Whumptober Day 5

I've Got Red in My Ledger

Prompts: betrayal/misunderstanding/broken nose

This one got dark - apologies in advance

And sorry, I know it's a couple of days late

Clint was at his apartment in Bed-Stuy. He wanted, needed to get away from Stark tech, didn't want Tony to find out what he was looking for. "Nat will kill me, I know." He could hear her voice telling him how much of an idiot he was and hadn't the team proven he could trust them now. "My old shrink would probably tell me I've become more protective of Mikayla now that we're married and that since I have so much more to lose, my old, buried insecurities are making their appearance. He'd probably be right." Clint pulled an old laptop from a hidden space in his closet. The computer was leftover from his early SHIELD days, so no way Stark could trace it. Hopefully, Nat had enough confidence in him to know he'd call if – or when – he needed his teammates' help. Clint let the computer boot up as he made some coffee. After pouring himself a cup, he sat down in front of the laptop and started the search for his cohorts from the circus.

Back at the tower, Tony was fuming, trying to determine how the tower had been breached. "I've got state-of-the-art security! What the hell happened?"

"Stark, I have discovered something on the roof," Thor said through the comms. Tony met Thor on the roof, and Thor pointed to some rappelling equipment on the ground. "It appears as though the intruders landed on the roof and climbed down the side of the tower."

"Question number one answered," Tony replied.

"I've got the answer to question number two," Bucky joined the pair on the roof. "They used some type of supersonic glass cutter to get through the glass on the medical floor. I would guess they shut the power down either from there or up here, maybe even remotely."

Tony took in what Bucky was telling him. He got the sense there was more to the story. Bucky seemed to be holding back. "What else, Robocop?"

"I only know of two organizations with this capability – SHIELD and HYDRA."

"Damn it, why can't they just die already?!" Tony violently threw the grappling hook he was holding, watching it strike an air conditioning unit, leaving an impressive dent. "What the hell would HYDRA want with Maid Marian?"

"Possibly nothing," Natasha added, appearing on the roof. "Cap's with Banner in the lab, taking care of Dr. Cho."

Tony nodded. "So, why HYDRA?"

"After the fall of SHIELD, HYDRA started selling off their technology. We know these guys were involved in child trafficking, so it wouldn't be surprising to find out the guys illegally purchased HYDRA technology." Nat had a thought. "I'll go search the records and see what I can find while you work on getting everything back up and running." Natasha spun around and disappeared down the staircase.

Whirring noises could be heard as the power returned. "Working on diagnostics, boss."

"Music to my ears, Friday." Tony turned to Thor and Bucky. "Now, off to find Robin Hood and Maid Marian." After stopping by medical to check on the doctors, the trio left the roof and met up in the common room.

Clint, meanwhile, had rounded up several leads on Trick Shot and Swordsman. "Dumbass," Natasha said as she opened his front door and barged inside. "Forget some people?"

"Don't, Tasha. Just, don't."

Natasha walked up to him and slapped the back of his head. "You've got an entire team behind you, remember?"

"But their last name isn't Barton, is it?"

Natasha looked into his eyes, seeing the little boy inside that wanted to please everyone. "You don't have to impress her, you know? She'd love you and look up to you if you were a barista in a coffee shop."

"Remember our vows, Tasha? I'm supposed to protect her, and I failed at that – again."

"Tell me you've found a lead, at least."

Clint nodded. "A few. Any idea how they got into the tower?" Natasha told him what they'd discovered. "Sounds about right." A chill went through him. "We won't let HYDRA get hold of her, Nat."

"You think those guys would try to get her to them?"

"If they thought they could make money, yeah." Clint grimaced, wondering how much longer his childhood would show up to kick his ass. "Here." He handed her a piece of paper. "These are possible locations." She glared at him. "Call the team, but I get first shot at the assholes."

Natasha patted the top of his head. "I'll call them once we find them. Don't need Thor and Hulk destroying any more buildings than necessary."

"Good point."

Across town, Mikayla was doing everything she could do not to scream out in pain, to show them how excruciating the pain was. After dragging her out of her medical bed, she was flung over someone's shoulder and carried like a rolled-up rug back down the side of the tower, then tossed into the back of a van. Now, she was laying on a concrete floor, and sure she'd gained at least one fractured elbow, broken or cracked ribs, a broken nose, broken cheekbone, and possibly at least one of her feet. Every time she moved, every way she moved, pain wracked her body. 'Who are these guys? Who'd we piss off now?' It was usually easier to fight your enemy when you knew who they were and what their endgame was. "Thinking's hurting too much. I'll lay here, conserve my energy, and come up with a plan to get the hell out of here."

Her plans immediately sank to hell. Just as she closed her eyes, a boot kicked her in the abdomen. "Wake up."

Mikayla bit her lip, holding back a moan. "Not sleeping, resting my eyelids."

"Got a mouth like your husband, I see. He always was a smart ass," one of the guys growled.

"Part of his charm." Mikayla opened her less swollen eyelid to try and make out who her attackers were. Studying them as best she could, Mikayla tried hard to place them but didn't have a clue if they'd ever met before.

"Charm, that's one way to describe him. I remember when he was a scrawny little kid, didn't know jack. We taught him everything he knows." Mikayla looked puzzled. "You mean, he never told you about us? Figures, ungrateful bastard. Jack," he pointed to himself, "and Buck," motioning to the other man in the room. "Formerly known as Swordsman and Trick Shot."

"Duquesne," Mikayla whispered. "Heard your name from Barney."

"Ah, yes, the late, great Bernard Barton. And that, my dear, is what brings us to today. You see, the elder Barton was our greatest moneymaker. He had the connections. When you murdered him, you killed our connections. Thankfully, we've found a way to rectify the situation. We've found some people who are willing to pay a nice sum of money for a pretty Avenger, especially one with your skillset. Our only request was to break your body, and they will break your mind, then put both back together."

"Go…to…hell." Mikayla tried to lash out with her lesser injured foot but only succeeded in kicking him in the shin.

"You've got spunk, no wonder Clint likes you. Don't worry, though. That will disappear from you soon enough." Jack leaned over and put a large hand around her throat. Mikayla tried to wiggle out of his hold, but she wasn't strong enough, especially in her weakened state. Right before passing out, she saw another man coming toward her with a hypodermic needle. She lost consciousness before the injection hit. When they were sure she was out, they called their buyer. "Your merchandise is ready. Where do we drop it off at?"

After checking off the first five locations on the list and coming up empty, Clint checked in with Cap. "Any luck?"

"None. Every building's been a dead-end so far. We've got a couple more locations to check out. Stark's heading over to one now."

"Damn it, where could she be?" Clint's phone rang. "Barton."

"Hey, buddy."

"What the hell have you done with my wife?"

"Don't worry. She's gone to a better place."

"You son of a bitch. There is nowhere you can hide that I will not find you," Clint growled.

"Oh, she's not dead, just somewhere you'll never see her again. Check your phone." The call abruptly ended.

Clint looked at his text. "Shit! Cap, is Bucky with you?"

"Yeah, right here."

"Sending him a text."

Bucky's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket, and a look crossed his face that Steve hadn't seen in a while. "What is it?" Steve asked. Bucky handed over his phone before he could crush it. Steve's jaw dropped. "I thought you destroyed all of them."

"Thought I did, too," Bucky said, his voice strained, trying not to let his rage take over.

Nat, who was with Clint, heard him talking on the phone and came in from the room she had just investigated. She found him sitting on the floor, legs unable to hold him anymore. Unable to speak, he handed her his phone; she looked at the picture. "Hear something?" "HYDRA has her?" The picture showed Mikayla strapped to HYDRA's chairs, a metal guard in her mouth, slumped down, apparently unconscious.

"Tasha? I need help." Clint put his head in his hands. Natasha hadn't seen him this distraught since Wakanda. "I've got to get her back. I don't have a choice."

"Come on," Nat held out her hand. Clint took it as she helped him up. "I'll send the photo to Stark." She put her hand to her ear. "Stark?"

"I heard. I'm on my way back. Send the photo to Friday."

Upon returning to the tower, everyone gathered in Tony's workshop, waiting for results. "I called Sam and Misty," Natasha said, "We could use the help."

"Where's Clint?" Steve asked.

"In the gym, working off steam and plotting." No one was going to begrudge him for that. There wasn't any protocol on how to act when your spouse has been delivered to an evil group bent on world domination. "I let Fury and Hill know, too."

"I'm so tired," Mikayla mumbled. "What is happening?" She found herself in a glassed-in cell, most of her appendages wrapped, braced, or splinted. "I feel like a mummy. Why can't I get rid of this headache? Where am I? Think, Barton." Mikayla inhaled, quieting her mind. She was in a warehouse; her body had taken a beating all because she wanted to get Clint some lemon drops. The next thing she knew, she was being dragged away, too weak to walk, and found herself where she was now. "Something is missing. What else has happened to me?" Then, it hit her. "Son of a bitch, HYDRA, the chair, just like Bucky always described it. They're trying to get rid of my memories." She started hyperventilating, but that made her chest hurt more, so she forced herself to slow down her breathing. 'My name is Mikayla O'Hara Coulson Fitzgerald Barton. I'm married to Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye. I work for Stark Industries and on the Avengers. My best friend is Misty Randall Wilson, married to Sam Wilson, otherwise known as Falcon. The other team members are Thor Odinson, Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, Tony Stark aka Iron Man, Bruce Banner aka Doc or Hulk, and Bucky Barnes, the former Winter Soldier.' Mikayla continued repeating to herself every piece of data about herself.

She was so lost in her head that she missed the door sliding open. "Time for your next treatment, specimen." Mikayla knew she had to fight, but in her weakened state, it was useless, so the guards dragged her away for another session in The Chair.

"Let's see how you've progressed since your last round, specimen. What is your name?"

"Mikayla O'Hara Coulson Fitzgerald Barton, and you can go to hell."

"Tsk, tsk. You are persistent, specimen. We've treated you for two weeks now, and you've held up better than expected. Never fear, we will have our way, and you will be molded into what we want you to be. Things will go better for you if you stop fighting and allow the treatment to take hold. Imagine how much more alive you'll feel. You won't have to worry about this broken body anymore, and no more headaches." Mikayla continued repeating her name through gritted teeth until her mouth was forcibly opened and the mouth guard inserted. Her mouth was forced to close around the guard, the ring was lowered around her head, and the electrical impulses began. At that point, all she could do was scream.

"A month, Stark! It's been a month and nothing!" Clint was in Tony's lab, where they were holding their daily shouting match. It was more Clint shouting and Tony listening. For once, Tony didn't have any glib comebacks because he knew Clint was right. The team had tracked down every lead Tony gave them and had come up empty.

Natasha rushed into the lab. "Fury thinks he's found her."

"Where?" Clint and Tony asked simultaneously.

"Budapest."

"Nat," Clint said, "we know nothing good ever happens there."

"That's going to change. Let's go get her."

Friday sounded the alarm to assemble. The team gathered in the lab since three team members were already there. "Has our Lady Mikayla been found this time?"

"Fury seems to think so, Thor," Natasha said. "Fury has solid intel that there's a newer base located in the ruins of a castle near Budapest."

"OK, Avengers, you all know the drill. Quinjet in ten minutes." Steve turned to Bruce, who was about to head down to his room. "I know we'll need you to help treat Mikayla, but feel free to turn green and smash away." Bruce nodded and disappeared.

Ten minutes later, the team was in the jet, ready to go. Bruce was still not green. He'd decided to wait until arriving at the base. The flight over was quiet. Clint had immediately sat down in the pilot's seat, needing something to keep his mind occupied.

The jet landed, and everyone gathered at the back. Steve pulled out a tablet. "OK, here's where we believe she's being held. I won't go over what each of you needs to do. You know your roles. Keep your comms on and stay in contact. Let's roll."

Tony, Sam, and Thor hit the air and flew away. The rest of the team made their way to the base, leaving Bruce behind to 'hulk out.' "Found it," Sam announced over the comms. "Not a lot of heat signatures."

"Probably not expecting anyone to discover them," Bucky said. "Don't think this class of HYDRA assholes are the smartest tools in the shed."

"Be on your toes, just in case," Cap warned.

Clint remained silent, not offering his usual running commentary. He was too busy focusing on finding Mikayla and hoping she hadn't been turned into a mindless killer. He was the first one to locate a group of guards. They were on a cigarette break and never even noticed Clint and Natasha approaching. "Where is she?" Clint growled menacingly, helped by the outfit he was wearing. He'd chosen to dress in a black outfit with a hood and face mask, all trimmed in gold. Instead of his bow, he was carrying a katana as his weapon of choice. It didn't take much effort to get the information from the newly hired guards. Clint and Natasha made quick work of them, Natasha with her gun and Clint finishing his off by running his katana through their stomachs. "She's down in the basement."

The fliers stationed themselves outside, along with Hulk, to take care of any stragglers. Once inside the castle, Clint and Natasha went one way, with Steve and Bucky going the opposite direction, each duo taking out anyone they found along the way. "We're in the basement," Natasha whispered.

"Same," Steve said.

As they approached where the now-dead guards said Mikayla was being held, screams could be heard. Clint ran ahead, the others on his heels. When he got to the doors of the lab, Steve and Bucky ripped the doors off, and Clint almost lost it. Mikayla was enduring another session in The Chair, and she had dwindled to nearly skin and bones. Every visible part of her body was discolored with various shades of bruising. What was covered was covered with bandages or splints. The guards turned around when they heard the doors being ripped from their hinges, but they didn't even have time to shoot as the foursome ganged up and took them out. Clint ran up to the man operating the dials and impaled him with the katana, wiped the blood off on the sleeve of his outfit, then handed the weapon to Natasha. "Mikayla!" Clint ran over to her, taking her from Steve and Bucky, who had released her from the metal halo and arm cuffs. "Come on, babe, talk to me." Clint picked her up bridal style and went off to the side of the room, sliding down to the floor with his back against the wall. "Please remember me," he whispered, softly kissing her face, not wanting to injure her any further.

"It's…dream…not real," she mumbled.

"Mikayla?"

"Clint?"

Relief washed over his face, realizing she remembered him. "Not a dream, sweetheart, not a dream."

"Clint?" Mikayla's eyes fluttered open. She tried to reach up to touch him, but she couldn't get her arm to cooperate.

"We've got her. Repeat, we've got here," Steve announced. "And she knows Clint." Cheers were heard on the comms.

"Good job, Avengers," Fury said. He'd insisted on monitoring the rescue since Mikayla was his unofficial daughter.

Clint leaned his head down to listen to Mikayla whisper so she wouldn't have to strain her voice. "Name?"

"Mikayla Barton, best archer."

"I'll give you that one, babe." Clint smiled, doing so for the first time in over a month.

Once Bruce had de-hulked after smashing the chair to smithereens (letting Bucky get in a few punches), he started an IV and asked Mikayla some questions. Clint refused to let go of her, carrying her the entire trek to the plane and placing her on the stretcher. Clint, understandably, didn't want to leave her side, so Steve and Natasha flew the Quinjet back to the tower.

Dr. Cho and her team were waiting in the hangar, immediately transporting Mikayla to the medical wing. "Clint?" Bruce asked. "How much of what she said did you catch?"

"To be honest, not much. I was too busy focusing on the fact she remembered me."

Bruce grinned. "I figured as much. Let me fill you in. As you can tell, she still has her memory. If I were to guess, I'd say we can attribute some of that to the cryo treatment in Wakanda. From the preliminary tests I did, they hadn't started giving her any injections. It appeared they wanted to wipe her mind first, and then they would give her whatever mixture of the serum they had. We did get some vials of that to evaluate. Steve assured me they destroyed the rest. Her body's going to take time to recover from all the injuries. She's incurred more broken bones since being kidnapped. I can't tell you if any of the breaks will require surgery. Dr. Cho will be able to let us know after her examination."

"Thanks, Doc." Clint hugged him. "Thanks for everything." Though he was still uncomfortable with people in his personal space, Bruce knew Clint needed this moment.

(GUESS WHAT? YEP, TO BE CONTINUED)