Day 15 – Mask
"You want me to work undercover where?" Clint shot back at Fury. "A freaking makeup counter? What the hell do I know about makeup?"
"Or beauty, for that matter," Tony chimed in. Clint tossed a paper clip, striking Tony on the bridge of his nose.
"Why don't you send Nat?" Clint asked.
"That's being a bit chauvinist, don't you think?" Nat responded. "Besides, I have a mission of my own, so count me out."
Clint sank into his chair, crossed his arms, and pouted like a five-year-old. "Fine," Clint huffed after losing to Fury in the staring contest. It was freaky how someone could lose to a man with only one eye.
A week later, Clint was standing behind a glass counter holding a display of blushes and eye shadows, watching shoppers pass by. According to the briefing, Esmerelda Valens was trafficking drugs and information using makeup samples. Clint was there to catch her and alert SHIELD so they could take her into custody, even though the agency didn't know what she looked like since she was disguised for each meeting. So far, he'd had several college girls stop by and flirt with him. He turned on the charm and ended up selling them some makeup after showing them how to properly apply it, reassuring them the guys would appreciate it. He inwardly groaned when he saw an elderly lady crawling along with her walker heading straight toward his counter. Clint plastered on his customer service smile and greeted her. "Good afternoon! How can I help? We've got a sale going on for our new makeup line." He went to walk around the counter as she leaned in and put her hand on his arm, gripping it tighter than he thought someone of her age should.
The woman dragged him close and leaned into him. "Young man," she whispered in a voice decades younger than her appearance, "I believe you're holding some samples for me? Agnes Simmons?
"Yes, Ms. Simmons, let me get those for you," Clint replied, still smiling. She nodded and released her hold on his arm. He recognized her alias immediately. He turned around and rummaged through a drawer, looking for the bag with her name written on it. Once Clint found it, he pushed a button in the drawer, alerting SHIELD, then took the bag out and turned around. "Here you are. Could I interest you in a trial size of our new facial mask?"
The woman rifled through the bag to view the products. "No, thank you, uh, Francis," glancing down at his name tag, "I've got everything I need here." She put the sack in her oversized purse and then turned back to her walker.
"Not so fast, Esmerelda." The woman looked at Natasha. "Time to come with us." Esmeralda grabbed the walker, but before she could pick it up, Clint leaped over the counter, kicked it out of her reach, grabbed it, swung around, then pinned her to the ground with it.
"That was hot." Clint looked up and saw one of the college kids, a voluptuous dark-haired girl walking toward him. She pulled out a lipstick and used it to write something on his hand. "Call me, handsome." Natasha snickered as Clint stood dumbfounded.
Bucky appeared with the group of agents who took the villainess into custody. Grabbing Clint's hand, he stared at the writing. "What? Jealous, Bucky? I've got you, don't need anyone else."
"Good answer, doll."