"I can't believe this. Of all people I would think your on my side Dad." Quinn said as she paced the living room. The lab was in lock-down until there argument was over. Kim, Tony and Gage were all in the living room. TJ and Loki were upstairs avoiding the drama. Tony had his arms crossed, staring her down. "I would be on your side if I knew what you were doing. I could have helped you. You realize how dangerous nanobots are? If one malfunctions there's no way of getting them out and then what? We watch you die? "
Quinn shook her head. "Isn't that the point of these suits? Of avenging and taking down the bad guys? To take risks, even if it's our own life so that others will live?" Tony shook his head. "Taking risks and being suicidal are two different things. Trust me, I know from experience. This has gone beyond risky. You Injected nanobots into your blood stream and locked us all out of the lab. If one of those went wrong, went haywire we wouldn't be able to get to you. And yes your fine, yes, nothing went wrong but if I needed to get to a suit I wasn't able to. You can't lock us out like that."
Quinn cursed silently to herself. He was right. But she was just so mad at Gage for not trusting her to know what she was doing she didn't realize she was kicking everyone out. Her mother spoke next from her spot near the wall. "Did you have a vision?" Quinn softened a little. "Not quite. It was a vision yes but also a message. There's something really bad coming our way really fast and the only way we all survive is with the suit I'm making. That's what I was told. If I don't finish it in time for... Whatever is coming then Gage will die and mom and you. I can't let that happen."
Tony frowned, walking closer. "Then let me help you. It'll go faster if two brains are working." Quinn sighed. "Fine. Now that the worst part is over, a little help would be nice." Tony nodded. "Good. Me and your mom will be in the kitchen, I think you and Romeo have some talking to do." Tony and Kim both left the room. Tony had plans of calling happy to fill in for Clint while he was gone.
Gage looked over from his spot on the couch, Quinn had her hands in her pockets. He spoke. "Was there a reason you didn't tell me about this vision of yours?" "Was there a reason you wouldn't tell me your nightmares?" Gage stood up quickly, nearly glaring. She has no idea how much she hurt him, or maybe she does and she's blocking it. Blocking seemed like the Stark thing to do. "Answer the question. Why didn't you tell me about this vision?"
She looked up, taking in a breath. "Because you'd have stopped me. You all would have stopped me had you known what was involved. You were too emotionally attached for this. I had to distance myself so I could get the most important part of the suit done." Gage looked around the living room, wishing it could give him answers. "So you really didn't trust me." Quinn was about to say something, glaring when Gage continued, stopping her. "If you had told me that this was a part of a vision and had your dad help you, been honest with us from the start we would have helped. Now... Now it's like our entire life together was nothing. Who helped you through every vision? Who helped you through every nightmare?" He walked closer. Continuing. "And now? It's like that was nothing. It meant nothing. Do you even still trust me? For anything?"
Quinn glared. "Of corse I do you idiot. I just..." She looked away knowing she was in the wrong and defeated. " I messed up. Big time and now you don't trust me. And if there's no trust should we even be together anymore? I mean, forget marriage I can barely keep one relationship together." Gage frowned. "What are you saying? That we should just break up, like nothing ever happened?" "Not exactly." Gage felt his heart stop. she was serious. "You want to take a break?" She nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah. I mean what's a relationship without trust in the other?" He could see her eyes watering, knowing this was as hard for her as it was for him. He swallowed the growing lump In his throat.
"Quinn, please. We can work thru this. You could set an alert for when your time in the lab should end, I can check on you-" She turned, her lip trembling. She couldn't look at him, knowing she would only go right into his arms then nothing would get fixed. The tears fell steadily down her face. Her voice thick. "I'm sorry but I'm going to need you to trust me with this. Just...Think of this as our first step to fixing us. We will be back together, I promise but we both need time apart to build trust again because I messed up royally. Now , do you trust me enough to let this happen?" Gage was glaring at the floor, taking in every word she said. He let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes. "I trust you. I believe in us. I refuse to believe anything else." She nodded quickly before making her way up to her room and slamming the door.
Gage was left alone in the living room feeling more alone then he ever had in his life. Clint was overseas. Quinn wanted to take a break. He felt numb. He nearly punched Tony in the face, feeling his hand on his shoulder. He lowered his fist, sighing. Tony frowned. "What happened?" Gage couldn't look at him. He felt like a kid in high school that just got rejected. "She broke things off. Says we should take a break to rebuild trust." Tony frowned.
He was honesty surprised Quinn would go this far. If he knew her well then she had a plan. "She has a plan. She's never without a plan. If she says she wants to rebuild trust then she will. Give you two time. You both did kinda take a hit." Gage nodded, wiping at his eyes. "Yeah. If you need anything I'l be in my quarters. I...I just need to be alone for a while." Gage walked away, going upstairs to his room. He walked past Quinn's room. Resisting the urge to put his ear up to the door, to see if she was crying, if she was just as hurt. He felt horrible for thinking that as he walked into his own room. Locking the door.
Clint was in the helicarrier still. It was on autopilot to Budapest and it would be a few hours still. He walked to the mess hall, getting himself a cup of coffee to help his nerves. It been a while since he's been away from home. He was already starting to feel homesick but he knew he had a job to do. "Agent Barton. It's good to work with you again." Clint turned, seeing Coulson. "Director. That's a new title." "Yes and one with more responsibility. Sorry I couldn't fully brief you over the phone. The information is classified, too much risk someone could hear." Clint nodded, sipping his coffee. "Then let's do this."
Phil lead him to his office, bringing up a digital map on the wall. Clint still didn't bring up why he wore one glove. Letting Phil talk, getting lost in the mission,letting the familiar sound embrace him. Phil continued. "Another reason I couldn't say over the phone is the weapons that we found are some of Starks weapons from his days as a weapons manufacturer. We thought all were destroyed but unfortunately some were hidden away by HYDRA who are now using them in there war against SHIELD. " Clint felt a protective urge to hold Tony, knowing the guilt Tony would feel if he knew would be consuming. Clint spoke. "This isn't gonna be an in and out mission is it?" "Afraid not. HYDRA is clever in hiding them, Grant Ward leading the war path."
"So what does this have to do with Budapest? Wasn't that a human trafficking bust?" Coulson nodded. "It was. It still is but there working with HYRDA this time. This group needs to be eliminated completely. No one is to be left alive."
Clint tensed, sipping his coffee. "What if there's children involved in the group?" "Eliminate. If there's one left to go on then it could mean trouble down the line. If there slaves to be sold rescue is approved but if theres any tie with the group that could mean trouble you eliminate them with extreme prejudice," Clint nodded, hoping to god there wasn't any children. "Yes sir."
It was an hour later when he decided to call Tony, give him as much of an update he could. It rang a few times as he walked to his private quarters. Tony picked up. "Hey babe, how's saving the world going?" Clint let out a chuckle as he sat in his bed. "Slow going. We have to play the waiting game while we fly to Budapest. How's home?" Tony let out a sigh. "Not good actually. We sorta gave Quinn an intervention about her lock-down. It went ok then Gage and her had to talk and well...Quinn kinda broke things off with Gage." Clint's eyes widened, tensing. "What?! Why?" "She wants to take a break to rebuild trust and both of them are taking it hard. I haven't seen either one of them for two hours." "Shit. I better talk to him when I'm done." "So are you able to tell me what's going on or is it classified?" Clint mentally debated that. He knows if he tells Tony anything he'l want to come out to help. "Classified. Sorry babe." "You know when you get back home we may have to do some Spy/victim role play. The spy talk is pretty sexy." Clint couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't think that's a good idea shell head. We start that then I get another mission and all there spy terms you think are so sexy will start turning me on. In debrief. I don't want to explain that to Coulson." He smiled when he heard Tony laughing, Kim in the background asking what was going on and what was so funny.
Once he was done talking with them he sighed, preparing himself for whatever emotions his brother has to vent. He had a half hour til landing and yeah he may have put it off because he's never had to deal with an actual break up of any sort. He presses call on Gage's ID and heard it ring.
Gage picked up, sounding exhausted and voice rough and it broke his heart to think he was crying alone in his room. "Hey." "Hey bro. Heard there's trouble in paradise." Gage gave an unamused laugh. "There would be if there was a paradise. Just...I don't know Clint. She dumped me. She says she wants to take a break, rebuild trust and she promises we will but I know what that means. I may have not a lot of relationships but I know what they mean when they say take a break. Just a nice way of actually breaking up with them."
Clint hates this. Hated he was stuck between someone who was pretty much a niece to him and his brother. "Gage, just shut up with the brooding for a second and realize she's just realizing how big she messed up and I really don't think this has to do with trust at all. I think she's terrified. You know how Starks get when your there trapped in a corner and can't figure out a way out of it." "Yeah. I know but still. I've known her her entire life, if this was a part of a vision why couldn't she have told me? " Clint shook his head. He really wanted to slap some sense into these idiots. "Because she's scared Gage. Just.. why don't you give you two some time to cool down and get your senses back and try talking with her, without getting angry." The light turned on his room indicating they started landing in Budapest. Clint spoke. "Sorry bro. Duty calls. I'l call you guys again soon." He hung up, getting his bag and weapons ready and on him.
A half hour later Clint was speeding thru the busiest part of Budapest, shooting at HYDRA jeep who apparently knew they were coming. Coulson was on the wheel while he shot magazine after magazine at the other jeep behind them. Having to yell to Coulson for some conversation. "Still can't believe Quinn would do that ya know!" A head shot. He continued talking. "I mean she knows she messed up but it's like she's terrified of everyone!"
A shot in a hydra agents arm, one in the tire, making it spin and crash into a clearing of trees. Coulson spoke next, seeing the jeep crashed behind them. "Sounds like she's scared of people leaving her so she's doing the leaving first!" Clint sat back in his passenger seat, dirty and grime on his face and a few leaves in his hair. "Maybe your right. I'l have to tell have that tonight. Hopefully it'll help him."