Chapter 2: Changes

Two weeks later, Clint was sitting in Tony's lab. "JARVIS make sure you're showing Barton on the screen of what I'm saying since I don't know a thing of American Sign Language," he told his AI.

"Certainly, sir," JARVIS answered.

Tony looked at his new little inventions he created to help Clint with his new hearing problem. "Alright, Clint, these new little pieces are a different kind of hearing aid. Instead of going around your ear, they go straight in, no enemy will be able to see them because of their clear color, should blend right in," Tony explained and his words came up on a screen in front of Clint's face. Clint nodded his head slowly in understanding.

Tony took the little pieces in his hands and he sat on his rolling stool, pushing himself over to the archer. He took an alcohol wipe and cleaned the pieces before he slid one into his ear. He watched as the little contraption settled into Clint's ear canal and a single beep sounded to assure the creator that it was on. "Ow, shit, that hurt," Clint muttered.

"Yeah sorry, just lets you know that they're working," Tony answered.

He pushed himself over onto the other side and did the same thing. "Alright, how do they feel?" he asked.

"Like nothing's there," Clint replied.

"Good that's the point, they meld themselves into your ear so you really have no reason to take them out either," Tony told him.

"Waterproof too I take it?" Clint asked

"With our jobs, you better believe it," Ton replied.

Tony stood up and removed the latex gloves, tossing them in the trash. "Have you got anything about the warehouse?" Clint asked as he stood up. The inventor frowned and looked at the archer as he was looking through his computers.

"Nothing's changed, JARVIS has been going through every database known to man and computer," he answered.

Clint sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Clint, you know I believe in the rare things that happen in this job. You know I believe that there are possibilities for everything, but it's within reason and with evidence. That building was incinerated, that was the plan; that was our mission because of Hydra's new weapon in there we had to make sure there was nothing left there. Natasha was probably already dead before the building even blew. The whole ceiling collapsed on her, I saw it," Tony told him.

"Then why didn't any of you help her?" Clint demanded.

"We didn't have time to go back and dig for her, Clint!" Tony answered.

Clint glared at his friend. "My wife's alive, it'd have to take more than a ceiling falling on her to kill her," he muttered before leaving the lab.

Driving up to the pre-school, he smiled to see Morgan standing with the rest of her classmates waiting for their parents. He got out of the car and his daughter jumped up and down excitedly. "Daddy! Daddy!" she called out.

"Hey there, Buggy!" he answered as he picked her up when she ran to him.

He kissed her cheek and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Have fun today?" he asked.

"I drew a picture of a bird and Miss Richards said she liked it," she replied.

"Oh yeah? You're going to be an artist aren't you?" he asked, tickling her stomach.

Morgan giggled and said teacher walked up to him. "Hello, Mr. Barton, how are you today?" she asked.

"Doing alright, so I hear my little Morgan drew an impressive picture?" he asked as he got his daughter into the car.

"She has magnificent talent," she replied, "Even though I do wonder how things are at home?"

Clint glanced at the woman. "Things are fine, taking things day by day," he replied as he made sure Morgan was strapped in and handed the little girl her stuffed horse, "Here's Pilgrim, sweetie pie." He kissed her forehead and looked at the teacher.

"Your daughter likes to talk about her mother a lot," she commented.

"Yeah, my wife's an amazing person," he answered.

"So she's been found them?" Miss Richards asked.

Clint cleared his throat as he closed the door. "I'm sorry, is there a concern with her that you want to bring up?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I just want to be sure that Morgan is aware of the circumstances, she still talks about when her mother comes home when it is known that…" she started to say.

"Miss Richards, excuse me but everything is fine at home. My wife is still missing but we're doing what we can until I can find her and bring her home," Clint answered.

He walked over to the front of the car. "Have a good day, Miss Richards," he told her before driving off.

Arriving back at Avengers Tower after picking up the kids, he walked in to see Fury standing in the middle of the room. "Nick, what's going on?" he asked as he sent the kids out of the room.

"We need your help again, Barton. Need you to have both eyes open and your mind cleared," Fury told him.

"You got it, what's going on?" Clint asked as he sat down.

Fury hit a button on the table and a map popped up. "We have several Hydra agents forming yet another weapon of mass destruction here in Berlin. We need you guys to go take it out. They have guards for miles and miles around and it's going to take more than one archer to get all the guards," Nick explained.

"What are you saying?" Clint asked.

"I'm assigning you a new partner," Fury answered.

"I don't want another new partner, I'm fine on my own," Clint told him.

Fury looked over at the stubborn archer. "I don't give a damn what you think you can do on your own. I'm telling you that you have a new partner," he answered. Clint frowned when he heard the doors open. "And right on time," he added.

Turning around in his chair, Clint saw a woman walk into the room. She had blond hair that went a little bit past her shoulders, blue eyes, she had on black boots, tight black jeans, a dark blue button down shirt, and a thin pale blue headband was in her hair. "Meet former SHIELD Agent, Bobbi Morse. She was one of the other few agents who made it out when Hydra took over. She's skilled in archery, pilot, artillery specialist, and martial artist. She goes by the name 'Mockingbird', in the field. I picked her myself to join you in the field," Fury explained. Clint frowned as he stood up.

"Welcome to the team," Steve told her as he walked over, shaking her hand.

"I hope I make a good impression on the team," she answered, shaking his hand, "Honor to meet you, Captain Rogers."

Clint glanced at his former Director and walked by them. "Let's suit up," He muttered as he walked into his room. Bobbi watched him go and rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at the
rest of the team.

"You have a suit?" Steve asked.

"Yep," she replied.

The rest of the team got up to get ready for their mission.

Clint was strapping his quiver across his chest when he saw Thor and Jane's daughter, Frigga, rush over to her father, the ten-year-old wrapping her arms around his waist the best that she could. "I'll be home soon," Thor whispered to his daughter, before pulling Jane into his free arm as she held onto him. He looked over to see Bruce holding onto Betty, her arms gripping him tightly as he whispered something in her ear, making her smile softly when their son, Elijah, hugged him tightly.

Tony was holding his young son, Howard, on his hip the little boy had his Iron Man helmet on his head when Pepper came out and took their son into her arms, handing the helmet back to him. Tony pulled his family close, kissing them both.

Clint let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his forehead when he felt a tug on his vest, making him turn around to see Morgan standing there. "You're leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied as he crouched in front of her, "But I'll be back."

She nodded her head slowly and Clint pulled his daughter into his arms. "I love you so much, sweetheart," he whispered into her hair, "So much." He saw Sasha standing there silently, grabbing his son by the arm he pulled him into the tight embrace and Sasha slowly hugged him back. Sasha let his dad hug him and let out a sigh. "I love you too, Sash," he told his son.

"Yeah, love you too dad," Sasha answered.

Clint let his kids go and Sasha picked his sister up. Glancing over, he saw Bobbi standing there watching the "goodbye" and just went over to the Quinjet, climbing in without another word. He got into the pilot's seat and Bobbi sat next to him, putting on the headset. "I don't want to take Natasha's place," she told him.

"Yeah, that's not a subject I'm wanting to talk about," he answered, "Ignition please."

She hit the button as he took the Quinjet off the ground and they flew off towards Berlin.