A/N: Alternate to scene where Clint is restrained. I don't own Avengers.
Flashes of consciousness toyed with Clint Barton. He shook his head violently, desperately. He had to get Loki out. Loki was inside his mind, controlling everything he did. Clint sought for a window in the small room that held him. A window in the room would mean a window to leave Loki behind. A bird could take flight and leave everything else. He found none, and the unwelcome, ice cold feeling of Loki's power still rushed through him, clawing at him. He tried to pull away from it, and found himself restrained. He took a deep breath and pulled harder, but he was stuck fast. Hands and feet remained unable to move, and Clint couldn't bear to open his eyes. Had Loki found out that there was still a shred of Hawkeye left in Clint? Had he placed him under constraint to keep him under control?
Suddenly, from the shadows on the other side of the room, he saw a slight movement. He turned his head to find Natasha staring at him worriedly.
"Did he get you, too?" Clint demanded.
"No." Natasha shook her head. "We got you back."
"What?"
"You're under SHIELD's protection."
Clint relaxed in his restraints. He was safe. Now he resigned himself to what SHIELD would have to do to him for going rogue. "What will they do to me?"
"Nothing."
"Tasha," he sighed, "that can't be true."
"It is."
"How?"
"I told Fury you just needed cognitive recalibration. I knocked you upside the head pretty hard."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." she smiled slightly, and moved towards him.
"What are you doing?" Clint asked, already knowing the answer.
"Releasing you." she moved to touch one of his restraints, but he slapped her hand away as best as he could.
"What was that for?"
"I deserve to be like this."
"No, you don't." Natasha was incredulous. "You don't deserve to be tied down like some sick experiment."
"I was some sick experiment. I am an experiment."
"No!" Natasha pushed his words away. She moved to unbuckle his wrists, but Clint pulled away, keeping the restraints moving so she couldn't work the latch. "Stop moving!"
"Tasha, look at me." Clint stopped moving, and grasped her hands in his. "I'm...scared. Scared that Loki will come back in my mind. I fought it off, and then it just came back again. I can't hurt you. I won't let him make me."
"I won't let him take you back."
"Do you promise?"
"I do." Natasha said, withdrawing her hands from his and undoing his restraints.
"Tasha..."
"Yeah?"
"How many agents did I..." he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
"Don't." Natasha shook her head.
"I do deserve this." he placed the wrist she had uncuffed back in the restraint. "I killed SHIELD agents. I deserve this."
"Clint," she took his hand and drew it out of the restraint. "You don't. And I won't let you do this to yourself to make you feel better."
"Well, I guess if I put an arrow through that nut's eye socket, it might help me feel better." Clint said, after a moment.
"That sounds more like you already." Natasha leaned into him, and he welcomed her with a warm embrace.
"We can fight him, Tasha, but only together." he told her.
"Always." she agreed.