Kate Bishop knew the instant she entered the dark apartment that bringing extra groceries had been the best idea she's had in a while. She juggled balancing the large brown bags in her arms and closing the front door behind her, giving it a swift backwards kick. She dropped the bags on the kitchen counter, opened the refrigerator and sighed. The only food to be found was a couple pieces of moldy pizza and beer cans.
She closed the door with an angry huff and stalked into the living area, flipping on the lights. She stopped in front of the couch, arms folded across her chest and glared at the lump spread out on the ratty couch.
"Save the lecture, Katie-Kate." The lump finally said, not bothering to remove the arm that was draped across his eyes. "I've been home all of thirty minutes. At least let me get good and awake before you start yelling."
Kate shook her head. "Moldy pizza? I mean really, Clint. How did you even make it before me?"
He cracked one eye open. "It's a mystery." He grumbled. He dropped his arm to his side and started petting Lucky, his golden retriever who laid loyally beside the couch at his master's head. Kate watched them for a moment before heading back into the kitchen.
"When was the last time you ate?" She called out, taking out items from the bags. She heard him groan and heave himself into a sitting position.
"Yesterday?"
"Is that a statement or a question, Barton?"
"It may have been the day before yesterday." He scrubbed a hand across his face. "It's been a long couple of days, Katie."
"The Avengers keeping you out too late?"
Kate smiled when that got an honest to goodness laugh out of him. He slowly made his way over to the kitchen and took a seat at the counter. "Something like that." He mumbled, eyeing the smaller brown paper bag resting by the pot of brewing coffee. Kate made him wait until the coffee was finished and poured into two mugs before she handed the bag to him. "I figured you might want some breakfast."
He greedily drank in the smell of fresh bagels and flashed Kate a grateful smile. She had taken the extra time to go to his favorite bakery on the other side of Brooklyn for those stupid bagels. As she watched him scarf them down she knew it'd been the right move, even if he did eat like a pig. At least he was eating.
"So," She started, picking at her own bagel and tossing a piece to the ever patient Lucky. "How long are you home for?"
He gave a little sigh into his coffee mug. "Not long. Nat texted me a little while ago about a mission. Something about collecting intel."
Kate frowned. "Collecting intel? That's a little basic for an Avenger, isn't it?"
He shrugged and shoved another piece of bagel into his mouth. "Just telling you what she said."
"Don't talk with your mouth full, ya doof." She scolded then turned serious again. "I mean, you haven't even changed out of your outfit and she wants you to go out again? She can't handle it herself? She's the Black Widow for goodness's sake."
Clint raised an eyebrow at her. "Frist, it's a uniform not an outfit. Second, I don't know what to tell you girly-girl. I think Bobbi will be there too."
"Ah," She said softly. "The work wife and the ex-wife. You sure they're not just plotting to kill you?"
"Very funny." He deadpanned. In the next instance his face lit up as a thought struck him. "Why don't you come with?"
Kate wasn't quick enough to stop the grimace that crossed her face. "What?" Clint demanded. "I thought you liked Nat and Bobbi!"
"I do!" She countered and busied herself with the items scattered on the counter. "Bobbi's cool but Natasha's…"
"What?" Clint prodded.
"She's a bit," Kate hesitated, searching for the word she wanted. "Intimidating."
Clint started laughing so hard he nearly toppled out of the chair. When he finally recovered, Kate was fuming. "No, no." He gasped out, trying to remember how to breathe properly. "I'm not laughing at you. It's just, I think that's the nicest thing anyone ever said about her."
"Well that's lovely. Makes me feel like jumping right on board."
Clint sobered up enough to reach out and gently take her hands, preventing her from turning away. "Seriously though, Hawkeye. It'll be fun." He flashed her an easy grin. "Please?" She stayed quiet for a moment then removed her hands from his.
"I guess. Me being there won't be a big problem though, right?"
Clint smiled again and waved her question off, taking another sip of coffee. "Nah. No problem at all."
"She can't be here, Clint. This is a big problem."
Kate sent Clint the most scathing glare that she could conjure up. While she leaned back in her chair, Clint fidgeted in his. He tried to put as much distance between him and Natasha Romanoff who stood across the table from the pair. The redhead positioned her hands on her hips and glared at both of them although it Clint that received the majority of her fiery anger. She cast an agitated glance over her shoulder at Bobbi Morse who was watching Clint with, what Kate could only describe as, the most patronizing look imaginable.
"What were you thinking, Clint?" Bobbi asked. "She shouldn't even be on the base."
At first the S.H.I.E.L.D agents on hand weren't going to let Kate on the premises. When they took both Hawkeyes' bows, Clint had pitched an absolute fit until Romanoff intervened. She had practically drug him by the ear like a frustrated mother to the nearest empty interrogation room. They had both been sat down like children and thoroughly lectured. Natasha took the lead and Bobbi would interject every so often from her position across the room coolly leaned against the wall.
"It's a simple mission, Clint. A one man job." Natasha started up again. "You get in. Get the data. Then you get out." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder to punctuate the sentence. Kate had never seen a simple gesture look so threating. "There's no need for your sidekick to tag along."
Kate opened her mouth to object but Bobbi cut her off. "Honestly Clint, having me and Natasha as backup is overkill."
Clint folded his arms across his chest. "If it's such an easy mission then why are you here? Because I certainly don't remember inviting either of you."
"Take it up with S.H.I.E.L.D. They're the ones that assigned us." Natasha hissed, leaning over the table towards Clint.
"Oh, I plan to." He shot back, matching her movements until they were almost nose to nose, eyes narrowed. They stared at each other for several charged seconds, until Kate broke the silence.
"You guys aren't going to make out or anything, are you?"
Natasha huffed and pushed away from the table muttering what sounded like a Russian curse. Clint rolled his head in Kate's direction and gave her a quick wink and a small smile. Bobbi watched the two and slowly shook her head.
"There's no reason for you to go, Kate. You're not an S.H.I.E.L.D agent. You're not even an Avenger."
"Technically, I'm a young Avenger."
Clint couldn't stop the grin that spread across face and Bobbi simply let her chin drop to her chest in defeat. Natasha breathed in a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose as if to ward off an impending headache.
"Вы не доверяете мне , Ястреб?"
Kate's ears perked at the sudden change of languages. She watched Clint. He had no visible reaction. He just sat there quietly, head tilted, listening to what Natasha had to say. When she was finished he answered her in the same tongue.
"Вы знаете, я, вдова . Я также знаю, когда вы хранения вещей от меня."
His words made Natasha stop short. They looked at each other for a long time and seemed to switch languages again. This time from Russian to their own unspoken language. Her eyebrows would quirk upwards and furrow. He'd respond in kind and at times with the corners of his lips twitching into the beginnings of a grin. Finally Natasha's sharp emerald flickered to Kate then back to Clint.
"Fine." She said heavily. She turned and pointed a slender finger at Kate. "But if something happens out there it'll be on you, kid."
"Yes ma'am." Kate responded, a bit proud of herself for making ma'am sound derogatory.
Natasha shook her head and turned on her heels with Bobbi following close behind.
"Good. Get ready then. We leave in fifteen."
"They're not telling us the whole story, are they?"
Clint didn't respond right away to Kate's question. His stormy blue eyes merely flickered to her then around the cafeteria, before finally resting on agent's sitting at table beside them. He patted her knee. "I left something in the locker room. Come with me and make sure I don't get lost."
He stood up and started walking. Kate followed close behind. Neither spoke. They walked past groups of agents who would pause and watch the pair. Clint and Kate exchanged guarded looks. Kate had the feeling some of these agents were on surveillance detail and the Hawkeyes were their target.
Clint waked quickly and with purpose. His hand hovered by her elbow guiding her down the corridors that he obviously knew so well. Kate imagined that he knew the layout of the whole building by heart. She wondered if he had his own perch high up somewhere, like the animal he took his name sake from.
He suddenly turned to his right, yanking her out of her thoughts and placed her into an empty room. He locked the solid door behind them and swiftly searched the room, looking underneath the tables and chairs. He pulled a chair around behind him, standing in it and poking around the ceiling tiles. When he was satisfied with the results, he finally turned to Kate.
"Something's up. I'm not sure what but you're right. They're not telling us something. I think you should go ahead and leave."
Kate blinked in surprise. "Bail?"
Worry lines mixed with frustration and lined his features. "I don't want you to get caught up in another one of my messes, Katie. Now is your chance to get out clean. I don't know what might go down but apparently they think it'll be bad enough that they want you nowhere near it."
Kate squared her shoulders and took a step forward so that she was now toe to toe with Clint. "Bail?" She challenged, her tone hardening. "I'm the Hawkeye that doesn't bail when things get tough, remember?"
Different emotions played across in face in a flash. Finally pride settled on his expression. "Atta girl." He went to turn but not before playfully poking her in the shoulder. "And don't you think I won't get you back for that, ya little punk."
"Whatever you say, boss."
Clint left to get their bows and some extra arrows. That's what he told Kate anyways. "I'll start out that way." He had said. "Wait five minutes before you follow. You know, as to not raise suspicion." He gave her his signature smirk and off he went. She finally made to the supply room, he was nowhere to be seen.
"He ditched me!" She exclaimed to the empty room. "What a jerk!"
She now stalked down the cold metal corridors, hopelessly lost, trying to ignore the way every S.H.E.I.L.D agent was watching her.
"Lousy Barton." She grumbled, ducking her head low to avoid the peering eyes that followed her. "Lousy S.H.I.E.L.D. Lousy spies-"
Her words were cut short when she collided with something, or rather someone. She looked up to find that, to her horror, she had just ran right smack into the Black Widow. Kate instinctively took a step back from the master assassin. Although they had met several times, this was the first time where they were alone without Clint to buffer.
Natasha titled her head, adopting an air of mock innocence. "What were you saying about spies?"
Kate quickly pulled herself back together. "Nothing. Just that they're wonderful. And that the people whose jobs are keeping secrets can be absolutely trusted and not questioned what so ever."
Natasha's eyes narrowed and Kate fought the urge to squirm under her heavy gaze. Instead she pulled her shoulders back, straightening to her full height. Natasha seemed to examine Kate even closer, like a jungle cat watching her prey. She finally rolled her eyes and huffed a laugh, matching Kate's sarcastic tone. "It's like you and Barton were made for each other." She went to walk away and words seemed to spill out of Kate's mouth without her permission.
"Listen, I asked Clint if being here would be a problem. He said no. If I knew I'd be this much of an issue, I'd had stayed home."
Kate wasn't sure why she was explaining herself to the spy. But she found herself a little glad that she did when Natasha's eyes seemed to soften a fraction. Natasha pursed her lips together, and seemed to measure her words. "I know." She finally said quietly. "Just watch his back out there, ok?"
"Of course."
Natasha nodded once and turned to leave, ending their short conversation. "By the way," She added over her shoulder, "If you're looking for him, go down the hallway and take a left. He's talking to Bobbi."
Kate turned herself, peering down the hallway that the spy was talking about. "Oh, cool. Thanks…" She turned back around and found that she was speaking to the empty air.
Natasha had already left.
"Rude." Kate muttered and headed down the hallway in search of her namesake. She heard their voices before she saw them. She rounded the corner with every intention of breaking up their discussion but halted to a stop. Whatever conversation they were having must not have been a pleasant one.
Clint leaned on the wall with his left shoulder propped up and legs crossed. To anyone else it would look like a casual position. But Kate knew better. She saw the tension building in his shoulders and the way his arms were crossed tightly across his chest. She saw his knuckles that gripped his bicep turning white. Bobbi stood in front of him. She tilted her head to get back in his line of sight. He'd look away and she'd adjust again so that he had no choice but to look at her. Eyebrows furrowed, she twirled a lock of blond hair between her fingers.
Kate quickly ducked back around the corner, out of sight. She pressed up against the wall and tuned her ears to the conversation.
"Don't be like that, Clint."
"How do you want me to be, Bobbi? I mean, do you think I'm stupid?"
"I think you're overreacting."
"Overreacting?" Kate heard Clint bark out a bitter laugh before he continued. "Do you think this is my first rodeo? You really think that I don't know when people are keeping important information from me?"
"It's not that big of a deal."
"Sure, Bobbi. A pie mission that happens to have two Avengers as backup. No big deal. Just the usual."
Bobbi's response was too low for Kate to hear but she heard Clint give a long and slow sigh in response.
"Yeah, I know."
"Listen," Bobbi started again a little louder now, her tone almost gentle. "Just…please be careful. Don't die out there. It'd be so much paperwork." Kate heard Clint laugh softly. "There are S.H. .D protocols and forms. Then I'll have to deal with the Avengers. It's just a lot of hassle."
"Yeah, Yeah. I'll try."
"Good." There was a long pause before she spoke again. "You can come out now, Kate."
Kate squeezed her eyes shut tight, mortified. After a long moment, she finally peeled herself away from the wall and peaked around the corner facing the two Avengers. She grinned sheepishly.
"Hey guys."
Clint tuned towards her staying silent but his eyes danced with amusement. Even Bobbi fought the small grin that pulled at her lips. She pushed herself off the wall letting a hand graze Clint's arm before walking past. She paused by Kate. "You two try and behave, alright?"
Kate smiled while Clint snorted. "Yeah, right." He shouted at her retreating form. Kate watched him watch her walk away then slugged him in the arm.
"Ow! What was that for?" Clint whined and rubbing the spot where she hoped he'd have a Kate fist sized bruise later.
"Keep your eyes to yourself, ya sleaze."
Clint grinned devilishly and started towards the doors at the end of the hallway. "You don't know anything, girly girl."
Kate barked a laugh and fell in step with him, letting him lead the way once again. "I know there has to be a reason why you two got divorced. And that she probably never get back with you."
His countenance darkened for just a second but before Kate could wonder if she had crossed a line, he smirked again. "Like I said, you don't know anything."
They passed thru double doors and entered into what reminded Kate of large warehouse, housing Quinjets and other planes. Their bows and quivers were waiting for them, leaned up against a far wall. Ignoring the agents that milled around, Kate let her hand glide across her beloved bow. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Clint to the same.
"Alright Hawkeye." Kate began, drawing back Clint's attention. "What's our play here?"
"Be ready for anything." He started, strapping the quiver across his back. "S.H.I.E.L.D wants us to back up as much information as we can on this. "He held up a small black flash drive. Kate took it and turned it in her hand, examining it.
"So any idea who we're stealing this info from?"
"An unofficial offshoot of A.I.M. They say the building we're infiltrating is abandoned. Official story is that A.I.M. shut them down and cleared the place but may have left some information behind. "
"They say?" Kate echoed, eyebrows raised.
Clint cast a warily glance towards the agents. "Until they decide to tell us everything, I'm questioning everything." He said, his tone barely above a whisper.
Kate nodded her head in agreement. "I can get down with that." She put her own quiver over her shoulders. "So what, we sneak in and out?"
The agents meandered out of the area and Clint griped her arm. He leaned close to her ear and spoke in a low tone. His words were uttered with a hurried urgency that it took Kate aback. "Listen, if this thing goes south, we worry about ourselves and only ourselves. Understand?"
At first Kate couldn't say anything. The ferocity of his words unnerved her. She peered up at him, trying to mask her shock. He was usually pretty laid back when it came to SHEILD missions. It's when he was called out with the Avengers did she ever see him get even remotely worked up. He knew he was playing with the big boys then but Kate knew he could play just as hard as them. SHEILD missions were often a joke compared to what he did with the Avengers.
Clint's grip tightened slightly bringing her back to the moment. "Katie? What cha say?"
She took another long look at Clint then flashed a plucky smile burying away her worry. "As your ex so nicely mentioned, I'm not even a SHEILD agent." She shrugged one shoulder. "So screw 'em."
Clint's lips quirked up into a boyish grin. He released her arm but neither made a move to leave. They stood there and looked at each other. Natasha's earlier words echoed in her mind.
"Watch his back, ok?"
Kate had said that she would and she meant it. They were a team. The Hawkeyes. She'd always have his back.
The sound of a throat clearing brought them both back to the present. Natasha stood a few feet away, now dressed in her trademark cat suit. Her hands found their way back to her hips.
"You dorks ready to go?"
"Ready as we'll ever be, I guess." Kate replied exchanging one last look with Clint.
"That's the spirt." Natasha said dryly. She held out two small black eyepieces. "Here are your coms," She explained while Clint and Kate placed them in their ears. "These stay in at all times." The sentence ended with a very point look in Clint's direction. Clint grinned back at Natasha sheepishly. Kate fought the annoyance that suddenly pledged her on not being in on the obvious inside joke. She forced herself to focus on what Natasha was saying.
"Bobbi and I will be flying you out on one of the quinjets. From there it'll be a five minute hike to the base. So, if for some reason, you need backup we can get there quickly." Kate watched as Clint and Natasha exchanged another long look in their secret silent language that she couldn't understand.
"Like I said earlier though," Natasha finally said, breaking their silent conversation. "It's a simple mission so you shouldn't need us."
"I planned on getting caught up on some well need rest, so you two better not call us." They all turned as Bobbi walked up, completing the group.
"Well, what are we all waiting for then?" Kate clapped her hands together. "Let's get to it!"