This chapter was written by me, and betaed by Awkward Hawk!

Chapter 13

Steve nodded towards Tony; they needed to hurry if they wanted to help Clint. "Jarvis, pull up the layout that Fury sent over."

"Right away sir," Jarvis replied and the team turned towards the table as a 3-D holographic image of the warehouse in question appeared.

Steve studied the layout, the warehouse was two stories. According to the information gathered by the tail, Barney and Garrett were in the main area, and from what he could see, the unknown number of enemy targets were behind there warehouse itself. "Our first priority is to get Clint out of there. He's mostly likely being tortured, much like he was last time," Steve informed ignoring Tony's flinch, "but the problem is, if we move in on Clint, Barney's back up will show up and most likely out number us."

Thor frowned. "We are warriors! No puny mortal men can best us!"

Bruce shook his head, "numbers can more than make up for it, big guy."

Natasha had been quiet so far, a look of concentration on her face. "What about splitting up? There are an unknown number of targets, I go in and scout out the scene first and we decide how to approach the situation best."

Tony frowned in thought, "That is probably the best idea so far. We can't take too long though; there is no telling what could be happening in that warehouse."

"Agreed." Steve added, "Natasha will scout ahead, go ahead and go. We'll catch up."

Natasha nodded, her face set in grim determination. Tony hid a wince; he'd hate to be Barney if she ever got her hands on him. Steve turned back to the table. "Bruce you will need to go after Clint, he will most likely need some medical attention till SHIELD can get there. Tony you need to go with him. You have the element of surprise and you will need that, especially with Garratt's telepathic abilities. Thor, you, Natasha, and I will assault the targets behind the warehouse while Tony and Bruce secure Clint."

Tony paused, "One question, how can Bruce and I take on the psychotic psychic? Especially if he can enter minds and scramble them up. Even if we do get the drop on them, while we're distracted, he could attack us."

Bruce grinned. "I may actually have an answer to that…"

Natasha was trying to keep her rage in check. How dare Barney attack her partner, after what he did the last time…? Natasha shook her head, now was not the time to follow that train of thought. She quickly and quietly snuck behind the building, blending into the shadows using the cloaking that Tony had added to her SHIELD uniform. When she reached the back, she scanned the back lot, and noticed a group of men patrolling another smaller building further back. Each man held a standard riffle, and a pistol strapped to their hip. She looked around before deciding to have a look. She sprinted to the closest car that was parked a few meters away and hid behind it. She was about twenty meters from the smaller building, and waited for the guards to move around the corner before sprinting to the opposite side of the building where she saw a ladder.

She quickly climbed and peeked over the edge of the roof, it was bare. She frowned and hoisted herself up. Either the men were too stupid and inexperienced, or too arrogant too post adequate guards. She looked through a hole in the ceiling below her and had a perfect view inside. There was bunk after bunk lined up against each wall, there must have been close to fifty people inside. How she couldn't hear them, she couldn't understand. This could pose a problem, especially in close quarters like this.

She quickly pulled out her tac-com, and relayed the facts to Steve. "Roger, get back to the front and wait for us, we'll work it out then." Natasha agreed and began the task of returning back to the front.

Natasha had just returned to the front of warehouse when a black sedan pulled into view. She quickly ducked into the shadow where she had been hiding. Thanks to her enhanced sight, she had no problems seeing the car, even if she was a distance away. The sedan stopped in front of the warehouse, and the driver's door opened. Natasha's heart nearly stopped when the man stepped out.

"No… It can't be…"

Tony was fidgeting with his armor as he waited for the others to arrive; he knew that his suit would most likely cause a lot of sound, so he had flew till he was a block away. Got out of the suit and walked the rest of the way to the warehouse. When he arrived, Natasha was standing a little ways off, in an alley, and was visibly shifting from foot to foot. Tony was shocked, normally she was way more aloof, unless she was really agitated or upset about something. Of course, his thoughts went directly to Clint.

"Is he alright?" Tony asked worriedly.

Natasha sighed. "I don't know. I only had time to check where Barney's so called army was."

Tony didn't know if he should be relieved, or more agitated with that. He didn't have time to dwell on it long; Steve, Bruce, and Thor came running up. He was surprised that Thor had been able to travel silently, but didn't have time to dwell on that thought either.

"So there are fifty targets in the building behind the warehouse. It can safely be assumed that Barney must have some way to communicate with them." Steve muttered, "We need to be careful, if we go after the fifty men, Barney will most likely use Clint as a bargaining chip, and if we go after Clint, Barney will call in his reinforcements, and we will be surrounded with Clint still as a bargaining chip."

"SHIELD reinforcements are on their way." Natasha supplied.

"How do you know? Fury didn't say anything about reinforcements." Tony questioned.

"That's because I called them in." A familiar voice called from behind the team. They whirled around ready for a fight when a familiar figure stepped out from the shadows, Phil Coulson.

The team was shocked speechless, except for Natasha. Phil smiled sadly at the silence, "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, and in this situation. I hoped that Barney would leave Clint alone, but I knew he would come back."

Tony was the first to gain any function back. "You're… alive? But… Fury told us… he told us you were dead…!"

Phil shook his head, "I'm sorry, team, but we don't have time for this. Clint is in there being tortured. Now, I have a plan… can you trust me?"

Natasha nodded; Steve and Bruce were more reluctant but eventually did. Thor just looked confused, but nodded with everyone else. Tony's jaw clenched, "Fine… but you owe us… and Clint, and explanation."

Phil nodded, "Let's go rescue the Hawk."

Clint blinked his eyes, trying to clear the sweat and blood that had seeped down from his forehead. He didn't know how long he had been tied to the chair, with Garratt constantly entering his mind, showing him death after death, and illusion after illusion, and Barney's physical blows, he was quickly starting to lose his touch with reality.

He was brought back to his situation when Barney's fist caught him in his already cracked ribs. It was sad that he knew the difference between bruised, cracked and broken ribs, and now he knew a few were broken.

"You aren't so smart with that mouth of yours now little brother?" Barney sneered, grabbing Clint by the hair, "You just had to go and show me up. You ruined my life! It was all good at the circus until you had to go and ruin the operation!"

Clint spat the blood that had leaked into his mouth in Barney's face, and was rewarded with a back hand. Garratt watched with a satisfied smile.

Clint's wrists were raw from the rope. He was bruised and bleeding from his nose and the cuts all over his face and arms from his fight with Barney. He also had a few cracked and broken ribs. He couldn't tell which was worse, the constant throbbing in his chest, the tightness, or the pain emitting from his skull, with the visions and Garratt rough entrance into his mind.

"Oh little brother, I must say… you've done quite well for yourself. Agent of SHIELD, part of the Avengers, dating a billionaire… I wonder what he would pay to get you back… and what pieces…?" Barney speculated with a sick, twisted grin on his face.

"Go… to… hell." Clint bit out, between agonizing breaths.

"Not for a long time little brother; but I can't say the same for you." Barney chuckled.

"Barney." Garratt interrupted, "We got company."

Barney sun around and came face to face with Tony Stark, Iron man, and one pissed off billionaire. Barney quickly pulled a gun from his hip holster and placed the barrel to Clint's head. "One step and I blow his brains out."

Tony scowled but held his hands up. "I don't have my suit on, so what's got your panties in a twist?"

Barney scowled back, "How did you find me?"

Tony snorted. "I'm Tony freaking Stark; did you really think I wouldn't find you? And when I get my hands on you, I will rip you apart, piece by piece."

Barney chuckled, pressing the barrel deeper into Clint's head, who was still dazed from the mental assaults. "Keep that attitude in check there playboy, or your little boy toy here gets it."

Tony snorted again, "How cliché is that? The whole he's gonna get it phrase? Why not add some black and white pictures? Better yet, this must be some kind of movie or something… you're the bad guy, with the cliché lines, and I'm the good guy who will ultimately kick your ass, and ride off into the sunset with my boyfriend."

"I… resent… that." Clint grounded out. Barney scowled at his little brother, and Tony's eyes softened.

"Hey there sleeping beauty, what part is there to resent? You're riding off into the sunset with a billionaire." Tony spoke, his voice smooth and comforting.

Barney scowled and brought the gun crashing to the back of Clint's head. Clint slumped forward and Tony cried out in surprise and took a step forward only to be stopped by the gun pointed at Clint again. "Nu uh! Remember our deal? One more step, and he gets it."

Tony's jaw clenched as he clamped down on his boiling anger. "What do you want?"

"Think you can bribe into letting little Clint here go? No likely, I've waited too long to kill the little bastard, and I'll be damned if I let some playboy deprive me of that!" Barney growled.

"What?! You told me I would get to kill him!" Garratt interrupted.

Barney snorted. "Oh that? I lied." He said and swiveled the gun, pointing it at Garratt, and before the younger man could react, pulled the trigger. Garratt fell back, blood pouring out under him. Barney snorted at his partner. "It's amazing how stupid people are."

Tony just stood there in shock; after all of the attacks on Clint, that's how the bastard is put down? "Why?"

"He's a liability, he's served his purpose, now I don't need him. My revenge will be complete." Barney grinned madly.

Tony knew the plan, he was supposed to stall, but this was starting to get out of turn. He needed a diversion. It seemed someone was reading his mind. The whole warehouse was shaken, and they could see a flash like lighting striking. Thor must have joined the battle. The lighting was followed by the ground shaking throwing Tony and Barney to the ground. Tony recovered faster and quickly ran to Clint and freed him from the chair. He dragged him away from where Barney was starting to get up.

"Well this is rich. Now I get to kill both of you." Barney smirked.

Tony sighed. "We really need to work on your people skills."

Barney just glared at him before leveling his gun. "I guess I can claim the credit for finally killing the amazing Hawkeye and the famous Iron man. I'll see you both in hell!"

Clint had been shaken awake when the chair had tipped over and Tony had dragged him away. He raised his head and saw Barney had his gun trained on Tony. He felt fear rush through him, replacing any pain he was feeling. He stood up uncertainly drawing the attention of the two men. Barney was sneering at him. "Why can't you just stay down?"

Clint just glared at him and pulled discreetly pulled the throwing knife he always kept in his book. "You… have been a… constant pain… in the ass… Barney. What the hell… did I do to… you? What did I… do to be… treated like that…? No more… this ends… one way or another."

Tony watched as Clint stood up, he felt a rush of pride and concern. He felt pride in the fact that he could and would keep on fighting, and concern for his health. Barney just kept steering. "You're right, this will end. I'm gonna kill you, and while I can't torture you anymore. I'll at least get to torture your boyfriend here."

That was the last straw, Clint saw red. It was one thing to screw with his life; he most likely deserved it, but no… NO ONE would harm Tony. He stared Barney in the eye, his own pupils dilating with his concentration. The weariness flooding away, replaced with anger and rage. He pulled his arm with practiced ease; the knife still held firmly in his hands and with a forward arch sent it flying through the air, just as a loud bang sounded.