Motherfucking Babysitters

by Leo of Nohr

In a universe where Tony was born a lot later in the timeline and didn't turn out as well, he is caught hacking SHIELD and taken in. He claims he is the next supervillain, but the way he flinches away from everyone? Clint doesn't think so.

The Avengers are last-resort only. They don't have enough funding for anything else.

But they need a purpose. Something to do when not saving the world.

And there is one thing that SHIELD agents have to do in their spare time. The one thing that even though the job has only been going for a week, it is infamous and twenty agents have already been through it.

The job that is called reformation duty but is basically babysitting.

*A*

"You're joking." Clint said. "You have to be joking. Not him."

"He needs reforming." Phil said.

Clint scoffed. "He needs babysitters! Not scary agents breathing down his neck."

"He's thirteen, Clint." Phil said quietly. "His parents are dead, have been for over a year, he's been tortured endlessly for three months, he has a hunk of metal imbedded in his chest, cutting through his sternum, his lungs are squashed, as is his heart."

"You're trying to guilt-trip me." Clint stated.

"He's over-intelligent and conflicted." Phil added.

"He's hyperactive and annoying. And he wants to be a supervillain when he grows up."

"You've never met him."

"He destroyed one of my nests."

"You do call them nests! I knew it! He has PTSD."

"I can't deal with flashbacks."

"Natasha can."

"He's probably self-destructive."

"He needs company."

"He doesn't want company."

"He cries at night."

"I hate you."

"I love you too, Clint. Now go tell the others."