Our little family (sequel to Baby Captain Widow)

Chapter 12: Rōnin

2 weeks later...

It was early evening in the compound; Rhodey, Nat, Steve, and Hailey were all sorting out old SHIELD files in the office. They worked in silence, whilst Thor and Tony could be heard arguing three doors down in the lounge. "Hey Nat, Clint's going to be arriving in Tokyo tonight." Rhodey spoke, breaking their heavy silence. "I mean, if you wanted to go and get him. To try and stop his... whatever he thinks he's doing." Nat's head flew up to face him, before nodding slowly.
"I'm not sure you should be going, 'Tasha. It could be dangerous." Steve voiced his worry, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Clint wouldn't hurt me, you know that."
"Not intentionally. But accidents can still happen. Remember Tony's last Iron Legion."
"How about I go with her?" Hailey suggested, putting away the files she had been reading. "If things get ugly, which they won't," She added, as Nat gave her a look. "I can be there to prevent anything from happening to her. How about that?" Steve thought for a moment.
"Alright, but I'm going too."
"Steve, no. I'm sorry, but this is something that you can't help with. Lily needs you, anyway." Nat said, kissing him gently. He held her close.
"Alright, but I don't like it."

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The quinjet flew through heavy rain clouds hours later, reaching the beautiful city of Tokyo. "So, how do you want to play this?" Hailey smirked, headset on, in one of the pilot's seats, Nat beside her in the other.
"Probably best if I just go, but stay close by just in case things get tricky."
"Alright, if you're sure..." Hailey said, as they prepared the jet for landing.

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Gunshots rang through a once lively nightclub, the floor littered with the newly dead. The Rōnin threw a throwing star, hitting his victim in the neck. "It's him!" A man cried. "He's after Akihiko!" Before he and his friends were shot dead. The Rōnin killed another guy as he raced up the stairs, leaving the massacre behind him, punching a man through a glass window, smashing it into a sharp hole. Gunshots could be seen and heard through the translucent windows, covered in raindrops from the outside, and blood on the inside.

He jumped through another window, chasing a different man, landing on a tin awning, before landing on the rain-covered concrete below. "Why are you doing this?" Akihiko asked, unsheathing his silver katana blade. "We never did anything to you!"
"You survived... Half of the planet didn't. They got Thanos." The Rōnin answered, unsheathing his own katana blade. "You get me..."

They locked in battle, ruthlessly swinging their blades at one another. The haunting sound of clashing metal echoed over the heavy rain pouring onto the blood covered tarmac of the ghostly street of the freshly dead. Akihiko pointed his blade with a fully extended arm at the Rōnin's face. "You are done hurting people." The Rōnin spoke menacingly through his mask.
"WE hurt people?" Akihiko returned, staring at him accusingly. He laughed in disbelief, gesturing to the massacre around them. "You're crazy!" He roared, before lunging at the masked assassin, dancing majestically in the watered down blood that was racing towards the gutters. The Rōnin thrust the tip of his katana in the man's face, Akihiko wearily raising his arms in a feeble attempt of peace. They locked in battle again, clashing their blades loudly, sparks erupting from where the metal collided. Rōnin slapped Akihiko in the face, as the Japanese defender swung his blade around. The Rōnin's blade sliced through Akihiko's neck, blood pooling out, staining his white shirt. He clutched at his fatal wound, choking for air, falling onto his knees. "Wait! Help me! I'll give you anything! What do you want?"
"What I want you can't give me." The Rōnin spoke in English, before pointing his blade towards the dying man, and thrust the lethal edge into him. He pulled the blade out, now a tarnished symbol of former honour, and wiped the crimson blood off of it using his sleeve. Lowering his hood, he proceeded to pull off his mask.