Chapter one

(present day, after the events of Age of Ultron)

"Alessia, are you sure you wouldn't rather go home tonight? You've been training all day-" Laura asked. She and Clint were posed for the door, about to leave.

"I'm fine, the kids will be in bed soon anyways. Besides, you guys haven't been out in ages, you should go have fun." Alessia said. She was sprawled on the couch in an over sized sweater, socks and comfy jeans. It was true she was a bit sore after that day- Clint had been teaching her more sparring moves- but she didn't mind staying the night. After all, it meant she wouldn't have to make the forty-five minute drive back into town.

"Oh, alright." Laura conceded. Clint smiled at his wife as he helped her put her coat on. "She's right you know, I haven't taken you out in ages."

Laura opened the door and stepped out into the night. "Thanks for sitting, Alessia," She said as she waved goodbye.

"mind you get enough sleep tonight, tomorrow I have a surprise for you," Clint said walking out the door.

"I will," Alessia said. Clint gave her a smile as he left.

"You kids have fun now!" Alessia called out, teasingly. She heard Laura and Clint chuckle as the walked off the porch. The car headlights came on, and she heard the engine as they drove away.

Alessia put Lila and Cooper to bed shortly after, and after feeding Nathaniel a bottle of warm formula, she settled him up in his nursery as well. At that point she returned to the living room and settled in to watch the news.

It had been three years since she had started working for the Barton's. She was now twenty, and had an apartment in the city nearby which she shared with two roommates. She worked at the local ice rink when she wasn't working on Clint and Laura's farm. It kept her able to pay her rent and groceries, but she didn't have too many luxuries.

Her job on the Barton's farm had started out pretty straightforward at first. Clint showed her how to operate the tractor and the tiller and she helped out with the garden and the animals. Sometimes she would help Laura with the cooking and watch the kids, like she was tonight.

But it was only a couple weeks after Clint hired her that he made good on his promise and came back from another work trip with news for her.

He had taken her out into the field with a large cardboard box. Laura and the kids were out running errands, so Alessia was expecting something exciting and dangerous, but when he opened the box it was fireworks.

"Your powers get out of control because you never learned to use them." He had said. He handed her a sparkler. "Light it up," He told her.

Alessia had taken it from him. "Uh," She stared up at him. He was looking at her expectantly. "Well, I mean, I've never done it on purpose..." She said weakly.

"If you can't learn to turn it on, you won't be able to learn to turn it off." He said. Alessia looked down at the sparkler. She focused on the sparkler. But no matter how hard she stared at it, nothing seemed to happen.

"Okay," Clint had said finally. "Whatever you're doing isn't working. When it's happened before it was because you were upset wasn't it? Maybe try remembering the things that triggered it before."

Alessia sat there with those fireworks for almost two hours, and then found her entire body on fire.

Alessia smiled at this memory. Since Clint had started helping her, she had not only learned to control her powers, but he had also started teaching her how to fight. First just simple things like how to make a fist, but soon he had her sparring. He had shown her several different guns and how to hold them and fire them. A few weeks ago he had gotten out some targets and bows and arrows and started teaching her archery. Her aim was getting a lot better.

Alessia had zoned out in front of the T.V. There didn't seem to be any worrisome news tonight- Mostly they were talking about the weather and some cute animal story. Alessia felt relaxed. These days, she wouldn't be surprised if the news announced that the king of mars had declared war. It was always good to keep up to date.

She was just dozing off when she heard a strange noise from outside. She sat up, wondering what it could be. Maybe a fox had gotten into the hen house? However when she sat herself up groggily she heard voices. For a second she thought perhaps Clint and Laura were home, but then the front door burst open.

She stood up at once, ready to fight. All she could think was that the kids were upstairs. She prayed they wouldn't wake up for this. Oh god if Nathaniel starts crying… She thought hopelessly.

There were six men, all wearing black suits that resembled swat uniforms, except that they didn't have the clear shields or the white letters. Heart racing wildly Alessia could only stand stock still. They were all armed and she had nothing. If she tried to burn them she risked setting the place on fire, and there'd be no way she could save the kids upstairs if she did that. So when one of the men, his face obscured in a helmet with a mirrored visor yelled at her "Hands where I can see 'em." She did it without a second thought.

"Where's your dad?" Another one asked her, his gun pointed at her chest. Alessia could feel tears welling up behind her eyes. She couldn't begin to understand what was happening. Why did he care where her dad was?

"Come on, we're not playing. Is he here?" The man demanded.

"Wh-Who?" Alessia asked, wishing more than anything she could let the fire she felt brewing within her release. But the kids. She reminded herself I wouldn't be able to get to the kids in time.

"I don't have time for this! Barton, your father, Clint Barton, where is he?" The man whose gun was pointed straight at Alessia's chest barked. Alessia felt herself sweating. One more loud shout and Nathaniel would be crying for sure. They wouldn't hurt a baby surely? They think Clint is my dad. Alessia thought, wildly trying to grasp the situation.

"He went out. They said they were getting drinks." She said nervously. Alessia had always suspected Clint had a dangerous job, but she didn't think something like this could happen. Not at the house. Not to her.

"Please, why are you here?" Alessia asked. One of the other men grabbed her hands from the air where she had put them, and roughly brought them behind her back. She felt metal close around her wrists.

"Just picking up something," said the man behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another of the men drawing a syringe out of a case. They man who had handcuffed her held her tightly in his grasp as she watched helplessly while the other tapped the air out of the syringe and squirted some of the yellowish liquid out.

"Hold her still now," Said the man with the syringe. The man who handcuffed her gripped her even tighter. She struggled hopelessly as the syringe was lifted to her neck. If only the kids were out of the house, I could burn these bastards. She thought angrily. She felt the prick of the needle and a sting as the shot entered her system.

"Alright, lets get out of here," Said one of them, but it seemed distant and faint to Alessia, though he must have been in the room with her. She felt herself being lifted roughly and thrown over the shoulder of the man who had handcuffed her. She was looking at the dark material of the back of his shirt. But soon the texture of the fabric began to fade out and the world swirled into fathomless darkness.