Chapter Text
It's by far the strangest briefing that Darcy has ever attended. For one, It's over video feed, and she is staying far away from the camera because at the moment, her hair is half-up and she's only wearing Spanx. She likes Sitwell but not quite that much. She sat Clint down at the camera to make sure he blocked any chance of a show as she continued to get ready.
She doesn't expect Bishop to be one of the talking heads either, but Tony hacked his way to the guest list and found her on there, so she gets read in as well.
"I'm considered," Kate tosses her dark hair and goes utterly vapid, "An up and comer on the social scene," she sticks her tongue out, "Gag me with a spoon, but I play it up at home. Less questions."
"But how did you get invited to Ronnie's party?" Darcy asks, just off camera.
"She babysat for me." Darcy snorts, "Her parents thought it would be a great way to learn responsibility. Mostly she drank and made out with whatever random she was dating. Now she thinks that means she's like my mentor, and invites me to these things. Some are fun." Kate is using the camera as her own personal makeup mirror, carefully applying eyeliner, "But mostly it's just pretending I haven't a real thought in my head."
"Isn't that kind of at odds with your government internship?" Darcy asks.
"Money can buy brains, Lewis." She responds eyes open wide, looking straight up as she puts on mascara, "And people see what they expect. I'm just another rich kid starting on third base, you know?"
Sitwell goes over who they are looking for, a couple of R&D heads with talent both as management and as engineers in their own right, some technical details that she had tuned Tony out about. Neither man was considered complicit in the weapons building, but their contacts were suspect.
But mostly, it's supposed to be a fun night. She’s not sure if that’s actually what’s going to happening, seeing as it’s her cousins party and that means dealing with her cousins, but it is at least a night away from her desk.
And that’s a start.
*
“We can turn back now, Barton.” Darcy says, just before they enter the building where Veronica Lewis’s Party, ostensibly for charity but mostly for her ego, is being held. “For real, we can take our finely dressed selves to McDonalds and be happier.”
“Darcy,” Clint has this way of glaring and smiling at the same time, and yeah Darcy finds it sexy as hell but has been having trouble giving it a name. Slaring? Glimling? “You look amazing,” she does. Pepper has people who can find and get a dress tailored on a moments notice, and the long, brilliant blue dress with the sweetheart neckline is gorgeous on her, “And you have nothing to be ashamed of here, and your cousins are never ever going to catch up to what you do.” And the glare turns into a mischievous smile, “And do you really want to leave the mission up to Kate to complete?”
“Well, if it’s for the mission, I suppose I can be arm candy for the night.” Darcy says, “Help me eat all the food?” She says, because while eating all the food still does not solve any of her familial problems, it’s satisfying. And tasty.
“Darcy!” Abby smiles over the heads of the other attendees, “It’s really good to see you outside of television.” Abby’s hand lingers on her husbands arm for a moment before walking over and taking the spot between Darcy and Clint and taking their arms, “I saw that interview where Tony Stark pretty much revealed to the world what he wears under his suit…”
“He lies, by the way, he wears clothes. If it’s not an emergancy he even has special ones. The suits would be very uncomfortable if he were naked.”
“I know Tony well enough to know to take anything he says with many grains of salt. Possibly the entire shaker.”
Clint laughs, “I am saving that one. I will provide credit.”
“Free of charge, good sir.” Abigail makes a face, “You missed dinner, it was impressive. Daniel was just leaving, but he wanted to say hello and that he’d love to sit and pick your brain about how to deal with the family.” She looks around nervously, “Look, before the night really gets going I just…I just need to apologize for being a shit our entire lives.”
Darcy is taken aback, and almost physically takes a step back as well, “Abigail…”
“I know this isn’t about me, but I need to say it, I’ve always just taken the lead from the rest of the family, but watching you and your work, and talking with Daniel, I really…I’m going to try to do better by you. Stand up more. Bear with me while I change?”
“I…uh,” and it’s a small weight that’s off her back, and she can hear her mother’s voice telling her what to do, “Of course Abby. That’s what family is supposed to do.”
Abigail gives them both small hugs, “Thank you. I should mingle more, I’m trying to actually get the donations rolling in, since Veronica forgot that part of the whole throwing a charity dinner thing.”
Darcy watches her as she glides away and effortlessly changes her demeanor from forward and nervous to graceful and charming, “The man she married might just be my hero.”
“See, this was a good idea to come.” Clint points out, “Family good. Family not wanting to bite your head off even better.”
“I’m fairly sure the other two-thirds have taken her share.” Darcy grumbles, “I can see Dr Liu over there, but I don’t see Mr Mueller anywhere. Is that the same Dr Liu that Tony…”
“Yep. Same one.”
“Clearly, he must be the evil one. Once Stark steals your soul it’s just a downward spiral from there.”
*
“Darcy!” Another familiar voice says then softer, “Come on, kiddo, another person to meet.”
“The second third of my worst nightmare,” Darcy mutters, “Veronica! Thank you for inviting us!”
“I only wish you could have let us know sooner, but I suppose that you don’t have the time for your family that you once did.” Ronnie waves it off with the lilt in her voice that could be a sneer if you listened to it sideways, “Anyways, I wanted you to meet my little protegee!”
Kate is beautiful. Darcy has only seen her on the range or covered in sweat from the gym, but wow, paradigm shift. There, she’s mostly athletic grace and smartass, common enough throughout the building but here, she’s every inch the spoiled brat that Darcy has seen throughout her life through her cousins, right down to the way she tilts her head and rolls her eyes when Ronnie calls her over.
Oh yes, Darcy’s favorite hobby, taking the wind out of Ronnie’s sails.
“Miss Bishop!” Darcy gushes and watches as Ronnie’s smile screws up in her face in frustration.
“Ms Lewis, Mr Barton,” Kate says with a nod of her head, “lovely to see you outside of the office.”
“How do you know each other?” Ronnie says confused.
Kate affects her most insipid voice, and she actually sounds like Ronnie did as a teenager, “I told you! I got an internship at SHIELD for after school. Ms Lewis helped me with some of my paperwork, and Mr Barton was in her office.”
“Even running with the big dogs, Darcy, you just do the paperwork.” Ronnie says, and Darcy has to restrain herself from rolling her eyes.
“Paperwork is probably the most dangerous occupation at the Initiative though,” Clint muses, “Papercuts, inventory disputes, the blood just gets everywhere. I’ve spent my entire career avoiding it. Too dangerous for my taste.”
If there ever was a reason to love Clint Barton, it’s when he goes for charming asshole. Kate side eyes them while inching closer to Ronnie and says, “It’s really a great opportunity for me Ronnie. I mean, it’s SHIELD, like the hottest thing going right now.”
A door opens and Darcy is momentarily distracted by it, can’t quite make out the figure that rapidly closes the door behind him. That it’s a man is about all she can tell, and that his movements and bearing are familiar, but almost shifted from what she knows.
It’s disturbing, actually.
Ronnie spots her friends and moves on. “Wow,” Kate says, slipping back into herself, or at least the Kate that Darcy actually recognizes, “I’d say your cousin knows how to do a backwards compliment like whoa but I think she forgot the compliment part.”
Darcy shrugs it off, “Any sign of Mueller?” She looks back at the closed door. Clint pinches his eyebrows together, “I thought I saw something, but it was just someone leaving.”
“No Mueller, I’m going to try to talk to Liu.” Kate says.
“Not a bad idea, he knows us. Or at least knows of us, and we might scare him off if we start asking him too many questions.”
*
“It’s….comforting to know that there is something that Bishop is bad at,” Clint has maneuvered Darcy to a slightly less populated spot to watch Kate. They’ve chatted and mingled about as well, mostly being introduced to people by Abby. Kate’s been trying to get close to Dr Liu but she’s being left behind.
“Is it that she’s bad, or that her act just isn’t right for here?” Darcy asks. Clint tends to operate on instinct first, and then let that instinct form the basis for his analysis of a situation. He’s not the best handler, they both know that, but he’s good and figuring out a solution around a problem.
“Both, I think. Subterfuge may not suit her, I think she’s more the type to go at things straightforward. She knows how to, um a good way to put it is code-switch, I guess. She’s entirely different in training than she is here. She’s a little too passive here for this to work.” Kate finally gets Liu’s attention with a smile that’s a little shy and a hand placed on his arm. Liu looks her up and down, and barely holds back a leer, and Clint stiffens, “Yeah, I’m not having any of that.”
“She’s a pretty girl giving and older guy attention. Seems an effective strategy to me.” Darcy shrugs.
“When you never have to be seen in the same social circles, yes, when you have a codename and layered identities, sure, it can be useful,” Clint hands Darcy the drink he was holding, “But it’s an amateur mistake here, and one that has much longer effects than she’d be willing to admit.” He strides over to Liu and begins derailing the conversation. Darcy can’t tell what he’s saying, but he moves Kate’s hand from the man’s arm and for just a moment, shock comes over her before she can resume her empty-headed smile.
“Oh look,” Ronnie says, strolling up beside her, “I thought he was a little old for you, but here’s that man of,” she laughs in a short burst, ”yours, chumming up with an even younger girl. She’s still in high school, for shame.”
“Baseless, and you know it Veronica,” Darcy does roll her eyes this time, “Try harder.”
Ronnie does keep talking, but her attention is snapped to the sound of another person trying to be sneaky. This time, she catches sight of him before the door closes; the same man, the same familiar way of holding his body, but his frame is broader, the hair redder and wronger than what she’s used to looking for. There’s no kindness in the tension of movement.
But she knows it, and once the man is gone she looks back at Clint and keeps herself from just running the hell out of there in her pretty dress.
“…Can’t even pay attention when someone is talking to you.” Ronnie says darkly, “Didn’t they teach you manners in the ass end of no where?”
“Okay, really, what is your problem with me?” Darcy snaps and struggles to keep her voice under control, “You’ve never liked me, but I figured when we became adults we could at least be, you know, adult in public.”
Ronnie outright sneers and Darcy is thankful that they have at least decided to have this spat in an area not completely crowded by powerful, elite money types, “You think you have it so good, like a little rags to riches story? You somehow blunder into the wrong place at the right time and all of a sudden you get to be in the middle of everything. You don’t have to know the rules or play the games, you just get to waltz in and be important and a little bit famous.”
“I have worked my ass off Veronica Lewis, every step of the way, even if I lucked into the circumstances that led me directly here, and even if I hadn’t, I would still be working so damn hard at whatever I was doing that I’d still be on my way to important.” Darcy seethes through the words, “Because I am just as important as you are, and that is something I learned in the back end of nowhere, and I don’t know why you never did.”
A flash goes off and they both look up to see a photographer taking a picture of them with a satisfied and smug upturned lips. Darcy doesn’t have time to try to get the camera away or talk to either of them before she hears the shots coming from outside the hall, the telltale scream that’s cut off before it can be finished. Ronnie’s looking at her in horror, saying something about how of course this happened while Darcy’s here but she’s only a few steps behind Darcy as she runs, dress and heels and all in the direction of the shot.
Clint and Kate get there at the same time, a narrow hallway and a blind corner, where a man is crumpled on the floor, blood seeping out of him. Kate bends down, not caring how she’s dressed to check his pulse and nods slowly.
“Mueller?” Darcy asks, knowing the answer, but just needing to say something anything.
“Mueller.” Clint confirms, getting out his cell phone and dialing and he turns to talk a little more privately, probably straight with Sitwell.
“Well, I guess we can stop pressing on Liu, then.” Darcy says, “I think we found our supplier.”
“Oh god, is he dead?” Ronnie babbles, “I mean, I just invited him, he was so happy to be coming, the charity is really important to him and Dad thinks that he’s….oh god he’s dead.” Darcy puts an arm around her cousin, tries to comfort her.
Clint finishes the call, “Anyone see anything unusual?”
“I thought I saw you, but not you.” Darcy stammers out, and watches as Clint pales and sucks in a breath, “Yeah, I know. I saw him twice, and I know what a Barton boy looks like.”
“What? What am I missing here?” Kate says, moving from Mueller’s body to hold onto Ronnie as well, who has gone from babbling to just crying but thankfully not retching. Darcy is oddly proud of her cousin for that. But Lewis women have always been tough.
“Barton boys be trouble.” Darcy says, “All different sorts of trouble, but trouble nonetheless.”
*
There’s not really any room to breathe after that, because it’s a briefing for all four of them, Ronnie included. She walks out of her discussion with Sitwell still stunned, but her breathing is even, and her arms crossed over her chest, slumped in on herself.
“Is this what you deal with all the time?” she asks Darcy in a harsh voice.
“Sometimes. Work is stressful.” She shrugs, “I deal.”
Ronnie snorts, “Yeah, better you than me. I wasn’t born for this shit.” Before she’s escorted out of the SHIELD facility she mentions, “I guess that’s why the world needs people like you.” But she doesn’t explain herself, just leaves Darcy shaking her head.
It’s been a long night, and she’s not even near their quarters when she’s reviewing her google alerts and sees that the photographer has already released the photo of their arguement to the gossipmongers with the byline, “LEWIS SHOWDOWN”
Which is just perfect, because mom is going to read that, and there’s going to be a call and it just isn’t going to be any fun. Darcy thought she was past all this, and she doesn’t feel small against her cousin anymore, she just feels exhausted. And somewhere in the back of her head is a voice telling her, sounding so much like Ronnie, that a backcountry girl has no business in a pretty dress, bossing heroes around, and getting above herself.
When she gets to her room, sleep doesn’t come. And when Clint finally finishes his debrief, sleep still doesn’t come, but at least it’s more comfortable to curl in on him, to follow the lines of his body and stare at the ceiling together.
*
“No mom, I don’t have time for this. No, not at all. Please, I have to get to work…no, Ronnie’s okay, just a little shocked. Well it was her first dead body mom, and oh god mom, no it wasn’t my first. That boat sailed awhile ago. I need to work mom, that’s how it’ll get better. Yeah, love you too.” She stutters out, finally throwing the phone against the bed, missing Clint by an inch.
“Aim’s improving.” He tries to joke.
“She wants me to apologize to Ronnie for bringing work to her door. Fuck that, it was going to hit her last night if we were there or not.” Clint’s quiet, lips pressed together as if he is on the verge of speaking but can’t open his mouth to find the words, “And before you even try, it’s not your fault if it was…your brother.”
“Are you sure it was him?” he bites back, not so much with venom but with impulse.
“Well, we’ve never been formally introduced.” Darcy loves sarcasm. It’s her true love. Forever and always.
“Well, he doesn’t have a good track record with the girls I’ve brought home before,” because clearly sarcasm is his forever and always too, “Some first op for Kate, huh?”
“That was an op? We clearly need a better definition of a party, even if it’s a working party.”
“Of course it was an op, at least for her, and she was miserable at it. Too close to home to see what she can really do for intel gathering.” Clint assesses, “I’d hand her over to Nat for that, but maybe Maria would be better. I don’t think Kate’s really the disguise and infiltration sort.”
Darcy looks at him, hands on her hips, “You take her rather seriously. You talk to the other agents, and they don’t. What are you seeing that they aren’t?”
Clint looks down at his hands, wrings them into cracking his knuckles from where he’s sitting on the bed, “My replacement.” He looks up, has to see that Darcy is blinking slowly, “I see my replacement, and I don’t want a screwup taking up space.”
“Why would they replace you, sweetheart? Something I don’t know?” Darcy says, and she’s okay with the little bit of fear in her voice.
One of the things she really likes about Clint is that when they are here together, there’s not brain to face filter, and everything will show on his really expressive face, “Oh baby no. I’m fine, it’s just, that can’t last forever, right? I have to know that. Eventually, someone younger, someone better will have to come in and I…” and he’s angry about it, he seethes underneath the final words.
“Would that be so bad?” Darcy says in a small voice, “Be so bad to be able to settle down, take it a bit slower. I always thought…”
“Thought what?” he says, making false starts for more words.
“I don’t know, get married. Kids if you wanted them, I’m kinda ambivalent. Just, I don’t expect you to ever give up SHIELD, just the part where every day when you go to work, you don’t come home two days closer to death.”
His face, his eyes pin her to where she stands. He roughly stands and cradles her shoulders in his strong, but shaking arms, kissing the top of her head before walking out. It’s an I love you that hurts more than helps.
*
Charlie is the only one down in the labs, which have been swept clean, and he’s putting equipement and notebooks into boxes.
“Did the band break up?” Darcy says, “What’s going on?”
“We’re done, so I’m packing up and going back to class. Think I can convince my professors I can get credit for this? I’ll have to ask.”
“Well that’s great, isn’t it? You figured it out, can reproduce the happy laser?” Darcy brightens, finally something fucking good coming out of the day.
Charlie sighs, wrapping some delicate looking screwdrivers in tissue, “Darcy, no. We couldn’t. Look, I know you are used to Tony and science always winning the day, that some gadget will fall out of the sky and just, yeah, without Mueller and those components, there’s nothing more we can do. So it’s time to go home.” He looks at Darcy and must see her falling face, because he closes his eyes and scrunches up his face with worry, “Darcy…”
“Yeah, okay. You give up and bad guys sometimes get away.”
“If we get any new leads, I’m sure Tony will drag me back, and I’ve got a great deal to work with, AI wise, but…Darcy, sometimes the scientific method is all background noise. And if this isn’t our type of science, then it doesn’t really matter what we do. Just have to hope it won’t be reproduced.” Charlie suddenly looks very old, older than the kid she helped recruit. Because he’s not a kid, and she can see the man he’s shaping up to be, thoughtful and a little annoying, but that might just be Starks influence, and after the time spent here, she can see a bit of Banner too, a struggling staidness in his movements.
“Was just hoping to keep someone else on my side around here, I guess. Coming in to see you has been one of my few reprieves lately…” Darcy mutters, “I’ll—”
“Darcy, get some sleep, if you can’t get some help.” Staid went out the picture apparently, “You need to slow the fuck down. You have assistants, use them. You’ve been working with them, they’ll be fine. I know you aren’t an agent, and no wait, I’m going back to that in a minute, I know you aren’t an agent, but SHIELD can’t just keep using you up like they are without some sort of additional help.”
Darcy can’t move, can’t really speak or articulate anything other than a little whimper when she breathes.
“And I’m going back, why aren’t you an agent? You do all the work of one, You’ve told me that you can pass their qualifications, so why aren’t you one? You get more SHIELD resources when you do, or at least so I’m lead to believe. If it’s your pride…”
“It’s not my pride.” Darcy snaps, and wow, she’s been doing that a lot lately, “It’s that I don’t want to be an agent, I don’t want to work directly for SHIELD rather than the Initiative. I don’t to be put through their ringer rather than my own. At least mine is of my own making.”
Charlie considers her answer, looks at the whole her and tapes up a box, “That was my last one.”
“I think I got it, Charlie. Gonna miss you.” Darcy says, looking down. The floor has been so interesting lately the way she keeps looking at it.
“God, I’m not. Well you, sure, but here? No way.” He smiles and walks around the box to hug Darcy.
“You keep saying that, and I’m sending Stark to hang out with you. Guest lecturer. He’ll hold it in a bar and outdrink everyone and I’ll tie you to his free hand.”
Exasperated isn’t Charlie’s best look, but it’s fond, and he gives her a kiss on the cheek, “I’ll see you in my private version of hell then, Lewis.” And he leaves and he’s gone.
Darcy looks over the lab, all cleaned up and cleared out, “Yeah, private version of hell.”