A New Way to Bleed

Chapter Fourteen

Over the next several hours, exactly how long it had been he wasn't sure, Clint had fallen in and out of consciousness due to the pain thanks to the poison he had been injected with, the earlier knife wound in the back of his left shoulder that had reopened because of his more recent fight against his captors and from being hung up by his arms, and also because of the whip's lashes across his back and chest. After forty, Clint had lost count as to how many times he had been struck before the third man had finally left him alone.

By the time he had finally come around and regained his senses, Clint was too weak to try to escape, even if he could manage to get out of his bonds. However, as long as he was left alone over the next hour, he figured he'd be recovered enough to be able to do the job that needed to be done. Thankfully, his years of training allowed him to be able to suppress the physical pain from his wounds, but the poison was a different story and only getting worse as time passed. He was feeling weak, dizzy, and he could feel a fever building up as it was beginning to rage throughout his body.

Unfortunately, he was interrupted as the door opened up once again and his brother walked in quietly. Clint kept his head down and eyes trained on the muddy floor as Barney set a stool down in front of him and then began to stare at him. Not a word was spoken for several minutes until the older Barton finally broke the silence.

"I've got to say you really know how to keep cool in distressing situations, little brother," he said. "Once again, I'm impressed. I wanted to come in here to see how you're feeling. You look like hell."

"You don't really care how I feel, so don't waste your time trying to pretend with me," Clint replied. "Besides, it doesn't really matter. You'll keep up with the torture and I'll still end up putting an end to yours and Marko's business ventures."

Barney responded coldly, "In time, your cockiness will die out, once you finally realize that you won't be getting out of here alive. The sooner you can do that, the better off you'll be."

Clint stated firmly as he slowly lifted his head and looked into his brother's eyes, "I won't give up and I definitely won't give up in trying to save you. You've already failed Marko twice now since we met up the other night. First, when I thwarted your assassination attempt against Stark outside the club, and then again when I rescued him in the sewers and killed a number of your men. How much longer do you think Marko's going to put up with your failures? Do you really think a guy like him will keep you around for much longer?"

"And what would happen to me if I accepted your help?" Barney asked. "Would I end up in prison, where I'll spend the rest of my life rotting away in some tiny cell with three meals a day and maybe a tiny television so that I can keep up with the news from the outside world?"

"It's better than trying to spend the rest of your life on the run, hiding from men who want to kill you just like you're doing to me, or hiding from an agency as powerful as S.H.I.E.L.D., who have the power to do much worse," Clint answered. "I want to help you, Barney. And I can, if you let me."

Barney replied, "I'm just fine where I'm at. You're in no condition to pull off more of your theatrics, Clint. A fever's already taken affect over your system thanks to the poison. It's only a matter of time before your different systems begin to shut down. That's what it does, slowly and painfully. On top of all that, you're wounded and have lost a lot of blood. How on earth do you expect to escape, after all that?"

Clint tried to shift in his restraints in order to get more comfortable and then responded, "I'm stronger than you think. I've been doing this for a long time now."

"I guess I've come in to chat a little too soon," Barney answered as he finally stood up and picked up the stool. "I'll come back in a few hours and if you're still as strong willed then, we'll just have to bring back the whip. I meant what I said before about wishing things didn't have to be this way. I want nothing more than to be brothers again, but you've made your choices and I've made mine. Now we have to live with the consequences. For what it's worth, I am sorry, Clint."

Just as Barney was about to leave the room, Clint spoke up once more as he said, "If I can't stop you and Marko, then the Avengers will and trust me, you won't like it if they get their hands on you. They'll bring you in, but they won't do anything to try to help you. They went up against a god and his army from another world, and won. Five against millions aren't exactly great odds. Think about how you, Marko, and the rest of your men will fare."

Barney only glared angrily at the archer, then finally left the room, slamming the door behind him. As he walked through the corridors of the old, underground bunker where they were staying hidden from the rest of the Avengers, as well as S.H.I.E.L.D., he couldn't stop thinking about Clint's threats. Deep down, he knew Clint was right. If Clint died, his friends would avenge him and instead of remaining in a prison cell for the rest of his life, he would most likely end up with a needle in his arm. However, his anger toward his brother that had been building up since they were kids kept him from thinking rationally. Barney no longer cared as long as he came out on top.