Clint cursed under his breath. She did the stupid thing he was expecting her to but it still made him a little angry. She should have known better. Returning to that small town was very, very stupid. She would be an easy target, or so he thought.
He got there before she did, found her grandmother's house, all trashed. It was undoubtedly Hydra's work and happened a while back. Maybe even a week ago, judging by the dust on the floor and the pile of mail by the door.
He left the house after making sure there were no Hydra operatives inside or anywhere close waiting for her. She was bound to come any minute and so he found a spot from where he could observe. She was clear enough about not wanting to see him. He wouldn't disturb her but he still could make sure she was doing just fine. He let her do her thing for now.
She came as he expected and then talked to few people, likely seeking her grandmother. He felt sorry for her. The last member of her family was probably dead. She went to the town square where there was a small park. When he had arrived at the town, there wasn't much of importance, no bigger buildings or shops. He assumed she was going to the park. He gave her few minutes before following. There was nothing out of ordinary just yet.
As he neared the park, hiding in the shadows so no one would notice the bow sticking out of his back, he saw someone making their way to Alex who was talking to a strange woman. He didn't recognize him at first, the man's hair was dirty, but it was Mont.
Alexandra hadn't spotted him, she couldn't have for the woman was clutching her arms and shouting something at her. Clint acted instinctively. He stepped out of the shadow of the building, the bow in his hand. He wanted to fire at Mont at once but there were too many people. He couldn't open fire into the crowd without hitting any civilian.
Mont reached her first. Alexandra was already on the ground when he finally got the clean shot. "Alex! Get down!"
The arrow hit its target. Mont cursed at the arrow embedded in his shoulder and run for cover, leaving Alexandra on her knees. People around started running and screaming. It was a full out panic.
Something stopped Clint in getting closer. Alexandra wasn't hurt physically. There was no base for her behavior and yet something was awfully wrong with her. She twisted in pain and struggled with something within her. He had witnessed a similar thing in a friend of his. That fight for control that couldn't be won.
He took a step back and then another one until he was out of her range. She was about to do something. "Run! Get out! Get out!" he screamed for anyone who was still around and threw himself behind a car, the closest thing that could shield him.
He did so just in time. The last thing he saw was a blinding light. The force shattered the windows of the car, sending the glass pouring over all over him. The shock wave that accompanied the explosion sent him into unconsciousness.
He regained himself after few minutes. He had been far enough from the explosion. He couldn't help cursing his luck - it was always him who ended up with freaks. Poor Clint couldn't understand why. He was merely a man with a talent for shooting, nothing more.
His body was sore so he simply laid there for a while until his head stopped spinning. He had been on many missions, some more dangerous than others. He had been injured, shot, brainwashed but not always did he experience so much shit in one day. It made him wonder what he would see as soon as he got his head to stop swimming.
The air smelled, he quickly observed. It smelled like burning meat. Like a lot of things burnt, not just flesh. Wood, plaster, a lot of stuff burned. The one good thing he noticed among the bodies was that none was Alexandra's and one was Mont's. Maybe his day wouldn't be so bad after all.
Alexandra was gone and he would deal with her and that newly discovered power inside her but first, he needed to take care of the mess she left behind. Finding her would be the easier part.
Mont was still breathing and so were few others. Clint had to call for backup. This was too much to handle on his own. He had no trouble admitting that he was way over his head with this one. A demolished park, still burning with civilians' bodies all over. He needed all the help he could get.
S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived within an hour and took care of the already present authorities. Clint let his fellow agents arrest Mont. His mission was over now that Mont was apprehended. Although he had a feeling new one was waiting for him. Someone was bound to be sent after Alexandra. She posed a too big danger to herself and others to be left wandering alone.
He wasn't assigned to Alexandra's case, in fact the director thought it wise to finally grant him the much-needed leave. Clint got what he wanted, a time off. He was getting old for all this crap with superpowers and aliens. He had had enough to last him a lifetime.
So he found a house and enjoyed his life as a normal guy. No more spying and secret missions. He got to be Clint Barton for a while, not Hawkeye.
It worked for few weeks. He drank coffee in the morning, read the newspapers. He was relaxing but couldn't stay still for more than few hours. He needed action. He tried to relax and be just a civilian but it wasn't him. He had extraordinary in his blood, it was impossible to ignore. The world still needed Hawkeye. It was time to go back.
It had been weeks since Alexandra was last spotted in the park. S.H.I.E.L.D. made no progress in the matter whatsoever. Somehow she found a way to hide from their ever-seeking eyes.
Another dead end. Clint had been trying to find her for a long time and it was proving more difficult with every day. Each dead end he hit meant more time for her to move, to disappear. She had had a too big head start.
He was getting tired of chasing the trails she had left behind only to discover they lead nowhere. He was running out of idea. Maybe a coffee break was what he needed. If he could just not think for a second, an idea might pop in his mind.
He parked the car in some town he hadn't even known the name of. He had passed a nice looking cafe a while back, he could walk the small distance. The streets were mostly empty at the evening. No one to accidentally recognize him, that was good.
He entered the cafe with a content smile. It was warm inside and smelled of a freshly brewed coffee and some cake. He could treat himself to a slice of that as well.
Clint found a seat in the back, facing the door and most of the windows. He could see the whole place from the table he chose. He wasn't expecting trouble but he knew better. He was always prepared. He set his coat aside and patiently waited for a waitress to take his order.
It was taking longer than expected in a nearly deserted cafe but since it he wouldn't be surprised if there was just one person in charge. The town and the cafe itself was rather small, if there was just one employee they could easily get caught up in some work. He occupied his time by staring out of the window, watching the passing cars. He hadn't noticed a woman approaching.
"Good evening, sir. What can I get y-" the monotone voice came to a halt. Clint looked up only to be met with more than familiar eyes.
He was lost for words. Of all the places where he could find her...
Her hair was cut short and dyed blond but the texture remained. It still flew to her shoulders in straight strands. It was undoubtedly her.
They stared at each other for quite some time until her dumbfounded expression changed to one of a fury. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" she accused, not missing a beat.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a retired spy?!"
"Me? You've been looking for me?" he stood up, "I've been looking for you!"
Few heads turned to them when they raised their voices. Clint aimed his angry glare at the people, making them return to their drinks in an instant. But the unwanted attention told him that it would be best to lower his voice. He didn't want anyone overhearing what they shouldn't.
"Well you found me." Alex crossed her arms and sat down opposite of him. "I need help, I- I don't know what it is, this thing inside me. I just- I don't know where to even start looking for answers and the control... I can't even hope to control it on my own. You have to help me."
He regarded her for a second. Her anger left as quickly as it came. She was desperate for help.
"You know I'm no scientist, right? I might have some experience with, erm, gifted individuals, but that hardly makes me an expert," he said slowly.
"Still, you know more than I do. Please, I don't have anyone else to turn to."
Her expression saddened. Clint raised his eyebrows in a silent question.
"How many?" she asked, her voice barely audible and eyes cast to the ground. It wasn't difficult to understand what she meant. He decided that the truth was the best option. She was a grown up woman, she could handle it even if it hurt.
"Four dead, six injured. It wasn't all bad, you helped us put Mont away." He hoped that maybe the last bit would cheer her up a little. They were able to arrest him because she knocked him out, who knew how long he would be slipping through their fingers were it not for her.
Alex continued staring at her hands under the table. Clint sighed and leaned closer. "Look, I know how hard it is, especially the first time, but it wasn't your fault. That's what you need to focus at, okay? It wasn't your fault. I've seen the whole thing. Even if you ran, you wouldn't get out of the park or the town fast enough."
"Does it really matter? If it was my fault or not? That doesn't change the fact that others are dead or injured and I walked out of there without even a scratch. How do I just move on from this?" Her voice broke at the end.
"You don't, it never leaves you," Clint told her sincerely. He had killed people before and it didn't matter if they were good or bad or if it was self-defense, taking a human life had a toll on the mind. Alexandra had killed innocents and it was a burden she would have to carry for the rest of her life. With time, the feelings might fade but they would never fully disappear.
XxX
Clint never got to drink his coffee. He hadn't felt particularly sad about it though, when the whole purpose was to let his mind settle and for an idea to pop up. Now that Alex was sitting next to him in the driver's seat, he didn't need any ideas. He had finally found her.
They drove back to her house. Clint applauded the choice of the particular location. It was close enough to a town where she worked and could get the necessities, but there was no one unwanted wandering around. Even the road wasn't that far in case she needed a quick escape. She had learned a lot during the past few weeks.
"Tell me, what do you know about this power of yours so far?" he asked after they both exited the car and headed for the small house.
"There's not really that much. I remember some stuff. When I was younger, I was in caused an accident in my parents' lab, I think. It's not very clear. I started burning things and so they blocked it somehow. That woman in the park, she knew them, she was there as one of the doctors. Is she- Is she one of the dead?"
He scratched his head, that wasn't an answer he was hoping for. "Yes, she was. I'm sorry."
She shrugged her shoulder. "I didn't know her, none of those people. You shouldn't say sorry, I'm just the person who killed them."
"Alex, I didn't mean it like that."
"Yeah, whatever."
Seeing that he wouldn't win this argument, he changed the topic. "What can you tell me about the power itself? How you acquired it is only a small part."
"I burn things but it's not fire. Not the usual kind anyways. It's more of an energy. I don't know. This is stupid!"
"C'mon, Alexandra, focus. What makes you use it?"
"Nothing! I'm not using it!" She got defensive, but Clint continued. He wanted her to show him but doubted she would be able to do so without anything fueling her.
"There must be something. Why did your parents block it? Why would they do something like that to you? Did they fear you? And Mont, how did it made you feel when he showed up? How do you feel Alexandra?"
"I was angry and terrified. I am angry and terrified! They had no right, none of them. It shouldn't have happened in the first time! If they hadn't been working all the time they would have noticed. But they didn't. They never saw! Never, until I became their work!"
Clint took a step back as she began to emit a bright blue light. It came from her hands. "That's it Alex. You are angry, furious. Now channel that anger. Send it down to your hands. Imagine that bubbling rage forming into something. Can you do that, Alex?"
She screamed as the hot tears streamed down her face, but she opened her eyes and stared at her hands. An energy, bright blue, run down her hands like a living snake, forming into a ball with the light streaks spinning in knots inside of it.
She watched with awe and broke into a fit of laughter. It was happening. She was doing that. The realization of what she held in her hands hit her. It was dangerous and she panicked. "Oh God! What do I do? What do I do with it?!" she shouted at Clint for help. Her panic only rose when she noticed he was standing quite far from her. He didn't trust her to control it.
With a yelp, she let the energy escape out of her hold. It hit the tree just inches away from Clint. He threw himself to the side as soon as he had seen the control slip from her. It started to burn but she quickly put down the fire before it did any permanent damage.
"Well, that's something," Clint observed as he pushed himself off the ground.
"Something? What the hell, man?" Alex angrily marched towards him. She smacked his chest with a pointed finger as soon as he got up. "You. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me! I needed your help and all I did was almost hurt you! I need help!" She continued pushing him desperately until Clint caught her hands, stopping her vain attempt at hurting him.
"It is something, you see why? Because we now know how to trigger it and so you can learn how to call it at will or how to avoid it. We will understand it at time. All we need is some time. We're just beginning," he spoke to her soothingly, holding her as the emotions she had been suppressing for weeks came to live. She had no one to turn to with her troubles, no one to speak it. The guilt and the power, it must have been a torture to bear it alone for so long.
"We will find a way." His voice was steady as he said it. He sounded sure and encouraging but she knew it was just a mask he put up for her. He had no real idea how to help her. He was coming up with this stuff as he went. That was enough but for how long?
XxX
They trained almost every day. Alex was getting better at it but she still didn't trust herself enough. The image of what she was capable of doing with the power was always present in the back of her mind.
"A nice small fire, you're doing great. Hold it for another minute," Clint ordered. They did this repeatedly to train her focus. So far she managed to hold the pulsing ball of energy for seven minutes. One more and she would break her personal record.
Alexandra closed her eyes to enhance her focus, it helped. The energy not only held, it grew, engulfing her whole hand up to the elbow in what looked like vibrating blue streaks of light crawling around her hands. She didn't realize the magnitude of her power as long as her eyes were closed.
"Alex, slow it down. You're thinking too much," Clint warned her and took a cautious step back.
She didn't understand so she looked up, freezing upon seeing her hand.
"No, no, no," she muttered frantically at the growing energy. As her stress rose, the energy grew with it.
"Look at me Alex!" He risked a step closer, his arms outstretched. "Let go of the fear, nothing can hurt you here. You're alright. Just imagine it disappearing. Like a mist. It's as simple as that."
She stared at him with her eyes wide open. It stopped growing as she got her emotions into order but it didn't disappear either.
"It's too big- I can't." It was the biggest amount of the energy she had ever had on her arm. It was too much.
"Yes, you can. You have to believe it."
She closed her eyes again, tuning out Clint's voice. Her dreams showed her that she could control it when she was younger, at least to some extent. She imagined herself just smaller, opening and closing her palm to show her mother the new trick she had learned. But this time it was a better trick. Nevertheless, still a trick she could control. She closed her hand and reopened her eyes. It was gone.
Clint caught her in his arms before she hit the ground. She was exhausted, emotionally and physically strained. They survived it this time but what about the next time she couldn't control herself? Would it end like that time in the park? Would she kill Clint eventually? What then?
"Oh, Alex. We're just starting, it will get better. At least you're not turning to a green beast. That ain't pretty." Clint was always trying to cheer her up but lately not a single of his jokes worked. She was beyond helping.
"I can't do this anymore," she sobbed. Clint didn't say anything, he only hugged her tighter.
XxX
'How did my life end up here?' James Mont thought bitterly as he dodged yet another bullet.
He got out of his cell easily enough. All it took was faking a stomachache and knocking out the careless guard. It was really way too easy if you asked him. The hard part was getting out of the facility itself. Luckily, it wasn't the first time he was inside, although a first time as an inmate.
The gate was just out of his reach. The guards were hot on his tail but he sped up. It was now or never. He couldn't waste a single second. Not caring about the bullets flying over his head, he run straight for the gate. It was closing slowly but he managed to slip through it just as it closed. He was out.
AN: Huge thanks to my beta and all of you who read, fav, follow and especially, review. I seriously love you all, guys! One more chapter to go!
