Chapter 2
Clint pov
Phil was just finishing up a lecture on how inappropriate it was to hit the baby agents with spitballs when his phone beeped.
(Unknown): I'm so fucking sorry.
He was a little confused for a second but figured it could be someone he knew that just got a new number or it was one he forgot to save. Wouldn't be the first time.
(Clint): For?
(Unknown): Freaking out on you a total stranger in the middle of the night over a dog
He laughed, now understanding who it was. Phil looked up at him behind his desk with a raised brow.
"Wrong number from last night. Dude freaked over a dog and now's apologizing."
Phil gave him a look somewhere between why me and fucking Clint.
"Clint, you have to be careful—"
"Relax. Phil, this isn't some spy trying to gain information outta me. It's some poor schmuck who is in over his head with a dog. I got this." Phil did not look convinced.
"Fine," he sighed, "I'll be careful."
He got up and left his handlers office. Waiting until he was in his car to reply.
(Clint): It's all good dude. How's the dog?
He started the car and pulled out of his parking space. He heard his phone vibrate against the seat but chose to wait until he got to Kates before reading it.
Once outside Kate's apartment, he parked and picked up his phone.
4 unread messages.
(Unknow): Hyper.
(Unknown): and now he's whining at me. What should I do?
(unknown): I fed him eggs? Is that ok?
(Unknown): he stopped whing. Think he likes eggs.
He snorted and got out of his car. Locking it he headed up the stairs towards Kate's place.
(Clint): I feed my dog pizza. Eggs should be fine.
(Unknown): Pizza. Dude I don't think ur suppose to feed that to dogs.
When he reached the top stair he could hear Lucky's excited barking. He grinned and shoved his phone in his pocket. His new friend could wait, he missed his own dog.
He didn't even knock on Kate's door, just opened it and let Lucky tackle him to the floor. The yellow lab, attacked his face with his tongue letting out happy whines as he went. Clint laughed and ran his fingers through his dogs fur.
"How was he?" He asked knowing that Kate was somewhere close by.
"Horrible." She teased. Clint rolled his eyes and pushed his dog off him.
"Thanks for watching him." He said walking over and pulling her into a hug.
"Anytime. You staying for lunch?"
"Nope." He said with a yawn. "Slept like crap last night and had to be up early. I'm going home and climbing into bed and sleeping for a week. Or until Nat or Phil wake me up."
She shook her head at him, and reached down to pet Lucky, "Don't let him hibernate to much he forgets to feed you." He let out an offended sound.
She just smiled at him.
"Rude." He mumbled and then grabbed Lucky's leash from by the door, and headed for the door.
"Hey dinner this weekend?" He asked as he opened it.
"Sure." SHe said with a wave.
He pulled out his phone as they walked down the stairs.
(Clint): Pizza is totally an acceptable food source.
He didn't get a reply until him and Lucky were safely home.
(unknown): Yeah don't think so man.
Bucky POV
He wasn't sure why he kept texting the stranger after he apologized. It might have to do with the fact that the man was a stranger. There was no expectations or fear like in most of the other people he talked to. Or protective but searching way Steve talked to him. It was nice to have someone who had no idea about the Winter soldier, someone who joked and teased him.
It was also the reason he hadn't told anyone about the conversations. He knew they would freak, especially Steve. He understood the risk, it could be anyone on the other end. But he reasoned, that he was the one to start the conversations and kept them going. If it was trying someone after him, they would have initiated the talks. At least that what he kept saying to himself every time he texted the other man.
It had only been a couple days, and most of the time they talked about their dogs, turns out the guy has a yellow lab, named Lucky. He has yet to ask the man for his name or share his but every time he picked up his phone his fingers itched for him to do so. But this fear that the man would know him, as illogical as it was kept him from starting that particular talk.
"Buck? You okay?" Steve asked sitting down next to him.
He shoved his phone into his pocket, and nodded.
He wasn't, not really. This was the first real mission he had been called in on since he has been cleared and he was nervous as fuck. Even with everyone telling him he was ready he wasn't sure. Steve seemed to understand and offered to tell everyone to back off until he was ready but Bucky wasn't sure he would ever be. He needed to put himself out there and get back into it or he would be tempted to hide away for the rest of his life.
"You sure?" Steve asked as Tony walked in. Again he nodded.
Stark didn't waste a second before having Jarvis power up the projector display, a list of 15 or so people. All but three were x'd out in red.
Bucky recognized one as Erik Selvig, Thor's friend and one of the victims of Loki's mind controlled during the Chitauri invasion.
The second was a younger man, short brown hair and brown eyes. That Bucky didn't know or recognize.
Third was blank photo with a question mark, the word Archer written under it.
He knew the story behind the code name, Steve had told him all about the attack and aliens when he first agreed to join up with the avengers.
The Archer had lead the attack on Starks helicarrier, they had reason to believe like the others he had been under Loki's control but when the dust had settled no body had been found.
Stark began, "Alright boys we have a situation. I'm sure you all recognize Selvig and we all know about our favorite Robin Hood wanna be but this other man is Henry Stacks. He was a soldier taking over during the attack. One of the few who survived anyways. When he was freed from Loki's control he chose to leave SI and retire. Even so we kept an eye on not only him but the others as well.
In the last two weeks 5 have shown up dead and Selvig's been moved to a high security safe house by Shield. Leaving Henry and the Archer the only two ex brainwashed people running around. Or that was until this morning when Stacks was found dead in an alley." Stark stopped talking and sat down in the chair at the head of the table.
"We can't figure who's going after them. Or how they even know these people's identities. Between me and Shield their names and parts played were erased or buried." He sighed.
"We need to find the Archer. He's the last one out there and no doubt whoever is killing these people will be after him as well. "
"Do we even know where to start?" Steve asked.
Tony sighed. "Shield."
"Why them?" Sam asked.
"First because that's were to tesseract was hidden when Loki got ahold of it. So it's plausible to archer was one of the men guarding it. Second because they are the only people with the capability outside of us to make someone disappear like the Archer did. Unfortunately I can't see them just handing the man or his information over."
"So what do we do?" Sam asked looking back and forth between Steve and Tony.
"I'm going to try hacking into their systems. See if they have any agents that are proficient in archery or even know how to use a bow." Tony said his face falling into a frown, "I'm also going to have Pepper speak to Agent and see if he will to help."
"What about looking into their active missions?" He spoke up, startling himself. "Maybe if we happen across them in the field we will see this Archer in action and approach him ourselves instead of going through Fury."
He tried not to roll his eyes when everyone looked at him. Steve was the only one that looked unsurprised.
"I'll see what I can find." Tony said after a second.