A/N: So Clint's flashback in this is based off his history from the comic, hopefully I did all right with it. Thank you again for all the beautiful reviews, I'm either going to have to stop updating or write faster because you guys are just about caught up to where I'm currently writing. So just keep in mind the chapters may start coming a little slower, not for a lack of writing but a lack of time to write.
Chapter Seven
Three days later, Tony was released from the medical wing and the team found themselves seated around the conference table in the main area of the helicarrier. "Effective immediately, the six of you are to go back to Stark's home in California for the next four weeks. If during that time we need your assistance, we will call for Natasha, Steve and Thor, as well as some backups we have been looking into. This will be temporary until we are certain that you three are healed enough to return to the Avengers," Director Fury explained three days later as Stark, Banner, Barton, Rogers, Thor, and Romanov sat around the table. In three days it was the first time Tony had seen his two friends and he couldn't quite shake the feeling their friendship was over.
In three nights he'd had multiple nightmares about the explosion, about Afghanistan, even one about Vanko. Pepper had left two days ago for a business trip, so she hadn't been there for the past couple nights. He didn't want to admit that every time he woke up he spent twenty minutes trying to curb the tears and panic attacks. Even now he felt like he was suffocating, he couldn't wait to be back in his house. He could hide in his lab whenever he was struggling to get it under control. He was terrified that he may never be ready to be back in the field. It hasn't been this bad since Afghanistan, and even then he'd had something to focus on.
Directory Fury had expected Stark to put up some sort of argument, any of them for that matter, however the silence around the table was almost as disturbing as hearing they'd been injured. Fury didn't like Stark, but he tolerated the rest of the team, and what he did know was that none of them were acting like they normally did. It made him feel uneasy, he could tell his three agents were struggling to come to terms with everything that had happened, he could force his agents to go see the psychologists, but whether they actually spoke was a different story.
"You're dismissed; Agent Robinson here is going to fly you to California. We will be in contact with you constantly should you all need anything."
The six friends all stood, albeit Clint a little slower because of his broken leg. Natasha went to his side and helped him hobble out of the room, following the rest of the team. Stark looked over at Bruce who had barely spoken a word to him since waking up. "How you doin' doc?" Tony asked as they walked slowly towards the ship that would take them home. Tony couldn't help but feel old the way they were all walking, but between the cracked femur which was currently pinned and the crutches there was no way they could walk fast. While the outside injuries were healing, Tony was beginning to think their friendship had reached its end.
Bruce glanced up, and pursed his lips, "Good, I guess. Healing nicely, you?" Why did a conversation that had once been easy felt so difficult now. Bruce hated himself for all of it, it had been his fault they'd almost died in there. If he'd been able to control the situation a moment longer, whether getting Stark out earlier or keeping the other guy under control a moment longer maybe, just maybe they wouldn't all feel so damaged now. He'd caused all the nightmares, he'd caused a genius to lose the light in his eyes and it made Bruce ache.
"Bruce, I'm sorry I even got us stuck in there," Tony whispered, because he couldn't rationalize his friends' reactions unless they were upset that he'd caused the problems to begin, they'd been his bombs. His old weapons, he'd hurt his friends again. He watched Bruce give him a tight smile before he moved ahead into the ship. He felt his heart ache and not because of the damage he'd done. He'd ruined the only friendships he truly enjoyed.
Steve stepped up behind him, "Tony, you can't blame yourself for this."
Tony glanced up at him and gave him a fake smile, "Sure I can, Captain. It's was my idea to keep building a weapons company." He boarded the ship and took a seat far away from the others and stared at the floor.
o0o
Pepper sighed as she stepped into the boardroom early the next morning at Stark Industries, it'd only been four days since Tony had woken up, and he wasn't talking about anything that had happened. She couldn't help the overwhelming helpless feeling that ached in her gut. Glancing down at her watch her brow furrowed as she realized she was actually fifteen minutes late for this meeting, where was everyone else? Picking up her phone she began to dial the head of the meeting when the door closed behind her, she whirled around and she felt her stomach flop. "Justin," she murmured.
The shorter man grinned wide as he raised his hands in a welcoming gesture, "Miss Potts, so nice to see you again, why do you look surprised, certainly you must have known I was out of jail by now?" Pepper moved towards the side wall where the emergency button was. "I wouldn't do that, Pepper; you see I'm not the same man I used to be. How did Anthony like my present to him?" The grin Justin had was almost disgusting, he looked riveted and it made Pepper want to cry.
"You knew he was in that building?"
Justin chuckled, "Miss Potts, don't insult me, I knew every move Anthony would make. Despite how brilliant he is, he is quite predictable. I planted the last bomb and had someone assure them it was gone, so that when the person coming out screaming about a bomb that she'd go straight towards Stark."
"You almost killed Bruce and Clint too!" She shouted, suddenly furious with this man, what the hell was Justin thinking, "You're not a murderer, Justin. You're not," at least she didn't want to believe he was.
Justin grinned, "It's funny what a man like Anthony can do to you, isn't it. But this isn't just about your intrepid leader, is it, Miss Potts."
"Get out, Hammer. If you go now, I won't tell anyone I saw you," It was a weak attempt, and it never worked in movies so what she thought it'd work this time, she'd never know.
Justin smiled as he stepped closer, "Don't bother Miss Potts, after all, I wouldn't want to have to tell Stark his precious assistant is dead," he pulled out a small gun, he still had that sickening smile on his face. "Let's go," he motioned towards the door.
Pepper felt the panic welling higher and higher, she was terrified at the idea of being in Hammer's clutches; however the gun made her ever more concerned. She could've escaped possibly if a gun hadn't been involved, but she couldn't die, not for Tony and certainly not if she was indeed pregnant, which was a very real possibility despite the multiple negative tests. She looked down at her cell phone, quickly typing in Natasha's number and hit send.
"Justin, please, just let me go, we won't bother you ever again," she spoke loud enough so that if Natasha picked up she'd hear the person's voice.
o0o
His eyes grew wide at the sight of Duquesne putting the money into his safe. One of the other Carnies grinned from where he stood in the corner. He gasped, slapping his hand over his mouth, but it was enough to catch their attention. Clint turned to run away when he felt his collar gripped tight, "You stupid little runt!" Swordsman shouted as he began to deliver blow after blow to Clint's face and body.
Clint's vision swam as they tore his clothes and beat him. His ribs cracked and broke under the constant kicks and punches. Swordsman stomped on his hand and arm. He sobbed and curled in on himself trying to protect all of his most vital organs.
It was the stunning midsection that left Clint gasping in fear. He cried out, but another kick to his ribs left him coughing and gasping for breath. Clint watched, fascinated as he spit up red. He tried to hold on as long as he could, but he felt like someone was ripping him to pieces he began to lose consciousness.
"Clint!" someone shouted.
"Clint!"
"Clint!" Natasha had been fast asleep when Clint's trashing and crying jolted her awake. She gasped as she looked to see him sobbing in his sleep. "Clint, sweetheart," she began to run her fingers through his sweat soaked hair. He'd only filled her in on a little of his past, but it was an important part. He'd explained that he'd been beaten within an inch of his life as a young boy by a man he'd trusted and cared for as a father and mentor.
"Clint!" She snapped again, his blue eyes shot open and he was looking around frantically. "You're safe, we're at Stark's place in Malibu."
He looked at her, his eyes brimming with unshed tears, his breathing was still struggling and it looked as painful as the nightmare. His face began to crumble and a moment later he'd buried his face in her shoulder. How many times had she cried on his shoulders, more than she cared to admit. She gently rubbed his lower neck, occasionally scratching the base of his skull lovingly with her fingernails.
"Was it the carnival again?" She felt a nod against his shoulder.
They both jumped when Natasha's phone went off. Confused she looked down to see Pepper was calling, "Hello?" She answered.
"Justin, please, just let me go, we won't bother you ever again," Pepper spoke, though clearly not into the phone.
"I told you, let's go, Potts." Natasha recognized that void, it'd been awhile, but she knew it. It was Justin Hammer, the very same man, they were all in a world of trouble if something happened to Pepper. Because she was absolutely certain that if Pepper died, Tony wouldn't be far behind.
o0o
The room was dark, he sat there silently, in the old car and watched the two different screens, to the right was the holographic images from his captivity over in Afghanistan and current day news discussing that he was the reason more innocent people died. On the other image an old reel movie played, his father talking about some new project on screen.
"You didn't tell us, that the person you wanted us to kill was the Great Tony Stark," the Arabic man read as they ripped the bag off Tony's head.
They shouted all around him in languages he didn't know as he was shoved down under the water again. He fought with all his might, he struggled as much as he could but every time they pushed his head under a little more fight was gone. Every time he got a little closer to death, and each time he'd welcomed it a little more.
Tony wiped the back of his hand across his damp cheeks as he sighed. He was so tired of being everyone's scapegoat. When he thought he'd been dying, he'd done everything he could to leave behind a legacy he could be proud of. Now Justin Hammer would do everything he could to ensure even that wasn't possible.
"I know men who went through that kind of treatment in a day and snapped, and from what I hear you made it three months and broke yourself out," Steve's voice startled him, but Tony remained quiet. "Tony, I know it's hard right now, but you have to believe this isn't your fault."
"Who's is it then?" Tony demanded as he turned and looked at the captain. "Please enlighten me, since you seem to think you're so much smarter than the genius."
"Tony, I'm trying to help."
"I don't need your help," snapped Tony as he flicked off both screens, "JARVIS where's Pepper?"
"She's in a meeting, Sir."
Captain pain-in-the-ass interrupted, "Tony, no one blames you."
Tony scoffed, "Really? Because I've got two former friends upstairs who haven't said so much as a word to me since I woke up. That seems like a fairly good slap upside the head of blame. Get out."
"Why do you insist on being alone, can't you see we're a team now, we help each other."
"We're not a team, we're a bunch of misfits with nowhere else to go and no better reason to fight but a need to be needed, that Fury so kindly decided to slap together in desperate hopes that we could save a world that doesn't WANT SAVING!" His final words shouted as he tried to control his emotions and his breathing.
He tired more easily and he wasn't ready for this kind of argument right now. "Get out."
"How can you give up on all of this, after everything you've done?"
"According to you, what I've done isn't worth a damn, so I'll say it one more time Captain. Get. Out. of my lab."
"Tony-" Natasha stepped in, and instantly could see she was interrupting as both men looked beyond furious. Tony's face was red and dotted with sweat, while Steve looked confused and unsettled.
"What!" He demanded glaring at her.
She glanced back at Steve before she moved closer to Tony, "I just got a phone call from Pepper…I think she's being held hostage by Hammer."
