A/N: I'M SO SORRY that it took me this long to get back to this story! A couple of plot-details were fighting violently in my head. (groans) But now they've gained peace, so here we go. Hooray…?

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your reviews, listings, love and support. Those are DEFINITELY what brought this story back to life! (HUGS) I don't know how to thank you enough.

Awkay, because it's getting late AGAIN… Let's go! I REALLY hope that this turns out worth the wait.

SONG RECOMMENDATION: 'Angel With a Shotgun'

Hour 5

"So… You're Lutsky's sister?" Steve sounded shocked and disbelieving.

Laura – or whatever her real name might be – nodded. "I… didn't know what he was, for a long time. Until I saw him at work." She looked down, clearly feeling sick. "If it wasn't for Clint's help… I don't know what I would've done. Because I knew that my brother had to be stopped." She shook her head and ran a badly unsteady hand through her hair. "So… He's still alive? And he has Clint?"

With Tony's duties as Iron Man, Pepper had grown fairly used to running the company in his absence. It would've made sense even without their… intimate relations. She had good natural business instincts and on top of those Tony had trained her well. She was able to handle pretty much any situation. And, as Tony Stark's very public girlfriend, she'd also been taught to spot and handle threatening situations.

She knew that she was in for one when she was escorted into a meeting room and faced a rather small but clearly armed and dangerous man with sleek, blond hair and the sharpest blue eyes she'd ever seen. "I apologize that Mr. Lutsky can't be present." It was impossible, at least to her ears, to recognize that accent. "He was… otherwise engaged."

Pepper frowned. "I see. I wish that I'd been informed in beforehand." She then offered a charming smile, hoping that it didn't seem too faked, and her hand. "As you probably know I'm Pepper Potts. And you are…?"

"Dima Bohdan. The company's other owner, although I prefer being a silent partner." The man smiled. "I'm sure that we'll reach a deal that satisfies both parties."

Pepper's fast speeding up thought process was interrupted by her receiving a text. She offered her companion an apologetic look, then gave the message a glance. It was from one of the five numbers she recognized as Clint's.

'I know that you wanted a lime cheesecake for the party but they only have peach. Would that be okay?'

Pepper focused on her phone for less than five seconds, recognizing the code. Clint was asking her to trust him. But what…?

When she lifted her head it was instantly covered by a black hood.

Quite soon after a recap of the events thus far Tony excused himself. Once he departed the others observed a map of London. Steve drew two circles on it. "These are the possible locations we have so far. We were just about to inspect them when…" The soldier trailed off.

Laura, to their surprise, shook her head. "He won't be in either one of those. This…" She drew a third circle. "… is his favorite place in the entire city." Her jawline tightened. "We used to visit our uncle every summer. He worked in that building as a butcher. Vlad…" She wrinkled her nose. "He liked to watch uncle work." Intense worry and steel hard resolve brought new lines to her forehead.

Natasha gave her hand a small squeeze that everyone else probably missed. Fury's remaining eye gained the same gleam it always did in the heat of action. Steve nodded. "So now we have a location. We're going to need a plan as well."

Laura frowned. She glanced towards the room's door. "Shouldn't Tony be here for that as well?"

The three others exchanged dark looks. It was Natasha who spoke. "Not when he may have been compromised."

Laura tensed up, knowing all too well what that meant.

Tony couldn't stand looking at Laura, knowing what he'd done and what he might end up doing. So as soon as he could he announced that he'd check out the building's computer systems and excused himself. Once he was alone he took a deep breath, then another, trying to get rid of the uncomfortable tightness wrapping around his chest.

He'd had enough panic attacks to recognize one approaching and he couldn't afford it, not now, not with how much was at stake.

Tony had just started working on a computer when his phone began to ring. He frowned at the unfamiliar number and picked up with a healthy hint of hesitation. "Yeah?"

For a couple of seconds it was quiet. The voice that eventually came was strained but familiar. "Tony?"

Tony's eyes widened. His heart broke and began to hammer at the same time. Oh, hell no…! "Clint?"

/ Lutsky was a lunatic. But also incredibly intelligent. The man observed Clint's reactions every single time the blade moved. North… South… Equator… Clint's lack of reaction was almost disappointing. Until it wasn't.

When the knife's edge brushed the agent's eyelashes the man shivered involuntarily and tensed up just enough for it to be noticed. Rage flashed in those eyes before it could quite be smothered. Interesting.

Lutsky smirked. Revealed his teeth like a wild animal charging for an attack. "North it is, then", he decided.

Lutsky made the same mistake a lot of people had done before him – he underestimated Clint Barton.

Clint's heart was racing as the blade approached his eye. No. Absolutely no way he was going to let his eyesight be damaged like this.

Before Lutsky had the slightest chance to see it coming Clint's legs were wrapped firmly around the man's neck. He squeezed, ignoring the knife that was still swinging wildly. Letting go could've and most likely would've meant losing his life or his sight. At some point he felt a sharp, hellish slash of agony and was unable to keep himself from howling with agony. The wound was deep. At the moment he didn't want to imagine how bad it was. There was no time to waste.

Eventually Lutsky's struggles died out. Not a moment too soon, because Clint was running out of strength. The archer gasped, shaking to the core of his being, while his legs let go, allowing the criminal to fall limply to the floor. With his captor unconscious Clint had only one big problem to sort out.

Gathering every ounce of strength and all the stubbornness he had, Clint glanced upwards towards the metal confining him. Calculated. Well. There was a reason why his second nickname at the circus was Houdini…

Exactly thirty-five seconds later he fell gracefully to the floor, firmly to his own two feet despite the blood he was still losing. His gaze focused on Lutsky's still form and darkened. Several sinister and tempting thoughts were rising. He was just approaching his enemy when the man's phone signaled a text message. Morbidly curious, he gave it a look. And froze.

'You are being watched. He dies. So does Pepper Potts.'

Clint wasn't kidding himself. He knew that he wasn't just given an empty threat. Whatever choice he had just faded away. And of course things went from bad to much worse.

'You have two hours to die or somebody else does. A word of advice? Use that time well.'

Clint stared at the message. His heart pounding and his thoughts whirring madly. And came to the somber conclusion that if he couldn't do anything to the monster lay at his feet… Then he'd have to move. Perhaps he was out of options but he wasn't dead yet. /

"Clint?" Tony tried again when his friend didn't respond. His throat felt tight and his eyes stung uncomfortably. "Where are you? Are you okay?" Of course he knew that he couldn't do much to help without it having devastating results. But maybe, just maybe… At least it seemed that the archer had made it away from Lutsky. That was a start. Right?

But something… was wrong. "I… I can't talk long." Clint sounded out of breath. Alarmingly so. "Look… I'm sorry that I had Pepper dragged into this. Both of you. I really am. I tried to keep you guys safe."

Well. That broke Tony's heart quite effectively. He gulped. "I know." And he did, because he knew his friend. "And hey, we'll figure this out. Insane situations like this are what we do best, remember?"

Clint chuckled. Or at least it sounded like that. "True. Because we're kind of insane."

"Exactly." Tony took a deep breath, tightening his hold on the phone. "Now stop stalling, Pigeon. Where are you?"

"We both know that you guys can't come and get me." Clint's voice held a hint of sadness but also steel hard resolve. "Look after your family. I'll do the same. It'll be okay."

Tony's stomach knotted uncomfortably. Cold seeped into his blood stream. "Barton…!"

"It'll be okay." It sounded like Clint meant it, despite his grim tone. "We both do what we have to. Just… Do me a favor, yeah?"

Tony gritted his teeth painfully tightly. His eyes narrowed. "No way I'm going to listen to this…!"

"Whatever happens… Don't let Lutsky win." With those ominous words Clint hung up.

And Tony was left with the sinking feeling that his friend just said goodbye.

As the phone call ended Clint closed his eyes, gasping sharply. He was in pain and exhausted. How badly he'd been hurt… Well, it was high time to find out.

He looked down, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do, and lifted the hem of his black shirt cautiously. The fabric was soaked and soon he found out why. His shoulders slumped.

It wasn't just a scratch, then. Apparently Lutsky never got the chance to retrieve his beloved weapon before passing out because the haft of a knife was clearly visible. Blood was seeping out around it like a small river, responding chillingly to the archer's heartrate.

Not good news.

Before Clint had the time to decide what to do about the situation slowly approaching steps signaled that he had company. He lifted his gaze just in time to meet Lutsky's chilling smirk. When the criminal spoke it became apparent that his throat didn't appreciate the recent assault. "Two hours, remember? I want you to die." The man pulled something from behind his back and caressed it teasingly with his other hand. "But first I'll make sure that you suffer."

Pepper put up one hell of a fight, just like Tony, Clint, Steve and Natasha had taught her to. She couldn't be sure how many attackers there were but estimated that at least three. It was oddly satisfying to discover that they were having difficulties with restraining her.

A particularly ferocious kick earned a groan. "I know who taught you that move." Whose voice was that?

But the sad truth was that in the end she was overpowered. She kept trashing – fighting not only for herself but also for her unborn baby – and it only intensified when she was placed down. A van's door was shut loudly, making her shiver. "I'm sorry." That accent was definitely from the States. "But it had to look authentic for the security cameras."

"Who are you?" Pepper growled. Her brain was ticking furiously to come up with a way out of the situation. "Who do you work for?"

The hood was removed. And the whole situation got several degrees more confusing. Because there, on the van's floor, lay a woman and two men, one of which was the same who took her. All of them dead.

She lifted her confused gaze to meet that very same man, who was looking at her with those piercing eyes. His chin, though… It looked like the skin had been nearly torn off… "You're in safe hands, now", the man assured her in that American accent she just heard. He moved his black coat just enough to reveal a hawk-shaped pin hidden to its inner side. "A Hawk looks after his own."

Tony wasn't entirely sure how long had passed while he stared at his phone. Clint's call… It could probably be traced. They might be able to find the archer and save him.

And the second they did Pepper would die.

/ "Look after your family." /

Clint knew. Clint freaking knew, and gave him the permission to… Like that would've made the inevitable any easier!

Tony's finger was unsteady while he deleted all traces of ever having received the call. The possibly last trace they'd ever have to finding their friend. He wondered with a heavy heart if he'd ever hear Clint's voice again. And knew all too clearly that if he wouldn't, it was his fault.

Tony didn't notice the tears filling his eyes. "I'm sorry", he murmured, his voice breaking. Only a heavy silence answered him. "I'm so sorry."

Tony was so preoccupied that he had no way of sensing that he wasn't alone anymore. Especially when his companion was a top-class assassin. He stiffened when Natasha's frosty voice spoke. "What are you sorry about?"

Neither noticed that Tony got a text message. It was from a concealed number. Top secret, absolutely untraceable.

The message contained a picture of a very much unharmed, smiling Pepper, at a secure location that couldn't be identified. Along with just two words. 'Mission accomplished.'

Clint must've blacked out at some point. Which wasn't a surprise, his wound considered. When he woke up he lay on the floor, firmly strapped. So Lutsky didn't trust him to stay under control even when he was half dead…

The first thing he saw was his own blood staining the filthy floor. The room was cold. He wondered if shock was setting in and under any other circumstances might've been worried about the thought not bothering him.

Lutsky, of course, wasn't unaware of his regained consciousness for long. A sharp, merciless kick to his ribs flipped him violently to lay on his back and struck whatever little air there'd been from his lungs. "Finally! You were getting boring."

Clint barely heard, because all his focus was on the huge, filthy hooks hanging from the ceiling. It was like stuff out of a horror movie. It took his all to not let the fast rising alarm from showing.

"Now let's pull up the meat, shall we?" Lutsky began to whistle while the criminal worked. "I'll have to tenderize it."

TBC

A/N: I know, I know, I said 'no Ethan Hunt'… (smirks coyly and wiggles eyebrows) But OH MY GOSH! Clint just got Pepper to safety. But what about him?! Is he really where Laura suspects he may be – or did Tony just destroy their final chance to find him? And even if he is there, will they get to him before it's too late? WILL THE CLIFFIES EVER END?

PLEASE, do leave a note to let me know if that was worth the wait at all! Would you like to read more? The word's yours, folks! Feel free to rant all you like. (grins)

Until next time, folks. And I promise that it won't take this long! I really hope that I'll see ya there.

Take care!

Guest96: That she is! (grins) We'll see just where this mad ride takes us next… Poor Clint's in for NASTY stuff…!

HUGE thank yous for the review!

Guest: Awww! There's absolutely NO WAY I could say 'no' to that. (grins and hugs) I REALLY hope that what's to come turns out worth the wait!

MASSIVE thank yous for the review!