Problems: From Rookies to Babies.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

They were on a mission in Canada. Nothing too bad about this one it seemed. Or so it was meant to be pretty easy. There was word of a device being set up there by some unknown group, that was putting off strange readings. For one, they had no intil on the group, for another they had no idea what kind of device. Both things they needed to know about. Why? Because it’s SHIELD and they need to know everything.

It wasn’t top priority however. A training mission, really. Scout and Scoot as Coulson would call it. Since the events in New York, (and, you know, living and all) Fury had been placing him on smaller training missions, when he wasn’t keeping an eye on the Avengers. He had been officially moved to the ‘Ambassador to the Avengers’ as Sitwell laughed.

The point being? This was a simple training mission that won't stay so simple. Because of the need for eyes from a distance, Clint was pulled along as well, which suited Coulson fine, really, and it might have suited Barton fine as well.

But as I said, the mission was simple that didn’t stay simple. One of their rookie Agents got himself into a spot of trouble, captured by a dart to the neck and dragged inside. Another Agent followed him in, tracking. Phil knew she was a good tracker, but he didn’t like the next problem that followed.

Communications ceased to function once the Agent’s stepped inside the small base set inside the hill side. Great.

“Barton. Lost Meyers. Lost Hutchinson. Do you have eyes on Jackson?” Their third rookie who was with them.

Comments

[from_a_distance]

Clint had been struggling since the mission started with keeping his eyes on the rookies rather than on Coulson, but he'd managed so far. As much as possible.

"I've got him in sight, sir. What's the situation?"

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Coulson had been FINE however. He was back and away, at a post where he could too, keep an eye on the rookies, but also the site. His eyes were not as good as Bartons, but they were good enough to see the one go down.

"Meyers took a hit. Looks like a dart. Two men in camos came out and dragged him in. Hutchinson..." just marked her grave by... "went after." He was already gathering up a few things, intending to start to move. "Communications seem to be down as soon as they stepped inside." No wonder they haven't heard anything.

[from_a_distance]

Clint gave a muffled curse at the sitrep. "You and Jackson should fall back, sir. I'll get the others."

He's not about to lose three rookies on a milk run.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He didn't like this any better either. Frowning he stopped, staring off where he thought the man was, even though he can't see him. "I'd rather you take some form of backup." If that means leaving the rookie at the transport and on the horn with HQ, then so be it. You're not going in alone.

[from_a_distance]

"I'm not taking in Jackson," Clint argued. The guy was way too green. And he didn't even consider taking Coulson. Not yet.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He started to move again, headed towards where he thinks the other's location is, but more pointed towards the way in. "Never said you were taking Jackson. Sending him back to the transport to monitor communications. Already sending back our current situation. We're going in to pull out our men. We can window shop while we're in there." And, you know, see what's going on in there.

[from_a_distance]

Clint has learned, over the years, which of Coulson's orders he can ignore without consequence and which ones he really shouldn't. This is definitely the latter, and as much as it pains him, he can't argue with it.

"Fine. Send him back. I'll meet you there."

[istillbelieveinheroes]

"Copy." Phil was rather glad he didn't have to argue this point, because he wouldn't put up for that for long. He headed towards the other man, waving Jackson down. After a short conversation, which lead to 'comm malfunction' and a mild protest about not coming with them, Jackson returned back to camp. Phil on the other hand waited there in hiding, eyes scanning the area, and waited for Clint to show up so they can go in.

[from_a_distance]

Clint was there in just a few moments. "What do you think we're up against, sir?" he asked quietly when he arrived.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He didn't show surprise at all to having the man suddenly there. He just glanced over to him and frowned. "No clue. This should have been a cake walk. Intel though there were perhaps four, maybe six people here. No idea who they are. I just saw two of them hall one of the Rookies off."

He frowned, checking his gun at his side. "Can't be worse then Montreal." The second time, not the first, though both trips felt pretty bad.

[from_a_distance]

"Don't jinx it, sir," Clint said, arching an eyebrow. "Take my six. I'll take a look inside."

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He gave a halpless little shrug at the jinxing it part, and a half smile. He'd gladly watch your back, sir. "Communications drop once you step in. Keep that in mind. If we can disable what ever they have jamming, it would help." But that might be what ever was giving off the strange readings as well.

[from_a_distance]

"I'll keep an eye out," Clint said. He glanced at Coulson and gave him a nod before heading in.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He gave himself a moment, took a breath, then started inside, carefully eyeing everything as they came to it. It bothered him to have rookies lost more then it did Agents he's worked with for a while, mostly because he doesn't trust Rookies yet. He doesn't know them. Doesn't know what they are capable of. The fact that one ran in after the other with out considering numerous things already had him regretting, yet again, field training.

As they went inside, he could hear the comm crackle in his ear and soon drop out. With a side ways glance to Barton he frowned in a way that said 'I hate when that happens' and continued on. There were drag marks in the hard packed dirt at this point. A tunnel in a hill that was a base. God, this should have been a simple mission.

A mission that didn't require blood. Blood like one with hawks eyes might see from here, in the distance. Splatter marks on a wall as well as dripping on the ground. Drag marks doubling now.

In the distance, the further in they go, the more man made it looked, the louder it got as well. Like Machines working.

[from_a_distance]

Clint sees the blood and the drag marks and he hears the machines, his frown deepening with every step they take. It's not that he minds taking out a big operation; it's just that he likes to know about it before he gets there.

The machines are messing with his hearing a little, and it's hard for him to make out any sounds over them, so he starts moving a little slower, motioning for Coulson to keep behind him.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He sees the blood shortly after, eyes narrowing. Well this just put the mission on a deeper scale of 'oh shit'. So much for training. If these Agent's live, how ever, he might trust them to be a bit more careful. Life threatening situations tend to do that. or.. .scare them away.

He just hoped they were alive. He was tired of losing Agents. More so when they were as green as these.

When Clint moved to take lead he didn't even consider telling him no. This was how they worked. Honestly, it was better that Clint took lead anyhow, as he had the eyes. Phil's reaction time wasn't bad, but after the events in New York, they'd slowed a bit. Which is why he stuck to training now.

The machines were loud, processing something it seemed, though it was hard to tell what they were for. Though after a giant loud BEEP the large steel door at the front of the cave came crashing down, rolling fast and dropping into place, knocking the two of them into dim blue light in the hall way they were stuck in.

Phil found himself pressing his back to a wall (not only a smart idea, but also because he had a bit of a backstabbers issue now, thanks Loki), eyes narrowed and looking back. Welp... he'd expected something like this. They both did, no doubt.

He could just make out Barton in the dim blue light, his face serious, a silent shrug of his right shoulder and a look that said 'here we go.' Only one way to go now.

[from_a_distance]

Clint very much didn't appreciate the feeling that he was being herded somewhere. He glanced at Coulson and nodded in response to his look. Little as he liked it, he knew exactly what they had to do. No going back.

He stuck close to the wall himself as he continued on.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Phil followed, close to the wall and gun out, his second still tucked away but ready to grab any moment.

As they walked, they would come to a fork in the hall way. The two paths curving left and right. Only, as they curved, they seemed to follow a bubble of curved transparasteel like glass. A view down into what could only be described as an opratory . To their left was a door that said "caution" on the front in yellow. To their right a long row of doors that curved along the path, very nearly wrapping around the room.

The drag marks lead off to the right and into a door two doors down.

If peeking over and through the glass, they will see a deep long round room. Clinic clean looking, with a few tables. A laboratory. Also a very large blue device, at the center, pulsating. Two men are down there, neither in hazard suits, so it might be alright.

If one tries hard enough to hear they might hear a crying child. A baby.

[from_a_distance]

Clint didn't like to use a gun if he didn't have to, but it was more compact and therefore more covert than his bow, so he had his own sidearm at the ready.

And he was doing just fine at concentrating on the mission at hand until he heard that baby. He knew their first priority was the Agents in jeopardy, but a baby here... They would have to take care of that as well.

He jerked his head toward the door the marks went through, even while keeping his eyes on the room.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Phil didn't hear it at first, hsi hearing sharp, but not as sharp as Hawkeyes. Though as he came closer, he caught it, eyes darkening as he inched closer, try to to peek over into the room below. He pulled back, looking... annoyed, serious. Yes, they were in silent agreement to that. Take care of their Agents, as well as the baby.

With Clint's nod of his head, Phil nodded back, moving down the wall a bit, crouched down so he can't be seen through the glass. He gave a hand sign for 'cover me' as he walked down towards the drag marked and the door. At the first door he stopped, peeking in a small dirty window. A utility room that was once a office. He moved on to the second door, checking it.

When the door was opened it ran into something. Upon further inspection, stepping inside, Phil felt his face growing darker in annoyance. If Clint followed when the man went inside the room, he'd see the body of Hutchinson, bleeding out on the ground, eyes wide open and shot, several times. She was the one that ran in after Meyers.

[from_a_distance]

Clint didn't like Coulson going in first, but it was a better option than leaving him out in the hallway. He stopped in the door himself, scowling as he looked over the situation and allowing himself a soft, "Jesus," as he surveyed the damage.

So much for the milk run.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

You KNOW he is going to take lead once in a while, and he would rather have the man watching his back as he did this. if something came from the other side of the hall, he had more trust in Clint seeing it and busting it before he could.

Still, that was then this is now. He had a dead Agent on his hands and he always felt responsible for them. All of them. Oh, he'd pass his evals well enough, but he always felt badly for each one lost. Ten times as bad when he was the one training them.

He crouched over the girl, a hand running over his face a moment, clearing his mind. He still had another Agent in here. He let out a slow breath, reaching over to close her eyes. He'd checked. There was no pulse. He didn't expect it with the shots she had taken.

Standing again he looked at Barton. "Meyers is out there still. And did I hear a baby?" he whispered to the other.

[from_a_distance]

Clint knew Coulson was going to carry this one for a while. He would too, really. After all, he was just as capable of keeping an eye on them as Coulson was and no less culpable when he didn't.

"Yeah, definitely a baby," he whispered, nodding at Coulson. "Let's find Meyers and get them both out."

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Phil nodded darkly. He'd make sure they came back with a clean up crew to extract their Agent's body as well, but for now the focus was on those hopefully still alive.

He moved, letting Clint take lead again however, towards the door.

The sounds from below were louder for a moment, yelling. A couple of men holding Meyers to his knees, arms behind his back, just having shoved him down before someone else. The yelling from the men holding him. If old Hawk eyes here notices, it appears that Meyers put one of the men down in a bloodless mess, the head twisted.

Too bad you can't shoot through the glass. It would be like fish in a barrel from here. Further down this hall of doors, one of the last doors lead to an access stair case leading down into the room. But it was pretty visible to the others.

One man, holding a bleeding nose and looking as if he were in charge swung his hand out and pointed to a machine as he ordered something that sounded like 'Put him in the pod!' And turned to storm off to a part of the room they couldn't see cus of their position.

Meyers was dragged to his feet, and a well trained eye could see he was about to move, to try and escape and take out his two captives, but a 3rd came behind and butt busted him with his rifle end. He didn't move.

[from_a_distance]

Clint took a quick glance into the room, memorizing the layout and the positions of the people in it. And then he headed for that door. He couldn't come blazing in, but he might be able to get off a few shots without exposing himself.

A hand sneaking through a doorway tended to be a difficult target to hit.