[Deep Breath Before the Plunge]
His lips tightened, the only sign of his anger. The man before him didn't contrite; if anything Bullseye looked angry.
"Please, explain to me again how you let him get away—or rather how you ran from your target." The words were cold.
Bullseye's dark eyes flashed. "There was someone coming—,"
"So you ran away." He finished the sentence for the hitman.
Bullseye's hands clenched. "Just tell me what hospital he's at and I'll finish the job."
He shook his head. "No. You've had your chance and came away with nothing to show other than a wounded leg and shoulder."
Bullseye glared at his leg, as if willing for it to heal faster, before turning his gaze back on his boss.
"No," He continued. "This time I'm sending some of my men. They will take care of Agent Barton."
Bullseye huffed and leaned back against his chair. "Whatever way you found Barton among your men, you should probably do it again. Widen the search or something." Bullseye said his anger still simmered beneath his tone. "Whoever interrupted me while I was trying to kill Barton could've been working with him and be buried deep within your operation."
He frowned, but didn't say anything. Bullseye was right; it was time to widen his search and see just how far the infection had spread.
Castle was pretty sure he was in shock. Clint, from his hospital bed, looked worried and kept trying to get up and failing.
"Rick? Are you okay?"
Castle blinked. "Yeah," he waved a hand. "I think I will be. It's just taking me a little bit to understand."
"What part?" Clint asked helpfully.
"Uh," Castle said slowly. "All of it."
Clint deflated slightly. "I have to start from the beginning?" He took a deep breath as if he was preparing to do just that.
"No," Castle said laughing a little at the look on his brother's face. "You don't have to start from the beginning. It's just…even though I told everyone that were a spy, I guess I didn't quite believe it myself."
"Well," Clint said, "Now you've got to stop telling everyone that. Everything I told you about SHIELD, Fury, and the Avengers, you can't tell anyone. Fury would have my head if he ever finds out and knowing him he will find out." Clint frowned at that. Dammit, he hadn't really thought this all through. Fury was going to skin him alive. Wonderful.
Castle waved a hand, bringing Clint's attention back to him. "So. The Avengers."
"What about them?"
"Were they in here before me?"
"Yep. All except Thor. Problems in Asgard, I think."
"Oh, of course." Castle said. A smile was starting to curl at the edge of his lips. "I can't believe it. Do you think you could introduce me? I'm thinking about writing a superhero book next. They're all the rage these days."
Clint rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure that Castle hadn't been planning on writing any superhero book; he just wanted to meet the famous Avengers.
"Yeah, I can introduce you. I get the feeling that you and Tony will get along well."
"Because we're both handsome and rich?"
"Because you're both narcissistic pricks." Clint smirked.
"Detective Beckett?" Beckett looked up at her name.
The red haired woman who had caused her so many problems the year before stood in front of her.
"Clint asked me to send Martha and Alexis in. He's done talking to Castle."
Martha and Alexis were already halfway down the hall before she had finished speaking, anxious looks on their faces.
Beckett was left alone in the room with the woman.
"So." The woman said, slowly sitting down next to Beckett. "I'm Natasha."
"Not Melissa Carter?" Beckett asked wryly, remembering the name that she had been given when she had first encountered the red-haired woman.
Natasha smiled, shaking her head. "No."
Beckett noted that the red haired woman didn't apologize for the deception, though Beckett reasoned, it had been necessary at the time.
Beckett waited a beat and then said, "So, you and Clint are what exactly?" Beckett had her suspicions, especially after everything she had seen on the news after the attack on New York. Not that much information had been given about the woman in question.
Natasha quirked an eyebrow at the other woman, but her lips stayed firmly closed. She waved her hand, giving Beckett the 'next question' gesture.
Beckett sighed, but did as Natasha asked and moved to another question. "Do you know who murdered my senator?"
Natasha gave a small tight nod; her eyes flitted from Beckett's face to the hall where Clint was.
Beckett's eyes widened and she sat forward in her chair; she had almost given up on that case. The case that she wasn't even supposed to be working on.
"Well," Beckett prompted when Natasha didn't continue. "Who is it? Who murdered Senator Coleman?"
"A low life thug." Natasha said carefully.
Beckett frowned and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
"He was ordered to take care of the Senator by another man," Natasha continued, "a man who is controlling the largest mob organization here in New York. "
"Wait." Beckett commanded, trying to process the information being thrown at her. "Do you know who this man is? Why hasn't he been arrested yet?"
Natasha eyed Beckett. "Clint was sent here to take care of this man."
Beckett waited for more, but Natasha's lips stayed firmly closed. "That's all you're going to tell me?"
Natasha gave a small nod and got to her feet. "That's all I can tell you." She turned on her heel and Beckett said, "Why? Why did you tell me anything at all? I don't remember you being very open last time."
Natasha paused and looked over her shoulder at the detective. "Clint asked me to tell you." She said simply.
His computer beeped. He leaned forward, annoyed that his suspicions about Agent Barton not being the only poison in his organization were being confirmed.
His lips tightened as his eyes fell on the agent's picture on the screen. He didn't need a computer scan to tell him who this man was. Unlike Agent Barton, he had actually met this agent before.
Clint really was trying to pay attention to his mother's lecture; he really was. He figured that after all the hell he had put his mother through in his teenage years and after last time he had seen her, that he deserved the chewing out he was getting.
However, he was having a hard time communicating those feelings to his body, which had decided that now was the time to crash and succumb to the pain medication that was beginning to pump through his veins.
"Clint? Clinton Rodgers, are you listening to me?" Clint's eyes flickered back open.
"Huh? Yeah. I'm listening. I need to call home more and get stabbed less, right?"
Alexis smothered her smile with her hand from her spot at Clint's bedside. She locked eyes with her uncle for a moment and he gave her a small grin, which she hesitantly returned.
Even Martha, despite her anger at Clint, couldn't hide the small twitch of her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, yes, I suppose you get the idea of it…though, I would and could go on."
"But," Castle interjected. "You won't because Clint was stabbed and needs to rest."
Clint shot his brother a grateful look, as Martha conceded with a sigh and a nod.
"I am sorry." Clint said after a moment, his voice already beginning to thicken with sleep. "I should've called or something." He trailed off as his eyes slowly closed.
Castle guided his mother and daughter out of the room, glancing over his shoulder at his brother's sleeping form.
Once outside, Martha turned to Castle and leaned into his embrace. Castle lifted his other arm to include Alexis into the impromptu group hug.
"I'm glad that he's okay." Alexis said, her voice muffled by Castle's jacket. "It would've sucked if he died before I even got to know him."
Castle chuckled. "Yeah, it would've. C'mon, let's get home. We can see Clint again tomorrow." With his girls on both arms, Castle exited the hallway.
A/N: Okay, this chapter was supposed to be a lot longer, but the second half still needs a lot of work. So I cut it in half in order to finally post something after a four month long hiatus. Which brings me to the second thing I was wanted to say: I'm sorry that I'm taking so long with this story! It will be completed. I don't know when, but it will happen.
Also, I know this chapter is pretty boring, but like the title suggests it's the deep breath before all the good stuff starts happening, so stay tuned!
Thank you to everyone who is still sticking with me even though I suck at updating and all that. You guys really do help me.
