Strange Birds

Chapter I: New Recruit

Clint Barton, you're not too bad as far as people go

Four Years Later

Kate and Peter walked up the stairs of their apartment building, Peter grumbling something about hating school while Kate focused on how much homework she had to do before training. Clint hadn't been showing up to their training sessions lately but Kate always held out hope that for some reason, each day would be the one he finally returned. Peter wasn't aware that Kate was being trained, and Kate found that it was better that way, Clint liked things to be secretive and Kate liked Clint to be happy, meaning he would stick around.

Even though Peter knew about her alter-ego, Hawkeye (a name Clint allowed her to use even though he still used it as well), and she knew about his, she never revealed how she had gotten her skillset. Peter had greatness thrust upon him, the spiderbite changed his life, but Kate had to work for greatness, and she'd rather Peter think she did it all on her own.

"So, you wanna come over?" Peter asked as the friends rounded a corner, nearing his apartment. Peter's aunt was always welcoming to Kate and she appreciated it, as she tried to spend as little time with her own family as possible.

Kate was about to open her mouth to reply but a buzzing in her pocket made her stop. Kate pulled the phone out and looked at the screen while Peter waited for her.

Clint Barton: I'm waiting outside the building in a black SUV. You know the spot. Come now.

Kate read the text and slipped the phone back into her pocket, looking up at Peter with a feigned frown.

"Sorry, Pete" She said, "It's my dad, he wants me home right away" Kate lied, happy when Peter accepted it and nodded.

"Okay, well are we still meeting up tonight?" Peter asked, turning around from where he had one hand on the doorknob to see Kate was already rushing down the hallway to her own apartment.

"Yeah, sure!" Kate shouted back, waving a friendly hand at Peter as she disappeared into her apartment. Peter shook his head with a smile at his quirky friend before opening his door to see unexpected company on his couch.

Kate dropped her book bag down in her room before grabbing the smaller black bag and shrugging over her shoulders. She typed a quick text to Clint to let him know she was coming before rushing out of the apartment again. She easily made good time running down the stairs and out into the New York streets. 

Kate quickly spotted the SUV in Clint's usual parking spot, the one he always used to pick her up when they would train. She jogged carefully across the street and opened the door of the car, hopping into the passenger seat. Kate buckled up and set her bag down before turning to Clint and noticing a figure in the back seat. 

Kate jumped involuntarily and screamed, looking at Clint with wild eyes.

"Jesus Christ" The man in the back seat mumbled, his body shifting up from lying down of the seat to sitting slightly upright, "Why's there a kid in the car?"

Kate glared at the man before noticing a familiar face sitting in the row of seats behind him. It was Wanda Maximoff, one of the Avengers. Clint never allowed Kate to meet any members of the team, preferring to keep her "a secret asset". Kate's eyes widened in silent awe and Clint pulled her out of her amazement before it could distract her too much.

"Scott Lang, Kate Bishop, Kate Bishop, Scott Lang" Clint announced, "Kate you already know who Wanda is."

Kate nodded in response but couldn't help staring at the two in the seats behind her. She was in a car of super heroes, and some random sleeping man...

"That's Ant Man, to you" Scott grumbled to Kate. The name didn't clear anything up for the New-Yorker but she assumed he was some sort of superhero as well.

"Clint," Wanda spoke up from the back of the car before Clint could pull it into drive, "Scott poses a good question. Why have you brought a child into this?" She questioned, her accent thick.

Kate turned back to look at Clint for answers, wondering herself why she was long with these people.

"Kate is a trained fighter" Clint answered, finally bringing that car into motion, "I've trained Kate for years, she's an asset to this fight."

Kate took a deep breath in at Clint's words, knowing he was sincere about his opinion of her skill set. 

"What kind of hell have gotten me into, Clint Barton?" Kate asked, using the sarcasm she was so well versed into hide her shaking hands in her lap. 

Clint spared a quick glance over to her, a shadow of a smile on his lips, "You got your gear, kiddo?" he questioned.

Kate nodded slowly and raised the bag to show him, the one she always carried her gear in. Clint was evading her question, and that scared her, but she wanted to trust him the way she had so many times before.

"I need your help, Kate. I'm fighting a war and I'm gonna have to ask you to fight with me"