6302/Will the Real Hawkeye (Pierce) Please Stand Up

Will the Real Hawkeye (Pierce) Please Stand Up
Date of Scene:	28 January 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Agent May tracks down Kate, only to find out Clint knew who she was all along. JJ shows up. Everyone loses their filters.
Cast of Characters:	Melinda May, Hawkeye (Bishop), Hawkeye (Barton), Jemma Simmons, Jessica Jones

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Melinda May has posed:
Reports have been coming in about a vigilante in the Manhattan area using paleolithic weaponry. Of course, May's first stop is the R&D labs where a recovered arrow is being examined. After receiving confirmation that the arrow is of SHIELD manufacture -- and has distinctive purple fletchings -- her next stop is to speak with Barton. And yes, she's brought the agent from R&D along with the findings in case Clint tries to argue.

While she believes Clint's actually truthful denial that he's been moonlighting, she brings him and Agent Simmons along to find the vigilante that appears to have STOLEN ammo from Barton.

They'll have a sitdown talk about that later.

Now, with Clint's eyes and Jemma's tech to help them, they've narrowed down the likely location of this other archer to a bar in Hell's Kitchen. Go figure.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate had been busy - and not just with the latest in the ongoing saga of the Hand's occupation of Hell's Kitchen and New York proper and their ongoing argument with all the other gangs with the same idea (Neon Dragons, Wing Tong, and most notably and problematically, the Foot) - but with cases as well. Including some side jobs for Matt that were putting a little extra cash in her pocket. In fact, it was enough extra cash in her pocket that this month's end would mark a milestone: a month she didn't have to ask for an advance on her trustfund.

Kate was looking forward to her father asking at the next requisite Sunday dinner, and being able to casually turn him down. It might, just might, make up for the grilling he was going to give her on losing that (semi) catch of a boyfriend, Matt Murdock.

There was a synchronicity to the whole reason she didn't need the money being that self-same Matt.

So there she was, sitting at Josie's (at a booth), enjoying both a pitcher of beer, and a basket of wings, with a side order of fries.

Little did she know that her most recent late night exploits had been a topic of much interest, and that her footsteps had been tracked (so to speak) to this very spot.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint hadn't been busy, which is pretty much why he denied having any knowledge of Kate in the first place. He figured if nothing else she'd see how she'd get on with May and Jemma. Besides he was sure he owed Katie a little grief for something, right?

Or maybe she owed him grief for something? It was hard to say.

"So, what's the plan?" Clint asks May as they come up on the bar. "I mean, she took my stuff, do you want me to go in and teach her a lesson, or do you want to lead this one?" he asks counting on her saying she'd take the lead. Probably more fun for all of them that way.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Agent Simmons' nose wrinkled as she hurried to the meet location in Manhattan. Something decidedly unpleasant was wafting up out of the storm drain, and she peered down past some grating in the sidewalk as she passed. There were many and important reasons she was not a civil engineer, she noted with a shrug.

When she saw Agents Barton and May waiting in front of... oh, dear heavens. "We're conducting an investigation here?" she asks. "Surely there's a more controlled environment available for this discussion."

Melinda May has posed:
Of course May is going to take the lead. Clint gambled correctly in that respect, but he's NOT off the hook completely. She looks over as Simmons catches up with them, then turns to open the door.

It might surprise Barton that she seems familiar with the interior of this place already -- or maybe not -- but she nods the archer and the biochemist toward the bar as she takes a quick glance around the room. There's one person other than the SHIELD trio who is clearly not a regular, she'd pegged those the second time she came in here to have a chat with Murdock.

Approaching the bar, she tells the other two quietly, "Order something, don't get anything with water or ice." For her part, she asks for a bourbon, neat.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate likely should be a lot more wary, but until Clint enters the bar, and given that she and May were at differing locations during the big raid the other day... Kate is blythely ignorant that she's about to have company.

She's reading a book while she enjoys her meal. And her beer. Wings taken one-handed, while the other holds the book open and turns pages. Lots and lots of wipes employed (and finger licking - even if she was a deb). You know it's a paper book, because, let's face it, it's Kate.

Cue being suspicious that somethings up in three... two... one...

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint holds the door open for Jemma before following May inside, "Hey, Josie's is okay, I used to hang here before I joined SHIELD," during his unsuccessful stint as a vigilante. "But May's right about the water, anything you drink here you want it to have alcohol in it," he advises her as he makes his way to the bar and orders the same as May did.

A glance is thrown Kate's way, but he doesn't signal, he just waits for her to notice him and let things follow from there.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
"And you're quite certain the alcohol is safe?" Jemma asks as she steps past Barton into the pub. "Not all alcoholic drinks are strong enough to... well," she says as she pauses to smooth the front of her coat and peer around the room before taking a seat at the bar... a few seats away from the nearest occupant, a possibly unpleasant gent with some intriguing tattoos.

Melinda May has posed:
May takes up her tumbler of bourbon when it's set on the bar and saunters over toward the dark-haired young woman actually daring to eat the food in this place. And then she continues past her toward the grimy old jukebox. She appears to study the thing for a long moment while taking a sip of her drink, when in reality she's studying Kate. She seems to comfortable here to be some random walk-in, with the disparity of a high-end haircut and particlarly shabby clothing.

She digs in a pocket, drops a few coins into the jukebox, punches in a code with one knuckle, then turns to head back to the others, seemingly idly glancing at the woman as she passes. Boots: clearly expensive, but with subtle signs of long wear. Hands: callouses reminiscent of Barton's.

Definitely their rogue archer.

She makes it back to the other two. "That's our target. Simmons, if she makes a break for this door, stop her. Barton, you cover all other exits." She slips something that looks like a cylindrical pen case out of her jacket and sets it in front of the biochemist.

It's a taser baton, fairly standard SHIELD issue, and likely something every agent above security clearance level 2 is at least passingly familiar with.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate.. really should be more on the ball. But then again, her schtick was rooftop archery for the most part, and sitting in a parked car watching Mr. Jones sneak into the Hideaway Motel with Mrs. Jones while Mrs. Jones pretends to be concerned her husband is 'cheating' on her and hiring Alias Investigations to check it out. It was a dirty, sordid business, but right at the moment, it was paying the bills.

Kate barely looks up as Agent May passes on by her to the jukebox. Kate puts down a flapper bone, licks her fingers, and changes the page. And yep, if there were any doubt as to the callouses on her hands, that right hand of hers is rife with the suckers in almost matching positions to Barton's own.

She'll likely kick herself later for not catching on sooner, but right this second, it's her, some old sci-fi paperback, her second mug of beer, and three wings that might be left behind.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Grinning, Clint says to Jemma. "Better order a double then," he says as if that would make the alchohol stronger. May's instructions though are met with a nod and Clint gets up wandering towards the back of the bar, to watch that exit. His eyes cut towards Kate, watching her read her book and enjoy her wings. He moves on to grab a seat by one of the pool tables after grabbing a cue and telling the players, "I've got next."

From there he waits trying not to smile too broadly and give away the game.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
"Oh," Jemma says as she secrets the device into her coat pocket. Mustn't leave such things lying about, after all. She looks over her shoulders around the room -- probably not advisable, either, but she does it anyway, her glance focusing on Barton and then the... ah, target -- and winces as she looks back at the bar and the hastily scribbled Sharpie signs taped to the mirror glass.

"I'll... have a beer, please. Just one." she says, trying on her most pleasant smile.

Melinda May has posed:
May gives Simmons a reassuring nod then waits for Barton to get in position before heading back over toward the young woman's table. She seems to be about to walk past again, but instead slips into the booth opposite the archer as quick and neat as can be.

"I'd like to have a chat about your recent archery practice," she starts with. She's fully prepared for the woman to try and bolt, even seated in this slightly sticky booth.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate looks up from her book, to the woman who has decided to just invite herself to her table. Out of the very corner of her eye she spies Clint, which is both reassuring and odd, but she really hasn't much time for worrying about that fact given she has company.

Carefully, Kate puts her book aside, and ever so calmly says, "Okay. Fine.." She'd ask how May assumes she's an archer, but she herself knows she doesn't go to a lot of effort to hide the fact, and if this is about some recent practice, odds are the woman already knows Kate is one, so why waste time on pretending? "I'm pretty sure my last practice was standard. They've got permits and everything."

Because semantics, and May did say practice, not exploits.. Kate's last practice was at the shop, and it was totally legit, and while Kate is a consumate liar, she's not needing to.. yet.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint knocks back a sip to keep his smile hidden. There they go... May sits down and the talk begins.

He turns to the pool players, "Actually, scratch that," he says of him taking next game and he slips the cue away and makes his way over, to slip into a booth behind the one Kate was sitting in.

There was /no way/ he wasn't going to listen to this.

Melinda May has posed:
"Do those permits include using ammunition /not/ availble for consumer use?" She reaches into a pocket and sets one of the purple fletchings from the arrow they'd recovered. The color is unmistakeable, even in the dimly lit booth.

"Perhaps the word practice was not entirely accurate. I want to know how you got a hold of the arrow this came from." If this child answers promptly and honestly, she might even consider not dragging her in to SHIELD for further questioning.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Oh. That arrow. That one Kate knows she didn't use at the range. She didn't need to use her fancy shots there - the range was for fun, and keeping her body in the swing of things, not for wasting perfectly good special arrows. Hell, when had she used... oh, yeah. Couple days ago. That raid thing. She was Team-B leader. Team-A had the warehouse (lucky them, that's where the most fun was, and Team-C had the docks, where, as it happens even less fun was had. Kate had used a load of fancy arrows that night. Hers. His. Hell, she'd gotten down to regular ammow, and the stuff she kept in her thigh quiver. Everything she'd brought had gotten used, and then some.

Kate casually picks the thing up, and fingers the fletching. "Nice fletching. Really like the purple. And I would imagine the range has the standard permits. I bet they'd provide them for you if you asked."

She really wants to keep the arrow pulled close to herself. Clint might not like this woman having the thing. Heck, she didn't like the woman having the thing. However, there's not an easy way to spin a lie if she holds onto the thing like it's her long lost child, so Kate shrugs and shoves it back to the middle of the table. "Nice arrow. Wish I had some like that, but I couldn't answer that question for you. Not one of mine."

Which, as it happens, still isn't a lie.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint listens as May grills Kate and he can't help but feel a little bit bad about it. So, downing his drink he makes a show of coughing.

*cough* "Totally stole it," *cough*

He figured that'd be enough of a hint for Kate to know he was there or May to be frustrated enough to call him over.

Melinda May has posed:
The young woman's blaise refusal to offer a straight answer is starting to grate on May's nerves. But then Barton's comment is NOT appreciated and she makes it clear by setting her tumbler down with an audible thunk. She even goes so far as to look over the woman's shoulder at the man and slowly drum her fingers on the booth's tabletop.

Translation: Not funny, Barton. Get over here. Now.

"I know the arrow wasn't yours. It was found in conjunction with a firefight that broke out around an abandoned tenement building six blocks from here." Her voice goes a bit cold at this point. "And I also know that the actual owner of this arrow was not at that location at that time. So you'd better start explaining, or we will be having this location somewhere with better lighting and no alcohol."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Two things hit her simultaneously: Clint's *coughed* mutter, and May's response, and then things go *click* in her brain at once. ~Oh, I get it. Not funny, Barton. Not funny at all.~ Because as of half a second ago, Kate added one and one and came up with this was another of his practical jokes. Which, to be honest, the pair had a history of trading - but this one really baked the cake. Threatening to take her somewhere for questioning? NOT that she was going to give him the satisfaction of admitting she knew it was all some great joke.

Instead, Kate smiles sweetly at May in her best I'm going over your head to talk to the owner (ticked off Kate didn't deal in managers, she went right where the money was, just like her father taught her). "I'm afraid you're going to have to take me in, then, as I don't have an answer for you. Should I phone my lawyer?" She casually pulls her cellphone from her pocket and lays it on the table.

Opening salvo: May.
Volley: Kate.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
At that clunk of the glass hitting the table, Clint slides out of the booth and comes round to the one the ladies were sharing. "Heya, Katie," he says to Kate. "Schooch over would ya?" he asks about to drop down on her side of the boot.

"Might want to be careful taking her in, she knows how to pick locks," he warns May with a grin.

Melinda May has posed:
'Katie'? May's eyes focus on Clint, as he clearly knows this woman. She does mentally note the comment about picking locks, though, and resolves to truss the girl up with Nawajutsu to get her back to SHIELD.

"Barton, I get the impression that you know more about this than you originally let on. Care to explain how 'Katie' came by equipment that was issued to you?"

Melinda May has posed:
Melinda May says, "Wow, why did it double that? Weird. Let me know if that link didn't work."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
'Katie' glowers at Clint as she moves on over in the booth to leave him room. "Really funny, Barton. Where'd you hire this one from? She almost looks like she can do what she says. I have to say, you really committed to this one, but I'd have let her lock me up first. Maybe even gone as far as wherever it is she's pretending she was going to take me to. Oh, wait, you probably thought I'd cave before then, huh?"

"And I didnot steal them. I borrowed them." Kate casually reaches across the table and grabs the arrow, handing it back to Clint. "See? There you go. One arrow returned. Borrowed. Also, I do not pick locks."

Total lie, but she lies well.

She just shakes her head at the man - and it's about this point that she realizes that maybe... just maybe.. this woman actually wasn't hired by Clint. Which turns the tables and makes things actually funny all of a sudden. "Oh. My. God. This is your boss, and you didn't tell her. Ha! Oh, wow. Fail, purple boy. Fail. Still the better Hawkeye."

Smug Kate is smug.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint is doing his best to look innocent. "What do you mean?" he asks May, even as Kate puts the arrow in his hands. "Have no idea how she got it."

Then to Kate, "Though do you have my boomerang arrow too?" he asks her. "I was looking for that the other day."

Yeah, he totally knows more than he said he did and setting the arrow down he owns up to it: "May, this is Kate, the other Hawkeye, Kate, this is May, you guessed who she is." He didn't want to shout out she was the deputy director of SHIELD in the middle of a crowded bar.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Stuff. It happened. Lots of it. So much stuff. It drove Jessica into weird states, weird conversations, brought her into odd parts of town, and even got her to set foot in a fancy shmancy jazz club because there were nowhere else around to get a drink. Never again, she's back in home turf, and good old Josie's. Sure, it's about as spotless as her soul, but at least the drinks are good and Josie is nice enough to give discounts to regular. Is Jessica a regular? Trick question, she's a regular at most downtown bars in NYC. When she walks in, she makes a quick stop at the bar, calling loud enough for Josie to hear, which means everyone else as well, "make it a Four Roses today, and let's cut the back n' forth, just give me the bottle would you?"

Melinda May has posed:
"Now that introductions are done," May says with a sharp look at Clint, "I think we need to talk about misappropriation of resources." She doesn't say the word SHIELD aloud, but she knows that Clint had to have heard it. And if Kate doesn't know who Barton works for, then that's on him as well.

The thin woman's arrival is not lost on May, though she doesn't look away from the two archers for even a moment. Wait, she was the snarky one at that warehouse the other night. Interesting.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"The other *Better* Hawkeye," Kate corrects automatically. Because if he was going to introduce her, she was going to make sure he got it right. "And, yeah, about that boomerang thing. It didn't come back."

She gives Clint a helpless shrug. And while she does know who he works for, she doens't know they had a hand in what went on the other night, so being circumspect and all. "I kinda lost it at something the other day."

That tenement building as it happens.

Then JJ arrives and her strident voice carries over the low din of the place. Kate can't help a wince - not because of the strident part, but because there was her boss, right on cue, and well, things could get very interesting if Jessica decided to invite herself to the party. Hell, she might make things too interesting if she was forced to invite herself to the very obvious party Katie was holding.

Current dilemna: To invite JJ, or pretend like she has no clue the other woman is over there.

Discretion, and not having to explain things later, Kate draws the passing waiter over and tells the woman, "Can you tell the lady at the bar with the Four Roses to come join us?" Really, everyone, it's better this way. Trust her.

And with that, Kate turns back to May, and extends her hand. "Hi. Kate Bishop. He's not lying. I'm really the other Hawkeye." Still no explanation for the equipment. Clint was probably right about the stealing it part. Likely about the picking locks bit, too. And if May knows anything about who is who in the town, she might also put Kate Bishop together with the money that is her father. Or not. Not everyone followed such things.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Josie hands over the bottle of Four Roses to Jessica with a grunt, letting the PI take it where she wanted from there.

At the table, Clint rolls his eyes, "Second best," he corrects Kate. "Remember one of us is an Avenger." Well, sort of, he was on leave from the team, that still counted right? Regardless, "It didn't?" he asks frowning. "Aww boomerang arrow," he says shaking his head.

The invite has his brows raising as he looks over towards the woman with the bottle of Four Roses, vaugely familiar but he can't place where. Maybe on the news? He wasn't sure.

"Anyhow May, it was a loan," he says countering Kate's story. "A little kit to help the New York Crime fighting community, you know we've given bigger stuff to worse people."

Unable to resist the gag... "Well, a little worse anyhow," he says with a look to Kate.

Jessica Jones has posed:
After some slight haggling, Jessica finally manages to get a whole bottle of Four Roses from Josie, to which she remarks, "you won't regret, I won't be bothering you for at least an hour," she kinda-sorta promises, before turning a look to see what sort of charming company tonight brought, and where to best strategically to place herself, to avoid the highest percent of pickup lines. She wasn't sure if she heard Kate's voice, or something that sounded like it, but sure enough, she's being sent the message Kate sent, and with a grin on her face she starts towards the table.

In typical Jessica fashion, she doesn't go the polite route and introduces herself first, but rather she locks her eyes on Kate and laughs, "my, my, what a fast learning protege you are, drinking IS the path of the P.I., the good ones at least! Garbage ones don't see enough to need drinking..."

She's not beyond catching snippets on conversation as she approaches, so her gaze shifts to Clint, "there was another Hawkeye?" She asks in mock confusion, "fuck me sideways, how many of you are there? Come in all shapes, sizes and genders, huh?"

With the only spot untaken being at May's side, Jessica next looks at her, "so...guess I'm sitting next to you? I brought Four Roses," she holds up the bottle, and starts to sit before getting an actual confirmation that it's okay, "I'm Jessica, Kate's boss. She's learning how to be a good P.I."

Melinda May has posed:
Shaking hands with Kate briefly, May studies the younger woman while Clint tries to make up excuses for her having his loadout. She knows the name Bishop, all right, though her expression doesn't really give any of her thought processes away. "Barton, you know as well as I do that you are supposed to submit documentation for resources that leave your direct possession."

And then Jessica is coming over with her bottle of Four Roses, and May has to scoot further into the booth or end up getting sat on. And she's not terribly pleased about it.

"May. Barton's boss." She nods toward Clint to indicate that that's who she is referring to.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"An Avenger?" Kate snerks. "That doesn't make you better. They'll accept anyone with false ID and the change to buy the membership card. What is it now? Fifty-cents?"

She only gets that far before Jessica joins them.

/NOW/ it's a party.

Kate even manages to hide her wince when JJ not only arrives, announces herself, and sits down unceremoniously (she did invite her over after all, to forestall all sorts of other problems) but the string of expletives.. Kate isn't sure how that's going to go over with Clint's boss. That, and the whole teaching Kate to be a better PI like she was some fresh out of highschool, too excited for words, pat her on the top of her head and tell her how cute she was intern? Ouch.

"And that there is my boss, Jessica." She omits the Jones. If May wants to know more, she'll find out. Kate doesn't have to facilitate that any further. Despite the fact they're all playing a game of carefully couches truths and half lies (except for JJ - JJ would say what she wanted, how she wanted, eff anyone who expected otherwise), Kate says quietly, "He didn't give them to me. I took them. We have this thing. So if you're going to lay down the law on someone, it's all on me."

There's a kick under the table to Clint's leg, pretty much summing up the 'you owe me' of the thing. Turning to him to say, "Really sorry about that. There were a few others I didn't get back either. It was kind of a clustereff at the time." A clusterfuck they'd barely gotten out of before things went tits up, as it happens. Though Team-A at the warehouse where the ritual was really had the story to tell.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Ouch, Kate," Clint says as she slams the Avengers. "There's also a written test," he says. "Oh and you have to submit head shots," he adds rolling with it.

As to the matter of the paperwork he asks May, "And if those forms should suddenly appear on your desk tomorrow, boss?" Clint asks taking a drink. The smooth cover is somewhat dampened by the small flinch at the kick and the glare shot at his protoge. "No sense in stirring up trouble with the daughter of a publishing magnate who's an apprentice PI."

Then as Jess joins the party, Clint sticks out his hand, "Oh, you must be the PI /with/ profanity, heard about you, Clint Barton the other Hawkeye," he says by way of introduction.

Jessica Jones has posed:
"May, my favorite month," Jessica states glibly without pause, as she settles next to Melinda and opens up the bottle of Four Roses, "before I drink straight from the bottle, anyone else wants some?" Hey, she offered to pour some for others, so there's progress on the dealing with people department. Her gaze then shifts from Melinda to Barton, "so...Barton's boss, huh? I take it you don't work at the local Paintball store?" Jessica quips, because that's what Jessica does. She then gets a bit snoopy in that P.I. manner, even when off a case. It's a tough habit to break. "So where does Kate know you people from?"

Her eyes naturally veer to Kate, half-expecting her to answer before either Barton or May could. Oddly enough, when Kate jokes about the Avengers, Jessica responds by immediately drinking straight from the bottle. Looks like earlier offer to share has been cancelled. She downs about a quarter of that bottle before putting it down.

But then Kate discusses stealing stuff from Barton, and Jessica is right back in it, as if nothing was wrong. "Ah...no need to answer, now I know how you know them. You rob Barton often, Kate?" She then goes the extra mile to correct Kate, "the term is clusterfuck, we're at Josie's for fucks sake, you can say fuck, Kate. It won't kill you."

But hey, at least when it comes to Avengers talk, Jessica isn't forcing her two cents into the conversation. Though often her two cents wind up being a buck fifty.

With Clint's introduction, Jessica actually shakes his hand, her grip is fucking firm. "Some have called me that, others," she nods her head in Kate's direction, "tried to leverage that in advertisement against me, but guess what? When people want someone to solve their case, they don't look for someone to solve it. They look for someone to fucking solve it. Nice to meet you Clint Barton, the other Hawkeye. I'm Jessica Jones, the motherfucking' P.I." She then raises the bottle for a moment, "who got a whole fucking Four Roses bottle from Josie," she then turns to call out loud at the bar's direction, "BECAUSE JOSIE'S FUCKING AWESOME!"

Melinda May has posed:
May looks between the two archers as they try to explain and offer reparations of sorts for Barton's arrows ending up in Kate's hands. "I want to see those forms tomorrow, Barton. And Bishop here has to help you fill them out." Because they both deserve to feel the consequences.

She declines Jessica's offer of a share from that bottle, as she's still nursing her tumbler of bourbon. And she seems completely unperturbed by the PI's rather ... salty language. It's almost like she's heard something like it before. Though the bellowing toward Josie earns the woman as close to an actual flinch as May ever gets.

And Clint should recognize that.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Pffft," Kate returns easily to Clint's sass, "I've headshots galore and haven't met a written test I couldn't cheat my way through. I could be an Avenger by next week if I wanted."

She's almost tempted to try.

It's when he starts trying to make things better that she turns and gives him an astonished look. "You did not just do that." Because while it was simple to figure out who she was (heck, Google, her name, the society pages or the most recent who's who if you were curious who was heading up the charity galas) his implied.. threat?.. while outing her was.. wow.

Except he had, right? They were all there, which leaves her shrugging and sighing, reaching for her pitcher of beer and filling her mug, then lifting it to them all, "Surprise. Kate Bishop. Publishing magnate's daughter. Royal fuckup in anything that matters. I can't even PI right."

Yes, Jessica, Kate just said a swear. That swear. You should be proud.

As for May's forms, bah, Kate had done worse paperwork. She could probably fill those out with her eyes closed, before morning coffee.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Well, you know where the mansion is," Clint says with an easy grin after dowing his scotch, before he lifts a look to May. "Sure thing boss," he says about the forms. Not the worst thing he's had to do for slip ups with the rules.

There is something of a flinch at Kate's reaction to having her background outed so promptly, but he figured May would have looked her up first thing anyhow so it was a difference of hours anyhow.

May's reaction to Jessica earms a small. tight smile, even as he shakes the other PI's hand. "Hey it's not like I don't fucking swear," Clint says with a smile. "And there's something to be said for getting the job done." Clint's shake is firm too but not on the same level, though faced with Jess' grip he doesn't try to one up, just shakes and then works his fingers a bit when they let go.

There's a buzz from his pocket. "Excuse me a moment, got to take this," he says as he slips away from the table to pull out his phone and talk somewhere slightly more private.

Jessica Jones has posed:
When Melinda states her verdict on the Bishop-Barton Supplies affair, Jessica shakes her head and drinks some more of her bottle, before snapping at Kate, "sucks to be you." There's irony for you. Jessica doesn't even note she's irking May one bit, but then again, her focus isn't really on May. She didn't get to see her during the attack on the Hand's Ritual, so doesn't really know who she is.

There is one thing that Jessica does add to the conversation at Kate's back and forth with Barton, "you join the Avengers, and our deal is off, Kate, just a heads up."

Indeed, when Kate swears, Jessica quips, "I'll drink to that," and has some more, having already emptied half the bottle of Four Roses. After Clint slips from the table, Jessica tells Kate, "you can stick with that guy, don't know nothing about him, but he doesn't carry his entire worth in his pants. That's impressive."

Melinda May has posed:
Barton's willing to get the paperwork submitted, that's good enough for May. She's honestly a bit irked by the comments about the Avengers, but everyone has their opinion, just like they have a particular part of their anatomy.

Not ten seconds after Clint gets up to respond to his phone, May's phone gets her attention as well. And rather than make Jessica get up to let her out of the booth, she climbs up and over the back of the seat as if it were nothing. She pulls the phone from her pocket, looks at it for about two seconds, then goes into full SHIELD agent mode.

She was actually fairly casual around Kate. Best remember that, Bishop.

She calls out to Barton, then collects the other agent still hovering at the bar and leads them both out briskly. Duty calls.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
And then there were two.

Clint's departure isn't anything special. She's seen it before. May's climbing over the back of the booth, however.. totally not something you see every day. And Kate is quick to note that Clint's boss is rather a lot more in your face savvy than most, which, along with a name, gives Kate a place to start looking when all is said and done - after the paperwork, of course. She expects Clint will or won't shoot her a text to arrange a meetup.

As it is, Kate downs the remains of her mug of beer, pours herself another, and pockets her own phone before taking a rather long and hefty several swallows of the newly poured mug. "He's taken," she says flatly. "Hung out with him longer than forever. Right in his face. Didn't even know I existed. Kicker? He taught his new lady how to shoot a bow. So, there's that. And yeah, I know the words. I just.. who cares. Didn't want to join the stupid Avengers anyway." Then she laughs, "Oh, and I got dumped by my fake boyfriend too." Pause. "For. A. Dead. Girl. So, yay me."

Yeah, it's been that kind of a couple of weeks.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica isn't one to easily faze, so when May does what she does to get out of the booth without getting Jessica to move, the P.I. just turns to look after her, waves goodbye, and waits until she leaves, before turning to look at Kate, "so she's some kind of spook? Or you take ninja classes with her?"

Jessica does shrug when Kate mentions Clint is taken, "not surprising, guys who don't have their heads stuck in their dicks are hard to come by."

Jessica stares at Kate when she informs her she's been dumped by her fake boyfriend, Matt, but she doesn't say anything to that, instead she just proceeds to down the rest of the bottle of Four Roses.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate follows suit, downing her current beer and pouring another, leaving about half an inch in the pitcher - so she downs enough of her mug to use that bit up.

"He's a good guy," she says without bitterness. "I feel like I should be all angry and grr about it, but he's my friend, and he looks at me like I'm a rock, or worese, some little sister with pigtails and freckles, so he may as well be happy."

she kinda hates herself a little for being that generous.

"And Matt." A shrug from Kate. "It's not like we had anything. It was just how. And the timing." She gives a slightly wry grin. "And the fact that the whole way over I was practising how to let him go easy." A shrug. "I'd heard rumours. I knew it was just time. He's who he is. Heck, she could have come back groaning 'braaaiiiiins' and he'd have wanted to be with her. Who am I to stand in the way of that."

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica continues to drink as Kate talk, and continues still. But sadly, eventually the bottle is empty, and Kate is still talking. Now she might have to actually say something, that upsets her to no end.

At first Jessica puts the bottle down, slowly, that wastes a few seconds. Then she straightens her back, leans back in the booth. But then she just slams her hand on the table, "Kate. Get a grip and shut the fuck up, god I can't believe you!" She reaches to pinch the bridge of her nose as if warding a migrane, "you had a fake relationship, there's no dumping, because it never was. What are you even going on about doing it easy or not? I bet all Matt needed was, 'it is over. Bye.' Why do you need more?"

"Yeah, of course, because he has a fetish for dangerous bitches who could kill him with no effort." Jessica gets up, "okay, with some effort, maybe, he's damn good. Anways, I'm done," and just like that she walks away to pay her tab and leave. Turns out she's not better at taking this than Matt was.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
And then there was one: Kate

Kate, who, wasn't going to argue Jessica was right. Or even explain that she and Matt had worked things out. Or even try to explain it was all part of the pattern, or everything, or something.

However, she's just decided she's going to go off and.. she wasn't sure. She just knew it was going to be un-Kate like. And eff them all. (she winces as she even thinks it as eff them all - she coudln't even get that right).

Beer is downed. Tab settled. And Kate disappears into the night.