A/N thanks for the reviews and support.

white collar black wolf: Thanks for your review my friend. Glad you enjoyed it.

Coulson's POV

To say he was surprised when he came to was an understatement. His torturers had been talking about the idea of killing him. Not that he was surprised. They couldn't even get his name from him. Amateurs.

Waking up to voices in nearby raised his suspicions. Especially when he found that he was unbound. When he opened his eyes he saw that there were men in combat gear preparing to leave.

One was being supported by another man. By his accent the one supporting was French.

He called out into the kitchen where he could hear more voices," Delta we are out. Good luck."

Coulson stiffened. He heard about the callsigns like Delta. That meant they were Medusans. This could end very badly for him. Fury didn't negotiate even if someone saved his men.

A man came out of the kitchen and Coulson stiffened. At first he couldn't believe his eyes. He had to have been drugged. There was no way that, that man could have come for him. There was no reason for him to. Yet there he was Clint Barton. In the flesh.

His eyes weren't on Phil. They were on the men leaving. Not a word of goodbye or thanks passed his lips. Just silent watching. Then the young man turned his grey eyes to him. A flash of surprise crossed them.

Then he called out to someone in the kitchen," Hey guess who's awake?"

Not two seconds later Sitwell was poking his head out. A huge grin crossed the others face. He knew he had to be hallucinating. There was no way this could be real.

Sitwell said in a happy tone," It's good to see you awake. We weren't sure when you would awaken. Clint just saw the doctor and his team off."

His team? Hawkeye worked alone. That's what they had gathered on the archer.

A frown marred his features. Then again. They had not known about the Medusan connection. Or his connection to Gordon Webb. Webb was a well known army major. He had joined right before Phil had been recruited into SHIELD. He was a potential recruit if he could ever be persuaded to leave the army.

Barton said," I guess we owe you an explanation. Gordon I think you should be here for this. I would rather not repeat myself anymore than I have to."

A blond haired man with blue eyes came in. Phil realized after a moment it was Gordon Webb. The one he went to rescue. He was injured but nearly as bad as Phil had been.

Once they were all sitting Barton steepled his fingers together. His grey eyes had turned slightly blue. Now Phil was seeing the man that had a conscious.

Phil asked in his agent voice," Barton what happened?"

That kicked the younger man into gear," It started when you were captured. By that time I had five men ready to leave. Each with a skill set that I knew well. We had all worked together before. However we were down one man."

Coulson held up a hand to stop him and asked," That would make a six man team all together. That's more than what we in SHIELD would normally take. Why do you say you are down?"

Gordon was the one who answered," Medusan code. A minimum of seven men per team. A maximum of fourteen. Delta would never allow any less than seven men on his team. There was a saying that we heard even in the intelligence teams. When all else fails they didn't. Century team 12 was the most infamous team."

Phil looked back at the boy. Now he knew why there was such a haunted look in Barton's eyes. It was more thsn his time as an assassin. SHIELD knew of the Medusans. Many of them had been hunted down and eliminated by his hand. There was a file on his desk for this very boy. A kill order had been issued the moment he was released from duty. According to the CIA he was too dangerous to be left alive. This was not supported by his handlers but the agency went over their heads.

Now he knew why Barton didn't trust anyone. The boy was afraid another kill order would be issued. That he would be forever running.

Barton said," We were short a man so I had not been planning on leaving until we found one. I overheard a conversation between Fury and a select group. They were going to abandon you. According to the council they could not afford to rescue you. So I went to the armory planning on going down a man. Sitwell found me and despite my protests he joined as our seventh man."

Jasper said seemingly proud of himself," From there we watched and raided the compound. I was on the frontal assault team. Barton took the back way. We saved some kids while we were at it too."

Kids? So they were smuggling kids in and out. That was something he had suspected but could not confirm. It was good to know they made it out safely. Barton's next words made him pause.

"When you take Coulson back to base I'll find somewhere to jump at."

Phil asked carefully even as his mind put it together," Why?"

"Fury wouldn't accept me back. I left without permission and took one of his agents with me. An agent who was told clearly not to go on this mission."

Jasper said with a frown," If you won't be allowed back. Neither should I. I agreed to go on this mission because I am a friend of Phil's. If Fury doesn't like it he can kiss my ass."

Phil could feel a headache coming on. These two would be the death of him. He just knew it. However there is one thing he knew for a fact. He could not allow Barton to leave SHIELD. It would end up with a kill order be reissued. This time there would be no second chances.

Alex's POV

They all stood on the tarmac. Fury was there in all his impressive glory. Many of his agents were looking at them trying to figure out what in the hell was going on. Something even he didn't know.

Panov stood next to him looking uncharacteristically stoic. The CIA man had a feeling the doctor knew more than he was telling. This was further proved by a Quinjet landing on the tarmac a few minutes later.

Fury looked as stoic as ever but there was a sense of anger in his one eye. Alex wondered who was on the jet and what they had done to anger the man. When the doors opened a man in SHIELD issued hear. Over his shoulder was two backpacks. He was an African American with brown eyes. They lit up when they saw who was all waiting for him.

He said with a grin," Well we did it. Here the World Security council said it couldn't be done. So did you Fury."

What had they done? For the most part it seemed as if the man had returned alone. Footsteps coming from the plane stopped that train of thought. A familiar messy blond head came out of it supporting a brown haired man. Both were in SHIELD issued clothing.

Alex said at the same time as David Abbot," Delta."

Both of them had known by his file that David Webb had joined SHIELD. Why they didn't know. However seeing him in the flesh was a shock. The man he was supporting was the one who had gone to save Gordon. Not seeing Gordon Webb was disheartening. It meant that he was no longer in the land of the living.

Such thoughts were interrupted by a man with blond hair with blue eyes. He was badly bruised and it looked painful for him to be walking but it was him. Gordon Webb.

Once again Delta had proved why when all else failed. They sent him. Delta's eyes looked over the tarmac stoically. It only took a moment for them to land on him and Abbot. Even at the distance between them Alex saw the man's face go pale.

Panov was the first to move then the medics. The medics took the injured man from David. Panov however didn't go with them. His focus was on the former Medusan.

All three men made their way to the two. Fury's face contained barely withheld anger. David was going to be on thin ice should he choose to stay. In all honesty Alex would rather his old friend come back with him. By the dark bags under his eyes a long talk with Panov would do him some good.

Alex said remembering the boy's name before coming to the CIA," Clint it's been a long time."

His eyes met David's grey blue ones. It was good to see blue back in those eyes. The boy had a lot of trouble with what he had done when he returned. What he didn't understand was that without him a lot more people would have died.

A soft look entered David's face as he responded," Alex. It certainly has. How's the leg?"

Alex scrowled. His leg was still a sore subject. Some of the ligaments in his right leg had been shredded. While he regained his movement he would forever walk with a limp.

With a smile he replied," Its getting better. I've been looking for you, Clint."

David's face dropped as he said," I know. I also know that there was a kill order placed on me. Did you really expect me to just to allow myself to be killed?"

Alex had heard about the kill order. He had spent a long time trying to get it revoked. Thankfully only he and Abbot had known his true identity.

Knowingly he replied," They put out a kill order on Delta of century team 12. Only Abbot and I knew your true name. We kept it a like you would have wanted."

David's eyes searched his. Then he nodded. Acceptance without anger. It wasn't much but it was a start.

Fury snapped," Come with me, Trainee Barton. Agents Abbot and Conklin as well."

Each of them followed. Panov gently pushed David forward ahead of him. Something told him whatever Fury had planned. Panov's punishment would be worse.

Soon they found themselves in Fury's office. To Alex's surprise he found that David was in parade rest. It was hard to get him to do that when they were in Medusa. Now he did it freely. It seemed SHIELD had been good for the man.

Panov stood next to David with Alex and Abbot on his other side. All three of them were could have been students called into the principals office. Though the only one who had done something wrong was David.

Fury said glaring at David," You were under orders not to go after Couslon. You deliberately disobeyed direct orders."

David snapped back," If I had not gone then you would be down another agent. One who deserved a rescue mission. I may have hated myself for what I did before and during my time as an assassin but there was one rule. Never leave a man behind. As long as you are alive and on my team you will make it out. When Coulson brought me into SHIELD he said it would be different than being an assassin. That being with SHIELD meant you were no longer alone. I'm calling bullshit Fury."

More was going to be said but Panov's voice of reason cut in," I believe Director that you are mistaken. You told Agent Sitwell he could not go after his friend. While he disobeyed orders trainee Barton did not. He was never given the order to stay behind."

David looked at the doctor shocked but didn't disagree. Fury growled low in his throat. They could see the wheels turning in his mind.

Fury said finally," Barton you can no longer join SHIELD as a trainee. With the events of the last week and Agent Coulson's recommendation you are being made a level one agent. You will report twice a week to Doctor Panov unless you are on mission. Agent Sitwell..."

The agent in question came out of his hiding place as he said," Yes sir."

Fury growled," You are to stay on base for the next month. No missions," They could all see the man's head lower in shame," Welcome to level 5 agent Sitwell. While on base Coulson will train you to be a handler."

That was a shock. Handlers were a different breed of agent. They had to look after their assets. From what he understood David was an asset. Definitely not handler material. There were just too many issues for him to be a handler.

Fury's eyes then turned to him and said," You and Agent Barton can you the conference room next floor down. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."