If you have Disney Plus(or perhaps you don't and you watched it some OTHER way...), then you have seen how the archer, Hawkeye inspired the heroine Kate Bishop to become a hero herself. But you haven't heard the story of her other half, Francis Barton. Son of Clint Barton, the original Hawkeye.

Known to his family and close friends as Frankie, and to others, the next Hawkeye. This is one of my personal favorites as it shows the story of, not one, but two who have come over odds which were piled against them and the ones who were there to guide them in the right path. The path home.

Watch with me.

MARVEL STUDIOS

[2012]

***Roswell, Georgia***

On a day like this with the sun shining and birds chirping, you would think it was a great day. But in truth, it was a gift. A gift that almost didn't make it. The reason behind it was because the world was almost lost to an invasion of aliens led by a mad Asgardian prince, hell-bent on ruling.

But thankfully, that wasn't the outcome. No, for the world, the outcome was the return to something of a normal life. If there was such a thing anymore. People could go back to work, sleep in, take a vacation. Kids could go back to school, play outside, or stay in and watch cartoons.

And that last one was exactly what a certain boy with blonde hair was doing this morning. In a quaint house on a nice street, this little boy whose hair was blonde and eyes dark brown sat on the couch of his living room, watching cartoons. At least that's what he was supposed to be watching. But at a certain point, he had found the remote and began surfing through channels. He maybe have been only three, but he was still smart for his age. He could already speak understand more than most his age.

As he switched back and forth from cartoons to a news channel, in a certain room down the hall from the living room, a woman with blonde hair paced back and forth. This woman was Barbara Morse, or simply Bobbi. She was the mother of that boy. And in her hand was a phone which had just ended a call. The call had come from SHIELD, the Strategic Homeland Intelligence Enforcement and Logistics Division, and they had called Bobbi back to active duty.

It had been two days since the Battle of New York and things were still crazy. Damage Control had come into the picture and there were still many "items" of interest in the wind and other people of interest as well. Not to mention new SHIELD trainees coming into the field for the first time.

This along with the Avengers going their separate ways, they were going to need all hands on deck. Any other time, Bobbi would have jumped up and gone back into action with no problem. But there was a problem now...

"I don't know...I just don't know." Bobbi said aloud.

As she continued pacing around, she was watched by a man who sat in a chair by a desk in the room. This man was another SHIELD agent, one Lance Hunter. A close friend of Bobbi's and her boyfriend of two years...and husband of one. On his face was one of concern as he saw how bothered his wife was about this.

"I know it's risky, Bob, but with everything happening at SHIELD, they need us," he said.

"But I can't help but think about him! He's our priority." Bobbi retorted, almost tearfully.

"I understand, Bobbi, but SHIELD is good at protecting people. He can be put in a safe house with bodyguards and they'll look after him. Besides, where else could we take him?"

Bobbi bit her lip, her mind racing through the limited options. It was bad enough she had to leave her child right now. But the idea of her son with agents who would likely treat him as more of a charge than a child didn't reassure her very much.

But Lance was right, they didn't have any other options. Unless...

Bobbi took a deep breath as one place came to mind. It wasn't what she initially wanted, but it was definitely a better option than leaving him with SHIELD.

Taking a breath, Bobbi spoke. "There is one place... It's somewhere he'll be safe and cared for, and even though we're not there...he'll be with family..."

It took a moment but Lance's eyes widened as a realization struck him. "Barton?"

Exhaling a shaky breath from her lips, Bobbi nodded. "Yes...Barton."

Folding his arms, Lance looked at Bobbi curiously. "You're sure about that?"

His wife gave a shrug in reply. "It's our only other option."

"Right, but are you sure?" The emphasis on certain words helped Bobbi to see what her husband was driving at.

"Clint just had a son not too long ago. Him and Laura have been doing good, taking care of him, and...I know they'll take good care of him."

Bobbi's heart ached as she said this. She knew what she said was true, but that didn't make what she needed to do any easier. Lance saw this and pulled her into a hug which Bobbi immediately returned. A heavy silence settled between them as the weight of their decision sunk in. The only sounds were the muffled cries and sniffles of Bobbi.

"I hate this, Lance," Bobbi whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

"I hate it too, love," Her husband replied, rubbing her back as he held her, "But remember who you're doing it for."

And she did. She was doing it for her son. Bobbi couldn't forget. She just couldn't.

Pulling away just an arms length, she gave a half smile at Lance. And he smiled back before kissing her forehead. "Right then. Let's do it, shall we?"

Nodding at that, Bobbi let go and opened the door to the room. They soon stepped into the living room and found the boy where they left him.

"Hey there, bub!" Lance called out in a nice low tone. This gained the attention of the boy, "What're you watching, I thought we left you on cartoons?"

"News and cartoon!" The boy replied, rather excitedly.

This gained a smile from Lance and Bobbi, who had both come around and sat on the couch with him.

"You are so sneaky, Frankie!" Bobbi said as she cuddled the boy close to her.

And that was his name, Frankie. Well, truthfully, it was Francis. But, due to some of the neighborhood kids laughing at the and calling it a "girl's name", and thanks to Bobbi calling him that anyway, he was simply called Frankie.

Seeing as how he was in a good mood, Bobbi took a breath to tell him the news. But before she could...

"Mommy, look!" Frankie exclaimed, pointing at the TV. "Superheroes!"

Looking to the screen, Bobbi saw the news with showed footage from the invasion just a few days ago, as well as the team of heroes who thwarted it; the Avengers! Seeing these captured Frankie's attention as would ice cream.

Bobbi's heart swelled with affection as she exchanged a knowing glance with Lance. Crouching down to Frankie, she said, "You're absolutely right, sweetheart! They are superheroes."

The footage had shown each one of the Avengers who fought. Captain America. Iron Man. Thor. The Hulk. And then came two who Bobbi knew very well. One was the red haired female spy/assassin Natasha Romanoff, also known as the Black Widow. And then, it came to a man she knew all too well. A man who Bobbi was very, VERY close with during her first years with SHIELD. A man whose weapon of choice was, not a gun, but a bow and arrow.

This man was Clint Barton. Known professionally as Hawkeye. And Bobbi noticed that Frankie seemed to be particularly interested when he came in the screen. Seeing this, she saw this as a good a time as any to tell him.

Gently, she took Frankie's little finger and pointed to the archer on the screen. "Do you know who that is?" she asked Frankie.

Frankie stared at the man on the screen for a moment before shaking his head. Bobbi's voice quivered and threatened to go away as she said, "That's your dad, Frankie. Your father."

Frankie's gaze shifted from the screen to his mother, his little face filled with surprise. So much surprise that he looked over at Lance who gave a small smile and nodded as if to confirm Bobbi's words.

Turning back to the television, Frankie again saw the man standing there. His father. Standing there with his bow and arrow, and a name by his face...

Hawkeye.

HAWKEYE
THE ARROW HOME

And that's the kickoff! I wanted to add more, but I didn't want to over do it. I hope this was enough to whet your appetite and keep you ready for what's coming. 😁😁 Trust me when I tell you, this story will not have a shortage of emotional chapters and the next one is going to be very emotional, but also very heartwarming.

I hope y'all enjoyed it, please let me know what you thought, and I look forward to sharing the next chapter with y'all!

Steven Grant: "Laters gators!"