Indeed, Wanda and Pietro were waiting for the Bus to fully land. Pietro shifted uncomfortably on his feet, glancing to the Bus and back to his sister in anxiety. Wanda, just focused dead ahead, not even caring. Once the back door was down, a silver blur rushed forward and suddenly, the twins stood before Clint and Coulson on the ramp way. Clint smirked at Wanda in a familiar way but she didn't return the gaze. Instead she mostly focused on Coulson. Amazingly, Clint felt a bit of hurt flash through him before he realized he shouldn't blame her.
"Welcome," Coulson greeted, ignoring the fact that the twins already seemed to know who they were. He started on a whole speech that Clint was pretty certain the man prepared in front of a mirror a few times. Clint ignored it and looked to Pietro only to feel the clench in his heart that meant he was feeling extreme guilt. While the archer had been expecting this type of reaction, actually seeing Pietro alive was worse than he had imagined. He had almost forgotten then about Wanda's ability and allowed his grief to briefly overwhelm his mind. It was broken by Wanda finally turning her gaze onto him.
"I don't blame you," Wanda stated, interrupting Coulson's train of thoughts and words. The older agent turned to Clint in surprise, wondering what the female meant. Clint winced, turning back to Wanda. He hadn't thought about what she would think of Clint wanting to return to a world without Pietro in it. This was something he should have thought of before asking them to help him. She gave him a soft smile. "I understand."
"You know what's going to happen if we fix this," Clint warned, wanting to make sure the teens understood perfectly what they were getting into. Mostly the warning was for Pietro. He would basically cease to exist. Wanda nodded, her face showing absolute certainty that this was the right decision. Pietro glanced between the two before nodding as well. Clint frowned and focused more on Pietro than Wanda. "And you still want to help me?"
"I feel like I need to," Wanda replied as if those words were meant only for her. Clint sighed. He almost wished he could talk to Pietro alone... But then what would he say to the boy? Maybe having Wanda as buffer was best. She seemed to calm both men.
"I wouldn't let her fight for me," Pietro commented. Coulson frowned at Clint. The archer hadn't told him everything as Coulson had assumed that he'd done. Apparently, Coulson was going to need to chat with the archer later and get more details... Even if it means pressing the agent into a corner. "As much as it isn't cool, I at least die doing something good."
"I wish there was a way I could fix it," Clint muttered, ignoring Coulson as much as possible. The archer was still hurt that apparently the man was alive in the other reality. And that was something he was going to fix. He'd find the agent and make him face the other Avengers. No matter how hard it was on the group, Clint was not going to lie to them like Fury, Hill and Coulson have already felt free to do. Pietro shook his head with a sad smile.
"Way I see it, old man. It was one of the two of us. And I'd rather it be you," Pietro answered. Clint grunted, hiding the hurt that those words caused. He had never seen himself as someone good. Or even as someone worth saving. "Wanda told me what you're like. You're a pretty good guy. A... A hero."
Clint scoffed, thinking on all the bad things he had done. The people he had murdered for money before S.H.I.E.L.D got a hold of him. His time the circus where he was taught how to pick pockets and swindle with the best. How could he be a hero... To anyone. Coulson clapped a hand on Clint's shoulder, bringing the archer out of his dark thoughts. Clint winced but didn't immediately pull away. A sign to Coulson that he was being forgiven. But really, Clint just was too emotionally tired out. He was almost shutting down. Having Coulson and Pietro before him, two people he had once thought he killed, was actually worse then he imagined.
"As I understand it, you two can be of assistance in fixing this mess of realities?" Coulson asked, bringing the conversation back around to his introduction. Wanda turned to Coulson. The first that she had reacted to anyone else there.
"I am unsure of how much help we could be. But yes, I think we can be of help," Wanda said. Clint looked at her for a moment as Coulson began explaining what happens on the Bus and what he thinks the mission entails. He tuned the older agent out before suddenly remembering all of Wanda's powers.
'Wanda. I need your help,' he mentally called out to the girl. Wanda stiffened slightly but didn't otherwise betray that she heard him. Clint almost smiled at her. Even as untrained as she was in this reality, she was smart. 'I need to get away from Coulson and his rag tag group. They claim they're here to help but I can't be certain.' Clint explained, briefly thinking back to his stint in the hotel and coming here. He couldn't really be certain it was the laptop that brought those agents down on him. Nor could he be certain who actually was Hydra. Wanda nodded at something Coulson told her but Clint knew it was more for his sake than Coulson's. She hadn't been doing much in replying to Coulson before. Pietro had taken over that matter. 'Hydra is the group behind this and I'm going to need the team to bring them down.'
'There is no team in this reality,' Wanda mentally pointed out back to the archer. Clint couldn't stop the smirk now. His mind pictured a few of the super powered individuals he had seen in S.H.I.E.L.D files. Wanda sighed, her eyes flickering to the archer with a slight look of disgust. 'You sure this isn't going to be a rag tag team?'
Clint couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him. Coulson gave the archer an odd look before something like understanding dawned on his face. Clint didn't even have to think anything. In a split second, there was a silver blur and then Clint was god knows how far away from the Bus and Coulson. A moment later, Wanda stood there with Pietro right next to her. The silver haired boy was breathing heavily.
"Old man, you need to lose some weight before I ever do that again," the super fast teen huffed. Clint snorted, enjoying the long missed banter that was so short lived before.
"My weight is good training for you, kid," he sarcastically declared. Pietro huffed out a laugh before straightening looking as if he wasn't even out of breath or tired. None of what he had been showing only a second before. Clint frowned. "Sides, apparently you recover fast."
"Depending on how much he exerts," Wanda mentioned, thinking back on the training they had gotten long before. For a moment Clint remembered his reality. In his mind, the twins had gotten their powers from Hydra. They might not have had any before. But in the reality... He couldn't be fully certain how they got their powers. Sadly, he needed to trust someone and it might as well be these two. Especially since they're willing to help given what would happen to one of them.
"Wanda!" Pietro whined like she had spilled a secret. Wanda shook her head at her older brother.
"No. He needs to know if we're going to be working together," she smartly pointed out.
"But-" Pietro began but was cut off when Wanda turned an angry glare at him. For a moment, the two traded looks before Pietro sagged. "Fine."
"Wow... So that's what everyone meant by it seemed creepy," Clint softly joked, looking between the twins while thinking of Natasha. Being part of the silently talking group, Clint had never seen people communicate with just facial expressions. With Wanda, while it was different as she could mentally speak to Pietro, they reacted with twitches that seemed like they were talking that way.
"So, we'll help you," Wanda began, switching back to the original subject to avoid the discussion that was silently lurking on Clint's mind. Clint nodded, the errant thought of the twins receiving their powers from Hydra receding. "But... If we find out what did this, can I request that you find a way to bring Pietro back? Or... At least take care of the other me? I may look like I'm fine but I'm far from it. Pietro is my only family. To lose him hurts."
"Hey, I'm still here," Pietro soothed, wrapping his arms around his sister. Wanda nodded even as she fell deeper into his arms to sob. Clint awkwardly stood there for a moment as he watched the twins grieve one of them from another reality. It was now that the archer realized how much harder it would be to stay with the twins then it would have been with Coulson. He was in essence, trading his family's life for Pietro. And while he had once thought it would have been Coulson who died as well, Clint now knew that the older agent was alive and just avoiding him in his reality. Pietro looked up at Clint and seemed to understand what the archer was thinking. "I'm willing to give myself up for this."
"I'm sorry," Clint whispered, already feeling horribly guilty for asking these two to do what they were about to do. Wanda pushed herself out of Pietro's arms and headed over to Clint.
"While it hurts to have to lose Pietro, I can see that your reality is far better than ours. The world, although it does not seem like it, needs the Avengers," Wanda told him. Clint nodded and smiled at the twins as the air around them was suddenly filled with the rumblings of an engine. Everyone turned in the direction it sounded like it was coming from. Clint had to smile when Wanda needlessly stated who was coming. "It's Coulson."
"Figured," Clint confirmed but he didn't move. Pietro shifted his weight restlessly as if he was actually more bothered about being around Coulson. Wanda kept glancing between Clint and the direction that Coulson was apparently coming from. She could sense that Clint felt betrayed by the man and that the archer was unsure exactly what to feel about the man. Clint focused solidly on the way that Coulson was coming from. When the Quinjet appeared overhead, Clint, Wanda, and Pietro backed away to give it room to land. Once it landed, the back was already halfway down so Clint could see Coulson angrily waiting with Grant Ward standing beside him. May was in the cockpit doing last minute shut down procedures. Clint smiled at Coulson as the ramp fully lowered and the older agent stepped off the jet.
"Agent Barton, we are here to protect you. If you keep running off, we can't do our jobs," Grant snapped as he followed behind Coulson. Clint didn't even glance at the man. Wanda stiffened suddenly and grasped Pietro's hand but didn't speak. For a moment, Clint wanted to look at Wanda but figured whatever she saw or heard from someone was something really bad. He'd have to wait until she could tell him.
"Clint. We can be transportation for you," Coulson suggested before waving his hand toward the jet. Clint glanced it over even as May began her way back to them. She stopped before descending the ramp.
"Coulson," Clint started but stopped. He couldn't find any more reason to argue with the older man. While it bothered him to be around Coulson due to what he represented, it was actually harder to be around Pietro. Slowly he nodded before looking to Wanda. 'Any arguments?'
'Not really,' she replied hesitantly. Clint frowned slightly but covered it before looking to Coulson and Grant. She had something but for some reason, Coulson, Grant or May was throwing her. Clint figured it was Coulson. And May was a good agent. Never had any issues with her. But Grant was an unknown.
"Where are we going next?" Coulson asked. Clint sighed deeply.
"I guess to New York," he mumbled. Most of the other people he wanted all seem congested into that big city. Coulson nodded and turned to re-board the Quinjet. Grant waited only for Clint to move one step before spinning around and following after. Wanda and Pietro slowly followed after Clint, lost in mental conversation. May grunted at the group before turning back to restart the jet. Clint glanced at Wanda, wondering what keeping her from telling him what she got from Grant. He wasn't going to question her yet, but he'd like to know soon.
The ride back to the Bus was quiet. Clint sat as far from Coulson as possible. Coulson, as if sensing Clint's issue, sat beside May in the cockpit. Wanda and Pietro huddled in a corner opposite Clint in soft conversation. Grant sat in the seat right behind Coulson while he turned and glared at Clint. When the jet landed on the Bus, Clint was first to disembark. He said nothing to Wanda and Pietro as he hurried off to the room that had been given to him. Wanda traded a look with Coulson to see the man's hurt expression before the agent looked to the twins.
"We'll set you two up in room right near Clint, if you'd like," he suggested. Wanda nodded, already knowing that that room would be far from Grant's room. Together the three walked off. Grant took one last look at the group before going in the opposite direction. May busied herself with shutting down the jet and heading off to ready the Bus to take off with an angry shake of her head. Why Coulson hadn't gotten another pilot for this, she'd never know. And even worse, why Clint didn't pilot, she was almost afraid to question. Was he actually never taught in the other reality? Would it hurt to hear that he did know? May shook her head and just continued on with her tasks.
Wanda waited until after Coulson finished with the tour of the Bus and left before turning to Pietro. The silver haired teen was happily bouncing on the bed in their shared room. She knew that he was enjoying the comforts of the Bus and while she was also enjoying this, her powers alerted her to the dangers lurking around. One of those main dangers was Grant Ward. And she also knew that no one else knew about him.
"There is a Hydra agent here," Wanda mentioned to her brother. Pietro's bouncing slowed to a stop as the words settled over him. She had warned him that they'd talk in private and no matter how much he tried to press, she refused to answer.
"Is he looking for us?" the speedster asked. Wanda thought about it. She hadn't sensed anything from Grant other than his obsession with Clint. But that didn't mean he wasn't hiding it below the surface or was trained to hide that fact from her.
"I don't think so," she cautioned. Pietro frowned and looked about the room. He was doing it at a normal pace which meant he was carefully looking for something. Wanda could tell he was searching for cameras or mics, or overall spy equipment. Why he was bothering considering the fact that they were basically on a spy ship, Wanda wouldn't question. She knew he felt safer doing that.
"Do you think he knows?" Pietro questioned. Wanda again shrugged. There wasn't much she was able to pick up from Grant before she got distracted by all the emotions of everyone. And no matter how hard she tried now, she just couldn't find Grant in all the unknown minds of everyone on the Bus. "I thought we took care of them all."
"We took care of the ones in the buildings with us but Stryker did say there was more of them," Wanda reminded. Pietro nodded, remembering the ominous warning from the dying man. Wanda shuddered as the scene reenacted itself in her own mind. Pietro shifted, understanding that Wanda was flashing back to the moment. He worried about her. She had taken the news much harder than he did.
"Should we warn the old man?" Pietro wondered, the name of the man escaping him. Wanda chuckled at her forgetful brother. The memories of Stryker fading faster than either twin had thought before. "I... I know we should trust him but I don't know if I can. We also thought we could trust Hydra."
"Hydra tricked us. Our powers were so new back then that I had no idea what I was hearing or from who," Wanda mentioned. Pietro nodded. Back then he kept speeding away for a few steps before becoming so tired. Hydra promised them better control. What they forgot to mention was the experiments and tests and overall enhancing of their powers. It took the speedster far longer to get used to his new ability then it did Wanda. And if Wanda hadn't been there to mentally coach him along, Pietro didn't think he'd have made it through. "Clint is a good man. A little lost, but good."
"Can you be certain? I mean... I know we agreed to help him but he's kind-a willing to kill me in order to save his family," Pietro pointed out. It had been mentioned once or twice but neither really thought about it. Wanda frowned. She hadn't put it that way even though Clint had mentioned it during their meeting. Pietro had so calmly replied to the archer that Wanda didn't even realize that this bothered her brother. The witch mentally cursed herself even as she moved to sit on the bed next to her brother.
"Do you want to change your mind?" she softly questioned. Pietro shook his head no. Wanda saw something flash through his mind but it vanished before she could get a proper hold on it. After so long of being invaded by Wanda, Pietro learned to feel when she was searching his mind. She no longer did it, but did catch fleeting emotions or thoughts that bubbled up on the surface. Pietro knew that Wanda couldn't fully help herself when these things came to him so he tried to erase it as fast as possible.
"I've... I've dreamed of another life. One like you mentioned... One with a group of superheroes going around protecting people," Pietro admitted. Wanda frowned. She hadn't known that. Pietro and her share everything with each other. Why didn't he share this? Pietro shrugged, almost as if he could read her own thoughts. "It's only happened within the last week or so."
"About the time that I sensed a change?" Wanda mumbled. Pietro nodded. Indeed, at the same time that Clint had tripped down his staircase in the farm, many miles away, Wanda had sensed something happened to this world. It felt off and she spent the past few days trying to find out what it was. She was so distracted with all that that Pietro refused to bother her with something as silly as dreams. But as the details became clearer and matched so well with what Wanda was seeing, Pietro couldn't help but feel that he should give his life for this other world. "I'm sorry."
"Hey, it's not your fault," Pietro soothed, nudging her shoulder to keep her from feeling guilty. Wanda sighed. While the change was not her fault, it was her fault for getting lost in trying to figure out what it was and how to fix it. She had barely spoken to him until she finally learned enough about Clint to defend the need to help him. Honestly, Wanda should have realized how easy it was to make Pietro cave into helping in the first place.
"Oh Pietro," Wanda moaned, leaning into her brother. Pietro shifted so he could wrap an arm around her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Again, sis, it ain't your fault," Pietro grunted. Wanda nodded as she turned her face into his chest. "We'll figure out how to fix this."
For a while the twins sat together in this hug, just enjoying each other's company. Wanda couldn't help but think of her alternate self missing out on this for the rest of her life. It upset her worse the more she thought about it but she also knew that her alternate self had other friends. Pietro tried to keep his mind away from any thoughts but it kept coming back to his dreams. Many of which actually included the archer and him fighting side by side in battles unlike what Wanda described his death battle to be like, made the speedster curious. The silence was suddenly broken by Wanda. "I think Clint knows how to... Fix this."
Pietro nodded. He had assumed as much. The archer may not know that he knows but there was just something about him. Somehow both twins could just tell that Clint knew what to do and how to do it. And right now, one of the main things they probably needed to work on was getting away from Coulson and his infiltrated crew. But Wanda knew how Clint had tried and already failed. Could they really do this? The twins dropped into silence for only a minute before it was broken.
"I thought Coulson said no to this!" Clint's voice bellowed. Wanda jumped to her feet as Pietro opened the door and headed into the hall.
"This is above Coulson's head," an unknown voice replied. Wanda rushed to the door beside Pietro and looked down the hall. Clint was fighting against Grant and another gentleman that Wanda read as called Lance Hunter. Lance was the one who had spoken. A little further down the hall were two people that Wanda remembered seeing in the lab just beyond the garage during their tour. Coulson had introduced them as Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. They were nervously looking on at Clint nearly successfully ripped his way through the other two grown men.
"Don't make us stun you, Barton!" Grant warned, hissing as Clint elbowed him in the gut. Clint spun his left arm around to try and shake Lance off of him but Lance was ready for it and held on tighter, reddening Clint's arm as the skin stretched.
"Let go!" Clint roared. Pietro's eyes narrowed, Wanda's only warning to try and move out of the way before there was a silver flash. Grant suddenly was shoved into the opposite wall from Clint and Lance was tossed onto his ass in front of Leo. Jemma squeaked and backed away as Clint and Pietro suddenly appeared beside Wanda a little further down the hall.
"The man said let go!" Pietro snapped even as Lance and Grant struggled to understand what exactly just happened.
"Thanks," Clint mumbled. Wanda turned to look at the archer. Apparently Lance and Grant had attacked the man long before trying to drag him out. Clint had a split lip, his eye was already darkening into a deep bruise and there was signs of beatings on his arms.
"We..." Grant grunted as he tried to get back up. Pietro took a threatening step forward, daring the backstabber to come closer. Wanda tensed. Doing this was drawing the man's attention to them. His eyes flashed and Wanda suddenly feared that Grant recognized them. "Have orders."
"From who?" Clint snarled, more confident with his backup. It was easy to see that Grant and Lance had no idea who they faced now.
"Does it really matter? Orders are orders, Barton. Don't matter who you are, you need to follow them," Lance cried. Clint stepped toward him. As a freelance agent, Lance was used to ordering anyone around and they'd listen to him. He wasn't used to being under the chain of command.
"Does Fury follow your orders? Does Hill? Hell, does Coulson? No! It matters where the orders come from. Coulson ordered Fitz and Simmons to leave me alone! Who ordered that to be ignored?!" Clint shouted.
"The World Security Council," Jemma shyly answered. Clint paled. Those people have always been against him and apparently it didn't matter what reality he was in. Pietro and Wanda glanced at Clint as they realized this situation was getting worse. Wanda could feel Clint's dread and mentally called out for help even though she didn't really know who she was calling out too.
"Who's that?" Pietro whispered, having a feeling that they should know. Wanda shrugged to afraid that her powers would make this volatile situation blow up.
"Does Coulson know?" Clint asked, much softer and defeated then anyone had ever heard him sound before. Wanda quickly looked to Clint and realized that he had been expecting something like this but he hadn't expected it so soon. Right away she knew that Grant must have done something. She turned an angry glare at the man but Grant wasn't paying attention to her. He was focused on Clint and has a rather smug expression on his face.
"I'm sorry," Jemma replied. Clint's shoulders sagged before he nodded and looked to the twins. He needed them to stand down. Wanda felt her own shoulders sag. There was nothing that either of them could do to help. Clint was on his own.
"Thanks," he whispered to them before slowly walking toward Lance, Grant, Leo and Jemma.
"Seriously? That's it?" Lance accused. Clint glared at him. Apparently Lance had been harder on Clint than Grant. Pietro tensed, ready to defend Clint once again even though he had pretty much asked them to stop.
"Yeah. If you had talked to me before hand, I would have come willingly," the archer hissed. Wanda could tell that he had asked for answers before and neither man had been willing to say anything.
"Clint, don't!" Wanda warned when Grant went to reach for him. Clint turned to see her worried expression before looking to Grant. Slowly his eyes widened before he looked back to Wanda with a questioning look. She nodded, knowing without using her powers that he knew Grant was Hydra.
'Don't say anything.' Clint's voice ordered in her head. Wanda went to speak but stopped even as tears began to form. 'Go to Coulson. Let him know what's going on.' Wanda nodded again before placing a hand on Pietro. She quickly filled him in on what Clint wanted even as the archer turned and left with Leo, Jemma and Lance. Grant stayed behind to watch the twins for a moment. But once Pietro and Wanda turned and left in the other direction, Grant spun around and headed after Clint. His mission was the archer, not the twins. Someone else was coming for them.
OMG! I am sooooo horrible… Sry everyone for the long wait. Life got in the way and then I forgot and then life and…. suddenly too many weeks passed. But, I should be back on track.
Little Clint and Little Darius are doing well. Both being their selves and getting into lots of trouble. Both boys got a dentist appointment tomorrow… Get to see how well everything is going that way. Darius is the one I'm worried about while Clint normally always freaks out. Hopefully easy visit.
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Review:
NZ Guest - Thank you for the compliment. Glad you are enjoying this. Hope you enjoy it to the end.
Sammygirl1963 - Hee hee. I tricked you! That makes me happy and yet I feel bad. Sorry to trick you and now even worse I left you for a few weeks. Yeah, Clint getting away was needed for a bit but there was no way that he could stay away. As much as he doesn't realize it, Clint still needs Coulson's help. Wow… My knee was still hurting or wait… Did it just get hurt? Oh well. Yes, my knee is much better now. Still having some issues but nothing that can't wait to get checked out on. Hopefully you feel much better now. Wish I could have posted sooner. Hope you keep enjoying and I look forward to your next review!