If you recognise it… I don't own it.
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The next afternoon found Steve and Clint in Steve's apartment nursing cups of coffee.
"He's terrified." Steve murmured.
"No," Clint shook his head, "Determined and shaken. But not terrified. He doesn't want to be hurt by a weapon of his own manufacture again."
"Who would ask him to do this?"
"We would." Clint sighed, "SHIELD would. I saw it go down."
"Why?"
"Fury wants an Iron Man of his own."
"Tony can't do that." Steve muttered, "Even I know that reverse engineering requires something to work from!"
"He's a genius." Clint closed his eyes, "We've worked alongside Reed Richards before, remember?"
"Yes."
"Tony's as smart if not smarter." Clint explained, "Personally I'd say smarter. But that's mainly because Richards focuses on the theoretical. Tony's all about the practical. Richards would spend years studying a weapon to find out everything about it down to how its development reflects and affected the culture that it came from. Tony would take it to pieces, figure out how it works, how it was made and how to improve it. That's the difference between them."
"Richards is nothing like Tony."
"I know. I actually like Tony. Richards grates. Look, most of this is my fault."
"Why?"
"Because I reported that I saw a bow in Tony's lab."
"Workshop." Steve interrupted, "He calls it his workshop."
"Okay," Clint nodded, "His workshop. Tony told me he built that after seeing Hawkeye at work. I reckon that Fury figured that if Tony had studied Hawkeye and built a bow that he definitely would be working on an Iron Man suit. At least the theoretical. To be honest, I think he's right."
"It'll still take months." Steve reminded, "Tony's going to be going through Hell making this thing for months."
"Months?" Clint raised an eyebrow, "My high bet is going to be two months. My low is one. I told you he's a genius."
"Howard couldn't do something like that."
"Tony's not Howard." Clint shook his head, "Don't even think it. From what I've read… Comparing Tony to Howard is like comparing a University Professor to a Freshman. Don't do that. I think that's partly why the two of them didn't get along all that great. I think that Howard could see that Tony was smarter than him and was intimidated."
"Why?" Steve demanded, "Howard was never intimidated by me and I was stronger than him. He held his own no matter how much better anyone was in a particular field. Why would he be intimidated by his own son?"
"Because," Clint was insistent, "Howard was always the smartest man in the room. So to suddenly find that he wasn't? That the one thing he'd built his reputation and livelihood on was no longer the case? That must have rocked his world. I think that's what happened. But I wasn't there. I don't know. All I can do is psychobabble. Which I'm not fond of."
The two sat in silence for a long time.
"He's really that smart?" Steve whispered.
"I know it's hard to believe," Clint snorted, "Especially considering that the two of us have seen him staring at a Chinese Finger trap and trying to work out how to free his fingers for over an hour."
"He was half asleep." Steve defended.
"I know. But that didn't and doesn't make it any less funny." Clint reminded, "And yes. He really is that smart."
"How hard do you think it would be to go and punch Fury in the face?" Steve asked.
"One, very." Clint started counting off on his fingers, "Two, I want to watch. Three, can I record it? I don't like what Fury's doing to Tony either."
"You two are like brothers."
"He's very likable." Clint shrugged, "Oh, and Tony also stated that he got to pick the person inside the suit. He agreed that SHIELD would be able to test them, but otherwise he gets first refusal."
"You think he'll pick one of us?"
"It's a logical option. But I wouldn't want to be in a big, bulky suit. No matter how graceful Iron Man manages to make his manoeuvres. And is it just me or does that man change his suits more often than some women change their hair?"
"It's not just you." Steve laughed, "Though I guess if we've managed to damage it he's got to repair it. So he probably tries to improve it."
"Guess so." Clint agreed
"I wish I knew what his goal was."
"Join the club."
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About two weeks later, Steve was pounding on Clint's (read: Phil's) door.
"What is it?" Clint looked out bleary eyed.
"I need you to come with me." Steve declared, "I need… I need…"
"Civilian or SHIELD?" Clint murmured, barely audible.
"Civilian." Steve replied quickly, "I just need a friend."
"Can't Tony do it?"
"Not this?" Steve shook his head, "It's too risky."
"Risky for what?" Clint blinked, "You said it was Civilian."
"Too risky that Tony would find out about… You know." Steve waved a hand desperately.
Despite Steve's complete lack of clues, Clint managed to piece together the problem. Wherever they were going to go, because there was no doubt that Clint was going, there was a risk that Steve's identity was going to be exposed.
Clint sighed, grabbed a fairly well equipped rucksack by the door and left the house. He easily swung up behind Steve on his bike and thanked his lucky stars that he preferred comfortable boots and jeans as he would be protected should the worse come to the worse and there was an accident.
Steve passed him the spare helmet and they set off.
"Where are we going?" Clint asked after a long period of silence.
"What do you know about the Howling Commandos?"
"Pretty much what everyone knows." Clint shrugged, "May be a bit more, seeing as how I live with one of the most intense Captain America fans around."
"How many of them are still alive?"
"Officially?" Clint thought it through, "None of them. Or at least none of the official Howling Commandos. Peggy Carter is still alive, but I don't know where she is living. As far as I know, no-one does."
"That's what I thought." Steve ended the conversation.
It was a long drive, but Clint was used to long periods of inactivity and observation so he was, although bored, not too upset at the silence. Steve was naturally a quiet person anyway. Intensely so. Particularly when distressed.
Though Clint was surprised when Steve paused outside a very large estate, the imposing gates firmly closed; this wasn't a place he had expected to end up at.
The sign on the wall marked the place as "Crocker's Folly".
Leaning forward, Steve pressed the button for the intercom system.
"Steve Rogers and guest, visiting?" It was clearly a question.
"You were expected, sir." The response came back quickly, "Please enter."
The grounds inside the walls were as lush as the outside projected. But also a lot more homely and country than Clint expected. Steve drove them right up the drive to the main house entrance, past several turnings off towards what looked like small house clusters.
Entering the house, Clint noted that it was laid out rather like a posh, country hotel. But again with more homeliness than Clint was imagining. Then again, he hadn't been in many posh, country hotels. Not for long anyway and not usually through the front door.
Everything looked different behind the scenes after all.
"Good afternoon, sir." The man behind the desk was crisp and polite, "I was instructed to inform you that you are expected in the Barnes Room."
Clint felt a shiver run down his spine at the comment. He saw Steve stiffen as he took in the statement.
As one the pair of them, followed the directions they were given.
"Steve," Clint murmured, "What's going on? I'll back your play. No matter what it is. But I need to know what the play is."
"No play." Steve breathed, "Just honesty. I just needed a friend to stand with me."
Steve pushed open the door.
Inside were three men. Two immediately, albeit slowly, rose to their feet and saluted. The other saluted from his wheelchair.
"Captain." They all declared.
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Please Review.
Thanks to my reviewers:
DaemonWolfe – Talking can help. But it'll only really have results when everything comes out.
The Shadow Keeper – Yeah, my Tony seems to have his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Steve and Clint.
Once again thank you.