Hawkeye POV
As I walked out of Olivia's room, my mind began to turn over her words, start to make sense, and I started to form a plan in my head. She was lonely because no one trusted her, so she needed company that would be unbiased. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't even notice director Fury until he cleared his throat.
"What's on your mind?", he asked, falling into step.
"Just thinking about the new recruit," I answered, "I might have a solution to fix things like last night, without making her more uncomfortable or pressuring her into other things." Fury raised an eyebrow at that.
"And how exactly would you plan to do that?"
"Well, she's lonely and has no one to talk to or spend time with, so she escapes to the skies. If she has something to keep her grounded, something for her to hold on to, then she might be persuaded to comply with our standards more."
"And what would you propose to keep her grounded?" asked Fury skeptically, "She seems to not particularly care about others' opinions, and so far, I don't think anyone knows anything that goes through her head. Her thoughts are very well guarded, and her poker face could rival a professional gambler."
"I think that she would be open to opening up, she just doesn't expect anyone to ask, because no one ever has." I said. "I'm not entirely sure about this idea, but I think it has a pretty decent chance of working, and if it does it could potentially solve this problem."
"Give it a shot, and we'll hope that it works," said Fury. "If not, then we'll have to find a different way."
"Will do." I said, and smiled as I walked away. This would either work extremely well or fail miserably, and I wasn't sure which way it would lead.
There's an animal shelter in downtown Brooklyn, and it's one of the cleaner and more respected ones in the city. It spays, neuters, and also makes sure that all of the animals inside are up to date on shots and are clean and healthy. I personally have never been inside, but a couple of the other Avengers have been, for various patrols, assignments, and checkups of businesses. I don't know what I'm looking for specifically when I walk in, but from the moment I set eyes on one of the kittens, I know that she'll love it. It's right in the middle of one of the kitten fights, and has the most piercing green eyes that I've ever seen on a cat. Its front two paws are white, and there's a little white patch around its nose. It clearly knows what it's doing in the fight, and it's taking on three of its siblings at once, while its mother looks on calmly. I stop next to the cage and look in, and at once, that one kitten looks up and fixes me with those bright green eyes. One of the shelter employees pauses as they walk past, and asks "Can I help you with anything?"
"Actually, I was wondering if I could take one of these kittens home?" I ask, wondering what in the seven hells I'm doing.
"These ones aren't vouched for, so if you want to pick one, we can run the paperwork through you and adopt one out to you today." said the store employee, "While I'm finding our adoption specialist, why don't you pick out a kitten to take?"
"That sounds great, but I already have one in mind." I said, glancing down at the kitten with the bright green eyes. The store clerk followed my glance, and smiled.
"That one's a little tiger," she said, poking a finger into the cage for the kitten to play with, "her eyes have already changed color, way ahead of any of her litter mates."
"Do their eyes not start out green?" I asked, genuinely intrigued.
"No, most kittens' eyes start out blue and then change to whatever color after a couple of weeks. Hers were green as soon as her eyes were open. She's not as big as some of her siblings, but she's at least twice as smart and can fight better than any of them. If she's the one you want, you can take her with you into the adoption room." She unlocked the cage door, reached in, and gently pulled out the kitten.
"Here, why don't you carry her?" She asked, handing me the kitten.
"Oh, um…." I said, fumbling a little as I took the kitten. I haven't had much experience with cats, only having a dog growing up. The kitten, however, had no qualms with me, and snuggled right into my chest, purring deeply.
"She likes you." said the clerk, re-locking the cage and standing up. "If you'll just follow me, we'll get you the paperwork and you'll be able to take her home."
"Thanks." I said, following the clerk to a small office. The glazed glass door read: Adoption Specialist" in smart black letters. She knocked on the door, and after a short reply from inside the room, motioned me in.
"Thanks." I said, moving into the small room. She closed the door behind me, and I sat down in front of a smart oak desk in one of the small chairs. The chair on the other side of the desk was occupied by a small woman, with a face lined with wrinkles, dark hair streaked with white, and a kind smile.
"So, you'd like to adopt one of our charges?" she asked, leaning over to rifle through one of her desk drawers.
"Um, yes." I replied, shifting the cat on my lap, and feeling slightly on edge from the close quarters.
"I'm just going to ask you a few questions, and then have you sign a few sheets, mostly to confirm that you know that she's had all her shots, is fully spayed, and that you understand the various responsibilities that come with owning the cat." she smiled, and then started asking her questions. They were very easy to answer, mostly about my work, why I wanted a cat, especially after hearing that I was an Avenger, verifying my ID, and then handed me the paperwork. There were three sheets, and all of it seemed in order, and once everything was signed, she stood up, shook my hand, and wished me luck with the cat. I bought a cat carrier, food, and bowls for food and water, as well as a litter box, litter, and a scoop. I drove back to HQ, thinking over how I would present the cat to Olivia. Finally, I decided on the quickest and easiest: ding-dong ditching with a note.
Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter!