Finding Home

Chapter 29 - The Meeting

We walked through the portal and found Natasha talking on the phone in her apartment. "I don't care what Wanda said! I'm not giving up on him!" she snapped before hanging up on whoever she was talking to.

She glanced up and saw us with our hoods up. She easily recognized me, considering the crown. "Percy? What are you doing here?"

"It's Mors now, Natasha. This is Hedera. We need you to come with us," I said. "We are having a meeting, which I believe you would like to attend. We are going to gather the rest of your team. Would you care to join us?"

She bit her lip hesitantly. "I'm kind of looking for someone right now..."

"Might I ask who?" I asked.

"My partner. Clint Barton. After his family disappeared, he went off grid. Wanda says I should stop looking, but I know he's out there."

"Alright then, let's go get him," I said. I focused on her bond with the man and followed it to his location.

She stared at me in shock. "Wait, really? You're serious?"

"Of course. I know how important a bond like that is," I said, my mind going to Nico. The bond between the two of them was remarkably similar to ours.

"Thank you, Mors," she said. She grinned and grabbed her gear before following Gamora and me through a portal I created. We emerged on a balcony that overlooked a large city.

Clint stood facing away from us, looking out over the city. I could tell he was armed and signaled to Gamora to be ready just in case. He didn't even turn around as he spoke. "How did you get in here?" he asked.

"Clint!" Natasha exclaimed happily.

He finally turned to face us. "Nat?" he asked in confusion.

Her happy expression was quickly replaced by a furious one. "Five years, Clint!" she shouted. "I have been looking for five years! You don't answer my phone calls or texts! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

While she ranted at him, I quickly scanned through his memories. Four out of the five years he'd been gone, he was being held captive by an organization called Hydra and tortured for information. After he escaped, he had been lying low to avoid giving away his location to them.

I sighed and placed a gentle hand on Natasha's arm. "Do not yell at your partner, Natasha," I said firmly.

She turned her glare on me. "He left me alone! He wasn't there when it mattered most! He just left me!"

"He was captured. He only recently escaped and has been hiding from them," I said. "He has suffered too much for me to let you berate him for something he did not do."

Natasha's anger disappeared and she ran to her partner and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Clint hugged her back, but he was staring at me with suspicion. When they pulled apart, he spoke to me. "How did you know about Hydra?" he asked. "Who are you?"

I chuckled. "You can call me Mors. As for how I knew of Hydra, that's simple. I read your mind."

Clint blinked in surprise. Natasha glared at me. "Hey! That's an invasion of privacy!"

I shrugged. "I didn't go too far into his past."

Oh, really? Gamora asked, turning to me.

"Yes, really. I only went back to where he joined the mortal agency. Who do you think I am, Hedera?" I retorted.

The most untrusting person I know, she answered easily.

I frowned, but had to admit that she was right. "Yeah, but I don't normally read people's minds to get information."