The vans came to a stop and the agents inside hurried out, weapons at the ready. Clint followed, snapping his bow into position. But there really wasn't much left. One look was enough to see that. The former S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost was now nothing but rubble, like it had been torn apart, blown up, and then torn apart again, just for good measure.
"The hell happened here?" one agent asked, a nervous warble in his voice.
"That is a very good question," Clint said, almost to himself. S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ had gotten a distress call from the outpost forty-four minutes ago and the nearest agents had instantly been dispatched. Clint had been sent by Quinjet to the nearest landing space and picked up from there. But it was clear they were too late. The scattered bodies were proof enough.
"Start looking for survivors!" he called out. Not that there was a good chance there were any, based on the damage. But there was always a chance. And that was enough.
He assessed the damage, struggling to come up with what could have done something like this. Even with the Chitauri invasion, he hadn't seen damage like this before. It was like an exploding bulldozer had crashed through here. The walls had been torn apart, the entire facility crumbling into ruins and debris. It honestly looked like a war zone, like an airstrike had hit here. There were even several craters lying around. He then frowned as he saw what remained of a metal wall lying on its side. It also had a deep crater in it, in the exact shape of the others around him. Except now it looked less like an airstrike and more like a…ball.
Clint kneeled down at what he first thought was a crater, inspecting it. He narrowed his eyes as he felt the edges, then looked more closely at the insides. This was no crater. Nothing had hit it, the pit not being spread out from the center. It was more like something heavy had lifted up this section of concrete and hurled it. Clint inspected it again and rubbed at one particular area. Something had hit this part, the back section being more torn away. He looked closely at it, analyzing the angle of entry as well as its trajectory upwards as it hurled the piece of concrete. Making an estimate, he then started walking in a line until he hit the spot. Taking another look around, he saw the pieces of concrete as well as several fallen agents.
Clint closed his eyes. He hated it when he was right. This job never got easier. He sighed and took another look around. Whatever happened here wasn't some airstrike. They were dealing with something far worse.
He activated his comm, linking him straight to his boss. "Fury," he said. "We only got here a few minutes ago but something leveled this area. There's not really much left."
He heard a soft sigh. "Any idea what did it?"
"Still early, but I'm pretty sure it was a superhuman of some kind. A really strong one. And possibly more than one," he added, looking at another ball-shaped crater. "I think…" he trailed off, his arm reaching slowly for an arrow. He'd always had a sixth sense, knowing when he was being watched and especially when he was being hunted. Now that he was focusing, he could hear the soft sound of pebbles falling, almost as if something above him was shifting.
"I'm going to have to call you back," he said, ending the call. Then, in one fluid move, he twisted around, nocked his flare-arrow, and fired. The arrow soared above him to one of the few remaining standing walls and then burst into glow of pure, burning light.
There was a large cry and then a large figure dropped to the ground with a crash, covering its eyes. "I can't see!" the figure bellowed, standing up and rubbing desperately at its eyes. Clint quickly nocked a second arrow, aiming it straight at the man's face.
"Don't move!" he ordered. "Stay right there or I'll put an arrow in you."
"You blinded me you bastard!" the man roared. As Clint got closer, he could see the man wearing a large suit with a mostly white top except for a red mask that went around his eyes and down his neck leaving most of his face open. His pants were the same color as the mask. At first glance, Clint would say the man was some sort of super-powered wannabe just looking to make a name for himself. But whatever this guy had done was way more dangerous than any wannabe.
"You're going to die for this!" the man bellowed.
"You make a move, and you're the one being put down," Clint warned him.
The man grinned savagely in his direction. "Oh, I won't be the one making the move."
Clint frowned and then he felt the air shift behind him. If he thought for a second about what he was about to do, he would be dead. Instead, he let his instincts take over and dropped flat just as the large metal ball swung over him, missing him by inches, and smashed into the wall. Clint turned and fired the arrow but a meaty fist knocked it out of the sky.
"Arrows," the second figure growled, also wearing a suit with this one being green and yellow. "What a stupid weapon. I prefer something with a bit more…BOOM!"
The ball came back, hurled up into the air and swung down with devastating force. Clint leapt out of the way just in time, dust and rocks flying all over him as the ball impacted the ground.
"All units, converge on my position," he ordered into his earpiece. "We have two superhuman threats. Take them out with extreme prejudice."
"Two!"
Clint barely had time to move before a hand erupted from the ground and gripped him by the throat, a pile of debris now coming apart as a third figure emerged from within it, this one in an orange suit with a metal helmet over his head. "Better count again, arrow guy," the man said, lifting him up into the air. "Not that it will matter much. You'll be dead in a-"
Clint whipped an arrow from his quiver and pressed the button on the side of his quiver, activating it as he turned and closed his eyes. Even like that, he saw the flare burn as the second such arrow went off. The man holding him cried out in a panic, dropping him. Clint hit the ground and rolled beneath the man's legs, coming up behind him with another arrow nocked and already firing. It hit the man's metal helmet and instantly sent volts of electricity shooting into it. The man cried out even louder, falling to his knees as he clutched at his head in pain.
"You'll pay for that one!" the man with the ball told him, preparing to swing it again but Clint was ready for him now, firing a pulse arrow directly at the man's face. He tried to block it like the last one but was too slow this time, the arrow striking him in the forehead. He stumbled back, groaning before falling heavily to his knee, rubbing his head.
Clint gaped in shock. A shot to the head with that kind of pulse should have killed him. Who exactly was he dealing with.
The rest of his agents were now converging, guns raised at the three individuals and ready to take them down at a second's notice. But Clint was still worried. All three had managed to take down a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in a matter of minutes. It couldn't be this easy.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. command, we have three super-powered individuals on the ground," the main agent said. "Requesting permission for use of th-"
Clint sensed it first. "Everyone get down!" he yelled, leaping out of the way just as the large chunk of concrete came hurtling down at them. The agents screamed out as it bowled straight into them, crushing them underneath or simply knocking them aside. The survivors instantly opened fire as a shadowy figure emerged but the bullets bounced right off. Clint's eyes widened. He only knew one being like that, and as far as he knew no one had stopped him.
The figure, a fourth man in green jumpsuit and a purple mask. In his hands was a massive crowbar which he used to smash aside three agents firing at him before grabbing part of a wall and hurtling it at two more agents, flattening them beneath it.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said casually as he walked up. "I am the Wrecker. And this is my Wrecking Crew. Piledriver, Bulldozer, and Thunderball," he gestured to white suit, metal-head, and chain-ball as said the names. "I just thought you deserved proper introductions since we are in the presence of a mighty Avenger." He sniggered at that, his crew swiftly following suit.
Clint was used to the laughs at this point. All anyone saw in him was the arrow guy, the man who used a bow instead of a gun. Completely useless in a real fight. Well, they usually only had a few seconds to laugh before they regretted it. Clint wondered how long it would take this time.
What people didn't know was that he wasn't just the arrow guy. He preferred arrows as he could aim perfectly with them while guns always felt a bit off to him. But it wasn't just arrows. Anything in his hands could become a deadly projectile thanks to his innate ability to calculate exactly where and how to throw them to do maximum damage. So he was fine if people underestimated, him like the four super powered stooges in front of him. Because what they didn't know was that if he fired an explosive arrow in a certain spot at the wall behind them, it would collapse right on top them and bury them in the debris.
He had to do this carefully.
"I was hoping to fight Thor," Bulldozer said disappointedly. "You know, show off my powers since it comes from the same-"
He didn't get any further as Wrecker whirled around and smacked him in the head while the other two both whisper-shouted at him to shut up. Clint frowned. The same? Did they get their powers from Thor? Or something like him? He had to admit, the level of damage here looked about the same amount as what the Destroyer did a couple years ago.
But he couldn't worry about that right now. He had to make it out of this alive first.
As distracted as these guys were right now, the second Clint made a move he knew they'd be on guard. Which meant he had to use a little misdirection.
"Wrecker turned back after scolding his crew member. "Now then, let's get back to pounding these pigs into paste."
"Yeah," Piledriver agreed, cracking his knuckles. "I like watching them squeal as I squeeze 'em."
"Sorry, boys, but I have a schedule to keep and- OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?" Clint screamed at the top of his lungs. Instantly, the Wrecking Crew whirled around in shock to where he was pointing, trying to spot whatever he'd seen. Clint smirked. Works like a charm, he thought to himself. He then nocked, aimed, and fired smoothly.
"I don't see…Hey!" Thunderball cried out, seeing Clint run. "Get back here you litt-"
He was interrupted as the arrow exploded behind him. The Wrecking Crew turned in shock just in time to see the damaged wall fall right on top of them, crushing them to the ground in a booming cloud of dust and debris.
Clint was still running though, knowing it wouldn't hold them long. "Fall back to the vans!" he ordered. "Get out of here!" His agents hurried to follow his orders, the ones that were left at least.
They were several yards away from the vans when the rocks behind them exploded outward, four angry voices bellowing in rage.
"I'm gonna pulverize you!" Thunderball roared, charging forward. Clint felt a spike of fear as he saw the man closing in fast, too fast. He dove to the side at the last minute just before Thunderball came roaring past and could only watch as several agents were knocked aside with sickening sounds. Thunderball then leapt into the air, swung his ball around once, before bringing it down hard on one of the vans, crumpling it like a tin can and crushing everything and everyone inside.
Clint gritted his teeth, angry now. He may just be the arrow guy, but he came up with many different and creative arrows to disable his enemies. And since the conventional ones hadn't worked, time to try something a little more…toxic.
"Hey ugly!" he called out and Thunderball whirled around, "catch this!" He then loosed the arrow right at the big man's head.
Who caught it easily in one hand.
"Ha!" Thunderball laughed. "What now, bow ma-"
The arrowhead opened up and sprayed the specialized acid directly in front of it, where Thunderball's face happened to be.
"AAARRRRGGGHHHH!" the enhanced man bellowed, clutching at his face in agony. "Get it off! What is this? It burns!"
Clint didn't know how long the effects would last. A savage part of him hoped it was permanent. But for now, Thunderball was incapacitated. Which gave them an opening.
"To the other vans, go!" he ordered, his agents rushing to three remaining vans. Several men who had already reached them were now firing at the Wrecking Crew in an attempt to slow them down, but the enhanced just shrugged them off. Clint loosed two more arrows at them, gas spewing from the heads and creating a smokescreen.
"Come on, come on, come on," he muttered, running at full speed. He hoped they weren't like the Hulk in terms of speed or else the vans wouldn't really make much difference. But he had to try.
The Wrecking Crew yelled out profanities and threats behind him and then he heard a loud crumbling and shaking sound. He chanced a look back and saw a wave of gravel and mortar shoot up from the cloud, raining down hard. Two agents went down when large pieces of mortar hit them in the head but other agents helped them back to their feet, carrying them to the vans. Clint fired an explosive arrow which knocked the emerging Piledriver off his feet and into the ground, groaning. Hopefully he was down for the count for a few minutes at least. But the other two weren't.
"Rahhh!" Wrecker roared and shoved his crowbar into the ground, ripping out a large piece of earth and sending it flying at Clint who just managed to roll to the side in time. He looked up in time to see a large piece of concrete now come flying at him. He rolled again but wasn't quite as fast, the impact coming less than a foot from him and sending him crashing to the ground. He groaned but got back up. He had suffered worse before. And if he stayed down, he was dead.
"You might be good at dodging," Wrecker called to him. "But let's see if they are!" He then ripped up another piece of concrete and hurled it away. Clint could only watch in horror as it flew right into the side of the second van, cratering it and sending it rolling onto its side. The few agents running towards it backpedaled and now ran to the last remaining van. A few there still opened fire on the Wrecking Crew and one threw a grenade but Wrecker knocked it out of the air with his crowbar, letting it detonate behind him.
"Bulldozer," he said. "Take those little pigs out, will ya?"
"With pleasure," Bulldozer snorted, sounding like a pig himself, then lowered his head like a rhino, metal helmet glinting dangerously, and charged right for the last van. The agents panicked and the driver attempted to pull away but Clint could tell it wouldn't be enough. It was up to him.
He was quickly running out of arrows but he still had a few specialty ones. He placed an arrow into a special case in his quiver and pressed a button on his bow, his quiver rotating as it fitted a new head to the arrow. Clint then pulled it out again, fell to his knees, and aimed. It only took him a second to see the best shot and he loosed, the arrow piercing through the air low to the ground, a long cord trailing behind it. It was so low that Bulldozer didn't notice it as it soared right in front of him, the special head grappling onto a large piece of mortar and holding fast. Clint braced himself against another piece of debris, holding his bow tightly as Bulldozer ran right into the cord, tripping over it. Clint gritted his teeth as he held firm, feeling like his body was being yanked by a horde of elephants, but he didn't lose his grip and Bulldozer tripped head over heels over the cord, landing flat on his face. Then, when he groaned and tried to get back up, Clint fired another pulse arrow right next to his face that laid him out.
"Hmmm," Wrecker stared at him from his position. "Maybe you're better than I thought. Who would have thought that the weakest avenger would put up such a fight?"
"There are no weak Avengers," Clint replied.
"Well come on and face me, or are you too chicken to take on a real man?"
Clint didn't know where this chicken and coward thing got started since the chickens he had back home were quite fierce. He still remembered the time one angry rooster chased him around the yard when he was eight-years-old.
He regarded the man for a second before running for the final van.
"Ha! Coward!" Wrecker taunted behind him but Clint didn't care. He knew he stood little chance against the guy and he wasn't going to risk his life trying to prove he could. He needed to get back to Fury and warn him what was happening here. What they were up against.
"Help!"
Clint skidded to a stop, turning to the overturned van Wrecker had crashed. "Help!" the cry came again, definitely from inside it. Clint turned to the only remaining van then back at the fallen one and cursed before running towards it. He wasn't sure he was going to make it. No, scratch that, he was almost entirely sure he wasn't going to make it. But he had to try. He couldn't leave those agents to die here.
He ran for the van, feet pounding against the ground. As he did, he sent another arrow Wrecker's away and didn't turn to see the firing of bullets that distracted the man for a second. Then it self-destructed right in his face, knocking him back. Clint just leapt onto the side of the overturned van and looked through the driver's window, seeing the driver inside holding his unconscious companion and desperately trying to kick open the window. But he couldn't get enough force behind it and he couldn't move positions. Clint whipped out a regular arrow and slammed it down against the window, feeling the glass crack a little against his blow. He brought the arrow down again and again, each time causing more damage. He looked up and saw Wrecker wiping away his confusion. Clint grimaced and then stood up and slammed his foot down with all his strength, finally breaking through. He cleared the rest of the glass out of the way and then carefully hoisted the unconscious man up, placing him on the side of the van before reaching down and helping the other agent up.
"Thank you," the man said gratefully.
"KILL!" Wrecker roared.
"That would be our queue to leave," Clint said, lowering the unconscious man down below into the other man's hands then watched him take off for the last remaining van. Clint turned and saw the Wrecker charging right for him at full speed, crowbar raised. Acting quickly, he pulled out two explosive arrows and dropped them right next to the engine before jumping down and running hard.
It wasn't five seconds later that he heard the sound of Wrecker crashing into the van as he pushed past it. "I'm going to grind y-" he started right before the arrows detonated.
Clint didn't see the explosion as he was too busy running but judging from the loud sound, and the heat and force at his back, it must have been impressive. But he just kept running right up to the van where he jumped onto the side of the door and pounded against the glass. "Drive!" he roared.
The driver hit the throttle and the van screeched as it began to move, getting them the hell out of there. Clint let out a deep breath he'd been holding in.
"Here!" Clint looked back and felt his stomach sink as he saw Piledriver back on his feet and hefting a large chunk of concrete in his hands. "Catch this, bow man!" He then threw it right at them. And Clint could tell that it was on target to strike them and completely flatten them.
Unless he stopped it.
He had no time to think, to plan, only to act. So he moved, grabbing the special arrow from his quiver. He didn't have any more explosive ones, not expecting a situation like this when he prepared earlier. So he just had to hope and pray that this one would be enough. He balanced himself easily on the side of the door, nocking the arrow, eying the trajectory, and then loosing in less than a second.
The arrow soared right for the concrete. Clint held his finger against his quiver, ready to activate the arrow's specialty at the exact right time. He couldn't afford to mess this up.
The arrow struck the concrete midair just as Clint's finger came down on the button. Instantly, the arrow let off a pulse, pausing the hunk of concrete's flight for just a second so it just hung there. Then, with its momentum gone, it just fell to the earth and landed with a crash.
"No!" Piledriver screamed in frustration and slammed his fists into the ground like a gorilla. Even he could tell they were out of range and were too far to chase now.
"You win this round, arrow guy," Wrecker called out, apparently recovered from the explosion. "But you can't keep up. We have the power to rival the gods themselves. Ha, this power even came from them! And nothing, no shield or sword or hammer or fancy suit or bow is going to stop us, you hear me? You go back and tell your bosses that we're going to turn your entire world into rubble. Then we're going to do the same for the big guys up there. Cause we're the new gods, baby! And don't you forget it!"
Clint gritted his teeth and just hung there for a while, watching the road pass him by while he hung to the door, pouring over what the Wrecking Crew had said until they finally deemed it safe enough that they stopped and got everyone sorted inside. He took a quick headcount and found they only had seven survivors. About a third of the agents brought in. The rest were left behind. Clint closed his eyes, knowing their loved ones were going to hear the hardest news they would ever receive in the next few hours. He just prayed that his own family would never receive such news.
Clint took the shotgun seat and then activated his comm once they were moving again. "Fury, you there?"
"Barton," came the reply. "What the hell happened?"
"Sir, we have four enhanced individuals with abilities similar to that of the Hulk."
"Jesus," Fury muttered.
Clint then explained what had happened. "They claim to have received it from the gods. Called it the power of the gods."
"Hmmm." With that Clint knew Fury was thinking along the same lines as him. "Anything else?"
"They say they're going to turn our world into rubble then do the same to the big guys up there. Which ones do you think he means?"
"Probably doesn't know there are different ones. But maybe he does." Fury sighed audibly. "Alright, I'll get teams working on this right now, see what we can find out about this Wrecking Crew and how exactly they got their powers. And I'll send some people out to get me Thor and Percy Jackson immediately. Let's just hope this is an isolated incident."
"And if it's not?" Clint asked.
"Then we may be dealing with an epidemic of powered individuals. An army of so-called new gods."
