Dark Arrow

Chapter Five

Steve stood in the apartment over the cafe like I'd told him to. The slight change to the plan was that I'd been spotted, I hadn't accounted for their lookouts. It was a rookie mistake and one I knew I'd pay for later. I had no choice but to leave my spot of the top of the building. Rappelling down the side of the building, I heard Steve through my earpiece. "Where are you Barton?"

Two men came towards me with their guns drawn, pulling the bow off my back I loaded up a trick arrow. Firing in between them, the arrow spilt in two, lodging in their necks as they fell to the floor. "Not sitting on my ass like some!" I bit back as I swung onto the back of another masked man, snapping his neck with my thighs.
"Barton!" Steve scolded in my ear, causing me to growl at him.
"How many times? Barton is my brother!" I took down two more before I finally managed to make it into the building.

I had to at least attempt to get people out, I decided not to waste time knocking on doors and kick them down instead.
"Where are you?!" Steve shouted into my ear. I didn't have time to respond, I was too busy ushering families out when an elderly woman grabbed my arm.
"Apartment 32, there's two kids, Mom works two jobs."

"I'll get them, please get out as quickly as you can." I ushered her out.
A young man came up and took her arm, "would you mind if I picked you up? I can get us out quicker."
The woman looked him up at down, "sweetie if you pick me up I may never let you put me down." I chuckled, satisfied that they'd be okay. Running through the hallways I kicked open any closed doors I could see. When I finally made it to the final floor I found the apartment that the woman had mentioned. Kicking open the door I found two kids, no older than ten huddled under a table. I knew I was running out of time, but I had to be gentle with them. All the hustle and bustle had obviously scared them.

Kneeling down in front of them, I gave them a smile.
"Hey my name's Rain. I know this is all pretty scary, but I'm here to help."
The small boy looked at his sister before looking at me and spotting the bow on my back.
"Are you Hawkeye? Momma says he's a hero." I couldn't help but smile, even at a young age he didn't question that I was obviously a female. This is how kids should be raised, his Mom had done a good job.
"I'm not Hawkeye, I'm his little sister. I'm better than him." I gave them a wink which seemed to help them trust me.

Before I could get them out I felt the building shake as the bomb went off. Instinctively I climbed under the table, pulling them under me as rubble rained down around us. I could feel the pressure on my back, I knew there was rubble laying on top of the table above us. The pain was getting worse but I couldn't show it.
"It's okay," I smiled down at the scared kids below me.

"Rain!" Steve shouted through the earpiece.
"I'm inside Rogers, got two kids here. We need some help like now." I could feel the pressure on my back getting worse.
"Get out of there!" He ordered me. I rolled my eyes, was he really that dense?
"Yeah not an option, I'm in apartment 32" I growled back.
"Don't move. I'm coming." I rolled my eyes again, forgetting he couldn't see me. If I could move I wouldn't be sat here. I reassured the children that Captain America was on his way and kept them distracted by getting them to tell me about their favourite superheroes. I was surprised to hear that it was my brother and Nat, they liked that they were normal. It meant that anyone could be a superhero if they tried hard enough. They weren't wrong.

Steve found us not long after, pulling the rubble from on top of me with ease. He helped me up, looking me over for injuries. I insisted I was fine, a bit of bruising here and there but nothing a drink wouldn't fix. He noticed the gash in my head before I did. Ripping the sleeve of his suit he placed it against my forehead.
"Yeah you look totally unscathed." He shook his head as I looked up at him, for once I didn't have a witty comeback.

Perhaps this head injury is worse than I thought.

Fire fighters managed to get the kids out safely and back to their mother. Once we made it out, Steve insisted I saw a medic for my injury. No matter how much I argued it could wait until we got back, he wasn't letting it go. I sat on the back step of the ambulance as they taped me up.
"Rain?" Nick came through on the earpiece. I placed my finger against it, waving the paramedic off.
"I'm fine Nick, any casualties?"

"Nope and looks like you took out majority of the culprits. Good job. Get patched up and come back."

"Copy that." I stood and walked over to a very pissed off looking Steve. He was leaning against a car with his arms crossed as I reached him.
"What?" I barked out as I headed towards where the Quinjet was cloaked. He walked beside me, not saying a word.

The whole flight home was spent it silence, the tension thick in the air. I concentrated on getting us back safely, turning off stealth mode as we neared the tower. He finally broke the silence just as I began to land.
"You were reckless today." He mumbled out, knowing I would hear him. As the ramp began to lower I finally turned in my seat, rolling my eyes at him as I stood.
"Oh bite me Cap, I was fine."

He got into my face, his anger obvious as he shouted at me.
"You went in alone!" Nick's right hand agent Maria Hill stepped on to the jet, causing Steve to take a step back. She shook her head slightly as she passed me the mission report for me to fill out.
"It went well then." I pushed past Steve as I took the paperwork from her.
"Never again Hill, next time I take Natasha or Barnes." There was no way I could handle any more missions with the self righteous asshole. I hadn't purposely gone off alone, I did what I had to in the situation. Why Steve gave a shit, I wasn't quite sure. Maybe it just made him look bad, because it sure as hell wasn't because he cared.

Bucky pushed off the wall after hearing my conversation with Maria.
"You couldn't get along for a few hours?" I smiled instantly as I saw him.
"Bucky Bear!" I called out, using the nickname I'd given him not long after I'd found him. He may be a big broody hulk of a man but to me he was a big teddy bear who secretly loved to snuggle. Something I knew Natasha could confirm. I ran over to him, jumping on his back. He caught me easily with a chuckle.
"To the bar!" I demanded as I shot my arm out over his shoulder.

I could feel him laughing beneath me, the sound vibrating through me.
"Fuck sake doll," he continued to laugh at my antics as he walked us further away from the jet. Wrapping my arms around him, I rested my chin in the crook of his neck.
"I want to drink, take me drinking Bucky Bear." I pouted, knowing he'd hear it even if he couldn't see it. He shook his head slightly as he put me down in the elevator.
"You need to shower first, you stink."

I couldn't deny that he was right, the stench of the day was lingering over me.
"Fine," I conceded, "but then we drink." The doors closed as he laughed with me, I loved hearing him laugh. After everything he'd endured in his life, he deserved to be happy.

Steve had watched the doors shut, the sound of her laughter filling the air. It was a beautiful sound, one he rarely heard. He stood by the jet, his hands on his hips as he shook his head. He almost wished it was him pulling those sounds from her beautiful lips. No. He shook the thought away, he couldn't stand her and her snarky attitude.
"I need a drink," he muttered before heading off to his room to get cleaned up.