Two weeks passed with Raven watching Clint and Natasha train. She'd lost the sling and was using the arm more than the doctors wanted her to, but she was impatient to get back to work. She didn't like being sidelined. When they weren't occupied with work, Raven and Clint spent all their free time together. Mostly watching movies but there had been a couple more trips to the diner and even a dinner or two.

Raven sighed as she watched him move across the floor as he sparred with Nat. They moved with a fluid grace, like dance partners at a ball. Honestly, they had no business sparring together as they knew each other too well. There were no surprises in their movements. It was nearing the end of the session when Fury appeared in the room like a menacing shadow. Raven narrowed her eyes at him. The man unsettled her. He was always up to something.

He looked at her then flicked his gaze to the sparring ring. "I want to see you all in the debriefing room in ten minutes." With that he turned and left.

Shaking her head as she stood, she moved to the edge of the sparring ring. "The great and mighty Fury would like to see us in ten," she announced.

The other two assassins nodded that they heard her and stepped away from each other. Clint glanced at her. "You waiting for us?"

"Yeah, I'll wait," she gestured to the bench and went over to sit. She had no interest in being in Fury's presence by herself.

After Clint and Natasha took a minute to clean up, the three of them walked together to the debriefing room. Fury and Coulson were waiting for them. Fury ignored them all, looking at the file in front of him but Coulson's eyes found her. She could tell he knew something and she had a feeling she wasn't going to like it.

They had been sitting for several minutes before Clint cleared his throat. Fury closed the file and looked up as he laced his fingers together in front of him. "Our intelligence briefing this morning indicated that Simon Sterling is preparing to move. We have to go in now or we risk losing his location again."

Raven went still, her eyes locked on Fury. He wouldn't.

"Barton and Romanoff will leave at 1900 hours to intercept and capture the target. If that is not possible, you will eliminate him," he said. He would. Son of a bitch.

"What about Agent Sterling?" Natasha spoke up.

His eye darted to her. "Sterling has not been cleared for duty at this time. She will remain behind."

Raven raked a hand through her hair. "You have got to be bloody kidding me."

"Do we have a problem, agent?"

"Damn right we do," Clint answered for her. "You got her on board by promising she could go after him. And now you green light the operation when she's sidelined."

Raven put her hand on Clint's arm and squeezed, both as a thank you and to keep him from saying anything else. "As irritated as I am by that, that's not the biggest issue here. I know Simon better than anyone. I know his tricks and his routines. Sending them in without me will result in a bloody cock up."

"You'll excuse me if I think you may be overstating your importance, Sterling. Somehow I don't think you're the best one to be evaluating whether this mission should proceed or not."

She literally bit down on her tongue to keep from saying something that would get her locked up. "At least put me on coms. Let me help by being the voice in their ear," she all but begged. As much as she wanted to be the one to take Simon down, it was more important to keep her friends alive.

Fury placed his fisted hands on the table and pushed himself up from his chair. "To do that you would have to be on the jet and you aren't getting anywhere near this assignment, Sterling. I don't like to repeat myself." He finally tore his eye from her and looked at the others in the room. "You are all dismissed. And, Sterling? You are to confine yourself to quarters until further notice."

Angry tears came to Raven's eyes as she stared at the table in front of her. Not only was she not permitted to go on the only assignment she cared about, she was being sent to her room like an unruly child. And despite whatever Fury thought about what she had to say, the fact remained that her friends would be in greater danger because she wasn't there to help. Wanker.

A hand fell on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Raven," Nat said before leaving the room.

Coulson stepped away from his spot by the wall. "I'll give you two a moment. I've been ordered to escort you to your room so I'll be waiting in the hall."

Once he shut the door behind him, her chair spun around to face her favorite archer. "You okay, little bird?"

She looked toward the ceiling, trying to get her emotions under control and felt a tear roll down her cheek. Hastily she wiped it away and nodded once. "You need to listen to me, Clint. Simon's guards will be on what appears to be a random cycle. Watch long enough and you'll find the pattern. Any room that is not guarded is a trap. If it seems too easy, that's because it is. Do not underestimate my brother."

He gripped her hands in his. "We'll be fine. I'll come find you as soon as we get back."

She nodded but her worry still ate away at her. Clint tugged at her hands and pulled her into his lap. He looped his arms around her waist to keep her in place. He buried his head in her neck. "You've ruined me, little bird. I was perfectly happy in my solitary existence until you showed up."

"Not going to apologize for that, Barton." She laid her hand against the side of his face. The motion had him lifting his head. They looked at each other for a long moment before she dipped her head and captured his lips with hers. "Take care of yourself, archer," she said, her lips brushing against his as she spoke.

She excused herself after that knowing if she didn't she would cling to him until he left. He had a mission to prepare for and didn't need her messing with his head while he did. Coulson gave her a small smile when she stepped into the hall and led her to her room.

Her mind was elsewhere so she didn't bother with the pretense of conversation. Coulson grasped her wrist as she went to step into the room. "I'll be locking you in. Someone will bring you dinner." He paused for a moment, then added, "I'll do my best to make sure they're okay, Raven."

"I appreciate that."

His hand slipped down to hers and she felt a small piece of paper. She curled her palm around it and frowned at him. His only response was to glance quickly at one of the cameras that lined the hall. She gave him a small nod and went into her room. The door shut behind her with a hollow sound.

She unfolded the paper in her hand to see Coulson's now familiar scrawl. Will text updates as able. Be ready if we need help.

Fury may have been an ass but Coulson more than made up for it. Grasping her phone in her hand, she sat and waited.