Welcome back! I hope I didn't scare anyone off with the last chapter. Thanks, Katie, for pointing out some things. I think I caught them. I appreciate the guesses as to where she is. There will be more clues in this chapter. Here's my monthly reminder that I don't own any MCU/Marvel characters, only my OC's.

This chapter will be darker than the last one, but it's always darkest before the dawn, so keep that in mind...

Back at Tony's house, everyone gathered in the conference room. "I've analyzed the photo," Tony said. "It looks like Mikayla's being held in an abandoned winery or orchard building, of which there is one in Littlerock, about 75 miles from here."

"Wait?" Steve asked. "There's a Little Rock, California?"

"Yes, it's one word, though, unlike Arkansas', which is two words. It was known for its orchards." He looked at Clint. "I sent the coordinates to your phone. Don't leave yet. More to share." Clint had started to stand but sat back down in his chair. "Police got back with me regarding the evidence from the camping area. DNA's a match to that scumbag from Vegas, Eric."

"Which would explain why his sister hasn't heard from him," Natasha commented. "Hill talked to her and was told they hadn't had any contact since that whole trip went down."

"Have we found out anything about this Eric person?" Thor asked.

"Graduated from university, comes from money," Bruce answered. "Amy is actually his half-sister. She was raised here, he grew up in London, the typical rich kid with no aim in life."

"Hey, I had goals." Tony held up his hands as everyone turned their attention to him.

"Back to Eric. I haven't figured out where his path crossed with Barney's. He does have skill with a gun. We know he shot Mikayla in Vegas and are assuming he shot Clint. Since he wasn't as skilled as Barney thought he was, I'm assuming he was put on sentry duty and alerted Barney when you all drove to the restaurant. We're still working on getting the bomb fragments or hearing from the bomb squad what they found out, so no leads from those."

Bucky piped up. "We found out he was the one that rented the car, then ditched it."

"Anything else?" Clint asked. All he could think of was he needed to get to Littlerock, to get to Mikayla.

"Nope, that's all – "

"Nat, with me." Clint leaped out of the chair and went to the garage with Natasha on his heels. Once in the car, he pulled up the coordinates Tony previously sent him. It didn't take long to arrive. He parked the car in a grove of trees so it couldn't be seen from the road. The two of them slinked toward the complex, not sure how big it would be or what they would find. What they found was it appeared to be abandoned. They both had memorized the room layout from the photo and were on the lookout for a building that could house the room. After searching for about 20 minutes, Nat tapped him on the shoulder and pointed. He nodded and they went to the building. He noticed the door had recently been moved, so he put his ear to it but heard nothing. Nat slowly opened the door, and they went inside, immediately going down a flight of steps. There were signs of activity here, and it looked like whoever was here had left in a hurry. Clint pointed to something in the corner, so he went and picked it up. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. He turned around and held up Mikayla's air cast for her ankle. They continued searching the room, gathered up the discarded paper and Styrofoam cups they found and went back to the house.

"They're gone, but they were there." Nat held out the cast and the rest of the evidence. Once Tony and Bruce had the evidence, Clint disappeared. Natasha filled them in on what they'd found there. "I don't think we missed them by much. I'm going to go work some things out on the computer." She left and went to the office. The others sat around and talked about what the pair had found and wondered what the next clue would be. No one wanted to voice the thought of if there would be a next one. They all knew the first 48 hours after someone went missing was the prime target in which to find the missing person. After the first two days, it got harder to locate the person, and the odds went down with each passing day.

These thoughts were also running through Clint's head as he sat on the roof. He hated being one step behind the enemy. It was his job to be at least three steps ahead. "Okay, think, Barton. You've got an injured hostage, and you know the Avengers are after you. What do you do? You stay off-grid, away from populated areas, take the back roads everywhere." His phone buzzed. "Barton."

"Hey, buddy. Sorry about the cast."

"Like hell you are. You haven't been sorry for anything in your life."

"Point taken. It does pack a wallop, though. Guessing you taught your firecracker how to fight?"

"Barney, she could kick your ass."

"Except I have an advantage. I don't have several broken bones. You should see her face. It's such a rainbow of colors."

"Barney, if you touch her – "

"Not my style. I have people that do that, remember? You took them away from me, though. Never fear. I have other plans for your girl."

"Let me talk to her."

"I'm shocked you don't believe me when I tell you she's alive."

"You were born a liar. Why would I believe you?"

"I'm hurt. You used to worship the ground I walked on?"

"Until you tried to kill me, you bastard. Now, let me talk to Mikayla." He'd used his other phone to get a GPS fix on Barney's cell, so he dragged out the conversation. Barney seemed to forget he worked for the most elite government organization along with working with the wealthiest tech guy in the universe.

"Fine, if you insist." Clint heard scuffling coming through the line. "Say hello."

"Clint?"

He released a breath he forgot he was holding. "Mikayla? Babe? How are you holding up?"

"Had better days." He could tell she was mumbling. "Find me. I'll be waiting."

"Damn right I'll find you. I've got a Valentine's date to finish." Clint heard a thud through the phone.

"There. She's alive. Believe me now?"

"Yes. What do you want?"

"I want to see you humiliated, little brother. I want you to feel as lost and alone as I felt after you left me. I've been searching for a family, just like you have. Don't think I haven't followed your career choices, bud. I noticed the Army didn't work out, so now you're trying this SHIELD thing. How's that working for you?"

Clint looked down at his other phone. 'Damn, he blocked the signal, so can't get a trace on it.' "You had a family. You had me, and then you chose to become a criminal. What happened to that group?"

"Hmm. What happened is I had to get rid of them. They were bringing me down. They wouldn't listen to me. They didn't think I was good enough for them. Sound familiar? Anyway, no need to worry your little head. I'm taking as good of care of your girl as Dad did of us. New text, coming your way. Later, little bro."

Clint looked at the display. 'Arlington,' was the text. The accompanying picture showed why Mikayla was mumbling. Barney was right. Her face was a cornucopia of colors. Clint could make out the mark the air cast had left on her cheek. He remembered Barney made a comment about it packing a wallop and Mikayla knowing how to fight, so he assumed Mikayla had whacked him with it, causing Clint to smile. "My kick-ass fiancée in action. Damn, I love that woman." He hopped down from the roof and went to meet his teammates. "Got another text. It's Arlington."

"Any photo?" Steve asked.

Clint nodded. "Friday? Please show the photo on the screen, please."

"Of course, Agent Barton." Mikayla's photo appeared. "I talked to her."

"How is she?" Misty asked.

"She was mumbling, so this picture is fairly recent. She didn't say a whole lot but at least we know she's still here."

Natasha had shown up carrying a laptop. "There's an Arlington, California, about 40 miles from here." She looked over at Clint. "They must have gone directly there from Littlerock since we found the cast there." Clint nodded and the two went to the garage to head to Arlington, California. They returned about an hour later with more refuse for Tony and Bruce to analyze. "Found this, too." She held up a dark blue shoe. "Clint verified it's Mikayla's."

"He's also blocked his phone from being traced," Clint added. "He probably purchased several burner phones at some point. It's what I would do." The group spent the next several hours going over the evidence either in their heads or with others. Natasha went back to her computer work, leaving Clint without anything to do. He retreated into himself, putting himself in Barney's place. "What would be the best way to torture and humiliate me? I don't see any option other than doing what he's doing to Mikayla, especially after his comment about treating her like our bastard father treated us." Clint knew he still carried scars, both seen and unseen, from his childhood. He wanted nothing more than to find Mikayla and save her from that.

"Talking to yourself again, Clint?" Clint looked up to see Steve standing next to him. "Mind?" Clint shook his head, so Steve sat next to him on the couch.

The two teammates stayed silent for a while. "He talked to me."

"Oh?"

"Yep. Got him to tell me why he's doing this."

"And that would be?"

"To humiliate me, punish me for deserting him. He wants me to be as alone as he is. He's going to try and take her away from me."

"We're not going to let that happen, Clint. We'll get him."

Clint nodded. "I know. I'm trying to figure out his next move. Why is he picking these places? What do they have in common?"

"Maybe nothing. He may just be throwing darts at a map and goes where the dart lands. Is he a planner like you?"

Clint thought back to his childhood. "At one time, I thought so. He was the one that planned for us to leave home, though, looking back, I'm not sure how well thought out it was. I'm beginning to think it was good guessing or dumb luck. Maybe that's when I learned to plan things out. Unfortunately, the impulsive ones are harder to catch since they're unpredictable."

"Then he'll slip up, and we'll be ready."

They slipped into silent mode. Finally, Steve stood up. "Thanks, Steve."

"For what?"

"Listening. I'm still not used to this whole team thing. I've trained myself to be the one to figure things out, tend to forget I don't have to do it alone."

Steve clasped Clint's shoulders. "That's what families are for, to help you through the rough times and celebrate the good times." He strode away and left Clint to his thoughts.

Sometime later, Natasha came and sat next to him. "I've been searching, can't find a connection between Littlerock, Arlington, and your brother, other than both cities were off the beaten path and have abandoned places for him to hide."

Clint nodded. "Running into the same wall. I can't wrap my mind around his brain." He shared the conversation he'd had with Barney. "I can't let him win, Tash, I can't. I can't see my life without her." He looked over at Natasha. "I'm not giving up, just stating a fact. I know we'll get her. I'm worried about in what condition."

"Whatever condition she's in, she'll make it. Look at all we've been through, and we're still here and functioning, and we trained her."

Clint balled up his fists. "This sitting around and moping isn't getting us any closer to finding her. I'm going to the gym." He stood and stormed down the hall to where he did his best thinking, other than the roof.

The rest of the week went by, and they were no closer to finding any connections between Barney and the cities he'd chosen. They were beginning to believe the locations were randomly selected.

It was now going on three weeks since Mikayla's kidnapping, and her presence was starting to be noticed. Thor would burst into a room, about to ask Mikayla a question about a movie or TV show, and then his shoulders would slump as he remembered she wasn't there. Steve would be watching a history documentary and would want to comment about his memories of the event, but would bite his lip, saving the comment for when she came back. Pepper would like to ask her questions about the wedding or work, then swallow her tears and retreat to her office. Tony started calling Misty "Maid Marian" to try and make himself feel better, trying to hide his frustration in not being able to figure out where Mikayla was. Misty was flat out missing her best friend. She spent a lot of time talking to Sam and letting him comfort her, knowing he was also missing her. Sam and Mikayla had the same sarcastic sense of humor and had become friends, bonding over playing pranks on their significant others. Bruce spent his spare time going through his medical supplies, making sure he would be prepared for any injury she might have upon returning and trying to keep the other guy restrained. Natasha didn't outwardly show any emotion, but it was tearing her up inside, not just for what it was doing to Clint. She was missing her friend. Even Bucky, who hadn't known her for too long, was affected. He'd had a few chances to talk to her one on one but mostly stayed back and watched her interact with the others. Watching her and Misty reminded him of the friendship he and Steve had. Lastly, there was Clint. He refused to sit in the loveseat and would only glance at it as he passed by it. Like Natasha, no one could tell by looking at him how he was affected. Clint figured it was a good thing they couldn't see his insides. He had to will himself to go to sleep every night, knowing he would need to be at his sharpest to track her down. His phone buzzed. He pulled it out and read the text. 'Rome,' which was followed by a picture. "Damn it! He's escalating the damage. Friday! Have everyone meet in the conference room."

"Consider it done, Agent Barton."

Once everyone filed in, Clint spoke. "No phone call, just a text, Rome. I've already checked. There is no Rome, California. He's definitely off the grid now. That's not the only change." The picture appeared on the screen. Mikayla was looking gaunt. They weren't sure how much weight someone could lose in three weeks and still survive, but they were worried she was about to hit the unsafe limit. Her eyes were beginning to sink back into her head, and her right arm and both legs were bleeding from several deep cuts, and it looked like someone had tried to cut the cast off her wrist.

"I recognize the wounds," Natasha said. "They're from the knives I gave her for Christmas. He must have used them on her. I'm sure she fought him before she got the wounds. I can't wait to see what he looks like."

Misty leaned over to Sam. "Are we sure she has the strength to fight back?"

He put his arm around her. "You'd be surprised how resilient people can be under pressure. She'll make it, Misty. She was trained by Clint and Natasha and had been hanging around this crew for a while."

"OK, let's analyze the evidence," Steve said. "He's now given us a city, not in California. Where are the different cities named Rome located?"

"Georgia."

"Italy."

"New York."

"I think we can rule out Italy," Clint said. "Too much trouble to take an injured person around the world, so he'll stay small, out of the way."

Natasha started typing. "They were both involved in wars. There's a fort near Rome, New York, and a Civil War battle in Rome, Georgia."

"There could be places underground where Barney could stay," Bucky said.

"There might be abandoned buildings on each site," Sam added.

"Why don't we send a couple of people to each place to see what they can find?" Bruce asked.

"That's what I was thinking," Steve said. "Tony? You and Thor can fly up to New York and check it out. Sam? Bucky? Take a Quinjet to Georgia and see what's there. The rest of us will stay here and see what else we can find out."

"Let's go, Point Break." Tony donned an Iron Man suit, and he and Thor flew off as Sam and Bucky went to get a jet to head off to Georgia.

Later, Natasha found Clint on the roof. "I know what he's doing to her, Tash." Natasha remained quiet, knowing Clint would talk when he wanted to. "He's hurting her the way our dad did us. Barney's got a scar across his cheek because he talked back or pissed dad off somehow, so dad grabbed a pocketknife and sliced Barney's cheek. Next will come the beatings." Clint winced, thinking about the injuries from thirty years ago. "He'll probably start with a belt, then move on to something that'll cause more damage, leave more scars. My dad always said he did that so we'd never forget him and would always have him with us." Natasha looked down, and Clint's knuckles were white from gripping the edge of the roof. "I can't stop him, Tash. I failed her. I told her I'd protect her, I didn't, and now she's paying the price."

In an undisclosed location, Mikayla was focusing on her latest holding place. This one looked a little more permanent. She'd been provided a thin blanket and a flat pillow. Someone had even placed some straw on the ground. Barney joked and called it her 'nest.' She looked down at her arms and legs and wondered if her injuries would ever heal. At that point, scarring was the least of her concerns. After she'd kicked Barney in the head with her air cast, he ripped it off her and struck her cheek, so who knew if the ankle bone would heal properly. She fought every day not to have a panic attack. She found the only thing that kept her sane was listening to her playlist repeatedly in her brain and reminding herself Clint would never give up on her, would never stop searching for her. He promised if she fell, he'd catch her, and he'd always protect her. She didn't blame him for this. She'd always told Clint he couldn't be held responsible for other people's actions. Mikayla vowed she would get through this and come out stronger on the other side because if she didn't, that would mean that Barney would win, and no way in hell would she let that happen. "Oh, look," she mumbled, "he untied my feet. Guess he figured I couldn't get far with a broken ankle. Time to prove him wrong." Mikayla stood up and bit her lip to keep from screaming in pain. To not think about the pain, she focused on getting out of this hellhole she was in and going back home. "Maybe there is something to this mind over matter." She found she was able to stumble around, which is what she was doing when Barney entered.

"Well, look who remembered she had feet," he quipped.

"Not all I remembered, asshole." Before he knew it, she'd thrown a knife that struck him in the bicep.

"Not cool, Mikayla." After pulling the knife out of his arm, he drew back a fist and punched her in the mouth, slamming her to the ground. She growled as she hit the floor. He was amazed she was able to do that much with her hands still tied, then he remembered who she'd learned from. He looked down, and she was wrestling with the rope around her hands. "Don't struggle. You'll only make it worse for yourself."

Mikayla stumbled as she wiped the blood from her mouth, spitting what was left at her attacker's feet. "Go to hell," she growled. She glared up at Barney, who was looking down at her, trying to figure out what his next move would be. Her pain tolerance may have grown through this ordeal, but she was nearing her limit.

Barney leaned down to look her in the eye. "And leave you here all alone?" He simpered. "I wouldn't dream of it. We're having so much fun, after all. Wait until you see what I have planned next." The tone of his voice caused her to shiver, but she continued to glare at him. Mikayla bit her lip as the belt's first lash struck her back, causing her to fall over facedown. Every time she tried to get back up, he'd strike her again, not caring if it were the belt or the buckle that made contact. She lost track of how many times he hit her. "You're just like dear old mother, never did learn when to keep her mouth shut." She felt a change in the air, felt a heaviness come into the room. Mikayla turned her head, and before she knew it, started screaming even before the board hit her across the back. She passed out just as she heard him taking a photo.

Back at Tony's house, updates were being given by the two teams sent to Rome. Both returned with no news. Neither group found any sign of Mikayla or Barney. "So, it was a wild goose chase," Clint said through gritted teeth. They were no closer to finding her than they were since this ordeal started.

The group spent the rest of the week going over all the evidence, struggling to find what it all had in common. A possible break came when Fury called. "We found Eric."

"Did he say anything?" Steve asked.

"Not a word. He refused to say anything. When we searched him, we found a piece of paper with three words written on it -Waterloo, Elgin, and Volga. Any significance?"

"Nope, just as insignificant as every other city he's sent." Clint ran his hand through his hair. "Damn it, where could she be?"

"Call me with any updates." Fury ended the call.

Clint's phone buzzed, and he looked down at the display. The text read 'You'll know where to find her,' and was accompanied by a picture that made his blood boil. He'd been trained to resist every kind of torture, had been through most of them, and he'd watched Coulson and Nat go through unmentionable punishments, but he thought this one would break him. He tried to focus on how strong he knew Mikayla was. However, looking at the picture again tore him apart. "Here." Clint handed her his phone. Nat looked at the photo. "Tash, he's going to torture her until he kills her. It's the only explanation for that."

Misty, Pepper, you may want to leave the room." They both refused, so Sam and Tony came over to them. "Friday? Please display the text and photo on the screen."

"At once, Agent Romanoff." When the photo was displayed, Misty gasped and immediately turned her head into Sam's shoulder. Pepper held her breath and looked at Tony. The picture was of Mikayla, dressed only in her sports bra and underwear, with a back bloodier than most of the group had ever seen.

"Cat of nine tails," Bucky muttered under his breath.

"More likely a wooden board of some sort," Clint said softly. "It's what our dad used, almost broke my mom's back a couple of times. He's going to beat her like our dad beat us." Damn it, how much longer was he going to have to talk about his crappy childhood?