The Nine Tailed Foxx
Chapter 19
((A/N: No, I haven't forgotten about my other stories. Just waiting on one muse to step back and let others have some time.
A wonderful thanks to my friend Lady Moonhawke, who is also my co-writer, co-conspirator, Idea tester, plot hole finder, monkey wrench thrower, and ghost editor.))
The Ides of March
Middle of March…
The hearings at the UN was still in progress and looked to take another month at least before they wound down. Alexei wasn't expected to make an appearance for another few days.
Training had picked up over the course of the last two weeks. More weights were added and the number of reps increased to build his stamina. Strength wise, it was determined he was on his upper range already. To try and increase it would only cause harm in the long run. Johnny was overall, despite his height, built for speed, accuracy and stealth.
Natasha had moved him onto more advanced ballet positions and gymnastic routines that would help increase both his flexibility and his leg strength. She had him start incorporating some of the moves into their sparring sessions. Some worked, some did not. It was better to figure such things out during training then to find out while in the field where failure could lead to death if not worse.
The weapons work had also advanced. Knives were now in use along with the sticks, staves and hand to hand. Johnny was now also doing range work, as long as Clint and Natasha was there of course. There was some disagreements with that, but no one could really argue too much when Fury backed the decision. When pressed for more information, Fury only said he had a place for Johnny where he could fit in and do some good. Cap still had a piss poor attitude but he accepted it as a fact he would be working with him at some point in the future. Wanda or Pepper had started watching Alexei during this time so no one would be distracted at a crucial moment.
"This is getting annoying," Johnny commented while reloading the clips. "I can hit moving targets at a 95% accuracy but stationary targets I'm lucky I'm hitting 75% of the time."
Clint found it amusing. "Just keep practicing. Ready?"
Johnny took the ready position again after dropping his ear protectors back in place then nodded. Only when both the verbal and visual all clear signals were given did he bring the pistol up and begin firing. His actions were smooth and concise. When reloading, he dropped the spent clip, slapped in the new one and continued with almost no interruption. As soon as the last clip was empty as well as the chamber itself and the targets accounted for, he flipped the safety on, placed the gun on the counter then stepped back several paces.
"Range is cold," Natasha said.
FRIDAY locked down the range, dropping shields across the front of each firing lane and bringing the lights up fully. "Range is cold," the AI confirmed.
Taking off the ear protectors, Johnny let out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his forehead. "What am I missing?" he asked as he followed them both out on the range to take a look.
Even though the range itself was state of the art modern, both assassins insisted on the old fashioned paper targets to start out with.
"You're accuracy with stationary targets is good until midrange at 15 yards. Then you start losing that accuracy," Natasha pointed out. "Low and to the sides, depending on which hand you're using to fire."
"Accuracy on moving targets is the opposite," Clint added. "The farther out the more accurate until you reach the 30 yard mark. Which is the norm for most pistols. Past 32 meters, accuracy is rapidly lost even though the lethality of the ammo itself remains the same." He crossed his arms, looking back at the booth then to the end of the range and back again. "You are in control of your ability correct?"
"Yes. I haven't had any problems since Wanda removed Doom's tampering," Johnny said.
"What's your range?"
"I..er.." Johnny frowned. "I'm not sure anymore. Last time it was tested was over 5 years ago, before the bastard's last bit of tinkering."
"Straight line? Spherical? Arc?" Clint asked.
Johnny blinked a few times. "Umm.. spherical.. I think. I know I can sense above and below, not just straight, back and to the sides. Why?" he asked though he had an idea of what Clint was working on.
"Just an idea. FRIDAY, are Tony, James, Sam and Vision currently in the tower?" Clint asked, heading towards the door of the range. He motioned for the others to follow him.
"All are currently on location Agent Barton. Do you wish for me to request their presence?"
"Yeah, ask them to head to the landing pad."
"Request sent Agent Barton," FRIDAY informed him.
"What are you up to Clint?" Natasha asked, walking at his side.
"You'll see," Clint replied as they entered the elevator. "Meet you there, going to make a stop."
Half an hour later, the group was standing in the the middle of the landing pad waiting on Clint to arrive. The quinjet was tucked away in the hangar bay behind them at the moment.
"So does anyone know what this is all about?" James asked, the War Machine armor standing behind him.
Natasha shrugged but had that enigmatic smile on her lips.
Tony just pointed at Natasha then to Johnny then back to Natasha again. "You are up to something. Where's Legolas? Can't have one without the other of you. It's like the 13th immutable universal law. Where Barton goes, so goes Romanoff."
"Here," Clint said as he comes out of the hanger bay and tosses something at Johnny.
Not even turning his head, he snags the item out of the air. He looks at the small bag then back at Clint, eyebrow raised. Getting a small nod, he opens the bag, looks in and starts to laugh. "Come on, are you serious?" he asks.
Shrugging, Clint lifts his hands palm up. "Hey, I use a bow and arrows. I don't see why not."
"What?" Sam asks as he looks between Clint and Johnny.
Still laughing, Johnny pulls the wrist rocket out of the bag.
"Oh My God.. No.. You did not just… you did…" Tony stares at the 'primitive' weapon with a look of disbelief, fascination and skepticism. "Alright, we all know how good you are Katniss, but there is no way he can be that good with that.. that… toy."
Motioning for Clint to hand over something, Johnny manages to reduce his laugh to a throaty chuckle. "Ok, what ammo do you have for me?"
Clint had a shit eating smug smile on his face as he brought out a canister of paintballs. Bright, neon, multi-colored paintballs.
Like a kid in a candy shop, Johnny's eyes light up with mischief. "OOhhh gimme gimme gimme!" He made a grabby hands gesture towards the canister.
"Miss Potts, perhaps you had better see this," FRIDAY said as the AI brought up the local news channel on the large screen of the common room's TV.
"News at 7: Paintballs rain down from the skies around Stark Tower. Iron Man, War Machine, Vision and Falcon have all been reported sporting bright neon colored paint splotches..." The video included several cell phone quality pictures of said Avengers.
"Ugh! Tony!" Pepper practically growled. "Oh wait till I get my hands on you! FRIDAY, contact the PR department, have a statement drawn up stating that anyone who was hit by one of those paintballs will be reimbursed for the damages done to their clothes, personal item or vehicle. Limited to $50 for dry cleaning or vehicle detailing. Make sure it's also stated that it had to have happened between….whatever time they started and stopped. Items must be presented for verification before any monetary restitution is given. Otherwise everyone and their families will show up wearing paint wanting money."
Meanwhile as Pepper was dealing with the SI side of things, Steve Rogers was playing the strict Team Leader. He was pacing back and forth, reading the riot act to those involved while the rest looked on with various expressions. Even Johnny wasn't allowed to escape the chewing out. Though everyone involved were having a hard time keeping a straight face and acting serious. That included Vision.
"Of all the irresponsible, thoughtless, immature things to do… launching paintballs out over open air-"
"As opposed to closed air," Tony commented.
"-where they can drop to hit the civilians below-"
"Which they did," James pointed out.
"-And cause who knows what type of damage or injuries-"
"Ohes noes… what would have happened if we used the deadly ping pong balls? Or maybe those steel shot balls instead?" Natasha snarked.
"-not to mention the negative press it will generate for the Avengers or Stark Industries."
"Our 'popularity'," Clint used his fingers to make quotation marks in the air, "is flagging already Cap. This hardly puts a dent into it."
Steve stopped and narrowed his eyes in Clint's direction. "None of this would be an issue if you hadn't decided to take him off range where the situation could be monitored. Instead you take him out to the landing pad where anything could have happened, then turned him loose with a weapon." He turned pointing a finger at Tony. "Shut it Tony, I don't give a damn how technologically primitive you deem that slingshot, it is still a weapon. Just like my shield." He snapped back around to face Clint again. "You turn him loose, unauthorized, with a weapon off the range and tell him to target your teammates. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I was thinking of it as a team exercise," Clint replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "They get to remember that just 'cause they are Avenger's they can still be hit by someone who isn't as well trained as they are. They also got a lesson in the fact that just 'cause it's a primitive weapon, it can't be potentially deadly. What if instead of paint it contained some type of acid, explosive or biological weapon? The paint I gave him though is 100% biodegradable, made with environmentally friendly materials and non-lethal."
Those that were not involved with the shenanigans lost their amusement when the implications of just what could have happened if this was serious sank in. Of late, most of the missions the Avengers went on were straight forward ones. Go rescue people trapped by a villain or natural disaster, take out a HYDRA or AIM base, or stop some plan for world domination by a nefarious evil doer. It was also an eye opener for some that something so simple as a slingshot could still be deadly. Never mind how many times they'd seen Steve use his shield to take down goons.
Steve lifted a hand, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "One, this is not a team exercise. Two, you are not authorized to set up such exercises. And three, he is not a member of this team therefore even if you were authorized, he would not be included."
The 'He' in this case being Johnny, who simply watched on as he stands next to Natasha, keeping his mouth shut. He just had to survive another month, two months at most, then both him and Alexei would be gone. He senses movement past the door just touching the edge of his gift. Shifting, he turns so he can face the door yet still keep an eye on the Captain and Clint, just in case things go downhill between the two men.
Natasha catches Johnny's movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning she raises an eyebrow, lifting her chin in the direction of the door in silent question.
Eyebrows scrunched down a moment in a frown line, Johnny crosses his arms over his chest. With the hand tucked under his arm closest to Natasha, he flicks out two fingers. As soon as he gets an affirmative he slides back another step as if to blend in with the background.
Nat nods then catches Clint's attention and signals: '2 approaching'.
Clint gives a subtle signal back to let Nat know he got the message. "Maybe it's time we started incorporating non-Avengers into our team exercises. One day, we're going to have to work alongside another team who are equal to if not better than us. Hell it might even be an entire team of enhanced. Not everyone is going to take your orders just because you are Captain America you know."
Steve opens his mouth, about to make a reply when the door opens and both Fury and Pepper step into the room. He promptly shuts it and turns his full attention to the pair. "Pepper. Fury." The greeting is short and to the point, a testament to the fact he is still annoyed as hell.
"Rogers. Problems?" Fury greeted back.
"No, not at all," Steve returned.
"Good," Fury supplied, a clear dismissal of the super soldier if there ever was one. "Barton, Romanoff. I got a job for you two. Come along and I'll explain," he said, turning around. "Thank you Ms. Potts," he nodded to the CEO of SI as he headed to the door. "Oh and bring your tag along with you."
Nat shared a look with Clint before she grabbed Johnny's arm and shoved him forward. She ignored his look of confusion as she made sure he kept moving.
Clint followed the pair, giving Tony a nod as he, for the moment, ignored Steve. It wasn't often that Fury pulled them away from the Avengers to do a job. And to order them to bring Johnny along meant the job was either a test of Johnny's abilities or something else entirely that was required for him to be placed into Fury's ranks.
Fury led the trio back down to the hanger where a second quinjet was parked on the landing pad, with its ramp down and engines on standby. "Since it's his first time, I'm giving you 10 minutes to gear up and get your ass on board," He said pointing to Clint and Natasha. He turned to Johnny next. "That's plenty of time for me to chew your ass out before dragging your ass on board for more in depth questioning about your involvement with HYDRA. Ms. Potts will of course threaten to lodge a complaint if you are not returned, in the same condition, within 48 hours of her initial discovery that you are no longer on location. Got it?" Fury asked with his standard glare in place.
"What about Alexei? Half the people I trust with him are going to be coming along, one can get called away and the other works to run a company," Johnny said warily.
Fury smirked. "Ms. Potts has graciously offered to watch the kid while you're away."
"I have no gear," Johnny countered. He really didn't like leaving Alexei behind, especially if he could be used as a bargaining chip.
Walking up the ramp, Fury kicked a box hidden in the shadow of the quinjet's rear compartment. "No excuse kid. Get use to the idea of someone looking after him when you're working."
Clint and Natasha returned less than 5 minutes later, geared up and ready to go.
As he passed Johnny, Clint handed him a shoulder bag. "From Tony," Clint said as he stowed his own carry ons before sitting down and strapping himself in.
Johnny took the bag and opened the flap to glance inside. He closed the flap, looping the strap over his shoulder so it would hang properly then took a seat and strapped himself in. He gave a nod of thanks as Nat double checked his harness before strapping herself in as well.
By the time the 10 minute mark passed the quinjet was already airborne and heading off to the west, though it would change course several more times before arriving at its destination.
Once it was clear to do so, Johnny unstrapped and headed to the box. It was a simple foot locker that held his original gear. He sat down on the deck plating as he went through it all, checking to be sure everything was working properly. When he was satisfied, he returned it to the locker then retook his seat. He pulled the item out of the shoulder bag and examined it again, fingers brushing over the surface lightly. Flipping it around he slid it on, checking to be sure everything properly fitted. A soft click in his ear alerted him to the fact the com was now active and there was a message waiting for him.
"Hey Mr. Todd, I see you finally decided to put this exquisite piece of craftmanship on. Good to know you appreciate all the hard work that I put into it for you. Systems are fully calibrated and ready to go to work. I included a little extra so get it out of the bag and put it on. It's based off the same environmental system I use, only smaller...like your face only smaller. It'll come in handy if you hang with Barton long enough after he's had one too many refried bean burritos of questionable quality. Oh and you had better come back alive and in one piece cause I am not keeping the kid. I'm not ready to be a daddy yet, even if Pepper is head over heels for the little tyke."
Johnny huffed a soft laugh as he reached in and pulls out the other item there. A quick examination then he slid it into place. There was a barely audible hiss as it locked into place. Within a few breaths, the scent that defines the interior of a quinjet was washed away, replaced by clean, filtered air. His eyes darted to the small readout. As he requested, Tony kept it to the 'idiot lite' level of information. Once synched up though, FRIDAY would have access to the full range of information.
Nat moved closer, examining it with a practiced eye. "Tony does good work when he wants," she said. She reached up, touching one of the 'ears' and smirked as it flicked backwards, just like a real animal's ear would.
"Proximity triggered I bet, to hide the audio receptors from close observation. Only Tony," Johnny said in a tone of fond exasperation, his voice coming out lower and softer than normal. He reached up to remove the mask but Nat stopped him.
"Only Tony," Nat agreed. "What's the longest you've worn it?"
"A few hours while we were working on the calibrations."
"Leave it on. Get use to wearing it for extended periods," Nat instructed.
Johnny did as instructed and left the mask on until they returned to the Tower two days later. The only part that came off during that time was the lower half so he could eat and drink. When they returned, they were greeted by Tony, who demanded the mask back for 'more calibrations and adjustments', and Pepper, who looked somewhat tired but in a good mood even for being somewhere around 'it's way too early to be awake yet' in the morning. Johnny gave Pepper a quick one armed hug, a sincere thanks and a peck on the temple before he headed, zombie-like, off to his room. Wanda, bless her, had Alexei and agreed to keep him until the afternoon. Clint and Natasha headed off in their own direction to wind down in their normal fashion.
Life in the Tower returned to normal that day, once Johnny was up. After being informed va FRIDAY that training would resume the next day, Johnny made his way up to the common floor to Alexei's 'paddock'. Pepper had insisted on 'fencing off' an area now that the baby was working his way through the crawling stage. Stopping outside of the area, Johnny watched as Alexei squealed in frustration, the small roomba he had been after once more escaping his grasp.
"Determined isn't he?" Bruce commented.
The squeal turned to an angry wailing as Alexei lost his coordination, ending up once more on his belly.
Johnny winced at the volume and pitch of the screaming. "And frustrated," he agreed.
The wailing tapered off as the roomba rolled past. Attached to it was plastic toy links that rattled enticingly. Alexei was on the move again, crawling after it as if the previous frustration never was.
"Ok, urban legend - true or false. All the machines here in the tower have some form of AI built into them after Tony tinkered with them," Johnny stated.
"I neither confirm nor deny those allegations," Tony said as he strolled up to the pair. "Come, walk with me Swiper."
Johnny arched an eyebrow. "Dora the Explorer? Not finding too many fox references are you?" he asked as he watched Alexei.
"If the moniker fits," Tony said with a knowing smirk as he tapped the side of his head.
Johnny turned, gave a nod to Bruce then started after Tony. He caught up with him at the elevator. "Do Clint or Natasha know?"
"Know what?" Tony shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. He didn't bother hitting the floor button, but the elevator started to ascend anyways.
"The innocent act doesn't work well on you," Johnny said as he leaned against the back of the elevator, one foot propped up and his arms crossed over his chest.
The elevator stopped and the door opened. "We do," Nat said, joining the pair. "Tony," she greeted with a nod. The doors closed and the elevator started to descend this time.
"Natasha," Tony returned. "Katniss not coming?" The doors opened again, this time he held out a hand, indicating it was time to disembark.
"What took you so long?" Clint asked from where he stood near the doors to Tony's lab. "I was getting bored and my coffee's gone cold."
The quartet entered the lab after Tony disengaged the security. As soon as they were in, the security reengaged and the glass went opaque. "FRIDAY, sweetheart, hold all my calls."
"Yes Sir," FRIDAY responded.
"Bring up Project Sticky Fingers and give me some music," Tony ordered as he stepped into the open area of the lab. Holographic displays came up all around him as the lights lowered about 15%. "Alright Swiper, talk to me," he said as he brought up the schematics of the mask as a whole. Reaching out, he grasp the top and the bottom, separating the two parts, leaving them side by side.
Johnny snagged one of the rolling chairs scattered around the lab and sat down as he stared up at the holo. "The top half...I found myself having to turn my head more to look at anything in the peripheral, otherwise I would start to get a headache from the eyestrain. The readouts were sharp, clear and didn't fade into the background if I switched filters. Didn't notice any issues with the seals at the edge though may want to include some type of sweatband. If the enviro is overloaded or compromised I'm going to be dealing with sweat build up at some point. I noticed a slight pressure above and behind the right ear, not a problem for short term use but long term it could become an issue. It may have been a slight warping or some sort of interference." Reaching up he ran a hand through his hair as he thought if there was anything else. "Oh, the straps. Replacing them might be a pain in the ass if it happens in the field, but I'd like to keep them leather and velcro."
Tony started working on the design as Johnny spoke. Once complete, he pushed it to the side and started on the bottom half of the mask. There was a bit more than just aesthetics that needed to be tweaked. He motioned for Johnny to stand in front of him as he sculpted the bottom part of the mask to better fit (and look cool at the same time). He tried several different designs that included a neck guard, making Johnny go through a full range of motions. None of the designs gave him both protection and flexibility he required. "I'll get back to you on this one. Here," Tony said directing Johnny's attention to the suit of armor in the corner of the lab. "You put the paint there so you can take it off. Think of it as repayment," he smirked as he waved Johnny away. "Just ask Dum-E if you need more supplies."
Johnny laughed and wandered over to the armor. He took the opportunity to take a closer look. He scratched at the paint splotches on the chest area, noting that it flaked off fairly easy.
"And no molesting my armor!" Tony yelled from across the lab.
"Oh come on, it'd be the only action I get around this place," Johnny replied.
Tony shook his head, turning back to the spy twins. "OK, what's up. What have you two cooked up for us this time? Something else to put a twist in spangle's star studded undies? Just don't do anything to piss Pepper off though," Tony said as he clapped his hands then rubbed them together.
"Something that Cap can't find fault with," Clint said. "A little team bonding, some (hopeful) fun and training all rolled into one. Ever play laser tag?"
Tony just gave Clint a look. He had been too busy either with his projects or partying (or both at the same time) to have played any games. "FRIDAY, bring up everything on laser tag."
"Yes Sir."
Twenty minutes later, Tony had a dozen designs sketched out ranging from ultra-realistic to completely whimsical. The laser system itself was knocked out in under two minutes flat. The system to register the 'hit' was only marginally more difficult, mostly it involved figuring out the placement of the zones. "What's the incentive to keep from getting 'tagged'?" Tony asked, still playing with designs. "Well other than FRIDAY alerting everyone that is."
"Add a mild taser to it," Natasha said. "Enough to know you've been hit but not enough to stun or do damage."
"You mean like the static shock Thor sometimes throws off after battle?" Tony asked, mind already leaping ahead.
"Yeah," Clint said, flipping through the designs of the 'weapons'. While the bow was his primary weapon, he was still highly proficient with guns and rifles. "Here, use this design." The design in question was somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. Easy to identify as a toy, especially if bright neon colored materials were used. "Just think, if these work out you can start a brand new Stark Industries product line."
Nat poked at the design Clint chose, rotating the view to examine it from all angles. "Single shot and three round bursts. No need for full auto," she stated. Looking over to where Johnny was still cleaning the armor, she called him over.
"Yeah?" Johnny asked, wiping his hands on a rag. "I'm almo-" He jerked away, rubbing the cheek of his ass. "What the hell?" he asked, giving Tony a look of mild annoyance and confusion.
Tony just smiled smugly back. "Pepper, this morning when you returned. Swiper no swiping."
Clint pressed a hand to his mouth to smother his laughter. "Got your attention?" he asked.
"Yes, it did. What the hell was that for?" Johnny asked as he crossed his arms.
"Not too much?" Nat inquired.
Johnny shifted his weight to his other leg. "I've had worse when I was hit with a cattle prod, but yes, I can still feel my ass cheek thank you. What are you three up to?" he questioned.
"Your training."
"Tomorrow morning, 6am. Dress for a job but keep it as civilian as possible," Clint ordered. "You'll receive an address and a 5 minute head start. Beat me there, and stay outdoors. We should be back before Alexei wakes, but if not Nat can take him until we get back."
"And if I do?" Johnny asked. "Beat you to the address that is."
"Loser is responsible for breakfast. You win, I buy. I win, you cook."
Johnny mulls it over for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough." He glances at Nat and Tony, "Still need me or can I go back to what I was doing?"
"Don't worry about it, I'll run it through a carwash later," Tony tosses over his shoulder absently, already lost in whatever he is working on.
Nat just slowly shook her head and turned away to watch Tony work.
Johnny leaned back against a counter, fingers drummed against his thigh absently as he made a list of what he might like for breakfast and what he knew how to cook. Odds were, he'd be cooking for 90% of the time. "Do you need me for anything else?"
"Why? Got a hot date?" Tony asked.
Johnny smirked. "Yeah, got a real cute babe upstairs waiting on me. I plan on maximum cuddle time with 'em on the couch."
"You are sick," Tony commented.
"And you're the one that had their mind vanish into the gutter," Johnny shot back. When he didn't receive any other comments, he pushed off the counter and exited the lab. Before hitting the common room, he stopped by the kitchen to check what he would need to request FRIDAY acquire for him. "FRIDAY? Weather forecast for tomorrow please?"
"Mid to high 30's are forecast for the high with a low in the upper 20's," the AI responded.
"Fuck… I hate the cold," Johnny muttered as he looked through the pantry, the freezer and the fridges. "Could you please put in a request for diced sweet potatoes, Dixie Lily grits… and….. hmmm… McCormick's white gravy mix,"
"Request has been sent in," FRIDAY responded.
"Thank you," Johnny replied as he made his way into the common room to get that cuddle time with Alexei before he was put down for the night. "Ooo there's my baby boy," he said, stepping over the fence to pick the baby up. "Thanks again Wanda. I owe you," he said, leaning over to give the young woman a peck on the cheek.
"It was no problem," Wanda replied amusedly as she watched the pair step into the elevator.