Fandoms: Avengers, How I met your mother

Pairings: Robin Scherbatsky x Barney Stinson

Prompt: The one where Maria Hill and Robin Scherbatsky are the same person

Words: 1826

Requested by Ash_the_nycotophile

If there was one thing on Earth that Maria loved, it had to be the little moments she got as Robin Scherbatsky—a normal woman who had friends and a real life.

Now, don't get her wrong. Maria loved being the Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.LD. , it had been her dream job as long as she could remember but Robin was... Robin had people she could call her family. Nick Fury was the closest thing she had to a friend and even then he wouldn't think twice before killing her if she ever messed up. Robin was... Robin was real for Maria.

It had been 2005 when Maria was sent undercover as a news reporter, crossing paths with Barney and Ted, the two men who inevitably ended up becoming the epic loves of her life. That's when she first became Robin Scherbatsky, a woman who though was very much like her real self but still knew how to live. Maria found the gang that way—Ted, the hopeless romantic, Lily, the chatty one, Marshall, who was Lily's boyfriend and the 'mama-bear' and finally Barney, the playboy Maria did not know she would fall for.

They were her friends... her family.

Maria knew it was wrong to lie to people who loved her so dearly but knowing her identity put them in danger... Robin wasn't supposed to know the Avengers or even know how to knock down three grown men without losing a nail. Robin was the wall behind which Maria lived.

"Robin?" Lily broke the girl out of her thoughts, "Black boots or brown?"

Maria smiled, "You know how good you look in black, Lil."

Lily grinned before walking back into her room. Maria was currently at Lily's apartment, getting ready to go to the bar where the rest of the gang already were. The Accords had recently been passed and Maria had come back after 'a holiday in Argentina' where she had actually been trying her best to keep the Avengers together.

The Avengers were really just a bunch of kids in spandex.

"So," Lily said as she came back to the living room after instructing her dad that Marvin will need his night-night song, "What's going on with you and Barney? You seemed a little... tense."

Maria winced before replying, "We had a little fight last week," she admitted, "He hates the fact that I have to go somewhere almost every week," damn you Fury, "And it's been a little hectic. Brobibs™ is going huge though and apparently he had a huge increase of followers on his blog."

The red-head nodded, "He just misses you, Robin and it's clear you miss him too."

Maria closed her eyes hoping this conversation would get finished as soon as possible and thankfully, that's when Tracy decided to join the pair as they made their way to McLaren's.

"Hey girls," she greeted.

Maria liked Tracy— perhaps it was the air of courage around the woman that drew everyone in but it was no secret that Tracy had stolen all of their hearts.

The three women smiled and made their way to the bar, laughing about all different things, from Marvin's first day of school to Penny's first Christmas. These were the times when Maria wished that she too, could have had a child, but this was something that was next to impossible working at S.H.I.E.L.D.—especially at such a high post. Maria remembered the pregnancy scare she had a few years ago, Barney had ended up getting punched more than a few times only for it all to end knowing that Maria couldn't ever give birth.

That was one of the first times she wanted to be just Robin.

The girls walked along the sidewalk, Tracy and Lily happily chatting while Maria seemed lost in thought. Over the years, her friends had learnt not to talk to her while she thought about things, those who did interrupt her- *cough* Barney *cough*- usually ended up pretty beaten up.

Suddenly there was a very familiar red-head walking towards them, calling out, "Robin!"

Maria raised her eyebrows, her heart already going on a panic mode in seeing Natasha walk towards them—her break was supposed to go on for one more week!

"Hey Robin," Natasha gave the agent a fake smile, "They told me where you would be."

Maria knew what Natasha meant, they know where you are.

Lily smiled politely, "Who's this Robin? Work friend?"

It was not a forgotten fact that Maria did not like people from her work, World Wide News was actually an undercover base for S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Beatrice was the unfortunate woman that Maria had decided to introduce to her friends- that is except Nora, who just like her was an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. that Barney was unfortunate to fall for.

If you really think about it, as much as Barney denied it, he really did have a type.

"I am Natalie Rushman," Natasha lied, "And I work with Robin."

Maria discreetly reached for her gun knowing that Natasha was very much not supposed to be here—last she knew, Natasha had been taking down the Red Room.

"How very nice to see you, Natalie," not, "How are you here?"

Natasha shrugged, "The boss sent me here, told me about your vacation and all. Well I have to go because I am pretty sure I saw some of the people we used to work with go to the bar that's nearby."

They are going to attack you friends.

That's when Maria dropped that act of Robin, her feet hurriedly making their way to McLarren's because somewhere out there, someone was going to hurt her family.

"Robin!" "Where are you going?" The cries of Lily and Tracy soon were just background noise as Maria finally found herself at the door of the bar— her eyes closing in on the four Hydra spies she had thought were dead.

She thought she killed them.

Maria could see her husband clearly and at that moment, he was the only thing that mattered-- if it came down to it, she would make sure that he lived.

Barney's attention too seemed to be closed in on the four spies, nudging Ted and Marshall to look at them too. At 7 p.m., the bar was still somewhat empty, the only people there being Wendy the Waitress and Carl the owner.

"Hello, sir," The sound of Boron Stanley cut through as he walked over to the three men, "But where might I find Maria Hill?"

Maria gritted her teeth, annoyance and anger filling every particle in her body. Could she not just have a vacation?

"Who?" Barney raised his eyebrows.

"Maria Hill, blondie," Another agent spoke, one that Maria did not recognize, "Or you might know her as Robin Scherbats-"

That's when Maria made her way out, her hand still on her gun but a cheesy smile on her face, "Looking for me, boys?"

Boran smirked at her, the gun in his hand lazily pointed at her, he was enjoying this and the look on his face was easy to decipher... he wasn't afraid to die.

"Agent Hill," he tutted, "How very well to see you again! Heard you got a new life after trying to blow me and my unit up. My turn now."

She walked towards them, ignoring the looks that her friends gave her. It was all over now.

"Come on, Stanley," Maria brought out out her gun and kept it on the table in front of her, "It's not really a fair fight."

"It wasn't a fair fight when you stabbed us from the back and blew us up."

"Risk the world or risk my loyalty to you?" Maria nodded, as if in deep thought, "I don't think I regret doing it."

Boran Stanley had been a part of a HYDRA unit working in Russia and killing them had been a part of her initiation for SHIELD. She was undercover there for thirteen months before she was given the order to destroy their base.

These four were supposed to be dead.

"I will make you," One of the other spies said, suddenly pointing his gun at Barney, "I will make you regret doing this."

Maria locked her eyes with her husband and watched many emotions flash through his eyes—grief? pain? betrayal?

"NO! No-" Maria cleared her throat, "I will come willingly if you do not touch them."

Boran nodded to his men to hold her.

"WAIT- Robin what's happening?" Marshall asked, red-faced.

"Three men die tonight, Marshall," Maria smiled, "I am so sorry you will have to see this."

The grip on her hands loosened—the HYDRA agent clearly confused at Maria's words.

Suddenly, she pulled her hands away before kneeing Boran on his front and pushing him back. Using her years of acrobatics, she jumped on the guy to her left before using his weight as her medium to swing her legs around to kick the other guys. More acrobatics resulting in more kicks before using Barney's bottle of beer as her tool. Now, these guys were twice the size of her so she had to use other tactics to bring them down than just punching.

Breaking one's necks, she pounced on the other three. The first one smashed his head against the table due to his own foolishness before Maria had flunked him over the chairs making him fall all across the bar. The second one used his gun at her but she removed the clips before he could even think about pressing the trigger and hit his head with the side of his own gun. She needed at least one of them alive for questioning. Boran would have been her first choice if it wasn't for her gut feeling that told her that trusting this guy was clearly a very bad idea. Both Robin and Maria had to learn to trust their gut feeling.

It's never wise to ignore it.

Making sure the unconscious men were out of the way, she turned to Boron Stanley, the man who had fear written on his face.

Taking back her gun from the table she shot the man's leg before whispering, "You lose, Stanley—once again."

She turned to the shivering agent who stood in the corner, scared and watched as he put up his hands up in surrender, "I will tell you everything, just please—please don't hurt me."

Maria nodded just as the sound of cars came outside the bar, she knew that SHIELD was here.

"Robin, what the hell is happening?" Barney asked getting up. Nobody paid attention to Carl and Wendy who walked outside the staff room to see a trashed bar.

"Ye-Yeah!" Ted's eyes went all over the place in pure panic, "Robin-"

"Let's start with one thing," Maria spoke putting her gun back in her holster which was hidden under her red sweater, her eyes looking at the SHIELD agents who had gathered in the bar, "I am not Robin Scherbatsky."

Let me know if you want a part 2 of this!