2013-10-21 - Cutscene: Threats

“Keeping yourself busy are we Barton?” Deputy Director Hill asks as she walks into the meeting room to find Clint Barton spinning around in the high back chair throwing crumpled up paper balls into the trash can.

Clint puts a hand on the table to stop himself. “Training,” he answers with a smile. “Got to keep up the skills or they get rusty.”

He takes one of the paper balls and tosses, the shot was supposed to bank off Hill’s head to the trash can but the Deputy Director catches it mid-flight and crumples it in her fist, eyes narrowed. “You really don’t want to do that, Barton.”

She shuts the door behind her and moves to the other side of the table and takes a seat. Clint leans back in his chair and folds his hands behind his head waiting for things to get started.

“So, the amour,” Hill begins.

“Cyberdragon,” Clint corrects. “It calls itself Cyberdragon.”

Hill arches a brow and Clint shrugs “That’s what it calls itself,” he assures her and sits forward.

“Okay, what’s your assessment of Cyberdragon?”

Clint reaches into a pocket of his costume and slides a data stick over to Hill. “This is footage of its combat tests. The armour can change shape to suit it’s needs and environment, including creating bladed surfaces for combat, it can according to what it has told me survive high altitude flight and underwater, and I’m sure you’ve seen the footage of its first flight from the Helicarrier, so you’ve seen what it can do flight wise,” he explains and looks up at the ceiling thinking. “Also, it can output plasma blasts, that’s in the combat footage. Not sure how hot those things run, but it can do it.”

“Alright, what hurts it?”

“Seems to be equally resistant to kinetic and energy attacks, but it’s not immune, hit it hard enough and you can probably take it down. It’s also vulnerable to psychic attack, if the kid’s emotional state gets too far out of whack it can force him to be ejected,” Clint explains.

“Okay, and if the kid is taken out?”

“Well from when you had him in the lab it seems like the armour can still function if he’s unconscious if that’s what you mean.”

Hill gives Barton a level look. “That’s not what I mean.”

“First off, fuck you for even asking, I mean, he’s a kid, he didn’t ask for this-” Clint begins.

Hill cuts him off. “The armour might be a threat, it’s SHIELD’s job, Agent Barton to know how to deal with those threats even if it’s unpleasant.”

Clint frowns and stays silent for a moment. “The historical files tell you all you need to know about that. The last guy who wore the armour in Spain got burnt at the stake and the armour was dormant for five hundred years or so after that, seems like it needs a host.”

“See that wasn’t so hard,” Hill says. “What does the armour want?”

“So far it wants to learn what it’s missed out on, and protect John, his host.”

“And what does the host, John, want?”

“To finish cooking school maybe go diving with his new armour. He’s not a threat Hill, he’s a kid.”

“He’s a kid with a super weapon, that makes him a potential threat. Do you think he will stay with the Academy program? Try to be a hero?”

Clint shrugs. “Too early to tell. He’s just got linked to this thing, but he seems to like the digs and seems like a fan of the Avengers.”

Hill nods. “Alright, give me your full report in writing and I’ll expect updates on his progress at the Academy, especially if he decides to bail out of the program.”

“That’s his call isn’t it?”

“Yes, but if he goes solo we want to know about it.”

“He’s a freaking metal dragon. If he goes solo it’ll be pretty easy to find out.”

“True, but we’re going to want to know about it before we see it on the news. So get on board with this Barton, if you want to keep this kid out of trouble keep him in the program and keep us updated, got it?”

Clint gives her the middle finger. Hill responds with a long cold stare.

“Fine, I got it.”

“Good,” Hill says standing up. “Report by the end of the day Barton,” as turns to leave.

“Hey Hill,” Clint calls after her.

Hill turns expectantly. “Yes?”

“Word is the guy who tried to take the armour’s head exploded. We got any more intel on that?”

“Not at this time Barton, but we’re looking into it.”

“You going to keep me in the loop? If these guys are coming after that armour it would be nice to know who we’re dealing with.”

“You’ll be informed when we know something, in the meantime just keep the kid from ripping up the city.”

“Heh,” Clint says and lobs his last ball of paper. It hit’s the closing door, Hill is already gone.