A/N: The seed of this story was first introduced in my 'SOS Hawkeye' collection, in chapter 'Hawk and a Bitter Betrayal'. BUT, it's perfectly possible to read and understand this without having read that!
SO, NOW WHAT? It's no secret that I absolutely detest the whole 'HYDRA-Cap' idea. In my opinion it's a pathetically weak and forced plot-twist, makes ZERO sense and, most importantly, destroys a character we all know and love. SO, in my rage, my head cooked up this idea. (grins)
DISCLAIMER: The grass hasn't turned purple and cows aren't flying. Which means that I still own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING of the Avengers-universe but my DVDs. (POUTS) It actually hurts to type that, ya know? NOR DO I OWN THE PICTURE ABOVE! Praises and credits to the amazing person who made it!
WARNINGS: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, adult themes, language (sorry, Steve…!), general oddness… Hey, that's short for my story…!
Okay, because I've been stalling enough… Let's go! I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride.
This chapter goes from a flashback to a flash-forward, then to present – just to avoid confusion.
The Age of Fallen Heroes
The Truth of a Hero
Past
A young and scrawny Steve Rogers gasped desperately for breath. Which, sadly, wasn't a new experience. But this… This was worse. He was exhausted and humiliated. If he'd had even a little less self-control there would've been tears in his eyes. It didn't help that the rest of the kids around him, all in baseball gears just like him, were laughing.
The worst, however, was the groan of disappointment and annoyance coming from an adult. "Goddamnit, Rogers…! Why did I let you talk me into this?" A harsh shove ushered him away. "You're embarrassing us both. Get off this field before you pass out."
Later, once he was able to breathe at least somewhat properly, Steve faced his reflection in a mirror. He flinched, sheer disgust taking over his face. He shivered.
Steve gritted his teeth, so hard that it hurt. He really was good for nothing, wasn't he? But he wouldn't be that way forever. One day – somehow, someway – he'd prove to the world what he was worth. He'd show them what he was really made of.
Because there had to be more to him and his life than this, right?
Future
"Sir?" Sharon Carter's eyes were wide and her face had gone several shades paler than usual. Every little thing about her screamed that something was horribly wrong. "The body… It was just identified." She didn't have to continue to complete the bleak news.
Nick Fury stared blankly for a few seconds. Feeling far more than he was comfortable with. Then pulled together his usual steel hard exterior. Now wasn't the time… "I have a feeling that there's more."
"You… You need to see something."
Nick was fairly certain that whatever that something was, he most definitely didn't want to see it. But he'd never been a coward and he wasn't about to start now. He nodded sharply, his remaining eye revealing nothing.
It was a YouTube video. Posted only an hour earlier. Yet already millions of people had seen it.
The quality left a lot to be desired but the basics of what was going on were clear enough. The first thing Fury's eyes locked on was Clint, on his knees although the look on the man's bloodstained face revealed that he definitely hadn't surrendered. Clint was breathing loudly and sharply, through what sounded suspiciously lot like broken ribs. The man's slightly unfocused blue eyes blazed, full of rage and betrayal. The archer held his chin up defiantly, oblivious to the trail of blood running from his nose and the split lip. The dark uniform did a magnificent job at hiding most of the damage but red was already spilling to the floor. Clint was bleeding, probably heavily.
And Steve Rogers was holding a gun at the Hawk's head. The world-famous hero Captain America, a war hero. Who was wearing a HYDRA uniform.
"Our people… They're already working on having that taken down." Sharon's grim tone revealed that she knew exactly what Nick did. It was already too late.
Fury nodded stiffly, deciding that no words would've done any good.
"You really bought it, didn't you? Everyone did." Steve's voice was harder and deeper than usual. "That it was all an undercover operation. A trick."
Clint didn't say a word, refused to utter a sound. The archer's eyes rose, challenging the Captain's. Both men were tense. Knew what was coming.
The silence was deafening. Until Clint finally bit out a single word. "Why?"
Steve swallowed hard. Most people would've missed it but Fury's experienced eye caught a hint of grief in the soldier's darkened ones. "I'm sorry." The soldier's voice was heavy with how much he meant those words. "But this… This is the end of the line."
The footage cut off just as the trigger was pulled and a gunshot echoed.
Present
The news footage rattled America and the whole world. A security camera's footage showed Captain America – the nation's celebrated hero – approaching a chained man, wearing a HYDRA uniform. One of the Avengers. Eventually Steve held a gun at the other.
"How long?" the chained man demanded in a raspy voice that was full of hurt.
"How long since I joined?" The Captain shrugged. "Almost since the beginning."
"You fought them!" the other man snarled. His voice was so full of sheer despair that it would've shattered anyone's heart. "Several times! You were supposed to be one of those who'd defeat them!"
"Haven't you figured it out by now? The most effective way to destroy something is from the inside. How do you imagine that HYDRA managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D so wholly?"
"And they called you the symbol of hope and fighting spirit", the chained man spat venomously.
"People are good at seeing what they want to see."
"Yeah, they are."
The tension behind the silence which followed could've been cut by a knife. "Clint… I really need you to tell me where Wanda is."
"Or what?"
"Or you'll lose everything you care about."
Those words clearly got to the man held captive. The chained man's eyes flashed with rage that most definitely wasn't human as Clint hissed something inaudible. Something the man meant from the bottom of his heart.
To a sudden the Captain seemed unaffected. "You have five minutes. Answer the question and nobody has to get hurt."
"I already tried that, boss", someone outside the camera's reach pointed out. "Threatened to make someone's head go 'pop' if he wouldn't talk. Almost lost my ear for it."
"'Boss'?" Clint questioned with visible and audible disgust.
"I obtained this base and its agents when S.H.I.E.L.D fell", Steve explained disturbingly tonelessly.
"As a thank you for a job well done." By then Clint was so furious that the man could be seen trembling. He was also growing weaker. "We'll see how they reward you when it all goes up in flames."
All of a sudden distant echoes of several explosions could be heard. "What was that?" Steve demanded. It was impossible to name the emotion that showed itself for a microsecond.
"Friends", Clint hissed.
Which would be when all hell broke loose. Suddenly the man wasn't chained anymore but attacking the Captain, pummeling the soldier's face with his fists. Until a gunshot echoed.
After the bullet hit him Clint managed to hold still for remarkably long before succumbing to the inevitable. The man slumped towards Steve, who guided him to the floor. A few seconds later the soldier was pointing a gun at the helpless man.
And that was the last thing the footage covered. Steve and the gun held at an innocent target. And words that chilled the hearts of the millions of people watching. "Hail HYDRA."
The TV-footage changed to reporter Erica Mann's solemn face. She pushed a strand of long, auburn hair to behind her ear. "At this point we have no information as to what happened to the other man on video. This is a truly shocking moment for all of us. Captain America, our greatest hero, has been nothing but a lie. How deep does his treachery run? And can any of the Avengers be trusted?"
Watching that very broadcast, Steve felt his head spin and sway. For so many years he'd fought his hardest, sacrificed so very much. And now, with the aid of the reporter, half of his best kept secret was public property.
Only Steve and his companion saw the rest of the footage. The part that'd been cut from the version sent to the news-station. The part which showed him fighting desperately to save Clint's life. And Wanda appearing.
"Oh, Steve… Did you really imagine that you'd be able to fool us forever? That I'd never find out?" The woman sitting at a desk gave him a look that would've chilled anyone's blood. "It's my job to know things, Captain Rogers. Things, such as this. Things, such as that you didn't shoot Hawkeye. Such as because of you we failed to capture Wanda Maximoff."
Steve felt his mouth go dry. His shoulders dropped, only a little. "You're going to kill me." She wasn't the kind of a person to leave something of this magnitude unpunished.
She laughed and shook her head. "Don't be stupid! Oh no, no. Even now, as a disgraced traitor, you're far too valuable to be cast aside." Her expression became absolutely terrifying. "But you're going to have to do something to make up for what you did. You'll do exactly as I tell, or I'll unleash hell you couldn't imagine even in your worst nightmares."
Steve tensed up, unable to stop himself.
"I'm also fairly good at reading lips. What did that archer say again?" They glared at each other. "'Threaten my wife and kids and I'll kill you.'" She smiled like she'd tasted something divine. "Who would've thought that the famous killer Hawkeye would have such a dirty little secret…!"
Clint wasn't a deep sleeper. Especially when he was in a hospital. The strangers bustling about, the noise, the general air of restlessness and death… He wasn't able to relax in the middle of it all, even for a second.
So he wasn't very surprised when snapped into full alertness as nearly soundless steps entered the room. His hand fumbled and he wished that he'd had something, anything, to use as a weapon nearby. His eyes flew open to find Steve's face.
Clint gasped, running a hand down his face. "Damnit, Steve…!" When he looked towards the Captain again he finally recognized the element of threat. He frowned, searching the other's face. "Steve?"
The Captain swallowed loudly. Was the man trembling? "Clint, I… I'm so sorry."
The knife slashed across Clint's throat before he had the chance to process those words.
Clint woke up with a loud, violent gasp and bolted to a sitting position. A very, very bad idea. The still healing gunshot wound made him feel like he'd been set on fire and torn apart simultaneously. The pain was so intense that he gagged, which only worsened the discomfort. Everything seemed to spin and sway dangerously.
He barely managed to start recovering before the room's door opened and practically soundless steps entered. He looked to side, expecting to find the grumpy nightshift nurse who threatened to drug him into oblivion half an hour earlier. Instead he saw Steve.
Clint tensed up. Something about the other's eyes… "Steve?" Yes, they got the chance to talk, afterwards. He knew that the Captain hadn't really, honestly… But he also couldn't bring himself to trust fully yet, not when he was confused, in agony and vulnerable. "What's going on?" He hadn't expected the other to come back to them this soon… HYDRA wasn't down yet, was it?
Steve was definitely trembling. The man's facial muscles were unnaturally stiff and those eyes seemed watery. "Clint, I… I'm so sorry."
Clint never got the chance to guess or ask. Because just then Cooper burst in with a wide, excited smile on his face. His son, who chose very carefully when to get excited and who to trust. "Daddy! Uncle Steve said that now that you're better, he's gonna show us a secret training camp!"
Clint's heart raced from terror and shattered simultaneously as his worst nightmare came to life.
TBC
A/N: Oh yeah, this is gonna hurt SO MUCH…! (SHUDDERS) What has Steve done – and how is he gonna get them out of this?
SOOOOOOO… At this point the ball's in your court. Was that any good, at all? Would you like to read more? There's only one way to let me know. (winks)
In any case, thank you SO MUCH for reading! Whoever knows. Maybe I'll see you later?
Take care!