Author's Note

I...am so sorry. I didn't mean to take over a month to get the next chapter out. But it happened again. I had another story idea and it, like, kidnapped my brain.

I blame Jurassic World. That movie...it was awesome.

And now I'm writing a fic for it. I'm roughly six and a half chapters into it right now. Not sure how long that one's going to be buy I'm trying, trying, to still do this one as well. Haven't started posting it, if anyone's interested, I don't know when I will exactly, but I'll let you know.

Anyway, back to this fic. Not as much Ari/Sides fluff as I originally planned. Clint kind of took over and I figured I'd ablige, get his backstory done as well since I already did Natasha's. And then there's the bad thing of course. :)

With that dreadful reminder, time for reviews.

Lunessa Mysteria: I know. Her story always makes me so sad.

ZabuzasGirl: Thanks!

kitusmi katon: I know, I loved writing that scene. ^_^

TatteredAngel42: O.O I would never delete this story! That's like killing my baby! Lol, but I'm glad you like it. Your love and support of this fic means the world to me.

VectorPrime155: Lol I like cute scenes too. I'll see what I can do when Ari meets the other Avengers. She will end up at the tower at one point.

Transformers Gal: It took me forever to perfect that backstory. Clint's wasn't any easier either, as you will see. But I'm glad you liked it.

arealnative: I don't know; I might mention the farm at least but I don't think I'll have an occasion to actually use it. We'll see.

534667lc: ...Maybe a little of both. I think Ari is probably mostly scared right now though.

Gracie: Will is still here. I mentioned last chapter that the Decepticons are back, causing trouble, and Optimus took a team out. Will went with. Sorry that wasn't clear. Will goes on all the missions.

grapejuice101: Thank you!

t0neverland7: Thanks!

emzydatffan: *evil grin*

Answerthecall: Got lots of Clint and Ari this chapter :)

Flameing-Shadow: Glad you like it. Thanks for joining and welcome to the crazy!

redsparrow1060: Well, it's more like what am I going to do to Ari? And it's not going to stop here.

Luna Uchiha666: Thanks!

Yami-The Lord of Darkness: *sigh* I really fail with the whole "soon" thing, don't I?

AutobotsBeyond: Sorry, not telling. I ain't giving any hints on who the traitor(s) is/are. ;)

Bee4ever: Thank you!

1234Devyn: But I love being evil! It's so much fun!

Autobotlover56: Thanks!

Alrighty, guys, go onward and enjoy!


Trust No One

The huge sound-reducing headphones feel bulky over her ears and the clear safety glasses are awkward on her face. Ari wishes they didn't have to practice firing weapons with them, at least, she wishes she didn't have to. She's done all of this before, but she's determined not to have any special treatment so she's following all of the shooting range's safety measures, even though she finds them slightly ridiculous. After all, they won't have goggles and headphones in the middle of a battle. They'd just be a hindrance. She'd rather practice without them, getting used to the booming bangs echoing in her ears so loud they almost drown out all other sound with each shot and the bright flashes as bullets explode from the barrels of the guns. That's how it'll be in real life.

Ari stands with a steady stance in her little cubby, feeling cut off from everyone else, especially with the headphones. Her breathing is loud in her ears and that's all she can hear besides the occasional bangs from the other recruits firing their weapons. They're starting small and working their way up to the big guns, a glock held firmly in her hands right now. She stares out at the target down the range, a paper silhouette of a person even though it won't be people they'll be shooting at. It works well enough for now. Between breaths she squeezes the trigger, bang, bang, bang, bang, the kickback vibrating up her arms but her aim stays true. She moves her focus on the target and shoots again, eyes never blinking as she empties the clip. Setting down the gun, she presses the button to bring the target to her. Perfect clusters in the center of the chest and head.

With quick, meticulous movements perfected from numerous repetitions she disassembles, cleans, and reassembles the gun in short order. When she's done, she slips off the glasses and headphones, a small, proud smile on her face.

"Not bad, kid," a voice says behind her and she turns to see Clint leaning against the wall. He straightens and joins her in the small space of her cubby but there's plenty of room for the two of them. "You know how to handle a gun better than most rookie S.H.I.E.L.D. agents I've seen."

Her smile grows as her face grows warm with a blush. "Thanks. That means a lot actually."

He cocks his head curiously, waiting for her to continue, so she sets the gun down and leans back on the table. "The AllSpark changed me a lot, you know? It made me smarter, faster, stronger. So being good at fighting or being able to run the obstacle course really fast, those don't really feel like things I've accomplished myself. I never would have been able to do them if it weren't for the AllSpark. But shooting, that's something that none of the changes actually affect. Being able to use a gun as well as I can, that's all me. That's something I've accomplished, all on my own."

"Aw, come on, Ari," Clint says, moving to lean against the table beside her and knocking her shoulder with his. "You've accomplished all that other stuff by yourself, too. I mean, it's not like the AllSpark changed you and then, BAM, you could automatically do anything you want. You had to put in a lot of time, effort, and training into it, right?" He waits for her answer and she nods tentatively. "That still makes it something you've accomplished. Saying it isn't is like saying Steve Rogers becoming Captain America isn't something he did himself. I mean, he could have stayed the posterboy for the war, going around like a dancing monkey and spreading propaganda, but he didn't. He stepped up to the plate and crafted what they made him into the world's first superhero. So, sure, maybe it came easy to you, but it's still you, not some alien cube."

Huh. She's never really thought of it that way before, that the AllSpark made her capable but she's still the one who reached out and grasped it. He's right. None of this would have happened on its own just because the AllSpark changed her. She may feel foreign in her own skin sometimes but it is still her, human and whole, and her accomplishments are her own. A smile drifts across her face and then something about what he said finally clicks. "Wait, did you just compare me to Captain America?"

"Well, yeah. You can't ignore the similar aspects in the origin stories."

She huffs out a laugh. "And now you're calling me a superhero."

"You saved the world twice so far, kid. I think that qualifies you for superhero status."

She opens her mouth to retort but then snaps it shut again. Really, his logic is sound. All the Avengers really are, are people with special abilities who decide to do the right thing and end up saving the world. She qualifies across the board. Then she imagines herself wearing spandex, fighting crime with her blades on her wrists and the power of the AllSpark at her fingertips, and shakes her head at the ridiculousness of it all. No, she could never be a superhero.

That won't stop her from always doing the right thing though.

Sergeant Welles suddenly calls out to the group, telling them to turn in their targets, and Ari resists the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, he can be just as bad as some of her college professors, wanting them to turn in every little thing for a grade. At least with her online classes she doesn't have to deal with the instructors personally.

Ari hands in her target, passing Ferrel along the way. Ferrel is looking smug, holding the target facing away from her so that everyone can see. She did good, Ferrel is probably one of the best shots in the class, so Ari just gives her a small smile and a nod of congratulations, not wishing to provoke her.

There's still the feeling of daggers stabbing the back of her head as she walks away though. Honestly, nothing will appease that girl.

When she returns to her cubby she finds the gun she'd been using already gone and Clint standing facing down the range, a large weapons case on the table in front of him that wasn't there before. He's shed his suit jacket and has his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow. She arches a brow curiously but he just looks at her over his shoulder, mouth crooked in a lopsided smile, and holds a finger to his lips. His eyes scan over the exiting recruits and she recognizes the distrust lurking in the back of his eyes, the same distrust that has been creeping over her. Any one of these people could be the traitor. It could be Ferrel. It could be Hunter or Newton. It could be Sergeant Welles.

It could be Evie or John. She dreads that, more than anything. That her new friends could be involved in this.

The recruits steadily trickle out of the range, going back out into the training room. Evie and John pause by the door, looking back at her, but she just wordlessly waves them on. She'll catch up with them later.

Though, really, she should be keeping her distance from them, not knowing if one of them is a traitor or not. She knows it would be safer that way. The others think so, too. She can tell by the way Sideswipe always grabs her to hold her before she can even reach the stairs of the scaffold to sit on the couch. She can tell by the way Natasha hovers close by and Clint is always watching her. She can tell by the way Will and Rob always check in with her as soon as they get back from a mission to make sure she's okay. None of them ever let her be near any of the recruits alone anymore without someone they trust close by.

She can't wait for this to be over. Their paranoia makes her feel like, when she's with Evie or Lando or Amole or anyone else, one of them will come up behind her and stab her in the back. She want to not feel like she always has to look over her shoulder.

As soon as the door closes behind Welles, Clint unzippens his bag. Ari draws closer as he looks around one more time to make sure they're alone and then lifts something out of the bag. With a jerk of his arm it snaps open into a beautiful black compound bow. He sets the bow down on the table carefully, like it's made of glass, even though it's built to survive combat. He then pulls out two strips of black, an arm guard for his right arm and a wrist guard for his left wrist, and slips them on. Lastly, he pulls out a full quiver of arrows.

"Lock the door, would you?" Clint asks as he slings the quiver on over his head. "There's no one else scheduled to be in here for another hour but I want to be sure."

Ari turns the deadbolt on the door and then returns to lean against the wall of the cubby, well out of Clint's way. "Would it really be that bad if someone caught you practicing with your bow?"

"Well," he notches an arrow, brings up his arms, and pulls back on the string, aiming at the target all the way at the end of the range, farther than any of the recruits were practicing today, "how many people do you know who uses a bow and arrow?"

"Honestly? You're the only one."

"That's pretty much true for anyone who's ever met me. So what do you think the odds are of there being two archers within S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

She nods her head after a moment of consideration. "Yeah, okay, I see what you mean. Are there even any others?"

"Nope. I'm the only one. So anyone who sees me with my bow, knowing I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, will probably put two and two together that I'm Hawkeye." He looks back at her with a cocky smirk and, eyes still on her, looses the arrow. It zips through the air, almost silent, to pierce the center of the target and back wall with a solid thunk.

Ari whistles, long and low, impressed. "Slag. That was a perfect bullseye."

"Why, thank you." He turns to give her an exaggerated bow, bending in half while still keeping all of his arrows in the quiver. He then quickly straightens and, in quick precession, looses arrow after arrow to form a straight line of arrows on the target, from top to bottom.

She rolls her eyes. "Now you're just showing off."

He grins. "Maybe a little."

"Aren't you afraid of showing off to the cameras?" She nods to a security camera in one corner of the room. Anyone could be watching.

"Nah, Nat's covering for me. No one will ever know I was in here. Besides, we vetted through all of the security detail already, since they were the ones most likely to have helped Anti-Alien break get on and off base without getting caught. None of them are traitors."

"Have you ruled anyone else out yet?" Ari asks eagerly. "Like any of the recruits?"

He sighs, placing his bow down on the table and turning to face her. "I'm sorry, Ari, but we haven't ruled anyone else out yet. But the recruits are who we're going to be focusing on next."

"Oh," she says softly, looking down at the floor in disappointment.

He places a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezes. "I know you want your friends to be innocent, but we can't rule them out yet, especially since their parents are members of Anti-Alien."

"But they don't agree with their parents," Ari insists. "They believe the Autobots are here to help, not hurt us. That's why they joined N.E.S.T."

"That's what they told you but maybe that's not the truth. They could have lied to you, Ari. There's just no way to know for sure."

"But I trust them."

A shadow falls across his face, his eyes doing dark and his jaw clenching. He steps back from her to lean against the table, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Sometimes it's the people you trust most who end up betraying you in the end."

Ari pulls up short at that. There's such...sadness and...regret in his voice. "Are you speaking from experience?"

He doesn't meet her eye, fingers tapping on the top of his bicep. She doesn't think he's going to answer and then he gives one curt nod.

She bites her lip for a moment and then hoists herself up to sit on the table, patting the space next to her. It sounds like an old hurt, one he's talked about before and won't ever really get better, but she invites him to tell her about it. He doesn't have to, by the way he stands rigid, this is probably something few people know about, not something he talks about with just anyone, but she lets him know with her smile that he can tell her if he wants to.

She's starting to understand that all secret agents have their secrets, but she wants them to know that they can trust her. Even though trust, for them, seems to be something they constantly struggle with.

She's not sure what tips him off the fence, whether it's his own trust in her or Natasha's, but he hops up on the table next to her.

"I have a brother," he begins slowly, his mask keeping his emotions in check so that she can't tell what it is exactly he's thinking and feeling as he speaks. He doesn't look at her but stares off into the distance, as if he can see his brother standing there at the opening of the cubby. "His name's Barney. He's a couple years older than me. Our parents died in a car crash when we were little and he's the one who took care of me. We bounced from foster home to foster home, never staying in one place too long. We always had each other's backs but Barney was still the stronger one. He always seemed to know when it was time to hide, which foster parents' we needed to stay on the good side of. When I was eight there was this one foster parent...he was worse than all the others. It didn't matter if we hid, he always found us and he...he'd..."

His hands clench in his lap, fingers digging into his slacks. Ari places her hand atop his and his fingers let go, if only slightly. "It's okay," she whispers. "You don't have to say it."

Because she already knows.

Still, he doesn't look at her but he does continue, "We decided to get out. We could take better care of ourselves than the system was. The thing is, the street isn't a very friendly place, especially to kids. But then we found our haven. There was a circus visiting town and we went to them begging for shelter. The ringmaster said we could join the troupe in exchange for labor. Things weren't instantly better. We put a lot of work in but got little in exchange by way of food or a comfortable place to sleep. We slept on piles of hay with the horses, stomachs still grumbling, more often than not. But it was a life, and one better than the one we left.

"Barney never really found his niche. He just kind of did odd jobs, doing whatever needed done. But me, one of the performers, a guy named Jacques Duquesne, took me under his wing. His stage name was the Swordsman and I helped him with his acts. Then we found out I had a talent for marksmanship. Duquesne had Buck Chrisholm, another performer known as Trick Shot, teach me how to use a bow. The two of them taught me most of what I know. Wasn't long till I had my own act, the Amazing Hawkeye." He smiles wistfully. "Things were good after that for a while."

"What did your costume look like?" Ari asks, wanting to keep that smile there even though she knows it won't last, that something bad is coming, but she tries to put it off for his sake.

He groans playfully and she can see the gratefulness shining in his eyes. "Ugh, it was this awful purple spandex monstrosity. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love purple, but Barney made fun of me for weeks after seeing me wear it for the first time."

Ari laughs. "Please tell me there's a picture of that somewhere."

"Nope, not gonna happen. I burned them all, the show posters too."

"Eh, I'm sure Nat or Phil can help me find one."

He narrows his eyes at her. "Don't you dare."

She grins. "Watch me."

He points a finger at her threateningly. "We'll revisit this later."

"If you say so," she taunts, but then there's no putting it off any longer. The smiles slip from their faces, no matter how hard they try to keep them on. "So things were good for a while after you first became Hawkeye?"

He nods somberly. "Yeah. Or, at least, I thought they were." His Adam's-apple bobs as he swallows and she grips his hand harder. "I caught Duquesne stealing money from the circus. And Barney was helping him." His voice goes really quiet, like it's being crushed by the weight of his words. "My mentor and my brother. Neither were happy with the way things were and they didn't care who they hurt in order to make their own lives better. I tried to make Barney see reason and when he didn't I tried to stop him, stop them both." He looks down at their joined hands, eyes glistening. "My own brother stabbed me with a knife and left me for dead. They got away and I haven't seen either of them since."

Ari gasps, horrified. How could his own brother do that to him? His brother, who spent most of his life protecting Clint from the horrendous things people can be capable of? How can he just turn around and be just as horrendous as them? She scrambles up on her knees on top of the table and throws her arms around his neck in a fierce hug because, just like with Natasha, what else can she do? Nothing she says or does can ever make something like this right but she can offer whatever comfort she's able. Unlike with Natasha, though, Clint latches onto her, returning the hug just as fiercely, like this is something he's been waiting for and secretly needing all this time but never thought to ask for.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, wishing she could offer him more but finding nothing in her hands. "I know what it's like to be betrayed by family."

Ron. Judy. Parents who were supposed to raise her, take care of her, love her, but only thinking of themselves.

"I know you do," Clint says into her neck before pulling back to look at her, eyes still slightly glassy but tears never falling. "That's why you should understand where I'm coming from. I thought I could trust Duquesne, I thought I could trust my brother, the only family I had, but I couldn't. They turned on the circus and on me. That's why I'm asking you to not put too much trust in your friends or the other recruits. Any of them can end up turning on you, even the ones you trust most."

It hurts, thinking she can't trust Evie and John, but his words scare her. He probably didn't mean for that to happen, at least not entirely, but what if Evie and John did join N.E.S.T. just to get close to her? Really, any of the recruits are in prime positions to be the perfect spies since she's training with them. They've all been forced to be close over the past weeks and they have several more weeks to go. They've learned about one another in ways only near-constant close proximity and training can do. And her friendship with Evie and John makes it that much easier for the twins to learn more about her.

How much does Anti-Alien know?

She doesn't like it but she nods, resigned. "Alright. I'll try to keep my distance. Spend more time with you and Nat or maybe some alone time with Sideswipe if I can."

"Good," he says approvingly and then a sly smile spreads across his face, ready to move this conversation away from his past. "Speaking of, there was another reason I came down here. Nat wants to talk to you."

"Oh? What about?"

His smile widens. "She has a date all planned out for you and Sideswipe. Just need to go over the details with you and pick a day."

Unease turns in her gut, thinking of the all the times she's placed herself under Natasha's strict care. "I'm not going to regret this, am I?"

"Nah, it'll be fine." He slides off the table and begins putting his equipment back in the bag. "Come on, we should probably go find her before she comes and finds us."

Clint's phone rings inside his suit jacket and he pauses in his packing to fish it out. After a brief glance at the screen to see who it is he answers immediately. "Yes, sir?" he says, voice professional and Ari slips off the the table as well. This is someone from S.H.I.E.L.D., a higher-up, maybe Fury, maybe Phil and this just isn't a friendly call.

The call doesn't look friendly at all.

Minutes pass as Clint simply listens, making the occasional noise in negative or assent to let whoever is on the line know he's listening. But all the while his eyes get harder, his mask pulling around him more and more tightly as a defense mechanism. The more she can't tell what it is he's thinking, the more serious she knows it is, and it turns her stomach sour. She knows it doesn't necessarily have to do with N.E.S.T. or her but some instinct, whether the AllSpark or her own, tells her that this is something bad and it's going to directly influence her.

"She's right here," Clint suddenly says, the first full sentence he's said since his initial greeting. He listens for a moment longer before handing the phone to her.

"Hello?" she says into the phone.

"Ari, it's me, Phil." The agent's voice sounds haggard, tired. Like he's on the other side of a rough mission and he didn't necessarily end up on top.

"Phil?" Dread festers in her stomach. "What's going on? What happened?"

"Ari, I need you to listen to me very carefully. What I'm about to tell you…I know it's going to scare you but you need to remain calm."

It's hard to remain calm with the words he's saying, but she listens, hears what he's saying, understands, but is terrified to accept. Her heart stops. Or is that her breath? Yes, she's no longer breathing, but when she takes in a deep breath it ends up as more of a choked sob.

This can't be happening.

The phone slips from her fingers, Phil calling out her name over and over again, but there are just two words she hears anymore.

He escaped.

Clint catches the phone before it shatters against the floor but before he can touch her she's running, out the door, through the training room, flying blind.

This can't be happening.

Once she's outside breathing doesn't get any easier. If anything, her breaths are coming faster now, hyperventilating, each chasing the next with her terror nipping at their heels.

He escaped.

She knows what she needs but doesn't know where to go, so she takes out her pendant and pushes the black button. But no words come out of her mouth, they can't make it past her restricting throat. Her knees buckle underneath her and she collapses in the dry dirt, feeling more helpless than she's felt in years.

::Ari?:: Sideswipe says over the comm link and she feels such relief at the sound of his voice but it's not enough, not nearly enough. ::Are you there? Are you alright?:: She tries again to say something but all that comes out is another sob. There's wetness on her cheeks but she doesn't remember when exactly the tears started. ::Sweetspark, you're scaring me. You pushed the button for the comm. Please answer me if you're there.::

But she can't answer. Just keeps thinking about how this can't be happening.

::Ari, if you can't answer, then push the red button so I can find you, alright? Let me find you and I'll be there soon.::

But the red button is only for dire emergencies.

This feels like one.

Because he escaped.

She pushes the button and waits for him to come, drawing her legs to her chest and pressing her face to her knees. Her breathing still isn't steady but she can't make it stop because she feels so vulnerable right now, so exposed. A hand, a human hand, suddenly touches her shoulder and she cringes away, even though she knows it's probably just Clint, having caught up with her, but she can't…she can't. Everything she's done, everything she's worked for, it's all crumbling down around her ears. She thought she would have more time to get stronger, she thought she'd be more prepared.

She knew this day would come but not like this, never like this.

Warm metal envelopes her and a whimpered keen escapes her throat in relief. She clings to Sideswipe, arms wrapped around his neck like a vice, as if she's afraid that if she lets go the earth will open up and swallow her whole.

"Ari, sweetspark, what's wrong?" Sideswipe asks, holding her close with one hand stroking her hair. "Come on, Ari, you gotta talk to me."

"I know what happened," Clint says but she doesn't look, just buries her face in Sideswipe neck, eyes screwed up tight. She doesn't want to hear the words again. Maybe if she doesn't acknowledge it then it won't be real.

"What happened?" Sideswipe demands, his protective instincts already working overtime.

"Phil called. He's on his way now to go over what happened in detail, but he figured she would want to know as soon as possible." He hesitates, but at Sideswipe's growl he spits it out. "It's her father. Her biological father, Ron Witwicky. He's escaped from prison. It looks like Anti-Alien busted him out."


Author's Note

Aw, man, I am so evil! :D

Did you guys forget about Ron? I know some of you wondered if he'd be coming back but I never confirmed nor denied. Well, here's your answer.

And things are only going to get worse. So much worse.

On another note, I hope you guys like Clint's backstory. Like I said, his wasn't any easier to put together as Natasha's, especially with Age of Ultron and the whole Laura thing. Speaking of, thanks to everyone who contributed to the poll on Clint's ship. As for what my final decision ends up being...you'll just have to wait and see.

Next chapter you finally get more Ari/Sides fluff. Cause Natasha always gets her way. :)

Hope you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW, and see you all next time!