New Chapter. I will post a note at the end.
(PLEASE READ THE NOTE AT THE END. I HAVE A POLL GOING AND NEED INPUT)
Kate stood quietly in the elevator as it moved to the top floor, fiddling nervously with her bracelet on her left wrist. She looked to her left at Clint who was standing silently at her side. She reached out tentatively and slid her hand into his.
Clint looked up, their like blue-grey eyes meeting, and his hand closed tightly around hers.
~ "It's been a very long time Clint, Katherine."
Clint held out his hand to Kate who handed over the radio. "Not long enough." He replied into the radio. "It's time we end this, DuQuesne."
"I agree." The Swordsman replied. "See unlike your brother I think that Katherine will be more trouble than she would be worth. All I want is the list."
Kate looked up at Clint, still wrapped safely in Peter's arms. He signed her a quick question —do you actually have it? — She nodded somberly.
"You and Katherine come up to the top level alone and unarmed." DuQuesne said. "Bring the list and I will draw back my men."
Clint grimaced slightly but brought the radio up. "Deal." ~
Kate tensed as the elevator came to a stop.
"Stay close to me." Clint instructed quietly as the doors opened.
He let go of her hand and they walked together blinking against the setting sun that illuminated the room. About thirty mercs lined the room, and Kate saw Barney was standing along the far wall watching them. As they walked around the small bend in the room, they saw a figure silhouetted by the sun.
"Hello Clint." DuQuesne spoke.
Kate felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck as she turned her gaze away from Barney and looked at the man at the window. She felt like she was locked in a room with a tiger, and she could actually make that comparison.
"Katherine." She hissed silently as he addressed her. "You've grown into a beautiful young woman. You look so much like your mother."
"Fantastic." Kate muttered. "Let's just get this over with."
DuQuesne seemed amused by this. "Looks like you've picked up a few traits from your brother." He commented as he looked at Clint. "You never did have any respect for authority."
"We need a few more minutes." Steve spoke calmly.
"Let's move this, along shall we?" Clint said calmly. "Draw your men back."
DuQuesne smiled. "Show me the list first." He replied.
Kate held up a flash drive. She set it in a nearby projection table and brought up a fraction of the list. It was extensive.
"Impressive." DuQuesne said quietly.
Kate pulled the drive away and held it up. "There's your proof. Now pull back your men." She said.
With all that she knew about DuQuesne, she wasn't even surprised when she heard the simple reply of, "No." before twenty odd weapons were trained upon the superhero siblings, including Barney's.
"Why do we always have to do this the hard way?" Clint asked seeming bored.
The siblings moved together, standing back to back they braced for the fight.
"Some things never change." Kate commented.
DuQuesne shrugged. "I may not want to deal with you but H.Y.D.R.A. still does." He commented.
Kate felt her heart stop for a moment.
"They're willing to pay quiet the price for you to be brought in alive." DuQuesne continued. His expression darkened. "Though make no mistake the price is still high for you dead."
Kate smiled. "I'd like to see you try." She remarked.
DuQuesne smirked. "Take them." He ordered.
…
Peter felt his heart jump into his throat when he heard DuQuesne say to take them. He inched closer to the edge of the roof wanting to jump in.
"Easy kid." Tony said. If Peter really strained his ears, he could hear the sounds of gunfire in the background of the comms while the Hulk roared in anger.
This is historical. We have to be the ones to end it.
Kate's voice played in his head. "I don't like being up here while they're down there." Peter said anxiously.
Tony sighed quietly. "I know." He said. "Me either."
…
Kate dodged to the side and ran forward. She jumped up, kicking off the chest of a merc to push herself over the group to avoid getting surrounded. Rolling onto her feet, she immediately stumbled back to avoid Barney who took a swipe at her with his bow. "You don't have to do this." She said stepping back towards the balcony.
Barney didn't reply as he moved forward.
"You were out of this life once." She said. "We got out and stayed out, so can you."
She glanced to the side to see that Clint was still okay, but Barney took advantage of her taking her eyes off him for a second to step forward and land a solid kick to her chest, knocking her onto her back, half outside on the balcony now. Drawing an arrow and firing within half a second of hitting the ground, the resulting flashbang forcing him to step back enough to give her time to flip back onto her feet.
We got the last of them.
Clint had maneuvered so he was closer to Kate as they both heard Sam over their comms.
"Alright, this is enough." Clint said. "We're taking you both in. It's over."
DuQuesne seemed amused. "And how do you think you're going to do that?" He asked. "We still have the building surrounded."
"No." Clint said. "You don't."
Kate watched as the faceless mercs slowly faded out of existence in a familiar green glow leaving only DuQuesne, Barney and about ten mercs behind. "We needed a little time to round up the rest of your cronies but having a sorcerer on your side really helps when you need a distraction." She said looking over with a smile as she saw Loki leaning calmly against the shelves towards the far end of the room.
"It's over." Clint said sounding weary. "Just surrender. This doesn't have to end with blood."
Kate felt a presence behind her and glanced back to see Natasha and Chisolm on the balcony. She looked forward seeing Steve and Bucky exit the elevator.
"Please, don't make this any harder." Kate said feeling as tired as Clint was. "Just surrender."
Of course, it couldn't be that easy.
Kate hadn't even seen him move, but DuQuesne set off some kind of flash bang that blinded the room briefly. She felt more than saw Chisolm move past her to tangle with someone, she could hear the sounds of fighting in the room, but as the spots cleared from her vision, it was too late as DuQuesne was in front of her. She tried to jump back but he grabbed her arm and suddenly she was in between Clint and DuQuesne.
"I would think twice." DuQuesne said to Clint who had his bow drawn taut. "Do you really trust your aim enough to put your sister at risk."
Clint was calm, his bow remained raised. She knew his aim was good enough, but she saw the doubt in his eyes.
"He can't get the list." Kate said, wincing as DuQuesne increased the pressure on her shoulder. "It's either this or H.Y.D.R.A. Clint, take the shot!"
"Lower it, or I snap her neck." DuQuesne ordered.
Kate sighed. "Why do people always say that?" She said in annoyance. "Then you'd have no hostage."
Clint gave her a look of disbelief. "Really Kate?" He commented.
Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying." She said.
"Enough!" DuQuesne said.
Wincing as his grip tightened again, Kate clenched her teeth. "I agree." She replied and closed her fist, activating the widow's bite she had on left wrist electrocuting DuQuesne.
However, the one thing she didn't count on was how close they were to the actual edge of the balcony and when he pushed her away to break the connection for the electric current, her foot caught on the slight raised edge and she felt nothingness follow.
It was almost like slow motion as she saw the horror on each of her family and friends faces, counting her own heartbeats pounding in her ears, before she was falling beyond their sight. A quick scream escaped her lungs before the rushing wind cut it off and she watched her reflection in the glass windows of the building as she fell. However, with seeing her own reflection, she also watched the blur of red and blue rushing towards her on an intercept path.
She felt solid muscle collide against her, knocking more air from her lungs as an arm wrapped firmly around her and she was now swinging in the opposite direction.
That slow motion feeling hit her again as she turned to look into the eyes of the mask. "I got you!" Peter's voice was in her ear. Her arms tightened around his shoulders as she buried her face into the side of his neck for a second, shielding her face from the rushing wind.
It took a brief second for them to slingshot back up to the balcony and they moment ended as she let go, Peter releasing her to land back on the balcony. As she was dropping down, she took in the sight of Clint fighting DuQuesne, Chisolm and Natasha facing Barney, and the others were taking out the last of the mercs. Rolling forward out of the fall, she pulled her knife and drove it through the back of DuQuesne's knee causing him to roar out in anger, falling backwards. She yanked the knife, backing up.
"Kate, look out!"
Natasha's call grabbed her attention, spinning around she saw Barney with a gun aimed at her. The shot rang out, but Kate never felt a hit as she was shoved out of the way.
Hitting the steel and concrete, Kate looked up to see Natasha and Bucky subdue Barney as Steve had joined Clint with DuQuesne. Peter and Loki were with the rest of the mercs, their gaze focused on her, but her eyes landed in horror on Chisolm, who was laying on the ground, crimson blood pooling around him.
"Oh no." She said and hurried back to her feet, moving over to him. "Hey, hold on, stay awake."
She vaguely heard Steve tell Clint to "go" and after a second he knelt down on Chisolm's other side. Even as he reached out to feel for a pulse, Kate knew that he was gone.
…
"Peter, you're a good kid and you're a smart kid..." Principal Morita was saying. "...so just try to keep your head straight, okay?"
Peter nodded. "Okay." He said quietly.
"All right, get out of here." Morita said.
Gathering his backpack, Peter stood up and exited the office where Ned was waiting for him.
"Are you expelled?" Ned asked. "Do you have to go to that high school where the principal has a crossbow?"
"Pretty sure that's an urban myth." Peter said lightly. "And, no, I'm not expelled."
Ned sighed in relief. "You're so lucky." He said.
Peter wasn't sure that lucky was the word he would have chosen.
As they got to Peter's locker, Ned looked around. "I wonder where Kate is." He commented. "She's been gone for over a week."
Peter paused at the words. "Umm…I texted her last night, she's been busy with…family stuff." He said.
Pausing, letting that answer sit for a minute, Ned looked up. "Any idea when she's coming back?" He asked.
Closing his locker, Peter just shook his head.
…
Kate stared out the window of the chopper at the rioting ocean below. The storm was bad, but Stark designed a very good automated chopper and it navigated the storm well. She watched a bolt of lightning crack through the clouds.
~ The gentle wind blew across the Iowa farm, cooling the area despite the warm sun shining down. It was a peaceful kind of day that was especially welcome after the craziness of the past couple months.
Kate stared at the modest grave on the border of trees just at the edge of their Iowa farm where they had buried Chisolm. There was no name on the headstone, it wasn't like there was anyone to remember him except for herself and Clint anyway, but she had planted flowers in the freshly dug soil so that it would always be beautiful.
Clint walked up and joined her at the grave, both standing quietly for a moment. They had chosen to come back to the farm, just the two of them.
"Bruce called, he said that the cancer had completely metastasized." Clint said quietly. "He wouldn't have lived more than six months."
"He really was sick." Kate said softly.
Clint put an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him. "He died a hero." ~
Their steps echoed through the metal hallways of the Raft as they were escorted to the holding cells. As they entered a room lined with cells, Kate watched Clint's eyes move over to an empty cell. She vaguely wondered if that was where he had been held while he was here.
"Look who it is."
The two turned to the mocking voice, seeing Barney lounging on the cot watching them. As they moved closer, Barney swung his legs over the edge and stood to approach the plexiglass front of the cell.
"Come to gloat?" Barney asked with sarcastic smirk.
"No." Clint said grimly. "It didn't have to be this way Barney."
Barney shook his head. "You both haven't learned." He said. "This—" He gestured around him. "This isn't enough to stop what is coming."
"And what is coming?" Kate asked tilting her head to the side.
Barney looked at her. "All you had to do was give up the list before you drew any more attention." He said.
"You really expect me to believe that?" She asked. She let a tiny bit of her frustration slip out. "All you had to do was stay clean from this."
Barney turned slightly to face her. "Like you guys did, right?" He asked mockingly. "Look at everything that has happened over the last ten years little sister. You really believe that you're "out" of this life?"
Kate gazed into her oldest brother's eyes and she tried, but she couldn't see anything left of the man that he was but there was something that rang true in his words that made both her and Clint tense.
Pushing her unease away, her eyebrows knit together. "What do you plan to accomplish?" She asked. "It's not like you or DuQuesne will be running things from here."
Barney looked amused. "What makes you think we were running it at all?" He asked.
"It's over Barney." Clint said, getting annoyed with this circle. "Just tell us where to find your employers, for the list and for H.Y.D.R.A. and we can work out getting you a deal."
Barney's gaze darkened. "It won't be over until I've killed both of you." He said, voice low, dangerous. "Don't ever forget this."
Kate spoke quietly. "I won't forget."
The weight of those words echoed around the siblings.
Clint put a gentle hand against her back and looked at Barney. "Goodbye Barney." He said. He put pressure into his touch to make her move. He put his arm around her shoulders as they moved into the hall. "Put your hands in your pockets." He said in a quiet voice. She looked down and saw her hands were shaking, she shoved them into her jacket pockets, clenching them tightly. Clint's eyes were sad. "It gets easier."
…
Kate walked down the hall at Midtown towards her locker on Monday, head still in a bit of a fog. Clint had brought her to school early that morning and they had spoken to Principal Morita, explaining that the "family issue" had been resolved and there shouldn't be any further absences from school.
Considering her bow was officially on retirement for now, other than just gym exercise, that wasn't a lie.
Putting her books into her locker, she sighed quietly. Kids were just starting to file in, and the noise level was picking up. Straightening her shoulders, Kate turned and looked for the face that she really wanted to see.
After Betty stopped and said welcome back briefly with condolences (everyone had been told there was a death in her family) Kate finally spotted a mop of brown hair in the crowd. Suddenly, she was nervous. Tony had still taken away Peter's suit, despite his work in helping the at the Tower, he had still inadvertently caused the damage at the ferry and the adults had all made the decision that neither of the two teens should be drawing this much attention so they were benched indefinitely. They hadn't really talked since the Tower since she and Clint had jetted away almost immediately. She wasn't even sure if he would want to see her.
However, the minute Peter looked up and spotted her, every fear was wiped away as he all but ran over to her and wrapped her in a tight hug. Her arms wrapped around him, hugging him back just as fiercely, letting herself lean against him, hiding her eyes for a long moment. Thankfully, no one took a second look thinking that Peter was just comforting her.
"I'm so glad you're back." Peter whispered quietly so only she could hear.
She sniffed a little and turned just enough to whisper out. "Me too."
Whew! That was a long chapter. It took me a while. Anyways, I have one more chapter to wrap up the last plot point with the stuff from Homecoming (cause Peter has to get his suit back obviously) but I am debating whether or not to end it there or keep going. Let me know what you guys think!
As always please review!