Unusual Avenger

Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue.

AN: Well this is coming out a little late this week. Sigh... RL is kicking my butt right now. At least my kids school is going well. So anyways... Things are taking a turn for the darker for a while, before I go back to the light hearted stuff... Enjoy.

And I can't stop wonderin'
What it would feel like to hold her all night
She's got that something
That sexy innocence
She must be heaven sent
- Angel Eyes – Love and Theft

X Unusual X

Okay, whoever left a plastic rat in my desk is going to be getting the crazy's tonight. Just as soon as I figure out which of you bozo's left it there. I will find you.

X Unusual X

It was a few weeks after he had found out that he was going to be a father that Jason got his first official assignment since he had been cleared for active duty. Agent Sitwell had found him at home, sitting at the new lunch counter going over the blue prints for his and Darcy's new suite in the future Avengers Mansion. The Liaison had seemed nervous to be there actually, especially since the detective knew that Phil had always spoken highly of the other man's ability to play possum. But after a few minutes of the agent bumbling through an explanation, Jason had taken pity on the man and had just grabbed the SHIELD issued smart phone from him and looked over the mission brief that he had on it.

It was a routine in and out extraction, at least on the surface. The only problem was that the person that he was to go in and extract was not only undercover for Interpol, but was also an agent for MI6. Not that many of MI6's agents 'existed' per say, but there you go. In the end Jason just rolled his eyes and accepted the mission. It was a, succeed in extracting the agent, or kill them so that they didn't let anything slip to the criminals that they were trying to undermine, sort of mission.

Routine, but rarely dull.

At least it got him into the same general vicinity of Norway. He could do the mission and then go see his wife for a few hours before they found him and shipped him home to New York. Fury wouldn't be happy, but he really didn't care at that point, so he packed his spare bow and called Pepper to have her deal with Sergeant Brown.

Twenty hours later he was sitting on top of a roof in Germany with a targeting sight held up to his eye, reading the lips of his target and the agent he was supposed to be extracted. If his German was any good, and it was thanks to Phil, then it looked like their agent was not only double playing Interpol, but also MI6.

"Bosses aren't going to be happy with this," he muttered as he dropped the sight. "Scheiβe." He ran an agitated hand through his short cropped hair. He hated it when his hunches turned out to be correct. He had thought that Sitwell seemed agitated. It was no wonder then that they had wanted Agent Sarah Cartwright out post haste. She was a sellout. "Bozhe moi. Where's Tasha when you need her." Pulling out the tiny Bluetooth that Pepper had passed him with a wink before he left, he fit it into his ear. The push of the equally tiny power button had it on and calling his handler.

"Tell me that you have good news." Pepper's voice sounded strained when she answered him after two rings. Since it was nearly three in the morning here, there was no doubt that he had interrupted her finishing at work for the day.

"Sorry ma'am. It's not good."

"Shit."

He nearly laughed when she cursed, but he figured that it wouldn't be good to given the circumstances. "Dirty as the dishes after supper ma'am. Shall I order take away or take out?"

There was a lengthy pause as Pepper considered. He knew that she would never give him that order, but he had to ask. It was protocol after all. Just because they didn't like it didn't mean that they could change it. Well that and she had never been faced with this sort of decision on her own before. Truthfully, their Liaison should be with her the whole time he was on location, but he doubted that Sitwell had stuck around to keep his handler grounded. Phil would have, but then if he were still around Jason wouldn't be having to ask Pepper.

"Is there a third option? Perhaps keep an eye out for a better deal?"

It was a stupid code, but he understood her meaning. Keep surveillance on the target agent for a little while longer, just to be sure that a kill order was warranted. "Can do ma'am? When would you like me to check back with you on it?"

She sighed softly, obviously relieved that he was willing to wait for more evidence. "I won't be going out for dinner again until the day after tomorrow. Do you think you can get me the menu's by then?"

Smiling softly he raised the sight again and noted that the target agent was by herself, her guest having left the room while he was talking to Pepper. Checking around the building, he was pleased to note that the man was exiting the front of the building and was getting into the car that he had originally arrived in. That was one hassle out of the way. "Can do ma'am. Do you want me to give you progress updates on the search every day or just wait until its check in time?"

"Do what you deem best Clinton."

"Yes ma'am."

The line disconnected with a quiet click. Pulling the device from his ear he clicked it off and put it back in the tiny pocket just inside of his collar that had been made for his comms. It looked like he was in for the long haul on this mission. Darcy was not going to be happy when she found out that he had been sent off on another mission that had the distinct possibility of someone dying. Thankfully, with her clearance level, she wouldn't find out until after he was back.

After about another hour of watching the rogue agent get settled into bed, he fired off a bug to keep an ear on her over night and decamped. He quickly made his way from the rooftop that he had been observing from and down into the alley behind it.

Unfortunately for him, he hadn't anticipated that the target that he had observed talking to Agent Cartwright might be coming back, or that he might be in the very alley that he would choose to leave the building from.

As he desperately fought his attackers, Jason couldn't help but curse as one of them managed to get a knife into his side. Running out into the main road he spotted a passing motorcyclist and pulled his gun on the hapless civilian.

"Gib mir das Motorrad!" Motioning with his gun he clenched his right hand to his bleeding side. "Aussteigen!"

The poor man quickly scrambled to do as he had demanded and ran from the bike, when the first shot when off from the alley.

"Danke!" Jason shouted over his shoulder to the fleeing civilian as he kicked the bike into gear and roared away from the scene. He was not looking forward to the fallout from this one. Fury would be pissed. Several minutes later he slowed down and holstered his sidearm. Steering through several side streets and alleys, he found one that was a good walk from the hostel that he had chosen for a hiding place and ditched the bike. The police would find it later in the morning he was sure, so he carefully wiped it down so that no prints would be found on it. Not that his would pop up anyways. SHIELD had software to insure that he didn't when he was on missions.

Pulling his pack off his back, he let out a thankful breath when he saw that aside from a small tear, it was intact. Unzipping it he pulled out his jacket, glad that the rest of his clothing was black and would hide the blood until he was in a shower and could tend to his side properly. Unzipping his vest allowed him to see the gash and he quickly decided that he needed to at least wrap it before he went to the hostel. It was a bit awkward without help, but he managed. He would fix it later. Redoing his vest, he covered over it with his jacket and threw everything that held any sort of evidence into his bag.

A quick glance at the sky confirmed that it was still dark, though he knew that dawn would be soon. It was time to vanish again.

X Unusual X

Gib mir das Motorrad! – Give me the Motorcycle!
Aussteigen! – Get off!
Danke! - Thank you!