Avengers The Captain's Secret

Part 9: Clint's Box

CAP POV

I didn't want to go, but I knew I should.

Maybe it had been too long since I'd had a girlfriend, I reasoned. Maybe it was that she was possibly, more than likely, forbidden fruit, and I had an itch to do the unexpected because I was considered so predictable. But I couldn't predict what I was feeling now, and she seemed to feel the same.

I keyed in half of my code to get in my room, and paused. Should I go back? I mean, if only to watch TV and purposely accidentally fall asleep in her room. I shook my head and laughed at myself. I was almost a hundred years old, and I was still very much a young man. Women like this made it clear.

"What's so funny?"

I turned, tamping down that I had been startled. "Oh, hey." I forgot that Fury's quarters were on this side of the ship, but wasn't he downstairs?

"How's Eve?"

"She's okay," I shrugged, ignoring the edge in his voice. "We had ice cream and watched TV."

"Sweet."

"Yeah." I hated it when I felt like this, especially about someone I am supposed to trust, but at the moment I didn't and I couldn't put a finger on why.

"Have you received anything?"

I frowned. "Like what?"

"From Coulson," Fury nodded. "We have a lot of his run of the mill arrangements but I actually thought there would be...more from him."

"Maybe he is keeping things confidential."

"Well, dead men tell no tales, do they?"

I stopped and turned. "That's...really cold, Fury."

"I meant no disrespect, you know that."

I gave an apologetic shrug. "I've been listening to Evie. He really was a great father to her."

"Yes, he was." He exhaled. "Well, let me know, okay?"

I nodded.

"G'night, Cap."

"G'night." I canceled my key code and re-entered it when he left. That gave me a bad feeling. I walked into my room to find Clint sitting in my room.

"Hey, Cap."

"Hey, Barton," Whatever feeling of drowsiness I had was going away fast. I stood there and looked at him. My gaze followed his arm to a small dark box sitting on my desk under his hand.

"From Coulson," he nodded. "Here to talk if you need me, okay?"

I nodded as he gave me a pat on the shoulder on his way out. I sat down and looked at the box. I saw a fingerprint scan and pressed firmly. The box opened, and in it I saw a mini video player. It wasn't state of the art; it had no online capability, therefore had no tech that could be picked up by scanners. I hit play, and Coulson's face faded into view.

"Hi, Captain--or Steve," Coulson said with a nervous laugh. "If you are getting this, it means I have passed on. Listen very carefully: Clint and Natasha can be trusted with what I tell you on this recording. They know the value and depth of secrecy. As much as I admire Nick Fury, I do not trust him fully, I hoped it would change, but it hasn't. I can't trust him completely with my daughter." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I was trying to befriend you so I could tell you all this before anything happened. In fact, I update this recording every time I go on a mission. But--" He shrugged. "I guess not. If you feel like you're in too deep, turn off this recording and give it back to Hawkeye. If you are who my daughter and I think and believe you are, relax, Captain. There is much to tell, and I'm counting on you." He paused. He sat there for ten seconds. I didn't need it. "Well, here goes..."