So sorry it's been so long since I last posted! This is a shorter chapter, but I have more time to update now. I love you guys, and I am so happy you all like my story! Uh... This chapter was brought to you with the help of AntMan who is a wonderful wonderful man that reads my work and tells me I'm an idiot on the regular. :D
-Hunter!
"You have reached the voice mail box of 'Tony Stark' please leave a message after the tone."
"Uh. Tony, it's Barton. Just calling to see if you had your phone and were able to contact someone. Please call. Please don't be dead." Clint hung up the phone and dropped it on his desk with a sigh. "How did you do this and look after all of us Phil? How could you stand it?" He whispered to himself.
He pulled more paperwork across his desk and opened another pen. Clint was pretty sure that he had gone through an entire box of black pens his first day doing paper work as a handler, and he only had one person that he was responsible for.
Natasha walked through the halls on the helicarrier heading to Director Fury's office.
"Romanoff please tell me that you have news that I want to hear."
"Well I guess that depends on what type of news now doesn't it." She answered coolly.
"Report." Fury's one eye glared at her from across the room.
"Stark hasn't been found. Barton has decided to remain a desk agent. He said he is keeping up with his field regulations but he refuses to take missions or work in the field directly. His priority is finding Stark."
"Why is everyone so damned crazy about finding Stark? The last time he went missing he built a metal suit to blast his way out. And he has suicidal tendencies, we can't rely on him for things like the Avengers initiative anymore." Fury slammed his fist onto his desk and sent more forms flying.
"I wouldn't know, sir. it seems that Barton has gone soft working with the Avengers team."
"I told The Council that the team deserved a break after the clusterfuck that was New York but I didn't expect to lose two members of the initiative because of this mess. Tell the Captain that I need to have a word with him."
"Yes, sir." The red head turned to leave the office and find the brawny Captain of the Avengers.
"You have to be somewhere. You can't just disappear." Clint muttered as he stared at the papers on his desk.
"And you can't kill yourself looking for him." Clint's head shot up at the voice in the doorway.
"Captain. I didn't think I would see you any time soon. I thought Fury had you doing missions?"
"I'm on leave for two days. is there anything I can do?" The blond man walked farther into the office and sent a hopeful look at the other man.
"I can't think of anything. Pepper said Jarvis hasn't shown any changes at the Stark properties. SHIELD hasn't picked up anything on their resources either."
"Clint, it doesn't matter that technology doesn't work. Have you done any footwork?" Steve asked. He still wasn't used to all of the this techno-y stuff. If a person was lost you went looking for them.
"No. You might just be a genius though Cap." Clint smiled at the blond man and moved out from behind his desk.
"I'm glad you think so, but I declare that you are going to get a good night's sleep and a good sparring match out of me first."
"We need him to be our priority Captain." Clint's voiced turned sharp.
"You're no good to Stark if you can't defend him or yourself if you're in trouble." Steve replied. He stared at the archer until he stopped trying to glare back.
"Fine. I'll sleep, and maybe spar. Only you and Bruce will I even consider sparring though."
"Deal." The Captain clapped Clint on the shoulder and steered him out of the door.
Tony Stark sat at the edge of the pool on his Malibu property, watching the sunset in peaceful solitude.
"Sir, you have a voicemail from Agent Barton. Shall I play it for you?"
"No Jarvis. I don't need to waste any more time on them."
"As you wish, sir." The AI responded, and slyly saved the voicemail recording to a hidden file from his creator.
Pepper walked into the tower and sighed as she looked around, Jarvis was keeping everything in perfect running order even though no one in the house was truly authorized to use him.
"Jarvis, has there been anything on Tony? I am really starting to worry."
"No ma'am. There hasn't been a change in any of the reading you asked to check."
