Under or Over: Hawkeye & Black Widow

CHAPTER #56

Barton wondered if maybe he'd under estimated Fury.  Could it be the Director knew that Romanoff was getting too emotionally invested in the operation?  Was this side project, a distraction, that Fury knew she needed? Or was Barton himself the only one who knew Romanoff's true goal? Whatever the case, he had a day to do anything he wanted.   He left Bird for Romanoff and either got a cab or walked.  First he took in the normal tourist sights and rode the Shinkansen (Japanese Bullet Train). Then he went to find the circus school.  He watched the contortionists, the dog trainers and aerial silk dancers, before someone approached him.  Barton explained what circus he had performed with and that he specialized in weaponry.  They wanted to see what he could do.  He worked with knives first, against stationary and moving targets.  Next he used their bow and arrows, of course immediately impressing them all. One voice, gave him shivers on the back of his neck. He knew it well.

"Clint Barton, you sorry excuse for a circus performer!" Marcy exclaimed, moving through the crowd of people.

"Marcella Carson, what are you doing here?" Clint said in pleasant surprise.

She smiled and gave him a warm embrace, "I could ask you the same thing, but I won't.  I still own the carnival.  I'm here to pick up some new talent.  Interested in coming back to work for me?  Hawkeye, would draw a huge crowd, now that you saved the world with the Avengers."

The Japanese crowd began talking amongst themselves, everyone excited. They understood now, who this man really was. The crowd grew as the word spread.  Ms. Carson grinned as Barton rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, but I'm currently employed and like what I do.  How have you been?"  Clint looked over her, head to toe, "you look fantastic."

"Thanks, so do you.  I'm okay.  Had a rough patch a few years back.  But business is holding steady."

The headmaster of the school bowed in front of Hawkeye and said something in rapid Japanese.  Ms. Carson had to translate, because Barton was totally confused.  "He wants us to put on a demonstration, for his students.  Are you up for it, or has your job made you lazy?"

Clint laughed, "are you challenging me Marcy?"

She grinned, spoke in Japanese and then they were lead to an arena.  Both had weapons to use. Marcy attacked Barton and he defended, all the while taunting him like when he was a child. "Too slow... you call that an accurate throw?"

Clint loved the vocal exchange, "Marcy you haven't changed since we were kids."

She threw objects at him and he used arrows.  There was a good crowd of circus students watching the display and they clapped with appreciation.  After all the arrows had been loosed, they ended the demonstration, both Carson and Barton had big smiles on their faces.  After touring around the circus a while longer, they decided to spend the afternoon together.

"So why Japan?" Clint probed, knowing there was more to her story.

Marcy sighed, "don't get mad, but your brother and his buddies were causing problems for me back home.  Time out of the country was needed."

"Barney?  I had heard years ago that he wasn't dead like I had thought, when Trickshot and I parted ways.  What's he calling himself these days?"

"You haven't heard?  He's now Trickshot.  He took it from Buck," Marcy explained.

Clint raised an eyebrow and sighed.  "He never changes, always looking for fast money."

"Oh I know. You forget I grew up with you."

He took her hand in his, not looking at her a moment. "I never forgot about you Marcy," Clint said with emotion.

To lighten the mood over lunch, she began the 'remember when' discussion.  They talked about the first time they met, a much nicer memory, than those of Barton's brother.

"I saw you first, that red hair of yours peaking out from the cannon.  Do you even remember what you were doing in there?"

Marcy grinned, "hiding from dad.  You calling up to me, made me so mad.  I think I threw dried elephant dung at you, for giving away my location."

Clint chuckled, "and later that week you tripped me and I fell in a pile of horse shit."

"I'd forgotten about that, you must have deserved it," Marcy countered.  "Do you remember when we joined that other carnival group and the carny boys were picking on me?  I was fifteen I think."

Nodding, as he recalled the moment, Clint said, "one of the few times my brother and I worked together.  Barney sure could hold his own in a fight. I remember he broke the blond guy's nose.  We gave those boys a good beating."

"That's when your hero complex began," Marcy teased. The smile in her eyes, made them twinkle.

"I don't think so.  Remember all those scams we tried to pull, until your dad forced us into training as performers?"

She shook her head and he watched her red curls dance.  Marcy was beautiful and had always been.  When he had been a teenager himself, they had dated briefly.  But his brother also had a crush on Marcy and to prevent a feud, she chose to date neither. Now it made him wonder if his life would have turned out different, if they had continued dating.  Would he have married her and become co-owner of the carnival?

"I have some things to do back at the school, but do you want to meet up for dinner?"  Marcy asked, unable to read the look in her friend's eyes.

"Sure, you can meet my partner agent Romanoff.  She's doing other business right now.  It gave me the day off," Clint explained.

"Days off don't happen often do they?"

"Not for me and apparently not for you either," Clint agreed.

Marcy stood up, her keys jingling. After handing him a paper with her cell number on it, she said, "call me when you know what time and where you want to meet."

He gave her a hug and watched her leave, admiring her backside. She was still light on her feet, from years of performing.  One thing Barton noticed that had changed from the past, she walked confidently and with purpose.  He hoped that Romanoff and Carson would get along with each other, but knew even if they didn't, neither would let on.

As he began to leave, Barton's hyper awareness made him duck.  That saved his life from a gun shot.  He reacted reflexively, seeking cover and searching for the attacker.  When he located the gunman Clint said to no one in particular, "somebody's gonna get it!"

Using a toothpick and a straw from his drink as a blow dart, he aimed for the man.  The toothpick landed true and protruded out of the man's eye, making him drop the gun and scream in pain. As the attacker danced around clutching his face, Barton landed a kick to the front of the kneecap.  The man passed out, as his broken leg, overloaded him with pain.  Barton checked the man for ID, both wallet and for skin markings.  He found nothing.  He did, however, note that the man was native to Japan.  

"You're not from HYDRA, so who are you little man?"  Clint asked the unconscious person at his feet. People were coming to see what had happened, so he took apart the gun and left it in pieces on the guy's stomach.  He knew the police wouldn't find that as amusing as he did.  "Bird is agent Romanoff with you?"

"No sir, she's back at the hotel."

"Come pick me up, motorcycle mode please."  Clint said as he walked away from the downed man.  Once he was around the side of a building, he waited for Bird's arrival.  "Did she have any problems today?"

"No sir." Bird replied as they rode off.

"See that man across the street, the one being loaded into the ambulance?" Clint asked.

"Would you like me to monitor the police for more information on him?" Bird questioned.

Clint grinned, "you're getting good at this."

"Sir, in certain things you can be predictable."

"For my sake, I hope you're the only one who notices that."