AN: I know, another short one :( But I figured a short update sooner was better than a long update later! Thanks for the reviews/favorites/follows. I hope you like!
Chapter Three:
Clint allowed himself a short moment of relaxation while the hyper-jet cruised on autopilot. He leaned his head back against the captain's chair and closed his eyes. Breathing evenly, in through his nose and out through his mouth, Clint eased his nerves which had been on end ever since Natasha and Loki had woken him up and said something was wrong concerning Waverly. As Clint's breathing slowly calmed him, he allowed himself to think about the next phase of his and Loki's plan. If Clint was honest with himself, this plan was poorly thought out. It was highly likely that he and Loki were walking straight into a trap. But Clint didn't care. His sister was in danger and that was all that mattered.
Clint opened his eyes and peered out the windshield of the jet once more. He wrapped his fingers around the controls and switched off the autopilot. The jet was cruising at a whopping 900 miles an hour. The GPS, which really wasn't a GPS, was locked on The Other's location. Clint still didn't quite understand how the thing worked. It somehow sent radio waves out and judged the time it took for them to come into contact with various structures out in space. Then, the information was relayed back to the jet to determine its location. What Clint did understand was the communication system. Once he had broken through Earth's atmosphere, he had disabled the communication system. Clint had no desire to listen to Fury yell at him and order him to return home. That wasn't about to happen. If Fury wanted Clint and Loki back on Earth, he'd have to send the rest of the team after them. Clint knew he wouldn't do that.
So, Clint was reasonably confident that he and Loki would reach The Other's realm without any problems. It wouldn't take them long to get there, especially if Clint allowed the hyper-jet to cruise at its maximum speed. But, he and Loki were running on little sleep. They had agreed to take the trip at a slower pace so that both of them could sleep a little before confronting The Other. Clint glanced at the jet's onboard clock. It another twenty minutes or so, he'd wake Loki so that he could have a turn sleeping.
Loki. Clint still couldn't believe that he had teamed up with the god of mischief. After Loki had taken control of Clint's mind and made him do all those horrible things, Clint swore he'd have his vengeance. But, Clint's revenge had had to wait. Loki was carted off to Asgard where he was to be imprisoned. Then Fury sent Waverly there to keep an eye on the criminal. Clint remembered when Waverly told him her new assignment. He had been furious. Clint and Waverly argued for a good half hour. He didn't want her to go under any circumstances. The dude was seriously evil. Clint didn't want Waverly subjected to his control. And even if his magic was indeed taken away, Clint was afraid of all the things Loki could tell her. Loki knew all the dark secrets from the deepest corners of Clint's mind. Secrets that he didn't want to share with his sister; things he didn't want to burden her with. But, as it turned out, Loki never said anything, at least not to Clint's knowledge. That in itself surprised the archer.
And then, he had learned of Waverly's treachery. Clint was sure Loki had put her under his control. When Clint found out that she had killed Thor's father of her own accord and done it because she cared about Loki, Clint felt like the world had turned upside-down. Clint was ready to literally shake Waverly back to her senses. It was Natasha that had convinced Clint to trust his sister's judgment. He still remembered their conversation.
"She's an adult, Clint. A woman. You can't treat her like a child."
"You don't understand, Tasha. I practically raised her. I can't let her do this. It's a huge mistake. The guy's evil."
"Like I was?"
The question hit Clint like a ton of bricks. "This… this is different."
"Why? Because he controlled you?"
When Clint didn't answer Natasha, she continued. "I'm not saying that this is Waverly's smartest decision. I'm just saying you should trust her. She loves you more than anyone in the world. Your relationship with her is something I've never had with anyone, something I'll never be able to understand. Waverly wouldn't do anything to hurt you and she wouldn't do this if it wasn't what she felt was right for her."
Clint took a breath as the memory of that conversation subsided. He wished Natasha were here with him. Aside from Waverly, Clint trusted Natasha more than anyone else. There was no other person he'd like to have by his side during a fight. Clint missed his partner. But there was more to it. Clint's feelings for Natasha were complicated to say the least. Still, he wished she was here. Even though Clint knew Loki was a strong partner, he'd rather it be Natasha at his side.
Clint's thoughts swirled and he returned to thinking about his sister's boyfriend. The whole idea of a monster like Loki having something as normal as a relationship, with his sister no less, was something Clint still couldn't comprehend. But, if the archer was honest with himself, he had to admit that Loki had changed. Loki wasn't the same person her had controlled him. Sure, the guy was still insane in Clint's opinion, but his sister had softened him up. Anyone could see that. Clint knew that Loki may not be totally reformed, but where Waverly was concerned, Loki was good at heart. The god loved her and she loved him. Clint wasn't sure how he felt about Loki. There was still so much anger and resentment. But, Clint had come to accept Waverly's relationship with Loki. For whatever reason, he made her happy and as far as Clint was concerned, that was all that mattered. Clint loved Waverly above all else and he'd do anything to make her happy. If she was happy with Loki, then Clint was okay with that. Clint had even come to accept the fact that once this was all over, it was likely Loki would disappear as he did before and Waverly would go with him. He would miss his sister, but if that was what she wanted, who was he to stand in her way?