Title: Is this a test?
Rating: 12
Summary: Coulson find the sniper they've been looking for and Clint finds a new start
Featuring: Clint Barton, Phil Coulson, Fury with mention of Barney Barton
Genre/warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, mention of facial injuries, scared, hurt!Clint, concerned!Phil, AU in the sense that its not the canon back story of how these two met
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters of Marvel Movies. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and no money is being made.
Notes: I was looking at pics of Mr Renner and came across this pic from Bourne Legacy and since I have always seen that film as a Clint backstory (esp the scene shown in this pic!), this little fic popped into my head. Bunnies are still fragile so i wasn't going to refuse. Anyway, as always this is unbeta'd so any mistakes you find, please, please, please forgive (I mean it PLEASE!).

x

Coulson wasn't really listening as the medic listed all of the injuries inflect on the young man sitting in the stark examination room on the other side of the glass. Instead he was gazing at the young man's face. He had never seen such a lost soul. Large frightened eyes gazed worriedly around the room, the left eyes bloodshot and surrounded by a nastiest looking black eye Coulson had ever seen. The other side of the young man's face was covered in sharp painful grazes. The rest of the injuries were covered by the surgical cap and gown he had been dressed in, the gown instead then covered with one of those awful scratchy blue blankets medical seemed to fond of.

"Will he survive?" asked Coulson cutting across the rambling report of the medic.

"Physically he'll recover but it's hard to say the mental damage that has been done to him," replied the Medic. There was a moment pause and as Coulson flicked him a look he medic swallowed then confided, "I don't think he's all that smart."

Coulson didn't reply. He's been watching the young man during the initially burst of medical activity. He was scared and hurting and clearly unused to having so many people around him but from that initial observation Coulson knew he was anything but stupid. He resisted the urge to huff at the medic; instead he simply levelled a look at him, a look that was hard enough and cold enough that within seconds the medic was scurrying away like a frightened rabbit.

Watching him go Coulson closed the report he had been leafing through and set it aside. Taking a moment to compose himself, he stepped into the room.

x

Trying hard not to flinch as the door the room swung open, Clint looked up and saw yet another stranger step into the room. A quick glance told him this wasn't yet another medic come to poke and prod him some more. This was a suit and suits meant trouble. He'd learnt that the hard way too many times during his brief life. But even as he started to sit up, he gave up. His body ached too much for him to be able to make a run for it. Instead he decided to play the broken idiot they seemed to think he was. Licking his chapped lips, he asked brokenly, "Where's Barney?"

"Gone," replied the Suit softly.

Clint started at him. He hadn't expected that answer. He knew Barney had been pissed off at him, he knew his refusal to shoot the latest mark had enraged his brother. But to leave him, to abandon him to the authorities after beating the crap out of him... For a moment his mind went blank and without realising it, he let his true self show. With his lower lip shaking, he pawed at his cheek with his bandaged hand and murmured, "He wouldn't...he wouldn't leave me…he…"

"Your brother and his accomplice beat you and left you to die in the ally," interrupted the Suit.

Clint stared at him in horrified surprise, then dropping his gaze he started to pick at the blanket lying in his lap, numb with the realisation that once again he had been abandoned by the person he trusted.

"James…" Clint jumped at the use of his given alias, "…can you tell me where they went?"

Clint stared at him blankly.

"I need to know where they were heading. So I can stop them. Before anyone else gets hurt." He paused then stepping forward the suit added, "I need your help to stop them."

Clint stared at him then realising his didn't have the mental strength to fight any more, he gave a loud sniff and asked weakly, "Is...Is this a test? Did Barney set this…will he…" he stared at the Suit noting the softening in his face, his gentle crease around his eyes. For the first time in as long as he could remember he felt as if this stranger might actually tell him the truth, "If this is a test and I pass, can I stay here? It's nice here…it's…warm…"

"No," replied the suit gently, "It's not a test. And even if it was, you have my word; you can stay here as long as you like. You're safe. I promise you, you're safe."

There was no hint of a double cross about him and, despite the strange situation and the fact he was scared out of his mind, Clint found himself trusting him. He wasn't an idiot, not the way Barney thought he was. Sure he didn't have book smarts, he'd never graduated school but he knew stuff. Good and bad stuff. And for some reason his instincts - which were normally spot on where telling him who to trust expect when it came to his brother - were screaming that he could trust the softly spoken, unassuming suit in front of him.

Offering a broken, lopsided smile Clint murmured, "My name's Clint…" and promptly passed out.

x

"Well?"

Coulson didn't even jump as Director Fury materialised in front of him as he stepped out of the examination room.

"He told me his real name."

The silence stretched between them. Pursing his lips, Fury turned and looked through the glass. The man lying on the exam table looked impossibly young and broken. It seemed almost impossible that he broken figure on that table was the same sniper they had been hunting for the last few months.

"He doesn't know about his brother's true plan," explained Coulson coming to stand beside Fury both of the staring at the young man, "He was, as we suspected, just a talented pawn in the large game." After a few moments Coulson added, "He could be an amazing asset, Boss."

Fury gave a low huff then turning to fix Coulson with a hard glare, he snapped, "It'll be on your head. He's a wanted felon, his brother is even worse. You really think…"

"He's never been given the chance to be himself," replied Coulson firmly, "Everyone deserve the chance to prove themselves. He deserves that chance."

Fury glared at him then giving a sharp nod, he gave his silent agreement. Coulson gave him a grateful smile, then with his face slipping into a disarmingly blank expression, he turned on his heel and started to wall away.

"You've got 48 hours," called Fury.

Coulson paused and fighting the urge to smile he turned and looked over his shoulder, replying, "I only need 24 to make it count."

"No, "corrected Fury flashing an evilly knowing smile, "Take 48 hours; make sure it does more than count. Make sure you destroy them." He glanced back at the figure on the exam bed, "I don't want any lose ends. If he's getting a fresh start there can't be any lose ends left lying around."

"There won't be," assured Coulson, the calm steel like authority in his voice enough to make fury shiver internally at the thought of what his top agent would do when he finally caught up with the men who had broken but handed them Clint Barton.

Fin x