7 Years Ago

"Where is she?" Clint asked nervously. There had been an attack and he hadn't seen his partner since he left for his mission. "Was she…?"

"Killed in the attack?" Fury responded, he had a fresh bandage around his left eye. Clint didn't know how it got there, and he didn't ask. "Just… follow me."

They both walked to the back of the Helicarrier and down a metal flight of stairs. Fury kept his one eye on the halls ahead of them.

"By the way," his voice was stern and Clint knew he was about to get scolded. "I do not appreciate your decision to keep the Black Widow alive."

They walked some more until they reached a door with a keypad on it. Fury entered in the code and scanned his one eye.

"She's in there… recovering?"

"No." Clint was getting worried, he knew his partner had a… family that would be devastated if she ever died.

"Then what the hell is she doing in there?!"

"You'll see."

Fury opened the door, it lead to about fifty people bustling around. Clint could make out people saying 'powers'.

"Did the people that attacked have powers?" Fury didn't respond as they both walked in. Clint dodged a number of people. He looked to the right, he saw glass windows that lead to a small white room. Clint looked at the crowds of people for his partner, he didn't see her.

"I don't see her. Where is she?" Fury nodded to the right, and Clint looked into the white room more closely, he saw strands of black and a tiny bit of pink hair against the white floor. "What's she doing in there?!

"Go ask her yourself." Fury led Clint towards the door that connected to the white room. Fury entered another code and opened the door. He motioned for Clint to step in, and he did.

What shocked him most wasn't the chains, wasn't his partner trapped, wasn't his partner severely injured, but rather, his partner shooting fire out of her hands. Smoke circled around her and she turned to look at Clint.

"Hey, Clint. How was your mission?" she was obviously angry at him, given the agitated tone she used.

"It was fine, Ari. How was your day yesterday?" Ari stopped playing with the fireball and sat upright as it dissolved. It was then that Clint noticed how short the chains were.

"Let me think… My worst enemies attacked, my powers got discovered, I was put in here because I'm apparently 'too dangerous'... So what do you think?" she frowned at him and he returned the look. The pink streak in Ari's hair turned to an angry red, Clint didn't question it. He knew she was already overwhelmed.

"How did you know that I was-"

"I can read minds." Ari flashed a smile and the streak turned back to pink.

"What else can you do?" Clint stayed in the doorway and folded his arms.

"A lot of stuff." She waved her hands in an arch shape and her streak changed to a rainbow of colors.

"Wow." Clint didn't believe her.

"Mm-Hm! And my powers were discovered because I was mauled by a bunch of people. I was already pissed so I decided to just fireball them. Answer your question? Or do you need a little more elaboration?" He pressed his lips into a thin line.

She shot a fireball that was extremely close to hitting Clint. He flinched out of habit, he knew that she would never actually hurt him on purpose.

"Best way to go out, right? You help the people you're most loyal to, yet they lock you up. But hey, that's the real world." Ari slumped against the wall and huffed. She was not happy at all.

"I-"

"You shouldn't be sorry, Clint. It wasn't your fault. If anything, it was mine." Sympathy ignited in her eyes and her face.

Clint believed her sympathy. Ari always took the blame for everything, bad missions, mistakes that he made, even just him getting shot, she blamed herself on the inside and took the blame when Fury was angry with them. She always got the punishment for something she didn't do. Clint never stopped her, but he felt guilt slowly growing inside of him. Clint was confused on what approach to take.

On one hand she didn't trust him enough to tell him that she had powers. They had been good friends outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. He had introduced her to his wife, his house, his kids. Sure she was much younger than him… He was thirty-four when she had met him, and she was only fifteen. She had been through some tough things such as abuse, so he somewhat understood why she didn't trust him. But that was no reason for her not to tell her that she had powers. And he could've helped her.

On the other hand, she was a captive of the organization that she was loyal to. And worse: Captured for helping them during an attack that could've killed about half of S.H.I.E.L.D. She was never going to see her family again. They all loved her dearly, and he noticed that they could barely live three days without Ari. He didn't want to tear apart a dynamic such as that one.

Ever since that day, he regretted his decision.

"Why didn't you tell me that you had powers?! Don't you trust me?!" Clint's face was filled with burning hot anger. The echoes were still ringing out through the silent room. He looked at the corner with the mirror in it and saw that his face was turning red.

"I-I-" Ari jumped a little and fear spread across her face.

"What?! You should've trusted me! But here you are! You didn't tell me!"

Ari didn't respond. Instead, she hung her head but she kept her eyes on him. Her eyes ignited with anger, regret, and betrayal. She sniffed and let her hair fall in front of her eyes so Clint didn't have to look at her anymore.

"Nothing!? Not even eye contact?! Fine." Clint stormed out the door and then immediately realized his mistake.

He wanted to erase it, make it all right, but he couldn't. Ari wouldn't forgive him for this. Especially since he had insulted and betrayed her, the last person that she had trusted in S.H.I.E.L.D. His mind was spinning. He couldn't have told her friends that she died, he never knew if she could get out of there. Clint walked out of the hallway and sat on the stairs. He hit them in anger and buried his face in his hands.

"What did I do? What did I do?" he mumbled angrily.

That day was the last time Clint saw Ari smile out of happiness. That was the last day her heart was still there. That was the first day that she slowly began losing her sanity. That was the day that her heart was replaced with iron.