*ON HOLD* Blackbirds (Avengers Fanfic)

Chapter 14: An Agent... But Aren't Agents Mature?

I woke surprisingly peacefully. Well that's a first. I checked the clock and saw that it was seven p.m. Seven hours of sleep... Not bad. I put on a pair of S.H.I.E.L.D issued sweat pants and a S.H.I.E.L.D. sweat shirt. I was walking to the cafeteria when I heard Coulson's voice over my earpiece.

"Your needed in Fury's office." I answered with a simple 'yessir' and turned around in the hallway. Walking though, instead of the usual pitying stares, I was met with whispers. Not knowing what was happening I continued faster to Fury's office. I let out I sigh of relief once I stepped into the empty elevator. I leaned my head back on the cool metal. On hearing the ding of the doors opening, I opened my eyes and continued down the hallways. I knocked on the slightly larger black doors and waited until I heard a response.

"Come in." I opened the door slowly, a little nervously to be honest. I walked in and sat on the leather chair in front of his desk.

"What's wrong, Sir." I asked in a calm voice. He turned from his position of looking out the window onto the work desk.

"You are a very skilled agent."

"Thank you, Sir."

"We have decided that, under the circumstances, we will appoint you a higher immediate rank." He said with his eye scanning my face for a reaction.

"Sir, I'm afraid I don't understand." I replied with scrunched eyebrows and a slight frown.

"With your previous... occupation, we decided to appoint you as a 'level 6' agent." My eyes widened in surprise.

"But Sir. That's the rank of Romanoff and Barton." I questioned with much doubt.

"Well seeing that you were able to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D. multiple times, the accuracy of your weapon usage, the time that you were able to efficiently complete that simulation... It was very much earned." He slid a leather foldable wallet across the table. I picked it up and opened it. Inside was the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo and an ID card with my information. "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Daniels."

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"This calls for a celebration!" Barton said rather loudly.

"Ugh... I just wanna go to the gym." I said turning.

"No ya don't." Nat says pulling me to the cafeteria.

"What are we gunna do here?" I asked just wanting to work out and get into my old self.

"Just a surprise." Clint chimes in covering my eyes.

"For a couple of assassins, you two are a bunch of children." (If you see what I did there I will give you brownies.)

"Well once you see what we have-" Nat starts but is finished by Clint.

"And the fact that you are a child..." He said letting Nat continue with her explanation.

"You will be as happy as we are." Nat finished and I could hear her trademark half smile in her voice.

"Fine... but hurry up. I have actual things planned." I said with a little bit of snap in it.

"What?" Clint asked sarcastically. "You actually have a life outside of the gym?"

"Ha ha. Very funny. I just had some routines planned out, that's all."

"This is really amusing. You two fight like siblings. Wait- stop right there. You two do look kinda the same." Nat said with skepticism lining her words. With my eyes still covered I turned to where Nat's voice.

"Well nice thought. My mom abandoned me. Why would she have another kid anyway if she abandoned me? Plus, he's too old to be my brother." all that continued that was silence. I felt guilty for snapping like that, but that subject was a little touchy. We walked on for a few minutes until I heard a door open and close behind us.

"Okay... Open your eyes." Clint says removing his hands from covering my sight. In front of my was a giant chocolate cake. I stood there gaping at it and not even moving.

"What's wrong? Do you not like it? We can take it back if you want-" Nat rushed out but I quickly stopped her.

"No, it's just that- why'd you do this for me? No one has ever really done this." I explained still confused as to why they would help me.

"Well, level six for starting. That's a big deal-" Clint tried to explain.

"No I mean... Why try to help me? Why rescue me? Why not let me rot in jail? Or better... Why waist your time with me?" I asked looking between the older couple in front of me.

"Well... we see something in you Daniels." Clint said clapping me on the back.

"Something great. That can be reason enough." Nat said patting my arm slightly.

"Bu-" I cut myself off not wanting to get too deep. They seemed to understand and Clint quickly changed the subject.

"Well, are we gunna cut the cake or what?" Clint yells out holding a knife up in the air.

"How big of a piece?" Nat asked. I have a small smirk seeing the old me. Not the old me, but the me before all of this happened, the innocent me.

"Huh? How about," I gestured to the whole thing, "that much."

Nat laughed but Clint cut in and said, "What? Don't I get some?" I quickly had a plan. For the first time in maybe a year and a half, I smiled a real smile. Not a smirk and not a fake smile, but a genuine smile.

"Ya. Here you go." I said gripping the edge piece of the cake and hitting him in the face.

"Oh... it's on." He said opening the cabinet behind him and flinging the contents at me.

I quickly ducked but Nat was standing directly behind me still laughing at Clint. Well that was laughing since she quickly stopped and glared at Clint. The flour was all in her hair and I could tell that he was dead.

"FOOD FIGHT!!" I yelled and then all food broke loose. There was cake, eggs, flour, chocolate... raw bacon?

I flipped off the counter to avoid being hit by a piece of lettuce. I stood looking around until I slid under the line of Carmel flying across the room. I grabbed what was left of the cake and threw it directly at Nat's face, leaving her blind for at least thirty seconds. I grabbed the chocolate sauce and tripped Barton and continued to run behind Romanoff and put her in a head lock. I flipped open the can of sauce and held the bottle a over her head. Breathing heavily I called to Clint who was struggling to get up off the slippery floor.

"If you come near me with anymore food... Nat's hair is going to get it." I saw her enthusiastically shake her head. "So you surrender?" I asked with a fake menacing tone.

"Yes. I would rather walk in shame than try for and hour to get that crap outta my hair." Nat said. I dropped the sauce and my hold on Nat as I walked out of the room.

"Thanks for that." I said stopping at the door way. "It was the first real fun I'd had in a while. Really. Thank you." And with that I left the kitchen with egg, flour, chocolate and all other things in my hair. "An agent... I thought agents were mature?" I mumbled to myself walking into my room to clean off.

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So just a fun little chapter hope you enjoyed. I'm sick right now so I've had time to work on these. I'll update as soon as I can but my mom is coming home with my books so I'll have to do homework now. School sucks... anyway have a good morning/evening/night.

~A