Sorry it took so long for me to repost school has been keeping me really busy. But here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy:)

BTW if you have any ideas or anything that you want to see just leave a review.


Clint had been living with the Avengers for a week now and S.H.I.E.L.D still had not found a cure. Fury had ordered the Avengers to take care of Clint saying that he was more important and only Thor could help. Pepper had come back from Washington DC with abunch of clothes and toys for Clint and, after a while, he accepted them making sure he thanked her everytime he saw her for the first two days.

This particular day, Steve was still a little stressed from the last battle they had and it was very difficult without there resident archer but they had gotten it done even if it ended with a lot more injuries. He went back to his room and changed into his running gear and was just about to head out the door when a voice spoke up behind him.

"Where are you going?" Steve's heart raced and he spun around to see Clint standing only a foot behind him. Even though Clint is considerably younger he is still slient and creepy at times. Many times Steve has turned around to find the little boy right next to him without him knowing.

"I was just going to go for a run." He replied.

Clint's eyes held something that looked like fear but Steve wasn't sure because the next thing he saw was Clint making big puppy dog eyes at him.

"May I please go with you?" Steve dropped to his knees, he couldn't say no to those big, round eyes.

"If you can keep up?" Steve winked.

The boy smirked, "I don't think you have to worry about that."

He ran off to his room and came back two minutes later, changed into running clothes, "Let's go!"


Steve and Clint started out slow, Steve not knowing his running partner's limit. After half a mile and Clint looking bored and not tired at all Steve sped up to his normal run. Clint sped up and stayed with him for two miles where he sped up again making Steve speed up. Two miles later Steve stopped and had Clint stop too, glad that he seemed out of breath also.

"How come you can run this much?" Steve asked curioulsy.

"When living on the streets in New York, you come across a lot of gangs. If they find you in their territory they will beat you, since I couldn't fight back I would run."

Steve gaped at the boy, he has had run in with gangs? How many? How could a child go through all he had gone through?

"Can we go back now? I am getting hungry."

"Yeah let's go." They jogged back at much slower pace back.


The next day Steve was sore from running yesterday but still had a huge urge to work out. After a moments contemplation he decided to go to one of the many gyms in the tower. He wrapped his hands and put on gloves for safety, sometimes when he was angry he wouldn't use the gloves but he decided that he didn't want to hurt his hands today. Three punching bags later he heard the door open behind and turned to see Clint walk through the doors.

"Can I work out with you?"

"Yeah, I am just going to be punching for a little bit longer but you can do whatever." He nodded his head and walked to the pull up bar, older Clint's favorite thing too. He started doings reps and the Captain turned back to the punching bag. Three bags later he turned around and saw Clint climbing the rope in the middle of the gym. He climbed it and dropped within 25 seconds.

After a short moment of amazement Steve felt a drop of sweat slide down his face and remembered why he stopped punching. He searched for a towel and when he couldn't find one he took of his shirt and used this. Clint saw him do this and copied him, pulling off his shirt and holding it to his face. Steve looked at the boy and saw that he had scars across most of his arms and some on his chest. The biggest one on his right forearm.

Tony had been watching this from the hall and smiled when he saw Clint copy Steve. He looked like a mini Cap, complete with the muscles and everything. He had the same shiny blond hair, sharp features, and they both stood staight. He walked through the door into the gym catching their attention.

"You know we have towels in the locker room?" He said.

"Oh, I didn't. Thanks for telling me." Steve replied.

Tony looked at Clint noticing the scars but what really caught his gaze was the muscle on the little boy.

"Aw come on, even as Baby Bird he has a six-pack, what the hell?" Tony used the nickname he made for him.

Steve looked back at the boy finally realizing the muscle. Sure enough Clint had six-pack, a little 11 year-old's six-pack.

"Can I ask about your scars?" Tony asked.

"You get 20 questions."

Tony didn't hesitate, "How many scars do you have?"

"38"

"What happened to your forearm?" Steve asked this.

"Got hit by a car, my bone popped through the skin."

"What happened to your leg?" Tony gestured to the scar on his thigh.

"Fell off a highwire in the circus."

"How many bones have you broken?"

"Lost count." Clint didn't seem to mind the change away from scars so thought he could slowly change the topic.

"How long have you lived on your own?" Well maybe not slowly after all.

"One year."

"Where did you live before that?"

"The circus."

"And before that?"

"A couple different orphanges."

"Family?"

"Parents and one brother. All dead."

Tony grimiced, this was sad. "Did you go to school?"

"No."

"Abused?"

"Yes."

The longer this went on the more angry Steve and Tony were getting at whoever put him through this.

"How did your family die?"

"Parents died in a car crash when I was five. Shot my brother last year."

Steve gasped.

"Why did you shoot your brother?"

"He tried to kill me."

Clint was back to doing pull ups. His shirt was still off so Steve and Tony could see his strength as his back and arm muscles flexed. They could also see the many scars he had on his back.

"Why were you hit by a car?"

"Running from a gang."

"How did you fall off of a highwire?"

"My old mentor made my brother and I fight till one of us died on the highwire, he won."

"How did you survive that fall?"

"Relaxed my body."

Steve was pissed. Clint stopped but didn't turn around to face them yet.

"What do you hate most?"

"Betrayal." He didn't even have to think about that one.

"How many people have betrayed you?"

"8"

"Who?"

"My dad, he beat me and killed my mom. My mom, she didn't leave my dad so I kept getting beat. My brother Barney, he tried to kill me. My old mentor, he made my brother chose between me and money. My other mentor, he said he would protect me but then threw me out on the streets. Everyone else in the carnival when they got my brother into drinking and didn't help us. The social worker, she lied and said we would be put in a good home. The person in charge of the home, she didn't believe my brother and I when we told her the other kids were stealing our stuff and beating us up."

Tony vowed then and there to never betray this kid.

"What do you like the most?"

"Hawks."

"Why?"

"My brother gave me a knife after my parents died with a hawk on it. Also, they get to fly, they don't have parents that beat them or have people lie to them, all they care about is finding a mate."

"Do you miss your family?"

Clint turnes around and his eyes darkened. "That's 21 questions."

Steve walked up to Clint and hugged him, "I am so sorry." He whispered to him.

Clint was surprised at first but then he sank into the hug, "I don't have to got to school do I."

Tony laughed. "Really, thats what you ask after telling us that?"