Aquaman? Whoops, Wrong Universe: A Percy Jackson Marvel Crossover

Chapter 20: Clint

Clint and Tony (certainly an interesting pair) landed the Quinjet on a grassy stretch of land, surrounded by a lone road with not a single car driving on it. They had had an argument on who would be flying it. Tony won, unfortunately, and Clint was left in the passenger seat, staring grumpily at the passing scenery. Clint had asked why they needed the jet in the first place—Long Island wasn't far at all from NYC. Tony had insisted they needed it in case they took the kids with them. That sentence sounded very wrong without context.

They both climbed out carefully and surveyed the scene around them. There was a hill in front of them, with a huge pine tree towering over all the rest of the forest trees. A sign at the base of the hill read "Delphi Strawberry Farms" in a plain font. 

The entire place seemed bland and uninteresting. Something urged Clint to turn away. There wasn't anything of interest over here. Percy must've told them about the wrong place. Clint turned around, about to head out, and saw Tony actually walking back to the jet at a brisk pace. That snapped Hawkeye out of it. He grabbed Tony's arm and steered him back in the direction they were trying to go in.

"Voodoo magic," Clint said. "I don't like it."

Tony scowled, embarrassed that he had fallen for whatever deterred visitors. "Me neither. Everything was so much easier before Jackson came along."

Clint agreed, although he didn't know how much weirder it really was than the things he had already seen in his life.

Clint hadn't particularly wanted to come on this mission. Steve seemed far more excited at the prospect than he did. However, when Natasha "suggested" him to attend, he couldn't really argue. He didn't want the rest of the team finding out about his semi-secret family. That was one secret Nat didn't seem very reserved about sharing.

Clint had a dark past, and Nat respected that. But, she had told him numerous times to just spill his secret about his wife and kids to the team before. He didn't really know why he didn't tell the Avengers. They were trustworthy, that was for sure. He supposed he just wanted his family to stay separate from his identity as Hawkeye. They deserved a life with Clint Barton. Not with the arrow-slinging morally grey superhero. 

Secondly, Clint did not want to experience the fallout that was sure to come if Tony and Steve went on a mission with each other. That relationship was complicated, to say the least. They sorta hated each other's guts, but they also had a grudging respect for each other. Clint preferred to stay out of that particular quarrel. He didn't really even know where the beef came from, besides the fact that Steve had been good friends with Stark's father. Maybe he could've shed some light on that situation if he hadn't been, you know, mind-controlled by Loki when they officially met. 

The moment he had stepped outside the jet, Tony in tow, the pull that Clint experienced around Percy became stronger. Much stronger. Something connected to him this place. That was part of the reason he snapped out of the daze trying to deter the two. Something just screamed at him, This is where you belong.

That couldn't be right. Clint didn't belong anywhere, really. His family was in constant danger because of his line of work. He never quite fit in with his teammates, besides Nat. She seemed to be the only one who really understood him. Clint had resolved long ago to keep moving. To not settle down. To keep danger on its toes. But then, he had met Laura. She was also a former SHIELD agent. She was perfect for him, really. Sweet but tough, and not afraid to show her feelings. It contrasted yet also somehow complemented Clint's own personality.  Nevertheless, when they had decided to have kids, get married, start a life—Clint was wary. What would make this time any different than all the other times when he had been uprooted from his life?

"Ready?" Clint asked Tony. 

He nodded. "Let's get this party started." He flipped his sunglasses down over his eyes. He had chosen to come in a suit with an unbuttoned coat and dress pants—definitely a strange outfit choice for greeting a couple of kids, even if they were all half-god. Clint had opted for a more casual t-shirt and jeans, plus his bow slung over his back. He didn't really want to scare a bunch of teens with weapons, even if they couldn't hurt him, but still—he didn't like going anywhere without some sort of weapon at his disposal. A leftover piece of paranoia from his assassin days.