Shorter one today - longer one tomorrow, promise! I'm also slowly running out of chapters to post that are already written. I got several ideas for more stuff but right at the moment, I'm really busy at work and really finished when I get home. And I think I'll also dig up those two unfinished stories (one Loki, one Hawkeye) and try to finish them, which also takes up time. So: Warning - my posting-frequency will soon slow down a little!

Poker Face

He was surrounded. He could have taken on four, maybe even five – but this here was a small army. And every single one of those goons had a gun trained on him. At least, Clint guessed those things were guns.

"Freeze!" one of them commanded – probably the leader.

It was hard to tell since they all wore identical-looking face-masks and uniforms.

Clint slowly lowered his bow. He already had an arrow on the string but hadn't got to fire it.

He was running options through his mind, trying to find one that wouldn't end with him on the ground, with more holes in his body than a sieve.

"Keep them busy for a minute", he heard Stark over his earpiece, "I'm almost there."

He didn't point out that he might not have a minute. Better those goons kept their attention on him so Stark could take them by surprise.

"We got him", he heard the leader say.
A pause, then, he addressed Clint again.
"Drop your weapons, Hawkeye."

He did – only not the way they had expected.

He dropped his bow, seized the arrow and twisted the head off it.

"Right," he told them, "I suggest you drop your weapons now."
He raised his right hand and the arrow-head.
"This is an explosive head and if you don't do as I say, I'll blow us all sky-high."

He knew Stark could hear him.

They all froze, turning their heads at their leader.

The man – if he was human, not easy to figure out with those face-masks – shook his head.

"You wouldn't blow up yourself."

"Oh yeah?" Clint smiled. "Try me."

That made the leader hesitate. Clint knew that smile had this effect on people. Even Stark had called it creepy, once.

The leader straightened, lowering his weapon a fraction.

"You know what?" he said, "I think you're bluffing."

Clint shrugged.
"As I said – try me."

Luckily, they didn't get to it because Stark arrived on the scene right then and had taken out about half of them before they knew what was happening. Clint didn't get to deal with more than two or three himself.

Stark landed next to him. He opened his helmet. There was a broad grin on his face.
"Nice bluff, Feathers."

Clint frowned.
"What bluff?"

"This one."
Stark took the arrowhead Clint was still holding in his right hand and tossed it in the air.
"That's a grappling –"

"Shit!" Clint swore, cutting him off.

He used his bow to bat the arrowhead away from them as far as possible, then launched himself at Stark, pushing him to the ground.

Above and slightly to the left of them, the arrowhead exploded.

Stark stared at him, mouth hanging open, eyes wide.

Clint got up, brushing dust off his suit.
"Really, Stark, with you being such a genius one would think you could tell the difference between a grappling and an explosive arrowhead ..."

Start swallowed hard.
"Remind me to never play poker with you."