Call to Action

"That's Tony Stark's son?" Uncle Barney asks as we watch Jason run off; talking to JARVIS in the process.

"Come on, he looks like a Stark," I chuckle, "and acts like one too. If I remember the few short times I've actually spent with Tony Stark."

"Annoying?" He chuckles.

"You have no idea." I mutter as Jason disappears. "Plus I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

"I'm assuming Cade isn't the only person I'm looking up, right?"

I look over at my uncle and sigh, "I can't afford to not know who I'm dealing with. He isn't going to tell me anything about himself, so I'm going to do what I know how to do..."

"So you're going to have your uncle dig into his past and you can stalk him that way?" He asks, "you've got to trust people Austen. Not everyone is going to open up to you like nor will they end up being like Cade either.."

"The only men I need to trust in this world are you and Dad." I smile as I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his torso. "Any other man in this world doesn't matter. They're just a threat." Uncle Barney sighs before wrapping his arms around me and kissing the top of my head.

"Cade really fucked you up," he sighs, "he should be rotting in prison for what he did to you."

A sigh escapes my lips as I pull away, "if I have my way, he'll be rotting six feet under. If there is a hair out of place, his ass is mine."

"Your dad isn't going to like that." He reminds me, "he wasn't happy with your mom after Phantom Rider."

"Yea but it's not like he can divorce his kid." I counter, "and don't bring up Francis either, he doesn't count." I quickly say before he can say anything about my older brother.

"I know Francis left on his own." Barney sighs.

"Come on, let's getting to finding information on Cade." I try and change the subject. "I don't want Jason bitching at me if I come back with nothing."

Couple minutes later, Uncle Barney comes out with his laptop and a phone tucked between his shoulder and cheek. He’s talking to someone on the other line but is carefully watching his words around me. A sigh escapes my lips as I go inside to get his quiver and bow. I might as well do some archery to calm my nerves. Uncle Barney just looks up at me briefly, a smirk on his lips, before going back to digging up dirt on Cade.

**

“You’re getting pretty good at that.” Uncle Barney notes after my 13th bullseye in a row.

I turn around and smile, “I wouldn’t be a Barton if I wasn’t good behind a bow.” He chuckles as I take off his quiver and set the bow down, leaning up against a lawn chair. “Get anything on Cade?”

He simply nods; holding up a flash drive. “This contains everything you need to know about him; his past and where he’s going to be in the upcoming days.”

“Where is he going to be tonight?” I ask. “Time is of the essence, Uncle Barney.

“He’s going to be in a club outside of Columbus,” he informs me, “Club Ecko to be exact.”

“Any idea why?”

“None, but I’m assuming you and Stark’s kid are going to find out; aren’t you?”

“I’m going to get Dad back.” I confidently say. “Cade isn’t going to stand in my way. I’m not going to let what he did to me get in the way of me getting my dad back. He’s going to pay for what he did.”

He looks at me proudly before pulling me into a hug, “that’s my girl.” He whispers before planting a kiss on the top of my head. “And don’t worry, I’ll keep you informed on Jason’s information.”

**

“So what did Uncle Barney say?” Jason asks as we walk back onto the quinjet.

“Well he did tell me to trust you.” I inform him, crossing my arms across my chest as I look at him; sprawling comfortable on the bench.

Jason looks up at me with a grin on his lips before letting out a laugh. Out of all the reactions I expected from the pampered prince in front of me; laughing was the last thing. “Are you going to take his advice then?”

“No.”

“And he tries to paint you as an idiot,” a voice behind me says. I turn around and see a blonde decked in an outfit of black leather standing in the cockpit entrance. “You should never trust a good looking man with as he does. Or has a computer to make him his coffee.”

“JARVIS makes a wonderful cup of coffee,” the grin never falls from his lips even as he sits up and gives the blonde his full attention. “Austen, this is Regan, Regan ---Austen.”

Regan and I exchange nods before she informs Jason of something. Only thing I caught was the word Columbus. Jason nods his head quickly before Regan walks back towards the front of the jet.

“So who is she?” I ask, sitting down next to him.

“I told you,” he begins, “don’t worry your gorgeous blonde head about it.”

“Fine, how do you know her?” I ask, “and is she a threat?”

“She’s a friend,” he replies to the first question, “and she’s about as much of a threat as I am.”

“Are you going to give me a straight answer? Because shit like this is the reason why I don’t trust your ass. I don’t even know anything about you!”

"You never were supposed to know me," Jason waved his hand in the air, "you're not the only one who doesn't have an interest in putting on a costume, saving the world, being the hero. I have a life, but I should have known that it would have been fucked over the moment I wanted to meet daddy dearest." There isn't an ounce of bitterness in his tone and I know that he's not exactly that upset about the mess of his life, but by his facial expression: he isn't thrilled.

“Guess things change.”

"Tell me about it, princess." He suddenly swings his body around, leaning over and hunched over his knees. Our faces are closer and I move back, "tell me the important information, what we need to know courtesy of your uncle and then you can go gossip with Regan. She'll tell you what a scumbag I am."

“As much as fun as that sounds, I rather just talk to you and find out what kind of scumbag I’m dealing with.” I smirk, earning one from Jason. “And as for our friend Cade; he is going to be in Columbus tonight. There is a club called Club Ecko; he’s going to be there tonight.” I inform him. “Also my uncle gave us a flashdrive of all the information he got on Cade; a lot more than what SHIELD gave us.”

“So what’s the plan?” He asks as I throw him the flashdrive.

“We head to the club,” I reply, “from there we can try and get close to Cade and plant a bug on him. We’ll be able to have eyes and ears on everything he does. He’s going to end up having to come in the area of where our parents are. The sooner we find the area, the sooner we get our parents back.”

“And the sooner we’re out of each’s hair.” He finishes off, earning a nod from me. “Leave everything up to me, princess,” he says as he gets up off the bench. “I’ll get us in…” With that he walks towards the front of the jet.

“We’re not going to have that talk huh?” I yell towards him. He turns around and flashes me a smile quickly before disappearing to the front of the jet...