So sorry it took me so long to update! This chapter - and the following one - has been sitting on my harddrive for a while, in fact. Just didn't get to posting it cos, after seeing "Iron Man 3", I got distracted (ooooh, shinies!). After the next chapter, I won't be updating this story here for a while cos I'm working on a longer story set after "Iron Man 3". Just to give you a warning. Also, as of "Iron Man 3", feel free to consider this scene-collection here AU.

Who Killed The Mockingbird?

When Fury strode out of the elevator with a thin folder in his hand and a grim look on his face, Tony's first impulse was to deny everything. A moment later, he remembered that he hadn't actually done anything that would have brought the wrath of SHIELD's director upon him.

Well, not recently.

Come to think of it, it was high time he tried to hack into SHIELD's mainframe again to find – something. Whatever. They probably had come up with a few new security gaps since he last had done so.

Fury stopped right before him and scowled at him. He did that really well. Probably practiced it in front of a mirror for half an hour every morning.

"Don't even think of it, Stark. – Where is he?"

"Who?" Tony asked. "Say, when exactly did you learn how to read minds?"

"Barton. And as for you – it doesn't matter what you think, it's always a bad idea."

Tony shook his head.
"And I thought we were starting to get along. – Clint's –"
He stopped since the archer chose that exact moment to enter the room and merely pointed at him.

"Barton."
Fury stepped over to him.
"Got a new mission for you."

He lifted the folder he was holding. Tony considered leaving. This obviously was SHIELD business. On the other hand, he was curious and besides, if it were a secret mission, Fury would have told him to beat it the moment he arrived, wouldn't he? Never mind this was his tower and thus, he ought to be the one who had a say in who stayed and who left.

Clint glanced at the folder and frowned.
"Why didn't you just call? Or order me back to HQ?" he asked

"This one's special."
If Tony hadn't known any better, he would have sworn Fury hesitated for a split-second.
"Remember what Coulson promised you when you joined SHIELD?"

Clint nodded.

Tony thought he saw just the tiniest hint of wariness in the man's eyes.

"We found him."
Fury held out the folder to the archer.
"The one who killed her. He should be able to tell you who hired him to do it."

Tony didn't have to ask – not that he would have. This was indeed special. He knew from what Clint hat told him not that long ago that Fury was referring to Clint's wife who had been killed by one of his former clients. Or so the archer had always assumed. Now, he finally had confirmation. And a name.

The changes were subtle but Tony still spotted them. As, he guessed, did Fury.

The archer stiffened slightly. The muscles in his jaw clenched. Most noticeable were his eyes. They went cold. A winter's day in Siberia would have seemed warm by comparison.

"When do I leave?" Clint asked.

His voice was completely level. Tony admired the man for his self-control. Had he been in the archer's place – had Pepper been killed and her murderer been found – he, Tony Stark, would probably have been howling and raging and screaming before tearing that bastard apart limb by limb.

Well, in theory.

In reality, he most likely would be too stunned to do anything at all. A world without Pepper – unthinkable.

"Whenever you're ready", Fury told the archer and handed him the folder.
"You're leaving from here."

Clint nodded.
"I'll be off in an hour, then", he said and turned to leave.

Again, Tony could have sworn Fury hesitated for just a moment.

"Do whatever you gotta do, Hawk, but – be careful. This isn't an official mission, so if anything goes wrong –"

"I'll be on my own", Clint finished.

"Well, there won't be any backup from SHIELD, but –"
Fury glanced at Tony who gave him the tiniest of nods. If Clint ran into trouble, they would be there.

When Clint entered the hangar an hour later, dressed in what he called his "mission gear", bow in hand and his quiver slung over his shoulder, he found Stark waiting for him. The man was leaning against the Quinjet trying to look casual.

Clint shook his head.
"Forget it, Tony, I'm not taking you on this one."

"Oh, I wasn't gonna ask, don't worry. This one's yours – and yours alone. I just wanted to give you something."
He took something from his back-pocket and tossed it at Clint who caught it.

Clint frowned in confusion.
"Your phone? What, you want me to call you every twelve hours or what?"

"Nope. It's one of a kind, so you better bring it back to me undamaged – unless, of course, you wanna get your ass kicked all across the five continents and every known world other than this one."
Stark moved closer.
"See that small button on the screen? With the J on it?" he asked.

Clint nodded.

"If you run into trouble, press it. It opens a direct connection to Jarvis, so he can tell us where you are."

Clint nodded again and slipped the phone into one of his many pockets.
"Thanks", he said.

"Just try to come back in one piece, okay? Or at least, not any more pieces than we can put back together."
Stark stepped away from him to allow him to access the Quinjet.

"Don't worry", Clint said. "I'll be back."

Stark grinned.
"Arnold Schwarzenegger, 'The Terminator', 1984."

Clint rolled his eyes.
"Really, Stark, trust you to spoil the moment."

Stark shrugged.
"Hey, that's what I live for."