A/N: PHEW! It took me a while to tackle this. BUT, now I'm FINALLY back with a new chapter. Yay…?

FIRST, though… THANK YOU, a million times, for all your reviews, listings and love! It feels REALLY good that you've all joined this mad ride. (HUGS) We'll see where this storm takes our Hawk and his family next…

Awkay, because I've got mighty typing plans for this evening… Let's go! I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

WARNING – pretty descriptive violence up ahead…!


Hour 6


When Natasha didn't seem to return Steve frowned, impatient and on the edge at the dawning battle. In the end he reached out towards his ear comm. "Tasha, where are you? We're about to get going."

"You guys go on ahead. Tony and I… are in the middle of something." Her tone made it very clear that she wasn't interested in clarifying.

They didn't exactly have any time to waste on arguing. "Copy that." Steve focused on Laura and sighed heavily. "Clint's going to kill me for taking you along."

The woman shrugged. The look in her eyes made it adamantly clear why she was the perfect wife for Clint. "He'd have to go through me, first." She lifted her jaw. "I'm the one who knows that place and my brother the best. There's nothing you can do to keep me from going there to save my husband."

Steve sighed, his shoulders slumping. He'd been a soldier for long enough to recognize a lost battle when he faced one. "I know."

Fury, who'd been fiddling with his phone for a while, began to move towards the door. "There's… a contact I need to talk to. You two, stay safe and bring that feathery idiot home."

Despite the circumstances that made Steve smile. Just a little. "You've spent too much time with Tony."

Fury gave him a dark look. "Yes. I know."


Once the brief talk with Steve was over Natasha's focus shifted back to Tony. "So… You're telling me that Lutsky's threatened Pepper?"

Tony nodded barely visibly. There was a heartbreaking amount of despair in his eyes. "I had to protect her. She… She's my family, Natasha!"

Natasha's eyes narrowed dangerously. Even if, on some level, she understood. "I was under the impression that so are we."

"Do you really imagine that anything about this crap has been easy on me?" Tony snapped, his voice tight from emotional overload. A couple of moments of heavy silence passed by. "I… I want Clint out of this mess as much as you do. I just… I need time."

Natasha gritted her teeth. So hard that it hurt. "He doesn't have time, Tony."

The billionaire nodded towards his cell phone. Mindful to keep his motions subtle. "Trust me, I know."

Curious as well as furious, Natasha took the item and gave it a look. She was surprised when a quick inspection revealed a timer counting down. Showing the exact amount of time Clint had left to live. Provided that Lutsky would be patient enough to let the poison do its job, anyway.

"You guys are my family", Tony swore softly. His tone full of honest ache. "That's why this whole thing sucks."

Natasha said nothing to that. Mainly because she agreed wholly. Instead she finally pulled away the knife that'd been pressed against Tony's throat almost since she entered the room and holstered the weapon.

Almost instantly Tony was holding a gun at her. His eyes narrowed. "So you're not working for Lutsky?"

Natasha shook her head. Unflinching. "I was protecting my family, just like you."

Tony accepted that answer with a nod and put away the gun. "Good. I'm glad that we got this sorted."

Under different circumstances that answer might've amused Natasha. As it was she tossed the phone at Tony, her head already working on possible plans. "You've got a text."

Tony read the message. From the corner of her eye Natasha saw the billionaire's face grow hazardously pale. And then a little green.

She frowned. "Tony? What is it?"

Tony's hand was shaking when he finally, reluctantly, showed her the message. His expression was that of someone who was getting their heart ripped out of their chest. In a second she understood why.

The picture – which was sent almost right after he deleted what was possibly vital information – showed Pepper, very much safe.


Clint drifted somewhere on the line between consciousness and oblivion. The blood loss… The pain from the stab-wound and the hooks… They were too much.

And then he snapped back to full awareness at a blast of pain.

His eyes flew wide open to face a menacingly grinning Lutsky holding a baseball bat. "Wakey, wakey. You're missing all the fun."

Clint scoffed, biting back a wince. "So… What? You'll… club me… to death?"

"Nah. Too boring." Lutsky wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "I'll be gentle enough to not kill you just yet. The fun's only just getting started, after all."

Three more hits came in rapid succession. Clint used up all his stubbornness and endured the attacks in a silence. Determined to not give his companion the satisfaction.

He should've known that it was a bad idea to test Lutsky's patience. The man's eyes flashed. "Trying to be a tough guy, huh? Don't worry. We'll get that beaten out of you."

The new hit was fast and merciless. Came so quickly that the archer couldn't brace himself for it. And this time there was definite damage. Clint screamed, no longer able to contain it.


Steve's heart was beating a little too fast while he and Laura slipped into the building, then made their way through the shadowy hallways. The reek of death was everywhere. The threat hanging in the air… It was palpable.

Or then his imagination was playing tricks on him, which – under the circumstances – wouldn't have been much of a surprise.

Laura clearly shared his opinion. She shivered visibly. "This is even worse than I remembered."

Steve gritted his teeth. Then took a breath, telling himself to get his act together. "Then let's get this over with as quickly as possible." Clint didn't have any time to waste, anyway.

They advanced in silence for about two minutes until Laura's arm shot to the side, stopping him. Without saying a word, she pointed towards the floor. Showing a trap wire.

Clearly Lutsky wasn't too keen on having visitors.

They advanced further carefully. Wondering what more surprises there'd be waiting for them. Both shivered when they saw bloodstains on the floor.

And then they saw the door. Before they got the chance to decide whether they should walk through it or not a single sound froze them to the spot, made Steve's heart still for an unhealthy moment. It was a scream of pain, coming from the very room they were staring at.

Clint's scream.


Clint gasped, black spots dancing in his line of vision. He was struggling to remain conscious after having just felt a couple of ribs bend and break. It was the kind of agony he never got used to, no matter how many times he'd experienced it.

Lutsky was clearly having the time of his life. "Well? Where's the tough-guy act now? Did the cat catch your tongue?"

Clint responded with lifting his chin and spitting at the man's face.

The results were quite the ones he'd been expecting. The bat rose once more, smashing against his left side this time. At least this hit didn't seem to break anything, although it hurt like hell. "One… more… chance", the criminal growled in a tone that definitely wasn't joking. "Where is my sister?"

Clint summoned a mental image of his wife and children. And smiled through the agony coursing through him. "Not happening", he murmured. "And do you know why?" He lifted his head a second time, although it took most of whatever little strength he had, and faced his enemy. "Because she and her kids… They're the most important people to me in this world." He smirked despite tasting blood. "That's why I swore to cherish her and be faithful to her. For as long as we both shall live."

For a few seconds Lutsky stared. Processing his words. Then paled from shock and rage as understanding sunk in.

Lutsky didn't start shouting at him. Didn't utter a word, really. Instead the criminal took a knife and plunged it at him, giving Clint his second stab wound that day.

Through the ensuing hue Clint barely heard the room's door opening. The steps echoed ominously in his buzzing, rapidly blurring head. He turned his gaze and had to wait a few seconds before he could actually see the arrival. When he did his eyes widened and his heart sunk into his stomach. "... no ….", he whimpered.


As soon as the door opened Steve and Laura tensed up. It was far too dark to see very clearly. When the lights were switched on things didn't get much more pleasant.

The first thing they saw were the hooks, stained by blood.

The second thing that struck them, like a sledgehammer, was the stench.

And then, finally, they saw the body hanging from the hooks. Shortcut, unruly hair of a much too familiar color. A man, most definitely, wearing a battle gear they recognized entirely too easily. Utterly still. Lifeless. The man's face had been beaten to a point past recognition but…

Laura took a couple of shallow, shuddering breaths. Moisture welled into her eyes. "No…"

Steve himself felt incredibly cold. His chest was painfully tight, enough so to make breathing a challenge. He was oblivious to the tears gathering into his eyes. The previous time he felt what he experienced at that very moment was when Bucky fell.

They couldn't have failed – not like this…!

They were too preoccupied by shock to notice that they weren't quite alone.


Clint's head spun when Barney walked into the room. His brother, who was supposed to be dead. His brother, whom he'd buried.

The older Barton sneered at him. "Sorry to disappoint, brother dear. But I'm still around."

Lutsky smiled. Obviously seeing Clint's shock. "I needed help to be able to pull off all this. Barney… was eager."

Clint paid no attention. All he could concentrate on was his brother. "Barney, I…"

"Save it", his brother snapped, showing hurt for the first time. "A bit late, don't you think?" The man then turned towards Lutsky and handed over an iPad. "All's set for the show, now."

Lutsky grinned. "Excellent! And right on schedule."

Clint frowned. Dread twisted uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach. "What show?"

Lutsky searched through the device. "Well yours, of course." The screen was turned towards him. "You look ready to pass out but maybe this'll help keep you engaged."

What Clint discovered turned his blood to ice. Because there on the screen… Were Steve and Laura, entering an ominous room.

"They're in this very building, you know. They just don't know about this hidden part of it." Lutsky's eyes gleamed dangerously. "You succeeded in luring my sister to me. Thank you."

Clint felt so sick to his stomach that it took his all to keep it hidden.

On his way towards the door Barney stopped unexpectedly and turned, then smirked in a chilling manner. His eyes on his brother. "Just a one more thing. A one more surprise." The man's gaze turned into something truly terrifying. "Keep watching. The best part is only just coming up."

Ice cold dread filled Clint, forming a painful ball to his stomach. But he kept watching, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do. Hoping and praying that he was wrong…

"You left me to die, Clint. You abandoned me. And for all this time I've been wondering how to return that favor. At first I thought that killing you slowly and painfully would be enough. But then… Then I found out that you were stupid enough to get married."

Tears rolled down Clint's cheeks. He was trembling violently and this time it had nothing to do with the poison coursing through his veins. "Barney, please…" He begged, even though he knew better. Because it was all he could do.

"You're gonna die." It was easy to hear how much Barney was enjoying the situation. "But not before witnessing how you've failed the love of your life."

Clint trashed, even though he only succeeded in hurting himself more. His heart was racing so hard that he feared it might give out. "NO!"

But there was nothing he could do. On the screen exactly two gunshots rang out. Steve dodged the one aimed at him with ease, using the shield, and struck back. But Laura… She was far more defenseless.

Laura's lips opened and her eyes flew wide when the bullet slammed at her chest, and then she fell.

"Right through the heart." Barney was practically purring. "Just like I asked."

Clint wasn't listening. Couldn't focus on anything, really. He kept trashing even though it was hopelessly too late. And then he was screaming at the top of his lungs, continuing to do so long after he no longer had any voice left. Clint howled, from the bottom of his broken heart that was still somehow able to keep racing. Tears rolled freely down his deathly pale cheeks. When he could no longer yell he kept whimpering, like a furious and injured wild beast that'd been left to die.

"She… She never hurt anyone." Clint had no idea how loud or quiet he was. He didn't care. He stared at the by then black screen with wide and blurred, desperate eyes. "She never did anything to deserve this."

"True." Barney stood directly in front of him, eyes fixed on his. "She only ever did one mistake. She met you."

"Finally something we can agree on", Lutsky – whom the brothers had forgotten entirely – hissed.

Barney barely had the time to turn and see Lutsky's gun before it was already fired. The bullet sank in right between the man's eyes. Lutsky's hand was perfectly steady when he put away the firearm. His eyes, which met Clint's as soon as the criminal was sure that the older Barton was dead, were a different story. "I only ever gave him one rule." Was that heartbreak? "I told him that my sister wasn't to be harmed."

Clint finally felt the warm moisture on his cheeks. It provided a stark contrast to the inhuman cold that'd taken a hold of all his body. He was still shaking. "We both failed her", he rasped, his voice raw and full of pain.

"True." Lutsky's gaze would've been incredibly threatening, if Clint had been able to care about what happened to him at all. With a swift movement a needle was plunged through the archer's skin. "And trust me, you'll pay dearly for that mistake." Whatever the substance the man injected was, it stung horribly on its way to Clint's system.


TBC


A/N: Okay… So. Yeah. That was… painful. Yeah. That's a good word.

I'm pretty breathless at this point myself so… Thoughts? Threats? PLEASE, do leave a comment before you take off!

And feel free to guess what in the world is gonna happen next!

Until next time, folks! I REALLY hope that you'll join in for that one.

Take care!


Guest96: Thank gosh Pepper's safe and okay! But now… (winces) This is probably gonna get really, really bad. (gulps)

Colossal thank yous for the review! Until next time.