✔️ what if? | clint barton

I. will brandt told ethan hunt who he really is?

A/N: mission impossible & avengers crossover lets gooo

part 1 tw: minor vi*lence and g*ns, small mention of t*rrorism, trust issues

"who are you really?" those were the words ringing in clint's ears as his partner, his friend - ethan hunt - looked at him with accusation. clint didn't think he'd met anyone who was as mistrustful as him... and then ethan had come along.

clint tried to recover, stuttering a half hearted response out, it was worse enough that he had been responsible for ethan's wife's d*ath, and now he might find out clint had been freakin lying to him this entire time.

"what am I asking you?" ethan repeated clint's words, mockingly "hmm let's see if I can put this another way-"

ethan aimed his g*n at clint, who out of instinct, knocked it away; ethan then pushed clint forward and took the small opportunity to grab barton's gun from his trousers. clint disarmed him quickly, pointing the g*n at ethan. carter aimed her weapon at clint - obviously preparing for a fight.

ethan smiled a little, to clint's confusion - before it clicked that that had been a test, and clint had just proved the other agent's theory. clint disarmed his g*n, dropping it to the floor, carter soon followed.

"how does an analyst end up with skills like those?" ethan asked, watching clint closely as he walked away and leaned on the wall. he was doing his best not to worry, not to panic - but that was proving harder than it seemed, a part of him wanted to tell ethan, but he would be putting the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D on the line.

"we all have our secrets" clint muttered, briefly looking at benji who looked very shocked at the whole situation.

"you tell me yours I'll tell you mine" ethan offered, his gaze flickering between each of barton's eyes.

clint paused and sighed once again, turning around with a definite "fine" that was the moment that created a multiverse.

ethan looked shocked to say the least and went to reply but clint interrupted, wanting to get this out of the way "I'm not who you think I am- my name isn't william brandt, it's- it's clint barton... or as my team likes to call me- ✨hawkeye✨" he said this with a hint of a cynical tone, not daring to look up from the floor where his gaze had rested in a nervous daze.

benji gasped with realisation "as in- as in the hawkeye from the avengers? oh my god-"

ethan's eyes snapped up to clint's, it finally dawning on him "you- the group who stopped the invasion in new york last year" his voice was low, almost dangerous; clint took a small step back, not daring to speak.

there was a moment of silence - like the calm sunshine before a storm, luring the atmosphere into a false sense of safety. ethan lunged at clint, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him roughly against the wall "what the actual fuck?! you've been lying to us this entire time? why?"

benji had stood up "ethan! get off him-" jane had done the same, but attempted to pull ethan off clint. they were all shocked but ethan seemed to have taken this particularly badly.

"please- let me explain" clint looked into ethan's eyes calmly, waiting patiently.

"ethan I know we're all a little mad right now, but do you really think this is the way to deal with it?" benji tried to reason with him, trying not to let the situation escalate any further.

ethan grasped clint's arms rather tightly before letting him go "explain, now" he demanded.

"the secret service I actually work for, S.H.I.E.L.D, has been taken over by a t*rrorist organisation named HYDRA. the only person left in there that I trust sent me here for a short time, to keep me safe" clint smiled a little at mention of his best friend's name, natasha romanoff, after he had explained his situation calmly.

benji and jane looked almost understandingly at him, trying to put themselves in his shoes, but ethan still looked pissed.

"and what? gaining our trust was just part of the plan was it? well screw that-" he shook his head but shouting "hell! I even knew that you were on the mission that k*lled my wife!! well guess what clint" he drew out his name "she's not fucking d*ad! I know you've been blaming yourself and I hope you do- you deserve to rot in your own guilt!" ethan rushed away, slamming the bathroom door behind him, making benji jump.

✨one hour later✨

clint paced back and forth in his temporary room, trying his best not to worry, he actually cared about ethan, but he cared about trying to maintain S.H.I.E.L.D's dignity more - it had been his family, he was very afraid ethan would expose everything he had confessed to.

someone knocked on the door gently (clint had moved to his room after benji had asked him so many questions about the avengers that he had actually started to form a headache). clint opened it, and blinked in shock as he saw ethan standing there, looking rather guilty.

"hey" he said quietly.

"hi" clint responded and gestured ethan to come in, shutting the door behind him.

ethan sighed "look- my reaction was- completely out of line- I just-" he looked at clint apologetically, he was never very good with expressing emotions into words. clint smiled a little "it's okay- what I did to you guys was wrong, completely wrong-" ethan suddenly hugged clint, who after the initial surprise, hugged back.

"I trust you brandt- I mean- barton- don't go anywhere... for now"

ethan seemed to be on the verge of tears, he didn't cope well with betrayal, and clint understood that "hey you can't get rid of me that quickly"