A/N hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've had volleyball tournaments and such. I've been kept super busy lately and I really haven't had any time to sit down and write no matter how much I want to. I know that y'all probably don't like the late uodates, but they will probably continue until I can get some sense of order in my crazy life. Anyway here's chapter five of cold as ice, I hope you enjoy it. Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.
Chapter Five: Hawkeye
My eyes open slowly, I'm not really sure when I closed them. The cold causes my eyes to burn slightly and I blink several times trying to get them accustomed to the temperature. My knees are still pulled to my chest and my legs have become extremely stiff from remaining in the same position for so long. I decide to try and straighten them out but the second I start to move a cramp seizes my right thigh and I grunt in pain. Without thinking I try to reach down rub it with my hand but my attempts are quickly stopped by the chains restraining me. A stinging sensation envelopes my wrists at the movement, they've been rubbed raw by my constant yanking on the chains. Normally I'd already be free of my chains and on my way out the door but because of the freezing situation I'm in my fingers refuse to move half the time, let alone pick a lock. I also can't feel my toes, which isn't a good sign. Hypothermia is starting to set in and I'm trying my best to delay the effects by moving around as much as I can to keep the blood flowing. A shiver courses through me. The movement causes a spike of pain to erupt in my chest and I look down at the knife wound that Trickshot had so graciously caused earlier. It stopped bleeding long ago, the cold temperatures constricted the blood flow to my body and therefore slowed the bleeding, and the dried blood pulls and cracks every time I move. My head aches constantly and my throat burns like fire. I rub my feet together in an effort to try and get some warmth into them but it doesn't do much aside from giving me something to do. The silence of the room is shattered when a scream pierces through the comm. link that is still in my ear. Natasha. I think to myself. The thought of her in pain sends rage flowing through my veins and I struggle against the restraints with newfound strength. Natasha never screams, ever, she's too strong for that. If whatever's happening to her is making her scream I can't even imagine how much pain she must be in. My wrists burn as the cuffs cut deeply into my skin and I can feel blood dripping down my arms from the wounds. A frustrated growl escapes my lips and I jerk against my restraints one last time before letting my arms go limp. Suddenly the door opens and Trickshot comes walking in. I glare at him and he smiles.
"Good to see you too, Clint." A shiver wracks my body but this time it doesn't stop, I can't stop shaking because of the cold. Trickshot looks at me and a maniacal grin spreads across his face. "Are you cold, Clint? You know hypothermia is a big problem when you get cold. It gets pretty nasty really fast. First you'll start to shiver uncontrollably, then you get to the point where you can't feel your fingers or toes. The cold will keep the blood from pumping to most of your extremities, you're fingers, toes, and lips will start to turn blue. Then suddenly you'll stop shivering. You'll think you're getting warmer, when you're actually getting worse. You're body stops shivering because it knows it can't keep you warm, so it focuses on keeping blood flowing to your vital organs. Eventually you'll start to feel hot, you'll want to cool down. After that you'll pass out, you're heart rate will be slow and weak. Finally you're heart just stops and you die." I don't even dignify his speech with an answer. Suddenly a scream echoes through the comms. and I flinch. It's Cap but it's not a pained scream, it's full of sorrow and I can't imagine what he's seeing right now. Trickshot sees my discomfort and grins. "Happy we left your communication links in, Clint. It was my own personal touch, I wanted you to hear your team mates agony. I wanted you to feel their pain and not be able to do anything about it. Speaking of team mates, I always thought you were more of a solo act, especially after how you betrayed your last team."
"I did what was right. All of you were a bunch of criminals."
"You stabbed us in the back!" He snarls at me. "We took you and your brother in and how do you repay us? You turned your back on everyone and left us to become some kind of HERO!"
"I don't regret leaving the circus, I never will. That was by far the smartest choice I ever made in my life. If I'd stayed with you guys I'd probably be dead by now." I glare at the man in front of me.
"You're lucky we didn't kill you when you first came to us. We gave you a chance and you stabbed us in the back. You were one of the best of us until you decided to play hero. "
"I gave up that life a long time ago. I'm not some low life carnie who lied, cheated, stole, and killed because he thought that was the only way he could survive, I'm an Avenger now." Trickshot smiles.
"An Avenger huh? Well what do you think your team mates will think when they find out the truth? That you're nothing but a criminal. They won't trust you, let alone want you to remain a member of their team. I mean come on all you've got is a bow and arrows. They've got a super soldier, a genius in an iron suit, an Asguardian, a Hulk, and a master assassin trained by one of the most feared organizations in Russia. Where do you think that leaves you? You're weak, Barton, the weakest on the team. If it wasn't for you're little red headed friend vouching for you, they'd have no use for an ex carnie turned hero. You are nothing to them, Clint. And you never will be." With that he stalks out of the room and slams the door, leaving me to my thoughts. I try to ignore what he said, but his words echoes through my head over and over again. What if he's right? I mean sure I never miss but what if one day that's not enough? We live in a world where alien invasions and monsters are a normal occurrence, what good is a bow and arrow against the types of threats we'll face in the future? I shake my head. Stop thinking like that! A bow and arrow helped defeat Loki, an Asguardian, and Ultron, a homicidal maniac built by none other than Tony Stark. I sigh.
"Get ahold of yourself, Barton." My command hangs in the air and I let my eyes drift closed. I've soon dozed off, thankful for the escape from my warring thoughts.
A/N well that's it for chapter five! I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry that it's so shirt but, as I said, my life has been super busy and this is all I could accomplish in my shirt amount of free time.