Happy New Year everyone! I return to bring you this special edition update for all of you lovely readers! I was out of town for Christmas this year (last year?) and while I had access to wifi, I had no laptop. Alas, such tragedy.
I think this will be the last or second last chapter before we get to the Avengers, depending on things and motivation, so I hope you all enjoy and continue to leave your thoughts for me in reviews!
Summary:
Sesshoumaru finds his pack-mate Kagome in the present and decides that she will never be vulnerable again. The logical choice? Ship her off to America to be trained by a descendent of a hawk youkai and his mate in the art of assassination. Joke's on you, Sesshoumaru- you weren't expecting Gods to attack New York and enslave her trainer's mind. Now she's got to get him back- by any means possible. Because as much of a bastard as he is, he is pack. Gods damn it.
-;-
They weren't about to admit it, Kagome knew, but Clint and Natasha both didn't look happy about having to leave the miko behind as they readied themselves for their newest mission. Kagome wasn't about to say anything about it either, but the soft smile she wore on her face said it all. Sure, the pair were irritating in their own special ways, and Clint and Kagome got along like oil and water at times, but there was a genuine connection between the trio.
Of course, they had also managed to relocate themselves to a smaller, more personal building just outside the city limits. A three story home in a more rural area with trees surrounding the entire property, which was rather substantial no thanks to the sheer amount of money Kagome knew they had bought the place with. However, given that it was more suited to the places she knew, the miko wasn't about to start complaining now.
"Remember where all the weapons are and don't be afraid to shoot anyone who trespasses." Clint reminded as he pulled his bag over his shoulder. He and Kagome had something of a love/hate sort of relationship that neither could really explain, though Natasha looked amused about it whenever the pair began acting like three year olds. "We'll see you when we get back."
Kagome rolled her eyes but nodded anyway. "Yes, Clint." She replied dutifully. Of course, she wouldn't actually need to use a gun should someone come looking for her, but she wasn't about to say so. Natasha, she felt, knew this, but Clint tended to forget the world that they hailed from.
"Watch your back." Natasha reminded curtly, her masks falling back into place as she readied herself for the mission.
Kagome nodded once.
With that, the pair left, the door closing softly behind them, leaving the dark haired woman alone in the suddenly very empty house.
-;-
"Hi mama!"
"Kagome! Hi honey!" her mother's smiling face replied, the screen in front of her clear. "How are you!"
Something relaxed in the miko's shoulders at the innocent question. It had been a couple of months since she had seen her mother, considering how quickly she had left for America once Sesshoumaru had shown up.
"As good as I can be, mama." She replied. "I'm learning a lot here. How are Souta and gramps?"
"Oh, we're all good here, sweetie. The adventures Souta gets into these days- it's almost like you never left!" her mother laughed. "Your grandfather is doing well too. He's been flirting with the lovely older woman down the road, you remember her? They've hit it off and I hear he's going to have dinner there tomorrow night."
"That's good. Having something to distract him will be good for him, I think."
"That's what I thought. Sesshoumaru-sama is making sure we're alright as well. Such a fascinating soul- did you know he owns business' all over the world?"
The conversation continued easily, mother and daughter reconnecting and sharing information. Kagome, while relieved that she could speak to her mother, also felt that there was a slight change in the balance between them. Perhaps it was simply that Kagome was learning and becoming her own person away from home, or perhaps it was something else. She couldn't really put her finger on it though.
Finally, though, it was time to say good-bye.
"I love you mama."
"I love you too, Kagome. Don't forget to come visit us soon, alright?"
"I will." She promised, a smile on her lips as the call ended. Sighing, she leaned back in the chair, ignoring her homesickness. She couldn't bring herself to hate Sesshoumaru. She almost wished she could, what with him sending her to America, but that was more something the old Kagome would do. She had certainly been a hot tempered mess back then. And then she'd grown up. It was hard not to, what with fighting in a war in feudal Japan. Those kinds of things tended to make one mature pretty quickly.
"Not that it really changes anything." She muttered to the empty house, glancing at the clock. She could probably start cleaning the place- she could tell that while it was a well-cared for place, it hadn't been lived in for a while. Not to mention that it just didn't seem to make sense that either Clint or Natasha would clean the place if it was simply a safe house.
"Better get to it then." She hummed, getting up and moving over to the broom closet. There had to be something in there that would help her…
-;-
"The…Tesseract, sir?"
Fury stared Clint down impassively, his remaining eye somehow managing to make it look three times more menacing than it would have been should he have both eyes.
Actually, it probably wouldn't be much better. He thought in amusement, glancing over to Natasha from the corner of his eye. She looked as unimpressed as she always did, of course. So not fair that she can just turn off her emotions. Even though it's not entirely her fault…
"The Tesseract. You'll remain at the facility while research is conducted there, Barton. After all, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that we're not the only ones who know about its existence. And if that's the case, we need someone to keep an eye on it."
So a long term mission. He thought, stomach sinking. Damn. Hopefully Nat won't be on one too. Someone needs to look out for Kagome.
Honestly, he didn't even care that he was addressing the woman by her first name. At this point, she was well on her way to deserving it, given all that he and Nat had put her through. It couldn't be easy on her, either, what with being so far away from home.
…Not that he cared, or anything.
His youkai side was definitely laughing at him now.
"And how long will the mission last, sir?"
"We don't know yet. You'll be briefed on everything else on route. Romanoff, stay behind. Barton, dismissed."
He just managed to resist sticking his tongue out at the man as he left.
Fury sighed and shook his head as the door closed behind the archer before focusing his gaze on Romanoff. She lifted one brow ever so slightly in response. Never challenging, oh no. Romanoff preferred to unnerve her prey first.
"I take it this prodigy you and Barton have taken on has completed his training."
"Is that so." She replied evenly. "Our…student…is completely capable of being left alone."
Well, it was worth a try, he thought, taking a seat behind his desk. Then again, he already knew that Romanoff wouldn't say anything. He might be a master spy, but when it came to fishing for information, Natasha Romanoff was locked up tighter than the royal jewels. It didn't mean he couldn't keep trying though. Perhaps one day it would actually work. Until that day, however, he was stuck in second place- something that he'd slowly been getting used to since Barton had brought her in.
"I see." He replied, interlocking his fingers and staring at her impassively. She returned the look tenfold. "I won't ask anything else, Romanoff, since it seems I'm not going to get a clear answer from you. If there's nothing else to offer, you're dismissed. Your assignment details are waiting for you in your ride."
A curt nod and Romanoff stood and left silently. Fury snorted to himself. Surrounded by spies and assassins, and one was sure to continue running in circles trying to find out what the hell was going on. Then again, he'd signed up for it when he took over the position as Director.
"Damn agents going to make me go grey." He muttered, considering poking through his drawer to find that flask he'd hidden there a couple months back.
-;-
Clint Barton couldn't say that he particularly enjoyed his new assignment. Rather, most of the other agents on the facility grounds thought him strange, despite their odd sort of reverence that his codename held. No one had actually had the guts to say it within earshot, of course…but Hawkeye wasn't just any old human being.
Currently, he was perched up on the catwalk, carefully surveying the activity of the scientists below. Nothing interesting enough for him. This was hardly even a mission- the equivalent of a desk job was a more apt description. Outwardly, there was little reaction to the goings on around him, but inwardly, he was groaning in silent, bored agony. It was certainly a strange sensation- usually his Hawkeye persona was more composed than this. Calculating.
This new self he was discovering was not that person in the least. He was…emotional. Too focused on the things that didn't matter to the mission, no thanks to his youkai. That particular side of himself was firmly focused on his "pack" of sorts. Flock? He didn't know anymore. Things had been confusing since the miko had shown up. Not that his youkai was really complaining, but it was sure making things difficult as an agent.
I wonder what Nat's doing? He wondered.
