Chapter 19: Capture the Votes

August 23

The Capitol

"I really do appreciate the gesture," Maria Hill said as MJ tried to get Clint yet again to wear his tie instead of undoing it the second she turned her back and wearing it around his neck like a "half-dressed idiot."

"It's not just a gesture," Natasha admitted as she gently reached over and pinched Clint's arm to give him a look, though he just responded with an open 'what?' expression. "I don't have to tell you that none of us are happy with the idea of Norman Osborn being the next president, all things considered."

Hill let out a breath. She was blunt at the best of times, and playing at politics was wearing on her — and it showed. "That's not really an endorsement, Natasha."

"It will be later," Natasha promised. "Right now, it's the truth."

As they walked, Hill raised an eyebrow. "And if you had your pick of anyone?" When Natasha turned toward her, she held up one hand. "Just out of curiosity."

Natasha stopped and turned toward the former Assistant Director of SHIELD, tipping her head to one side as she studied Hill. It looked like Hill had aged a decade in the years since the war started, but she wore it well, and she didn't flinch when Natasha held her gaze — she never flinched for anything.

"Probably you," Natasha said at last. "Anyone else either doesn't want the job or would crumble under the pressure."

"Now that is an endorsement," Hill said with a little smirk that Natasha couldn't help but return.

When the three of them got to the fundraising event, Sam and Rhodey were already there pouring on the kind of charm that they'd used to get sponsors when they were both victors. Actually, Carol and Rhodey were the most surprisingly effective duo out there, with Carol dazzling the room and Rhodey working the logistics of getting donations. And of course, Charles' family was drawing plenty of attention; he and Moira were getting a lot of mileage out of baby pictures, though David himself was back at the manor with Hunter and Bobbi.

Clint and Natasha shared a look before both of them visibly straightened and slipped into similar strides, going to opposite ends of the event to talk to the various people gathered there. For the fundraiser, most of the people there were already supporters of Hill, but later that evening, there would be a more public forum. They were really just getting warmed up here.

As the newest 'shiny' toys in Hill's arsenal, Clint and Natasha were getting plenty of attention, but both of them were well-versed by this point. Natasha was simply charming, and Clint had a little group of people that seemed to get a kick out of his ridiculous jokes — which meant he was amping it up as well, so that by the time they got to the next event, he was honestly enjoying himself.

"And they said this was gonna be hard," Clint told Natasha as they headed down to the forum together. "Get a buncha people from all the districts and you've got enough types of humor to have a real party. Instead, everyone's just standing around being stuffy. Come on."

"Not everyone works the way you do, Clint," Natasha said, though Clint had to grin when he heard the affection in her tone.

"Nobody works the way I do," he corrected her, though that seemed to be a step too far for Natasha, who rolled her eyes at him and faced forward rather than talking to him anymore.

The forum was supposed to be a meeting of the minds, though it was set to be moderated by J. Jonah Jameson, who had made his hatred of both Hill and Osborn fairly obvious since the outset, so there was every possibility this was going to be a show.

Clint really hoped it would be.

District Seven

Most of the residents of the Howlett Estate had gathered to watch the show, and right from the get go, there were bets being made and little good-spirited games being played to try to keep their attention on what was happening.

"Alright. There are rules," Hunter said, holding up both hands to get the group to settle down. "Every time former AD Hill mentions her previous service to SHIELD, you have to take a shot, gents. And every time ol' Norman mentions his experience in business, ladies … that's your turn. And to keep it fair, every time that JJ says anything about a menace, that's another shot for everyone."

"You're going to give everyone alcohol poisoning," Bobbi pointed out over the top of David's head as the little guy giggled and squirmed and tried to get away from her tickling.

"If you can't hack it, Kamala and I have the non-alcoholic stuff," Skye promised with a little twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, don't give her an out," Hunter said, frowning. "This is an opportunity, love. These two—" He gestured between Logan and Bobbi. "—have never gotten their head to head competition. And you know the odds are set up proper. They'll be even. I'll keep count — or Kamala can. I'd like to participate myself, thank you very much."

"I'll keep track. Kamala doesn't need to get dragged down by your nonsense," Skye teased.

"Well, they haven't started yet, but if we're playing 'eye spy,' then someone get a load of Nat trying to tie Clint's tie," Quill chuckled. "Dunno why she pretended not to like him for so long."

"Pretty sure Nat still has an itemized list somewhere," Logan said with a little smirk. "Broken down chronologically."

"That she shows to everyone who asks," Kitty agreed from where she was sitting with Kurt on the couch in her self-appointed vigil over her friend.

"See? It's all documented," Hunter said. "Now hush and let's get down to the task at hand."

They didn't have long to wait before the games began, really. Both Osborn and Hill had already said the magic buzz words by the time their opening statements were through — Osborn twice — and JJ was sure to start muttering and twirling his mustache before they had even really started.

"We should add something for mustache acrobatics," Hunter said evenly, and in response, he was pelted on either side of the head with a handful of popcorn by Logan and Bobbi. "That is not what I meant."

"No frowing," David told his Aunt Bobbi and Logan, shaking his head slowly.

"Yeah, guys," Skye said, giggling despite the stern look she was trying to copy from David. "No frowing."

"Stop me," Logan said quietly into her hair.

"There are little kids here," she whispered back. "Like Kamala."

"Is that your way of admitting you can't?"

"I would have to get up. And I don't want to do that. I got comfy right here."

"So you can't stop me," he said.

Skye raised an eyebrow at him before she rolled her eyes and leaned over to grab both his hands, pull him over, and kiss the stuffing out of him, only to be interrupted by a small rain of popcorn.

"No frowing!" David insisted to a totally unrepentant Bobbi.

"And Hunter won't stop her," Logan said.

"That's because I know my limits," Hunter said without looking up. "You missed a 'menace', by the way."

"On it," Logan said, quickly catching up as Hill again mentioned her resume. "Bobbi, I think he just wants to see us liquored up."

"Well, I can only speak for myself, but I hope he's not hoping for the same results from you," Bobbi said with a smirk.

"That makes two of us," Logan replied. "No offense."

"None taken," Hunter sang out with a little grin.

The games continued like that for a little while, not only the drinking games but the 'frowing' games; whichever of the two perpetrators David was not looking at would throw popcorn at Hunter until David finally got frustrated and put both of his hands on Bobbi's and gave her his most serious expression.

"No. Frowing," he said clearly.

The little boy was dead serious as he did his best to glare at her — until Logan tossed one kernel that bounced off her forehead. Bobbi blinked, David blinked, and then the little boy cracked a smile and started to just giggle. Bobbi laughed and scooped him up to start tickling him as well, and no one could hear anything being said on the television for a while, as it was just a whole lot of shrieks of laughter until finally Bobbi let up to let David get his breath back.

They were just in time to catch Hill talking about SHIELD and her service during the war — Bobbi took a shot — but no one was paying much attention until the camera swept over a few of the victors and Tahiti kids while Hill was talking — and Kamala suddenly sat up straighter and pointed.

"Did you see that?" she asked, sounding totally flabbergasted.

"What?" Logan asked with a crooked little smile. "Did I miss another round?"

"No, no. Can we… can we go back?" Kamala asked, her eyes wide. "It was really quick…"

"Of course," Kurt said, picking up the remote. "What did you see?"

"Well, you guys're gonna think I'm nuts. But I swear to you, I saw Johnny Storm. Just when they were showing all the VIPs from the group..."

Kurt let it play and was ready when Kamala shouted out 'there!' and froze the screen to show that she had not missed it at all — and was not mistaken. "Well that's good, isn't it?" Kitty asked.

"What is he doing there?" Bobbi asked instead of answering Kitty.

Logan and Quill both sat up a little straighter and were blinking away the beer goggles to try and look closer. "Could be a stunt," Quill said, frowning. "Trying to throw Hill off ... missing victor just shows up…"

"Or I was right and Normy's involved," Logan said. "Shoulda let me tear up his building the first time."

"He must think he hasn't left any proof if he's willing to bring a kidnapped operative in public," Bobbi said in a clearly worried tone.

"No," Logan said slowly. "Johnny hadn't signed on with SHIELD yet."

"Neither had anyone else who's missing," Bobbi said,

"Every one of the younger victors were keeping away from it — well, except Rhodey," Quill said.

"But that's good, right?" Kitty asked again. "If we know Johnny's with Norman…"

"Just means they can't paint it up as a kidnapping of an operative," Logan said.

Bobbi swore under her breath and shook her head. "I'd kill to be on the ground right now," she muttered to Logan low.

"No you wouldn't," he said.

"Hey, if he's got them, I'll brave the stupidity of politics to get them back."

"You keep talkin' like that and you might have to," Logan said at just over a whisper.

Bobbi let out her breath. "Jess was the best friend I had in the Capitol for a long time. Hunter … was being forced on me, so he doesn't count," she admitted. "So yeah, I'll play dress up if it means getting her back."

"If it was as easy as dress up, I'd have Jubes work somethin' up for you — but you know damn well they'd drag your Hydra time out on display."

"Which is why I'd say I was in support of Osborn and let Hill come at me," Bobbi said with a shrug. "Take him down with me."

Logan let out a sigh. "If it gets bad, I'll go … be nice."

Bobbi couldn't help the smirk, especially when Quill looked delighted. "That would be fun," Quill said.

"You should go do it," Logan said. "They love you."

Quill held up both hands. "No way. I'm staying away from the balance of power. I… am not going to make it look like it's a throne hand-off."

Logan gestured openly with one hand. "What the hell does it look like for any of us throwin' in our two cents?"

"It's… different," Quill argued. "You know there are people who would still jump if I said I wanted the throne back. I don't want to touch it."

"Right. So I get why you're not goin', but I don't see what the hell difference it makes for the rest of the victors," Logan pointed out. "Outside of draggin' Norm down. How the hell did he even get this far?"

"No one knows," Bobbi said, rolling her eyes.

"Outside of the charisma, riches, business sense, and fact that no one in the public knows he's a sleeze," Hunter pointed out. "Oh, and the being a victor and providing his entire district with a security net that kept the worst of the war from hitting them…"

"You mean aside from the military forces that were actually doin' the work?" Logan said. "And that does it for Eight … but why would anyone else bother?"

"Well, he's not SHIELD." Kamala worried her hands in her lap as she looked over the older victors. "Not everybody… I mean... SHIELD sent kids to die. Every year."

"Yeah. We know," Quill said dryly.

"So how would you feel? One of the people who ran the Games that killed your kid… or your sister's kid… or your neighbor... Would you want her to run the country?" Kamala asked. She held up both hands. "I'm not saying they're right, but I'm saying they have a legitimate gripe."

"And I'm saying there's a reason some of us are out here in the trees in Seven," Quill replied. "Because both choices suck."

"Either way, Osborn's got something on Johnny at the very least," Hunter pointed out. "So maybe we focus on that problem first."

"He's not smilin'," Logan said.

"Would you be — showing up for Osborn?" Kitty asked.

"Johnny always smiles on camera," Bobbi pointed out. "He's got different ones for different moods, but he should be smiling."

"So… why isn't he?" Kitty asked, leaning forward with a frown and her chin resting on her hands.

The little group was quiet, and their game had fallen to the wayside as they watched the broadcast. There were no answers any of them liked — or that they wanted to consider as serious possibilities.

"D'you think the others know he's there?" Kamala asked at last, breaking the silence. "Maybe they can just… grab him and get him home."

"Depends on where Hill's VIP's are seated," Bobbi said. "If the stage lights are separating them, they won't be able to see them."

"We'll have to call them on their comms as soon as this thing is over," Kitty suggested. "They could get there — at least to see what's going on so they can keep an eye out while they're there."

But the three victors didn't look convinced.

The Capitol

In fact, the group that had gone with Hill to the Capitol hadn't seen what everyone back in District Seven had, so the biggest problem facing them was one of restlessness from sitting in the camera's eye for so long.

"Can you not take off all of your suit before we get back, please?"

Clint gave Natasha the most pitiful look; he once again had his tie undone around his neck and his jacket slung over his shoulder rather than on his shoulders. "It's stuffy, Nat. No one cares what I look like anyway except you and MJ."

"And what? You don't think that's a good enough reason to just … not?" she countered. "Seeing as I like it?"

"No, no, you like the roguish good looks. I distinctly remember you telling me something like that."

"You think I only like one look on you?" Natasha challenged. "If that was the case, it wouldn't be 'roguish'."

"No, it would be something else entirely that I cannot say because there are cameras everywhere," he agreed with a perfectly straight face.

"Exactly," she said with one eyebrow arched up. "So save it."

He grinned at her crookedly. "See, you say things like that, and it just makes me want to kiss you — that's my problem."

"Might be good for the crowd," Sam teased as he caught up to them. "Do a dip."

"See? He's on board, Nat," Clint said with a laugh as he did just that and swept Natasha into a good kiss, complete with a dip, that elicited a few wolf whistles from nearby.

"Thank you," Sam said, laughing. "Rhodey just gives me this look when I propose the dip."

Clint was still chuckling as Natasha gave them both her most withering look, though she wasn't coming out from underneath Clint's arm anytime soon, either. They'd just parted ways with Sam when an older woman, in about her forties, approached Sam with a deeply settled glare.

It threw him off — but he was used to it for as long as he'd been with Rhodey playing the public appearance game. Not everyone was so willing to let victors off the hook, and there were bad feelings all around, so he just nodded and smiled politely at the woman a split second before she drew her hand back from her purse and Sam realized she'd managed to smuggle in a knife. It looked like a kitchen knife, too.

He was taken enough by surprise that he didn't get his guard up in time as the clearly enraged woman flew at him, and it didn't help that ... Well. He didn't want to fight a forty-year-old lady in the middle of the street, not with any of the moves he knew would be effective but would hurt her in the process.

Thankfully, there was enough of a crowd around them that when Sam went down, plenty of people saw it — and the police rushed in to pull the woman off of Sam before she could deal him any more damage, though she had gotten some seriously good shots on him in the meantime. She probably hadn't even meant to — it seemed like she was just attacking in a blind rage, cursing him for being a killer, though that wasn't entirely new to anyone who had won the Games — but it felt like she'd hit something important, if the fact that moving hurt was any indication.

"Come on, Sam, you come all the way to the Capitol and you can't even make it past one little old lady?" Rhodey asked as he rushed over to his friend to assess him.

Sam gave Rhodey a dry look for that.

"Don't worry, buddy; we'll say it was a disgruntled former Sentinel if anyone asks," Rhodey promised as a few emergency personnel arrived.

While Sam was getting loaded up, of course, Osborn was capitalizing on his promises to crack down on violence with security like he'd done for Eight — and Clint was making faces behind the camera at the whole thing. Right up until he spotted someone in the crowd of concerned onlookers that just didn't belong.

"Nat," he said, elbowing his partner and already moving forward, practically sprinting around the corner to find that — oh yeah. That was Jessica Drew.

"Jess!" Clint called out to get her attention as he skirted through the crowd.

For just an instant, Jessica Drew looked his way... then very discreetly shook her head and disappeared into the crowd.

Clint tried to push his way through after her, but after ten minutes of unsuccessful skirting around interested, nosy people, he had to admit that she had totally eluded him. He muttered a curse under his breath as he ran back to where Natasha was. "You find her?"

"Clint, I barely saw her when you ran after her," Natasha said, shaking her head.

"You see the pin she was wearing?"

"I barely saw her!"

"She's here for Osborn," Clint said in a rush. "Which makes zero sense, but that's what it is."

Natasha frowned at him for just a moment before she seemed to suddenly straighten up and smile his way. "Later," she told him as Clint saw the camera crews following Hill around coming their way. "We need to contact the others in Seven and let them know. Maybe Skye can do a little looking and see if the dozens of cameras caught her, piece together where she went."

"What's he got her out in the open for? He's gotta know we know she's been missing," Clint said with a deeply settled frown. "I don't like it."

Natasha just shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "We'll just have to see where the trail leads us." She readjusted the way she was standing subtly enough that it had Clint doing the same. "In the meantime, it helps if we don't look like we're conspiring just by where a victor was stabbed, Barton."

"Right, yeah." He nodded and grinned before he leaned in and kissed her, figuring that would give people reason enough to think that was why the two of them had their heads together.