Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or anything else whatsoever, except my laptop…..and my pictures…..my DVD collection…I could go on but I think I'll stop now ;)
Authors Note: This idea literally smacked me in the face the other day, it hurt….just so you know LOL.
Clint is sent to prison to take out a target that just so happens to be an ex SHIELD agent who defected. But Clint never expected to bump into someone from his past…..will he be able to complete his mission and make it out alive?
Only one way to find out :)
I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. - Harper Lee
"You're sending me to prison?" Clint glared between his handler and director Fury, hoping that they were about to start laughing and tell him this was a joke, because really that was all this could be. A sick joke.
But instead, Phil looked away not meeting his eyes and Fury just glared at him with his one good eye.
Great.
"I know this isn't your usual type of assignment Barton. But…"
Clint scoffed at the director and started pacing in the large office. "Your damn right this isn't my usual mission. You're sending me into a fucking prison. Where there are lots of murderers and sicko's." He stopped pacing and threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "Tell you what, why don't I just take them all out. Might as well while I'm there, right? It will probably make my job easier, take the criminals out before they are let back out into the streets. Fish in a barrel and all that."
Fury glared at the archer before turning to Phil with a look that said 'do something'!"
"Clint…" Phil stopped when the archer spun to face him, he had never seen the kid look so on edge before. He watched as his young charge took a few calming breaths before seeming to get himself under some sort of control.
"This man needs to be taken out. He is an ex Agent from SHIELD and he disappeared almost three years ago. Since then he has managed to stay hidden, he knows he would be taken out if we ever caught up to him. This just happens to be the first time he's shown up on our radar since then." Phil slid the file containing all the information they had across the table to Clint.
The archer sighed and flipped open the folder. He glanced at the photo secured to the first page, the man looked to be in his thirties, short blonde hair, a scar running down his left eye and over his cheek and a noticeable tattoo that spread from his shoulder and up the side of his neck, it looked like a tribal design and Clint found himself wondering how long it might have taken to finish. He shook his head, the guy certainly didn't look like a SHIELD agent now, and continued reading the file.
Fury looked over at Phil and sighed, he knew the older agent wasn't at all happy with this decision but Fury had no one else better experienced than Clint that could blend in once in the jail, after all he had been in jail before. But it was also that the archer excelled at staying hidden, he was a distance assassin and no one saw him or had a chance to remember his face, and the plus side was that Dexter didn't know Clint, he'd been brought in after he went rogue and who would think a young man of twenty-two, but looked younger, would be an experienced assassin. He knew Clint could take this guy out.
Clint looked up from the file and flipped it closed. He glanced over at Phil with a raised eyebrow, his handler gave him a brief nod and Clint smiled before gripping the file in his right hand and heading for the door.
Fury glanced between the two men, damn he hated when they did that.
Phil waited till the door shut and turned to face the director. His eyes were hard as he glared at Fury. This was one of those times he wished he could just wrap the kid up in cotton wool and protect him from the world, but that was wishful thinking.
Fury cleared his throat. "I know you're not happy with this Phil. But believe me I didn't make this decision lightly. The kid is the best we've got and you know it, he'll get this done."
Phil knew there wasn't much else he could say to try to change the director's mind. The man Clint was being sent after was called Dexter Loran, he went rogue and gave away SHIELD Intel to the people the agency was fighting against. Fury had to arrange for new codes for every base and wipe Dexter off all their systems. But he still had other classified information and could have easily passed it on, they had no way of knowing to who though and that's why Clint was being sent in and Phil had no doubt that he should be taken out. He just wished it didn't have to be Clint.
Clint headed for the training gym, he needed to work off some of the anger that was building up inside him. Pushing the door to the gym open with a little more force than was probably necessary, his eyes were immediately drawn to the punch bag where one of the other agents was busy pummeling the bag as if his life depended on it.
The archer walked over to his locker first and put the file there for safe keeping, he had been tempted to just chuck it in the trash on his way here but he was sure Phil wouldn't be too happy with him. And if there was one person in this place that he actually cared about opinion of him, it was his handler Phil Coulson.
The man literally saved him, he gave him a chance to be better and not just a petty criminal he had been turning in to. The handler had seen something in him and Clint still wasn't sure what he'd seen but he was eternally grateful. Phil had gotten him out of jail and turned his life around, he would never be able to make it up to the man, but he would damn well try.
Clint changed into his shorts and light grey t-shirt and headed for the punch bag. He almost smiled when the agent turned and was probably about to tell him to wait his turn, but he saw who it was and the scowl plastered on the archers face and gave him a brief nod before heading to the showers.
He started slowly at first, a right hook, then a left, then a right, right and left. Clint focussed his whole energy on his target, a smile spreading on his lips as he envisioned Fury's face every time he hit the bag. He wasn't entirely sure what had him so riled up about this mission, perhaps it was the fact that it was in jail, again. Or maybe that he was a distance assassin for a reason, Clint preferred the distance. He saw everything better. But this mission was putting him right in the middle of a prison filled with the scum of the earth, people he would usually be sent after and take out with great pleasure.
But during this assignment he would be weapon less, surrounded by other killers, and have no back-up. If anything went wrong he would be 'up shit creek without a paddle'. And Clint didn't like having crappy odds being stacked against him.
He frowned when he punched the bag so hard his hand actually hurt.
This was going to suck!
He didn't bother looking over his shoulder when the door to the training gym swung open, he knew who it would be. Phil stopped a few feet from him, just watching. Probably searching for the right words, Clint thought.
After a few more hits on the bag he turned to his handler. The man stood watching him with concern, he looked down at Clint's hands and arched an eyebrow.
"Where are your gloves?" He motioned to the blood now covering Clint's knuckles.
The archer looked at his own hands and frowned. He hadn't realised his knuckles were bleeding. "I didn't need them." He said firmly and headed to his locker. Phil followed and just as he almost reached the edge of the mat Phil grabbed his arm and spun him around.
Clint reacted on instinct and went on the offence, as he turned he already had his hand clenched into a fist and aimed at Phil's head, the older agent was almost caught off guard but moved back just in time to feel the air shift just in front of his face.
His young charge met his eyes and Phil realised that Clint was no longer bothered about heading to the lockers. Coulson blocked and dodged the next few punches aimed for his face, he knew the kid just needed to blow off some steam and he would happily help him out. It was better than Clint going up against the director, because he had no doubt the kid would if given the chance.
Phil let his guard down for a split second and caught a fist to the side of the head, he staggered back a step and Clint actually looked shocked that he'd managed to hit him. Phil cocked an eyebrow at the young agent and motioned him towards him.
"Come on then, show me what you got." It was Clint's turn to arch an eyebrow at his handler and he dropped into his fighting stance and smiled. This was going to be good.
Clint aimed another hit towards Phil's face but the older agent blocked it easily, then Phil struck out with a hit of his own, Clint dodged it and kicked his leg out, aiming for the side of Phil's leg. Phil twisted and just managed to catch the foot before it connected, he tried to flip Clint onto his back but the archer was never one to be underestimated, as Phil lifted his leg, Clint had his hands out ready to carry him into a back-flip, he vaulted easily back onto his feet and stood there smirking at Phil.
The older agent shook his head smiling, Clint loved to use his acrobatic skills in a fight. It made his unpredictable and deadly. Phil couldn't hope to pull off even half the moves Clint managed. Then they were suddenly a blur of motion, hands feet and elbows. The handler managed to get one lucky hit to connect with the archer and it was only after the younger man had decked him on the mat that he got an elbow to the archer's stomach. Clint grunted but rolled backwards and onto his feet. He glared at Phil while rubbing his stomach, Phil chuckled.
"If you can't take it, don't dish it out."
Clint huffed, then smiled at the older man. "You're getting better Phil. I told you eating more than a salad would make you strong."
Phil laughed. "I usually only eat the salad because there is nothing left after you've picked what you want."
Clint smiled and puffed out his chest. "But I am a growing boy."
Phil patted his arm. "Yes, yes you are."
Clint grinned, he felt better now. Making his way to the locker he grabbed the file and walked back over to Phil. The handler arched an eyebrow. "I thought you would have binned it already?"
Clint laughed. "Almost did. Then I thought it might piss you off, so I restrained myself."
Phil smiled and shook his head. The kid was something else, last time he'd been given an assignment he wasn't happy with he had walked out of Fury's office and threw the file in the nearest trash can, Phil hadn't been pleased but he'd understood why Clint was annoyed, the mission was a tad shitty for the archer, it had been a test though and Clint had done the mission anyway, proving he could take whatever the director tossed at him.
Phil gripped the back of the Clint's neck affectionately, the kid was only twenty-two and had been with SHIELD for two and a half years now. He trained for the first six months and was then given his first assignment, he was just that good. Phil couldn't believe it had been over two years already and the archer was quickly becoming the best agent he had ever had the pleasure of knowing or working with. The kid had a wicked sense of humour and kept Phil on his toes most of the time, and he also wasn't afraid to bang heads with the director. Phil was sure that even with the amount Fury moaned the face off him about Clint, he was very aware of how talented the boy was and how deadly he could be if he'd been on the wrong side.
Phil was suddenly smacked in the face with the possibility of why Clint was so pissed with this mission, he'd been released from prison by Phil's doing and now he was being sent back.
He turned to Clint. "What's got you so riled about this mission Clint?"
Clint sighed and stopped just outside the door to his room. He leaned against the wall, arms folded over his chest. "I just don't like being sent on a mission where I don't have all the details, all the possible scenarios. I mean I could go in there Phil and the 'shit could hit the fan' and there would be nothing you could do to help. I'd be alone."
Phil nodded. "I get it Clint. And I promise I will not be sending you in there without a good back up plan. I like this about as much as you do."
Clint gave his handler a smile. "I know Phil. And thanks for always looking out for me."
"That's what I'm here for Clint."
Clint gave him a knowing look and Phil frowned as he watched the kid open his door and step inside the room. "Night Phil."
"Goodnight Clint."
Phil headed back to his room, he had a feeling it was going to be a long night.