I was wondering if you could handle it?”
Silence reigned and Clint wondered if the mood swing threw Potts off. “Yeah, Yes, let me handle it. Tony are you okay?”
“Peachy. I'll call you later, Pep!”
Tony hung up and sat back as if to admire his handiwork.
“How did you come to be friends with Pepper?” Clint had to wonder.
“She was the only PA that would put up with my shit and not sleep with me.”
“And Rhodes?”
“He met me a little before... Afghanistan. At some military function Stane had dragged me to.”
The way Tony had grounded out Stane's name made Clint pause. He remembered something about betrayal. Clint let himself to use his fingers to count the months. “You've known Rhodes for less than a year. Potts maybe a little longer.” Tony shrugged his shoulders while he look like he wanted to defend them. Before he could, Clint cut in. “Well, I don't like either of them.”
Tony looked surprised by the confession, motioning for Clint to elaborate.
“Pepper never actually sees you for you. She didn't notice that your behavior from after Afghanistan was completely different from before. And Rhodes was right there helping you while you were injured! He was so close to finding out you were poisoning yourself and he just shrugged it off! Nat would never let me shrug off a near death experience! I would know, she's hounded me about it before!”
The look on Tony's face was hard for Clint to read(and not for the first time since he had been there had he wished he could talk to Nat about all of this. She would understand and know what to do).
“Pepper cares too much about SI and Rhodes only cares about his military career. If I were a betting man I would say that you don't even touch the top three of either of their priority lists. And if I'm wrong about Pepper, it's only because she cares about what your image would do for SI. Tony, they're not good friends. Friends don't let friends die.”
“Well, they're all I got.”
“Uh, no, they're not,” Clint interrupted before Tony could go on. “Me? I'm a friend. And guess what? I didn't let you die!”
Tony's mouth opened to answer but gaped like a fish instead. “You think of me as a friend?” he eventually asked.
“Duh. Don't be stupid. I may have come here for your help, but I stayed because I like being here with you. We have fun! And we get along! And you haven't kicked me out yet.” (Phil had, Clint thought to himself.) “I like to think that we're friends.”
“Yeah, I can dig that. Friends.” The lost look on Tony's face made Clint so angry that he didn't know what to do with himself. It twisted at something inside of him that he hadn't felt since— Since Phil told him he didn't mean it. But now the feeling was directed to someone else. For someone else.
Fuck feelings. They were exhausting.
“Good, cause you're not getting rid of me. I'm not sure if you've heard, but they declared me AWOL finally. And I'm pretty sure I'm a criminal without SHIELD having my back. This is the rest of your life.”
“What? Spy missions, saving my life, and Dog Cops?” Tony threw back, grin wider than ever. “I guess I'm stuck with you.”
And, yeah, that didn't sound too bad.
123199384
Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer were apprehended by SHIELD the next day. An official report was released by the police citing both of their crimes. It took Tony two more days before the new armor was finished. Pepper hounded him to have his birthday party again, now that the danger was clear.
“See?” Clint pointed out as he watched Pepper and Natalia storm into the house with Pepper's demands. He was back in his office, now with mini-fridge. “How many times have you told her that you don't want to have a party? Four times, now? And she's still pushing for it? She's trying to build up your image again. Why? SI stocks. That's why.”
Tony was unable to respond outwardly, but when he had the chance he flicked the camera off discreetly. He and Clint had spent the night before bingeing more episodes of Dog Cops than they could really handle. In the lull between episodes Tony had whispered about how he had never had a friend to do this with. He then spoke about how he knew Pepper wasn't really his friend. She had been his employee up until two weeks ago, and after that she was just there to keep Tony in line.
“Tony, I just think that this will really help, especially after the subpoena and Vanko. It'll be good to show the people that you're okay and still you.”
“Jarvis, stop me from shooting her.”
“I apologize, sir, I don't seem to have a physical body to stop you with.” And, ooh, was Jarvis getting more sassy and bold? And maybe even a little vindictive?
“Fine,” Tony had responded on the screen. “I'll throw some sort of party. J, send an email to Vanessa. Ask her if she can have a charity gala scheduled for this Saturday. Birthday party, but all gifts in the form of donations, please. Maria Stark Foundation.”
“Sir, the email has been sent.”
“Excellent.” Tony turned away from his holograms to look at Pepper. “Will that appease you?”
Pepper looked too stunned to move or respond. It was almost as if she hadn't expected Tony to do something so... not selfish.
“That's perfect, Tony,” she eventually coughed out. “Yeah, that's actually better than what I had in mind.”
“Good. Now, if you don't mind?” he motioned to the workbench he was working on before turning his back to her.
“Thank you, Tony.”
Clint watched Natalia on screen hesitate to follow Pepper out of the workshop. “Mr Stark,” she started, though she couldn't seem to follow that up. Tony ignored her in favor of whatever he was doing on the workbench.
Finally, after what seemed like a long minute, she went up the stairs.
“She's showing emotion,” Clint said suddenly. “Oh, that was more emotion than I've seen on her face says Budapest.”
“I read her file,” Tony muttered lowly, though Clint could hear it clearly through the BTEs he chose today. Bright purple, Clint's favorite color. “Red Room. That's some nasty shit.”
“She was the youngest one to come out of the Red Room,” Clint responded, though his tongue was heavy. “No one deserves to go through what she did.”
Tony called Clint back into the work shop to show off his latest toy. “This is what I'll be sending out to find Captain America.”
“It's a drone.”
“A smart drone. It has—.”
“I get it Tony. Just send it out already.”
“Spoilsport.”
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The gala went off without a hitch.
Tony mingled and rubbed elbows, laughing and smiling to keep up his 'image' that Pepper was so worried about. It was funny to watch Tony expertly avoid both Pepper and Rhodes the entire night while still look like he wasn't doing it on purpose. Clint had stayed home, unsure of what he would do there. He had the most power in his small office tucked in the workshop. It still left him uncomfortable to leave Tony to the wolves like that, but he trusted Natalia to save him if anything happened.
“Sir, it seems that one Agent Coulson has arrived to the gala.”
Clint's eyes raked the screens of the cameras that had been set up just for him. He spotted the agent making his way towards Tony in a casual but purposeful gait.
“Tony.”
“Where's he coming from?”
“Your eight o'clock.”
Clint watched Tony on the screen move cautiously to his right, still mingling and speaking to others. He put considerable distance between himself and the agent, even losing him at one point.
“I think now is an acceptable time to leave my own party,” Tony muttered as he began to walk away from the crowd. “You'll have to tell me more about why you sound so scared of him.”
“That's the ex I was talking about.”
Clint wasn't sure if Tony would do something stupid, like turn and punch Coulson in the face. He would rather Tony come back for more Dog Cops. In one piece.
“Asshole that was using you for sex?”
“Tony.”
“Yeah, I get it, not today.”
“Thank you, Tony.”
Tony made it out of the building safely and without incident.
He got into the car and right into a problem's lap. Almost literally.
“What are you doing in my car? Happy? What's this man doing in my car?”
Clint froze. There was nothing he could do right now. He had zero visuals on Tony and he cursed himself for telling Tony that no one wore sunglasses at night. There was a stranger in Tony's car and who knows what the man—
“Sit your ass down, Stark. I've got words to share with you.”
Dread filled Clint's lungs. A cold seeped in through his bones and he didn't know what to do. He had no idea of what was going on, just audio. And Nick Fury was talking to Tony. Nick. Goddamn. Fury.
“Fury, what a pleasant surprise. My answer to the super secret boy band is no. Now get out of my car.”
“I'm not here to hear any kind of answer from you. I'm here to save you from the palladium that's poisoning you.”
Oh.
OH.
Relief swept through Clint like a tsunami and he started to laugh. High pitched laughing. That was not giggling.
Clint's gone insane.
“What do you know about that?”
Clint tuned out as they spoke of the arc reactor, Tony insisting that he didn't need Fury's help.
“How long is the ride back, J?”
“Twenty-five minutes, sir.”
Clint relaxed into his chair and pulled out his tablet. He could use this time to read any updates on his AWOL report.
He must have zoned out, though, because he came to when Jarvis had switched the camera feeds to the ones pointing down the road a half mile up from the driveway and the one in the driveway.
“I don't think I want to create a new element, especially if it's something Howard came up with.”
“That's a damn shame, because your job, until—”
“Alert, attempted security breech.” The screen split so that Clint could see the two camera's facing the north side of the house.
“Anne Frank, Jarvis,” Clint rushed out.
“Code Anne Frank enabled.”
There was a figure in black scaling up the wall and Clint knew immediately who it was. Had seen that figure to those exact same moves on a different mission.
“Natalia is on the north side, climbing up. Also, there's another car following you. That one looks SHIELD.”
Dread set once again when Clint realized who it must have been. Only one other SHIELD agent was present that night at the gala.
The cars parked in the driveway and Tony got out as fast as he could. Clint breathed a little bit easier when he had visuals on Tony.
“You seem to know my own father better than I did,” Tony growled out. “If that tells you anything about my worth to him.”
Tony hastily made his way inside, but Fury followed him in.
Natalia had gotten one of the windows open to let herself in while two agents came out of the second car and retrieved something from the trunk of the SUV they rode in on. Clint immediately recognized Coulson from his posture.
“Looks like they're here to give you something, Large crate.”
Clint turned to look and make sure that his door was closed and completely sealed.
“Sir, Agent Romanova is attempting to hack into my procedures. Code Anne Frank is still running, any further action?”
“No, Jarvis, that's fine as long as she can't see me. Let's see what she's trying to do.”
Tony had moved inside and was sitting on one of the chairs in the 'sitting room,' eyes patiently tracking Fury, Coulson, and the third agent who had assisted Coulson with the crate. The crate was placed in front of Tony before they both moved away. As they branched away, Jarvis pulled up other cameras to keep them in sight.
Natalia's screen showed her in the workshop as she worked away on one of the physical computers.
“Agent Romanova has disabled outgoing transmissions on frames one, five, and seven, leaving emergency transmissions open. She has yet to find the in house transmissions or any of the back ups.”
“That sounds like it should be fine,” Clint muttered. His eyes fell back to Coulson to watch him stand post next to the door. Nothing seemed different about the man on the screen from when Clint had last seen him in person. (He tried to remember a time when Coulson didn't look like he was on the job. He had thought that maybe it was because Coulson always looked like that, no matter if he was at work or with friends, but now he entertained the idea that Coulson had never let his guard down around him.) (He cursed himself for being so open with the man. He should have known better. Spy types were all the same. They always kept their secrets.)
“This is some of your old man's stuff. You might be able to piece together what he left for you to find yourself a solution to the arc reactor.” Fury moved to the case in front of Tony and kicked it. “All his notes and shit are in there.” He stepped back and began to move back to the door where Coulson stood.
Natalia came up the stairs just shy of Tony's peripherals. “Natalia's coming up on your four o'clock. She's got something in her hand.” Clint watched Tony stand up and move to the case, putting Natalia directly in front of him.
“Natalie,” Tony replied with a hint of surprise. “Don't tell me you work for SHIELD.”
“Sorry, Mr Stark,” she replied with a shrug. Her hand was quick as she stabbed something in his neck.
“Shit, what was that?”
“You're drugging me, now? After all I've done for you?”
“You haven't done anything, Mr Stark. Not for me. At least, not yet.”
“Yeah, Stark,” Fury cut in. “It's about what we can do for you. That was lithium dioxide, to help combat the Palladium that's poisoning your system. It should stave off the effects for a little bit while we give you some time to find your own solution.”
Clint saw something snap in Tony, but he calmed down before he started speaking. “First off, Fury, I'm the doctor, not you.” Clint was frozen as he watched Tony with a close eyes, noting that Tony himself seemed a little stiff when he turned to Fury. “Lithium Dioxide literally doesn't exist, the chemical compound is lithium peroxide. Also, I would be dead right now if that was actually the case. And finally, why does everyone think I have palladium poisoning? I don't!”
Fury, Coulson, and Natasha all studied him with calculating looks. Clint couldn't get a good read on anyone other than Tony.
“Listen, spyworks, thank you for trying to manhandle me into the perfect position where I owe you, but I'll have you remember that I'm the genius. The rate of Palladium poisoning me isn't much, and on top of that, it's really not harmful. It just made me weak. But I went ahead and already fixed that problem on my own. Now, if you don't take yourself and your team out that front door, I'll have to press charges, and let me tell you, there are a lot of charges to press. Including breaking into my house, using a false name under my employment,” he turned to look at Natalia with a pointed look. “Yeah, I knew you weren't who you said you were. No one puts modeling pictures on a CV. That's a clear red flag. Natalia Romanova.” The name made her freeze but Tony ignored her to look back at the director of SHIELD. “Plus introducing an unknown compound into my system. You drugged me, Nick, and I've got it on camera. Actually, you admitted to trying to poison me. I wonder what's actually in my system. I'll find out in a couple minutes when I do a blood test, though.”
Tony kicked the crate he stood before in the same manner Fury had done just moments ago. “Now take your shit and leave. All that stuff is Howard's, which he gave to you, not me.”
Nick stared intensely at Tony before nodding his head. “Alright, Agent Romanoff, Agent Coulson, we've been asked to leave.”
Natalia made her way around Tony, still giving him a calculating, cold look.
“Hey, J, pull up frames one, five, seven. Repair the damage Agent Romanova did. Pull communications back up.”
The AI was silent in the room, but Clint saw in the corner of his screen light up with three green check marks. “Systems are back up,” Clint sounded. Fury stepped out of the door with Coulson on his heels. Natalia hesitated, just as she had done a couple days ago.
“Tell her 'your web can't hold someone like me, I move too damn much.'”
“Your web can't hold someone like me.” Natalia's face turned with shock as her eyes quickly narrowed at Tony. “I move too dam much.”
Her face took a calm mask again, but Clint saw what he was looking for. A small quirk of her lips gave her away.
“Take care of him, Stark.”
She left without clarifying, but her steps seemed to be lighter. Clint kept his eyes on the camera pointed to the driveway to make sure all the agents had packed up and gone.
“What the hell was that? And they left a mess behind.”
Once the cars were out of sight, Clint turned back to Tony's screen. “She won't tell anyone I'm here, but she knows now. She won't be as worried as she once was.” Tony was opening the crate that Fury had left behind.
“A couple of film reels, the prequel to the journal I already have, and schematics I've memorized before I graduated primary. Great, this was a waste. How was I supposed to deduce anything from this?”
Clint emerged from his office as Tony made his way downstairs. “You left everything?”
“I'm about to dump it into the ocean. Or sell it all on Ebay. I haven't decided yet. But, first, I need to see what your dear spider put in my system. What she tried to poison me with.”
Clint settled himself on his spot on the couch. Dog Cops immediately cued up on its own.
“Who do you think gave them such wrong information?”
“Couldn't be Hammer. I hate to say it, but he's smarter than that. Anyone can do a quick search on the internet to see that lithium dioxide doesn't exist, let alone help me with palladium poisoning.”
Tony moved to an almost unused section of his workshop where several large machines were lined up. He drew his own blood and began to prepare the tests.
An episode later Tony flopped onto the couch next to Clint. “Results?” Clint asked as he browsed their entertainment selection. They were caught up on 'Dog Cops' now, but Clint still had a lot he hadn't watched while he was working for SHIELD. He made an interesting humming noise at 'Doctor Who' but Tony shot him down with a statement of wanting to watch something 'mindless.'
“It was a low dose of morphine. I'm sure they were just trying to put me in debt with favors. Forced bribery.”
“So, what now?” Clint asked some time after their third episode of 'The Simpsons.'
“Nicky mentioned something about not being the biggest problem in the southwest. I take great offense to that. I had Jarvis begin to monitor everything. Something came up in New Mexico. You won't believe this. An Alien god who calls himself Thor. With a hammer that no one can pick up. Crazy shit.” Tony showed Clint what he was reading on his tablet.
“What about the super secret boy band you mentioned?”
“Fury wants to set up something called 'The Avengers Initiative.' There's a lot of problems with that already. First problem is Captain America, but I'm working on that now, not that SHIELD knows, Second problem was the whole 'working on a team' thing that I don't like.”
“We work pretty well together, I think,” Clint interrupted.
“Yeah, but that's because I like you. We get along fine, so we can work together fine. But Fury wants to put me on a team of people that work for him? No go. Finally, the last problem: the name of the game. 'Avengers?' Who are we avenging? Nothing's been done to us. And seriously, it sounds silly. I personally like the name Defenders. Hell, even X-Men sounds better, and I can't stand Xavier.”
“You think you'll find Captain America?” Clint wondered. He had liked the comics from his youth just fine, what little he could read of them. Coulson had been... obsessed. Clint remembered buying several different Captain America paraphernalia for the man. (But never getting anything in return. The only thing Coulson had ever given him was a gun, a bullet in the leg, and heartbreak.)
“Any news on the good Captain, Jarvis?”
“Nothing so far, Sir.”
“That's fine. Alert me the moment you find something. I'll keep working on the Tesseract.”
“J, can you send me everything you've found on Thor and New Mexico? I can look at that while you start doing... the thing you do.”
“Solving problems?” Tony asked with a wry grin on his face.
“Sure, let's call it that.”