Ever since he was a small kid he had been good at hiding and going unnoticed for long periods of time. To this day he thanks those skills for keeping him and Barney safe at the orphanage, watching his brother get picked on from the safety of the air vents to then exact his revenge on them while they slept.

It didn't take them long to realize it was Clint's doing, meaning he spent more time in solitary. He always knew out of the two of them he was the less desirable, no one wanted the troublesome fuck up. Barney always managed to charm the pants off prospective foster parents, before creating a fuss about him being split up from his brother. This usually meant they got left behind...again.

Clint knew he was unwanted.

That's why he began hiding more, began focusing on escaping more. He started acting better just so him and Barney would be allowed outside time, till the day they finally got out, and they ran for it. Clint felt like they had been running for ages, his legs aching as he ran with his brother close behind him.

"Clint wait up, slow down!" Barney yelled at his brother wheezing every word out.

By the time they had finally stopped running they were both hunched over, there bodies struggling to take in the needed air to fill there lungs.

After a couple days they found a circus that was more than happy to take in two fit boys who were ready for work. Finally Clint found somewhere that he could call home, he was taken under the wing of the master swordsman, Clint finally felt important and took in everything that he was taught like a sponge.

Before long Clint was behind a bow hitting bulls-eyes like it was nothing, he knew in the back of his head he kept at it to keep his mentor happy. That was until the day he found Barney and the swordsman embezzling money from his beloved circus, his home, he took to confronting both of them threatening to turn them over to the police. He pleaded with Barney to stop damaging there home!

In negotiation terms it didn't go so well, Clint took a hell of a beating and as the circus train left he looked as his brother through his bruised eyes before feeling him push him off the moving carriage an into the dirt below.

He will never forget that day, the pain of falling, the feeling of his shoulder dislocating as he hit the ground and rolled to a halt. That was nothing compared to the pain of his brother leaving him.

A few months passed before he was back with a circus, but this time he had built up a persona for himself as the 'worlds greatest marksman' he was no longer the unwanted Clint Barton, he was now the crowd loved Hawkeye! Months an months of doing the same tricks always hitting the bull's-eye, with out even looking, months of hooking up with random girls that used the 'I love men with bows' line to get in his pants.

Until that one day when he got a visitor, he will always remember that day, a man in a perfectly pressed suit was waiting for him as he walked out of his tent an towards his makeshift nest.

"Clint? Clinton Barton?" The suit called out

"Who wants to know? If its about my brother, he can go to hell" Clint snapped back.

The suit walked up closer to him, Clint took a second to take the man in, he looked well groomed and smelled of expensive cologne, he reeked of cop.

"Look dude, what ever Barney did I have nothing to do with it, why are cops snooping around me?" He looked at the man

"I'm not a cop, and I'm here to offer you a job you can't refuse" the suit smiled "is there somewhere private we can talk?"

Clint hated the fact that he couldn't get a read on this guy, it made him nervous, he just gave in and started walking towards his nest knowing the man was following.

"Welcome to my humble abode" he joked to the man. His nest was a joke it was simply a bed in a box, his room was covered with arrows and bows that he spent his sleepless nights working on "I know it's not much but it's home" he said as he threw his bow on his bed, not sure why he felt it was necessary to apologize for his home to this suit, who casually leant on his doorframe as he clearly composed his thoughts.

"Mr. Barton, my name is Phil Coulson I work for the strategic homeland intervention enforcement logistic division. We have been monitoring you and we think we could use your skills" he kept his eyes locked on Clint, watching his face change with this new knowledge.

"I'm sorry but that name is one hell of a mouthful..." He said as he was trying to take in everything that was just said to him.

"If you prefer you can call it S.H.I.E.L.D" Phil smiled "look I know it is a lot to take in but we would like to offer you full training, lodging and payment of course"

"Training? What do you want me to be? Robocop or something? Or S.H.I.E.L.D's butt buddy" Clint still struggling to understand everything this man was saying, finally the file he had been eyeing was handed over to him.

"Like I said I know it's a lot to take in, I don't expect an answer right now but I need it before you leave town, here is my card, everything is explained in the file. I hope to hear from you soon Mr. Barton" Phil got up and walked out the door leaving Clint to absorb everything he had just been told.

Looking down at the file with the huge bird logo emblazoned on the front, his heart dropped, he wasn't sure If this was something he couldn't get someone to read to him, fuck! With all there so-called monitoring they never realized he couldn't fucking read. He spent the rest of the night with his finger tracing the outline of the bird of the shield logo, before finally sitting up and calling the suit.

Swallowing all his pride he waiting for Phil to pick up, it was 4am he knew it would probably go to voicemail, just another 9-5 suit.

"Agent Coulson"

Clint was shocked when he heard that voice pick up; he didn't even sound like he had been woken up.

"Uh hi it's Clint" god could he sound anymore awkward

"Mr. Barton, you must be a quick reader"

He felt an anger pang in his chest "funny you say that, I think you got some wrong Intel and I were you I would start firing people" he joked

"Wrong Intel? So you're not the world's greatest marksman? Are you sure? I've seen your arm muscles you can easily pull back that bow!"

Was the suit flirting with him! This was not helping him admit defeat. "What no I am it's just I uh I can't...uh" he kept stumbling on his words " I can't read the file you gave me"

He automatically felt the tone of the conversation change "oh! Of course I'm terribly sorry Mr. Barton I will be there in 5 minutes to rectify the issue"

And with that the line went dead, Clint let out a groan, as he laid back down on his bed surrounded by his bows "could that of been anyone embarrassing, fuck" he covered his face with a pillow.

As he said with in 5 minutes Phil was back in Clint's room, after a couple minutes of him staring at Clint as he slipped into sweat pants he cleared his throat. " I can read it to you if you like or I can get J.A.R.V.I.S to do it for you?" He looked at Clint who's face flushed "an just so you know at S.H.I.E.L.D reading isn't a big part of your job and we can work around it or even work on that skill" he smiled at Clint, trying to make the situation more comfortable for the both of them.

Clint finally sighed as to almost admit defeat "you can read it, I don't think I can deal with another person knowing about this" his head dropped into his hands and he heard Phil chuckle, he snapped his head up "what?"

"J.A.R.V.I.S is a artificial intelligence program that Mr. Stark created, but I'm more than happy to read to you" he said as he perched on the edge of the bed, making sure not to disturb the bows.

Phil's voice was so calming that Clint couldn't help but get lost in his mind as he read the file aloud, only half taking in what the man was saying.

"...so basically I would be your handler on all your missions and training, I truly think you would be a perfect addition to the program" Phil finished, letting his eyes drape across the archers chiseled body "what do you say? Freedom from the circus!"

Clint shook his head, pushing the haze from his mind "but the circus is my home!" He snapped, "it may not pay well but they are my family"

Phil was shocked by this comment, taking a deep breath he carried on "Mr. Barton I meant no disrespect, but do you really see the circus as your be all and end all? When you could be using your skills for the greater good? Plus stark wants to work with R&D for better arrows for you" he said looking around at all the bows.

"Tony stark knows who I am?"

"Of course the director and I debriefed him on you before I headed out here, the man is already working on a prototype for an exploding arrow" Phil's heart jumped as he watched Clint's mouth curl into a smile.

Clint looked around his room " I can't just leave...can I?" He looked at Phil hoping to get some sort of answer.

"That's a decision you will have to make on your own" Phil said as he stood up, "it's not my place to tell you what to do, I'm not your handler yet" he joked with that he left Clint in the room on his own to think more about the offer.

Phil's car was cold on the journey back to his hotel on the outskirts of town, the room closest to the fire exits for a quick escape. He placed his hand on his weapon out of habit as he unlocked the door. The hotel room was plain and as per usual his training taught him to make it look like no one was even in the room. He threw his wallet and keys on the cupboard by the door and sat down on the bed as the slow rising sun peeked through the cheap curtains, as per his mind wouldn't let him sleep so he pulled the bottle of whiskey out of his bag and began writing his tedious notes on this mission. 3 glasses in the liquor finally began to make his eyelids heavy and he moved to the bed with his stark pad to type up more notes, within minutes he was asleep.

Clint was back in the circus world that morning, his mind was running through all the pros and cons of joining the strategic homeland... S.H.E.I.L.D, he walked around the base camp of his so called home trying to thing of what was really keeping him here. When his mind drew a blank he pulled out his phone and dialed Phil's number.

He felt his phone going off in his pants pocket, bringing him back into the room, he hazily dragged the phone to his ear.

His voice was harsh from last nights whiskey "Phil...Agent Coulson" he answered his head steadily pounding, so he chose the smart decision of keeping his eyes closed.

"Oh shit did I wake you?" Clint felt like an idiot " I can call back" he fidgeted

"Uh no sorry what's the problem Mr. Barton?" He tried shaking off his hangover to give his full attention to his call.

"Oh I... Are you sure you don't want me to call back you sound like hell!"

"Whiskey and me are angry at each other this morning" he laughed "now spit it out Barton so I can go back to hating my life in peace" Phil responded

Clint took a deep breath in "I'm in" he closed his eyes while he waited for the response, half expecting it to be some far fetched joke as no one ever really wanted him.

Phil sighed "perfect, ill be by to get you and we can get you to headquarters by this evening" he started to lift his body off the bed as he let out a painful groan, his head pounding even more

"You sound like hell Phil, I think you can wait off on getting me and eat some food!" He laughed

"Are you asking me to breakfast Barton" he groaned "that's kinda against protocol" he laughed

Clint felt his face flush, how did this man have such power! "Hey I was just suggesting you eat your hangover away and maybe stay away from the whiskey"

Phil couldn't help but let out a tired laugh "Ill be by later to get you Mr., Barton, but for now I will take your advice"

"Good choice " Clint responded as he hung up the phone, he headed back to his room to pack up his belongings, which like always would pretty much fit on his back.

Guess it was time to move on.