| DC/Marvel: Age of Infinite Heroes | ||||||||||
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It's been a long night for Clint. The plan to take a few minutes for himself and get a slice turned into a big thing with mutants, SHIELD, and big living golden rock. So, yeah, pretty typical Avenger stuff. Still he's tired and now he's back at the mansion and heading towards Tony's lab as Jarvis protests.
"Yeah I get it Jarvis, instructions, do not disturb, but the thing is Tony looked pretty disturbed already when I last saw him and I don't figure him being locked away in the lab is going to help with that," then he holds up the tray in his hands. "Plus I brought coffee," he explains. "So, c'mon Jarvis be a pal, let me in to talk to Tony, it'll be good for him, and plus the world is still going on outside the lab and there are people who could use his help. Like me, for one."
Jarvis sighs, "He will not drink it. He is not himself Mr. Barton." The concern is there, but also something more...genuine worry. "I am worried he is drinking again," because of Stark's erratic behavior. Still, Jarvis finally relents and goes to bypass the security precautions of Stark's Lab. He is one of two people that have the ability to do this; the other being Pepper.
"It is a mess in there," Jarvis warns. "He would not let me clean up or touch anything." He gives Hawkeye a long look to see if he really wants to see his friend like this. But he then finishes bypassing the final layer of protection and steps back out of the way as the door swings open.
Jarvis was not kidding about it being a mess. Dried mud is all over the place though a few bits are still wet and there are a few small puddles still about the lab. There is even a gold urn like one sees for ashes on the table sideways, the ashes spread across the work table in chaos. Some stools upturned, and hiding beneath one table is Stark's favorite robotic arm: Dummy.
Dummy is the first one that seems to look 'up', his arm lifting up from beneath the table as he wheels himself out seemingly shyly. Stark is no where to be seen, but the shower is running in the small overnight room that Stark has often been staying at since his retirement from CEO of Stark Enterprises.
"All the more reason I should be talking to hi-" Clint begins as the final lay of security is taken care of and the doors open. He stands there stunned for a moment in the doorway cups of coffee still in hand. "Wow," he says and shoots a look back at Jarvis. "Yeah, this isn't good."
He steps inside the lab and looks around pausing by the urn and shuddering a little when he pieces together where it's likely from and what or who was inside. "Heya Dummy" he greets the robot arm. "You're safe to make a break for it, I'll hold off your boss," he jokes because what else can you do in a situation like this. Clint sets down the coffees and takes a seat on the edge of one of the tables and waits.
While Hawkeye waits, there isn't much to investigate or even look out except for the mess and only one computer turned on. The computer screen has a screen saver running right now and is by an evidence lab area. It isn't uncommon though Stark doesn't have official training to run evidence evaluation through the lab here.
It's a good five minutes before Dummy decides to move out from under the table now that Clint is there. Jarvis already re-secured the door and escaped. Dummy heads toward the sleeping area and with some work gets the bathroom door open. About thirty seconds later something falls, there is some cursing and Dummy is racing recklessly out of the tiny bathroom and small sleeping area with a wet shower curtain draped on him and a shower curtain rod being dragged behind him.
Clint takes one of the coffees out of the cardboard tray and wanders over towards the computer and gives the mouse a tap to see if it brings up anything. He takes a sip of coffee when he watches Dummy head to the bathroom, that sip almost ends in a spit take when Dummy charges out of there again with the shower curtain and rod hanging off of him. "Oh god," he says wiping coffee off his chin. "Tony I totally didn't tell him to do that!" Clint calls in the direction of the bathroom.
No traditional mouse, but Clint finds a pad near the keyboard area that reacts to his touch. It isn't password protected as the program is active and the door was secure. Something about Matches...two are green, and one is red. Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3...with 3 being red. Pretty basic if he knew exactly what sample was what.
Stark is stumbling out of the bathroom, dripping wet and fully clothed. The clothed part is good for Clint, not so much for Stark. His eyes narrow at Clint, still looking bloodshot. He raises a hand to push dripping wet hair out of the way, "What are you doing here anyway?" His voice sounds rough, then he looks down at his soaked self, least he doesn't have shoes on and no longer covered in mud or worse...always a good thing. But that's what he gets for falling asleep in the shower.
Clint takes a moment to look at the screen and frowns, he can make some guesses about what's on the screen but he doesn't have much time to dig into things before Tony is there glaring at him with narrowed bloodshot eyes. "I said we'd talk didn't I?" he answers before taking a sip of his coffee and them moving to get the one he brought for Tony. He looks around the lab "And by the look of things man, you really need it."
"It's a little late for that, for a lot of things Clint," and Stark sounds...so tired. He turns away and starts going through some draws in the room, trying to find clean, dry clothes. It takes him a bit and he slams the little bathroom door closed to change in the cramped space.
Dummy peeks out from under the table he zipped to, soon dragging curtain and rod out toward Clint as it makes little gadget sounds, hand struggling to try and get the thing off himself.
"Yeah well, I'm not that smart so I'm going to try anyhow," Clint counters to Tony before Tony disappears back into the bathroom with the door closed. Clint sighs and sets down the coffees even before Dummy comes looking to him for help. That at least gets a chuckle out of Clint and he yanks the curtain off the robot arm and bundles it up around the rod and tosses it aside. He gives the robot a pat when he's done "Better?" he asks.
Dummy shakes his hand up and down and makes a R2D2 little sound of acknowledgement. The robot isn't very smart at all, and quite clumsy, but it sure has some personality! Guess why Stark never takes him apart. He rolls though behind Clint when Stark comes on out of the room again, smartly hiding!
Stark glares at the curtain rod that was tossed aside and then looks tiredly at the mess. He has a towel to his hair, working to dry it more and he has a pair of jeans on and a black t-shirt...like he had on earlier, but these aren't dirty or wet or cold. "Shit."
"Yeah," Clint agrees with Tony's assessment and then walks over to shove a coffee into the man's hand. "Quite a mess you've got here Stark, but I get it," he says and nods to the urn. "Even that." He leans on the edge of one of the tables and looks over at Tony. "So, the person at the raid, is it her?"
Stark looks at the coffee in one hand, and ends up setting it aside as the thought of drinking anything rolls his stomach. He finishes drying his hair, silent as he then tosses the towel aside. How does he even start this conversation? Until finally...., "Computer, pull up HYDRA - Mt. Fuji mission report, along with my personal files marked as confidential."
Stark rights a stool and sits on it, avoiding stepping on the mud and dirt spots or where the ashes are smeared. He looks at the ashes, "Shit, I got to clean that up. They are some woman's." Yep, he has a dead woman's ashes spread about his lab, they just aren't Sawyer's.
Stark is saying the word shit a lot today.
Still, the main computer screen pops up and it loads up the HYDRA - Mt. Fuji mission report. There are files written up about how Captain America lead the Avengers into an ambush, and how Pete Wisdom and Wolverine acted as backup. How SHIELD came in for clean-up, the number of HYDRA deaths, and the seizure of a mind control device. It is far from pretty.
The worse part is the personal logs of Tony Stark: Viper reported some cryptic messages to Iron Man, indicating she knew his secret identity. Captain America compromised and betrayed my secret. Restricted access. It wasn't his fault.
"Can't even trust your friends these days, not even their fault," Stark says with some sarcasm.
Clint steps over the mud, and the ashes to get a look at the screen still sipping his coffee. He reads quickly and when he gets to the part about Cap betraying Tony's secret he looks over at Tony. "Shit," he says, the word is catching. He lets out a long slow breath and steps back. "So Steve knew and then he told Hydra when they hit him with that mind control device," he says as pieces start to come together. "Then after that Viper started coming after you? With Bullseye and then this thing with Sawyer," he says and shakes his head. "Tony, shit, that is so fucked up."
"Did know...didn't know Viper was behind Bullseye, he doesn't give up his contractors," Stark says. He's way too calm, just sort of staring blank and appearing burnt out. "Just thought I was going mad...not usual, considering the shit that happens to me. But the recording was legit from Iron Man. She got nicked by a bullet from the NYPD, they got a blood sample. It matches the hair you got. Ashes? Same gender, but that's it. Some unknown woman's body was burned in place of Sawyer's."
Stark clasps his hands in front of him, between his knees as he leans forward, forearms resting on his thighs. "Considering this mission report and the drugs they used on you in attempting to kidnap you Hawkeye, I can only assume...that it is truly Sawyer Mason, brainwashed." He makes a short, hysterical little laugh.
"Ya...dating me is just /great/! Great catch! Least your ex could resurrect and only had memory issues afterwards." Considering she came back to life once in the Avengers Med-Bay, let's just say not something Stark would easily forget.
Clint is silent, his thoughts caught up with the idea of being taken by Hydra like the Skrull took him, but worse, he'd be the one doing all their dirty work. He takes a sip of coffee and wishes for something a little stronger. When Tony brings up Ana though it goes to more than wishing "Tony, you got some booze stashed down here? If you're going to bring up Ana I'm going to need it," he says. "Listen, we suck as boyfriends, no surprise with the people who hate us. Why do you think I really don't date normal people anymore?" well he tries anyhow. "So what do we do about this Sawyer thing, I mean we have to find her right? Get her better."
"Shit, if I had any, it all be drunk already Barton," and Stark sighs at that. "Sorry man." He raises a hand up and rubs the back of his neck. "We would need to find her, secure her, and I have the technology that should reverse the brain washing. No clue on long-term side-effects. Rogers took...months to get back to his old self and Doc Samson helped him through that," Stark admits. "Should give Doc Samson a clue of what's up though." Gawd, Stark needs some life in him.
"Damn...so tired Barton. Just...don't know what to do. I know I got to save Sawyer, but what type of life she is going to have either which way? And shit, Aunt Mellie is going to FREAK if she happens to visit Sawyer's gravesite." Another deep sigh comes from him, shoulders hunching forward.
Clint frowns still stinging from the stuff about Ana "Good point," he admits before downing the rest of his coffee since that will have to do for now. "Thinking too far ahead," he advises Tony. "First we need to find her, the rest we can worry about later," he says about Sawyer.
Then absently tossing his cup into the waste basket he frowns and looks at Stark. "I'm tired too man, heck I am supposed to be off on a staycation with America right now, but here I am helping your tired ass out. Anyhow, like I was saying we can worry about what happens with Sawyer after we find her, for now I think we need to run down what sort of safe houses Hydra might have in the city, and get Mellie and Tanya out of harm's way, either out of town to or the Academy."
"Just...be careful with America. I'm never sure if she's staying or going most of the time. She's a good girl, but there isn't really much room in her life beyond 'being a dimensional traveling heroine'." Stark doesn't say it to be mean, but because he honestly cares about Hawkeye. "Right. A safe house where they can be safe and blend in, likely should contact SHIELD in this case," Stark states. "That would also get them guards as well. Man, I don't want to be the one to explain this to her." He make a SHIELD agent do it anyway.
"I'll contact SHIELD about gaining access to local reports to locate Sawyer in exchange for some offered serfices...likely better than hacking their database. Fury is always so pissed at me afterwards."
"We both know it's doomed," Clint says about America. "We pretty much admitted it to ourselves right at the start, but for now things are fun, and if it blows up, well wouldn't be the first time for either of us," he admits and shrugs. "At least we know it's coming."
Clint moves on thinking on how to best deal with Mellie and Tanya "You know Mellie is going to kill you if you don't do it yourself," he says "And that's if she hasn't visited the grave yet, if she has she'll kill you twice. Anyhow, we can probably get SHIELD to cough up the resources, and I know what they're going to ask us for a favour for once. They've got this kid bonded to some alien armour thing. Dugan suggested we might take him at the Academy."
A snort at that, "We all know it be best if I didn't touch any of their lives after Sawyer's no longer brain fu...umm...messed up for the rest of their lives." Stark rubs his eyes. "Alien armor thing, great. You meet this kid? We don't train soldiers or a training facility for SHIELD." Wariness from Stark. He loves and hates SHIELD all at the same time.
Clint snorts in return "I get what you're saying but that's still kind of cold. I mean, sticking some poor SHIELD agent with explaining all that stuff to them. Anyhow, but you won't get any argument about afterwards, when this is done, they would definitely be better off if they didn't have anything to do with us."
About the kid he says "Yeah, I told them that about the Academy, but you know how they are with their selective hearing. Anyhow, I haven't spoken to the kid, but the armour is scary as hell, I'll send you the scans and the history files. Anyhow I'm going to go back and talk to the kid this afternoon, if I don't think he can control this thing, then I'd say we tell SHIELD no. If he can, well, maybe we can help him."
"I'll see if I can match it up to any known alien races, we got stuff from our archives from Skrull to Kree to Shi'ar, and stuff from the Justice League database as well thanks for the information sharing agreement we have." Stark nods, "If he's wanting to be a soldier though, there is no helping that. But a hero...maybe we can."
Still, Stark seems to only be half thinking about it, idly working on a to-do list of everything he has to do. He usually just drank his depression better, but now...he's really at a loss and keeping busy isn't working either anymore. He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Barton, can...you not tell everyone yet. About Sawyer. And especially not Rogers. I don't want him...it's all highly confidential."
"Sent some questions to T'Challa too, this stuff is old and some of the stories about it were coming out of Africa so I figured one Black Panther or another might have had some dealings with it," he shrugs. "Who knows if he'll answer, and yeah, I'll see what the kid wants, right now though I think he's going to be freaked out he just sort of fell on the thing and it took him. I was too slow to get him out."
Clint looks over at Tony and for a moment it looks like he's going to say no but he nods anyhow. "Yeah, Steve doesn't know what Hydra made him do, does he?"
"No. The memories of when he was controlled by HYDRA are foggy, and...I never pushed." Stark is very quiet all of a sudden. He never outright said it, but it's pretty obvious at this point. But it also perhaps explains why he hasn't entrusted more people with the truth...due to what happened with Captain America and HYDRA mind control.
"I get it," Clint says about Steve and perhaps about Tony not sharing his secret too. "Anyhow, I should get going and talk to SHIELD about Mellie and Tanya, and the kid, and finding Sawyer, but seriously get some rest, and do something outside of this lab for a bit. I'll let you know when something crazy happens."
"I...I'll see about it." He has to report to the police about the ashes and smooth that event over, and get investigated who's ashes they really are. Stark though reluctantly stands and moves toward his computer. "If you could Jarvis that I'll see him now, that...be great." A pause, and..., "Thanks Clint. For...being there."
Clint nods and quirks an eyebrow. He knows what 'I'll see about it' means. "Yeah, sure," he says about Jarvis before he pauses and shrugs at Tony. "And no problem. Someone once told me no man's an island, and we're all part of Maine. Just doing my part," a pause. "Though the Maine thing never made much sense to me," he shrugs again and heads to the door. "/Try/ to take it easy Tony, and I'll keep you updated."
Stark face palms. "Main, as in the 'Main Body'." But he's secretly smiling. Damn Clint.