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]

"She got away," Clint answered shortly, ignoring the blood flowing down his arm. "How's Meyers?"

[istillbelieveinheroes]

"Alive." He said flatly, about Meyers. So much for catching the woman too. At least Clint kept one of them alive in the room there. They could get info from him, and now they had this base location.

"You're hurt." He said, not as a question, but a note of his own sight, seeing the blood as Barton came closer. The baby crying loudly, little bundled arms trying to fight but cant, all wrapped up. It's a very angry baby.

[from_a_distance]

Clint shook his head, not in denial, just letting him know it's not important. "It's fine. I'm going deaf, but it's fine."

He can't blame the kid, really, but he kinda wants to.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

It's important if he's bleeding! But... he does understand. A flesh wound perhaps? It's not like the man hasn't had a few of those before. The deaf comment however made Coulson hold his hands out for the child.

"Here. Get a bandage or some pressure on that. I'll need your help getting Meyers out."

[from_a_distance]

"It's fine," Clint insisted again, though he was more than happy to hand over the baby. "Just grazed me."

He was also fine with getting a bandage on it as soon as he was sure Coulson had the baby. He grabbed the downed scientist's lab coat and ripped off a strip of cloth to make a pressure bandage.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Coulson took the baby, careful in his arms. Poor thing, he wondered what they did to it. "Good. Though being shot while saving a baby is pretty noble." He teased softly, watching the little bundle. He didn't see the fact that the baby had bee nthrown, or had a gun so close to it's little head. If he'd known, he'd understand the angery crying more. As it was, he didn't mind too much. He tried calming it down ith movement, moving back around the round room now.

"Meyers? Still with us?"

Meyers used to be a young man. Now he looks like he aged 20 years in 20 seconds. It didn't look bad on him, but there was no way he was meant to be that old. The man was seated now, on the ground, holding Coulson's coat around him and shivering. He nodded. "Yessir." The word mumbled out.

Phil looked to Clint with a side eyed shot. What ever the machine was, it aged the man. "Barton. Let's get these two out and back to Jackson and communication. I want a clean up crew and some Intel out here to figure out what the hell they did to Meyer and this kid." And he shhh'ed the baby in his arms again. The child calming down faster in Coulson's arms.

[from_a_distance]

"You got it, boss," Clint said, quickly finishing his bandage before moving toward Meyers. "Got a way with kids," he remarked with a faint smirk as the baby calmed down.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Phil's fiddling with his ear piece, wishing it was working now. He wanted contact with Jackson now, thanks. But he caught Clint's comment, looking slightly surprised, for all of a second, before smiling.

"Not really. She's just aware that she's safer now. No reason to yell." A nearly whispered 'is there?' to the baby might have gone unheard. Might not have.

Meyers took what ever help he could to get to his feet. He was closer to Clint's age now, if not older, so he wasn't out of shape, just drained by what ever happened to him.

[from_a_distance]

Clint heard it, and it made him smile a bit.

"Right...let's get her out of here, then," he says, nodding to Meyers as well once he's sure the guy can make it on his own, no serious injuries.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Getting Meyers out was easy. He wasn't a old man, just not as young a he used to be. Once they were outside again, communications picked up once more. Phil gave orders for a pick up as well as the need for a team to come in and take care of the site. Clean up.

There was going to be a lot of paper work to do.

When he tried to pass the baby off to a medic to be checked out, she wouldn't stop crying. Phil had even stepped back for a bit, watching someone try to fuss over Barton for wounds, only to be distracted with the crying child.

After some time, a female medic, clearly not used to children, looked frustrated, like she had a headache. Phil stepped in, reaching a hand out to the child, finger brushing at her hair line lightly. "Shhhh, what's all the fuss about?" He said to the baby, then gave a smile to the woman, indicating she could hand the baby over.

It was almost instant, the crying stopped and the fussing died down. Before he could even bring her to his chest, close and secure, she'd closed her eyes and sniffled in her sleep.

"You've got some magic to you, Agent Coulson" The woman said, sounding deeply grateful. "Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her. We need to take her back to the facility and have her fully checked out however." She seemed to linger on those words, looking at him.

Phil understood, frowning at the child. "I suppose I could help transport her. Once my driver is done being harassed by the medics." He tipped his head over towards Barton at that.

[from_a_distance]

Clint didn't let the medic fuss over him for long. There was much insisting that he was okay, and eventually he ended up resorting to threatening glances until the young man wisely backed away.

Once he was free, he headed back over to where Phil was with the baby. "She gonna be okay?"

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Phil stood, rocking the baby a bit with a soft barely there sway. The child was asleep in his arms and it seemed like nothing around them was going to wake her up. When Clint showed up, he gave the man a critical look, as if to make sure he let the medics do their job if need be.

"I think so? Feel up to a bit of a drive with her? She wont calm down with the medics. I said I'd transport her, if you're willing to drive." It might make a bit of a trip, but Phil didn't mind taking care of a baby. It was Barton that he was unsure of how he might handle things.

[from_a_distance]

He has no visible injuries, certainly. He didn't let them look close enough for anything else, but he feels okay, at least.

He was about to protest--who wants to drive with a screaming baby--but something about the way Coulson looked with the baby in his arms made him answer, "Yeah, okay."

[istillbelieveinheroes]

"You sure?" He said softly, looking at the man, studying him a moment. It was a long mission and they had just lost an agent. Another one had been Aged a bit. They lost the bad guys and there was going to be a pile of paper work to deal with when they got back.

And he was baby sitting.

To which he looked down at the baby, giving it a soft smile as he ran a hand over her back lightly. So small. "Doesn't seem like she'll make much of a fuss. We've got a SHIELD base about a day from here by car. We can head that way. They can figure out what to do for her there. Might be a long trip."

[from_a_distance]

"Yeah," Clint said again, smiling in a way that is more gentle and fond than the one he usually gives Coulson. "Yeah, I think I can handle that. Do we have...stuff for her?"

He really has no idea what she'll need.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He'd looked up at the right moment to see the smile. Something about it made him smile a bit warmer as well, though he looked away, using the baby as an excuse. He shifted her close to his chest, holding her careful and took a breath. Looking around at their location he frowned.

"There was a baby seat inside. If they've had this child for even a short while they should have things to keep her alive. We can procure those to get us to base." They could take her by helicopter but the poor thing was traumatized enough as it was. The medic thought better of it.

[from_a_distance]

"Okay," Clint responded with a nod. "I'm gonna trust you know what we'll need there," he added, moving toward the car.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He paused, frowning down at the baby. "It should be logical, right?" A hopeful sound, because no, he wasn't really sure. But he could take his best guess. He moved towards the car, nodding to the place they just took over.

"You want to hold her while I go gather up some things?" He offered, hiding the smirk form his face.

[from_a_distance]

Clint's eyes went wide, but dammit, if Coulson could handle the baby, so could he.

"Um...yeah, sure. Why not..."

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Oh yes, this was a challenge, wasn't it? He smirked, moving closer and pulling the sleeping baby from his chest, cradling her a moment and smiling down at the small thing. "You've already held her. She's asleep now, so it wont be too bad this time." He teased, offering the child over to the archer.

that icon *chinhands*

[from_a_distance]

"Of course not," Clint said, like he hadn't been thinking that at all. "It's just a baby..."

But when he took her from Coulson, he moved ridiculously carefully, like he thought he was going to break her. It was so very different to just carrying her to get her away from that lab.

I could say the same about that icon.... mmm

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He let her go, letting Clint take... extreme caution in holding her. It made Coulson smirk, that smirk that says he is more then amused in a situation. He drew back, grinning and sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Well then. Not so bad. Give me ten minutes to find some things and we'll be off." He offered, starting to step backwards and away. Yes, perhaps savoring the image of Clint with a baby. He might have also just pulled his phone out to snap a fast picture of it.

The baby, at this very moment... was still in his arms.

[from_a_distance]

Clint was not taking his eyes off the baby. If he did...who knew what might happen. She might explode or something. Or leap from his hands. Or start screaming her head off.

None of which she actually did just now. Probably because he was holding her perfectly still. As long as she was asleep, he would be okay.

He thought.

Maybe.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Wow. Seriously, Barton is this your first time holding a small human? But seriously, he was doing good. Phil snapped a picture then took off, taking an agent off what ever he was doing and making him come along. They disappeared down the hill towards the opening.

The baby? She stayed still, for the most part. Bit those tiny hands had balled up, and she tried to wiggle, just a bit...

[from_a_distance]

Yes. Yes, it is his first time. Not many people are lining up to hand their babies over to an assassin.

"Oh, hey hey hey, no," Clint whispered when she started to move. "Don't...do that. Just...stay cool, munchkin..."

He shifted, then, to hold her against him instead of out away from his body.