I wont mince words
just remember
FINAL CHAPTER!
I Can Hear the Drums
Epilogue
"Backpack?"
"Yes."
"Books?"
"They don't do books, dad."
"Pens?"
"What's a pen?"
Clint looked up from the carefully formulated list Pepper created for him, and even took the time to print. Alice sat across from him with her most innocent of smiles. She got that from Natasha, whether the girl's mother wanted to admit it or not. Clint liked to think that the majority of his affable charm became seeded in Alice's young life, but he knew the best, and most influential, part of him showed in that silly little smirk she had. Somehow, Natasha became the innocent half, and Clint the mischievous one. The only one surprised, was Clint himself.
"Dad, seriously, it's fine. I did the whole pre-pack bag thing last night. It's not like I'm the only one there, so relax. If I forget something, I'll just steal it from Ben." Alice slung the backpack over her shoulder.
She'd gone on a shopping trip, one of the only such excursions she'd ever agreed to, only a week ago. Pepper and Natasha dragged her through every store in New York, and what did she come back with? A bright purple backpack.
Clint didn't even think she liked the color purple. Most of what she owned, reminisced typical Alfheimr colors. Silvers, greens, occasionally golden yellow. All of a sudden, there it was. Purple.
Hawkeye-purple, people liked to call it. Clint often smiled at that. The world at large never knew the reality of his survival. The few doctors who claimed to see him, were made to believe otherwise. Clint remained a legend to the population of Earth, meaning the objects he'd left behind at the archery range in New Jersey, were considered museum pieces. The ugly, purple cowl Tony once made him as a joke, had been found, framed, and hung on one of the walls. Somehow, that simple act rewrote everything about him. Officially, his favorite color was purple, and nothing could be done to convince anyone otherwise.
Alice knew better, but decided to display support for her father in a way the world would recognize. She had a strange, quiet way about her for the most part. Occasionally, the extrovert hiding within, reared its eccentric head, and she did something uncharacteristic, like buying a purple bag or talking to a store clerk. Both of which occurred during her shopping trip. Finding her Midgardian clothes for school, had its own challenges. Clint had yet to see what she'd ended up with.
Most of her young life, she'd been educated on Alfheimr under the private tutelage of two or three close friends, as most elves were. High school, according to Tony, Steve, Pepper, and everyone else in the known world, required the so called 'high school experience'.
Clint and Natasha didn't know much about that. Neither entertained that sort of young education, but Benjamin Stark, James Rogers, and Magni Foster (he'd taken his mother's name for enrollment, to prevent excess attention) were all heading to the same school. Each had endured their own education in their home realms, and only Ben had any experience with Earth schools. The younger Rogers kids, twins Tryggr and Fallon, might begin their education in the same school to keep the Avengers' offspring together.
"Will you actually talk to Ben today?" Clint asked, gently.
Alice considered it. ~"I did say steal,"~ she signed.
"I steal from Tony all the time. It happens. Be nice to the others, though, but don't let them shove you around. I'm sure your mother has tips on that."
~"Always does. Not my fault I'm the only girl."~
"Betty Ross' kids have been staying with Bruce for a while now, so her daughter might be there. Try to make friends. And don't stab anyone!"
She gave him a long look. Another thing she'd inherited from Natasha's side.
It took until she turned five before she began to say her first words. It wasn't an infantile sort of beginning, like one might have assumed. One day she wasn't talking, and then the next, she came right up to Tony and declared, "I think your hair looks awful funny under your chin. Why don't you ever shave it like my daddy?" Tony's jaw fell open, and he shot a look toward Clint. As of that moment on, she spoke and signed almost interchangeably. Half the time, she hardly realized when she did one or the other.
After her first few years of life, a pediatrician declared she had a mild form of autism and social disorder, presenting in selective mutism, all stemming from hypoxic-ischemia. Clint wasn't sure how much he cared for labels, and frankly, all that mattered was the results.
In the comfort of people she knew, Alice excelled. She had a fluency in Elven, English, Russian, and Italian that rivaled most modern day children, not to mention American Sign Language. Certain social situations, saw her clammed up tighter than two attached magnets. Other times caused Alice to fall into a role, like Natasha or Clint's spy team background, transforming her into someone else entirely. It was that second part of her personality that the general world might get a glimpse of day-to-day.
High school, on Earth, in New York, for the first time ever amongst peers her age, would be a challenge she might hate to conquer. For now, she appeared excited to go.
"Mom will drive you in, she's downstairs getting the car together with Pep. Benjamin should be down there already, unless Uncle Tony had to drag him out of bed. Class starts at eight. Class ends at four-thirty. I think Tony's planning to pick you up."
"Home room is in A131, second period's with Max. Dad, I got it." Alice leaned over the kitchen table. "Stop being a helicopter, dad."
Clint laughed, closing the distance to plant a kiss on her cheek. "You don't even know what a helicopter is."
~"I do too! Ben showed me a picture."~ Alice grabbed her leather lunch bag, grabbed a muhl fruit off the counter, and had just about headed up the hall when Clint called out to her.
"Leave the muhl! Earth kids don't have those."
Alice stopped in her tracks, sighed, and rolled the fruit onto a shelf with her hand. She continued forward without looking back.
Clint glanced over at Flint, who was stuffed around half of the kitchen. "Looks like it's just you and me, boy. Think we can convince Natasha to go look for the Time Stone for us? I think I might like to relive those years when we just talked about her leaving, and it never actually happened."
Flint grunted, lowering his head to his paws dejectedly.
Clint stacked his head on his palm. "Yeah. That's what I thought too."
:(:):(:):
Benjamin Stark slid over on his side of the car, allowing extra space for Alice to climb into the SUV beside him. He finished tapping something out on his cell phone, clicked it shut, and shoved the small stick it folded into down his pocket. He flipped a smile at her.
"Elf," he said.
"Francis," she said.
They exchanged squinting glares that lasted hardly a minute before the two began to laugh. Ben broke out first, causing Alice to lean over and poke him in the side, declaring her victory. From the third row, a silent Magni leaned forward and, swift as a cat, wrapped both of his arms around her chest. Alice shot up in her seat, though she never screamed.
James and Magni both appeared between the second row's headrests.
"Ah, cousin, how fairs thee this fine day?" Magni asked conversationally.
Alice spun around on him and glared. "Velu me ekanu melaha nu tuven!"
James' face squeezed together, eyes widening at the insult he perceived she shared. "Ooh, Max, she just called you out!"
"The sharpness of your elven tongue will do nothing to defeat Vigspar should I wield him in battle against your bow."
"Your hammer would rather me wield it, the way even Mjolnir bends to my father's will," Alice seethed.
James buried his laughing against his shoulder, while Magni changed to a brightened red then purple. Bested, for now, he retreated back to his seat and folded his arms across his chest. His elbow struck out, catching James in the side. The son of Steve folded over with an "oof".
The two front doors of the SUV pulled open. Natasha slid behind the driver's seat, and Pepper the passenger. The former Black Widow sent a sharp gaze through the rearview mirror at her daughter.
"I don't think your father approves of cursing in elvish. I don't care if it was him who taught you how to say it."
Alice turned around in her seat again, and fit on the safety belt. ~"Sorry."~
"That's OK. Max deserved it. Max, you better not have that hammer of yours in the back of this car. And if you do, any attempt to bring it to class with you, I will break your left leg." Natasha stuck the keys in the ignition, and the engine rumbled to life. She adjusted the mirror, allowing her piercing green eyes to laser through Thor's son.
"Uh . . . no, Aunt Tasha. I left it at home," Magni replied, dropping his Asgardian accent. Natasha knew full well he spent every weekend since birth, Earth-side, and a little extra in the winters and summer. He spoke English better than his mother did.
"Good. Jim, where are the twins?" The mirror flipped again, landing on James Rogers.
"Mom's still trying to convince dad to let them go through Asgardian war school instead of middle school. So far, mom's winning," Jim said.
Pepper turned around in her seat to look at him. "And did you boys not feel like Asgardian war school?"
"Hell no, that place freaks me out. Volstagg sent his son there, the guy is like eight feet tall and five hundred pounds. He should play for the Jets," Magni shouted.
Beside him, James rapidly shook his head side to side. His twin brother and sister were two years younger than himself. They'd been built specifically out of his mother's warrior spirit, and his father's upstanding patriotism. Tryggr and Fallon were smart enough to invade a continent, and strong enough to do it alone. James occasionally called them Orthrus, the two-headed, canine brother of Cerberus in Greek mythology.
"OK, so maybe tomorrow they'll be along. Ben, do you have everything?" Pepper asked.
Ben sighed, rolling his eyes. He extracted a hard-cased wallet from his pocket. "I digitalized all of my notes for the next year, and coordinated them by date, home room, and teacher. I didn't feel like being a backpack guy," He threw a superior gaze around his fellows. "so I used a few Pym particles to shrink the essentials. They'll reanimate after I find my locker assignment. It's not a big deal."
Alice kicked his shin with the point of her shoe, and Ben shot up in his seat, clutching the offended limb.
"Try being condescending again, and I will kick you in the ribs," she whispered.
He closed the space between them. "Hey, maybe I didn't want anyone finding out that I bought a bright purple backpack."
"It was Hawkeye's colors, and I'm sewing my dad's crest on it. I bet you got fire-engine red and gold," she shot back.
"No, I got black and metallic Si blue, because that's what my Storm Guard suit will be."
"When it's done?"
"It's almost done."
Satisfied, they retreated to their separate sides of the car. Natasha watched their exchange, smiling inwardly. Clint and Tony did it all right. They made two near-replicas of themselves. Arguing little hellcats that were thicker than thieves.
No one could have anticipated the rest of the Avengers' clan coming together in a second generation of future super-heroes in the making. Jamming the car into gear, Natasha pulled forward out of the parking space, and gunned it through the underground lot. They blew through the stop gate, screamed through an intersection, and shot off down the back alley of Stark Tower. The kids in the back hollered in terror and excitement at her driving antics while, apparently used to it, Pepper merely grabbed hold of the dash board with both hands and closed her eyes, head firmly tucked between her knees.
"All right, kids, you're starting high school, so listen up," Natasha debriefed them like a military invasion, weaving the SUV in and out of city traffic at impossible speeds. She could feel Ben's knees climbing the back of her seat, using it as a bracing point to keep himself from rocking back and forth all over the middle row.
"Day one, so I've heard, is the most important. Don't stand out like a bunch of buffoons, and the first person who gets involved in a class prank is going to hear it from me." The wheel spun rapidly to the left, the tires screaming as they drifted around a corner and blasted off in a new direction. "And if you don't think we have no idea what you are doing day-to-day, then I have a big surprise for you. So don't be stupid, do your school work, do not get pregnant or get girls pregnant. This school was designed specifically because of the boom people had after the Galactus war. Suddenly, all Earth's heroes drifted back home and every powered person who claimed a role fighting Heralds, ended up with babies. Think of it like the Xavier Institute, just with more radioactive spiders. This will last for four years of your life, unless you screw it up. Don't screw it up."
She made another hairpin turn, cutting off a city bus, two taxis, and squeezed between a guard rail and dump truck.
"Someone has a problem with you, it's their problem, not yours. You have not been granted leave to be Avengers, so don't act like you are. That means weapons stay at home. People know who you are already, but guess what? Just because you're the son of Thor, does not mean you get to pick on Peter Parker's kid."
Natasha jumped the curb, spun the SUV into a full 360 degrees, and perfectly landed them in a parallel parking spot twelve inches away from Bruce Banner. He wore a pair of pleated, grey suit pants, and stood with his hands relaxed in their pockets. A cream white button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, covered his chest. A grey vest went over the shirt, its front a relatively plain type of pinstripe, while the back displayed an intricate silk black-on-black pattern.
For the first time, Natasha turned and faced the four of them. "The most important thing: Bruce Banner is your principal. You screw up, he doesn't even have to tell us. He has full reign to deal with you himself. And trust me, he is looking forward to it."
Four pairs of eyes darted toward the doctor and former Princeton Professor. When exactly he transformed from their kindly, childless uncle, to the utter terrifying force standing before them now, no one could answer precisely. But there it was, nonetheless.
"Yes, ma'am," James said, sounding remarkably like his father. The SUV doors popped open, and everyone piled out. Bruce ruffled the kids' hair as they scurried by, but remained on the sidewalk to see Pepper and Natasha. Together, the three watched them walk inside.
It was a sight to behold. Alice, purple bag tucked tight up on her shoulder. Magni, his elbow resting on her backpack strap and laughing at something James said. James was walking backwards, wearing two massive headphones and a t-shirt displaying the Captain America shield. Ben looked positively bored already, despite his attempts at kicking the back of Alice's shoes to make her leg go flying forward.
Instantly upon contact, the girl spun on him, and the chase was on. Ben rushed up the school steps, Alice hot on his heels. Magni passed her a pen from his bag, and the tool sailed through the air, ricocheted off a water fountain, a basketball, then landed right in front of Ben's foot. The kid hit it mid run, lost his balance, fell forward, and James caught the back of his shirt before the Stark son smashed his face off the concrete. Already standing in the doorway, were Betty Ross' twins, Hiro and Kally. They watched the goings on, and laughed.
"I think we just made a big mistake," Natasha said, folding her arms.
"They'll be fine...If they know what's good for them," Pepper said, unconcerned.
"That's the thing, I don't think they quite get what we will do to them if they screw up."
Bruce snickered. "Hey, look at it this way. They are all officially my problem, everyday, 8-4:30. Besides, Sam Wilson's kids are coming here now, after you all picked this school. Then there's Parker signed on for homeroom teaching, the ant-kid is attending, and that's not even touching mine."
Pepper looked surprised. "Does this mean you and Betty made it official? You're adopting her kids?"
"The Avengers' household has two more members." Bruce cast a gentle look in the direction of the two. "It's been hard since their father died. I'm not replacing him, but I've been in their lives for so long now, I hope they don't see me as a threat. I guess this means I should tell them about that whole turning green thing."
Pepper leaned against him, pushing playfully. "I'm sure they've figured that out already. I'm really happy for you, Bruce. They're great kids. Hopefully the other four aren't going to irritate them too much."
Bruce shook his head, heading for the courtyard of the school. "They shouldn't, especially since Kally knows more about astrophysics than Ben does. That always gets his approval. I'll go in and get the announcements started. After all, it's my first day too."
First day, Natasha thought, watching him head inside. It was a first day for a lot of things. Sure, she worried about how the next generation was going to handle a new school, new dynamics, and Earth educational systems. Alice had done so well under her private tutors, that setting her loose in a larger environment was sure to come with its own set of challenges. But she had her friends, her support, and everything they could have asked for. Kind of like when Clint first walked into the Avengers' lifestyle. She was already getting a better start than either of her parents had.
Times were changing again, this time for the better. Having these little connections to the homes they knew, only helped them in the end. It saved them from forgetting the people they were, the friends they had, even in the distant places of the Nine Realms where memories were usually stripped away like fallen leaves. Their kids kept them together, the memories alive, and friendships long lasting.
This was day one all over again, the beginning of a new chapter in their lives and, what would be, the most exciting chapter yet.
The End.
(The "After Credits" Scene...")
Tony's head peeked into the kitchen, swiveling from left to right as if at any moment he might come across someone. Like a child caught in the act, Pepper had a way of interrupting his schemes at the very moment he hoped she would not, upsetting whatever preconceived notions he might form. This day, he took added precautions. He knew she was gone, off to drive the kids to school despite the fact that Natasha could very well handle them. It took remarkably little convincing to see it accomplished and, now that he was alone, the time came to work again.
He crossed the living room with the suit draped over his shoulder. He eased up to the carved doorway that sealed the Alfheimr portal away from mortal eyes, and knocked twice on the frame. A corresponding knock arrived and he pulled the door open and slipped inside.
Clint stood waiting for him, his arms folded over his chest. "Anyone see you?" he demanded instantly.
Tony shook his head, pushing away the curious nose of Flint who'd began huffing over the suit fabric he held. "No. The girls are still out. We've got to do this quick though."
Clint nodded, stripping off his shirt. "You think it'll actually work?"
"I could make it in purple if you want."
"Not aesthetically work, Tony," Clint complained. He pulled the belt free from his pants, gauging just how much he might be required to strip.
"All of it," Tony encouraged. "We need a skin tight seal over where the wounds were."
Clint complied, dropping his trousers.
Tony handed the new suit to him, then pressed his face back through the portal into the Tower living room. Still no sign of the others. The way Natasha drove, there wasn't much to keep them tied up for long. He turned around again to hurry Clint along, but there was no need. Clint had already managed to slip the suit in place.
Stark cocked up a corner of his eyebrow, rather pleased at his own design. "Wow. You look like something out of a samurai movie."
*drop the mic*
yup. totally just did an "after credits" on you. That happened. written form. now go do some googling about what this could mean and literally let your mind go wild.
In the mean time, I want to take this opportunity at the end of this 60+ chapter monstrosity to thank you, all of you, who have been so instrumental in making this Hawkeye Initiative series so worth while. Without your constant support, reading, following, reviews, favorites, alerts, and all those things you do every day to reach out and show support I could not be in the position that I am. I began Lithium Hawkeye on a whim after Avengers in 2012, and Look how far this world has come. Our boys have suffered a lot at my hands, but it is all in love and devotion to who they are as characters. I Love writing them. Every single moment i type is an adventure into their stories like no other. How I can continue to connect their lives like this, I can't even understand fully. But I am so very glad you have enjoyed it.
I want to take a quick moment, if you will allow, to thank two very special people who have made this journey possible:
icanhearthedrums: You have been with me on countless stories. You are only a simple message away whenever inspiration strikes, when I'm lost, stuck, or trapped in a corner. you reign me in and let me loose. you fill my heart with amazement every moment and have been more supportive than I will ever deserve. The very name of this crowning achievement I have derived from your penname, for you. You have inspired this work in its entirety. Thank you, for your friendship, devotion, and editing prowess.
JRBarton: My Luna, Many may not know but Nova Luna was name in honor of you and all the endless, toiling, unpaid hours you have packed into keeping me set on the proper grammatical path. The hard work you have put in is immense, incalculable, and appreciated beyond reason. Again, I do not feel I deserve such loyalty as you have shown me. When i need a helping hand, you are there. When I have rambled on insensibly, you have pulled me from the brink, when it seems nothing will be accomplished, you force my inspiration. the entire scene of Clint's awakening to his memories was only inspired by your own suggestion to make things better, bigger, than I had ever planned. Thank you for everything you have done, and continue to do.
And a special shout out to:
Elise Willis. Friend, confidant, and midnight reader. Your reviews, your support, and your endless enthusiasm have brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for your overjoyed assistance on the things to come. I will remember you always as one of the kindest of souls, soon to be immortalized forever.
So now what? Well, check my author page first for stories in the works.
And...
surprise...
The Hawkeye Initiative will be RETURNING soon with the NEXT installment of this hugely epic series, where we dive a little deeper into this amazing Epilogue world! Stay tuned, stay faithful, and review my friends! Thank you!