Disclaimer: I do not own anything aside from the Original Characters and the plot.
Title:A Speck of Time
Summary: It was believed to be a speck of dust, blown away by the wind. It was supposed to be a fleck of memory, forgotten in time. Yet it became the testimonial of a moment that had yet to come.
Authoress Note: So, a long time ago I had an account under the name Depths of Silence. For personal reasons, I came to delete that same account. However, now, after watching Avengers: Endgame, I felt the need to surface again, this time with another account, and write down some ideas that I came up with about that same film. So, yes, there will be spoilers in this story about Avengers: Endgame so read at your own risk. However, the plot begins after the Civil War events. The main pairings will become official later on. Any questions, feel free to ask me, though. However, if you do not feel comfortable reading this story because you have not seen the film yet, please, come back later. Oh, and English is my second language so I apologise for any mistakes you might find.
Attention Please! Since this story follows the ending of Captain America: Civil War all the way through Infinity War ending with Endgame I decided to bring back an old story of mine, Silver Ascension. I decided to rewrite some scenes as it would work better with my current idea. So, some chapters will undoubtedly sound familiar. I hope you can all bear with me. In other words, this is going to be quite the long ride. I hope you guys don't mind. Thank you for your kind attention. Happy reading!
A Speck of Time
Chapter I
"You can't go back and change the beginning,
But you can start where you are and change the ending."
C. S. Lewis
There was something comforting about staying awake at night, listening as the breeze waltzed with the trees, causing them to laugh in the darkness. There was serenity amongst the stars as the intense full moon enlightened the quiescent earth.
There was something comforting about being awaked while the rest of the world was undisturbed. There was a sense of free will and tranquility that nearly offered wings to those who were simply enjoying the wonders of quietude that did not exist before.
Clinton Francis "Clint" Barton was sitting on a wooden bench, observing as the moon ruled the dark skies, a beer in his hand. The bottle had long gotten warm since the former Avenger had ignored it as his mind was focused elsewhere.
Even though nearly two years had passed, it was still so easy to find himself wondering about where his former colleagues could possibly be. It became even harder whenever he glanced down at his ankle, and saw the reason that kept him in house arrest. It would actually become even worse when he… Well, Clinton tried hard not to think much about what was being kept hidden underneath his old barn.
With a sigh, Clint rubbed the back of his neck before resting his elbows on his knees. Dejectedly, he put the beer bottle away before clasping his hands together. The wind blew one more time, caressing his face, in a restrained attempt to take away his troubles. Oh, if only it could be that easy…
How things had changed...
"Hey Hawkeye..." a soft voice chased the silence away, and the trees welcomed the long haired brunette with a waltz. Clint had to stop himself from shaking his head as his wife gently occupied the seat next to him. "What's wrong?"
For a moment Clint decided not to look at his wife, not because of the troubles that were consuming his mind, but because of what he would see if he did look at her. Looking at Laura would mean looking in the same direction as the barn, and Clint honestly did not feel strong enough at the moment to deal with his personal demons. There were ghosts that were better not to disturb.
"Just thinking..." Clint eventually said with a quick shrug of his shoulders. He did not need to look at his wife to know what kind of smile was playing on her lips, matching perfectly with the poignant frown on her face. "Nothing you need to worry about."
"When will you understand that I'll always worry about you?" Laura asked, her hand resting on his cheek. Clint slowly turned his head to look at her, making sure their eyes got locked instantly. "Besides, not everyone can say they have Lightening McQueen in their barn."
"Lightening McQueen?" Clint repeated as he let out a short laugh, and his wife hit him on the arm. "Ow! What did I do?"
"It's not my fault you didn't like any of my cute nicknames." Laura protested, and Clint shook his head.
"Who went for Eyas again?"
"You are Hawkeye!" Laura defended herself, "I think it'd only be fair to address the situation as Eyas."
"Fine, fine; if I have to choose, let's go for Eyas." Clint told her, and he could not help but smile when he saw the twinkle in his wife's eyes. A moment of silence passed only to be broken when Clint reached out for Laura's hands. "Thank you."
"I love you..." Laura told him before kissing him gently. When she moved backwards, she gently pressed her forehead against her husband's. "What do you want to do?"
"It's not as if I can do anything." Clint eventually said in response. "I never thought we'd find ourselves on this situation. I never wanted to put you and the kids in this situation. I—"
"C'mon Hawkeye, it's alright." Laura interrupted him. "Besides, who can refuse a miracle?"
The question was left hanging in the air. For a moment, Clint just stared at his wife before his eyes slipped towards the barn. Behind the wooden structure, the moon continued to shine.
He knew his wife was right. They had been offered the chance to participate in something that no one had ever thought to be possible, and truth was they were the best hiding spot. Since he had been placed in house arrest, no one would think that a mission would eventually come to him.
Soft footsteps alerted him that someone else was awake. The sound was too heavy to be one of his children, so that could only mean one thing.
"Doctor Lewis, is something wrong?" Clint inquired as he looked in direction of the door. His wife also turned on her seat in time to see the door opening. Once more, brown curls danced with the wind as a third person unsettled the gentleness of the night.
"Oh, I apologise. I thought everyone was asleep." the woman apologised as her attention settled on the couple. Laura was actually the first one to speak up.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Oh no, I just..." there was a pause, "I just couldn't sleep."
Before Clint could say anything, Laura turned to him, and nodded. Then, she stood up, and turned to the other woman.
"I'll leave you two to it."
"Oh no, please, I'll just go back inside."
"Nonsense; I was thinking of going back to bed anyway." Laura immediately said, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. "Just take your time."
After throwing one last smile at her husband, Laura went inside the house, her footsteps fading away into the shadows. Clint took the chance to observe the woman in front of him, who looked a bit out of place.
"I guess you and I had the same idea." he decided to say, and a pair of hazel eyes met his. As he took a deep breath, Clint stood up from the bench, the weight on his ankle anchoring him to his house. "The difference is that you'd never hesitate about going."
"Agent Barton..."
"Did you get any new readings?" the former Avenger questioned, and the woman bit her lower lip. "Esther..."
"I just need to go..." the woman told him, her voice dropping as she spoke. "I just need to..."
Clint cleared his throat when the woman's voice vanished into the night. They rarely had that conversation, but when they did it just was never easy for them to prolong it.
"C'mon, walk with me."
The woman looked at him for a moment, her eyes wide in surprise before nodding. Then, both turned in direction of the barn, and started walking.
It was a short distance, but it still gave Clint enough time to think about his current situation. When Director Nick Fury had appeared on his doorstep on a stormy night, Clint had immediately understood something was up. However, nothing had prepared him for what Nick would eventually tell him.
He was on house arrest, yes, but that just made the situation even more ideal. The reason for Fury's presence, however, had shaken Clint's core beyond belief... And that same reason was the justification for the presence of the woman next to him.
Doctor Esther Lewis had been specifically been chosen by Doctor Helen Cho. Both Master Scientist and expert physician, apparently her expertise in the field of biochemistry were supposed to help them accomplish a miracle no one knew was supposed to happen. She was also the only one in their house who knew how to operate the machine they had hidden under his barn.
Sometimes, Clint could not help but wonder how troubles always seemed to find him even when he was retired.
"…Agent Barton?"
"Please, Esther, how many times I've told you to call me Clint?" the former Avenger asked before noticing they were standing in front of the closed doors of the barn. Without waiting for a response, Clint opened the barn, the silvery moonlight cascading inside. He did not need to look at the doctor to know she was silently following him. They had been quite cautious when choosing the right spot for their hiding place; left corner of the barn, underneath the rusty tractor. Nick Fury had gone all the way, and had actually used the vintage tractor to hide the access button to the buried basement. Only Clint and Esther knew the key code that opened up the door.
"Do you think anything has changed since this morning?" Clint inquired as he pressed down the key code after doing his palm scan. There was a mocking sound as the secret door unlocked, hissing as it slid to the side, disappearing underneath the tractor.
"No, I don't think it has." Esther confessed as she lightly shook her head. Clint motioned for her to go down the stairs first, and the doctor nodded. "I just… I just do not feel comfortable not checking up on everything. I know it's silly, but…"
"It makes you feel better. Yeah, I get it." Clint finished Esther's sentence as they reached the bottom of the stairs, the door sliding close behind them. Lights turned on automatically, bright and aggressive, a soft hum coming from the metallic compartment located at the end of the room. Since glass had been built around it, it was easy to perceive the silhouette of what was inside.
Clint found himself freezing as his eyes studied the shadow locked inside the compartment. His heart hammered against his chest for a split of a second, his hands closing into tight fists. However, while he stayed put, Esther approached the metallic box, her hands resting on top of it as she observed what was inside.
"What do you think, Doctor Lewis?" Clint heard himself ask, his voice coming out strangely hoarse. His mind taunted him, reminding him that he would ask that question every single time the two of them went there, but Clint could not stop himself. Laura's words echoed in his ears as the idea of them creating a miracle brought a familiar ache to his chest.
"I think the Cradle has done what it had to do." Esther told him, without looking away from the glass in front of her. "It was supposed to heal wounds by re-growing skin tissue and create synthetic skin tissue, and I know that has been done."
"So, why do we still use it?" Clint inquired as he approached the young doctor, who bit her lower lip for a moment. "For what I know, this has been going on for nearly two years now."
"Taking him out now… The risks are tremendously high." she eventually said, as if they had not had that conversation many times before. "We're trying to find a way to minimize all possible damage, but…"
"You still think we should get rid of the Cradle." Clint could not help but be impressed by the doctor's bravado.
"When I was invited to participate in this project, Doctor Cho asked me my opinion about bringing back someone who had been lost," Esther began, "I said I would do my best. Then, they sent me here and I honestly thought everything was bullocks, but you and your family were so kind even though… Even though accepting this would mean waking up some ghosts from the past. And now I just…I just think it's time to open this thing up. It's been too long."
There was a pause. Clint was positive it had been a quick moment of silence, but it had weighted a lifetime for him. He had noticed the fragment of uncertainty in the words that had just been spoken, but he had also detected the fraction of courageousness in the voice. However, he knew, just like the doctor before him, how things would change if the Cradle before them was opened.
Part of him wanted to see the Cradle open up. Perhaps it was the egotistic side of him, who was desperate to try to change the past even though he knew that was not entirely possible. But the other side of him, his reasonable side, kept telling him not to risk it because it could very well not be worth it.
Unfortunately, his practical side won the battle.
"Perhaps we should contact Doctor Cho before deciding on what to do." he heard himself say, and a pair of hazel eyes met his. "But let me tell you this; I'm on board with anything you decide. Personally, I think it's been far too long, and hiding a secret of this magnitude will eventually have to be discovered. I'd rather not see that happening."
There was a moment of silence. Both Clint and Esther looked in direction of the Cradle, observing the figure sleeping on the other side of the glass. Esther's left hand was still resting on the glass, almost as if she was trying to get closer to what was inside. Deep down, Clint understood her anguish as he himself was aching to see the cursed glass shatter, finally releasing the life it held inside.
"You're right." Esther eventually said with a short nod. "I agree that talking to Doctor Cho will be the best course of action. I will send her an e-mail straight away."
Clint simply nodded, not entirely sure of what to say.
"Agent Barton—Clint," Esther continued, promptly correcting herself when the former Avenger sent her a warning look, "I know how much this means to you. I will do my best to make sure our miracle happens."
Clint had to force back a smile as he observed the woman before him. Even though she still looked slightly unsure of what the future could possibly hold for them, her eyes told him a different story. Just like him, she was eager to set free what they had been keeping a secret for far too long.
It was true when they said that you can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. They undoubtedly needed a miracle, and Clint would do anything to make sure that miracle finally gained wings, and brought hope back to them.
To Be Continued...
Authoress Note: I understand this was a somewhat short chapter, but, please, bear with me. They will eventually get bigger, I promise. It just needs some time to set the pace of the story. Thank you for your attention!