A Sense of Belonging - An Avengers Fan fiction

Chapter 1

I have been stuck here for a week. A week of being bribed and manipulated in attempts to get me to speak, each one worse than the last, and none of them ending well. Nobody will tell my where I am, or why I am here. Nobody shows me kindness. I was told I was going to be protected. Next thing I knew I was being gagged, blindfolded and shoved into the back of a van and taken to the middle of nowhere, and now I’m sitting in a small room. I’m a prisoner. I can always hear people outside the room, and I’m almost positive they have me under 24-hour observation.

However, something was different today. Usually by this time, around midday judging by the position of the sun, someone would have come to get me. I would be once again sitting in the chair, facing one of the many men who were trying to crack me. But not today. I was jolted out of my thoughts by a bang on the door, making me jump in shock. I scolded myself, knowing I shouldn’t let myself become vulnerable. I watched from the corner, taking a defensive stance as the door swung open to reveal a man leaning on the doorframe, surveying me with a curious look on his face. I recognized him immediately. I was the first to break the silence.

“I thought you were considered one of the good guys.” His face registered confusion as he tried to understand the meaning behind my words.

“You wouldn’t be here if Fury didn’t have reason to keep you here. I am only his agent, his messenger. I can do nothing to help without disobeying him. It comes with the job.” He reasoned, moving further into the room. It didn’t look as though he was armed, something that confused me. I would’ve thought him of all people would have been the most wary.

“You’re Hawkeye! I thought you out of all people would understand, I thought you of all people would understand that this isn’t right! I am innocent. I have done nothing. I don’t know why I am here! Heck, I don’t even know where here is!” I was starting to shout, and let a tear slip down my cheek. “One month ago I lost my parents. I am alone. And the worst bit about being stuck here, is not that I don’t know why or where, it’s the fact that I know there is no one left who cares enough to miss me. There is no one who is coming to save me. I’m alone.”

We stand in silence for a while, him watching carefully while I tried to keep a strong demeanor. I was a little shocked when he held out his hand, gesturing towards the door.

“Let’s go for a walk. I’ll show you around, explain what’s happening. I think you already know who I am, but call me Clint. I’m only Hawkeye when I’m on the job.” Clint explained, but I still didn’t move.

“I thought you weren’t allowed to show me niceness, to explain all of this?” I questioned, watching the well-known hero in front of me smile.

“I didn’t tell you how wrong I thought Fury was. He can’t blame an eighteen-year-old girl for something her father did years ago. He is in the wrong. You don’t deserve this.” He paused, moving towards the door again. “So, will you trust me and let me show you around?” I slowly nodded, moving towards him with a thousand questions running through my head, but my wary and ready demeanor not changing.

“I will follow you. But I do not trust you. I do not know whose side you are really on. But I want answers. So I am really only left with one option.”  I sighed, blinking my eyes rapidly as I adjusted to the brightly lit corridors compared to the dark room I had been kept in for the majority of the past week. “Where am I?” I asked, glancing around at the countless rooms joining onto the corridor. As we walked down past the white walls, many people stopped to look at the two of us. This I could understand. I probably wasn’t meant to be walking around. And I certainly didn’t look like anyone else here. My brown hair was out and cascading down my back, and my tanned skin was starting to pale from the lack of sunlight. I was dressed in cargo pants and a singlet top, whereas everyone else in this area was in a proper uniform. Not to mention the fact that I was quite tall for my age.

Clint still hadn’t answered my question, so I gently nudged him.

“Clint? You said you would answer my question …” I trailed off. There was a short silence between the two of us before he answered.

“You’re at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. Somewhere above New York.” I didn’t even bother to ask why he said somewhere above. I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to know.

“Okay … So the same people who offered me protection are now holding me hostage. Makes sense. Why am I here?” We had now passed what looked like to be a main control room, somewhere that Clint pushed me past fast; it seemed I wasn’t to be seen by anyone in there.

“Fury holds a grudge against your father. He believes you are connected to your father’s work, and therefore sees you as the enemy.” I waited for him to continue, but when I got no more information, I started to get frustrated.

“Can I ask what my father did? Why won’t you tell me?” Again, no answer.

“He’s not in a place to tell you, Miss Lucas. I, however, am. “ Both of us spun around, and I came face to face with a tall, muscular man, with dark skin and an eye patch covering one eye.

“Director Fury,” Clint nodded, placing a hand lightly on the small of my back and pulling me closer to him.

“Agent Barton. Care to let me borrow Miss Lucas for a short while? I think it’s time we had a small chat.”