Thanks for the love, everyone! Katie, thank you for the reviews! Now that we have the movies out of the way (for now), we continue with the story. As a reminder, the Ultron fight is over. Vision, Rhodey, Wanda, and Sam are at the new training facility. This chapter finds Clint and Mikayla back in NYC at her apartment. This is the first day at her new job as Assistant IT Director at Stark Industries. This takes place the following day after Chapter 26.
Misty called her that evening. "How did the first day go, Miss Executive?"
"A lot like the others except I'm sitting in my own office and have a view."
"How'd your former co-workers take the news?"
"Surprisingly well, didn't even have to bribe them. How'd things go with your new client?"
"Same. It's for an entire office building, so it'll be a challenge."
"You'll handle it. I have faith in you."
"Thanks, bestie. I've got to get some suppliers lined up, so I need to make some calls."
"Good luck and keep me posted."
"Later, M."
"Later, M." Mikayla plugged her phone into the charger and went to the kitchen to grab a snack. She returned and plopped down into one of the armchairs, legs draped over one of the arms. She turned on the radio and listened to some soft jazz to help shut her brain down. When her eyelids started drooping, she knew it was time to go to bed. She did her nightly check to ensure all the doors and windows were locked, then went to bed. She had just gone to sleep when she heard a window crashing. "Clint, you can always use the front door, though I appreciate the creativity of recreating our first meeting," she muttered as she put on her robe and went out to the living room to see what had caused the noise. She heard a beeping noise and saw a cylindrical object with a red flashing light and timer on it that displayed 00:30, 00:29, 00:28… Mikayla grabbed her cell phone and ran to the balcony where she found someone had destroyed the fire escape. She had just enough time to run into the bathroom, jump in the tub, and speed dial Clint.
"Hello?" He answered sleepily.
"CLINT! BOMB!"
Clint shot up out of bed in time to hear an explosion through the phone line. He threw on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, then pushed the intercom button. "Explosion at Mikayla's! Friday, call 911! He grabbed his bow & quiver, then ran out to the main area where the entire team was gathering.
"What happened?" Natasha asked. "What's this about?"
"I got a call from Mikayla. She yelled bomb, then there was an explosion."
"911 on the way, Mr. Barton," Friday's calm voice announced.
"I'm going over there if I have to parkour every building between here and there.
"Hold that thought, Legolas," Tony ordered. He pushed a button and his Iron Man suit flew out of the wall and surrounded him. "Better clench up, here we go again. The rest of you work on getting a room ready for her." 'Providing there's a her to get a room ready for,' he thought. He grabbed Clint by the collar, and they flew to Mikayla's apartment, where firefighters were already on the scene. He dropped Clint off at the entrance and went over to the firefighters for an update. "What's the story?"
"Looks like someone tossed a bomb through the plate glass window. Appears the fire escape was damaged, the front door's blocked, seems whoever did this didn't want the occupant to make it out. Guys are working to break it down. This one of yours?"
"Yep, the girlfriend of one of our team members."
The firefighter's radio crackled. "OK, we're finally in."
"Have you found anyone yet?"
"Not yet. Just starting our search. Fire's mostly contained in the living area. The rest of the apartment is heavily damaged from smoke and remnants from the bomb. Hold on, some idiot carrying a bow just came zooming through."
"Barton! Talk to me!" Tony yelled through his comm.
"Mikayla! Mikayla!" Clint was yelling. "Answer me, babe, please!" Tony heard a commotion coming through his earpiece. "Found her! Mikayla, babe, come on, talk to me. Tony, she's unconscious but breathing."
"Gotta go," Tony told the firefighter and flew up to the apartment and tried to make his way through the smoke and water. "Clint! Where are you?"
"Making my way to you," Clint replied, trying to catch his breath. He emerged from the bedroom carrying Mikayla in his arms. "She was…in the tub."
"We're getting you two back to the tower. Friday, make sure med bay is ready, two beds."
"I'm fine, Stark," Clint growled as he gasped, still struggling to breathe due to the smoke he inhaled.
"Get in the ambulance and they'll bring both of you to the tower. Get a good grip on your girlfriend, Clint." Barton held onto her even tighter. Tony grabbed his collar and flew them down to the ground and made sure they were both loaded into the ambulance. "Take them to the tower, we've got a medical unit there." He flew back to the tower and met everyone in the common area. "They're on their way from the apartment. Clint's got smoke inhalation, not sure what's going on with Mikayla."
"What did you find, Tony?" Natasha asked.
"Someone tossed a bomb and planned to make sure no one made it out alive. The front door was blocked, and the fire escape had been tampered with. Clint found Mikayla unconscious, she'd jumped into the bathtub, which appears to have saved her life.
"Boss, the ambulance is here," Friday said.
"I'll go down and meet them, direct them up here. Where's Bruce?"
Steve answered. "Waiting for them in the medical bay."
"Good," Tony said sharply, then went to meet the ambulance. He appeared a short time later next to the stretcher with an unconscious Mikayla on it and Clint striding next to it, holding an oxygen mask to his face avoiding Tony's stare.
Natasha followed them into the med bay. The EMTs transferred Mikayla to a bed and Tony harshly ordered Clint, "Put your ass on the bed or else."
Clint pulled the mask away from his face. "Or else what?"
Natasha jumped in, "Ass on the bed, Barton." Clint sent her a death glare but obeyed and hopped up on the stretcher, keeping a close eye on his girlfriend.
Bruce moved in and examined her. He shined a light into her eyes, took x-rays, and pressed on areas of her body. "Good news," he looked directly at Clint, "doesn't appear to have any internal injuries, nothing shows on the scans. She does have a bump on the back of her head. The clawfoot tub?" Clint nodded. "Bump's probably from hitting her head on it, causing a concussion. We'll keep her on the oxygen until she wakes up, even though there doesn't appear to be any damage from the smoke." He walked around the bed and went to Clint. "How are you, Clint?"
Natasha glared at him, willing him to tell the truth. She'd been through enough missions with him to know how he held back when talking about his injuries. "Chest hurts a little, but I'm fine. Why isn't she awake?"