The S.H.I.E.L.D. Files

Catch Me

Timeline: Post-Budapest to Avengers: Endgame; canon

Summary: "I dive off a building, I have no doubt you'll catch me."

  "Nat, what's your status?"

Clint peered around his cover only to yank his head back as bullets peppered the wall behind him, causing a cloud of plaster dust. He strained to hear Natasha's voice above the din. Notching an arrow against the string, Hawkeye waited for his opening.

  "What's that? I didn't copy."

  "We're still two minutes out, Hawkeye," Natasha shouted over the sound of helicopter propellers. "Can you hold out till then?"

  "I'm pinned down on the forty-first floor. I count eight guys." Seeing a break in the assault, Clint stepped halfway out of his cover to fire, then ducked back again. He smirked at the satisfactory cry of his victim. "Make that seven. I have four arrows left, one of them is an exploding arrow." Clint flinched as a bullet broke through the wall too close to his ear. "So make that a yes."

Clint knew Natasha was worried when she didn't make a sarcastic return. He fired another arrow, hitting another target.

  "We see you, Hawkeye."

Clint turned to see a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter hovering outside. Coulson sat in the pilot's seat while Natasha crouched in the open belly, her red hair blowing wildly. She gripped the mic of her headphones as her lips started moving.

  "We can't get close enough. The propellers are too long and the wind is too powerful. If we get too close..."

  "Our ride will crash and burn," Clint finished. He ducked as another bullet clipped his hair. His cover won't hold much longer. Curse the bad guys for chasing him into an abandoned skyscraper. The building was empty aside from walls and glass. He grabbed his last two normal arrows and fired, taking out two more enemies. That left three more opponents with seemingly endless amo and more men on the way, and him with one exploding arrow.

  He tapped his earpiece. "Coulson, give yourself some room."

  "Clint, what are you doing?" Natasha demanded. Clint had never heard her sound so scared before, let alone any emotion at all. Aside from Budapest, Natasha didn't have as much experience in nail-biting teamwork.

  "I'm down to my last arrow. I'm going to blow up the glass so I don't lose momentum by breaking it. It should distract the guys long enough for me to jump."

  "Jump? You won't make it."

  "I know. You're going to catch me."

  "What?"

A bullet whizzed through the wall, grazing Clint's arm. He ignored the stinging pain as he set his last arrow against the string.

  "You ready, Coulson?"

  "Don't die, Barton." He took that as a yes.

  "Nat?"

  "Y-yeah. I'm ready."

  "One."

He pulled the string back.

  "Two."

He aimed at the foot of the windows.

  "Three."

He fired.

The explosion rocked the building. Clint raised his arms to protect his head from the raining debris. For a beat, the endless volley of bullets paused as the assailants were off-balanced by the quake.

Clint took his chance and sprinted towards the open window. Then he jumped.

Natasha reach for him as he fell. She leaned out as far as she could and snatched Barton's hand at the last second. She grunted as her partner's weight threatened to yank her out of the helicopter, gripping a hand bar for support.

  "Do you have him?" Coulson yelled behind him.

Natasha dragged Clint up until they both rolled onto the floor.

  "Yeah, I got him," Romanoff called back a bit breathlessly. "Go!"

The helicopter pulled away from the building, followed by a wave of bullets.

  Natasha sat up against the wall and punched her partner's shoulder as they both panted. "You idiot."

  Clint glanced up at her and grinned. "I knew you would catch me."

* * *

As he was falling through free air, a body slammed into him. They both tumbled down the cliff until something tugged sharply at his hip, catching him. They both slammed against the cliffside. Immediately, he shot out his arm, snatching Natasha's wrist at the last second.

Clint glanced up and tugged at the wire anchoring him to safety. His eyes lowered to his belt where Natasha had snagged her other Widow's Bite.

  "Damn you," Clint grunted.

  She sent him a sad smirk that said, "I'll always catch you, idiot."