Author's Note:

Summary: Can a friend turn against you? And what does it take to brand a former friend a 'Traitor'? Well, reality starts to set in for the Avengers when Natasha joins the KGB and ices them all out. But can Clint stop the attack against his family before it's too late? Set after AoU. Warning: Character Death.

Characters: Clint Barton; Natasha Romanoff; Tony Stark; Steve Rogers; Laura Barton; Lila, Cooper and Nate Barton, and more.

Hey! I know I'm crazy for starting to post a third story. But this is mostly written and the other two are chapters ahead, so fingers crossed I keep up with them all!

I started this story about four months ago. I'm posting now instead of waiting to finish it or finish another story, because I want it all out and finished before Civil War!

Hope you like it!

Throughout the story, I am helped by two amazing individuals, Sanctuaria and ThisVioletofMine!

Also... my brother may have helped with the odd idea here and there :D

Final Warning: Character death!


Clint's face was hard as he concealed the overwhelming worry and feeling of betrayal. He barely glanced behind him to check if Steve was still on his tail- he didn't care if he had any backup. He glided through the window effortlessly, his arms taut under pressure as he aimed his arrow at the first assailant he saw; who just so happened to be holding a gun against the head of his wife, Laura.

A quick once over with his eyes and Clint could tell that his wife was already injured. He glanced around, counting only five men, but the rest of his family was missing. He held back the panic; maybe they were in one of the two safe rooms in this house. "Let her go," he demanded.

One of the men laughed. "One against five? How about we give our demands and she might just live."

Clint felt his blood boiling. Laura wasn't defenseless- she had countless fighting classes and was a really good fighter; it would have taken quite a bit to have her standing still like she was. She wasn't even looking at him, just staring at the ground. Where were his children? "What do you want?"

"The Avengers, d-" The man began. He was obviously going to say 'dead', but was interrupted.

"Surprise, we're here, let her go," Tony stated as he walked into the room, blasting three of them in a row. Steve stepped in too and he noted how the assailants were looking less sure of themselves. Of course it was easier to go up against innocent children and their mother, but now that the Avengers had turned up...

"Last chance," Clint uttered, pulling his string back a little more, ignoring the ache on his arms; it had been a long day.

In the time allotted, one man lowered his weapon, Steve taking it from him. Then it seemed to happen in slow motion, Steve throwing his shield to hit one man out of the way as he pulled the arms of the surrendered one behind his back; Tony shooting three more, getting shot once in return; Clint firing two arrows simultaneously through the heads of the men holding his wife.

As Clint stepped forward and caught Laura from dropping to the ground, Steve and Tony took care of the other assailants easily. "Laura."

"Where's Cooper? And Lila? Are they okay?" She asked him, rushed, the utter panic evident on her face.

Clint's breath left him; she hadn't mentioned their other son. Maybe that meant she knew he was okay- or knew he wasn't. "I don't know, we'll search… what about Nathaniel?"

"He's okay," She answered and Clint relaxed ever so slightly, but her next words made him tense up even more. "Nat's got him."

"She was here?" Clint asked, and he could see Tony and Steve looking at him and knew what they thought; they thought that she had sold him out, brought them here to kill his family. But part of him still couldn't believe that she was a traitor and had gone back to KGB. He knew her, and he knew she couldn't have done that. But, at the same time, he didn't think they could trust her anymore. There weren't many people who knew he even had a family, let alone their location. It was getting harder and harder to believe in her.

Laura nodded in confirmation, her hand pressing against the bullet wound on her leg.

"We need to get you out of here,"

"Not until I find my children!" Laura replied instantly.

War Machine and Vision flew in- where the hell had they been? "The surrounding area is clear."

"Any sign of my children?" Clint asked immediately. He received solemn looks as War Machine shook his head. "Vision, can you take my wife to get medical treatment? She's been shot."

"I'm not leaving."

"Yes, you are. I will find them, but I need to know that you are safe; that you're okay," Clint expressed, holding the side of her face as they kissed before pulling away and standing up. He needed to search; saferooms first, then hiding places. He just hoped he wouldn't find something he didn't want to.

He and Steve ventured out first, heading to the first safe room, which was located in a trap door under the stairs; it was empty. He heard the clunking metal of War Machine's and Tony's armor as they searched too. Steve followed him up the stairs, glancing into his daughter's bedroom. The bed was unmade and there appeared to have been a small struggle; there were two men dead on her floor. He forced himself to keep walking to the second safe room, which was through his bedroom, and saw six men on his floor. He didn't need to check to know they were also dead.

He stepped over them carelessly and pressed the button which would usually open the safe room; when it didn't open, he got hopeful- that meant somebody was in there.

Clint pulled back a panel, typing a code into it, giving a quick blood sample and a voice activation to open it up. The seconds were torture as they waited before the door clicked open.

Clint froze.

There, lying on the floor, in a pool of his own blood with a gunshot to his head, was his eldest, Cooper. "Coop," Clint muttered, stumbling back.

Steve stepped into the safe room for a few moments. "There's nobody else there. It's just the little girl, right?"

"And Nathaniel... he's two now," Clint muttered. He didn't even look at Steve as he knew what he'd see: sympathy. Natasha was going to pay if she had had anything to do with this. He didn't care if she used to be his friend and partner; she was now his enemy. He almost fell onto the bed as his legs gave way beneath him. His son was dead. He knew he had to get up. He needed to find his daughter and other son! Move!

Finally, he looked up to see that Steve had left the room, and with a shaky breath he forced himself to stand up. He wasn't strong enough for this- he wasn't strong enough to lose his son. He was pulled out of his thoughts as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Sliding it out, he almost ended the call without even looking at who it was. But when he noticed the number, he froze. He knew that number; it was the landline for a barn three miles from his location-he always thought it was ridiculous to have a landline in a barn. He answered the phone, "Hello?" He said cautiously.

"Dad, you have to come quick! Mom and Cooper were shot and Aunty Nat is really badly injured. You have to come home!" His daughter told him hurriedly.

"Lila, are you okay? Where are you?" Clint asked, realising it was a stupid question. He knew exactly where she was and began running from the room. "Stay there, I'm coming."

"Clint-" Steve called as he ran past.

Clint didn't stop, keeping the phone to his ear and listening to his daughter answer his questions, telling him where she was and that she was safe, unhurt and with 'Aunty Nat'. He didn't bother considering that it could be a trap- which, if Natasha was a traitor, it would be- he just needed to make sure that his little girl was really okay. He vaguely noticed Steve running next to him-had he known where he was going, he could have easily beat him- and War Machine up over them.

As he slowed, Steve and War Machine did too, but he didn't have time to think clearly about a plan of approaching. "Lila- Lila?" The phone cut out, enough to convince him it was trap and he raised his bow and arrow, ready as the barn door swung open slightly. But he dropped it instantly as Lila came running out and jumped into his arms. He held her, and he didn't think he could have held her any tighter. "Are you okay?" He asked, pulling back to look at her. There was blood on her clothes and hands. "You're bleeding."

"It's not mine, it's Aunty Nat's!" Lila exclaimed, grabbing his hand and began pulling him towards the barn.

Steve must have heard what Lila said as he ran into the barn before him.

Clint picked Lila up and headed in after him, hearing War Machine land behind him and follow. He saw Steve by Natasha's side, who was unconscious, her arm around Nathaniel. He ran over, picking Nathaniel up and checking him over to find him unharmed.

Steve picked up Natasha's gun-which she must have dropped-and slipped it into his belt before picking her up; they way he was treating her showed that he didn't care that she had betrayed them; he was still going to help her. "She's lost a lot of blood, Stark, we need evac."

"On my way," Tony replied through the comms. Clint had forgotten about them and just held his children closer.

"Is she going to be okay?" Lila asked him.

Clint kissed the top of her head, "She's a fighter."


Clint was sitting on the couch at Stark Tower, staring at the wall. Both of his children had fallen asleep beside him; but he couldn't. Not with the knowledge that his son was dead, his wife was currently being worked on and his partner was looking worse than his wife. Everything was a mess. He wanted to go and check on the progress, see if the machine that was used on him was working on one of the two, but he didn't want to leave his children alone and right now; he didn't know who he could trust.

He looked up when Steve walked in, looking mostly composed, but had yet to change out of his Captain America suit, which was covered in Natasha's blood.

"How is she?" Clint asked, not specifying which 'she' he was asking about.

"Your wife is fine- they say she'll make a full recovery," Steve answered curtly.

Clint nodded, relieved, but didn't hesitate before asking, "And Natasha?"

Steve looked down, his face breaking slightly as he licked his lips, but his composure returned quickly; it was obvious he was struggling to not break down. "She's not doing as well."

"Steve," Clint prompted as his teammate fell silent.

"They are working on her, but… it's not looking good. They told me what was wrong, but…" Steve shook his head. It was unclear if he didn't understand what he was told, didn't listen or couldn't repeat what he had heard.

"She'll pull through- it's Natasha we're talking about." Clint told him. It was surreal; 24 hours ago they were planning a strategy for going after Natasha, to capture her or take her down, and now they were terrified for her life. He hadn't asked Lila what had happened; was Natasha there to help them? Did she get them out? Or did Lila run with Nathaniel and find Natasha in the barn, already injured? Laura mentioned that Natasha had Nathaniel- how did she know that?

"We are going to get whoever was responsible for this," Steve promised.

Clint looked at him. "The KGB." He said clearly, "What if Natasha was involved?"

"She wasn't," Steve stated before walking out.

Clint stared at him; he thought that Steve had condemned Natasha like Tony and a few of the other Avengers had. But Steve seemed completely confident that Natasha wasn't involved. Thinking back, he realised that Steve never once spoke against her; how had he always believed in her?

He looked down at his daughter and stroked her hair, "I bet you believe that Natasha's innocent, too, don't you?" He asked rhetorically.


It was only three hours later when Clint left his children to check on his wife, giving Vision strict orders to not let anybody near them. As he was walking to the room his wife was in, he slowed outside of another door. Peering in, he noticed Natasha instantly, connected to a bunch of wires, a tube down her throat; she was alive. He noted that Steve was sitting with her, but the room was otherwise empty.

"Clint," Steve greeted, looking up.

"How is she?"

"Stable. They used that machine on her artificial wounds, but she lost a lot of blood and there was a blow to her head, and… they say she's probably not going to wake up for a while," Steve rambled slightly. He stood. "I can leave, if you wanted some time with her."

"No… no," Clint said, shaking his head as he backed out of the room and closed the door. He was sure that Steve sat back down and took one of Natasha's hands, but shook it out of his head; that wasn't possible. He entered the room down the hall.

"Clint," Laura said with relief filling her voice before he had even fully opened the door.

"Laura, how are you?" He asked, entering the room and rushing to her side, looking over her body.

"Fine," she dismissed. "How are the kids? Please tell me they're alright."

Clint felt a lump in his throat and his stomach churned. "They… Lila and Nate are here, they're fine; not even a scratch on them."

"What about Cooper?" Laura questioned, obviously noticing that he didn't mention him. Clint closed his eyes, looking away from her. "Clint, where's Cooper?"

"He's here too… but," he paused, unable to form the words without forcing them out. "He didn't make it." He finally said, glancing at her.

Her reaction was as he imagined it would be- it was how he felt- he could see the heartbreak and devastation that filled her at the news. "No… no… how…" she muttered.

"I'm sorry, Laura," he told her softly. If she wasn't married to him she wouldn't have had to go through this.

"He's only 13! He's too young to… to die."

When she began crying, Clint stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. His head dipped, hiding his face in her hair as he tried to keep himself together. He couldn't break down; he needed to stay strong- for Laura, for Lila, for Nathaniel. After a long time, she calmed- he didn't know how; he wouldn't have been able to.

"I want to see him," she decided.

"No."

"Clint…"

"No."

"Where are Lila and Nate?" Laura asked, resigning.

Clint took a breath. Laura was healed, probably just a bit tender, but it was obvious she wasn't going to attempt to leave the bed anytime soon. "I'll go get them."

Laura nodded, sinking back into the bed once he'd let go of her. She began wiping the tears from her face.

Clint walked out, and upon passing Natasha's room, he couldn't help but glance in again. Steve was gone. Poking his head in, he looked around; she was alone. He slipped in, closing the door behind him and approached her. Placing a gentle hand on her hand, he looked at her face. "What's going on, Nat?" He asked softly, knowing he wouldn't get a response. After a few minutes he left the room.


Thanks for reading and sorry for the angst.