A/N: Thank you for the response to the last chapter, we are very grateful to those who reviewed, favorited and followed. Here's chapter two.
Disclaimer: Neither of us own the Avengers...sigh
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Natasha's eyes widened as she heard the scream, turning to Tony she whispered, "Lena." and took off in the direction of the noise.
Tony quickly followed Natasha as she weaved quickly around corners and dashed through the hallways. The red-head practically flew through the halls, she could tell something was wrong, and was afraid of what it was.
As she rounded another corner, Natasha spotted Lena, surrounded my agents and protected what seemed to be an unconscious Clint. Ignoring the way her heart sunk at the sight of a fallen Clint, Natasha rushed into battle, taking agents out left and right.
Tony swore loudly as he blasted a long row of heat ray at the agents, turning a bunch of them into crispy critters.
"Abort mission!" Natasha called, rushing to Clint and examining him, sliding to her knees as she reached the fallen archer, "We have to get him out!" she called as Lena lifted Clint up with a flick of her fingers.
"Eyepatch is gonna be pissed," Tony muttered. "Oh, well." He smirked deviously. "I take no responsibility for this." And with that, a new gadget that he had created earlier that week got the other three of his group up in the air. They flew straight up, through the ceiling, and into the air.
Clint, meanwhile, was still bleeding his life out.
Lena floated gracefully beside Tony, and Natasha tightly held onto Clint's hand, "The ship is over there!" Lena yelled, jerking her head to the left.
Tony nodded, and flew them over there. As soon as they entered the inside of the ship, he let the gravity thing go, and they all were on the ground again.
Lena caught herself, floating slowly to the ground and ran into the ship, starting it up. Natasha fell the the ground, lading softly and then catching the unconscious Clint and dragging him inside.
Tony closed the door to the ship, and went to co pilot.
Lena threw on a head set and put the helicopter into full drive, the roters began to spin and they lifted them off the ground, "We clear?" she asked Tony. Natasha kneeled beside Clint, ripping of a piece of fabric from his shirt she tied it around his wound, trying to stop the blood flow.
"You're clear," Tony confirmed as his armor returned into a briefcase form. He ran a hand through his hair, slumping back in his chair.
The blood was starting to slow, but that was more because he'd already lost so much than anything else. The cuts on his legs, torso, and face were steadily trickling still, and a fever was starting to heat up.
Lena flew over the dark ground a fast as she could. Natasha felt Clint's forehead with the back of her hand, "He's burning up!" she called worriedly as she began to clean he wounds, stitching up the one on his face with the first aid kit.
Be okay, Clint, Natasha silently pleaded as she worked on him, be okay.
Minutes later, Lena carefully landed the air craft as they reached SHIELD, "Quick. We have to get him inside." she said, mentally lifting the injured Clint up. Natasha stood closely by his side.
Clint groaned in his fevered state, clutching at air.
Natasha grabbed Clint's hand and held it tightly as they rushed to they infirmary.
Once inside the infirmary, SHIELD doctors and such took Clint away and began operating on him.
"Clint!" Natasha yelled, trying to chase after him, but Lena pulled her back, "He'll be okay." she assured, "Just let the doctors do their job."
Clint's fever-glazed eyes flew open. "Tasha?" He groaned, meeting her eyes before he was back in one of the doctor's rooms.
Natasha jerked forwards, head grazing his, "Clint." she whispered, "Be okay." before Lena pulled her back once more.
"He'll be fine, Tasha. This is the guy who survived mind control," Tony said
"Don't remind me." Natasha mumbled, before spinning on Tony and harshly pinning him to the wall, arm against his throat, "And never call me Tasha." she growled before releasing him.
Tony chuckled after being let go. "Whatever you say."
"Only Clint can call her Tasha." Lena mumbled with a smirk.
"That's cuz they're in lurve," Tony said
Natasha shot the two a death glare that would have easily beheaded them if looks could kill, and then silently turned back to the door. "He'll be okay." Lena assured softly, and all Natasha could do was nod.
"So... what now?" Tony asked.
Lena sat down on a plastic white waiting room chair, "Now." she said, "We wait."
"Natasha," Lena said, arms crossed over her chest as she looked at her mentor, "Clint will be okay, you know."
They were sitting in Clint's too white hospital room, and as Nataha sat beside Clint, the plastic chair uncomfortable for her tired body, she wished that was true. She desperately wanted to be certain, and he looked much too weak on the low hospital bed that she almost wanted to pray for his safety, but the fact that she had never been very religious and the thought that even if such higher powers did exist there was no way they would answer to someone as undeserving as her kept her from doing so. And even though deep in her heart she knew her would be okay, the fact that he wasn't just yet kept her head pounding and patience streched thin.
She sighed,"No, I don't know, that's the worst part." she replied.
"I can kinda see the future, you know," Lena reminded her. "He'll live."
"Thank you, Lenochka." Natasha said softly, her gaze sweeping over him, "But that doesn't make waiting for him to wake up any easier."
Clint was breathing, but he looked deathly pale. His eyes were moving beneath closed lids, and he was clutching handfuls of the sheets.
"He'll wake up soon," Lena reassured her. She fell silent, and stayed like that for a little while. "You do love him, don't you?"
Natasha reached forwards to tightly clutch Clint's hand in hers, "More then anyone." she admitted quietly.
Clint, as if he could sense her being there, relaxed slightly.
"Then why won't you tell him?" the girl inquired.
"Love is for children, Lena." Natasha replied immediately, though they both knew she didn't really mean it.
The telepath shook her head, "We both know you don't really mean it." she said, "Now, why won't you tell him?"
"Because the more I love him, the more it hurts when something like this happens."
"Yes, but sometimes when you're hurt you grow closer together."
Natasha nodded, "You're right Lena." she said, "Clint has easily knocked down all the walls I have struggled so hard to put up. I just don't think I could stand it if..." she breathed deeply, "If I dies of if he died without him knowing how much I care."
"Then tell him," Lena urged.
Natasha looked at Clint as she whispered sadly, "I can't." voice breaking at the end.
Lena put a comforting hand on Natasha's shoulder. "You can. I know you can."
Nataha looked at the girl, "You know I lo-" she paused and took a deep breath, "care about you too, right Lenochka?"
Lena smiled. "I do."
Natasha gave her a rare, small smile, "Good."
Clint muttered something and shifted.
Natasha looked back to the archer, "When will he wake?" she asked.
Lena pursed her lips as she looked into the future. "I... think he's already awake," She said, creasing her brow.
The red-head nodded knowingly, "Has he been listening?" she asked, "How much did he hear?"
"A lot," Lena replied. "He's still pretty weak, though, so don't try to kill him again..."
"Love you too, Tash," Clint muttered, his voice nothing more than a breath.
Natasha's heart squeezed at the sound of Clint's voice, she smiled slightly, "I won't." she assured Lena without looking at her.
"Oh, now I'm being ignored? Thanks," Clint mumbled.
The assassin rolled her eyes, "Half dead and he's still full of sarcasm."
"It's the last resort of the brain dead, or so I hear," Clint replied, smiling a little as best he could.
"Funny." she deapanned, "Now rest."
"Whatever you say," Clint mumbled, before falling back asleep.
Natasha leaned forwards and placed a light kiss on Clint's forehead.
Clint, as it was, had already fallen back asleep.
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