The Family Business (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 2: What Are You Doing Here?

As Cara and Clint walked onto the bridge of the helicarrier, Nick Fury stood with his back to them hands on his hips talking to Maria Hill. Their conversation out of earshot, ceasing all together as they approached. Clint nodded at Maria in acknowledgment and Cara did the same before looking down at her feet nervously. As Hill exited, Coulson stepped forward standing beside Nick Fury who still faced away from them.

"In and out no problem you said. We will take care of it you said. No one will even see us, you said." Nick started saying loudly as he began pacing, avoiding looking at them. "If it was no problem and no one saw you, then why do I have half a dozen law enforcement agencies up my ass asking if I had agents in Chicago today??"

He was now turned facing them, an angry look on his face and his unpatched eye filled with anger. Cara swallowed hard trying to find the right words to say and the three of them stared at each other in silence. Eventually losing patience, Clint inhaled deeply looking up to the ceiling before returning his gaze to the Director.

"It's my fault sir, I must have missed a silent alarm on our way into the building."

"Bullshit. I want the truth, NOW."

"It was my fault sir." Cara said exhaling a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You want to elaborate on that or should I fill in the blanks myself." Fury asked rhetorically.

"I tripped the silent alarm, Clint had told me to wait and I went ahead not listening to him. We lost the element of surprise and ended up making a little more noise than we had planned on." Cara confessed.

"A little noise? Not only did you blow up a corner office as well as 2 offices above and below that office, but you also dove out of the 60th floor window, raining glass onto the public as you did. You're both lucky there was a concrete awning below and that you didn't hurt anyone." Fury fumed.

"63rd" Cara blurted.

Clint looked at her in shock and Fury stepped closer now only about a foot away from Cara. She stood up straight but avoided eye contact with him.

"Excuse me?" Fury asked sternly.

Cara cleared her throat a little and made sure her tone was even and calm but confident.

"It was the 63rd story window that we dove out of. Sir."

Fury turned away tongue in cheek trying not to rip her a new one. He had to remind himself that she was still learning, despite her natural talents as an agent. With his back to the two of them, Clint mouthed 'Shut your mouth' to Cara with warning in his eyes to which she quietly responded with 'What? He had the wrong floor! If the 60th window is broken that's not on us!' Clint closed his eyes trying to remain professional and not get into one of their sibling arguments right now. Though they made almost no sound in their silent conversation, Fury could hear all of it. He sighed loudly catching both of their attention.

"Did you at least retrieve the drive or were you too busy drawing attention to yourselves?"

Cara fumbled in her pocket for the drive handing it to him gently, afraid that any movement too brash would be seen as disrespectful. She stepped back next to her brother and the two of them waited for Fury to speak again.

"Agent Barton can I-"

"Which one?" Clint and Cara said together again.

Fury silently swallowed his anger at being interrupted before he continued, "Agent CLINT Barton, can I speak with you?"

"Yes sir." Clint said motioning for Cara to head out.

Cara nodded at him "Director." She said in acknowledgment of Fury before she excused herself. Once she calmly left the room, in the safety of the hallway she quickly and quietly snuck around and up to a maintenance corridor that was just behind the bridge. As she snuck silently into place so she could see and hear what was going on, she could already hear them talking about the mission.

"What are you saying Barton? I thought despite some hiccups she did her job." Fury said confused.

"She did Sir, and she did it well." Clint replied flatly.

"So then why are you telling me she isn't ready to go solo?"

Fury's words stung. Cara thought it was Fury testing her, sending her on mission after mission, thinking she wasn't ready. When all along it had really been her own brother denying her advancement, thinking she wasn't ready when she knew she was. Swallowing hard she stopped the tears stinging her eyes, listening to Clint's silence watching him struggle to find the words to tell Fury his reasoning, but Fury grew impatient.

"You're not just saying that because she's your little sister are you? To ensure you're always there to protect her? Because if she was on her own and something were to happen you'd blame yourself? That's not what you're saying to me is it?"

"Sir, she isn't ready. Despite my reasoning, I want her to be a fine tuned machine before SHIELD sends her out on her own." Clint responded sharply.

"She already is a fine tuned assassin Barton. The best we've seen since you or Romanoff."Fury pushed.

Clint sighed heavily, responding with a tinge of anger in his voice. "Because if I wouldn't have been there that drive would still be on the floor of the reception area."

His words stung her ears, her anger growing. What an asshole. She didn't actually think he would tell on her, no matter how anxious she was on their way in. Her breathing was deep and she was struggling not to lose her temper. She saw Fury's face fall just slightly at Clint's words.

"Alright, then she stays on team missions, for now. But one day Barton she is going to be out there on her own whether you like it or not."

"Understood Sir."

"And you're an asshole of a brother for telling me that."

Cara smirked finding some comfort in the fact Fury called Clint out like she so badly wanted to in that moment. But her relief was short lived when someone grabbed her, pulling her back down into the maintenance corridor away from her spying spot. In a moment she was tense again, caught by surprise and about an inch away from someone who had a firm grip on her shoulders, preventing her from escape.

"Who are you?? What are you doing here?!"