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Only for a lucky few.

Here's hoping I'm one of those lucky few. [He's seen the man's picture in the SHIELD database, of course, but he's cool. He's calm and collected and all that jazz. They're just two guys having a conversation, right?]

[He's a very large man, in person, even with the metal arms hidden under his coat. Their bulk makes him look like a hunchback.] Ah. You'll excuse me if I don't offer my congratulations.

Edited 2014-09-29 12:33 (UTC)

[Yeah, the bulk is pretty suspicious, but hey, as long as he's not there to cause trouble, Clint's willing to overlook it.] Well. Don't offer me congratulations yet. I haven't figured out exactly what that so-called fresh start is going to be.

[It's marginally less obvious than having them out and waving around. There aren't many options for looking normal, when you've got those things fused to your spine.]
Oh? Why, are you looking to change careers? Getting out of the spandex life?

[Fair point.] Whoa, hey, spandex hasn't been a part of my costume in years. And it's not a matter of wanting to change careers, believe me. [He side-eyes the doctor.] Don't tell me you missed that debacle that went down in DC.

[They should all be grateful he's not wearing spandex. Nobody wants to see that on somebody his age and weight.]

Hnnnh. I keep my eyes and ears open.

[Oh god. Why'd you have to go and mention that? Now that image is going to be seared on his meta brain for eternity. Thanks a lot, Doc.]

Then you should know that my...former employers went belly up.

[Doc Ock will not be held responsible for any commentary which occurs strictly in narrative format.]

You expect me to believe it'll stay that way?

[Still. That's traumatizing. Clint's not going to be over that for a while.]

Well. You know. When you're beat, you're beat. What can you do?

[If Clint thinks that's traumatizing, he shouldn't be trusted to surf the internet.]

Pull yourself up again, rather than relying on somebody else to give you a hand up. [Honest advice from experience, even if his tone is bitter.]

[That's for sure. He's seen some pretty frightening stuff out there, Doc. Involving tentacles. Hey, that should be right up the Doc's alley, actually. He could send you some links, if you like.]

[He does chuckle, one corner of his mouth quirking upward.] That worked out well for you, did it, Doc?

[To say nothing of the fanfic. It's probably for the best if the bad doctor avoids those parts of the internet.]

[One eyebrow rises, and he gives a little smirk.] Hmn. Wouldn't you like to know...

So what do we do now, boss?

[Kate had signed up with SHIELD to make some sort of difference and she had enjoyed working for the organization. There was no way in hell she was going to go crawling back to her daddy for help.]

[Phil smiles and offers Clint a cup of coffee from the pot.] I guess that's one way of looking at it.

Well, it was either that or have a mid-life crisis because I'm thirty-~~[forty]~~something and have no Plan B in place.

[He will happily accept that cup of coffee, boss. Thanks.] Do I get unemployment for this?

Lay low.

[Because if he knows SHIELD — and Coulson — half as well as he thinks he does, they're not down for the count yet.]

And wait for our next set of orders.

[Egads, the fanfic. Did you know that three-quarters of the fandom has Clint banging all the Avengers? (I mean, it's not like he's discouraged it, of course ~~or that it's not half-true~~]

Well, I mean, we are just having polite conversation here, Doc.

Speak for yourself, Barton. I don't think I have any fresh starts left for me.

Come on, Romanoff. Don't tell me you're calling it quits that easily.

Giving up? No. But I will be keeping a low profile for the forseeable future. With my covers blown, I have gotten the attention of too many enemies.

Fair enough. Bed-Stuy's nice. I know a place where you can get an apartment dirt cheap.

[See this wide, toothy grin, Nik? Don't trust it, son.]

[You're getting a look, Barton. Because Phil knows your age. But he doesn't mention anything.]

Did you miss the part where we no longer have funding from any government agency? No one's getting paid.

[And you're getting an innocent eye blink in return, Coulson. He knows your age too, buddy.]

Shit, seriously? Who do I address my outraged letter to, sir?

Whether you want one or not.

Can I go on record and state how much this sucks? [She flops down on his sofa, pulling her legs up.]

Couple guys from my rookie class tried to take me down. Guess they knew since I associated with you I wouldn't be turned to the dark side.

[Nikolai has known Clint long enough to be wary when he sees that grin.]

The answer is no. I don't care what the question is.

That's generally the hope. Sometimes things get fucked up, though.

[Doc Ock would definitely not want to read that, either.]

We are, I suppose. Is that going to tarnish your reputation?

[Coulson doesn't hide his age. Not like he could. While Clint could pass for thirties, Phil looks like the middle aged man he is.]

You can submit a formal complaint to me if it'll make you feel better. Can't promise I'll read it.

Always. There's always the option to start over. It can just be hard to see sometimes.

Most people deserve a second chance at starting over. Heck I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't had one.

Pipe dream.

And dreams always come true and everything's always perfect. [ Sorry Clint there's a lot of sarcasm from this one. Blame it on her foster dad. ]

[A thin smile.] Not all of them good ones.

[You could definitely call the Hulk a 'fresh start' to her life. Ask her how that turned out.]