A/N thanks for your reviews and support.
dogman999: thanks for your review my friend.
Clint's POV
Being allowed to stay in his apartment should have been a relief. Instead he found it almost suffocating. At Alex's insistence Panov would be staying with him.
Gordon and Alex would stay at one of the safe houses Alex had made. It wasn't far but it did make him feel enclosed in.
Panov to his surprise allowed him his space. While the man watched him from the room he didn't interfere. Just watched as Clint limped around in an effort to abate his energy.
Hazel eyes watched him as he sat down right as dusk was beginning to fall. It was gingerly as he could so not to aggravate his wounds.
Clint asked his eyes meeting the hazel gaze with his blue one, "What do you want, doctor?"
Panov leaned back not at all disturbed by the hostility. He replied in a soft tenor, "I am trying to figure you out, Mr. Webb. You are an enigma that is not often seen."
That wasn't the first time he's been called that. Wouldn't be the last either.
What most people didn't realize was that when you joined Medusa you threw your old life away. You created an entirely new identity for yourself. That left scars on the mind. Ones that wouldn't heal easily.
Panov continued, "I have seen Medusans come out in worse physical shape than you. Broken physically by all they had to endure. Mentally they were better. There wasn't the split minds that you and your team have. Yes, Mr. Webb I have spoken to quite a few of your team at one point or another. Echo was your second in command. If you were out of line he would rectify it. Bravo was one of your entry men. Skilled as a whole. Delta the enigma. Mind split between two people. David and Delta."
Clint moved to stand again but stopped at the next words, "This isn't an insult just an observation. I saw the way your eyes softened at the sight of Gordon and Alex. You have a soft spot for them. Despite the pains that you went through you still care about othere."
Clint's hands clenched on his knees. It hurt to think about what could have happened. If he had not gone to Tam Quan Gordon would have died. A suicide mission that he succeeded in where no one else could.
Panov asked catching his eyes suddenly, "Something made you leave that day. There are very few things that would make you break a promise. So what happened? Who was so important that you got so badly injured?"
Clint tapped his fingers on his upper leg. He had to consider what happened. It could put Natasha in danger. Then again he wasn't getting out of the ordinary from the doctor. Just genuine curiosity.
Clint said tiredly, "When I was a teenager I joined the Circus. There I perfected my skills in archery taught to me by my foster father. Then I was approached by the CIA. They needed someone who could be a ghost. Someone that spoke a multitude of languages. With my time in the circus I was the right man. It would give me a stable life and a new name in return. Never again would I have to return to hell. Never did I think of the new hell I would be experiencing. In the Circus however I had met someone. In a way she was just like me. Suspicious of the world and untrusting. We both were about to ship out for Medusa when she got another offer. She took the offer."
He paused for the moment. It was only a partial truth. What he didn't say was that Hawkeye's less than legal activities had started there. Both he and Natasha were killers for hire during that time. Barely 15 and they had killed.
Then he continued, "She joined SHIELD," there was a subtle tensing in the other's posture, "an agent called me. She had been captured by an opposing group. Their agent her handler, called me. I could not allow her to die. So I told him where to meet me and my team."
Panov cocked his head to the side listening. His eyes held no judgement in them. Just calm understanding that Clint didn't understand.
How could anyone understand it? Medusans had only themselves and each other. Without that they were nothing but criminals. Criminals who had been lucky to survive the hell that they fought in.
In truth they were just men who had fallen. Those who needed something to believe in just like anyone else. His men believed in him and him alone. One day it would get them all killed.
That thought had him on his feet before Panov could say anything. He didn't want to hear the doctor. For now he needed time to himself.
Clint went to the bedroom leaving Panov figure out where he was sleeping on his own.
Panov's POV
Morris watched the young man walk away. Part of him wanted to ask question. To try and get the hurt young man who was little more than a boy to open up.
At the current moment he knew it would be detrimental. Young Webb had said all he was going to say for the night. Alex had warned him he was in for an uncomfortable night. The sofa wasn't long enough to accommodate his tall stature. While being skinny he was by no means short.
Alex having spent many nights here himself told Morris where to find the extra blankets and pillows. Despite David's antisocial behavior he did have a few people he was close to. Though Morris would never understand his fascination with the color purple. The man's couch was purple. The walls were purple. Even his painting was purple.
It seemed every time he thought he had seen it all with this group someone new surprises him. He should have taken Alex's words to heart. Assume nothing with Delta or you will regret it.
