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[be_compromised]
10 May 2013 @ 04:39 pm
ATTF: Clint and Nat and run-ins with law enforcement  
Hi, everyone, I’m your host for this week’s ATTF. :)

This week, I’d love to talk about Clint and Natasha’s run-ins with law enforcement agencies. After all, SHIELD isn’t the only agency out there, and as powerful as they are, there are probably times when working with other agencies is a necessary evil (CIA, FBI, ATF, INTERPOL, etc).

Of course, let’s not forget that Clint and Nat may have had run-ins with government agencies *before* joining SHIELD. They might very well have been on any number of watch lists and “Most Wanted” lists, and they might have run afoul of local law enforcement in various countries. I assume that SHIELD probably expunged their records, but there may still be people out there who would recognize the names of “Hawkeye,” and “The Black Widow,” and wouldn’t think of them as the good guys. (There may also be those who simply don’t approve of assassins, government sanctioned or not.)

And that only covers canon compliant possibilities. :) Imagine all of the crossover potential with crime shows (a number of which are, coincidentally, set in New York). And there are so many great AU possibilities as well.

So, I’m throwing the door wide open this week. :) Feel free to chat about all things Clint, Nat, and law-enforcement related - discuss, write fics, rec them, or post prompts.

Things to remember:
1) Always label NSFW (Not Safe For Work) stuff in the title and post under a cut.
2) Fic and artwork needs to have a rating and warnings (or you can say that you’ve chosen not to use warnings).
3) For people with annoying internet connections, say in the title if a comment is graphic/images/gif-heavy and post picspams under a cut.
4) Have a good time! (Because if that’s not happening then this post has clearly failed.)

To start things off, a question and a prompt:

Question: How do you think Clint and Nat would be viewed by other agencies? They have SHIELD’s respect, but if someone from another agency knew even just the barest outline of their histories, would they be suspicious? Wary? Angry that they’re working on the government’s dime, instead of locked up somewhere?

Prompt: “This is a warrant for your arrest.”
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[identity profile] laughtersmelody.livejournal.com on May 11th, 2013 12:47 am (UTC)
I thought about the "instant clean slate" too. But, while they can clear all the official records and so forth, they can't get rid of all the people who might remember Clint and Nat. I just can't help wondering what would happen if someone who remembered them met them as SHIELD agents. "Hey, you were on the 'Most Wanted' list a few years ago..." wouldn't be the basis for trust, lol. :)

Very true about FBI and NYPD probably having to cede jurisdiction, though, potentially, as you said, the mess in New York might have been large enough the SHIELD couldn't deal with all the fallout alone. Some cooperation might be necessary. (Of course, I'm now imagining a group of CSI techs trying to put crime scene tape around one of those whale-like creatures...)

But, mocking, yes, there would definitely mocking, mixed with, occasionally, grudging respect.
[identity profile] alphaflyer.livejournal.com on May 11th, 2013 12:59 am (UTC)
Agree on all points! It's the active investigations (involving people) that you have to worry about. But there would probably be little by way of photographic evidence of either of them around, so it's just a question of clearing anything from the filed that might point to them.

On the streets of NYC we did see some of that cooperation even in the movie -- the cops were there on the street, wondering where the National Guard was and we heard the occasional sirens in the background (I think). Manhattan would generally not be police jurisdiction, but military, based on the scale of the attack, but police would do what they usually do, which is assist civilians, direct traffic away from danger, evacuate, prevent looting etc.

There are frequent table-top exercises among law enforcement and emergency management for major incident response training; all the agencies would be in a place like Manhattan, with assigned roles. (Remember 9/11 and the list of first responders ...?)

SHIELD and the Avengers would just be the pointy end of the stick on the day (I can't see them participating in contingency planning ...). There's so much to be done there'll be room for everyone, and everyone will be doing their thing. It's the intersect points that can make for all sorts of drama (and humour), as they did in the film.

And yeah, the "didn't I see you on a wanted list when I was still in Cleveland?" would make for an interesting fic, but I doubt we'd see it happen in the heat of a battle like Manhattan. An undercover op, more likely.
[identity profile] laughtersmelody.livejournal.com on May 11th, 2013 01:11 am (UTC)
It's the undercover ops and so forth that I was alluding to in my main post, actually, not just the battle in New York (though that definitely applies too).

I would love to see a fic where there was an agent who had a personal stake in something Clint or Nat did, and it made them incredibly determined to catch them. Perhaps they kept an unofficial, hard copy file that SHIELD had no way of knowing about. That person could cause a lot of trouble during a mission, especially if they managed to get the information to someone higher up on the government food chain. It wouldn't be enough to sway SHIELD, but it could make for a public relations nightmare: "They're criminals! Cold blooded killers! They should be punished for their crimes! But instead, everything they've done is just swept under the rug!"
[identity profile] happilydancing.livejournal.com on May 11th, 2013 01:17 am (UTC)
Its very intersting because Natasha obviously agrees... she feels tremendous guilt over her past and is trying her best to redeem it, even though it isn't possible in the way she wants it to be.
[identity profile] happilydancing.livejournal.com on May 11th, 2013 01:17 am (UTC)
I mean, she doesn't agree they should be punished, per se, but agrees that it can't be swept under the rug.
[identity profile] laughtersmelody.livejournal.com on May 11th, 2013 01:29 am (UTC)
Awesome point! I completely agree. I think she might argue that the only way she can even start to pay for her crimes is to try to do some good.