AN: Simply, enjoy!
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"Agent Coulson," called Fury as he walked through the base motor pool towards the younger agent who was just about to drive off base. "Which photo do you like best?"
"Sir?" asked Coulson in confusion.
Fury handed Coulson two photographs. Both of them were of Barton. The first was from a surveillance camera inside the SHIELD base, Barton wearing his ever present scowl. The second photograph was from a CCTV camera; Clint looked almost innocent as he blended in with a group of college students at Grand Central Station.
"Or maybe I'll use this one," Fury handed over a third photograph. This one showed Barton with a gun in hand aiming at the camera, a murderous glint in his eyes. "Phelps found that one yesterday. It's two years old but I think it shows exactly what our agents would be facing if they met this assassin."
"Sir-"
"If the boy isn't there when you arrive he goes straight to the top of the kill list," interrupted Fury.
"Sir, you're telling me he's become more of a priority than say Damir Kovac?"
"He's dangerous Phil. You know it, I know it and more importantly he knows it. He's killed more people than kids his age have had hot dinners; he might not go back to working for Moretti but a guy like him won't stay out of the game for long. This is his one chance Phil."
"Understood sir," said Coulson as he handed back the photo's.
"Good, maybe now you'll start to understand why we have official recruitment policies."
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Phil drove through the New York City traffic in a daze his thoughts consumed with one Clint Barton. For the first time in a long time Coulson wasn't sure what the outcome would be.
He would like to believe that his gut instinct on the kid was correct and that Barton would be waiting at the rendezvous point for him to pick him up and start his second chance at life.
But Coulson wasn't in the habit of lying to himself. The truth was he just had no idea. He'd spent the last week going through all the information they had on Barton, hoping that he would start to understand the young man some more. In some cases he could practically see Barton's thought process, like the incident in Tokyo. Yet in other cases, like the one that landed him firmly on the FBI's most wanted list, Coulson still couldn't work out what would have been running through the young man's head.
Then there was Baltimore. After Phelps had shown him the file on the incident at the Moretti house he had done his own digging. Could he find where Barton had gone after that though? No.
Though why the kid went back to Baltimore was baffling in its own right. Even if Barton wasn't at the pickup point today, the kid should have been at least three states away or better yet three countries away, far out of the Moretti family reach.
Coulson had handed him a fresh start, a new beginning, whether the kid chose SHIELD or a life on the run was his choice. There was no need to go back to Baltimore, unless there was something that he and Phelps had missed?
Fury didn't like Coulson's way of recruiting agents. He called them strays, society's outcasts that had been handed a rough deal but weren't exactly bad people, just a little misguided. Each one had a unique skill set which had been cultivated and promoted while they'd been at SHIELD.
He'd never been wrong when he'd recruited in the past. His instincts spot on when it came to Phelps and Hill. In Hill's case, Coulson had to wonder if her drive and passion would one day make her his own boss, she certainly had the potential.
Barton though? It worried Coulson that he wasn't sure about the young man. Maybe he should just pack up his things and ship himself to Alaska before Fury could issue the order.
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Pulling the car over to the curb Phil's heart dropped as he found that Barton wasn't there waiting for him.
Looking at his watch he observed the last thirty seconds tic by until the deadline. Looking through the crowds his eyes focused on any young men that even resembled Barton's age and build but not one of them was the kid he was looking for.
One minute past the deadline and Coulson's phone started to ring. Looking at the caller ID he saw it to be Fury's number. Sighing in disappointment, Coulson took one more look around, but there was still no Barton.
"Coulson," he said answering the call
"Is he there?" asked Fury.
Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose, how could this be happening? How could he have been so wrong? What had he not said right to convince the kid that this was the better option?
"Agent Coulson, is he there?" pressed Fury.
"Sir-"
"Phil, it's a simple question."
Coulson sighed as he closed his eyes. The answer wasn't simple. This whole operation had never been simple. Trying to get a boy to trust you when he didn't even know the meaning of trust, it was a fool's errand and he'd jumped in with both feet. He'd not only put his career on the line but also the careers of men which he called friends.
"Sir, I regret to inform you-"
The passenger door suddenly opened startling Coulson. He dropped his cell at the same time as he pulled out his side arm. The safety was off and the weapon aimed at the idiot who dared to try and get in his vehicle.
"Sorry I'm late, traffic was murder," smirked Barton.
Coulson let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding as he flicked the safety back on and picked up his cell from where he had dropped it in his lap.
"-lson? Coulson?"
"Sir, start the paperwork. We have a new recruit," said Coulson with a small twitch of a smile.
"Well I'll be damned," laughed Fury before he hung up.
"You getting in?" asked Coulson as he holstered his weapon and pocketed his cell.
Barton's answer was to chuck a duffle bag into the backseat followed by him gently placing an unstrung bow on top. Sitting in the passenger seat Barton closed the door behind him. Coulson noticed for the first time the extra bruises Barton was sporting on his face and the cuts across his knuckles. The kid had been busy over the past week.
Glancing into the back seat, Coulson took a good look at the bow, if he wasn't mistaken that was the same bow he'd seen in Barton's apartment the week before. He guessed he now had an answer to why Barton went back to Baltimore. Though it didn't fill Coulson with great confidence if it was true that the kid had risked everything for a single weapon. A weapon which was stuck in the dark ages and not even functional at this time.
"So are we going somewhere, or just going to sit here?" asked Barton calmly, his eyes never leaving Coulson.
"You cut it close Barton; I didn't think you were going to come."
"Yeah well, up until thirty seconds ago I still wasn't sure this was the right decision," shrugged Barton.
"What made you decide to get in the car?"
"You disassembled my gun in one move. I want to know how?" Barton said in all seriousness, like that was the most important question in the world.
"Of course you do," smiled Coulson as he put the car in gear and pulled out into the main flow of traffic.
Working with Barton was going to be interesting, but at least he had faith that his gut instinct was still never wrong. This kid had heart.
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AN: And that's a wrap people...for now.
I do plan to continue with this saga in future fics but at the moment this is a good place to end and hit the 'complete' button.
Thanks to GalynSolo, LostHawk, NSFL, Dani9513, lunarweather, horselover28, Persistence, 15rebbla, reachercreature, whovian42, Dsgdiva, Tris86tania, honest critic, MK123, Wren Wolfe, InParadiseForForever, PuraStones, Hawaiichick, kaplunk, Gingerjam, Thaddeus MacChuzzlewit, Alien Tourist, Melissa, Lillehafrue, Shelly2728, TheDarkSide, gouldguin, Sandy-wmd, TLDT, m kilndt, Guest (plural) for your constructive criticism, support and general awesomeness!
Thanks to everyone who placed this in their favourite folders and those who waited eagerly for alerts. You guys are also awesome.
Finally, I'd like to say that I have many ideas (I'm drowning in plot bunnies) for future stories in this saga that I've created. But if you have anything specific you would like to see included, just let me know and I'll do my best to accommodate.