"Don't worry Stark; I'll make sure she's safe." Clint reassured with a pat to Tony's shoulder as he past. Tony looked at Pepper and she smiled softly.
"I'll be fine; I'm with one of the best assassins in the world." Pepper leaned in for a quick kiss and Tony hugged her close after Clint stepped into the jet.
"You're supposed to be gone by now." Pepper pointed out.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll get there when I get there." He smiled and she squeezed his hand before following Clint onto the jet.
It's only been four months since the Loki incident but then again it's already been four months. They've all lived with each other those full four months minus a week directly after Thor and Loki left.
Now Tony, Steve and Bruce were off to a mission in Tokyo. Thor was with Jane and Natasha was on her own mission in Germy. Pepper has to fly to South America for a 'work-related issue' as she put it and Clint was assigned to keep her safe, curiosity of Fury himself. Clint was the one who actually suggested it to him in the first place but it wasn't like he would tell them.
As the jet took off Pepper looked out the window and watched as Tony's figure became smaller and smaller. She sighed when she couldn't see him anymore.
"We'll be back in a few days," Pepper heard Clint say from across the aisle in his own chair. She looked over and saw him looking at her. He didn't seem like the reassuring type but she smiled anyways.
The pilots just had enough time to announce they were officially in South America when all hell broke loose. Clint was just looking out the widow. They were over the ocean still but he saw land close by. That's when a loud boom! went off and the jet shook. It started to drop out of the air. Clint was dazed as he tried to figure out what the hell just happened. They were hit. He couldn't see the pilots. The front seemed to be missing in general and fire was crawling to them on the carpet. He heard Pepper scream when he knew what they had to do.
"Pepper!" He yelled over the sound of the fire and air swooshing by as they fell. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. He ran over and grabbed her hand.
"Trust me ok?" He said and she numbly nodded.
"Ok follow me." He said but never let go of his hold on her hand anyways. He tugged her toward the flames.
"What?" She yelled and tried to yank her hand free but it was no use.
"Trust me," He said again and starred into her eyes. Pepper gulped and nodded. Clint's eyes darted to the window and he seemed to be calculating something quickly in his mind.
"Ok, now!" He yelled and ran for opening at the front of the jet. Pepper closed her eyes just before they jumped.
The shock of the warm salt water covering her body made her want to gasp and open her eyes but she was under the water. Clint wasn't holding her hand anymore so she forced her legs to kick her toward the surface. When she came up she gasped and looked around with panic.
"Clint?" She yelled and watched as the jet crashed half on land half in water. She was the only one who got to call Clint and Natasha by their first names and not get so much as a glare. Tony was still working on that theory but hasn't come up with anything yet.
Pepper's eyes scanned the area before calling his name again.
Suddenly he broke the surface of the water and few feet away and Pepper sighed in relief as she swam for him.
"Are you okay?" He asked and she actually smiled.
"Yeah," She nodded and was about to ask the same but he looked away and scanned around for answers.
"Come on, no use staying out here." He said and started to swim for shore. Pepper followed close behind.
It was only moments after walking up on a beach that they were surrounded. Men all in black holding guns walked right from the trees and surrounded them. Pepper gasped and backed into Clint. Clint kept calm as he eyed them. He had no weapons on him, besides a single knife in his boot. His bow was still on the jet and Clint scanned over that too to make sure it wouldn't explode while they were all standing near it.
Clint knew if he were to try and fight them there would not be a good ending. He didn't want to risk Pepper like that so he slowly raised his hands.
The men swarmed him and gripped him hard as they ushered him and Pepper to the trees.
Pepper flinched when one of them hit Clint in the back of his head with a gun. The blow sent him down but he was held up by two men. They tossed him next to a tree and started to tie him to it with rope. They did the same to her but with less force.
That's when they all backed away and a single man with a graying beard and dark beady eyes stepped forward with a wicked smirk on his face. There was a cut across his lips that went up jaggedly across half his right cheek but Pepper tried not to stare.
"Welcome, SHIELD. I'm glad you could make it." The man greeted.
"Yeah, sorry it took so long." Clint replied. Pepper looked over. He seemed eerily calm while she couldn't stop from shaking of fear. Pepper tried to calm herself.
The man nodded as if in understanding.
"So if you would be so kind as to answer just a few simple questions, I get to let you go." The man said and Clint rolled his eyes.
"I know of your precious helicarrier." The man started and crouched down to Clint level. "How does it stay hidden?"
Clint raised his eyebrow. "What makes you think I know?"
The man hit him with an open back hand. Clint looked back at him as if nothing happened.
"Because you two are Shield!" He yelled and Clint noticed he started to turn to Pepper.
"Wait," He called and Pepper sighed in relief. "Why do you want on the helicarrier?" Clint wondered.
"Why wouldn't I?" The man shot back.
Clint looked around. They didn't go very far from the beach and he could still hear the crash of the waves. SHILED would have known when the jet went down and a team would be sent out.
"So you decided to blow up a Shield jet to get answers? What if we died?" Clint questioned.
"That would be just as good. I would simply try again."
Clint rolled his eyes. "Not a great plan."
"You don't get to decide that." The man replied before punching Clint. His head whipped to the side and Pepper saw him spit blood to the side before turning back to the man with a black face.
But he was already moving to Pepper.
"What about you pretty lady? Got any Shield secrets you want to get out?" Pepper looked at Clint briefly. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't good at this kind of stuff. Should she say she isn't SHIELD? She tried to look at Clint again and she could tell he was trying to get her to understand something but she wasn't like Natasha either when they could have a full conversation and not say one word. Pepper looked back at the man.
"No, I-I'm not working for Shield." Pepper said.
Pepper saw anger flash in his eyes and she was scared he was about to hit her.
"I think waiting for another jet would be better. Hey, it'll take awhile but it looks like you have nothing better to do." Clint said and the man turned to him.
"Shut up!" He yelled and pulled out a gun. He shot Clint in his leg and Pepper screamed. Clint grunted and she saw pain flash in his eyes for a second before he locked it away and seemed as if he didn't even feel it. He glared up at the man and Pepper starred at Clint in amazement. The man chuckled before he walked away somewhere behind him. Once he left Clint let out a breath and closed his eyes as he rested his head on the tree.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" Pepper asked.
"Yeah," He said.
Pepper didn't know what to say so she grew quiet and was forced to get lost in her thoughts.
It was almost an hour later when Clint turned his head to look at her. "You're going to be fine Pepper."
She looked over at him and nodded. She wanted to ask why he didn't say we're but the words wouldn't form. She wondered why they have been left alone.
She saw Clint look at the sky and seemed to be calculating something again.
"What are you doing?" Pepper wondered. She hoped he had a plan.
"Don't worry about it." He smiled at her. She nodded again and trusted him to get them out of here.
Hours past and the sunset was nearing but still not so much as a sound came from the people that took them. What if they just left them?
Suddenly Clint pulled his legs in toward him. He twisted and was able to pull a small knife from his boot. Pepper starred as he hid it slightly under him.
"You had that the whole time?" She gasped. He smiled.
"Trust me," He whispered and seconds later they heard gunshots.
SHIELD had arrived.
Clint quickly cut himself free then stood slowly to his feet. He limped over to Pepper and cut her free.
"Ok, come on, we have to stay-"Another gunshot closer by was heard and Pepper screamed especially when Clint dropped to the ground.
The man was standing there with a gun in his hand. Pepper backed slowly but his eyes were on Clint.
"I didn't realize I had the one and only Hawkeye." He grinned. Clint sat up on the ground. He was shot in the same leg again. He looked up at him and then glanced at the knife he dropped.
The man was standing over him now.
Pepper looked at the knife near her then at the man and Clint. She picked it up and edged closer.
"You would be surprised Hawkeye, how many people want you dead."
"No, not really." Clint said when he shot him again. This time in his shoulder and Clint fell back.
Suddenly Pepper was lifting her arm and before she knew what she was doing she stuck the blade into his neck. He screamed and fell to his knees. Clint looked up in surprise as the man fell next to him. He looked at Pepper who fell to her knees and started to cry.
"You're okay Pepper." Clint soothed again. It was twenty minutes later after Pepper killed her first man and they were on a jet going home.
She just numbly nodded. A blanket was wrapped around her and she closed her eyes. She felt him sit next to her and she turned to look at him. He seemed perfectly normal. He had stitches in his leg and shoulder but she wouldn't have known if she hadn't seen it herself. She studied him.
"How do you get over it?" She asked. Her voice sounded little, weak.
Clint frowned slightly. He never saw Pepper like this.
"You just have to know it was you or them." He said simply. This kind of thing wasn't something you could just get over with. But that was true. It was them or you. Then you just moved on with your life.
Pepper nodded and looked away.
They whole team was alerted what had happened and rushed home. When Tony finally walked in, he went right to Pepper who was sitting on the couch with Clint. She really didn't want to be alone right now.
"Tony!" She called and stood to meet him in a hug as tears started to fall from her eyes again.
Bruce and Steve walked into the room. "Are you okay?" Bruce asked Clint.
"What happened?" Steve wondered.
It was an hour later when Natasha got home. She searched out Pepper and got her alone without Tony to talk. When she came out she sought out Clint. She found him in the living room. Steve was just leaving and he greeted her as she pasted.
"Are you okay?" She asked and Clint looked up at her.
"Yeah." He nodded and she sat next to him on the couch.
She looked him over as if she didn't believe him before nodding. Clint smiled.
"Pepper was really shaken up." She said.
"Yeah," Clint said again and she looked at him.
"It wasn't your fault." She stated and he looked over at her.
"Yeah, I know." She smiled.
"Good," She said and leaned to rest her lower back on the arm rest and she propped her feet up on him.
"Now listen to my shitty mission." She smiled and he smiled back.