Betrayed
This takes place pre endgame. When the team was broken up, like a band. This is. What could've happened to Clint and how they saved him.
Steve sighs for the second time after reading the newspaper. A couple small towns in Turkey was just obliterated due to bombing. The gang has been spreading through all of Europe and Russia. Last week they bombed Jordan. They need to get the team back together.
…
"What do you want?" Tony asks bluntly the second the phone picks up.
Steve sighs. "We need to get back together, the world is crumbling Tony." He says into the receiver
He hears Tony take a deep breath in. "I was thinking the same thing, Rogers." He finally says.
Steve contacts the rest of the team.
…
The team is all together except Bruce and Clint, who they are still waiting on. Thor flew down after Tony sent a raven. Natasha traveled back from Russia, she was visiting family. Steve and Tony met each other at the tower. At that moment, Bruce walks in. His hands are fisted in his sweatshirt and he looks kind of nervous. Classic Bruce. "Hey guys." He says. He was met with a hug from Tony and a "Welcome back" from Natasha.
"Has anyone seen Clint?" Steve asks. Natasha knows that he'd usually be here by now. "Let's go ask Fury." She says before walking out the door waiting for everyone else to follow.
…
"What! Where is he?!" Tony shouts. Steve right behind him. Natasha is worried in the back, already planning an escape for Clint.
"Come on guys, let's go." She states firmly. Steve glares at her. "We aren't leaving until we get Clint back." "What do you think I'm doing Rogers?" Natasha snaps back, already out the door. She's heading to their quinjet. She knows how Shield works. She knows where Clint is.
"Nat, where are you going?" She hears Bruce shout. "I'm getting my friend back. Hurry up if you want to come."
…
"So where even is he?" Steve asks now that he calmed down. With Natasha piloting and every one else crowded around her, she answers.
"At the Raft." She states. That receives multiple shocked faces. "What! Why?" Steve asks. He saw how it was in there, it's not good to be in there for a year. Clint's probably changed.
"Shield council is still mad at him for doing all of those things while under Loki's control." Natasha says grimly. "Apparently he's guilty for killing everyone, not Loki. No one believes him when he says that he had no control. They haven't believed him since New York." She sighs. "I feared this would happen. He told me not to get involved if it did. Too late now."
About an hour later Natasha speaks up. "The Raft is ten minutes away, I'd start getting ready." Steve nods and starts getting his gear on. Tony starts assembling his suit and Natasha checks her pistol for bullets.
Natasha lands the jet, knowing the people in the building didn't hear it over the crashing waves and roaring winds, especially since this a specially designed jet meant to be quieter than others.
Steve is the first to hop out, running right into the door and everyone following behind him, weapons blazing.
Tony is first to find Clint. "Holy shit…" the billionaire is left speechless. "Guys!" He starts screaming until everyone is there, looking through the glass cell door. Looking at their teammate. Looking at their best friend and family. Clint is huddled in the corner covered in blood. His head is limp and his chin is touching his chest. The manacles on his wrists are locking his arms to the wall, leaving bloody scabs in their wake.
Steve starts slamming his shield into the door, it breaks about twenty hits later. Natasha hops through and the others follow her, knowing that Clint probably needs her the most.
Natasha's heart is in her throat. Is he dead? Oh god, there's so much blood. His clothes are ripped and bloody. His hair has grown a good three inches, his beard on the other hand would've been impressive. But it looks like it was crudely chopped off, patches are still there along the cuts littering his face. "Clint?" She asks while kneeling next to him.
She lays her hand on his shoulder and he reacts violently. He flinches back and shouts with a hoarse voice. "Stop! Get…away from me…" his voice cracks and he locks eyes with Tasha. That sight alone is enough to make her cry. His eyes are so broken and they make him look so helpless. Like he's given up on hope a long time ago. "You're not…real." It sounds more like a question than a statement. He looks around the room, making eye contact with each member.
"Y'guys are ba-" he pauses to take a breath. "Back together? Glad some'ne… rem'bered me." His eyes waver off of Natasha and towards the floor.
Steve feels his heart break. What happened to this poor man? "Clint, can you walk? We're here to get you out of this terrible place." He says kneeling down to put a hand on Clint's back and help him up, only to stop when Clint jerks away with wide eyes again. "Sorry sorry sorry." Steve apologizes.
Thor steps in at the wrong time "What is wrong with you my friend, you must accept our aid. We apologize for leaving you behind, we must rejoice!"
Clint is now gulping in air. "Stop…" he whimpers out. Tony takes Thor by the hand and drags him out of the cell. Bruce steps towards Clint to see if he is capable to be touched, because they have to get out of this place before more people come in.
"Clint, can I touch you?" He asks calmly. "What're ya gonna do?" Clint asks back, still scared of his own team, Steve's gonna kill these people.
Bruce stays calm, knowing how to handle the situation. "I'm just gonna touch your shoulder. When you're comfortable do you think we can help you up and get out of here?" Bruce starts slowly bringing his hand to Clint, not stopping even when he flinches away. Eventually Bruce's hand is on his shoulder and Clint squeezes his eyes shut and starts breathing heavily. Bruce doesn't say anything, knowing it'll pass, especially when Clint realizes that he's not getting hurt.
Clint nods. Natasha leans in and cuts through the metal bonds with a laser she received from Tony a couple weeks ago. Eventually they are cut through and Clint can be helped up.
Natasha throws his arm over his shoulder, ignoring the yelp of pain and surprise she receives, while Steve helps her with the other arm. Together they drag him out of the cell and to the jet, where they fly him back to base. Clint huddles in his seat with his knees pulled to his chest. His eyes are frantically searching everyone for threats, before settling on something else.
Steve comments on his weight first. "Clint, you want to eat something, you look really thin. When's the last time you ate?"
He eyeballs Steve strangely. "What d'you mean? I already ate on Wednesday." Steve blanches. It's Friday. "You want a granola bar or something?" Clint gives him a questioning look. "What do you mean?" Clint is shown the food. "I can have that?!" Sounding surprised, this internally breaks Steve's heart a little more. "Yes Clint you can, you don't have to be surprised about food. Not anymore." He hands it to Clint, who takes a while to accept it. It's gone in a second, Steve doesn't miss the flash of fear and then guilt that flashes in Clint's eyes.
"Sorry…" Clint mumbles. Steve is confused. "Why?" He questions. "I ate it, I-I was hungry." He says guiltily. "I didn't mean to."
Natasha hears this and walks over. "Clint it's fine, we gave you the food, so it's okay that you ate it. We wanted you too." She tries to calm him down. It somewhat works but it doesn't ease the guiltiest in his conscience.
…
The team was currently watching Clint. He wandered around the room like it was new to him, stretching his legs like they still hurt and are sore, which they probably are.
"Hey Clint?" Tony asks. No one missed the way his feet stopped in their tracks and his eyes immediately went to the exit door.
It's been three weeks and while Clint is no longer scared of his team, you can see the lasting effects from his time in prison. He doesn't look up much from the ground, he walks with a slightly new limp from all of the inflicted wounds, he still gets nervous when he eats food and he flinches at loud noises.
"You have to cut your hair dude." Tony comments. Clint reaches his hand to his hair and runs his fingers through it. His hair has grown. A lot. But he's been too scared of the scissors to actually cut it. "I know." He says.
"Can umm…can you do it for me? Please?" He says the last part quietly.
Tony is taken aback by the trust. "Sure dude, sit down right here I'll be back."
A couple minutes later Tony comes back with scissors, a comb, a razor, and a spray bottle. "What style are you going for?" He asks. Clint responds with a shrug. "Whatever I had before I guess." Tony smirks. "Nah, that was too boring, we're going to up your game."
…
Half an hour and a lot of flinching and cursing later, Clint is stuck with a Mohawk type haircut that matches him very well. "Thanks Tony." He says, running his hand in the newly shortened hair.
Some nightmares last a lifetime, friends can help heal those wounds and family can close them fully.
Thanks to Katie MacAlpine for reviewing my last chapter, you've honestly given me a lot of dedication and advice throughout these short 6 days. Thanks so much!
Chapter 7 coming tomorrow.