The Family Business (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 16: Better Luck Next Time

Later at training, Cara was running around the training course that was specially set up for archery, training alongside Clint. 'So much for avoiding him for a while' had been her first thought when she had seen he and Tony waiting for her. Tony was watching from the observation room, adding color commentary here and there. They were having what was supposed to be a friendly competition to see who could hit the most targets, Cara or Clint. It was an agility, target practice, as well an environmental/ team awareness training covering a lot of skills all in one session. Obviously, the better the hit on the target, the more points it was worth, and right now Cara was kicking his ass.

"Shot through the heart and you're to blame darling you give love, a bad name!" Cara excitedly sang as she dove from one cover to the next, hitting the target directly on the bullseye mark.

"Urgh! Will you shut up?! How are you in such a good mood??" Clint yelled from across the room.

"Not all of us drank a swimming pool's worth of alcohol last night Barton." Tony said over the intercom.

Cara leaned around a corner shooting at a target in a tower. Just as the arrow was about to go through the window, one of Clint's arrows hit hers, both of them clattering to the ground. Cara scowled in the direction of her brother before drawing back at another target. Again just before it was about to strike, her arrow was hit, clattering to the ground again.

"Stop being such a sore loser Clint!" Cara yelled.

"Maybe you should just get better and not be so predictable!" Clint yelled back.

Cara leaned out again this time she shot two arrows at once. Clint had fired another arrow but had only hit one of hers. The second one sank just outside of the bullseye, earning Cara points and making the target disappear.

"Chalk another 2 points up, way to go Hunger Games."

Cara looked up at the observation window shaking her head.

"Get used to it, everyone gets a nickname or two." Clint said from somewhere above and behind her.

She heard another arrow sink into a target. Cara was trying to keep track of Clint so even though they were in competition, she could still be aware of working as a team and not getting in each other's way. She quickly made her way to the last few targets she took out an arrow but from another direction she saw three arrows fly nailing all of the remaining targets. Cara stood in the middle of an aisle, looking up at the glass.

"Oooh here's where it gets interesting Lady and Not-So-Gentlemen."

"That joke is getting old Tony!" Clint yelled.

"So our final point total comes to a tie. That means it's time for last man standing. Each of you will try to take down the other, last man standing gets to be done for the day, loser has another 2 hours of training. Ready, set, go!"

The lights dimmed and Cara immediately and instinctively took cover, collapsing her bow and making sure each step she made, made no sound. Last she had known, Clint was above her on one of the walkways across the room. She ducked behind one of the makeshift buildings and quickly climbed up the ladder to the next level. Moving as quickly as she could she then grabbed a bar that stuck out from the wall, pulled herself up and jumped to a gangway above the second level.

Regaining her footing she remained crouched listening. When she heard some nearby slowing quicksteps she stayed low and moved toward them. Sure enough, about 10 steps later she found Clint hugging a corner peeking around it to make sure the coast was clear. Climbing up onto the railing slowly, she crouched, balancing herself with one hand, the other arm out for balance waiting.

When Clint made a move toward the other wall Cara launched herself from the platform, somersaulting down toward Clint, ready to take him down. But as Cara was about to make contact, Clint spun out of the way dodging her. Once she landed she immediately went into a roll before putting her hand down spinning herself around to face him with the momentum.

Not giving her too much time to react, Clint came at her with a downward blow. She dodged and went to strike him with an elbow but he blocked that as well. They they went into hand to hand combat, neither of them holding back. When he overextended one of his punches Cara took the opportunity to use his off balance to her advantage, sweeping his legs out from under him. But Clint was ready for this, grabbing her stability arm while back flipping landing behind her and putting her into an arm bar hold.

Desperately, Cara tried to elbow him with her other arm but it was no use. He pulled on her arm harder causing her to groan out in pain. Not giving up she tried using her legs for momentum out of it, then to try and kick him in the face, the arm anywhere she could possibly reach. She twisted just enough to land a solid kick in his ribs but he tightened the grip of his legs and pulled her arm further making her yell.

"Tap out asshole!" Clint yelled.

"Grmph- rrrr- uhhhghhrr-" Cara grunted still struggling.

"Just fucking tap out before I break your arm like last time!" Clint yelled.

"You... cheated last... time!"

"JESUS what is wrong with you two?! I'm calling it, Legolas wins."

The lights came full back on and Clint released her, sitting up, holding his knees catching his breath. Cara lay flat on the ground coughing slightly, catching her breath and rubbing her arm. The door opened moments later and Tony and Nat walked in. Clint stood up walking over to Cara, offering to help her up but she swatted his hand away, sitting up, then standing on her own. When Tony and Nat stopped in front of them Nat's arms were folded and Tony had his hands up in question.

"First of all, Ive never seen someone hit a woman like that, or try to for that matter. Second, I've never seen someone willing to have their own arm broken instead of tapping out of a TRAINING." Tony said bewildered.

"What? You guys never fought with your siblings?" Cara asked.

"All the time, just like that." Nat said.

"No! I'm an only child! You assassins are all like wild animals." Tony said shocked. "Did you really break her arm last time?!"

"Yeah before she got moved to agent training we got into a fight over... what was that over again?" Clint asked.

"Oh on that assignment in Singapore? Who got top bunk." Cara said.

"Yeah, so naturally we thought we would spar for it. I got her into an arm bar just like now and she refused to tap, just like now. So I broke her arm, then she tapped."

"She should have tapped. There was no way out of it she was just being stubborn." Nat added.

"You were just watch- of course you were there watching, why am I surprised? You three are a different breed." Tony said shaking his head turning to leave.

Clint reached his hand out to Cara. When she ignored it he slapped her arm before holding it out again. She roughly shook it in a show of good gesture as they followed Nat and Tony out of the room. Without even turning around Tony whistled pointing down the hall in the direction of the gymnasium.

"Don't forget you have two more hours. Have fun Katniss, better luck next time."