17828/Getting Shafted

Getting Shafted
Date of Scene:	01 May 2024
Location:	Avengers Mansion - Training Facility
Synopsis:	Natasha and Clint spend some time teasing and testing arrows.
Cast of Characters:	Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton

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Natasha Romanoff has posed:
There has been preparation over in the workshop on preparing new arrows. Thinsg coming from the armory, from hallucinations at night when not sleeping,a nd other bits of chaotic inspiration in general. So now they're in the test phase. Where things that have been prepared are being put out to test. Natasha looks dubious.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint is up front and center when it comes to R&D on his arrows. He's got people he works with, though new ideas are always welcome, and it's a good fit. The give and take in the idea phase is where his input comes in, and then the research and development can run with it.

And run with it they do.

Down in the workshop, the archer is standing at one of the tables that he's taken as his own. There is arcane arrow testing equipment set up, and Clint has a few bits of shafting lying around; deadly looking sleek, black 'sticks'. He's dressed down today; jeans, t-shirt that covers a toned frame. He's got his newly built arrows off to the side with some strangely shaped arrow-tips, and his bow is lying on its side on the table, away from the mess.

"So," Clint begins, "new tips direct from R&D. A couple that I asked for and a couple that I didn't. They want to see how the tech works on deployment, so I said I'd give it a shot." He's pretty upbeat about it, in a controlled, 'I'm a guinea pig' sort of way. "So, not sure if we should be out in the middle of nowhere, or in an enclosed test room."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova goes to look over at Clint, "So, what exactly are you putting into them this time?" She's seen her cycle of arrows. Some inspired. Some strange and exotic. So what will this particular selection be? She goes to gesture over at him. "So what shall we have this time? Shrink arrows? Lead arrows? Boomerang arrows? An arrow that goes to split into dozens of arrows? Rocket arrows?" She's having a rare humored mood.

"Glue arrows? Stretch arrows? Shock arrows?" There's a varied arsenal that's been built up over the years. "And just make sure that I'm not on the receiving end."

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint grins, his glance sidelong at his long-term partner. "Some are new, some are improved. Like this one," he reaches out to separate one from the group. He knows them all, already. "Better grappling. And this one," he shifts another, slightly away, "it's a new one. Has a stage one accelerant. So, faster, longer reach. And, it has a secondary payload area, so I can add pretty much anything. So, potential messenger arrow, potential long-distance goop. Could rig it for pretty much anything. EMP.." and he shrugs lightly. "Explosives.."

The grin widens ever so slightly as he finally faces her, "Would I do that to you?" There's a theatric pause before adding, "Don't answer that."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over at Clint, "So you're making improvements on existing ones or tweaking?" She would consider over. "And accelerant? So you're looking to make bigger fires now? Or does someone you hit with it get faster?" She would quip. Yes, Clint is one of thsoe that can bring out Natasha relaxed and making jokes.

"Fine, I'll just leave you to imagine which particular thing I'm retaliating for then."

Clint Barton has posed:
It's a quiet banter between friends, allies and confidantes. In the privacy of the workshop, with no one around, they can be two normal people; as normal as either of them can get, anyway. From two different backgrounds, they've found the one they can trust implicitly. No questions asked. Can Clint even say that about his current relationship? No questions asked?

"Bigger and better fires," is confirmed as he picks up and sets a different arrow aside. "Actually, the EMP work is getting stronger. The penetration and frequencies have been improved." For one. "I like the open payloads with pre-packed deployment bundles. An arrow for every occasion."

Clint barks a laugh, the sound echoing in the workshop, "Don't go playing mind games, I know you," he teases. "But, seriously. On a couple of them, I may need you downrange. I have all the specs here," and he holds up his phone, lying on the side, "tolerances and expected success rates, but I'm not going to feel it until I shoot it. They know that they'll have to replace 'em all, so they're fine with that."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
They both know one another and are comfortable with one another. Clint knows Natasha in a way few other people do. He knows her in a way that Bucky doesn't. That Steven doesn't. That part of her that is pure darkness that defines her. The likes of which perhaps only Fury knows otherwise.

She would nod thoughtfully. "I see. So is it more efficient to carry different modules with you to put them onto the arrows as you use them? Or is that inefficient because you hvae to load them quickly before you can fire them and it takes longer?" She would be thoughtful over.

Clint Barton has posed:
Super secret methods by the archer! But, Clint is also very aware that it is 'need to know' for his partner. "Yes and no." Taking up the arrows, he sets them deliberately into his quiver, one by one.

"I have my preloads. You know, a couple of lines, a couple of explosives, a net.." and he ticks off all the ones he brings, prepared for the fight. The quiver is set to his back, the buckle set up quickly and easily, now strapped up. The bow is take up with his left hand, and he looks at his partner in crime.

"The moment of truth. A few of them will have to be field tested, but a couple of them will be fine on the firing line."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would go to watch, "And some of them hopefully you can test before they go out in the field. And I do have to ask.. How many of them do you get inspired by by picking up random wordso ut of a barrel?" That's a tease. Very, very much a tease. They have much more logic to them and organization to their dynamic than that.

But she's going to eternally tease him over on that. "If you wish you can try them on me." They worked best when with a target. And it was good training for Natasha as well.

Clint Barton has posed:
A chuckle escapes the Avenger/SHIELD Agent as he falls into step near his partner. "I have a think tank. PS 23. Miss Osford's class. Kindergarten." Clint just finds that a little hard to deadpan, his response to her tease. It's a part of her that he holds dear.. her ability to joke. "Then, dart board at the Swordfish. That's how I pick names to work on them."

Clint does consider the offer, and he nods slowly. "Net would work. It's improved, so I'll need the trajectory for full deployment, see how far it can spread versus what it says in the specs."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would muse, "You're too good with darts though. Unless it's the others throwing them. I have yet to see you miss with one unless you're trying to." He was the one that did trick shots on a scale with Deadshot and Bullseye after all. "And that's good. What's the effective range on it's deployment if you had to guess so we can start that far off?"

Clint Barton has posed:
Natasha knows him too well. Clint doesn't miss a target he aims at. Ever. He may fake someone out and make them //think// that, that is, he's perfecting his bow feint to put people off guard, but the Russian knows the trick. He //might// have fooled her the first time he tried it, but probably not...

"You have stuff to cut it, so feel free to evade it." There's a beat in his words, and there's the quick smile; there and gone, "Don't hold back."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would smile over at Clint, "Very well. Since you asked for it." She goes to move to draw out her pistols, moving to click the safeties off, and moves to get ready to brace herself as she goes to point them over at him. This si a dance the two have done many a time. She knows what Clint can take. He knows waht she can take. It's a dance, a duel..

Between partners.