Disclaimer: The Avengers characters are not mine, just borrowed for this story.

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Can't Win for Losing

The bow went flying across the range landing with a huge clatter. There was nothing wrong with Barton's last bow, but someone had an epiphany and thought they needed to fix something that wasn't broken; well it was broken now. It only cost Clint an entire afternoon to prove that the development team at SHIELD needed to go back to the drawing board. Not bothering to pick the pieces of their failed attempt up, he grabbed his quiver and headed up to the main kitchen at Stark Tower.

Stark had decreed that the team was going to have a celebratory dinner for his return to New York. Tony and Pepper had gone to LA to recover from Loki, and now that the billionaire was back to a hundred percent he had decided to return to the tower. Normally Clint found Stark's 'dinner parties' for the team an exercise in restraining himself from stabbing Tony to stop the rambling, but after the horrible day he had so far he kind of wanted the normal dysfunction the team offered. Heaven help him, he was even looking forward to the over indulgent ritzy steak and lobster dinner Tony had promised.

Since Natasha decided to take other assignments and maintain distance from Barton, he found himself extremely lonely. It's not that Clint wasn't use to being alone, or that he didn't prefer it to being around people; but knowing that his partner needed space and Coulson was dead, the two people that managed to become important to him, left him feeling alone in a way he hadn't felt since before he joined SHIELD. He found himself seeking out time with the other Avengers more and more often, even if it was just sitting around the dinner table in silence.

The elevator doors opened and the sounds of the team bantering drifted down the hall. Clint glanced at his watch; it was past eight o'clock, but he hoped the team hadn't waited too long for him. He rounded the corner into the dining room and all conversation stopped. The awkward pause had everyone looking up from their mostly empty dinner plates. The team had clearly started sometime ago without him. Normally it wouldn't have bothered him to not be included, but he had been invited and was looking forward to the company.

"What are you doing here?" asked Steve looking slightly confused. He glanced towards the newcomer at their table then back to Clint who was still lurking near the door.

"I thought... weren't we having a team dinner tonight?" Barton hoped he didn't sound too disappointed.

"Agent Zalle told us you weren't joining us tonight because you had some weapon tests to perform," clarified Steve. He didn't want members of his team to feel excluded; and, despite the archer's best attempts, he was looking a little dejected.

The agent that was sitting in Clint's usual spot turned towards the archer. If she was at the tower that meant that Fury finally signed off on a handler for the Avengers. Barton had never worked with Zalle personally, but he had heard of her reputation and if she was taking over the Avengers then Fury was really pissed over everything that had happened with Loki. "Have you concluded your tests Agent Barton?"

"Yeah, I think they need to go back to the drawing board," muttered Clint still standing in the doorway. Agent Zalle leveled Clint with a hard glare. He wanted to respond with some sort of snide remark; but that wouldn't be the best way to start his relationship with the team's new handler, and making trouble right now wasn't the most advisable course of action. "Weapons tests are complete ma'am," stated Hawkeye, though he drew the line at saluting.

"Very good agent. I expect your report to be on my desk by 0500 hours tomorrow morning."

"Sit down, I'll have the kitchen make some more food," offered Tony surveying the empty dishes and bare bones left on their plates. The dinner was awkward to start with, what with their new handler joining them uninvited, but now the tension in the room was crushing. Stark believed he might actually be witnessing the rumoured ability of SHIELD agents to kill just by staring at people in progress.

"No that's alright; I have a report to write. Enjoy your evening." Clint turned and quickly left the room.

Bruce let out a huff, "if you'll all excuse me." The doctor stood, pushed back his chair and retreated to his room. Zalle hadn't exactly endeared herself to him that morning, but he hoped her brashness in the lab was an isolated incident. Seeing the way she was treating Clint was a foreboding sign that their new dynamic with SHIELD wasn't going to be pleasant; this was why Bruce stayed away from shadowy organizations.

Rogers politely adopted an 'I'm not impressed' demeanour and Pepper silently left the table. "Good team dinner," applauded Stark as he openly glared at their new handler. He now knew what his new project was going to be. Naturally he'd have to be stealthy in making their new handler's life hell, they were still trying to smooth the Director's ruffled feathers; but agents with sticks up their asses were just too much fun to pass up.

The soft knock at Clint's door caused him to pause. He glanced briefly at the laptop screen and opted to delete the twelve lines of 'the piece of crap broke. Not ready for field use' that he had typed for his report so far. "Yeah?"

"It's Pepper," called the CEO through the door.

"Come in," replied Barton as he closed the laptop.

Pepper walked in carrying a tray of food that smelled delicious. She placed it on the desk beside Clint and pulled over a chair to sit next to him. "I brought you some dinner."

"You didn't have to do that."

"No, but Ms Zalle shouldn't have told us you were going to be on the range all night or we would have waited for you. You still need to eat, even if it's not quite the party Tony had planned."

"Thanks," replied Clint as he cut into his filet mignon.

"Can I ask you something?"

Barton swallowed hesitantly. "Sure, I guess."

Pepper pondered her words. "Agent Zalle doesn't seem the most approachable person but she seems even colder towards you..."

Clint took a swallow of his beer. "I have the tendency to put a bug up people's asses. Zalle's a career oriented, by the book, only black and white, no shades of grey type of person and I'm really not; it's actually a well known fact that I'm not. Fury assigned her because she's a hard ass, not because she's going to make friends with the team. So she's going to ride me for awhile; it's fine. Nothing I can't handle."

"Are you sure?"

"Fury's not wrong. Our successes are phenomenal, but our failures stand to be world ending. We screwed the pooch last time and now we have to pay; if that means I have to sit here all night and write a stupid report then..." he shrugged "it's not going to do the team any good to start causing trouble now."

Potts offered a small smile. The team was holding it together, but things hadn't been the same. They'd survived Loki, but at the same time it felt like they'd really lost. Natasha had taken a long term undercover assignment. Pepper could tell how much that had hurt Clint; and the rest of the team felt they had failed them both on that account. Thor would be his usual self when he was with the group, but he became very quiet and sad when Pepper happened upon him on his own. Steve and Bruce wandered around like the weight of the world rested solely on their shoulders and Stark was... Pepper wasn't sure what his reaction was, but he certainly wasn't his usual self.

"Speaking of trouble, I should probably go and make sure Tony hasn't done something stupid like put Nair in Zalle's shampoo."

"She's staying here?" asked Clint; hoping not.

"She said she wants to observe the team dynamic; so she'll be here for awhile."

Perfect thought Clint, that's exactly what I need right now. "Thanks for dinner Pepper."

"You're welcome," she paused at the door, "if you need to talk about anything Clint, you know where to find me." Barton nodded and went back to trying to type his report.