The Truth

By Ammie Hawk

Disclaimer: Still don't own, no matter how much I wish it…

AN: Okay, so this chapter underwent several rewrites because I could never decide which way I truly wanted it to go. I finally settled on this on, and I like it, which is what matters right? Anyway, moving on…

Chapter 3: Close Call

Sally Po, head doctor of the Preventers, made her way to the newly dubbed Avengers Tower in New York City, on orders from Lady Une to assess the physical wellbeing of the newest team to join the Preventers. She was actually looking forward to meeting the team of superheroes. She had worked with the Gundam pilots both during the war and after, and they were extraordinary individuals. But this team was on a whole different level entirely.

She shook her head as she entered the lobby and headed straight for the elevator. Once the doors closed behind her, she pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket and quickly typed in the access code that had been provided specifically for this visit.

As soon as she reached her destination, she was greeted by the last person she ever expected to see there.

"Hey, Sal, how's it goin'?" Duo Maxwell grinned at her.

"What are you doing here, Duo?" the doctor frowned.

"Visitin' an old friend," the braided man shrugged. "Well, come on in. Everyone's waiting, though I can't say any of them are happy about it."

"Don't tell me you've been talking smack, Duo?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "They made up their minds all on their own. Hell, I even defended you, and Une, and the Preventers. There were almost tears."

"Right," she chuckled. "Now, since you obviously have connections, I'll need a private room, and I'll be meeting with each one individually."

"Already way ahead of ya," the former Deathscythe pilot waved her off. "You're in here," he opened a door on the right, "and your first victim is already waiting. Bruce, this is Sally. Sally, Bruce. Don't make him mad."

With that, he left and closed the door behind him. The doctor's brown eyes rolled in fond annoyance at the other's antics, some things would never change. She shook her head and pulled a tablet from the bag she had with her. She took a seat at a desk that had obviously been put there for her use.

"So, Dr. Banner," she began cordially, "Let me just say, I am aware of your condition."

"No offense, Doctor Po," he shook his head, "but I think the whole world is now familiar with my condition."

"There is that," she conceded. "However, that's not exactly what we're here to talk about. I also know about your research before the accident, and I have a report done by one of our top agents shortly afterwards. That aside, I know I can't risk doing an actual physical on both of you, but I do have to insist on a blood sample from you, and from the Hulk. I assure you that this is just for our records, and will not be used for anything other than that, and the only people who will have access to these samples and subsequent records are myself, Lady Une, and, unfortunately, our top four agents."

"Unfortunately?" a dark brow rose curiously. "Why don't you restrict their access?"

"They were the ones who created the security system and database for the Preventers," she smiled wryly. "They know the ins and outs of it better than anyone. Though, they have more invested in the current peace than any of us, so rest assured, they would never do anything with this information."

"Okay," Bruce nodded, he had no choice but to take her word for it. "Though, I don't know how we'll manage to get a blood sample from the Other Guy. I don't have control when he comes out, and his skin is impenetrable."

"The second issue I believe I have a solution for," she reached into her bag and pulled out a sealed needle and syringe. "A few years ago, our research team developed these needles out of adamantium and gundanium alloy, specifically for extraordinary individuals such as the Hulk."

"That could possibly work," Bruce nodded, slightly impressed. "But that still leaves the fact that he's not likely to be cooperative, and I'd hate to see someone get hurt."

"I think I have someone who can help with that," she smirked. "However, I feel it would be best to attempt that particular experiment after I have completed the examination of the others. So, shall we get started?"

Half an hour later, Banner emerged from the room and made his way to the living room, where the other members of the team were waiting. All eyes turned to look at him as he took a seat.

"So," Tony was the first to speak, "how'd it go?"

"It was a physical, Tony," brown eyes rolled in annoyance, "nothing more. Anyway, she asked for Barton next."

"Great," the billionaire clapped his hands together. "Has anyone seen Katniss since breakfast when we were told about this fiasco?"

Everyone looked around as if trying to prove the genius wrong, however, none of them spotted the archer.

"Well," Natasha chuckled, pushing to her feet, "why don't you boys go find our elusive teammate and I'll go see the good doctor? That way we can keep things moving along."

As she made her way into the room with the doctor, the rest of the team split up to look for their missing companion. Tony and Bruce went down to the lower floors and they were more familiar with the labs; Steve, Duo, and Quatre took the roof and the quinjet parked there; while Thor and Loki took the residential floor.

"So, brother," the blond Asgardian said, "should I be informing father that there will be another prince of Asgard soon?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the other shook his head.

"Do not play coy, brother," Thor chuckled. "You and Barton have been spending a lot of time alone together. What else am I supposed to think but that you two are cavorting together?"

"I have become a confidant of Agent Barton, that is all," the trickster rolled his eyes. "Not everyone is a sex crazed fiend like you. Now, can we please get back to the task at hand?"

888

Natasha entered the room their guest had been provided with and took a seat across from the doctor. The blonde frowned as she looked up from her tablet and saw the female seated in the chair.

"I thought I asked for Agent Barton next," she said evenly.

"Yes, well," the assassin gave a wry smirk, "Clint doesn't seem to want to see you right now. The others are currently trying to locate him, so I came instead."

"I see," Sally nodded. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. In fact, I'm sadly quite used to it. So, Agent Romanoff, let's get this started."

Once she was finished, she traded places with the good captain. It didn't take overly long to work their way through everyone, until finally only the wayward archer was left. As Tony, who insisted on being last, exited the room, he almost had a heart attack as the missing member of the team appeared in front of him from seemingly out of nowhere. Without a word, he slipped into the room and flipped the chair around before straddling it and taking a seat.

"Hiya, Doc," he greeted with a cocky grin.

"Ah," brown eyes rose to meet green, "if it isn't the elusive Hawkeye. It's nice to finally meet you. It seems you've been avoiding me."

"It's nothing personal, Doc," he shrugged. "Just don't like needles."

"Unfortunately, it's required that I take a blood sample along with the physical," she gave him a sympathetic look, "so there will be needles involved. But we can do everything else before we get to that."

"Naw," he shook his head and extended his arm. "Let's just get it over with now."

"Alright," Sally smiled. "If you insist."

The Preventer leaned over and pulled a few things out of her bag. She made her way around the desk and came to a stop in front of the archer. With the quickness and efficiency that comes from years of practice, she filled a small vial with his blood and stepped back.

"So, what's next?" he clapped his hands together, making her pause in her trek around the desk.

"Well," she leaned back against the front of the desk, placing the blood sample on the surface beside her, "we'll start with your vitals, and move on from there."

He nodded and motioned for her to continue. Once that was finished, she had him stand so she could check his mobility and balance. As she put him through his paces, he accidentally bumped into the desk, knocking the small vial of blood off of it.

"Whoops," he instinctively snatched it out of the air, before it managed to hit the floor.

"Nice catch," Sally complimented, mildly impressed. "Though, if you hadn't, I would've been forced to take another one."

"Lucky me, then," he extended his closed fist, uncurling his fingers to reveal the sample. "You might want to secure that though," he said once she had it in her possession.

"Right," she nodded, moving around the desk to put the vial in her bag with the others. "And with that, I believe we are done. You are free to go, Agent Barton."

"Great," he grinned. "It was nice meeting ya, Doc. No offense, but I hope your visits are few and far between."

Without waiting for a response, he left the room. When he gained the seclusion of his room, a smirk flitted across his features as a small vial of blood was tossed into the air, only to be expertly caught once again. He moved across the room and located a small storage chest hidden in a secret compartment of his duffle bag. He flipped open the lid, revealing several similar vials, as well as a small slot labeled disposal. He slid the new vial into the disposal, as his gaze skimmed over the half a dozen remaining samples. He'd have to resupply soon. But for now, he was okay. Though, that had been entirely too close for comfort.

888

Sally sat at her computer in the New York branch of the Preventers, setting up the DNA profiles for the Avengers. She had even managed to get a sample from the Hulk, thanks to Quatre and his Space Heart. She was so glad her hunch had paid off and the blond empath hand been able to subdue the beast long enough to draw his blood.

A frown marred her features, however, as she got to the last profile. A message was flashing on the screen, saying the sample matched someone already in the system. She clicked the message and was taken to the existing profile. Her expression immediately morphed from confusion to incredulity. That was not possible. There was no possible way that Agent Barton was who the computer was saying he was.

With that thought in mind, she grabbed her cell and placed the call to her superior. It rang twice before it was answered.

~Lady Une speaking.~

"Anne, it's Sally," she said. "We have a problem."

~What?~ she could tell her superior was frowning. ~Were the Avengers not cooperative?~

"No, nothing like that," the doctor sighed heavily. "The computer is saying that Agent Barton, codename Hawkeye, is already in the system."

~That's not entirely impossible,~ Une said contemplatively. ~It's possible he was registered before, for something else.~

"No, Anne, you don't understand," she shook her head. "It's saying he's one of our agents."

~That's not possible. I'm fairly confident that none of our agents would have joined S.H.I.E.L.D. before this point.~

"That's not what I'm saying," she rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Because it is possible that one of our own slipped through. But that's not the case at all. I know for a fact he is not the agent in question. I saw Agent Barton, he looks nothing like this agent."

~Who is the agent?~ the head of Preventers sighed. ~We'll talk to them and get to the bottom of this.~

"That's just it, we don't have to," Sally insisted. "He is not our agent, though I'm not sure how he got his hands on the blood sample."

~Who is it, Sally?~ she ground out.

"Heero Yuy."

Ammie: I know, I know, it's been forever, and this is rather short, but hey, at least it's something. Anyway, please let me know what you think.