Meanwhile, in New Mexico...

[agent_cupid]

"Are you sure we're in the right spot, Boss?"

Clint eyed the starry sky over their head with a skeptical look as he maneuvered the SHIELD-issued SUV down the abandoned stretch of desert highway. The skies overhead were clear and bright and utterly empty except for a quarter-full moon and thousands of stars. It was a beautiful night - something they didn't see many of when on base in New York City, so it was nice, despite the fact that it was the middle of the night and they were in the middle of the nowhere.

Oh yeah, and they were chasing aliens. Because that was a completely normal thing to do these days.

"How did this become our lives? Seriously? Are we actually out here looking for little green men?"

Comments

[phil_coulson]

"Not exactly how you wanted to spend your vacation?" The tone was apologetic, if not the words. He hadn't expected any of this.

Coulson's lips pressed into a thin line, his hand slightly unsteady as he lifted it away from the unconscious and now fully unarmed man. There were a lot of strange things in the world, he knew that first hand, but that was why he threw himself into his job. He didn't have to worry as much about how he felt when he was too busy figuring out what he needed to do.

He stood finally and brushed some sand from the collar of his suit, the gesture entirely pointless, but it gave him somewhere else to look. "Sure." Relatively speaking. He wasn't unconscious, and that was always a plus.

There were flashing lights in the distance already, coming closer fast. From the comm chatter, it had to be theirs. "Let the EMTs take a look at you too. Then, if you're up for it, we have a temporary base to secure."

[agent_cupid]

"You always take me on the best dates, sir," Clint quipped in return as he dusted the sand off his jeans - a futile attempt, but he tried anyway.

"Also, that was so not convincing. You're slipping, Boss-man."

Clint made a face at the mention of EMT's. "I'm fine. The SUV took the brunt of the damage anyway. And that guy," he added, jerking a thumb at the blond giant he'd accidentally hit. "I can help with the base, though."

[phil_coulson]

"I try." Coulson's response was automatic, and he shook a little dust from his tie before giving up entirely. He still liked the desert more than Starksitting, but not by much.

He didn't respond to the latter part of Barton's teasing, but he took a slow breath so his hands stilled and his features were neutral again long before the first car pulled up. He gave Barton an assessing look and considered arguing, but in the end he just nodded. "Come on then, let's get back to work."