Romanoff's compound gave Barton none of the answers he was seeking. He took the plane back to the hanger and went back to Stark's place. There he took the modified sport's bike and rode through the city, until he reached an old house. He'd used this place to stay off S.H.E.I.L.D. radar before. Barton parked the bike in the house, so it was not visible from air or road. The wristband showed that the HYDRA vehicle's tracker was still active and it was in the city. On his way to his safe house, Barton had rode the motorcycle down the street that the HYDRA SUV was parked on. It was in a public parking complex, so the agent using the vehicle could be any where. For now he'd wait until the unit beeped at him, to signal movement. He needed to eat. Out of the storage unit on the bike, Barton pulled out a bag of fast food he'd bought earlier. It was now cold, but he didn't notice. It was food and it killed the hunger pains in his stomach.
The house had running water, so he could take a shower. The hot water was off, so it was cold and therefore a short shower. Refreshed and changed out of his uniform, he checked what he had in his back pack and his gear. Barton had a car parked at an underground garage, from a building that was under renovation. That car had cash hidden in the door panels, as well as new bow strings and modified tips for his arrows. These were tips that were not sanctioned by the agency. Before going to his safe house, he'd stopped at the car to add to his pack. Cash, S.H.E.I.L.D. couldn't trace. It wasn't often Barton had to go off radar to do his thing. Usually he did it when Romanoff needed help. Even if she had gone over to the enemy's side, he had to find out for himself. He couldn't sit around and do nothing. Something didn't add up with her sudden betrayal of the agency.
"Damn it Natasha, what did you get yourself into this time?" Clint asked the silent room.
He opened a map he had been given by Stark, of known HYDRA locations. Jarvis had hacked the S.H.E.I.L.D. data base to compile the information they had. Two locations were in this country and the rest were spread world wide. Barton hoped that she wasn't in another country, otherwise things could get really complicated.
The burner cell phone that Stark had given him, rang. "Barton," Clint answered.
"S.H.E.I.L.D. put a bulletin out, that you are no longer with their agency and are not an Avenger," Tony explained.
"Probably because I told Fury to shove his orders up his ass. I don't care if he say's I'm not an Avenger. If you need me, I'll be there. It's not his life on the line when we fight aliens or bad guys."
Tony chuckled, "yup that would get his panties in a twist. I knew there was a reason I liked you on our side. You're an Avenger as long as you want to be."
"Thanks Tony. I knew if anyone would understand, it would be you."
"Find anything out?"
Clint sighed, "the tracker I put on the HYDRA SUV when Reeser was killed, is still active, but the vehicle hasn't moved. I'm going to watch the location and follow the first HYDRA agent I see."
"Keep me posted. You know how to reach me if you need anything," Tony said.
"Back at you."
The call ended and Barton put the phone back in his pocket. So Fury had black balled him again. He'd done it before and then he would need Barton for something and ask him to come back. Even if Fury didn't ask him to come back, there was always security companies and freelance work. At one time Romanoff had even joked that he could return to performing at the circus.
Barton had to find her, for his own piece of mind. If she had gone bad of her own free will, he wanted her to tell him why to his face. He'd know if she was lying. If she was forced into it, he'd bring her back. Anyone who knew him, understood that. Barton would do whatever he had to, for Romanoff.
It was time to clear his mind and go to sleep, morning would come quickly. Tomorrow he'd be watching for HYDRA agents and didn't know how long he'd have to be awake. He brought the cot from the bedroom down to the main floor and put his pack under his head as a pillow. The full moon shone through the back window, acting as a natural night light. So three hours later, when the tracker beacon sounded off on movement, he had no problem seeing to put the pack into the bike's storage compartment. The bike had a mount for the bow, so the quiver went on his back, helmet on and out the door he rolled the bike. Not five minutes later, Barton was screaming down the street to catch up to the moving HYDRA SUV. When he was within range, he flicked a switch and the motorcycle went into stealth mode.
"Stark you are a brilliant man," Clint said into his helmet as he slowed the bike down.
Barton followed the target all the way out of town. But they weren't heading to one of the known HYDRA locations. Instead they got on to I-495 E and picked up speed. Now that there was more traffic on the road, it was easier to tail them. Once he realized they were heading for the East Hampton airport, he used the helmet to contact Jarvis.
"Jarvis, any chance the air and water mods got done to this bike too?"
"Of course Hawkeye, they were excellent suggestions."
Clint didn't know why Jarvis insisted on calling him by his Avenger alias, but he went with it. "So how do I convert it so that it flies or goes into the water?"
"Simply push the white switch for flight and the blue for water jet, beside the throttle, left of your thumb. Or say air jet or water jet and the voice recognition system in the helmet will produced the desired result," Jarvis instructed.
"Jarvis you and Tony are brilliant!" Clint said happily.
"Thank you sir, good-bye."
Personally he hoped the HYDRA agents were going to take to the air, as he didn't feel like getting wet. But no such luck, it wasn't the airport they were going to after all. There was a go-fast boat waiting at a dock in Montauk Point State Park. Once the boat sped away, into the dark across the ocean, he had to follow. The motorcycle converted to water jet, just as Jarvis had said it would. What he found out, was that it encased him in a capsule, becoming more aero dynamic. The capsule also ensured that he wouldn't get wet. Jarvis and Stark had added to his original specifications. The power meter on the machine, hadn't moved. The fuel cell contained clean energy, due to an adaptation of Stark's arc reactor. He was glad to know that if he had to cross the ocean to Europe or elsewhere, that he wouldn't have to refuel. But they didn't head east completely, but towards the Canadian island Newfoundland. HYDRA docked in St. John's and drove to the airport.
"I guess I'm going to have to fly now," Clint sighed as he changed the motorcycle into the air jet.
Leaving the Canadian airspace, he flew under radar, but once over international water, Barton gained elevation. He piggy backed their jet, so that they couldn't see him and on radar it would look like one plane. The computer in his helmet advised him with the trajectory they were on, in approximately four hours they would be in Ireland. If he wasn't having to tail HYDRA, flying in this machine could've been fun. Not knowing exactly where they were going, Barton couldn't put it on auto pilot. He hoped the HYDRA boys would be jet lagged and remain stationary for at least a few hours.
"Jarvis?" Clint asked as he connected to Stark's system.
"Yes Hawkeye?"
"Has Tony found out any more information about that black diamond?"
"There was an interesting development. When he tried to break it, the organism secreted some biochemical agent, that burnt a hole into the diamond cutter."
"Why was Tony trying to break it?"
"I'm not exactly sure sir," Jarvis replied.
"Just let him know I'm tracking a HYDRA jet overseas. Looks like we might be heading to Ireland."
"I will notify Tony of your status Hawkeye."
"Thank you Jarvis. By the way, does the computer in my helmet have its own name?"
"No, but you can name it whatever you like. You just have to say, and I quote, 'computer your name is' and say what it will be called."
"I appreciate the simplicity. Good-bye Jarvis," Clint said.
"Good-bye Hawkeye," Jarvis disconnected.
"Computer your name is BIRD," Clint said. Then to test it, he asked, "Bird how many more hours until we reach Ireland?"
The female voice of the computer replied, " Two hours, 43 minutes and twenty three seconds."
"Thank you Bird," Clint smiled.
"You're welcome sir."
Barton was beginning to understand why Stark liked Jarvis and his gadgets so much. This was a perfect union of the simplicity he preferred and the technology that was needed. He couldn't wait to be back on solid ground, since the novelty of flight was gone.