The Quinjet sped north, with Hawkeye at the controls. Summoner sat in the co-pilot's seat, quiet. But the purple-clad archer sensed and air of anxiousness around the other hero. At one point the silence became so unbearable Hawkeye actually considered asking Summoner why he and Free Spirit broke up. He stopped himself, figuring if Summoner really wanted to talk about it, he'd say something. Instead he went with a safer topic.
"So how's Syracuse Basketball looking?" Hawkeye knew Summoner was a huge fan of the Orange.
"I have more important things to think about right now than sports."
"Okay," Hawkeye muttered. So much for passing the time.
It was late afternoon when they reached Summoner's cabin in the woods outside Utica. They jumped out of the cockpit, each hero clutching an EMF detector.
"Well, let's see if we can pick something up." Hawkeye tried to sound hopeful.
Summoner said nothing. He just headed off to the right side of his cabin, glancing at the EMF detector every few seconds.
Hawkeye walked toward the left side of the cabin. His eyes flickered between the display screen and the woods around him. All the while he ran through scenarios of what to do if they ran into one of these energy beings. Just like back on Fishers Island, he doubted any of his arrows would affect them. That left him with his hand-to-hand combat skills. But in his experience, punching and kicking beings of energy was about as effective as eating soup with chopsticks. Sometimes it could even be fatal. At least Summoner had real powers, so long as he held on to that Elemental Stick of his. Still, would the power to summon earth, wind, fire and water be useful against pure energy?
Hawkeye walked further away from the cabin. Nothing showed on the EMF detector. He'd hoped there at least be some residual signature, given all the times Summoner said the energy beings popped up here.
I wonder what they want. I wonder why they seem interested in Summoner. He thought about how Summoner said the beings whispered to him. If only the Algonquian hero could make out what –
"Hawkeye," Summoner said through the comm.
"Go."
"I see one."
Hawkeye held his breath. His muscles tensed. "I'm on my way."
He sprinted off, pocketing the EMF detector and snatching a taser arrow from his quiver. When he rounded the cabin, he spotted Summoner on a rise 70 yards away. Hawkeye brought up his bow, never breaking stride. His eyes swept over the area. He found now sign of an energy being.
Hawkeye stopped next to Summoner, ready to launch his arrow. "Where is it?"
"It was here." Agitation coated Summoner's tone. "Just now."
He whipped his head to Hawkeye. "Come on. We have to find it."
The pair hurried up the rise. Hawkeye scanned in all directions. Nothing.
Much as he hated to do it, he dropped his bow to his side and pulled out the EMF detector. If the energy being was around, this should pick it up. He swept the device in a complete 360.
"Summoner."
"What?"
Hawkeye shook his head. "I've got nothing on the EMF."
Summoner's eyes widened. "That can't be. It was just here. I saw it."
"I don't know what to tell you."
"Take another reading. You have to pick up something."
Again Hawkeye swept the EMF detector in all directions. Frowning, he looked to Summoner. "I'm sorry. There's nothing out of the ordinary."
"That's not possible!" Summoner stomped toward him, teeth bared. Hawkeye was about to say something to calm him down when the Algonquian hero softened his tone. "You saw it though, right? You must have seen it."
"I'm sorry." Hawkeye shook his head. "I didn't. It must have disappeared by the time I got here."
Summoner stood statue still. The longer the silence went on, the more uneasy Hawkeye felt. Deep down inside, he got this sense that something was building inside his friend and fellow hero, something about to explode.
He was right.
"They exist, dammit! I saw it! I've been seeing them for months!"
Summoner shook with rage. "You don't believe me! You think I'm making this up!"
It took a couple of seconds for Hawkeye to get over the shock of such an uncharacteristic outburst. "Wha . . . What are you talking about? How many years have we known each other? Why would I think you were lying?"
"No one believes me! No one! Dammit, these things are a threat to everyone on the planet. Why can't anyone see that?"
"Summoner, calm down. What the hell's gotten into you?"
"I'm trying to save the world! Isn't that what you Avengers do? So why are you ignoring this?"
"We're not ignoring it. I'm sure sooner or later we'll find one of these beings."
"Stop patronizing me!" Summoner slammed his Elemental Stick into the ground. A roar battered the air. The earth shook. Hawkeye flew off the ground, a powerful wind screeching in his ears. He twisted in mid-air and curled into a ball just as he landed, rolling across the ground. In one fluid motion, he spun around and raised his bow. He stared down the taser arrow right at Summoner.
"Summoner, don't make me do this."
The other hero acted like he didn't hear Hawkeye. "If you don't want to stop them, I will!"
A hurricane-force wind blasted through the woods. It centered on Summoner and pushed him into the air. Hawkeye watched him rise higher and higher, then fly off to the north.
He lowered his bow and stood, staring at the sky, replaying the outburst in his head, the same question echoing in his head over and over again.
What's wrong with Summoner?
XXXXX
Hawkeye and the other Avengers returned to the mansion well after sunset. None of them found a trace of any energy beings.
Instead of joining the others for a late dinner, Hawkeye retreated to the roof. He perched himself atop one of the dormers. The lights of Manhattan stretched before him. Not that he noticed. All his thoughts were on his earlier episode with Summoner.
Wind whistled nearby. Not a natural wind. It was the sort of sound he always heard from flying superhumans. He looked up to find Wonder Woman rising toward him.
"Something's troubling you." It was more a question than a statement.
"It's that obvious, huh?"
"I'm sure we'll find these energy beings. Captain America suggested we go see Reed Richards, Doctor Strange and Green Lantern. They might be able to shed some light on where these things come from."
"Energy beings aren't the only thing I'm concerned about. Summoner today . . ." Hawkeye shook his head. "I've never seen him like that before."
"He's probably frustrated he hasn't learned where the energy beings come from. I'm sure breaking up with Free Spirit hasn't helped his mood."
"Bullcrap."
Wonder Woman looked taken aback by the sharp reply.
Hawkeye scowled. "Summoner doesn't lose his head like that. I went on plenty of missions with him when we were with SHIELD. We were in some situations that had a sphincter factor of about twenty."
Wonder Woman gave him a puzzled look. Hawkeye guessed "sphincter factor" was not a common term among Amazons.
He didn't bother explaining, just went on with his point. "Summoner always kept his head, no matter how bad things got. Even before he was in SHIELD, before he became Summoner, he was an Air Force para-rescue jumper. Hairy missions are their specialty. Then he had to go through his trial to prove to the Algonquian elders he was worthy to carry the Elemental Staff. You need incredible discipline to use that thing. This is a guy that doesn't get rattled, not by energy beings giving him the slip, and not by his girlfriend dumping him."
He stood up. "Something's going on with him, something damn serious if he's flying off the handle the way he did."
"What do you think it is?" asked Wonder Woman.
"I don't know. Probably the only way to find out is to ask him, but after what happened today I don't see him being forthcoming."
Wonder Woman hovered closer to him. "I may have an idea."
"I'm all ears."
"Summoner may not talk to you about what's bothering him, but there might be someone else. Someone who probably knows him better than anyone else."
"His mother?"
"No. I was thinking about his girlfriend. Well, ex-girlfriend. They were together for two years. I doubt there's anything she doesn't know about Summoner."
Hawkeye looked away from Wonder Woman and gazed at the brilliant Manhattan skyline. "Well, I guess we better pay a visit to Free Spirit."
TO BE CONTINUED