A/N:This is the second part of an MCU story I’m working on. The first part can be foundhere if you want to catch up.
Synopsis:Steve learns more about you, but you have your eyes on someone else.
Word Count: 3.2k
Mentions:Alcohol, sexual tension, adult themes in conversation, slight fluff & smut
Part Two - Just Like Starting Over
The following morning you make your way to the kitchen again. You’d rather avoid it but considering you haven’t eaten anything for almost 24 hours you have no choice but to go. You smile softly as you hear the familiar sound of a voice you’ve missed. Turning into the room, you see Tony poking Bruce in the ribs and regarding him playfully, Natasha rolling her eyes a the pair and laughing. Thor shovling a spoonful of eggs in his mouth, but it’s Steve who notices you first and looks at you with slight concern in his eyes.
Wanda’s face lights up at the site of you “Y/N…Hey.” You smile warmly at the woman, one of the few people who understands what it’s like, to an extent, to share powers similar to yours. Tony and the others look up at you then, Steve standing up and Thor following suit.
Natasha smirks and Wanda raises her eyebrows at the same time as Tony, looking between the two men. You feel your cheeks flush with colour.
“Uh…Hi.” You walk further into the room, and make your way to the coffee pot. It’s Tony who speaks next as you pour yourself a drink.
“Y/N…Have you met Capsicle yet?” Thor’s laugh rolls across the room as you turn and see Steve scowling at Tony. You rest your butt against the counter, thankful that you’re at least covered up today. The feeling and memory of Steve’s eyes as they moved over your body, causing to you blush more.
“Yes, actually…We met last night.” You take your coffee and move over to the table, sitting in between Wanda and Thor. Thor sits down as you do, Steve following a second later. Tony’s tone is playful his eyebrow raised.
“Uh huh…And?” Your midway to bringing your cup to your mouth and frown.
“And what? I met him last night, that’s it. That’s the story.” Wanda stands then and puts a hand on your arm.
“Let me get you some eggs.” You smile at Wanda and Thor leans forward in his chair, crossing his arms and bringing his elbows to rest on the table in front of him.
“It is nice to see you Y/N.” You smirk and take a sip of your coffee.
“You saw me yesterday.” Something flashes over Thor’s face but his smile quickly replaces it.
“I know, but it is still nice to see you.” You smile at him as Wanda brings over your eggs and sits down next to you.
“Thank you, I didn’t know I could be this hungry.” The woman tilts her head.
“You’re not eating?” Before you can answer Steve leans forward.
“She didn’t eat her sandwich last night. And I offered to make her new one.” Nat settles back in her chair, crossing her arms and smiling playfully.
“Ok, I need to hear this.” Even Tony and Bruce stop and look over.
“Great, everyone’s staring at me. Thanks Steve!” You sigh and reach for your fork, Steve opening his mouth in protest but he stops when your eyes meet his. “I came to make some food and had my music on. Steve walked in, made me jump and I lost my sandwich.”
“I did offer to make you another one.” You ignore the man and take a bite of food, turning to Wanda who wraps her fingers around her own mug of coffee.
“So what are your plans for today?” Smiling at Wanda, you tilt your head.
“Actually I was going to ask if you’d do some more meditation training with me. I’ve found things a little hard to control recently.” Wanda nods her head and puts her hand on your arm.
“Of course. I’d be happy to help.” You offer her a friendly smile before turning to Nat.
“Oh also, I’m down for some sparring too.” Nat smiles at you.
“Fine by me. Thor? Steve? Want to join us?” You bristle slightly, you were kind of hoping it would just be you and Nat. You still felt uncomfortable after the emotions you felt from Steve last night, and whilst you liked Thor, you were finding yourself thinking about him more recently, and can’t be 100% sure the feelings are returned. You watch as the two men nod their head in agreement, Wanda stifling a laugh as she hears you whisper.
“Put me to sleep Wanda!” - You’re pleased when you get the gym and see Nat already there, the two of you talk and spend some time sparring. By the time Thor and Steve walk in, the pair of you are already flushed with thin layers of sweat on your body. You feel a rush of warmth ripple through your cheeks, as you eye the two men wearing grey joggers and tight tshirts. You’d be both blind and stupid, if you didn’t admit that they were both very attractive. Nat nudges you with her elbow and raises her eyebrow.
“Close your mouth!” You smile softly and shake your head. As she walks to the men.
“Started without us?” Steve’s voice is light and he smiles at Nat. It makes his face look different, you’ve only ever seen him looking stoic or concerned. Or like last night, overcome with emotion. You can’t help but smile along, Thor catching your eyes and smiling at you.
“Maybe you’re getting old Cap!” Nat teases back as Steve laughs, you lower your eyes to the floor blushing at the look in Thor’s eyes.
“Actually, we could do with mixing up partners. What do you say?” Nat turns to you, looking for your acceptance and you nod your head.
“I choose Y/N!” Thor’s voice booms out and Nat smirks and nods her head. “Looks like you’re with me Cap!” There’s a moment where you and Steve look over at each other and he looks as though he want’s to say something, but you turn on your heel and walk to the opposite side of the room.
“Is she going to be okay with him? She looks pretty small.” Nat looks at Steve for a second, before bringing her arm forward, he blocks it easily.
“Are you judging someone on their appearances Steve? Really?” Nat spins and connects her hand with Steve’s neck, he bounces on the balls of his feet and moves forward, ducking out of the way of one of Nat’s other punches. He smiles at her, the pair of them light on their feet, fists raised.
“No, but Thor is a God.” Nat raises her eyebrows and smirks, ducking as Steve swings for her.
“She’s stronger than she looks…Watch.” The pair lower their arms and perch on the side of the boxing ring that stands in the centre of the room. Steve has to admit it, Y/N is light on her feet, she moves gracefully and is blocking every move Thor is coming at her with.
“You’re not going easy on me are you big guy?” You ask Thor as you duck another swing, moving behind him and kneeing the back of his legs causing him to fold and lose balance.
“I would never insult you by going easy on you tiny lady.” He moves quick and grips his arm around your neck, your back flush against his body. You move your hands up and wrap your fingers over his forehams, his breath warm against your neck. You feel him hesitate slightly and you bite your lower lip in an attempt to ignore the need that is washing through you. You grip harder on his arm and bend your body sharply, flipping the demi-god on the floor in front of you knocking the wind out of him.
Across the room Steve stands up straighter, his mouth open slightly and Nat grins at him “Told you.” He watches as Y/N looks down at Thor, slight concern on her face.“Are you ok? Do you need a hand standing up?”
Steve can hear the smile in Thor’s voice as he reaches up to grab Y/N’s hand, but instead of using it to pull himself up, he pulls Y/N down on top of him. “Give me a hug, I am proud of you!” You place your hands on either side of Thor’s head, arms straight. Stray pieces of hair caging your face, your eyes on Thor’s as he smiles at you and wraps his arms around your waist.
“You know this isn’t how people usually hug right?” Thor’s thumb brushes against your lower back and you bite down a smile at the look on his face. He nods his head and you stand up, your hand outstretched. This time Thor takes it and allows you to help him up, despite not really needing it.
Steve feels something wash through him, as he watches you and Thor breathing deeply and keeping your eyes on each other, your hand still in his.
“Shall we swap?” Nats question snaps you from your reverie and you pull your hand from Thor’s. The two of you looking away from each other shyly. You cross the room and grab your towel.
“Actually…I’m doing some meditation training with Wanda, so I better shower and change.” You head to the door and glance back once. Nat smiling at you, Thor watching you admiringly and Steve frowning slightly.
“See you guys later.” And you walk out of the room, your mind rushing with a million questions.
-
You always feel better after your sessions with Wanda. So when you enter the main room of the compound that night, you feel lighter and even a little excited. As it was the last Saturday of the month, all of you got together and dressed up a bit, sharing food and drinks. All of you spaced out doing your own thing but still together like a family. It’s one of the things that made all the bad stuff bearable, having these people around you.
You’ve opted for fitted jeans, heeled boots and a backless top. Your hair in loose curls over one shoulder and a simple red lip. Your eyes scan the room and you see Wanda and Nat but before you cross over to them, Steve stands in your way. He looks really good in brown boots, jeans and a plaid shirt. Once again his eyes scan your body, lingering momentarily on your breasts, before he snaps his eyes up to yours. His cheeks turning pink.
“Hi Y/N. I was hoping to talk to you before but didn’t get round to it. Mind if I bend your ear for five minutes?” He smiles at you warmly as you place your hands in the back pocket of your jeans.
“Okay, sure.” He looks relieved and takes a step closer. When his eyes meet yours they look sincere.
“Last night, I wanted to apologise. I came across as rude and old fashioned. If I upset you, it certainly wasn’t my intention.” You smile softly at his words, the phrasing all very formal and kind of sweet.
“Actually, I should apologise too. I shouldn’t have rushed out of there like that.” Steve smiles and the effect when aimed directly at you, is slightly mesmerising. “I can’t recall what I said, but I remember saying something and your face falling and then I felt all these things.” Steve frowns slightly.
“What do you mean?” You take a moment to think of how to word it and tilt your head.
“Well, part of my thing, like you with the super strength and the muscles.” Steve’s smiles amusingly here. “Is that I can pick up on peoples emotions, which can be quite useful as hard as it is…In fact if it’s strong enough, I can even pick up on feelings from something that may have happened years before. Whatever I said brought back a feeling of great sadness in you and it was kind of overwhelming for me after all that had happened that day.” You go quiet for a moment, Steve’s eyes watching you, his face empathetic.
“I’m sorry, for whatever I said that may have brought those memories back and for whatever caused those memories in the first place too.” He holds your gaze for a second before giving you a smile.
“ I appreciate your sweet words and no need to apologise. I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable.” You laugh easing the tension slightly and shake your head.
“It’s fine…It’s just something we’ll both have to get used to if we’re going to work together.” Steve smiles and straightens up, hooking his thumb on to the belt of his jeans. Your eyes snap down quickly but soon come back to meet his.
“I’m sure we will. So? Anything else I should know about you?” You purse you lips and look like you’re thinking and close the distance between the two of you. There’s only an inch between you and you see Steve’s cheeks flush with colour as you bat your eyelashes and whisper.
“I’m not as sweet as I look.” You flash him a smile and walk away. You hear the man let out a breath, his eyes watching you, they widen slightly as he takes in the tiny symbols tattooed down your spine.
A few hours later, you’re sat around one of the tables laughing with Wanda, Nat, Sam and Thor. Thor sat beside, he knee resting against yours. Sam’s eye brows are raised as he shakes his head.
“I had no idea you were so wild Nat.” The woman smirks and playfully replies.
“Oh trust me, I have alot more stories. But it’s not my turn…” She turns to you then.
“Ok Y/N, three truths and a lie.” You’re thinking of what to stay when Steve walks over and takes a seat.
“What are we playing?” Nat smiles at him and looks back to you
“Three truths and a lie, it’s Y/N’s turn.” Steve smiles and shuffles closer to the table.
“I know this one.” Thor leans back and rests his arm behind you, his fingertips brushing your shoulder. You give Nat a mischievous look.
“Okay….I can speak fluent French. I can play the guitar. I’ve had a sex dream about someone in this room and I have pierced nipples.” Steve chokes on his beer at the same time Thor sits forward. Wanda laughs and Nat takes a pull of her beer.
“I already know so I’m staying out of this.” Sam laughs.
“Ok, more stories I need to hear.” You laugh and shake your head and take a sip of your drink. Steve looks at you, his face red.
“Uh nipples?” You nod your head. Steve’s mouth opens and he glances at your breasts again before looking at the ceiling awkwardly.
“That’s one of the truths, well done Cap.” Thor shifts next to you and when you glance at him, he catches your eye and smiles at you. You hold his gaze for a moment before Wanda speaks.
“You can play the guitar…Very beautifully too.” You smile at your friend, a thank you in your eyes.
“Another truth.” Sam smiles at you.
“I had no idea, how long have you been playing?” You tilt your head in thought.
“Uh about five years.” You go to take another pull of your beer but realise your bottle is empty. You stand to grab another one, Steve looking up at you, eyes wide and shining, his lower lip pink.
“What about your other truth?” You smirk over at Nat before brushing your hand through your hair.
“I don’t speak French…I’m awful at it actually…Terrible!” You walk over to the bar and lean forward to grab another beer, you twist the cap off and take a sip. Nat and Sam breaking out into laughter.
Turning back around, you see Thor’s eyes on you and you hold his gaze, a small smile playing on your lips, your smile gets bigger as you see him stand and cross the room. Leaning his elbow on the bar next to you. The others don’t seem phased and are talking amongst themselves, but Steve can’t take his eyes off the two of them. His shackles raising slightly as he watches you lean in close and whisper something in Thor’s ear.
The golden god nods his head at your words and Steve feels the breath catch in his throat as Thor places his hand on the small of your back for a moment before you stand.
You smile at Thor as you get off the stool and walk from the room. Steve watches you, his brow furrowed slightly. A few moments later Thor stands and yawns theatrically.
“I am going to bed. Goodnight.” He strides from the room, oblivious to the look exchanged between Nat and Sam. Steve leans forward.
“Does anyone else find it strange that Thor clearly isn’t tired and has left the room moments after Y/N?” Wanda smiles and leans forward her chin resting on her hand.
“Interesting.” Steve frowns and sits back slightly.
“Are you…Are you in my mind?” Wanda looks innocent and shakes her head.
“I would never.” Nat smirks at him, eyebrow raised.
“Why does it matter Steve?” He wipes his hand against the leg of his jeans and stutters slightly.
“Well…I don’t think they’re courting and put it this way, I don’t think they’re just talking..” His cheeks flush here but he looks pleased with himself, straightening up slightly. Sam shakes his head looking over.
“You really need to get out Cap!”
-
When you get back to your room you kick off your boots and tug your jeans off, turning the lights down so it gives the room a more relaxing vibe. As you press play on your playlist you hear two sharp knocks on your door. Taking a deep breath you open the door and see Thor standing there, a smile on his face.
“Come in.” You reach forward and grip the front of his tshirt, pulling him through the door. Your eyes holding each others gaze. He kicks the door shut with his foot and reaches his hand behind him, to turn the lock in place. You jump into his arms and your lips crash against each other, Thor holding you as though you weigh nothing. You pull away from the kiss and rest your forehead against his.
“The bed.” Your lips meet his again then as Thor carries you to your bed. He places you down gently on the edge and steps back, pulling his tshirt over his head and unbuckling the belt of his jeans. You bite your lip and watch him as he kicks off his boots and pulls his jeans down his legs. You stand up and Thor brings his hands to your hips, gripping them slightly. You place your palms against his chest, the feeling of his firm body pressed against yours, sending a heat somewhere low and intimate.
“You are very beautiful midgardian…I am very fond of you.” You feel your cheeks flush, a flicker of a smile running across your mouth.
“Well…The feeling is mutual.” Thor moves his hands over the curve of your butt, before gripping the hem of your top and pulling it over your head. His eyes darken as they scan over your face and body and your lips find one another once more. You brush your fingers against the nape of his neck, as he lifts you and positions you both on the bed. Your hands wandering over every inch of his body, you moan into the kiss as he eases your panties down your leg. The feeling of his pleasure combining with yours.
A/N:Hey guys. This is the first part of a new Steve Rogers/Captain America fic I’m writing. The idea was sparked by a conversation with a friend.
Synopsis:You’re a new member of the Avengers but part of your powers is clairsentience which can make being around people a little hard. After a particularly difficult mission, you finally meet Steve who has been on a hiatus.
Word Count: 2k
Mentions:Death of a child, swearing/cursing, strong emotions, heartbreak
Steve sat in silence for a few moments, Tony eye’s on him. The man throws a raisin into his mouth and gestures with at him with his hand, a wry smile on his face.
“It’s good to have you back old man.” Steve sits up straighter in his chair, his mouth open mid protest, when Jarvis’ voice interrupts him, letting Tony know the team are back from a mission.
“Thanks Jarvis!” He turns on his heel and perches on the edge of a table.
“Got a new member, wanna meet them?” -
You walk down the ramp and pull your phone out, placing the headphones in your ear, you’re about press play on the playlist you’ve pulled up, when you feel a hand gentle hand on your elbow, a light squeeze. You turn and see Nat looking at you, here’s eyes looking at you concerned.
“You okay?” You realise again just how well Nat can read you. You force a small fake smile on your face and nod your head.
“Fine and dandy!” Nat regards you for a moment, before moving closer her voice low.
“Y/N, what happened back there…There wasn’t anything we could have done.” You feel your face with flush with warmth, and heat build behind your eyes, an icy cold fist, twisting your stomach. You lower your eyes for a second before bringing them back to Nat’s.
“Like I said, I’m fine and dandy.” You stalk away before she can say anything and head straight to your room in the compound. Tony’s face etching with concern as he see’s Peter’s face distressed, Thor’s angry expression and Nat’s look of mild pain.
“Where’s Y/N?” Thor’s voice fills the room.
“She is fine.” Nat sits down on the edge of the sofa in the main room, shrugging her shoulder’s and glancing over at Steve, a slight smile and nod.
“She’s not fine.” Tony frowns.
“Who’s Y/N?” Steve asks. Tony raises his eyebrow at him.
“I told you…New member. No one listens to me.” He turns from Steve again then, his eyes scanning throughout the room at Peter, Thor and Nat. “What happened?”
“The mission was going well, but as we were leaving Peter and Y/N thought they heard someone screaming, Y/N ran and found a little boy.” Tony takes off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose and whispers a profanity. Nat nods and carries on.
“She got him out, but he’d inhaled too much smoke.” The room is silent for a moment but is soon punctuated by a bang and a smash. Thor bringing his Mjölnir down on a vase, Peter punching his fist into the wall. Tony bristles.
“C’mon guys, really? I just had the place re-decorated…That’s not on her.” Nat nods her head and sits back, agreeing with his words but it’s Thor who speaks.
“But Y/N can’t help but feel responsible.” Tony wipes his hand across his mouth and nods his head.
“I know.” Peter steps forward, his eyes on the floor.
“It’s my fault too Mr Stark, I should have realised sooner, but there was so much going on.” Tony closes the distance between himself and Peter and claps him on the shoulder.
“We’ve talked about this kid…Remember what I said?” Steve watches as Tony looks in the young man’s eyes and see his shoulders relax as he nods his head. Steve notices Thor stand up a little straighter, his face looking concerned.
“Y/N? I’m glad you have joined us.” Steve stands up as you walk in the room. You’ve changed out of your gear and thrown on some shorts and tshirt, your feet bare.
“Uh actually, Peter, could I talk to you for a second?” Steve glances over and sees his cheeks flush with colour, he brings his eyes back to you and can see why, but frowns at the inappropriate thought.
“Uhh, sure.” You walk out of the room, trying to ignore the eyes of the stranger across the room. When you get outside the room, you cross your arms over your chest.
“I just wanted to say, I hope you don’t blame yourself for what happened back there. It was my fault, I was too slow.” Peter regards you with big brown eyes and licks his lips shaking his head.
“No…You did everything you could. Don’t blame yourself, Mr Stark’s right.” You quirk your eyebrow here in interest, whilst Tony had always been nice with you, he’d never really confided in you. But then again, you weren’t sure if he really confided in anyone other than Pepper. But Peter had been part of the crew for longer so maybe he’d opened up to him a little?
Peter smiles at you softly “He once told me that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, or how hard we want it, we can’t save everybody…I know today was…is..hard but I honestly don’t think there’s anything we could have done.” You take a moment to let his words wash over you, before nodding your head and looking at the floor.
“I guess he’s right.” You lean over and kiss Peter on the cheek, his eyes widening.
“What was that for?” You smirk at the young boy and raise your eyebrows.
“Because you’re a good kid and much more handsome than you give yourself credit for.” Peter’s face lights up with a smile.
“You think I’m handsome? Really? You?” You chuckle and nod your head frowning slightly. You turn on your heel but you stop and turn back.
“And Peter?” He looks at you, the ghost of a smile on his face.
“What?” You tilt your head playfully.
“Ask MJ out…I think you’d be surprised by her answer.” You turn again then, Peter stuttering behind you. Eventually he manages to choke out some words.
“Aren’t you coming for dinner?” You shake your head and make your way back to your room.
“No…I just want some alone time. Tell the other guys I’m sorry.” And with that, you turn into your room and close the door.
-
Later that night after you were sure everyone had left after dinner, or made their way to their rooms to do their own thing. You come out of your room on the hunt for snacks. You’d spent the rest of the day listening to music, having a cry and trying to calm yourself. Part of your ability was clairsentience and sometimes, especially after feeling emotionally drained from something yourself, it was overwhelming being around other peoples emotions too. It’s one of the reasons she’d spoken to Peter earlier, she could sense his anger, his frustration and his pain. Thor and Nat had it too, but Peter’s felt like screaming in her soul.
You make your way into the kitchen, your headphones in and music on loud, just how you liked it. Music was part of your escape and you used it to calm your mind. The choral opening of the Rolling Stones song starts as you enter the kitchen, curling your toes at the coldness of the floor. Another reason you like eating late, besides not feeling like it, was the freedom of wearing nothing but your panties, and oversized tee and of course, the freedom to dance around free of judgement.
You’ve gathered items to make a sandwich and reach for the whisk in the utensil holder singing into it.
“In her glass was a bleeding man”
Steve frowns and looks up from the book he’s reading in the dim light of the living room area. He stands up, head tilted, his brows frowning.
“She was practiced in the art of deception.” You’re putting the bread on the top now and pouting like Mick Jagger.
“Well, I could tell by her bloodstained hands.”Steve’s frown turns to an amused smile as he gets toward the source of the noise, pleased he will be able to finally have something to tease Nat about. He turns into the kitchen.
“YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT” You sing loudly and it feels good to say it loud. An affirmation to soothe your soul, Tony’s words being spoken to you by Peter floating back to your mind. You take a bite of the sandwich and turn around.
“OH FUCKING HELL!” Your eyes follow your sandwich as it flies through the air and comes crashing into pieces on the counter opposite. You pull the headphones from your ear and throw your phone on the sideboard. Your hand comes to your chest as you try to calm your nerves, the man stepping closer. The stranger from earlier blushing as he looks from your feet to the top of your head.
“I’m so sorry…You’re british?” Your mouth opens in shock and you pull at the hem of your oversized tee wishing it would miraculously drown you.
“Actually, I’m Y/N.” He quirks his brow, his head snapping back slightly a look of brief confusion on his face, before realising what’s he’s said.
“No…I meant.” He closes his eyes and sighs before opening them, his big blues looking at you, a soft smile on his face. “I didn’t realise you were British.” You tilt your head and keep your tone playful.
“Is that a problem? Me being British?” He looks uncomfortable again and despite the fact you’re having fun, teasing him, you feel a pang of guilt jolt through you and take a step forward, hand outstretched.
“Sorry, I’m Y/N and yes, I’m British. I moved to the States a couple of years ago.” He takes your hand and you feel a spark. But it’s hard to tell if you’re picking up on an emotion or if you’re reacting to the touch of an attractive man for the first time in years. The mans cheeks flush with colour and you wonder if he felt it too.
“I’m Steve Rogers.” Your eyes widen here, and you feel stupid that you didn’t realise it sooner. Though you’d heard his name, seen photos and heard stories, you hadn’t acknowledged or put the pieces together that the stranger was…
“Captain America! Of course.” You’re still shaking his hand and Steve smiles at you as you realise how long you’ve been shaking his hand. You pull your hand away and take a step back but he steps forward leaving the distance the same. A playful smile on his face.
“Actually, I prefer to go by Steve.” You nod your head and turn away, trying to calm the colour that’s rushing to your cheeks.
“So uh…Steve. Can I make you a sandwich? I’m going to have to make a new one anyway.” You don’t see him but he shakes his head, his voice sincere.
“Actually, I should make you one, it’s my fault you dropped the first one.” He moves next to you and starts grabbing some kitchen towel to clean up the mess, you let out a chuckle.
“No, don’t be silly Steve. You’re not my servant. I can make my own sandwich.” He stands and puts one hand to his hip.
“Have I said something wrong? I didn’t intend to come across as your servant. Of course, you’re capable.” Your eyebrows raise and you tilt your head at him curiously.
“You have no idea how to talk to a woman do you?” Steve’s face turns white and suddenly you’re insides feeling like they’re twisting, anguish squeezing at your heart. A feeling like panic washing over you. It eases as Steve stands up, whatever shock he had, passing him by. His face etched with concern.
“Are you ok?” He takes a step forward and moves to put a hand on you and you step around him keeping your distance and shake your head.
“I’m fine. I’m just not hungry.” You grab your phone and run from the room, leaving Steve with a confused and slightly hurt expression on his face. Before the door has even closed, tears are falling down your face, a remnant of Steve’s feelings of someone he loves and has lost.
I finally admitted to myself that I am physically incapable of writing actual drabbles, so I’m taking the “drabble” out of the title from now on! Fuck it.
Next edition will be “Summer Lovin” themed, and that’s probably happening on April 27! I already have two ficlets that are almost finished, plus a couple other prompts that didn’t get used from this week, but as always, you can leave more requests here. Just don’t be an asshole about it, mmkay?
No, seriously. Don’t be an asshole. I’m not gonna lie, I had three reader insert ficlets in progress, but then I got a douchey anon message bitching about how I only write unpopular guy on guy ships instead of reader inserts these days, and I scrapped the reader inserts and came up with even less popular guy on guy ships. I’m a contrary bitch. Rudeness will get you the exact opposite of what you want.
Found Out-Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton (x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton)
I feel like these two could destroy buildings with their rage-fucking. Here, have some snarky, aggressive super-strength smut!
240 words, explicit.
Barnes is so deep inside her she’ll be feeling this for days.
“C’mon, is that the best you’ve got?” Jessica gasps.
It’s already pretty damn perfect, but it’s not like she’ll admit it out loud. They don’t compliment each other. That’s not how this works.
The taunt gets results, anyway. He hauls her off the desk without pausing, hitching her legs up around his waist. She hooks her ankles, squeezing tight with her thighs, urging him on, and he cups her ass with both hands, using the grip to bounce her up and down on his dick.
“Harder. Fucking give it to me already.”
Barnes slams her against the wall hard enough to knock a shower of dust and plaster flakes from the ceiling. He grinds into her, deep and slow, hips working in little swiveling scoops. When he shifts, tilting her up, the angle has her clit pressed against his body, blunt and rough and overwhelming.
“Don’t you dare fucking stop,” she grits out, fingers twisting viciously in his hair.
“Bossy,” Barnes laughs. He barely sounds winded, the absolute asshole.
She opens her mouth to say something clever and cutting, but Barnes slides that sleek metal hand around her throat and squeezes.
“Shut up and come for me,” he says, low and resonant like a purr.
If it was anyone else, Jessica would object to the order, but in this case —
For@katwillrise, who is keeping me company in the Frank Castle trash heap these days!
373 words, explicit-ish.
Frank is sweet.
Bucky feels shaky and wrecked already. It’s partly because of Frank’s fingers: they’re gloriously thick and callused and strong, and those gnarled knuckles feel goddamn incredible stretching him open. But the thing that’s really getting to Bucky is how gentle they are.
He’s seen Frank do brutal, bloody things with these same meaty fingers. Frank’s knuckles are a deadly weapon. And yet…
Yeah. Frank’s sweet. Most people would probably laugh in his face if Bucky said it out loud, and Frank himself would probably head for the hills — he’s starting to relax, but he’s still a flight risk — so Bucky doesn’t say a damn thing other than, “more.”
The first time Bucky kissed him, whiskey-blurred and clumsy with nerves, Frank pulled away like he’d been burned.
“The fuck?” he snapped, and Bucky went cold all over, but before he could apologize, Frank growled, “Did Romanoff put you up to this? Shit, I told her to stay the fuck out of my business, don’t need her tryin’ to set me up—”
“No,” Bucky interrupted, half-laughing. “Don’t be a dick about it, Christ, I just wanted to kiss you.”
Frank gave him a look, wary and suspicious, like he wanted to ask, “Why?”
He’s been cautious every step of the way, even when Bucky was sprawled out naked under him; he stared down at all the bare skin like he wasn’t sure he was really allowed to touch.
Even now, he’s tentative. Frank’s watching him carefully as he lines up, maybe looking for reassurance, as if the needy, feverish way Bucky’s staring up at him isn’t enough.
“C’mon,” Bucky growls. “Fuck, killin’ me here.”
Those dark, intense eyes go a little wide, a little glassy as Frank pushes in, and then he ducks his head, pressing a kiss to the corner of Bucky’s mouth.
“Okay?” he asks.
“God, yeah. S’good.”
And Bucky has to close his eyes for a moment, overwhelmed. The stretch aches, in the best way, but so does the solemn, reverent expression on Frank’s face.
Bucky knows that look. He knows what it’s like not to trust yourself to touch anything good — anything worthy of care. He’s just not used to thinking of himself as one of those things.
Dean’s running out of excuses for how much he likes this.
James hooks his hands under Dean’s thighs, hefts him up like he weighs nothing, and half-tosses him onto the bed. He crawls up Dean’s body, smirking in the low light.
Dean picked James because he’s pretty. Maybe with the long hair and the long lashes, he could even be considered feminine in the right light — or that’s what Dean told himself.
He had to take a minute, back in the bar, before he could work up the nerve to ask James if he was ready to get out of there. He went to the bathroom to give himself a little pep talk in the mirror: “Doesn’t have to mean anything.”
In other words: “Don’t think about the fact that he’s a guy.”
Now, though, James is shirtless, and there’s nothing remotely feminine about the muscles rolling and shifting in his shoulders, or the way his scraping stubble leaves Dean’s neck tingling and raw with each hungry kiss.
Even with Dean’s eyes shut tight, there’s no mistaking the fact that he’s in bed with a man, and he’s already so damn hard he can barely see straight.
Or. Y’know. Not so straight.
James peels him out of his boxers and ducks to run his tongue all the way up the underside of Dean’s cock. When he tilts his chin to look up at Dean through those long lashes, Dean moans, then bites down on his own knuckles so he doesn’t start begging.
Maybe it’s time to admit to himself that he’s definitely into guys.
It doesn’t even make him panic as badly as he anticipated. If he focuses on that, he doesn’t have to acknowledge the resemblance he sees in the sharp jut of James’s jawline and the bright, inquisitive flash of his icy blue eyes.
This was supposed to be a whole sexy dom/sub thing. Instead it became incredibly sweet hair-washing and non-sexual submission during Bucky’s recovery. It’s verysoft.
830 words. PG-13 for heart-eyed but relatively innocent descriptions of the naked female body, because the author is gay.
Title from Baby Blue Sedan, by Modest Mouse, which is a staple of my Bucky playlist.
According to Steve, Bucky’s hard to read these days. He says it’s like Bucky put on a mask and isn’t sure how to take it off any more.
“If you were tortured and wiped any time you showed an emotion, you’d have trouble unmasking too, pal,” Bucky grumbled, and immediately regretted it.
He is trying to be a human again, and sometimes it’s exhausting. There are so many choices to make. Everything is different from what he remembers.
Natalia is different, but… not exactly. When he met her, she was young and sharp-edged and spiky, but there was a softness in her: in her eyes, in her mouth, in the way she occasionally shot him the ghost of a smile. She was a little girl who was trying not to be human.
The Nat he falls in love with is a woman. She’s even more deadly, but she’s softer on the surface; she wears her softness like it’s something to be proud of, and she’s very, very human.
Everyone else seems to think Bucky’s unreadable, but Nat understands. Maybe it’s because she had to learn, too; she’s been in his shoes. Maybe she’s just good like that. But she always knows what he needs, even before Bucky knows how to ask for it.
When free will starts to feel more like a burden than a blessing, he shows up at her door. She invites him in and tells him what to do.
It’s not sexual, at first. Sometimes she just has him kneel next to her favorite armchair, tells him to rest his head on her thigh, tells him to breathe in time with her. Sometimes she strokes his hair while she reads. One evening she reads out loud to him, keeping her low velvety voice quiet, a soothing blanket of sound, and he falls asleep like that; it’s the best he’s slept in weeks.
The lines blur, gradually. Sometimes he comes to her on the good days, the best days, when his skin feels like it fits just right and he laughs without having to think about how laughter works.
One night, she answers the door in a towel. Her hair is piled in a messy knot on top of her head, little flame-red tendrils of it framing her steam-flushed face, and her bare feet leave damp patches on the carpet as she leads him inside.
Her bathroom isn’t irritatingly modern like the one in the suite Bucky shares with Steve; she must’ve asked Tony to remodel it specially. It’s got a massive old claw-foot tub, currently filled with bubbles, and there are plants hanging from the walls, vines draping everywhere.
Tonight, the room is lit only by candles, maybe two dozen of them, tealights that flicker and dance. They’re wildly impractical, as a light source. Bucky can see why she likes them.
She warns him before she unwraps the towel, but she says, “You can look, if you want. I don’t mind.”
It’s the first time she’s given him any sort of choice, on one of these nights. He chooses to look.
She hangs up her towel and turns to him, holding his gaze for a moment with her chin held high, before she takes a few small, graceful steps to the tub.
He sees scars of all shapes and sizes, from the faint ripple of stretch marks on her hips to the scar he left, the shiny distortion of it against the pale smooth skin of her abdomen.
He forgot how beautifully women are put together. The lines of her body flow, curve, and rise again, like art. Tiny drops of water trickle in the dip between her breasts, sparkling like a diamond necklace.
He forgot how the skin moves. There’s so much life in her: her arms prickle with goosebumps and her little pink nipples pebble, and when she takes a step, the impact of it shows in the softest parts of her, a little jiggle like waves on a still pond.
He sees immense strength, of course, but he sees softness too. She looks so incredibly soft.
She slides under the surface of the bubbles.
Bucky hasn’t wanted to look at anyone like that in a long time; he almost forgot what it feels like to want to touch. She looks up at him like she understands, big eyes shining in the candlelight.
“I’d like you to help me wash my hair,” she says quietly, with a twist of her lips — a tiny, private smile, not the one she wears for the world.
So that’s what he does. He kneels at the end of the tub, brushes her hair slowly, washes it with all the gentleness he can manage, scooping up water to help her rinse. It’s good practice, being gentle like this.
There are so many tiny things about being human that he loves, like candles and sandalwood-scented conditioner and desire and scars. One day he’ll get the hang of it again.
This fills my “aggressive flirting” square for @winterhawkbingo!
3371 words, PG-13.
“You must be Bucky,” he hears.
Before his brain can consciously process the words, his body is reacting, grabbing the switchblade from his hoodie pocket and launching himself at the stranger, shoving him up against the wall and holding the blade to his neck.
There’s just the faintest flicker of surprise on the guy’s face — the guy who he realizes very quickly must be Hawkeye.
Hawkeye barely blinks. His eyebrow ticks up a fraction. His eyes flick down, glancing at the knife, and his throat bobs as he swallows. Other than that, though — the Winter Soldier is holding a finely-honed weapon to his throat, and he’s not afraid. He’s not even ruffled.
Bucky should probably let him go now.
Hawkeye gives him a cheeky little grin, showing off white teeth and goddamn dimples, and he says, “You tryna flirt with me right now, Barnes?”
Bucky is so flustered he almost trips in his haste to back away.
In which the universe repeatedly tries to push them together, but the universe is drunk and its aim is off.
Bucky x Clint / mature
This chapter fills my “dog walker au” square for Winterhawk Bingo.
Walk of Shame is sitting on the second step, slouched over with his head in his hands. He looks like the hangover might be starting to set in.
Clint sits down next to him, offering the book of matches. Walk of Shame puts the cigarette between his lips, turning toward him, so Clint does the honors, sparking one up and cupping it in his palm. While the guy’s attention is on the flame, he takes a moment to stare unabashedly at the sweep of his long dark lashes. He’s absurdlypretty.
“Thanks.” He exhales and gives Clint a slow curl of a smile.
“Rough night?” Clint asks.
“Nowhere near rough enough. That’s sorta the problem.” That startles a bark of laughter out of Clint, and Walk of Shame winces slightly before saying, “Sorry, TMI. I might still be a little bit drunk.”
Clint kicks off his boots and heads for his bedroom. Then he stops short and just about swallows his tongue.
“Took you long enough,” Bucky says, husky and smug.
He’s sprawled out in Clint’s bed, legs splayed, completely naked as he strokes himself slowly — and he’s smirking up at Clint, one eyebrow raised like it’s a challenge as he swipes his tongue over his lower lip. He squeezes the base of his cock, spine arching as he sighs with pleasure. He’s slick and shiny with lube, and Clint can hear the filthy wet sound of him fucking up into his fist.
“‘M gonna shower real quick,” Clint says, tugging off his shirt, but he can’t stop staring, riveted.
Clint’s been missing his dick all goddamn week. It’s fat and perfectly curved, and the head is even fatter, with a sharply articulated ridge that feels goddamn incredible dragging inside him. Now that Clint can see the wet swollen head, flushed purple-red and glistening in the circle of Bucky’s fingers, he wants it inside him five fucking minutes ago.
He tears his eyes away, looks back up at Bucky’s face, and finds him studying Clint with an uncomfortably perceptive glint in his eyes. He doesn’t say anything, though, just gives himself another squeeze and then gets up, sliding off the bed to prowl slowly toward Clint.
“Couldn’t fuckin’ wait for me, huh?”
“Saw the press conference,” Bucky says. “You’re in a goddamn mood.”
Clint flushes, biting back an automatic denial. “Yeah, and?”
His lips curl into a sly smile. “Figured I’d take the edge off, cause you clearly need to get fucked stupid.”
“Don’t do me any goddamn favors.” Clint goes to unbutton his pants and finds that his fingers are shaking.
Bucky sidles into his space and slides his hand around the nape of Clint’s neck to kiss him. It deepens immediately into something wet and filthy, and Clint’s mouth tingles as Bucky sucks and nips, teeth and tongue doing devastating things. He sucks Clint’s lip roughly, and Clint can’t help the low sound that catches in the back of his throat, or the way his hips rock forward — Bucky lets out a growl of appreciation, sliding both hands down to squeeze his ass and drag him closer.
Warnings:Edging, orgasm denial, age gap (not an illegal one), bratty reader, dirty talk. I won’t say daddy kink but she calls him daddy during sex? And he’s a total dilf? And… yeah, okay, bit of daddy kink. Bucky is a businessman/single dad, reader is his nanny, it’s all sorts of inappropriate. He’s like “gah this is wrong” and she convinces him to stop caring, but I wouldn’t really call it dubious consent. He consents pretty fucking enthusiastically once he gets over the moral dilemma. This is absolute shameless self-indulgent filth.
A/N: for @sweeterthanthis and her “Quote Me On It” challenge, except it’s over a month late, because I have had zero creative energy lately. Better late than never, I hope! My quote was “How about you take a sugar-frosted fuck off the end of my dick?” from Blade: Trinity.
As a reminder, I don’t do tag lists any more! Follow @there-must-be-a-lock-fic and turn on notifications if you want fic alerts.
When you check on her again, Becca is still sound asleep, whistling slightly on each exhale through the gap in her front teeth. You close the door carefully and tiptoe down the stairs, past the floor that contains the office and playroom, down to the main floor of the immaculate Barnes brownstone.
You already cleaned up the kitchen — it was a mess after your cookie-baking venture this afternoon — but Becca’s sippy cup half-full of juice is still waiting on the counter. You pick it up and pour it down the front of your shirt without hesitating.
It’s not like you can take the subway all the way back to Manhattan with your tank top all wet and sticky, right?
Hello! Welcome back to another week of my series Through the Mist. I hope you guys are liking these because I am finding them enjoyable. So, last week we dove into Star Wars and this week is Marvel.
Note this is going to be before Infinity War and Endgame but not in any specific time frame. It’s just an alternate universe with the characters.
***
Universe: Marvel
***
I pulled my headphones out of my pocket the moment I got on the subway. The stench of urine and rat feces burned the inside of my nose. I looked down the packed car and saw that there was no available seating and took my place clinging to the railing. Did I need to take the subway? Of course I didn’t, but I was supposed to be keeping a low profile.
Especially after the incident.
I blared the random playlist on my phone trying to drown out the humming sound of the train. The subway lurched forward and we were racing towards the next stop. My fingers flew through Twitter and every other social media platform looking for any news. Finally, something.
Mystery Hero Comes to Spiderman’s Rescue. Who are they? What do they want?
I bit my lip scrolling through the comments. Many thinking they were the newest Avenger, or a anti hero, or some government secret. If only they new. The subway stopped and two men got on. I scanned them up and down. They wore civilian clothes but it wasn’t hard to mark them as agents. They were too stiff with their posture, I could see the outlines of their guns on their backs, the way they hid their eyes behind sunglasses. I took a deep breath pulling the other strap of my backpack around my shoulder.
They could have been one of two people. The really bad guys, or the bad guys that claimed to be good guys. Both of which I had no interest in talking to. I carefully maneuvered around people trying to look as nonchalant as I did. I glanced behind me and saw the two men were following me. I stood right in front of the subway doors, drumming my fingers nervously against my backpack. The moment the doors opened I was gone. I sprinted past the oncoming group of people, running into many of them as I did. I ran down the hallway and took two at a time up the stairs. I entered the bustling streets of New York City.
I had taken a stop early so I was too far from my apartment. Something had to be closer. I scanned the streets and groaned when I realized where I was. I took off, spinning around corners and narrowly avoided getting hit by oncoming traffic.
It was 8pm so people and tourists were crowding around the Washington Arch. College kids who were hanging out after their last class. Professors discussing their research with other faculty as they walked to their cars. It was a peacefully hectic college campus. One that I used to be apart of.
“Morana!” My old history professor called over to me halting me mid run.
“Professor Quinn.” I said out of breath scanning behind her.
“I was so sad to hear you dropped out of my class.” She said. “You were my brightest student.”
“Thank you,” I said not really looking at her. “Um, family stuff came up.”
“I am so sorry to hear that. But, I would like you to re enroll in my class next semester.” She said reaching out and touching my hand.
That snapped me back to reality. When was the last time someone touched me so gently? I looked into her piercing grey eyes that held nothing but concern. Professor Quinn was one of my favorite teachers. She made me change my major from Chemistry to Philosophy and World History. My eyes skipped back to behind her when I saw the two agents looking around in the crowd.
“Yeah, for sure.” I said not really paying attention.
“Good I look forward to it.” She nodded.
“Okay I’ll see you around Dr. Quinn.” I said quickly ducking into the crowd filtering into the the library.
I felt bad for ditching her but she wasn’t my biggest problem. I also didn’t have the heart to tell her I had dropped out of school in general, not just her class. Like I said, family stuff. I ran up the stairs and slipped into the history section. I waited in the corner for what seemed like an eternity. Finally the sun began to set and the last light trickled in through the windows. The library was open 24 hours so I could have stayed hidden forever but I had to go home eventually. Besides they probably gave up hours ago.
I slipped out the door and headed to the street to call a taxi. I walked across the campus, not a soul in sight. That’s when I heard something snap behind me. Before I could even blink something hit the back of my neck. I cursed grabbing the dart and throwing it on the floor.
I had 30 seconds to do something before I wouldn’t even be able to move my tongue. But I new they were watching, and that is exactly what they wanted me to do. My eyes scanned the area and there was my savior. It was a bright blue pole with and emergency button located on it. All campuses had them. Just in case. I stumbled forward already my legs were getting heavier with every step. My lungs were begging for more air as my ribcage let out slow and painful breaths. I almost collapsed against the pole before hitting the button. I sank the concrete beneath me. Campus security would be on their way any second. That’s when four black SUVs pulled up and surrounded me.
There was not much campus security was going to be able to do.
I had two choices here. Let myself be taken and probably tortured or experimented on or I could escape but then they would know for sure what I was.
No one can know what you are Morana. My mother’s voice rang in my head.
Well I don’t have much of a choice now do I? I answered rhetorically back.
I lifted my hand and began to draw a run in the air. It looked like a pointy b with a line sticking out the back. The moment I finished the rune burned bright and the sinking burning feeling of the drugs were gone. My arms tingled as the runes raced up and down them begging to be used. The growing pit in my stomach began to tug the longer I kept the runes out.
“Stand down!” A man stepped out of the car wearing all black. “We just want to talk.”
“Clearly.” I looked down at the empty dart. “Did you ever think I don’t want to talk to you?”
I crushed the dart under my shoe and the moment my foot hit the floor a large rune circle glowed beneath me. The tingling in my arms turned to a raging fire. My hair was floating around my head and my eyes were probably glowing silver. I looked like a fire goddess, well that was what I’ve been told I look like anyways.
“We can help you.” The man said walking closer.
“I don’t need your help. And by the lack of a badge you haven’t flashed at me I know exactly who you are.” I snapped.
Runes floated around me and I tapped on the closest one. A wall of fire erupted in front of me and with a flick on my wrist I flung in froward. But it stopped just inches from his black polished shoe.
“I know you have a rocky relationship with the organization.” He said taking a small step back and a smile flickered across my lips.
“Oh you could say that.” The scars along the back of my spine tingled in the memory.
“Just come with us peacefully.” He flicked his hand and the remaining doors of the SUVs opened and out poured dozens of scary men dressed in black. All of who had a gun pinned on me.
“Or what?” I spat flicking my fingers around lining up runes.
He laughed pulling a pair of sunglasses from his suit jacket and putting them on. What kind of asshole wears sunglasses at 11 o'clock at night? I tensed ignoring the pain in my stomach and the sweat beating down my forehead.
He raised his hand and right before he dropped it someone wrapped there arms around my waist pulling me into the air. My runes flickered out and the lack of heat was like a punch to the gut. I screamed instinctively clinging to whoever was swinging me in the air. I didn’t stop screaming until we landed on the roof of a building. I pushed out of their arms and scrambled away raising my hands ready to summon the runes. Not that I could do it even if I tried.
“Hey woah! Watch where you point those things.” The last person I had ever expected to see shouted raising his hands into the air.
“Spiderman?” I dropped my arms to my side.
He laughed. “Yeah that’s me. So, you wanna tell me why Hydra is after you?”
Day by day, Harper got stronger. She and Bucky still spent time together every day, but it was less than before. There was a growing tension between them when they were together, but they did their best to ignore it. Of course, it didn’t help that they always ended up entangled when she sparred with him. Sometimes he would just grab her around the waist and pull her in close; other times, he would let her knock him down so that she would be on top of him.
They both knew they had feelings for each other, but Harper was adamant about not acting on those feelings. She would admit that she owed him her life, but she didn’t want him to know that. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t enjoy his company; she loved spending time with him. He was a fantastic sparring partner, and he made her laugh more often than she thought possible. But it didn’t matter how much she enjoyed his presence; she couldn’t allow herself to get attached to someone.
Harper sat alone on the sniper range. The wind blew softly against her face as she stared at the targets through the scope. Her heart beat rapidly as she took aim at one of the targets, allowing her finger to dance over the trigger. The bullet hit true each time.
“Damn. It’s like you never missed a beat,” a voice behind her said. She turned and saw Bucky approaching. His hair was slightly disheveled, which usually meant that he’d been running. There was a proud grin on his face as he got closer to where Harper stood. She couldn’t help but smile, especially when he looked at her like that. Like he actually cared what she was doing or thinking. She could have gotten used to that look every single day.
“You need something?” she asked. Bucky shook his head. “Then why’re you here?”
Bucky shrugged and moved to sit in the empty chair next to her, crossing his arms over his chest. They were quiet for a moment before he spoke. “I just thought I’d check on you.”
Harper smiled again, her heart skipping a beat. “You see me all the time, Barnes,” she reminded him.
He nodded. “That may be true. But I only see you when we train weapons or spar together.” Bucky paused, looking out toward the targets, “Besides, this is one of my favorite spots,” he chuckled, trying to ease the rising tension. Bucky turned his attention back to Harper, smiling gently.
She glanced up and met his gaze, returning the expression. “You want a shot?” she questioned, gesturing toward the weapon still propped on the ledge. He shook his head no, so she stood and picked the gun up, slinging it over her shoulder so she could head back to the compound.
The two of them continued to talk while they walked back to the building. As Harper and Bucky approached the doors, Clint stepped through to meet them. “Harley! There you are. I’ve been looking for you,” he said, walking toward her.
“Well, you found me,” she replied. “What do you need?”
“I found them,” he said flatly. “I think anyway.”
“Found who?” Bucky questioned, stepping up next to Harper.
“The men that attacked her,” Clint answered.
Harper rolled her eyes. She had figured Clint would find them, but a part of her hoped he would fail. “Are you sure it’s them?”
Clint nodded. “Positive.”
Harper sighed. “Okay, tell me what you found,” she gently demanded, leading them all inside the building.
Clint relayed everything he knew. From where they were living to where they were currently working jobs. All of which matched up perfectly with what Harper had already discovered from digging on her own.
“So, what’s our next move?” Bucky asked.
Harper stopped dead in her tracks, “Our? There is no ‘our next move’ soldier. This is something I need to do.”
“You’re not going alone, Harley,” Clint reminded her.
“The only reason you are allowed to tag along, Hawk, is because they pose a threat to you too. Trust me; I’m still not thrilled over the idea,” she pointed out.
“Harley-” Bucky began.
“No,” she interrupted, “You have done more than enough for me, Barnes. This… This is something Clint and I need to finish alone.” She watched as Bucky’s jaw clenched, obviously not pleased with her response but unwilling to argue further. She appreciated that. Harper turned to Clint, “When are you expecting to leave?” she asked.
“As soon as you feel ready, I guess,” he shrugged.
Harper nodded, “Then let’s get packed.”
The next evening, Clint and Harper arrived at a hotel outside Cedar Falls, Iowa. Harper had to chuckle to herself when she had found out where they were headed. How cliche for them to finally close this chapter in their lives, in the exact same place it all had started.
As the pair worked to unpack things for the task the following day, Harper looked to her brother who seemed just a little on edge. “You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked, propping their quivers and bows next to the dresser.
“It’s just another job, right?” Clint replied. “Taking out the bad guys to keep my family safe?”
Harper chuckled a bit, shaking her head. “These guys may be old, Hawk, but you saw what they can still do.”
Clint shrugged again. “If it was too easy, I’d start to question our own skills.”
Harper nodded, “Fair point.”
Clint closed up his suitcase, having only brought his bow, arrows, and a few articles of clothing. Harper, on the other hand, brought all of her favorite weapons. She pulled out two of her knives and her handgun, along with a few other items, before setting her suitcase on the floor. She took a seat at the small desk in the room and began wiping down her knives first.
Clint sat on the edge of his bed, watching his sister work. He couldn’t help but notice how calm she seemed in her movements. Clint realized that this was the first time, in their adult lives anyway, that he had ever truly seen his sister. They had been on opposing sides for so long that even when they did get along, there always seemed to be tension. But now, even though she was getting ready to kill someone, she wasn’t upset or scared, or even nervous. It was almost like she was going through the motions from pure muscle memory.
“Harley, can I ask you something?” Clint suddenly broke the silence between them.
Harper looked over at him, giving him a curious look. “Sure.”
Clint hesitated. His hands shook slightly from nerves as he spoke. “What… What happened to us? I mean, what really happened? We used to be so close. And then…” he trailed off.
“Is this really a conversation you want to have right now?”
“Yes, actually. I need to know, so I know I can trust you while we’re out there,” he told her. “I mean, it can’t honestly just be that stupid petty jealousy from when we were kids, right?”
“Petty jealousy?” Harper repeated, raising a brow in confusion.
“Yeah, Jacques overlooked you for me?” Clint questioned.
She blinked, “You honestly think that is why we had a fallout? Because some asshole with a sword and gambling issues chose you over me to be his little bitch?” she laughed.
“Then what? What happened between us, Harley? Why are we always fighting now?” Clint asked.
Harper shook her head, looking back down at her weapons as she set the first knife on the desk. “Look, I’ll admit, I was a little jealous when he chose you. I mean, let’s be honest, I’ve always been better than you with weapons. He knew it, you knew it, everyone knew it. So yeah, I was jealous. But I grew up, Hawk. I got my life together, got my G.E.D., even had a couple really good jobs.”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Clint pressed.
Harper finally looked up and met his gaze. “You know, Clint, there was never a day that passed that I didn’t think about my little brother. The years I was gone, never a day went by that I didn’t wonder if I did the right thing by breaking my promise to mom. Always questioning if you were alive or if you were dead in a ditch somewhere.”
“Wait…” Clint trailed off, “…Mom? What promise?”
“’You know how your father is, Harper Lee. You need to keep him safe… from everything,’” she began to recite. “’I’m trusting you to be his guardian angel. Promise me you’ll always keep him safe, Harley.’”
Clint stared at her in silence as he processed what she said. “Harley…” he trailed off, unsure if he wanted to continue.
“Then, on my first assignment as a rookie agent, not only does the house I’m working at get robbed… but it’s my brother who happens to be the one breaking in. At least I knew you were alive, though, right?” she laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Harper grabbed her other knife and began cleaning it as she continued her story. “After Buck left you behind that night, I got right back into that ‘big sister mode.’ He shot both of us that night… but I was older, stronger, I had to keep you safe. Nothing else mattered. But it was painstakingly clear that we couldn’t work together.”
“But… Why?”
“Hawk, you got hurt because you were more concerned about me than yourself.” She paused, glancing at Clint. He remained silent, waiting for the rest of her story. “So, once we were healed up, I left. I left my job; I left my life because I needed to make sure that my brother stayed alive.”
“That’s why you started using the symbol again. So no one actually saw us together,” Clint realized.
Harper nodded. “Yeah, pretty much,” she agreed. She put away her other knife, moving on to cleaning her gun. “I knew it wasn’t enough, though; staying away from you. So, I did the only logical thing I could think of. I called Fury. I told him I had a prospect for him to check out that would be a great addition to his team. Not to mention a perfect fit when he finally made his little Avengers club,” she chuckled.
“That still doesn’t explain why we fight every time we see each other. If you’ve been protecting me all this time, why is it always a fight?” Clint asked, confused. “You ruined my wedding… You…” he groaned, “I mean, for god’s sake, Harley, you shot me the last time we crossed paths. Why?”
Harper sighed, setting the gun back on the desk. “Because,” she began slowly, choosing her words carefully, “If I hadn’t kept you away, I was afraid something would happen to you. I’ve worked for some really bad people, Hawk. If they thought I cared for you, even a little, they’d use that as leverage.” She laughed a little, adding, “Except the wedding. That was personal. I knew Bird was no good for you.”
Clint rolled his eyes, “Wedding aside…” he started, “You’re saying, all these years, it’s just been an act?”
“Basically,” Harper shrugged. “When you started hating me for it, I was a bit hurt, but it made the act far more believable.”
“So, this whole time, I thought it was me. I thought it was my fault that you hated me. I thought I got the job on my own, and you were jealous again; I thought the reason my family was safe was because of the steps I took. And you just went along with that?”
“What would you have wanted me to do, Hawk? Tell you the truth? Put your kids’ lives in danger? Fuck that! I’d rather you hate me than have to go through the pain of losing a child,” she responded angrily.
“We could have kept them safe, Harley. We could have kept you safe,” Clint argued, his voice rising slightly in frustration.
“Iwas safe, Hawk,” she snapped back. “And you know, you’re right. If I had told you the truth, maybe you would have actually helped me when I came to you. But what’s done is done. So can we just focus on moving forward? Once these two are gone, I won’t need your help ever again, and your family will be safe. You can go back to hating me, and you’ll never have to see me again, I promise.”
Clint shook his head, looking at his feet, unable to respond. He sighed heavily.
“For what it’s worth… I am sorry, Hawk. For everything. But I did what I had to do. I made my choice, so you didn’t have to. I couldn’t live with myself if I caused anything to happen to you, the kids, or even Laura,” she explained.
He glanced up at her, his face softening slightly. “It’s okay, Harls,” he replied. “I’m sure if the roles were reversed, I probably would have done the same thing.” He paused, looking down as he continued, “The choice is yours, Harper Lee, but…” Clint took his time, searching for the right words. “Look, the kids seemed to really enjoy your visit. And…”
“Hawk, stop,” she interrupted him, causing him to lift his eyes from the ground. “I know what you’re trying to get at, and I appreciate it. But, I can’t be the sister I once was to you. I can’t stick around, and I can’t join your little team. I’m alone in this, and that’s how I need to stay. It’s for the best,” she explained, staring him in the eyes.
Clint looked back at her silently for a few moments before nodding, accepting the answer without arguing. “How about we agree to disagree? And we can talk about it after we’re done with this job?” he suggested.
“Sure, Hawk,” she smiled.
Harper left her weapons lying on a cloth on the desk. She bent down, dug out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from her suitcase, and made her way to the bathroom to change. Maybe working with Clint won’t be so bad. She mused as she pulled on her shorts, turning to look at her reflection in the mirror as she ran her fingers over the scars on her shoulder. Then again, I do my best work alone.
It had been a month since Harper was brought back to the tower. She had been going to physical therapy every morning, despite the fact that she no longer required assistance with anything, and she was finally feeling back to her old self. It would still take some work for her to use her bow, or a gun, at least as she once had, but she was determined to get out of the care of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers as soon as she could.
Fury decided that the best option for her was to move to the compound. She would be able to heal in peace, mostly, and she would be able to work with weapons any time she wanted. Harper begrudgingly agreed, if for no other reason than knowing she owed her life to him. What harm could a few weeks in a guarded vacation home do anyway?
Four weeks at the compound passed quickly. Thanks to the serum, she was healing rapidly, felt stronger than ever before, and was finally able to use her right arm without much issue. She still wasn’t a hundred percent yet, but she was close enough.
Bucky had stuck by her side as much as she allowed, helping her to regain her strength and accuracy both in combat and with weaponry. She trusted him enough to let him take care of her, but it wasn’t always easy. Harper had never been one to allow anyone to get close to her. She was always guarded, cautious, and wary. But Bucky made her feel relaxed in a way that she’d only ever been able to relax around him. Harper now knew what it felt like, to be vulnerable, and it wasn’t a feeling she ever wanted to experience again. Bucky understood this and was very patient with her.
One afternoon, they were in the gym sparring with each other. He was careful with her right side, knowing her shoulder had taken the brunt of the damage and had yet to heal fully, or so he assumed.
“Come on, soldier, I know you can do better than that,” Harper taunted him.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Bucky protested.
“I’ve told you, soldier. I’ll be fine. After everything I went through, you’re nothing,” Harper retorted.
He scoffed, “And I’ve told you, call me Bucky. I’m not the Winter Soldier anymore, okay?”
“Fine… Bucky. Now show me what you got,” Harper challenged.
There was something going on with her. No one should be healing as quickly as Harper was. She was stronger too. Not wanting to press things though, Bucky just sighed as they both jumped into a fight stance, fists raised, ready to strike. They circled each other warily, sizing up their opponent and gauging if they could land any hit on them. Then Bucky threw a punch at Harper, who blocked it easily. She quickly retaliated with a kick to Bucky’s leg, causing him to stumble.
Harper followed that up by tackling him to the ground. She landed squarely on top of him, pinning his arms down underneath her. Bucky growled, trying to buck Harper off of him. She smirked and leaned in close to his ear. He froze instantly, his breathing labored.
She whispered, “Remember what happened last time we were like this? Remember how we nearly killed each other?” Bucky swallowed hard and nodded his head. A faint smile spread across her face, “Don’t worry, soldier… Bucky… This time is different,” she said softly.
Harper shifted her weight, so she was sitting astride Bucky’s hips, straddling his waist and allowing his arms to move freely once again. She saw something familiar in his eyes, something she had seen before when she was with the Winter Soldier. It was the same glimmer in his eye she remembered seeing each time he learned he would be working alongside her.
She knew it was wrong, but something in her heart pulled her forward. Something she had never felt before. That same pull grew stronger with every passing second until their lips met. Hard. Bucky responded by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, deepening the kiss.
After several minutes, they pulled apart. Both were panting slightly. Bucky rested his forehead against hers. He gently ran his fingers through her hair before resting his hands on her lower back. They stayed like that for a few moments until Harper finally broke the silence, “I’m sorry…” she muttered.
Bucky shook his head, “For what?”
“I shouldn’t have kissed you…” she trailed off, sitting up on her knees still straddling Bucky’s hips.
Bucky smiled, “It’s alright.”
“No, Bucky,” she started. “I mean… we can’t…” she sighed softly, “It’s too dangerous.”
“What?” Bucky asked, confused.
Harper pushed herself off of him and stood up. “I’ve been walking this world alone for a long time, Bucky. It’s kept me safe all these years; I can’t risk doing something reckless like this.”
Bucky stood up, “I don’t understand, Harley.”
Harper turned to face him, “The last thing I need is someone getting hurt because I let my guard down,” she said firmly.
Bucky frowned, “Why don’t we just talk about this?” he suggested, brushing himself off.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Bucky. It just isn’t possible,” she insisted.
Bucky stepped forward, putting his hands lightly on her waist, “Look, Harley, I understand… I really do. But you’re not alone anymore.”
She backed away from him, pulling out of his grasp. “Listen, soldier. I’m not staying. Once I can use my bow again, I’m gone,” she stated firmly. Harper sighed, shaking her head when she saw the disappointment in his eyes. “It’s safer this way… for everyone,” she finished quietly. With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Bucky in the gym alone.
Standing at the line at the archery range, Harper pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back. Taking aim, she released her hand, nailing the target perfectly in the center. Smiling, she placed another arrow to her string, lining up for another shot. The next arrow was much faster than the first and hit the target dead center again, just to the side of the first.
“Looks like someone’s back to themselves,” a voice said behind her.
Harper sighed and turned to face the man who had spoken. “Still not perfect, but I’ll get there.”
“How are you feeling?”
She shrugged, “Better than before. The shoulder still has some healing to do, but with as much damage as that arrow did, I guess that’s to be expected.”
“You going to tell me yet just how you managed to heal almost completely in just over two months?”
“I told you, Hawk, I don’t know.”
“That’s bullshit, Harley. Why won’t you just tell me the truth? What harm could it do?” he questioned.
Harper glared at him, “Why is it so important that you know?” she spat.
“Because you’re my sister, Harley,” Clint replied simply. “Here I am, trying to reach out to you, giving you a chance, and you just turn it into a fight.”
“You’re only bitching because you feel guilty, Hawk. I’m not stupid,” Harper retorted sharply.
Clint sighed, “Guilt or not; it doesn’t matter. I’m trying, Harley. Why can’t you?”
“Because I don’t need your pity, Clint. I needed my brother. I reached out to my brother. And you brushed me off like I was dust on your bow,” she hissed angrily.
Clint sighed, “I’m sorry, Harls. I should have listened… I shouldn’t have reacted so cold toward you when you first showed up. I’m sorry. Just -”
“Just stop, Hawk. Save your ‘sorry.’ I don’t need it. Not from you. Not from anyone,” Harper snapped harshly.
Clint flinched, “Alright,” he mumbled softly. “Then what do you want?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. I’m healthy enough. I think I’m just going to go,” Harper answered.
“Go where?” Clint questioned.
“Back to work. Back to what I do best,” Harper answered.
Clint looked shocked, “You want to leave? To do what? Find the two people that tried to kill you? That’s suicide, Harley!”
“I have an advantage this time. I’ll be fine,” Harper assured him.
Her brother stared at her intently, studying her facial expression. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully before taking a deep breath. “The serum,” he murmured.
Harper gave him a quizzical look, “Excuse me?”
“The serum you were searching for. Fury told you where to find it, and you took it. Didn’t you?” Clint guessed. “That’s why you survived the attack. The serum was already trying to heal your wounds before Barnes ever found you.”
Harper nodded slowly; there was no sense lying to him. “Yes,” she agreed. “I injected a small dose before they ever found me. When Barnes brought me here, Fury found the vials in my bag and had Banner give me a second dose.”
“That explains it,” Clint nodded. “Listen, Harley. Why don’t we make a deal? One where we can both get what we want?”
“Like what?”
“Before you leave, give me two weeks. I’ll find the men that attacked you, and you have more time to heal and practice; get yourself back where you know you need to be,” Clint negotiated.
“Why?” she questioned. “Why help me now?”
“They are as much a threat to me as they are you. Not to mention, if you go at it alone and fail, they become a threat to my kids. They made us into what we are… so what do you say we end it the same way we started? Together.”
Harper hesitated before saying, “Fine. I guess we’ll see what happens,” she replied. “But only two weeks, Hawk. That’s it.”
Clint nodded, “Good enough for me,” he said with a smirk before heading towards the exit.
Two weeks had passed since Bucky found Harper clinging to life in Atlanta. One of the doctors helping to care for her in the tower felt that she was at the point that they could safely bring her out of the drug-induced coma. They began to lower the dose of the anesthetic she was being given in hopes of easing her awake slowly.
Though he had spent the better part of the last fourteen days by Harper’s side, Bucky was away on a short mission when they began the process of waking her. When he returned early the next morning, he rushed to the clinic and was thankful to see she was still asleep. Bruce was checking her vitals and I.V. medications when Bucky walked in. He froze for a moment when he saw Clint seated in a chair on the other side of Harper’s bed.
“Ah, Barnes, welcome back,” Bruce greeted. “She should be awake soon, so you’re just in time.”
Bucky looked over at Clint, who met his gaze. He could see the sadness in Clint’s eyes as if he was fighting with himself not to show it. Bucky swallowed thickly before walking over and taking a seat in an empty chair next to Harper. “Barton…” he began softly.
“I know,” Clint whispered before placing his hand gently on Harper’s. “She wouldn’t want to see me anyway. I just didn’t want her alone if she woke up before you got back.” He stood from his chair and began walking to the door.
“If you want to stay, then stay, Clint,” Bucky told him. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you when you first came to see her,” he said apologetically. “I know she is the only family you have left besides your kids, and-”
“Maybe by blood, Barnes, but Harley and I haven’t been family for a really long time,” Clint argued softly, opening the door of the room and walking out without another word.
Bruce watched him leave before turning back to Bucky, who was looking down at his hands before running them through his hair nervously. “He’ll come around. They both will,” Banner assured him. Bucky nodded but did not respond. Pulling out a book, he leaned back in his chair and began reading, trying to find some way to keep his mind off of everything that was going on.
Bucky was so lost in his book that he didn’t notice Harper had begun to stir ever so slightly. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the light and surroundings. She gave a weak smile when she finally noticed who was in the room with her. “Well, hey there, soldier,” she said hoarsely.
Bucky looked up from his book, smiling slightly when he saw her awake. “Hey yourself, Angel,” he responded softly. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he closed his book and set it aside.
“I’ve been worse,” she joked, trying to laugh but instead wincing when pain flared through her body. “Where am I?” she questioned, confused.
“You’re at the Avengers’ Tower in New York,” he answered. “Try not to move too much yet. You’re banged up pretty good, and need to rest.”
“How’d I get here?” she questioned further. “The last thing I remember was being in a hotel room.”
“You were hurt pretty bad, Angel, and-”
“Please, soldier, call me Harley. Keep that Angel shit for work,” she cut him off.
Bucky hesitated slightly before nodding. “Alright… Harley,” he replied. “The short version, I guess, is that I found you in your hotel room in Atlanta. You were… in rough shape. You have a couple of gunshot wounds, some cuts, and scrapes, bruising, a couple of broken ribs, and an arrow wound to your right shoulder,” Bucky explained.
“Damn,” she muttered, trying to remember what happened. “How long have I been here?”
“About two weeks now.”
“Why’d you come looking for me?” Harley asked curiously.
“Honestly? I overheard Fury tell Clint that he was worried. He thought something had happened to you. Clint didn’t seem too concerned and said you could handle yourself. But you saved my life before, so, I don’t know, maybe I felt like I owed you one,” he shrugged.
“If Fury was involved, I can see how you knew what city to look at, but Atlanta isn’t exactly a small town. How’d you know where I was?”
Bucky chuckled a little, “I know you always stay in the most expensive hotel when you’re on a job. I also remembered the alias you used to use and took a shot. With a little white lie, I managed to get into your room. When I walked in, I saw you on the bed…” He hung his head as he finished his explanation.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For coming for me,” Harley added. “I know I’m not really worth saving, but thank you.”
“Youare worth it,” Bucky said firmly, meeting her gaze.
Harley smiled weakly, “You know that’s not true, soldier. You should know better than anyone.”
Bucky sighed deeply, knowing entirely too well why she felt the way she did. He also knew there was no winning the argument over the matter. “Do you know who did this to you?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I didn’t see their faces if that’s what you’re asking. But I know who sent them, and I have a pretty good idea of who the two men were that attacked me. And believe me, I am going to make them pay for this,” she swore, a fire burning behind her green eyes.
“Harley. We-”
“No, soldier,” she interrupted, causing him to fall silent. “This is my fight, mine, and I’m going to take care of it. They made the mistake of leaving me alive, and that mistake is going to cost them dearly,” she told him, determination burning behind her words.
“Harley, please. You don’t have to fight alone. You’re going to be out of action for a few months, at least. Let us help you,” he pleaded. “We can protect you.”
“No,” she shook her head adamantly. “I won’t allow you, or anyone, to put their life on the line for me. These people would give the Winter Soldier a run for his money alone, let alone as a team. I won’t let any of you risk yourselves for me,” she continued to argue.
The door to the room opened, pulling their attention away from the conversation. “Sorry to interrupt,” Bruce apologized sheepishly. “How are you feeling, Miss Barton?”
Harley offered a smile, “Been better. Been worse,” she joked.
Bruce smirked faintly, glad that she could still joke about all of this despite how badly she must feel. “There’s a couple of people who would like to see you, if you’re up for it, that is?”
She nodded, “Sure, why not.”
“I’ll go,” Bucky said quickly, standing from his chair. “I’ll come to check on you again later if you want?”
Despite the annoyance Harley was feeling at their argument moments ago, she found herself smiling at him as she spoke, “Yeah, alright.” He moved closer to the side of the bed and took her hand in his. Harley squeezed his hand lightly. “Thanks, soldier. For everything.”
“You’re welcome, Harley,” he answered quietly before grabbing his book off of the chair and leaving the room.
Once he was gone, Bruce turned to her. “Are you hungry?”
Harley nodded, “A little, yeah.”
“I’ll see what I can get for you,” Bruce said. “I’ll let Fury and Clint know that you’re awake, but to give you a little bit of time before they come to see you, okay?”
“That’s fine. Thank you,” Harper told Banner as he headed towards the door. As soon as he was gone, Harley laid back against her pillow. Her eyes drifted shut after a while as exhaustion started to weigh on her tired body.
Harley awoke again a few hours later to find her brother sitting next to her bed. “Hey,” she mumbled.
“Hey,” Clint said back softly. He reached out and brushed some of her hair away from her face. “How do you feel?”
“Like a semi-truck ran me over,” Harley replied with a slight chuckle that quickly turned to a groan.
“You look like it too.” Clint laughed.
“Thanks,” Harper said sarcastically. She sighed, trying to sit up but still unable to move much.
Clint watched as his sister struggled. He’d never seen her so helpless before. She was always the one taking care of him, always there to ensure he was safe. Now, when she had needed him most, he wasn’t there for her.
Harper could see in his eyes that he felt responsible. “I’ll be fine, Hawk. Really,” she tried to assure him. “I’ve been hurt before; this isn’t anything new.”
Clint looked at her sternly. “This is different, Harper Lee.”
“First, you know I hate when you use my full name. I’m not some kid in trouble, Hawk,” she scolded. “Second, how is this any different than any other time? I’ve been shot before, I’ve had bones broken before,” Harper tried to reason.
Clint just shook his head. “Not like this. This is different.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Clint paused. He took a deep breath. “Harley, you almost died. You needed blood transfusions and surgeries. You have so much morphine pumping through you that I’m surprised you feel any of the pain at all. For fuck sake, you were in a coma for two damn weeks. And now you’re trying to brush it off because your stupid, selfish ass can’t deal with being vulnerable.”
“You’re right,” she stated simply. “But you know what else? None of that is your fault, Clint. Not one thing that happened to me is anyone’s fault but my own. So why should I take the charity of you and your friends because of my own stupidity?”
“Harley-”
“No,” she cut him off. “I get it, Hawk. You’re my brother. You feel bad because it wasn’t you that jumped to my rescue. You blew me off, and now you feel responsible for what happened. But I am not a damsel in distress. I don’t need you, or your friends, to save me. I can take care of myself.” She glared at him. “I’m stronger than you think I am.”
“I know you’re strong, and I respect that. But damn it, Harley, you don’t have to be. If you had just told me you were in trouble instead of playing your bullshit games, I could have helped you.” He glared at her, willing her to understand what he was saying.
She stared at her brother. “It’s my fight, Hawk, not yours. This isn’t some back alley fight or a bunch of aliens from outer space. This is my life, and if I can’t handle it, then that’s my problem.”
“Do you even hear yourself? This isn’t about you or your bullshit jobs. This is about you getting hurt. This is about you almost dying for fuck sake!”
Harper rolled her eyes. “I’m. Fine. Hawk,” she snapped. Her tone was angry.
Before Clint could say anything, Director Fury walked into the room. “Barton, good to see you awake,” he greeted.
“I can only assume I owe you a thank you for saving my life?” Harper asked sarcastically.
Director Fury smirked slightly. “We’ll call it a personal courtesy,” he answered calmly. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time, Barton. I know you need to rest. But I have to ask…”
“I know what you want, Fury. I didn’t see their faces, but I have a pretty good idea who it was. I’m not as worried about them as I am who sent them. If they found me in Georgia, I can only assume they found Scorpio.”
Director Fury nodded. “Don’t worry about that. They are safe,” he assured her.
Harper nodded. “Thank god.”
“We need to know who attacked you, though, Barton. We need to make sure that they won’t try to come after you here at the tower. It could put all of us at risk,” Fury continued.
“They think I’m dead, Fury. They won’t try to show up here as long as I lay low until I’m healed enough to fight again,” Harper stated.
Clint frowned. “And what if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not,” she glared at her brother.
“We can’t take that risk, Barton,” Fury insisted. “We need to know who targeted you.”
Harper shook her head. “Fury, this is all a personal vendetta. Against me, and you. They aren’t stupid enough to try to hit a S.H.I.E.L.D. location. That would be suicidal.”
Fury raised an eyebrow. “Me?”
“I did my research while I was figuring out their identity. Think about it, Nick. Who else do you think would involve Scorpio?”
He paused for a moment, hoping he was wrong. “Leviathan?” Fury questioned.
Harper glared at him. “Yes, Leviathan.”
“What are you two talking about?” Clint asked curiously.
“It is - well, it was, a Russian-based organization. They were similar to Hydra, but when they failed, the organization’s leader turned his efforts to destroying the other members of the Zodiac. I’m the last surviving member,” Fury explained.
“Then, who’s Scorpio?” Clint questioned.
“My son,” Fury replied simply. “It’s part of the reason I know your sister so well,” he continued.
Clint looked between the two, trying to decipher what they meant. “I don’t understand.”
“Fury and I met while I was enlisted. When I got out, he got me a job with the CIA working under him. But when he joined S.H.I.E.L.D., I left the agency and went rogue,” Harper answered. “He tried to recruit me, but I was making better money on my own. It didn’t seem worth it to give that up. So, instead, he gave me a job. No one knew about his kid, and he wanted to keep it that way, but Fury also wanted to ensure his son was kept safe. I still took on jobs for the highest bidder, but between jobs, I was with Marcus and his mother.”
“So, this Marcus, is Fury’s kid, andScorpio?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what mess Marcus got himself into or why he took up the moniker. I just know, I was contacted by Orion to take out Scorpio. As soon as I learned who it really was, I canceled the contract. Orion didn’t like that, so he sent people after me. The only two people that could actually pose a threat to me when teamed together.” Harper looked to her brother, her eyes pleading with him to understand.
“I thought they quit the game when they couldn’t kill me?” Clint asked, confused.
“They couldn’t kill you because you had help, Hawk. I don’t.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “But, now that they think I’m dead, it needs to stay that way until I can take care of things. If they know they failed, they will do what they can to get me out of hiding. That includes making a little trip to Missouri if they need to.” Harper’s words hit hard, causing Clint to realize exactly what his sister was suggesting.
“You’re not taking care of shit, Harley. This is far beyond anything you can handle alone. Not to mention the risk involved if you fail again. Screw your pride for once. You’re out of commission for a few months at least, so we’re helping whether you like it or not. This is no longer a personal problem for you, Harper Lee. It’s now an Avenger problem,” Clint spoke firmly, not letting her protest.
Harper sighed, knowing that arguing wouldn’t change her brother’s mind, but she hated that he was right. She’d be risking her life if she tried to go on alone. Harper knew this, she understood it, but… she still hated the idea of accepting help. She still wanted to prove to herself that she was stronger than she had ever believed she could be. She just wanted to prove to herself that she could do this, that she could defend herself against those who would attack her.
Clint left the room quickly before Harper could even agree with him. As soon as the door shut behind him, Fury spoke up again. “Are you going to tell them about the serum?”
“Clint is pissed enough. I think it’s best if I wait before I tell him,” she answered honestly. “He’s not ready to hear about it.”
“I think he deserves to know,” Fury responded. “They will all know something once they realize just how quickly you are healing.”
“Banner injected me with a second dose, didn’t he? Or at least a proper dose?”
“Your injuries were -”
“That’s a yes,” she sighed, cutting him off. “I appreciate it, Fury. All of this. I’m sorry it got to this point.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Barton. We share the blame on this one.”
Harper smiled ruefully at him. “Thanks for everything.”
“Anytime.” He nodded to her before turning and walking out of the room.
Harper leaned back against the pillows, running a hand slowly through her hair. God, she felt exhausted. She closed her eyes briefly, hoping the meds would help calm her thoughts and calm her nerves.
Bucky found himself in Atlanta the next afternoon. He knew enough about Harper that he hoped it wouldn’t take long to locate her. Opening the browser on his phone, he looked up the most expensive hotel in the area. Clicking on the number, he called the front desk.
“Hello, thank you for calling. How can we help you today?” a young female answered.
“I am looking for my wife, and I’m hoping you can tell me if she has checked out yet or not?” Bucky lied confidently.
“I would be happy to look for you, sir. Can I have the last name?”
“It should be under Samael,” he told the girl. It was the alias she had always used when working for Hydra, so it was worth trying now. “I’m not sure which first name she used, but it should be either Lilith or Freya.”
There was a pause, but he could hear the clicking of the keys as the girl typed on the computer. “It looks like she is still checked in and has the room booked for another couple of days, sir,” she informed him.
“Wonderful,” Bucky said, “Can you put me through to her room? She isn’t answering her cell phone, and I just want to make sure she is doing alright.”
“Of course, sir. Just one moment.”
After another brief pause, the phone began to ring. Bucky let the tone play through a few times and then hung up. Harper wasn’t answering, which could mean one of two things. Bucky could only hope that it meant she was out of the room, but he still had a bad feeling in his gut about this entire situation. Plugging the address into his phone’s GPS, Bucky made his way to the hotel.
He approached the front desk, where a young woman stood behind a large counter. “Hi, there,” he said, trying to appear friendly. “My wife is currently checked in here. I tried her cell phone and room phone, but there was no answer. Is there any way you can help me out?”
“Oh yes, you called for her not too long ago,” the clerk said. “Let me try calling her room since we don’t usually give out guest information. If she doesn’t answer, I will make an exception this once for you.”
“Ireally appreciate it,” Bucky smiled at her. He walked over to the seating area in the lobby and waited while she called up to the room.
The young clerk tried to call Harper’s room three times over twenty minutes before giving up and creating another key for the room. Placing it in the small sleeve with the room number, she walked around the counter to the lobby and approached Bucky. “I tried calling a few times, but there was no answer,” she explained, handing him the card. “Here is a key for the room. If you have any trouble, just let me know,” she smiled at him kindly.
“Thank you so much,” he told her.
She left the lobby and went back to work, leaving Bucky alone. He quickly made his way to the room, knocking on the door first, hoping that Harper might answer. When there was no response, he used the key and opened the door, thankful she didn’t lock it with the safety locks. Bucky stepped inside and quickly closed the door behind him, glancing around the room. He could tell immediately something was wrong.
Walking farther in, Bucky saw Harper laid out on the bed with blood staining the sheets. She was unmoving, and her breathing was shallow. Her skin was pale, and her usually bright blonde hair now had hints of a dull copper-red. She had been beaten pretty badly and was bleeding from multiple wounds all over her body.
Bucky’s heart ached. The Dark Angel was untouchable, just as he had been as the Winter Soldier. Seeing her so weak, so helpless, broke something in his heart that had never been touched before. He couldn’t help but kneel down beside the bed, tears pricking his eyes as he gently brushed a few strands of blonde hair away from her face. “Damn it, Angel,” he whispered with a sigh. “You’re going to be okay. I promise,” he murmured.
He stood back up, pulled out his phone, and took a seat in the chair at the small desk. Scrolling through the names in his contact list, he knew there was only one person he could call.
“What is it, Barnes?”
“It’s about the Dark Angel, Fury,” he replied.
“What about her?” the director asked.
“I found her, sir. And it’s not good.”
“Hang on a minute,” Fury responded. Bucky could hear shuffling on the other end for a few moments and then heard a door slam shut. “Where did you find her?” Fury finally spoke again.
“At a hotel in Atlanta,” he replied.
“Was she conscious when you found her?” the director questioned.
“No. She is unconscious, and her injuries are extensive.”
Fury groaned. “Is she breathing?”
“Yes, she’s alive, but barely. She is severely wounded, sir.”
“How serious are her injuries?”
“She was bleeding profusely, though it seems to have stopped for the time being, and has severe lacerations across her chest and abdomen. A wound straight through her shoulder, but I don’t know what from. She has bruises all over her as well. I don’t know what happened to her, but she’s in bad shape.”
Fury sighed. “Send me the location and room number. I’ll have someone come and collect her. Whatever you do, do not give them any information about who she is. Clean her up as best you can, and I’ll have a clean-up crew handle the room.”
“Understood, sir,” Bucky said, hanging up.
Setting his phone down, Bucky ran his hand over his face before standing and walking to the bathroom. He turned on the water at the sink, allowing it to warm up while he grabbed a couple of the small face towels. Wetting each and wringing them out, he shut off the water and walked back to the bed. Bucky gently began to wipe the dried blood off Harper’s exposed skin.
As he cleaned off her face, he heard a quiet groan escape her lips. Bucky froze. His heart was beating faster than usual as he looked at Harper. “Hey, Angel, stay with me, okay?” he whispered softly. Bucky placed his hand in hers, wrapping her fingers around his palm. “I know you’re weak, but if you can hear me, please, try to squeeze my hand. Or twitch your fingers. Something,” he begged her.
Harper tried her best to close her hand around his, only able to curl her fingers a little. Her eyes flitted open briefly, and he felt a pang of hope. “You’re okay, Angel. I need you to keep fighting for me. We’re going to get you out of here and fixed up. I promise, okay?” Harper moaned again in response, squeezing his hand as best she could.
Once Bucky had gotten her as cleaned up as he could, he set about packing up all of her things. He picked up the room and ensured everything was where it needed to be. There was a knock at the door that took his attention. Approaching it carefully, he looked out the peephole to see a pair of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the other side. Bucky opened the door and ushered them inside.
“We’re going to take her out the back door and directly into our van. She’ll be transported to the hangar, where we will be getting her onto a quinjet to fly her back to New York. Fury said you could fly back with her, if you want,” one of the agents explained to Bucky.
“Yeah, okay. What about clean-up in here?” Bucky asked.
“We have a team coming in. Just give us your room keys, and one of the agents will check her out once the room is clean,” he replied.
Bucky nodded at him and handed the man the two room keys. The agents thanked him, carefully picked up Harper, and walked out of the room. The second they were gone, Bucky grabbed her bag and made his way to the front of the hotel. He avoided the front desk and quickly got into his car to follow the van to the S.H.I.E.L.D. hangar.
Within two hours of Bucky calling Fury, he and Harper were back at the Avenger’s Tower safe. Bruce was hard at work figuring out just how extensive Harper’s injuries were. While he worked on the scans and tests, Bucky stayed by Harper’s side, watching the monitors, waiting for any answers Banner could give him.
Clint walked into the room while a nurse was cleaning up a few more wounds on Harper. “What happened, Barnes?” he asked, concerned.
“Why do you care?” Bucky asked him sharply, looking at him coldly.
“She’s my sister. Why wouldn’t I care about her?” Clint replied simply.
“You didn’t seem overly concerned when Fury told you he was worried something happened,” Bucky snapped. “What if I hadn’t overheard? Huh? What if I hadn’t flown down there to find her? If it had been left to you, she’d be dead, Barton!”
Clint put his hands up defensively. “Okay. Yeah. You’ve got a point. But she’s still my sister. We may not like each other, but I still love her,” Clint admitted quietly. Bucky stared at him for a moment in silence before turning away. “Do you know what happened?” Clint inquired after several minutes.
“No,” Bucky said bluntly, shaking his head slowly. “I took a shot in the dark that she still used the same alias, and I knew she only ever stayed at the most expensive hotels. By the time I got to her, she was unconscious and barely breathing.” Bucky paused for a long moment before continuing. “I called Fury, got her cleaned up as best I could, and we came back here. The doctor has her in a medically induced coma, but there’s no telling how bad things are yet.”
“Shit,” Clint muttered, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at the monitors and frowned. After a few minutes of silence, Barton turned to leave. “If anything changes, let me know,” he called over his shoulder. Clint looked back at Bucky with a somber expression as he stepped through the door. “Thanks, Barnes,” he added, closing the door as he left.
Harper arrived in Atlanta and parked outside the house. It had been several years since she had last seen the mother and son that resided inside. The home was dark when she entered, but as soon as her footsteps fell upon the creaking floorboards, a form appeared in the hallway between the living room and where Harper needed to go.
“It’s been a while,” said the man who appeared before her.
“Marcus, now isn’t a good time,” she warned.
The man raised his left hand, aiming a gun at Harper’s heart. “Seems like that choice is up to me, not you.”
She sighed, shaking her head slightly. “I taught you everything you know, junior. But I didn’t teach you everything I know. Just let me do what I need to, and I’ll be gone.”
“Who sent you?” Marcus questioned.
“No one fucking sent me,” she scoffed. “I’m here to get something, that’s it.”
His finger slowly moved off the gun’s trigger, relaxing only slightly. “And just what would that be?”
“That’s my business, not yours.”
“So you’re not here for me? Or my mom?” he questioned.
“No. I’m not. You know damn well, if I was here for either of you, you’d both be dead already. I wouldn’t be standing here making small talk with you.”
He looked away from Harper, lowering the weapon and placing it back in its holster. “So why are you here?” he asked.
“The safe in the office. I just need to get something out of it. Then I’m going on my merry way,” she answered.
“How do you expect to get in? My mother has the key hidden, and neither of us knows the code.”
“I have the code, dumbass. Otherwise, I would have shown up when I knew your mother was here. Not when I thought the house was empty.” Harper took a few steps toward the hall where he stood. “Now, are you going to let me get what I came for? Or are you just going to cause a problem?”
Marcus stepped aside, allowing Harper to walk down the hallway to the office. “What’s in there that you need so badly?”
“Nothing you need to know about,” she stated. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to be quick. The longer I’m here, the greater the risk to you… and your mom.”
Marcus watched Harper until she disappeared around the corner and into the room. It wasn’t long before she reemerged, tucking something into the pocket of her jacket. She paused briefly at his side to pat his shoulder as she passed him. Once she reached the front door, Harper turned back to face the young man. “Listen, Marcus…” she started, locking eyes with him. “You’re like a brother to me, and you know full well I would never let harm come to you or your mother. I don’t know what kind of shit you got yourself caught up in. Hell, I don’t think I want to know. But promise me something, alright?”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “I guess?” he replied, not sure of the question.
“Promise me you will reach out if it gets too bad? Your mom knows people to call. They can help protect you both.”
Marcus nodded his head, “I promise,” he assured her. “But what about you?”
“Keeping you two safe is the reason I can’t stay now, nor can I have contact with either of you until I know this threat is squashed. I know damn well that whoever you pissed off has someone tracking me, even if they’re doing a shit job of it. That’s why I have to get back to New York before they can find me here.”
He studied Harper’s face for another moment, trying to read some sort of emotion that he couldn’t see. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of her words. She had always been cryptic, and he never really knew how much she meant by anything she said, but he could tell she meant everything this time. He trusted her. That’s what mattered most in this situation. “I understand,” Marcus told her. “Be careful.”
“Always am,” she assured him with a smirk as she walked out of the house.
It had been five days since Fury had seen Harper. He wasn’t expecting her to reach out once she had acquired the serum, but he had thought someone would have mentioned her visit. While sitting in his office, he decided to call once again.
“Hello?” a man answered.
“I’m looking for Nia,” Fury replied.
“Sure, just a second.”
Fury could hear some shuffling before a woman spoke up. “Hello?”
“Nia, has the Angel arrived yet?”
“She was here two days ago. As far as I knew, she was heading back your way. Why?” Nia asked.
“I haven’t heard from her. Not that I expected to, but what she said before she left has me wondering.”
“Nick…” her voice trailed off. He could hear the worry in her tone, though.
“I’ll figure it out. Just stay alert. When I know more, I’ll fill you in,” Fury told her, hanging up the phone without another word.
Fury sat there for a moment with a troubled look on his face. Things like this didn’t typically phase him, but knowing the people involved made this situation different. This was a possible threat to people he cared deeply for, not just friends and colleagues.
Standing from his desk, Nick walked out of his office and down to the archery range. He found Clint working with some recruits and called him into the empty hallway to speak with him. “It’s about your sister, Barton,” Fury began.
“What about her?”
“How much do you know about her life?” Fury questioned. Barton looked at Fury in confusion. “Let me put it this way,” he tried, “Before a couple of weeks ago, when was the last time you saw her?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “Close to fifteen years. Why?”
“She was in my office last week, wanting that serum. She said there was someone after her,” Fury said.
Clint rolled his eyes, “There’s no one that could be a threat to her.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Barton. Someone, or something, has her spooked enough to seek me out.”
“Look, Fury, with all due respect, Harley has made more than her fair share of enemies through the years. I’m sure she is fine and just said what she felt she needed to say to get what she wanted,” Clint insisted.
As Clint and Fury continued their conversation about Harper, Bucky approached from a side hallway. Before he could turn the corner, he heard the two men talking. Stopping in his tracks, Bucky stood with his back against the wall and listened.
“Barton, your sister was last seen in Atlanta two days ago, and there has been no sign of her since. I’ve got a bad feeling that something happened to her,” Fury explained.
“And that makes it my problem how exactly?” Clint responded. “Just because she is my sister doesn’t mean I would go on some wild goose chase to find her because of some ‘bad feeling.’”
Fury sighed heavily; he couldn’t argue with that. “Look, I just want to make sure she’s okay. If she isn’t, then we might need to think about how to protect ourselves,” Fury reasoned.
The two men stared each other down for a few seconds before Clint turned around and headed back towards the range. “I’m sorry, Fury, but I can’t help you,” he said as the door shut behind him.
Bucky let out a breath and walked down the hall, back the way he had come. He knew the Angel, and he knew Fury. If something had the two of them worried, it wasn’t anything good. Bucky knew Clint wouldn’t do anything, not until it was too late anyway. Still… he couldn’t shake the idea that something terrible was going to happen, if it hadn’t already…
Fury opened the door to his office, flipping on the light as he stepped inside. He seemed unphased as the light revealed someone sitting in his chair at the desk. The stranger had their head tipped back and hands behind their head, eyes closed, and their feet kicked up on the desk with their ankles crossed.
“To what do I owe the visit?” Fury asked.
“I just have some questions… Director.”
“Those questions wouldn’t have anything to do with the files that you copied from S.H.I.E.L.D. servers, would they?” He stepped further into his office, closing the door behind him.
“They might.” The person lowered their feet to the floor and sat up in the chair.
Fury stood at the corner of his desk. “Then allow me to ask a question first,” he began. “Are we playing fair?”
“That entirely depends on you, Fury,” the visitor shrugged.
Nick took his weapon out of its holster and placed it in the center of his desk. The visitor stood, placed a knife on the desk and walked around to the other side, allowing Fury to take a seat in his chair. “What questions might you have, Barton?” he asked.
“I want to know where the vials from Project Gladiator are,” Harper answered.
Fury sat back in his chair. “You won’t find them,” he responded.
“You really believe that?” she challenged.
“I can assure you,” Fury answered, leaning forward onto his desk, “That no one can find those vials.”
“I think you underestimate me,” Harper stated flatly.
“What do you want them for?”
Harper smirked. “That’s my business.”
Fury sat up straight again. “It’s going to come out, either way, Barton.”
“Maybe,” she agreed, “But on my time, not yours.”
“So… you want it for yourself,” he reasoned.
“Never said anything to the contrary, did I?” She asked.
“No,” he confirmed. “But you know as well as I do that there are plenty of people who would love to get their hands on those vials.”
She took a seat opposite him, resting her arms on the desk with her hands clasped. “You’re right; there are. But none of them matter. I’m not doing this for the money. Now, we can either do this the simple way, and you just give me what I want. Or we can do this the fun way, for me anyway, and I take what I want. The choice is yours, Fury.”
Fury sighed, knowing that he couldn’t win an argument against her without giving something away. “Let’s be honest, Barton. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already have an idea of where the serum is. So you don’t actually need me to give you thatinformation.”
“Fair point,” she acknowledged.
“Why come then?”
The young woman smirked again, leaning back slightly. “Call it a professional courtesy,” Harper shrugged.
“I see,” Fury nodded. “Is that why no one has been hurt?”
“Yet…” she clarified. “No one has been hurt yet.”
Harper kept her eyes locked on Fury. She could tell he was trying to process all the information he had thus far. His eyebrows furrowed, thinking about how to proceed. Eventually, his shoulders relaxed, and his gaze became less serious. “Alright, Barton. Let’s make a deal.”
A smirk crept on her lips again. “What sort of deal?”
“Call it a personal courtesy,” he countered. “You get what you want, and no one gets hurt in the process.”
“What’s in it for you?” she asked.
“Answers, Barton. I want answers.”
Harper sat up in the chair, folding her arms over her chest. “How specific do these answers have to be?”
Fury looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. “Specific enough that I can justify what I’m agreeing to.”
She nodded in agreement. “Fine. But only out of respect.”
“Fair,” he replied. “Why do you want the serum?”
“Personal use,” Harper replied shortly.
“Personal for yourself?”
“Yes.”
Fury nodded, understanding. “What for?”
“Call it precautionary.”
“And why would you need any sort of safeguard?”
Harper sighed, “What are we doing, Fury? Playing twenty questions?”
“You could give me the short version if you’re in a hurry,” he offered.
Harper considered for a moment before responding. “Someone contacted me to take out a target. They wanted me to take down someone going by the name Scorpio. I took the job without question.” She watched Fury’s eyes widen slightly. He knew exactly who she had been sent after. “Once I found out this Scorpio’s real identity, I changed my mind. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t realize the reach the original contact had. Now… the hunter has become the hunted,” she explained.
Fury raised his eyebrows slightly. He had known Harper for many years and never knew her to be the one under attack.
Harper continued, “There’s not many that can do my job better than me, Nick. You know that better than most. I can’t take that risk this time around. Not without a safety net.”
Fury sat quietly for a moment. Then he nodded in agreement. “What happens next, Barton?”
Before she could answer, a knock on the office door interrupted them. A voice came through the door, “Director Fury?”
Fury looked towards the door. “Yes?”
Agent Hill opened the door, just enough to poke her head inside. “Sorry to interrupt, but they’re back, sir.”
Fury nodded, and Hill closed the door. He turned back to Harper, “Unless you want to see your brother again, I’d suggest heading out the same way you arrived.” He wrote some information on a piece of paper and handed it to Harper. “I’ll let her know to expect you.”
Harper took the paper and offered a respectful nod before standing up and quickly leaving the office. Fury sat in the silence for a while, taking in all the new information. He didn’t like the thought of Harper, or anyone, having those vials, but he was sure that he chose the lesser of two evils this time around. Besides, he owed her one for turning the job down. The least he could do was help her survive the consequences.
Fury stood from his chair and left his office, locking the door behind him. As he walked the halls toward the briefing room, his mind was racing with the possibilities of who could have Harper concerned enough to seek out his help, even if it was just to confirm what she already knew. And who had tried to hire her in the first place?
Fury walked into the large meeting room, took a seat at the head of the long table, and looked around at each team member seated around him. “So,” he began, “What did you find out?”
“Well, sir, I know who has been breaking into the different S.H.I.E.L.D. locations,” Clint spoke up first.
“And it is?”
“My sister, sir,” Clint answered.
“Do we know what she is looking for?”
“Not entirely. We know she wants information on something Laura worked on when she was with S.H.I.E.L.D., but aside from the name of the project, we have no idea what it is,” Clint said.
“She wants information on something called Project Gladiator, sir,” Steve added.
“It was a project intended to try to replicate the Super Soldier Serum. After some setbacks, Laura succeeded in not only making the Super Soldier Serum but a combination serum as well. Laura and I were the only ones that knew about that accomplishment,” Fury explained.
“What could she possibly want with that?” Natasha asked. “She seems to be going through a lot of trouble if she just wants it to sell to the highest bidder.”
Fury looked between the three Avengers, not wanting to reveal more than they needed to know. “I couldn’t say. Did she mention if she is working for anyone?”
“No. Not directly anyway. She mentioned something about a client, but there’s no telling with her if it was just empty words or not,” Clint replied.
“This isn’t going to be a problem for you, is it Barton? Possibly having to take down your sister?”
“No sir,” he assured. “She and I haven’t been on the best of terms in a very long time.”
“Good,” Fury stated. “Let’s keep our guard up then until we figure out exactly what her intentions are,” Fury instructed.
“Yes, sir,” the trio answered in unison.
Once Fury was back in his office, he locked the door and sat at his desk. After several minutes of debate with himself, he picked up the landline and dialed a phone number.
“Hello?” a woman answered cautiously.
“I’m sorry to call you like this,” Fury replied.
“Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I’m calling to tell you that the Dark Angel will be stopping by. Whether or not she’ll stop when you are at the house, I don’t know, but she is picking up something.”
The silence on the line lasted for what seemed like an eternity. “Are we still safe with her?” the woman finally asked.
Fury hesitated before answering. “I trust her,” he said.
A small sigh could be heard from the other end of the line. “That doesn’t answer the question?” she pressed.
“The Angel won’t do anything to hurt you, you know that. I’m sure she will make it a point to show up while you’re both away. She is taking something from the safe, and that’s all,” Fury told the woman.
“Okay,” she agreed. There was no arguing against him. The woman knew he would never lie to her. “Thank you.”
After hanging up, Fury stared down at the phone for a moment. I hope I’m not wrong.
Laura stood in the kitchen, quietly making dinner as she listened to the children play outside. She could see them from the small window above the sink as she washed a few dishes.
“Hello, Little Bird,” a voice spoke behind her.
She turned around quickly, coming face to face with a woman she hoped she would never see again. “What are you doing here?” Laura asked, feeling behind her for something to use as a weapon.
“No need to get hostile,” the woman said, putting her hands up in defense. “I just thought it would be nice to meet my niece and nephews, is all. Maybe see my sister-in-law again.”
“Harley… How did you find us?”
“I have my ways, Bird. You know that.” Harper took a seat at the small table in the kitchen. Her calm demeanor and honest eyes trying to ease the tension in the air.
Laura shook her head, turning back around to continue cooking though keeping her guard up just the same. “What do you want, Harley? I mean, what do you reallywant?”
Harper sighed heavily, looked down at the table, and then back up at Laura. “I told you, I just want to meet the kids,” she answered sincerely.
“That’s bullshit, and we both know it,” Laura stated calmly, turning her head to try to get a read on the woman sitting at her table.
“I promise,” Harper insisted. “Look, my niece and nephew are teenagers, not to mention your third kid is damn close to starting school, if not enrolled already, and I’ve never met any of them. I haven’t had any family in a long time. I want to change that,” she explained.
“I… I can never tell when you’re lying to me, Harley. But fine, you can stay for now. Just know, if you so much as look at one of my kids wrong, I will end you.”
“Of course, momma bear,” Harley agreed with a smirk. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Laura shot her a quick glare before opening the small window and calling for the kids to come inside. They entered moments later, each wearing a confused look on their faces as they spotted the stranger in their home. “Kids, I’d like you all to meet someone,” Laura began, motioning towards Harley. “This is Harper Lee. She is…” Laura paused, thinking of how to explain this.
“I’m your aunt,” Harley cut in.
“Why have we never heard of you before?” the oldest boy asked.
“It’s a long story,” Harley answered. “But, I’m here now, so what do you say we start off on the right foot, huh?”
“And how do you expect to do that?” he asked.
“Well, first, why don’t you tell me your names?”
He let out a sigh, “I’m Cooper.” He gestured to his sister, “This is Lila. And our brother is Nate,” he finished, gesturing to the last child in the room.
“You can call me Harley. It’s nice to meet all of you finally,” she smiled at the three children.
Laura watched as they interacted briefly, never taking her eyes off Harper. “Why don’t you guys go wash up for dinner?” Laura suggested softly. The children nodded happily, walking off to wash their hands.
Once the children were out of earshot, Laura turned to Harley, “I don’t know what game you’re playing. But don’t act like their friend, if you intend to abandon them, because-”
Harley held her hand up, “I’m not going to do anything to them. Believe it or not, Laura, I’m not the heartless monster you and my brother seem to think I am.”
The five of them all sat around the larger table in the dining room, quietly enjoying a meal together. The kids talked about school and sports, and Harper answered some innocent questions about herself.
Once dinner was over, Harper helped to clean up the dishes and even helped the older two kids with their homework. Laura was surprised, she had expected something terrible to happen, but Harley kept to her word so far.
After the kids did their homework and put everything away from dinner, Harper decided it was the right time for her to head out for the night. “I should be heading back to my hotel,” she said.
“Do you have to?” Lila asked.
“I’ve put enough stress on your mom today,” Harper replied. “But don’t worry, I’ll come back tomorrow to visit again.” She looked up at Laura, who was still cautiously watching her former sister-in-law interact with her kids. “As long as that’s okay?”
Laura looked at her kids, who were all waiting patiently to hear an answer. Finally, she nodded. “I guess that would be alright,” she finally answered.
Harper smiled at Laura and gave each of the kids a hug before leaving the house. This is easier than I thought it would be, Harper thought to herself as she got in her car, waving goodbye to the kids as she drove off.
Harper arrived at the farm a little before the kids were due home from school the next day. She knocked on the door, waiting until Laura answered it. “Hey,” she greeted, “I figured if I came by early, I could maybe help you with some things before they get home.”
Laura looked at her skeptically. “Help me? Why would I want your help?”
“I told you yesterday. I’m not the monster you think I am. I’ve changed, Bird,” Harper stated as she followed Laura into the house.
“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t believe you, Harley.”
“Believe me or don’t, it doesn’t matter to me,” she shrugged.
The two women set to work in silence - picking things up around the house, sweeping, mopping, washing dishes, regular everyday tasks that Harley hadn’t done in a very long time. With the help, Laura got dinner going and finished before the kids ever arrived home.
They all ate dinner together later that evening, chatting idly. The kids took turns talking about their day, telling stories, and making jokes. As Harley watched the kids, a small smile formed on her face as she listened to them talk.
Once everyone had finished eating and had cleared the table, the kids went to work on their homework while Laura and Harley cleaned up the dishes. With everything finished early and the sun still out, Harley suggested they all spend some time outside. “I know I just kind of showed up yesterday, but I brought a gift for each of you kids today,” she said.
“A gift? Really, Harley, you… you didn’t need to bring anything,” Laura said hesitantly.
“Yes, I did,” she replied. “I wanted to. They’re in the car, come on,” Harper urged.
The kids hopped up and ran off outside, following Harley to her car. Laura trailed behind slowly, not wanting to ruin a moment for the four of them but always skeptical of Harley.
After opening the trunk of the car, Harper pulled out a large bow and a quiver, “This set is for you,” she said, handing it to Cooper. She pulled out another set with a slightly smaller bow, giving it to Lila. Nathaniel stepped forward, looking into the trunk next to his aunt. “Don’t worry, little man, I got one for you too,” she said, pulling out a small plastic toy bow with a small quiver holding plastic suction cup arrows. Harper couldn’t help but chuckle a little as the little boy squealed with excitement.
“Really, Harley, you shouldn’t have,” Laura said, trying to sound grateful but failing miserably.
Harper walked over to Laura, “The arrows all have plastic tips so that no one can get hurt. Clint and I started when we were barely older than Nate is now. Besides, this is the only thing I know. Might as well keep the skill in the family, right?” she joked gently.
Laura didn’t reply but instead smiled weakly. “Alright then, I suppose I’ll allow it.” She turned away from Harper and headed back to the house, leaving the kids with their aunt and new gifts. Once inside and out of earshot of Harper, Laura took out her cell phone and called Clint.
Clint answered by the second ring. “Hey, what’s up?” he asked.
“Hey, are you busy?” Laura asked.
“No. No. Just going over some files, but it’s fine. Is everything okay?”
“I think so,” she said. “You just didn’t tell me that your sister would be stopping by the farm.”
“What?” Clint questioned, worry filling his tone.
“Well, I assumed you told her where we were…” Laura began, suddenly even more concerned than she had been the last two days. “But from the sounds of it, you had no idea.”
“Did she say what she wants?” he asked.
Laura paused briefly, glancing out a nearby window to see Harper showing Nate how to hold his little bow. “She showed up yesterday and said she wanted to meet the kids.”
Clint’s heart dropped. “Shit, shit, shit,” he muttered quietly.
“What does she really want, Clint?” Laura asked softly.
Clint stayed silent for a moment. “I don’t know, Laura,” he admitted.
“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Laura asked. “Do you think she’s safe around the kids? I mean, so far, she seems like an entirely different Harley, but I can never tell with her.”
Clint sighed heavily. “It’s not the kids I’m worried about. She won’t hurt them, that much I know. She wants something from you, Laura.”
“What do you mean?”
“Harley targeted S.H.I.E.L.D. facilities all down the east coast. She took any file that so much as mentioned your name. We don’t know what she is after or what she is doing. But you know my sister. If she’s going through all this trouble, it’s nothing good,” he explained.
“Has she hurt anyone?” Laura asked.
“No.”
“Then why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner?!” she yelled into the phone.
“I’m sorry. I thought we could handle it,” Clint tried to explain.
“Handle what? Your sister? Are you kidding me, Clint?!” she snapped.
“Look, we’ll be there tomorrow, and I’ll take care of it. Okay?” Clint pleaded.
Laura relented. “Okay. I trust you,” she said, sighing heavily as she ended the call.
She hung up her cell phone, throwing it onto the couch beside her. Laura sat on the sofa and rubbed her hands down her face in frustration. “Damn it,” she cursed, running her fingers through her hair. “I knew it was too good to be true…” she mumbled under her breath.
The elevator chimed, and Clint stepped out into the main room of the Avengers’ tower. The others had already arrived and were sitting on the various sofas and chairs around the center of the room. He could hear Tony throwing a fit, complaining about something, and arguing with the others.
“If nothing was taken or destroyed, I don’t see what the issue is, Stark,” Bucky stated.
“Because I don’t like knowing someone was going through my shit, Barnes, that’s what!”
“What’s going on?” Clint asked as he approached the group.
“Someone managed to get into the tower last night,” Steve told him.
“Shit,” Clint said softly. “Any idea who it was?”
“They left this,” Natasha slid a piece of paper across the table toward him.
“Damn it,” he said under his breath, looking at the same symbol he had seen in the photographs.
“Have something you’d like to share with the rest of the class, Barton?” Tony questioned, seeing Clint’s expression.
Looking up and seeing everyone staring at him, Clint placed the file he held on the table. “Um, well,” he began, taking a few of the pictures out and spreading them out. “It’s the same symbol that was left at every S.H.I.E.L.D. location that’s been hit,” he explained.
“Do you have any idea what it means?” Sam asked.
Clint leaned back in the chair he had taken a seat in, running a hand over his face. “Yeah,” he began, “Unfortunately, I do.”
The team sat in silence for a few minutes, expecting Clint to continue, but he never did. “Well? What does it mean?” Tony pressed.
Barton looked at each person in turn, taking in their expressions. “It’s-”
Before he could tell them anything, the lights flickered and went out. The room was plunged into darkness, save for the dim glow of the cityscape below filtering in through the window wall, though it wasn’t enough to make out anything of importance. They all stared at one another, not quite sure of what had happened.
“Fuck,” Clint muttered under his breath.
“What’s going on, Tony?” Steve asked.
“I don’t know, Rogers,” he replied. “But maybe Barton could give us some insight?”
“Well, well, well,” a voice spoke from the shadows. “Am I disturbing your little party here? My apologies, I guess my invitation got lost.”
Most of the team stood quickly, taking up a stance ready to fight. Barton, on the other hand, remained in his seat. He knew where this was headed.
“Who are you?” Steve called out.
“Depends who you ask. Some will say I’m an angel, sweet as can be. Others? They say I’m a devil,” the intruder responded. “I’ve been called a misfit, a schemer,” the stranger laughed a little. “I’ve even been called a traitor,” she snarled.
“Who are you?” Steve repeated.
“Why don’t we find out together?” the voice responded, still hiding.
“Or you could just tell us,” Tony quipped. “Save us all a lot of time.”
“Oh, I don’t mind wasting time,” came the response, though it sounded as if they had moved.
Everyone went quiet for a moment, looking around the darkness to try to figure out where the intruder had gone. After a minute or two, the sound of footsteps moving against metal drew everyone’s attention to one particular spot.
“Why does it always have to be a game?!” Clint called out. He could hear the person walking on the walkway above where the team stood. “Just tell us what you want. I know who you’re looking for, and I promise you won’t find a damn thing in the files you’ve taken.”
“Oh, Hawky. I don’t need the files for that. My client, on the other hand, will have a field day with some of the stuff I found,” she answered.
“Clint?” Steve looked at the archer, “Is there something you’d like to tell us?”
Clint looked at everyone through the pitch black, knowing they were all staring back at him. He couldn’t read their facial expressions, but he could tell they were waiting patiently for an answer. Before he could give one, though, the lights flickered back on and revealed the stranger standing on the platform overhead.
She was dressed in black, with gold accents, a quiver of arrows on her back. She had already lowered her hood; her blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail.
“I know you,” Bucky spoke up. “You’re the Dark Angel.”
Steve turned to look at Bucky. “Who?” he asked, confusion evident in his tone.
“She’s known as the Dark Angel, at least to Hydra. She’s an angel of death.”
“Come again?” Tony looked at Bucky in disbelief.
“An angel of death? Arguably the best assassin around. Never misses a shot, never leaves a target alive,” Bucky continued, ignoring the shocked looks on the faces of everyone else in the room.
Tony was speechless, unable to form a coherent sentence. “How… How do you…”
“We worked together on certain… jobs,” he explained before Tony could finish his thought.
“Good,” she finally spoke again, “Now, you all know me, and I, of course, know you. So what do you say we-”
“No,” Clint cut her off, “No games. I’m done with the damn games.” Finally standing from the chair, Clint walked forward and stood in front of the team, looking up at the woman. “You owe me an explanation.”
“I don’t owe you shit,” she snapped in reply.
“You break into S.H.I.E.L.D. locations, leaving that damn symbol in the debris. Then you hack into Stark’s security just to leave another damn note behind. Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked.
“If it was obvious, I wouldn’t be wanting to hear it from you,” Clint growled out.
“Fine,” she shrugged. “Stark’s security? Was just a fun challenge. Proved to myself I could do it, though, huh?” she chuckled. “As for the little ‘notes’ I left behind? I knew you’d see them. I gave you a chance, Hawk. Before anything happened, I gave you a chance. But you couldn’t be bothered. So, now I do it my way,” she explained.
“What is she talking about, Barton?” Tony demanded. “Who the hell is she?”
“She’s his sister,” Nat answered before Clint could try to skate around it again.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard that right,” Tony started. “You wanna run that by me again, please?”
“Nat’s right,” Clint admitted, nodding in the woman’s direction. “She’s my sister. And that symbol she left behind everywhere is one we made a long time ago when we were kids. A way for the two of us to communicate, let the other know we were alright without speaking… and eventually without even seeing each other,” he explained. “The circle? It’s a halo for her. The whole angel bit is one she had long before she went rogue. The arrow is for me.”
Harper watched the team as they looked at Clint in disbelief. “But why would she leave it at each location?” Sam asked.
“She was telling me it was her doing the damage. We aren’t exactly on the best of terms,” Barton admitted.
“What does she mean that she gave you a chance?” Steve questioned.
Clint sighed, “She stopped at my house before she ever hit the headquarters in D.C.”
Harper couldn’t help the smile that crept across her face. "You know,” she spoke up, “I just came to say hello, knowing you all would be here. But watching you turn on my dear baby brother? Is so much better.”
Steve stepped forward, narrowing his eyes as he glared up at the woman in front of him. “No one is turning on anyone.”
“No offense, Cap, but you don’t seem very intimidating,” the woman stated. “I mean, you play frisbee, that’s it. And your archer there can’t even hit me. What makes you think any of the rest of you would even stand a chance?” She smirked at the team, clearly enjoying herself.
“What do you want, Harper Lee?” Clint asked. “Just tell me what the hell you want so we can be done with this,” his tone almost begging.
“What do I want? Well, see, I already got all I needed from S.H.I.E.L.D.. So now? Now, I want to go visit some family that I haven’t seen in quite a while, baby brother.” She looked down at Clint with a smile.
“You don’t even know where they are, Harley,” Clint replied coldly.
“Of course I do. I know everything, brother,” she grinned again. “I really should be going, though. Got lots of things to do, places to be.” She laughed as the lights flicked, causing the room to go dark yet again. “See you later, Hawk!”
When the lights came back on moments later, she was gone. The team stood in silence for several minutes, trying to comprehend what had just happened. “You have some explaining to do, Barton,” Tony finally spoke up.
“Yeah,” Clint mumbled in agreement. “I guess I do.” He took a seat in one of the chairs, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
The team sat around in silence for a while, deciding the best way to approach the situation at hand. As usual, Tony was the first to break it. “Alright, I’ll say it. What the hell, Barton?”
“Look, I know,” Clint replied. “I’m sorry, alright?”
“Why didn’t you tell us you had a sister?” Steve asked.
“Didn’t seem relevant, I guess,” he shrugged. “It’s not like we’re close. Until Harley showed up at my house, I hadn’t spoken to her in years. Like I said, we’re not exactly on the best of terms,” he explained.
“Why not?” Thor questioned.
“Harper Lee… Harley and I fell out when we were younger. We had different paths we wanted to take. She’s resented me ever since,” Clint answered.
“There has to be more to it than that, Barton. She’s your sister,” Bruce stated.
Clint sighed and said, “She got jealous… when we were teenagers. Our mentor chose me over her, and she hated him for it. But she never forgave me for going along with his choice,” he explained.
The team listened intently to his explanation, but Steve was the one who spoke next. “You two were kids, and he made a choice, not you. So, why would she be upset about that?” he questioned.
“Because she was better. And we all knew it.”
“Better how?” Natasha asked.
“From the get-go, there wasn’t a shot Harley couldn’t make. It wasn’t just archery either, give her any weapon, and she could wield it like a pro.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “But she was fed up with the life we had. She wanted something more, something better. So, Harley got her G.E.D. and joined the Army for a short stint.” Clint sighed heavily but continued with his story. “At one point, I thought she was dead. Learned that was a load of shit when Nat and I stumbled on her working with Hydra almost fifteen years ago.”
“So she decided to join Hydra to get back at you, for shit that happened when you were kids? That doesn’t exactly make sense, Barton,” Tony shook his head.
“Nothing she does makes sense, Stark. It’s always a game to her. If it made sense, it wouldn’t be Harley,” Clint rolled his eyes.
“She doesn’t work for Hydra, Stark,” Bucky spoke up.
“What do you mean? You’re the one that said you two worked together,” Tony turned to him.
Bucky nodded, “Yeah, we did.”
“Then how can she not work for Hydra?” He questioned.
“The Dark Angel is a freelance assassin. She’d work for S.H.I.E.L.D. if they paid her enough,” Bucky explained. “They would hire her for certain jobs, but she isn’t solely Hydra.”
“Why not?” Tony questioned.
“Because she has no interest in staying in one place. Like she used to say, ‘an angel of death goes where they are needed,’” Bucky answered with a shrug.
“So she just wants to kill people?” Steve asked.
Bucky sighed. “Not just anybody. She only takes jobs that she agrees with.”
“Look, this isn’t helping a damn thing!” Clint exclaimed. “What my sister has done before has nothing to do with right now.”
Tony let out an annoyed huff. “Fine. So what do we do about it then? What is her plan? Do you happen to have any insight on that, at least?”
“If I knew what she was planning, I would have stopped her, Stark,” Clint bit back, annoyed. “All I know is what Nat discovered,” he added, nodding in Natasha’s direction.
“And that is?” Bruce asked.
“The agent files that she took all have some connection to Clint’s ex-wife, Laura. She was an agent with S.H.I.E.L.D. several years ago and worked on a few projects. But she retired when she and Clint got married,” she explained.
“Do you think she’s looking for something to do with her?” Steve asked.
“Yeah. But what, I don’t know,” Clint sighed.
“What projects did your wife work on that would be of any interest to your sister?” Tony inquired.
“Ex-wife,” Clint clarified before shrugging, “And I don’t know. We never talked about work stuff.”
“You don’t think she’d actually try to find Laura, do you?” Natasha asked.
“There’s no way she could. I don’t have her information saved anywhere, and S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t have her information anywhere either. For her safety and the kids.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration yet again.
“Maybe, but there’s no telling how long your sister has been planning this. Especially since we don’t know what she is planning,” Bucky pointed out.
Three days had passed since Fury had informed the team of the attacks on the S.H.I.E.L.D. facilities. Whoever was doing the damage seemed to have taken a break from their efforts.
Clint had kept to himself for the most part since finding the symbol in the photographs Fury had given him. Barton hadn’t mentioned to anyone what he discovered, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he was wrong about what he saw.
By day four, Natasha was getting a little concerned. She found Barton in his small office, still staring at one of the photos. Walking in, Nat closed the door behind her and quickly took a seat at the desk opposite Clint. “Alright, spill,” she said flatly.
“What?”
“You have been unusually quiet the last few days, holed up in this office that you never use, and you’ve done almost nothing except stare at these pictures. There’s nothing there, Clint.”
“I really want that to be true, Nat. But…”
“But nothing. Just tell me what is going on with you and what is so bothersome in those photos that you won’t even talk about it. You know that you can talk to me about anything.”
Clint looked up at Natasha, taking in the sincerity and care she tried so hard to show in her eyes. He pushed the picture across his desk to her. “Look. Look close. Tell me what you see.”
She glanced at the image in front of her, shaking her head, “I’ve seen all of them. There’s nothing there, Clint,” Nat repeated.
“It’s not something that’s going to stand out. It’s not a drawing or an item left behind. Look at the mess, look at the detail, Natasha,” he pressed.
Nat sighed and picked up the photo, her eyes scanning it for any small detail she could make sense of. Clint watched her face as she stared at it. Natasha frowned, “There is nothing here, Clint, I don’t understand -” she started. Before she could finish, her mouth dropped open slightly, and her eyes went wide.
Clint couldn’t help but smirk a little, an ‘I told you so’ look forming on his features. “Found it, didn’t you?”
“It’s been years, Barton. It can’t be…” Nat trailed off as she shook her head, “This isn’t possible.”
“Those shapes aren’t made by accident, Natasha. It’s there for me.” Clint sighed, leaning back in his chair.
Nat sat up, leaving the picture on the desk. “So what are you going to do? You know you can’t handle this alone.”
“That’s just it… I don’t know what to do,” Clint groaned, running his hand through his hair, his mind racing.
“Why not tell Fury? Maybe -”
“Because,” he cut her off, “This is myproblem.”
“Not anymore, it’s not,” Natasha argued. “Those are S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, S.H.I.E.L.D. academies. This stopped being your problem after that first building was hit, Clint.”
“Yeah… Well…” Clint grumbled, knowing Natasha was right. “Look, just don’t say anything yet, okay? Give me two more days. If I don’t have a plan by then, I’ll talk to Fury,” he tried to reason.
“Fine. You have forty-eight hours. Then I make it everyone’s problem,” Nat agreed.
He could tell she wasn’t happy about it by how she walked out of the room. “Nat,” he called before she could close the office door. She looked back inside briefly. “Thank you,” Clint muttered.
She nodded once, closing the door behind her.
The next evening, Clint sat at home wracking his brain to figure out how he would talk to Fury and the rest of the team. At this point, he had no real choice in the matter. He had to tell them something, at least.
There wasn’t a single other clue left behind to point Barton to what the assailant’s next move might be. There was nothing to say what they were looking for, where they would hit next, or even if they would hit another location. The only thing left for Clint to do was try and come up with a plausible excuse for his lack of response.
Clint stood up from his reclining position on the couch. He pulled his phone from his pocket. Typing out a message for everyone to meet at the tower the next evening, Barton sent it before he could think twice about it. Making his way to the kitchen, he found a glass and poured himself a drink. He sat down, resting his chin on the palm of his hand, staring at the golden liquid before him. How the hell am I going to explain this to everyone?
Taking a sip of his drink, he felt the liquid burning his throat when a soft knock on the door caused him to jump slightly. Looking over at the clock, he noticed it was nearly midnight. He sighed, standing up and walking towards the door. His footsteps echoed loudly in the silence of the night.
Opening the door, he let out a breath of relief to see Natasha standing on the doorstep. He stepped aside, allowing her entry into the living room. Closing the door behind him, Clint turned to watch her walk to the center of the room. “What is so important it couldn’t wait?” he asked, almost annoyed.
“We need to talk. Now.” Nat looked at him, worry etched on her face, something Clint never saw often from her.
“About? We talked about everything yesterday,” he pointed out, raising an eyebrow as he walked back to his drink, trying to sound unimpressed.
“I was going over the files that the assailant took. Only, they weren’t taken. They were just copied and then hidden in the systems. The agents’ files, Clint. The former agents’ files that they took? It’s all information on someone specific,” Natasha explained.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Natasha paused, thinking about just how she should tell Clint. Finally deciding on just being straightforward, “Clint, it’s all information on Laura.”
Clint froze mid-step as a sudden wave of dread washed over him. The words hit him like a truck. “No,” he muttered. “No, there’s nothing on her file anymore. There’s nothing -”
“All her past work is still in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database, Barton. It’s just the current events since her retirement that S.H.I.E.L.D. kept off the record.”
Clint took another step, feeling numb and hollow. His heart thudded painfully in his chest. “You’re sure?” he choked out, unable to speak.
Natasha nodded, “Anything with even a mention of her was copied from the different locations. The stuff on other agents was either somehow connected to her or was copied as a shit attempt at a cover.”
"Damn it,” Clint cursed, “Fuck. This doesn’t make any sense,” he mumbled as he ran a hand over his face. There was no denying things now. He had to tell Fury, and the team, everything.
