Another one from 2014, I found one that was supposedly rewritten in 2017? But it was exactly the same so??
Iris scowled, flying her quinjet towards the helicarrier, version 52. How she had gotten stuck with babysitting the newest rookie she had no idea. Why he had chosen to specialize in the triplets assumed area of expertise was yet another question. Few had the stomach to do what the girls do, or the mental will. Hurting innocents without feeling that guilt was something no one else had yet been able to deal with. With a sigh she landed her deep purple quinjet on the landing strip, someone quickly raced over to open the door for her.
“Keep her ready. I’ll be back shortly.” She ordered, stepping out and heading straight for the bridge.
“Sir. She’s here.” Maria turned to face Fury and Coulson who were standing talking amongst themselves. A young agent, barely 25 years old, was seated off to the side, waiting rather impatiently, around a large table.
“No landing clearance?” Fury asked, knowing it was protocol to call the helicarrier to make sure it’s safe.
“No Sir. She-” Maria was cut off from her explanation.
“What do you want!?” The door was kicked in violently, and the young agent looked to the furious woman standing in the doorway. Golden brown locks were held back away from her face, golden eyes flashing furiously.
“Agent-” Fury started to speak,
“Don’t you dare! I was promised a week off! Then you go and do this!” She cut him off, momentarily drifting back to the man she had left behind on the sheltered Island.
“Your sisters are busy, you were our only option, and things are getting pretty serious.” Maria attempted to reason with her.
“Iris.” Coulson spoke curtly.
“Fine. Reporting for duty, sir.” Iris saluted her father mockingly.
“Agent-”
“Director.”
“I’m sorry I interrupted your holiday! Now can we please get to the mission.” Fury snarled out an apology.
“You need a holiday by the sound of it.” She grumbled, going and taking a seat and placing her feet up on the table.
“According to your mission file. The Irish Mob is selling our technology on the black market. Which means, we have a leak. I understand you’re on top of that one Dad. Yet you need someone to go undercover in the Irish Mob, and figure out how they’re getting it, who’s buying it, and try retrieve the technology.” Fury rolled his eyes, taking a seat and motioning for Coulson to do the same.
“One day, I will tell you this stuff without you already knowing it.” Fury vowed, much to her amusement. Agent Ward glanced between the trio, confused. He expected her to be shot, or yelled at for the way she addressed the director and his right hand man. Yet still she stood living and breathing.
“Iris, Agent Grant Ward, and your partner on this assignment. Clearance-”
“Level 5, verging 6, 24 years old. No people skills, yet seemingly good at everything else. Been an agent for 6 years.-”
“Iris.” Coulson scolded again. Iris sighed,
“I was enjoying the sunbathing.” She complained again, making sure her adoptive parents felt guilty for dragging her back.
“You were alone, we both know you’d have been begging for a mission by weeks end.” Fury countered, knowing how easily his daughter got bored.
“Well, we’ll never know now will we!” Iris crossed her arms with a huff.
"Anyway, cover is for you to act like lovers, you're from the American-Irish branch, so sound American with a Irish tinge, they smuggle you out from the docks tonight. Iris, you're Wards new S.O. until his training is complete." Fury chose to ignore the mumbles that came from his daughter.
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Clint sighed, glancing at the note in his hand, for once he and Iris had planned things so they could take a week off together. They should have realized it would never work. Shield never seemed to be able to let any of them have a holiday.
'Heya,
I'm so so sorry, I tried my best to get out of it. But my sisters are busy, and its Shield Tech on the black market. Naturally fathers worried.
They're also making me train a rookie in our area of expertise. You're now talking to a supervising officer.
Miss you,
Rather be there.
~Ri.
Clint sighed again, before heading towards the bedroom, she'd be back in a few days, he hoped.
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Ward looked up from his coffee and newspaper at her. She was tapping away at the newest 'Samsung' phone. Sipping at her coffee.
"What’cha doing babe?" He asked softly, all too aware they were being closely monitored by the Irish Mob, untrusting of their 'newest' members.
"I got a message from back home. Maria said she misses us. Fool of a woman." Iris replied her last words with a dark tinge and a sly smile to them, putting her phone off to one side.
"Anything interesting?" She nodded towards the newspaper. Which he quickly folded up, placing to one side.
"Nothing as interesting as you." He replied, pretending to look into her eyes, but really checking the reflection in her sunglasses for the men tasked with observing them. He couldn't stop his smile when he saw them still in the same spot, watching the pair closely.
"I miss home." Iris whispered, reaching out and grabbing hold of his hands softly. He pulled them up to his lips, kissing her hands. Pausing before resting them against his cheeks. She turned her hand to stroke his cheek gently.
"I miss home too my love. But we belong here, and as long as I have you..." Ward trailed off, smiling at her and kissing her palm again.
“I know,” She smiled back, thumb gently caressing his face. Before she started to pull her hands back, however Ward gripped tightly onto her right hand, swinging her towards him with an ease that surprised neither of them. Iris allowed him to, landing in his lap, almost instantaneously his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. Iris leant back into his arms, folding her own arms over his. Leaning her head carefully against his.
One of the men watching them smiled to himself. The love the pair felt for one another seemed out of place for the cold hard, ruthless killers they were, but he could see it, in the way they acted around each other.
“I love you.” Ward whispered, just loud enough to be overheard.
“As I you.” Iris turned her head, as did he. Their lips finding each others for a brief yet passionate kiss.
“Let’s head back.” He whispered, breath rolling over her face as he only pulled back a tiny bit. Iris only nodded her agreement, kissing him again. Acting like the pair in love they were supposed to be. Pulling away she stood, Ward loosening his hold, standing up almost exactly behind her. Iris could feel every muscle as she leant against his chest. Reminding her of the man she had left on the Island waiting for her. It was almost too easy for her mind to make the man with her look like the man she missed so much.
“Love?” Ward’s soft voice broke her train of thought, and instead of responding she turned in his arms, her own wrapping around her neck, hand tangling in his hair. She kissed him, with an almost desperateness to her actions. Ward responded naturally, holding her body closer to his. Iris’ hands moved with lightning precision catching a projectile as it flew directly for Ward’s head.
The shape felt too familiar in her hand, golden eyes opening to glance at it before she pulled away quickly. Turning her back to Ward to start the black block-like object up. She read the words that flashed up quickly, eyes raising up to scan the crowd. Almost Instantly she found the person she was looking for. Typing an address into the device, before leading Ward back, hand tangled through his, winding through the crowd, and slipping the device into another man’s pocket. The action going unnoticed by Ward, but not by her target. He walked away, keeping the exchange between the pair a secret. When he was clear, he pulled out the device, checking her message before heading to the location specified.
“Stay here.” Iris ordered Ward, as they reached the apartment they were living in. They were staying on the twenty fourth floor, of a twenty five story building.
“What’s going on?” He asked, watching her pace the room. Deep in thought about what it had meant. Worried about his reaction.
“Classified Agent. Just stay here. I’ll be on the roof.” Iris grabbed a bottle of water, downing half of it, before walking out the door, taking the stairs to avoid the cameras. Once on the roof she glanced around, confirming her suspicions that there were no cameras.
“What the hell Iris?!” She heard him land in a crouch behind her before he snarled at her, positively fuming with rage. He stood, trying to rationalize with his brain.
“Supposed to be on holiday with me, and I track you down here with him!?” She turned, folding her arms over her chest. Drink bottle dangling from her fingers. Clint's hands balled into fists at his side, features cold, harsh and unforgiving. He didn't give her a moment to explain.
“I would rather be with you! I’m on a mission! Undercover! Like I told you.” She fired back, furious that he wouldn’t even give her a chance to tell him the truth.
“It didn’t look like just a mission! It looked like you'd rather-" The anger in his voice never changed, believing what he saw over what she was saying.
“It’s not supposed to look like just another mission. If it looked fake it’d blow our cover. You know this.” His arms folded over his chest, muscles bulging as his hands clenched. Trying to control his rage, trying not to direct it at her, failing horribly.
“I saw the way you looked at him Iris, the way you...” He hesitated, unable to say the words.
"The way you kissed him!" The snarl came back to his tone as he practically spat the words at her.
“Barton. Listen to me.” Her tone softened, talking as you would to a scared child as she stepped closer, and he refused to step back, but didn’t reach for her or move forward.
“He’s just a mission. I’d rather be with you. I’d pick you any day.” Iris reached forward, her hand resting softly on his arm, yet he shrugged away from her touch as though it caused him physical pain. Repulsion was the only thing she saw, looking up at him shocked.
“I wish I could believe you.” He spoke, tone harsh yet quieter, blue eyes softening as he looked down at her.
“I’m not-” She tried to defend herself,
“Save it Iris.” He started to walk away. Turning his back and not looking back at her.
"Please, Listen-"
"STOP IT!" Iris flinched back as he yelled at her. Spinning on his heels. His hands subconsciously unfolding, yet he never made a move to attack her. The softness in his eyes vanished.
"Who is he Iris?!" He demanded, towering over her with ease.
"Agent Grant Ward. Special Forces." Iris answered meekly, startled that he'd actually yelled at her.
"Special Forces." Clint nearly laughed, looking at her, before being slammed violently back to reality. The knowledge that the only woman to ever hold his heart had betrayed him. "Why-" His voice hitched in his throat as he asked a question he really didn't want to know the answer to.
"It's just a mission. I swear. Please, you have to believe me…" He didn't interrupt her, watching carefully for any sign she wasn't being truthful.
"I miss you. I lo-" Iris cut herself off, shocked that the words almost came out of her mouth.
"I adore you." She corrected herself, taking advantage of the fact he hadn't stopped her talking yet.
"Please, it's just a mission. You have to believe me." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them spill over.
"Why?! Why do I have to believe you?!" He demanded, his tone not softening. He longed to reach out, wrap his arms around her and take away all the pain and tears, his fingers twitched, before he dug them into his own arms. No, she betrayed him. He turned, knowing if he stayed his resolve would break.
“Barton!” He paused, the desperateness in her tone enough to make him curious.
"Because, I can't live without you." She admitted,
"I wish I could believe you." He repeated, all his anger forced into one small sentence. Leaving in much the same way as he arrived. Iris crumbled, tears streaming down her face. She heard the footsteps at the rooftop door, and not long after she felt a set of arms wrap around her tightly.
“What happened?” Ward asked, helping her up, and supporting her as he started walking towards the staircase.
“Classified Agent. Just leave me alone!" She pulled out of his hold, leaning against the air conditioning vents and sliding down, hanging her head.
"What kind of mission boyfriend would I be if I did that?" He teased playfully.
"A smart one." Ward nearly jumped as a deep voice sounded from behind him, not having heard or seen anyone else. Iris looked up in shock, there was no way she'd ever not recognize that voice. Golden eyes locked on harsh blue ones, and it took all her resolve not to flinch away. There was the look she hoped never to see on his face again. The cold, hard, calculating killer.
"Your friend and I were having a little chat. If you want no harm to come to either of you, Don't turn around, just walk quickly back to where you came from. Don't look back, don't call for help." He commanded, Iris instantly knew Ward was going to fight, there was no way he'd abandon her, or anyone else. He wouldn't be able to live with himself.
"Don't." She ordered quietly, before looking back to her lover. "He's just a rookie. Obeying orders, it's not his fault. You want to be mad and upset, fine! but you be mad and upset with me." She wouldn't let his blind, jealous rage cause him to do anything he would later regret.
"Mad?! Upset?!" Clint demanded, yelling again as he watched the pair before him interact. As she defended the younger man.
"Try Furious, betrayed, back stabbed-"
"I get it!" She cut him off, her own frustration taking over before she took a deep breath, calming herself. "But I am not going to let you do anything you'll later regret. Even if it means lo…" Tears spilled over, but she never tore her eyes from his. "Even if it means loosing you." She whispered,
"Stop defending him!" He roared, hand subconsciously reaching for his weapon. Iris tensed, mentally preparing herself to fight should she have to.
"What?! So I should just sit back and let you kill him?! For obeying orders!" She shot back, Clint took a few steps back, trying to think.
"Iris, whats going on?" Ward whispered as quietly as he could.
"Our missions not compromised." Iris replied, not bothering to whisper.
"That's not what it sounds like." Ward resisted the growing urge to turn around and take down the threat.
"Learn to read people. No gun barrel pressed to you, or any other weapon. Listen, you can hear him pace. Clearly agitated, but not violent. You reacting would make it worse. Stay calm and rational." She coached, earning her a raised eyebrow from Clint, even as he battled a confusing range of emotions.
"He's another agent babe. A rookie, I'm his S.O. fathers orders. You think I want to be here? It's rainy." Iris gestured to the sky, rainclouds gathering overhead, threatening what had been a rare good day. She smothered a smile as a look of realisation crossed his face.
"Whose behind me?" Ward asked, curious about the use of a pet name, yet careful not to startle her or break her concentration. Not realising he'd given the man behind him a moment to take in what she'd said.
"Classified Agent." Iris responded, thankful her sunglasses had fallen from her head earlier.
"If there was a situation-" Clint started to ask, his voice softening somewhat, but she cut him off.
"You already know the answer to that."
"I need to hear you say it."
"I pick you every time." Ward heard the man behind him fall to his knees at her words.
"Go back downstairs. I'll be down soon. You heard and saw nothing." Iris ordered quickly, shocked when he did and didn't look back. She waited until the door slammed shut to push herself up, moving to his side, and joining him on the rooftop.
"You're an idiot Barton." She smiled as he pulled her into his arms, finally back where she belonged. "Why would I want a rookie like him, when I have you?" Clint didn't answer, tucking his head into the crook of her neck. "Because he's not damaged." Clint eventually whispered, "Neither are you. You're perfect the way you are." "I'm sorry. I was so scared I'd lost you... I over reacted." "It's not your fault. I should have told you that we were undercover as a couple." "I don't like it Ri." He whispered, "Neither do I, but there's nothing we can do now." She turned slightly, one finger resting under his chin to pull his face to hers. "But I promise, no matter what, I am yours."
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