Adapt or Die

I know a lot of things. I know that I am 'abnormal'. I know how to kill a man. I know how to adapt to survive. I just don't know who I am. Not anymore. My name is Hanna. I have no home. I have no mission. I have no purpose. I will keep moving until I find it, until I find out who I am. What I am. No matter what. I track evenwhilesleeping

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Welcome//littleredwolfrunt

[littleredwolfrunt-deactivated20]

Toboe basically understood WHY she wouldn’t stay, and even though he did wish for a space to call his own, he wouldn’t want to risk Hanna’s safety so he nodded, a determined look on his face as he took her hand in his and gripped it lightly.

“Don’t worry about that, okay Hanna?” He smiled to reassure her. “I’ll go where you go, i’ll never leave you. I don’t care how many times we have to move around.” Slowly, he let go of her hand, sighing and looking down. “I’m only worried that you’ll get caught…”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

"Perhaps one day they will tire of chasing me. Then, sweet wolf, we will be allowed to stay wherever we'd like." she returned the reassuring smile, pleased that he was willing to come with her. "I've been hiding my entire life; I know how they thing and how they react; I won't be caught, we won't be caught." 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Welcome//dangertousall

"You do not belong here. What is your business?"

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Fangs and Talons//theultimatearcher

[theultimatearcher]

The last thing Barton wanted was a fight, not because he couldn’t handle himself—years upon years of working with SHIELD made sure of that—but rather because, hurting her was not a good first impression. Also, with how trained the small girl was, he didn’t want to give her more of a chance to get away. A fight in the small alley would make it easier for her to do so. Keeping things calm and talking it out was his first option.

With how far away she was, he was able to keep an eye on most of her. Slowly, his eyes followed the movement of her arm, more so to track if she did anything with the other one.

“I’m not here to to do either,” he said. “I’m here because my agency is interested in you. They recruit people and get assistance from anyone who has the right abilities. You’ve been trained well.”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

She raised a brow, looking at him coolly, no other flick of emotion on her face. He was here to recruit her? Surely he was joking. He was watching her just as carefully as she him. Two wolves circling one another. "Forgive me if I'm disinclined to believe you. In all my encounters I hope for the best, but experience has taught me to expect otherwise." He wasn't making any overt moves; he was going to force her to be the first to act -- something she wouldn't do until she could get a better handle on him. 

Then, once she found the chink in his armor, she'd strike, fast and hard like a snake. So, they would talk she would bide her time waiting to see where this man was vulnerable. "But again, thank you. Surely, though, there are far more suitable candidates than I. Why are they interested in me?" 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

Clint walked with her, waving to the friends he had that greeted him, but he kept his hands in his pockets for the most part.  He led her to the line, moving through it and grabbing a plate.  He made his way through the line, slowly, and grabbed what he wanted to eat, keeping an eye on Hanna out of his peripheral.  Once they were at the end, he scoped out a seat, something in an unpopulated corner so they wouldn’t be too bothered.  When she was ready, he led the way over there.

The archer sat with his back to the door, a practice that made him uncomfortable, but that may allow her to relax.  If she could see all the exits, maybe she’d chill a bit.  Besides, if anyone walked up, she’d probably let him know in some subtle way or another.

“The tests are always annoying.  At least you came after they did away with this written test.  It was downright awful, and I thought my head was going to explode.”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

As he led her towards the cafeteria, she allowed her gaze to wander, studying the people who passed with great scrutiny. Were they all agents train in combat, or had they a more sedentary role? She filed that to the back of her mind. Learning the inner workings of SHIELD would prove beneficial should she ever find herself up against them. 

She followed his lead and chose foods that she was familiar with and didn't allow herself to over indulge. She avoided the needlessly fatty foods, knowing she didn't need that sort of caloric intake, and stuck with more lean foods. 

Settling in at the table, she did choose the seat that allowed a line of sight to the exits. She knew he had let her, and was silently grateful. It made her a margin less jumpy. She began to eat, slowly and measured. "I think that would have been a bit easier for me to understand; the psychological evaluation was confusing." They had attempted a Rorschach Test on her, but her answers were far to literal to really glean any insight into the inner workings of her mind. She got through three cards with the answer of 'a splotch of ink' before they gave up. "But it is over." She was quiet for a beat before glancing at Clint. "I have to admit, this was much less... complicated than I was anticipating. I wasn't aware SHIELD was so... willing to accept former threats." 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

(TIME SKIP FOR ALL~!)

Clint had waited patiently behind her, typically staying behind closed doors and listening - to the best of his ability - for any sign of trouble.  He had also been performing his own tests on her, sort of, taking in how she acted around everyone, how she responded to the treatments, how everyone reacted to her.

For the most part, no one seemed to pay her much mind.  There was tension, but there was no outright reaching for guns, threatening.  For the most part, everyone kept their distance, giving Hanna and Clint a wide berth.  The few that didn’t were friendly enough with Clint to offer him a smile, sharing one with the blond next to him, even if it was a bit tense.

Once her final evaluation was done and she had stepped out into the hallway, Clint’s eyes moved over to her, taking her in for a minute with a grin.

“Guess what?  You’re all done.  You did great,” he told her, pushing off the wall and motioning for her to follow again.  ”Now, we’ll get you a room, and you can settle in.  At least, if you want to.  If you’re hungry, we can grab something in the mess hall first.  Or, if you’re tired of me, I can show you where your room is, the mess is, and leave you to figure the rest out.  Up to you.”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Hanna was weary, sore, and a little irritated at the amount of time it took to get all her tests done. A dull headache settled right behind hear eyes, but she resolutely refused to rub the bridge of her nose in attempts to sooth it. Clint's cheerfulness did nothing to help her mood, and she looked at him unimpressed. 

She highly doubted that she'd have such an easy time assimilating into SHIELD if she were here on her own, and despite Clint's overbearing... optimism about this, he was likely the only one willing to actually talk to her. 

"As redundant and tiring as those tests were, I would like to get something to eat." she said after a moment, surreptitiously rubbing her temple. "SHIELD testing is about as efficient as a shoebox shocker."  

So, she followed him towards the mess hall. For the most part she ignored the looks they were getting, doing little to return the banal pleasantries such as smiles. It was disconcerting, so many of these people, just yesterday, would not have hesitated to put a bullet in her brainpan. She could only wonder if they were just waiting for her to stumble, screw up in some way and complete the job. well. She'd not let that happen. 

The scent of food in the cafeteria made Hanna forget about her worries. It had been a while since she had anything proper to eat, living off the bare essentials on the run was usually how she managed. This was.. decadent. 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

Clint chuckled as she spoke, offering something of a shrug.  He moved at a more leisurely pace, as though they had plenty of time.  In truth, they did.  If she decided to bolt now, it was extremely unlikely that she would get pas all of the SHIELD agents on board.  Besides, as long as they got all the evaluations done before too long, Fury wouldn’t decapitate them.

“Well, do me a favor.  Try not to kill anyone until after you get your first mission.  It’s going to be hard to talk my way out of that if you go on a killing spree.”  He flashed her a grin and opened a door on his left.  ”And our psych evals aren’t typically that bad.  Just be… you.  That’s okay.  They’ll deal.  This is the medical evaluation.  I’ll… probably just stay out here.”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

"It will be difficult to resist the temptation." Hanna deadpanned. Clint was much more relaxed on the Helicarrier, and offered smiles far easier than he had before. It was only natural, of course, this was home to him, and he was safe here. She wondered if she'd ever feel that way about the metal prison. 

"I suppose that would be for the best." Hanna agreed, reaching for the handle of the door. She hesitated a moment, as if thinking the metal might shock her, before pulling it open. "I will try not to break any necks." again, deadpanned. It was difficult to tell when she was joking or serious. 

It was white inside, such a pure, sterile white. It made her uncomfortable. the doctor, however, looked utterly serene. "I just got notice that we might be getting a new agent." the woman said. "I'm Dr. Ames, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Hanna remained silent, and sat on the examination table. 

((idk if you wanna just... you know, time skip or bullshit through her examination parts? :P))

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Welcome//mrtwattycake

"A cat?" Hanna frowned, looking at the small creature. She glanced around her shelter, looking for a way that it had gotten in, but seeing no obvious answer. "How odd..." 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

Clint remained silent as Fury and Hanna spoke, evaluating the tone and the body language.  The worry only bothered him for a moment, but he knew that Fury would appreciate Hanna.  At the chuckle, Clint smiled, laughing softly at the director’s words.  He nodded, a crisp ‘Yes, sir’ and a jaunty little salute following, before he turned to Hanna.

“This way.  We’ll head over to medical first, and then we can bother the good doctors who are responsible for our mental ‘issues’.”  Once they were out of there, Clint paused, looking at the blond next to him.

“Not quite as bad as you were expecting, was it?”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Hanna followed Clint out, and as soon as Fury's door was closed she let a soft breath out, not realizing she had been holding it. Her hands slowly unclenched as the tension eased from her small frame and she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "No," she admitted easily enough. "He seems a man who can appreciate my... skillset." 

As they walked, she glanced about, mentally mapping the helicarrier as she was shown through it. It was massive, as it had to be -- an entire agency's headquarters located on a ship seemed... daunting. It also freed them of being obligated to any one country, though they've been on US Territory thus far... 

But she knew exactly how quickly the US Government could abandon it's little projects. 

"Though, I expect that it will be getting much worse having to deal with the evaluations. I'm not particularly fond of psychiatrists." She put a bullet in the last one who tried to evaluate her, she recalled this with a smug little smile that passed her lips for only a moment. "I suppose it's frowned upon to pretend to have the emotions I lack?" 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

(That is awesome, and I love you for it. <3)

Clint watched as Fury and Hanna spoke, nodding to Hanna when she looked at him.  He listened to them speak, hands going to his pockets, almost rocking himself on his heels as he listened.  

“We talked for a while first.  I sort of didn’t even fire at her,” Clint told Fury, shifting his hazel eyes to the director, who gave a sigh, almost of frustration.  Clint knew he was a constant thorn in the man’s side, but Fury trusted him to make decisions that could benefit SHIELD.  And Clint respected the man before him too much to abuse that trust.

“Of course you didn’t,” Fury muttered, turning his gaze back to Hanna.  Clint, on the other hand, flashed Hanna a childish grin, as if to say that it wasn’t always completely serious.  Not always.

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

((:3c))

Hanna glanced at Clint sidelong, biting the inside of her cheek to fight a smile, but couldn't quite help a slight quirk at the corner of her lips. "I wasn't aware that I was a threat to your organization to such a degree. Was it a mistake to come in?" 

"Any rogue assassin taking out people of importance is a concern of ours, Ms. Heller." Fury said in his usual clipped tone. "You made a lot of people angry, a lot of agencies want your head on a silver goddamn platter."

As he spoke Hanna grew a bit leery, her back straightening just slightly. She glanced at Clint again, worry seeping into her expression before she wiped it blank. 

"But none of that matters, in the end. What matters is do you think it's a mistake to be here?" The question hung fat in the air. 

"It would have been a mistake not to come." Hanna said slowly, carefully, as if working her way through a verbal minefield. "I don't enjoy the fact that this is my best option, no, but it isn't a mistake." Her lips formed a smile now, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. "And if you decide to kill me, at least I'll get the chance to take you with me." The smile turned to something wolfish. 

Fury chuckled. "You keep finding me ones like her, Barton, I'll keep forgetting about docking your pay for ignoring orders. We'll need a full work up -- med and psych eval, samples, toxicology. This isn't gonna be a free pass, Ms. Heller. You'll be expected to follow a certain code of conduct. You fuck up, it's on his head as much as yours. Barton, she's your pet, make sure she doesn't have rabies." 

His tone was dismissing and final, brooking no tolerance for anything other than 'yes sir' and a shuffle of feet back towards the door. 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Welcome//littleredwolfrunt

[littleredwolfrunt-deactivated20]

“Really? You… won’t let them take me from you?” Toboe smiled up at Hanna when she said that, he was happy she was fond of him as well, he couldn’t ask for anything better than this right now. He had found a new friend, and that’s what mattered the most to him right now. 

“We have eachother’s backs… for as long as we both live, right?” Even though he was a bit childish and loved to tease, he was completely serious about that, he would never allow Hanna to be hurt, and he was sure Hanna thought the same. “I don’t think we’ll get alot of trouble though, i mean it’s a pretty hard place to find.. it was pure luck i came across you!” He laughed, grinning up at her.

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Hanna nodded, returning the smile with ease. At the next part though, a crease appeared between her brow. "I'm not going to stay here." Hanna said slowly. "I am not afforded that luxury. It is only for several more days before I move again, perhaps sooner if I get work." 

She traced her fingers along the slope of his jaw to his ear, watching him carefully. He was a wolf; of course he wanted a place to settle, territory to call his own. But Hanna couldn't risk that -- as clandestine as this place was, it would only be a matter of time before it was discovered. 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

Clint grinned at her, nodding at her words.

“It was designed to a be a fully-functioning base of operations.  The interior has everything, while the exterior makes it look like an airship carrier.  Honestly, it’s probably one of my favorite SHIELD creations.”  

Once inside, Clint waved down the men that came up, hands on their guns, and led Hanna into a large, open room, with various agents on computers and a huge window in front, showing the sky and clouds ahead of them.  A tall, black man with an eyepatch turned as they walked in, taking in both Clint and Hanna.

“Agent Barton.”

“Director.  This is Hanna.  She came willingly.”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

((I'll pick up some of the Fury slack, if you'd like~))

"It's certainly an effective way to display their dominance." Hanna mused, mostly to herself. The thought left her mind the second she saw the men reaching for their guns. Adreneline spiked and she cast a quick glance around for any -- she fell short in her thoughts, seeing Clint wave them off. She eased the tension out of her muscles and followed him into the director's office. 

She held her chin up and met his gaze. He was intimidating, and no doubt he had the skill to back his position up -- but he didn't know all that she was capable of and she wasn't going to lose any foothold she had. 

"Director." she said crisply, dipping her head in a nod. 

The man assessed her carefully, before looking at Barton. He raised a brow. "Willingly." he sounded mildly dubious, but also a touch amused. It didn't reflect in his expression. 

"That is correct." Hanna said, her voice cool and distant. She itched to get out of this office, away from this man, he smelled of danger. He was the lion of this den, no doubt. She glanced at Clint before looking back at Fury. 

"You have to understand that your name has been pretty high on the 'kill on sight' list for quite some time, Miss Heller." Fury leveled his eye on the girl. "I find it hard to believe that you would willingly give yourself up." 

Hanna didn't react surprised. She tilted her head slightly, "I'm honored you think so highly of me." she said quietly, "but I assure you I'm capable of making my own decisions. This one seemed beneficial to my well being." 

((If not just lemme know and I can edit :>))

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

Clint climbed in the helicopter after her, buckling himself in and grabbing a headset, putting it on.  He said something to the pilot, something that couldn’t really be heard over the whirring of the blades, but the pilot understood and took to the air.

Clint kept quiet, mostly because there was very little point in trying to have a conversation over the noise.  He did watch Hanna, however, noting the tension in her jaw, but no other signs of her distress.  He gave a soft sound of thoughtfulness, but turned his thoughts to where they were going.

The helicopter continued to ascend into the sky before it leveled out high above the city.  Clint turned his gaze to the city below, smiling a little at the sight.  He always liked to see the small, twinkling lights of the city from the air.

The pilot communicated for a few minutes and then turned sharply, making the helicopter climb ever higher before some kind of floating ship could be seen in the distance.  Within just a few more minutes, the helicopter was landing on the floating ship.  Clint nodded to Hanna, unbuckling his seat belt and climbing out, holding the door open for her. Once they were out, he offered her a grin and led her away from the helicopter, toward a door.

“Welcome to the Helicarrier, Hanna.”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Hanna enjoyed helicopters, she decided. If the ride hadn't been tainted by the tension and anxiety clawing at her chest, she'd have genuinely enjoyed herself. It was an absolute thrill to see the city sweep under them, giving it the look of a toy. 

The ride itself was short, but that wasn't surprising. Clint had been in contact with a dangerous threat, it seemed likely they had backup waiting to deploy had she decided to fight instead of talk. The helicopter landed with a jolt and she unfastened herself, following Clint out. She couldn't bring herself to smile, but she nodded at his words, following him dutifully. 

"It's enormous." It was; the more she saw the more it just kept going. Inside was large and sweeping, reminding her of the interior of the CIA building. It made her skin itch, so many possible vantage points to keep track of, so many people, armed, in this room. It was a struggle to keep her eyes straight and not try and assess every danger, hoping that Clint wouldn't lead her into a death trap. "I didn't realize SHIELD laid claim to Laputa. Had I known I may have agreed to come earlier."

Her tone was light and she even had the side of her mouth quirked up, but she wasn't feeling any less fidgety. It was mostly for show, knowing that eyes were on her. She wanted to exude the confidence she was lacking. 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Welcome//littleredwolfrunt

[littleredwolfrunt-deactivated20]

“I… yeah, you’re probably right, Hanna.” He laughed, shaking his head slowly, he would never betray her, he loved her very much and besides… she was right about that too, he’s an animal, a wolf. He had no reason to betray her.

Toboe assumed that ment forever, so he suddenly jumped up in happiness. “Yeah! I’m glad!” He knelt down on his knees infront of Hanna once more and hugged her tightly, but being careful to not hug her that tightly. “I would be so sad if we were seperated..” He closed his eyes and rested his head on her lap once more, the fondness he had for her was very clear.

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

There was still that part of her brain that kicked in whenever she felt someone wrap their arms around her. It screamed at her for allowing herself to be subdued, for her to struggle and to fight back. After a moments tension she pushed those instincts away and eased into the hug. 

"I would be, too." She was surprised to find she meant it, after such a short amount of time. It was easy to become attached to someone so wholly innocent and good and nice as Toboe. Once he settled back on her lap, her fingers went to his hair again, stroking gently. "But I pity the person who thinks they can take you from me."

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

Clint nodded, standing with her and moving calmly out of the room, leading her out.  He put his hands in his pockets, blinking at the change of light, and merely keeping calm.  This was her choice, and he’d do little to make her feel worse about it.  Even though he couldn’t read her very clearly, he could tell there was a lot of apprehension about this new decision.  This was enemy territory, and she was completely within her rights to be weary.

“This way.”

His voice broke the silence that had gathered between them.  He led her down an alleyway, moving to a fire escape and climbing up.  He paused, watching her and making sure she kept up, before continuing on.  Once they were on the roof, a helicopter would be seen waiting, blades turning.  Clint moved toward it, opening the door and looking at her.

“After you.”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Hanna kept pace with him easily; prior to him finding her she had been on these streets for several weeks after her last job. She climbed the escape with the grace of a cat, barely making a noise as she ascended. On the roof the whirring blades of the helicopter blasted her with wind, but she dutifully followed Clint. 

A brisk nod and she climbed into the chopper, settling into the furthest bucketseat. She, if pressed, could rattle off the design specs and the weak points of the machine, recognizing it from the many things her father impressed on her to memorize. She had never actually been in one, though, making this a somewhat surreal experience. Occasionally she'd have a job in the Americas where she'd sit in a cramped airline, worried about being discovered. This was different. Smaller, yes, but she felt less at risk. 

There was no point in trying to start up another conversation with Clint. Between the noise and her own nervousness, she wasn't feeling very talkative. She strapped herself in and settled back, keeping her hands clasped loosely on her lap. 

Once Clint was in, she felt her stomach lurch as the bird took to the air. She fought to keep her breathing even and her pulse back down to normal. The only sign that she was distressed was the tension in her jaw. Otherwise, she looked mildly bored. She wished that was how she felt. 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

hawkeye-of-shield // Welcome

[hawkeye-of-shield]

Clint nodded.  He could understand that.  When he was recruited for SHIELD, he really wasn’t sure that it was something he wanted either.  However, it turned out to be one of the best decisions he had ever made, and he was okay with that.  He watched her, gaze calm.

“Got anything you want to bring with you?  It won’t take too long to get where we’re going.”

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

"No." She had the habit of carrying objects she'd miss on her person at all times, but even so she hadn't much more than the clothes on her back. She traveled light. She pushed to her feet, schooling her face to remain impassive and blank -- she didn't want to give away the apprehension she was feeling. Similarly she kept herself from fidgeting, keeping her motions concise. Meeting his calm gaze with an equally unflappable facade she nodded once. "Let's go." 

As they moved, Hanna kept exactly half a pace behind him and towards the side -- allowing him to lead. She, of course, also didn't want to allow him to be behind her but also didn't want to make him uncomfortable by being out of his sight. She knew that just because he was offering her sanctuary didn't mean he trusted her. She could still drive a knife through the base of his skull the second he turned around. 

Of course, she wouldn't do that -- but what kind of weapon would she be if the thought didn't cross her mind? 

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Welcome//askflamingkurt

This wasn't good -- Hanna had stumbled into this strange little town without an idea of what it was. She had an amazing handle on geography, but couldn't ever recall a town of this size being in this region of the country, at least not one she couldn't identify. 

Spotting a young man in the distance -- he looked hardly older than herself -- she decided to sooth her curiosity. "Excuse me," her voice was laced with a vague Germanic accent. "What is the place called?"

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

Welcome//littleredwolfrunt

[littleredwolfrunt-deactivated20]

“I think so, too… i just really miss her…” He frowned and cuddled as close as he could to Hanna. “I promise i’ll be careful.” Toboe didn’t want to hurt her, even if he was happy to see her, he would never jump on her like he did to Granny, he was happy with Hanna, and he would never want anything to ever happen to her.

After a moment, he slowly pulled away from the hug and he looked into Hanna’s eyes, smiling at her. “I think my luck’s turning around, though. I mean look, i’m here with you, and i’m happy about that!” He laughed and tilted his head to the side slightly. “We’ll always be together, right Hanna?” He suddenly asked, hoping that the answer would be yes, but he would understand if it was anything different.

[evenwhilesleeping-blog]

"I'm more liable to accidentally hurt you if you were to jump on me." She pointed out, recalling how she almost snapped his arm earlier. "I will get used to your presence, but for so long it has only been myself. But you, I don't think you could ever hurt me." Not physically, at least. He was already in the perfect position to betray her -- logically she shouldn't be trusting him, but she couldn't help it. Animals didn't lie, right? 

He pulled away from her and she smiled at what he said. When he questioned her, however, she fell very still. She wanted to say yes, but Hanna was pragmatic. She knew it wasn't going to last, good things for her never do. But rather than ruin his mood she dipped her head, "As long as I'm breathing."