Avengers 1. Drop to the floor

**Drop to the floor (this is just the beginning)**

Clint has been doing this kind of work for a long time; his first professional hit was when he was sixteen years old. When he had pulled the trigger and watched the man fall to the ground a part of him had died. He smiled and talked less. Barney would tell him that the man did not deserve his tears, that no one was worth crying over and Clint would bight his lip until he tasted blood but no tears would ever be seen on his cheeks.

Three years after that first kill Barney dies, Clint doesn't sleep for five days afterwards until he just collapses. Whenever he closes his eyes he sees himself lifting his gun and shooting his brother, his only family, the only person that had ever loved him, all because of a little girl that he couldn't orphan or let his brother orphan. He had lost count of how many people he had killed by then, the faces haunted his every moment waking and sleeping, but seeing the look on that child's face had pushed him over the edge, he knew what life without parents was like and he would not be the cause of that happening to anyone else. So he had refused the job, said they should just move on to the next one, but Barney had other ideas, they had a reputation, they excepted any job without question and completed it without leaving anything to connect the kill to anyone but the Barton Brothers. So Clint had stopped him, he did the only thing he could think of, the only thing he had ever been good at, he pulled the trigger, and watched as Barney, like all the others, dropped to the floor.

Now it's just Hawkeye the clients go to, the assassin that only takes certain cases and kills with a bow and arrow of all things. Rumor has it that there is no one he won't kill, that the reason he turns down certain jobs is because he doesn't find them hard enough, but neither of these were true. The truth is that Clint will turn down any job that leaves a kid without parents, that he will never kill anyone he deems an innocent. He's gone back to his bow because every time he picked up a gun he saw his brother's face, his blood, his eyes staring into empty space. The only true rumors are that if Hawkeye accepts a job he will see it through to the end and that he will NEVER miss.

* * *

8 years later (age 27)

Hawkeye now stands on a roof top waiting for his mark to exit the apartment building, he has an arrow notched but not drawn because he knows with all certainty that he can draw and loose the arrow before his mark even know he's there. The job's pretty simple, kill the target and retrieve the anything kind of identification on the body. That last part seemed kind of weird to Clint but who was he to question the client, the costumer's always right.

The front door opens and the mark steps out. Within two seconds an arrow is buried in his left eye and he's sprawled on the ground in an awkward position. Clint quickly descends the fire escape and approaches the body. Blood is pooling near the man's head, running down his face from is eye. Clint can't help but think that it looks like he's crying. Shaking away the thought Clint pulls the man's wallet from his back pocket then reaches into the coat pocket and removes –

"Shit." In the coat pocket is a SHIELD agent ID card.

As fast as he can Clint pockets both IDs and pulls the arrow from the man's head. He then runs full pelt down the street.

He delivers the wallet and card, curses his client out, gets his money, and runs again. Not the physical kind of running but the kind of running where you know that something big is coming after you and the only way to run is to stay as small and quiet as you can, the kind of running where you know you're actually hiding.


	2. An Assassin (Not a Psychopath)

**An Assassin (Not a Psychopath)**

Director Fury had been in his office when he was informed of the death of Agent William Feltch. Fury wasn't particularly broken up over Feltch's death but he always made a point to take any move made against one of his agents personally. It had taken exactly 3 hours and 26 minutes to fined John Leonety and arrest him for hiring someone to kill Agent Feltch and another 34 minutes to find out who he had hired to kill him (_yes SHIELD is that good). _But that's where it all stopped no more information could be found.

SHIELD, like every other agency, had heard of Hawkeye but they had never had any reason to go after the allusive assassin. They felt he would never accept an offer to work for them, he was just too cold hearted, the man had killed his own brother the god's sake, but until now he never been a direct threat to SHIELD so Fury had never given any more thought beyond that. Now, however, it was coming back to bite him in the ass, never again will he leave such a skilled assassin off his radar.

Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, was a ghost, his official record went no further than when he was twelve years old and he ran away from the orphanage he was in with his fourteen year old brother Barney Barton. Clint's name was mentioned in a few reports but nothing was conclusive, there was more information on the older Barton than the younger one. Barney tended to be argent and wanted to be acknowledged for his work, where as his younger brother was more subtle in many ways. But seeing as he's the only assassin that kills with a bow and arrow it wasn't that subtle.

After searching six days for Hawkeye with no results Fury finally set his pride aside and went ask for the help of the man with the best search engine in the world and the team that he was housing.

* * *

Fury walked through the sliding glass doors of Avengers Tower at 11:37 a.m. Agent Hill right on his heels, he greeted JARVIS and entered his access code to go to the community floors. He knew from past experience that the entire team would be there waiting for him.

He braced himself knowing that his pride will definitely be hurt after this conversation. Asking the team to save the world asking them to find ONE assassin that did even make that big of a difference in the scheme, but he couldn't do this on his own, Hawkeye is too good and too experienced at just slipping through the cracks.

With a ding the elevator doors open and as he predicted the entire team is waiting for him in the living room. Tony is sprawled on the arm chair with a drink in hand, he's looking at Fury with a 'you-always-want-something-so-what-do-you-want-now' look on his face. Steve is standing behind him protectively, arms crossed, staring Fury down. Natasha sits on the couch, casually flipping a knife with Bruce sitting next to her drinking coffee and trying to keep a neutral expression.

"Director Fury, what can we do for you?" Agent Phil Coulson steps out of the kitchen and hands Agent Hill a cup of coffee (he obviously knew that they were coming).

"Agent Coulson, I assume you have heard about the death of Agent Feltch. We've come to a standstill in the investigation and I have come to personally request the assistance of the Avengers in finding his killer."

A smug look comes over Tony's face as he realizes the great Director Nick Fury is asking for help. Not ordering it, not blacking mailing for it, but honest to god asking for help. "I'm sorry but I don't think I quite heard you right, did you ask for our help with something that doesn't have to do with the saving the world?"

"Yes I am asking for your help. I lost an agent and I take that very seriously."

"How can we help sir?" Phil asks in his usual monotone voice.

"Find him, think you can handle that," Fury looks directly and Tony when he says the last part, letting him know that he should not do a half ass job on this.

"What do we know?" Steve is looking at Fury when he says this but it is Agent Hill that answers

"The assassin's name is Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye," There's a slight hesitation in Natasha's smooth movements with her knife but only Fury and Dr. Banner notice, "I've sent his file to all of you via e-mail. Barton was born in Iowa, his parents died when he was six years old, there was signs of abuse but nothing was done about it, at twelve he and his older brother Barney ran away from the orphanage they were placed in, this is where the official record stops. According to our sources the brothers joined Carson's Carnival and Clint was taken under the wing of Trickshot and Swordsmen, both are known mercenaries and thieves. At sixteen Clint became a mercenary himself and his brother soon followed. Three years after that Clint killed his brother for unknown reasons. That was eight years ago."

For a good two minutes everyone is stunned into silence. It's final broken by Tony, "Oh my god, why hasn't anyone arrested this guy?"

This is where Fury knew his pride would be hurt, "No one has been able to catch him," _not even me_, "But he made a move against SHIELD so he became my problem now I'm making him yours too." Without he turns and walks back into the elevator, the doors closing before he can even turn back around.

"So," Steve takes command of his team once again, "what are you guys thinking?"

Tony is the first to respond, per usual, "That we need to catch this guy, I mean, he sounds like a psychopath."

"No, he's really not." All eyes are on Natasha now.

"You say that like you know him."

"I do," she pauses but when no one says anything she continues, "We were each hired to kill the other, he got the upper hand but let me live. He asked me, 'do you like what you do?' and told him no, he showed me how to bargain with SHIELD and take down the Red Room. He was the first person I had ever met that showed me kindness. So no, he's an assassin not a psychopath."

"Then why," Tony sounds exasperated, "did he KILL his BROTHER?"

"How should I know?"

"Natasha," Phil, ever the one to keep them on track, interjects, "do you have any way to contact Mr. Barton?"

"No, he said that it would only make things harder for the both of us if a situation like this arose."

Popping up off of the chair, Tony declares, "Then we'll have to do this the old fashioned way, look for him. JARVIS, power up the super computers."

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	3. Can the Past Explain the Present?

**Can the Past Explain the Present?**

Clint pulled on a black t-shirt and walked down the stairs to the bar below the apartment he was renting. Outside the snow was falling heavily, he had been in Russian winters before but he would never get used to the biting cold that reached down to your bones. Going behind the counter he approaches a customer that hasn't been served yet.

"What can I get you?" Clint has a perfect Russian accent that has been developed over the years.

"Coffee and vodka." Moving to fill the man's order Clint turns his back on the rest of the bar, after a moment the uncomfortable feeling of being watch comes over him. Casually he turns back around, no one is looking directly at him but one man turns his head so that he is looking in the opposite direction of Clint.

_Rule number one, don't make any sudden movement when you think you've been seen. Act natural. _Clint smirks at the man incompetence. He poured the coffee and vodka for the man at the counter and goes back through the door leading to his apartment.

* * *

The team is eating lunch in the Tower. They all look a little worse for wear and the lack of conversation hangs heavy in the air. For a good ten minutes forks scratching against plates are the only thing that can be heard, they had been looking for Hawkeye for two weeks now and none of them had thought it would take so long. They few leads, what made it hardest was that the last photo of Hawkeye had been taken seven years prior and even that was grainy, a few drawing from witnesses describing him had come in but those varied in everything from height to hair color. Natasha had given a brief description of her own but they knew she could have given a much more detailed one. No one pushed though, they knew from experience how fiercely loyal she could be.

Coulson's phone rang making Bruce jump and everyone else stop eating.

"Coulson," He listened for a minute making short acknowledgements of understanding and then a brief, "Yes sir," before hanging up.

They all looked at him expectantly as he put his phone back into his pocket, "An informant spotted Barton in Makarov, a coastal town in eastern Russia, however he was gone by the time SHIELD arrived."

Tony let out a loud groan while the others made more subtle signs of disappointment. "Why is this so hard?" Tony has been complaining since the second day of the search, "He's one man right, and we have SHIELD, informants, and ME, we have me, this shouldn't be this hard!"

"Talking about having you," Steve tries to get them back on track by talking about the progress they have made, "where have you gotten on that analyzing thing you were working on?"

"It should be done soon," Tony had been running a program analyzing previous jobs Hawkeye had done to find a pattern and possibly predict his next move. "JARVIS where are we on that?"

"The program finished its analysis three minutes and fourteen seconds ago."

"Well then tell us what it found."

"The program initially separated Mr. Barton's work into two parts, that of eight years ago, when he was working with his brother, and those until now. The first part has no specific pattern, they seemed to except everything presented to them. In the second part, however, there was more of a refined process to what was taken up."

When JARVIS does not continue Tony prompts him, "Well, what did it find?"

"It was more of a lack of something, then what it did find."

"Well then what did it not find?"

"Children, sir."

They all sat up a little straighter at that. "What do mean JARVIS?" Steve asks. "In the first group there were the usual reports of children being placed in different homes after the death of one of their parents, there is even a mention of a child in the report of the death of Mr. Barton's brother, but after that report, in the first group there is no mention of children what so ever. Not even as a witness."

Tony lets out an annoyed sounding whine, "Now I'm even more confused I thought this guy was a really bad guy."

"I told you he isn't a psychopath," Natasha says pointedly.

"I still don't buy it. I'm mean if he's such a good guy why did he kill his brother."

An expression of thoughtful curiosity comes over Steve's face, "JARVIS could you run an analysis of what Barton's finances would be with and without his brother."

"Steven, you are a genius. JARVIS, do it."

"All ready complete sir."

"Well then hit us."

"With his brother Mr. Barton's finances would average in the four millions. Without his brother his finances would be in the six millions."

"And there you have it," Tony has a smug look on his face as he turns back to Natasha, "killers like him are always looking out for number one, they will never change." Natasha stands so abruptly that her chair falls backwards. Without turning back or saying another word she walks out of the room, leaving the rest in stunned silence.

"Really Stark, you just had to push it?" Bruce sounds mad as he goes after her.

"What did I do?" Tony is genuinely confused by what has just happened. Steve shakes his head and leaves the room as well. Only Coulson is left now with the baffled billionaire.

"_Killers like him,_ I take it you did not think of the fact that Natasha was once a killer like _that_, by saying he cannot change, you said that she will always be a killer _like that._" He stands, picks up his dishes and walks into the kitchen.

"Really put your foot in your mouth this time didn't you Stark." Tony mumbles to himself.


End file.

Avengers, Adventure, Crime