Elizabeth Barton/Ghost (Avengers Fanfiction)

A Past Revisited

     I ran down the twisting halls until I came to a big room that looked a lot like the one I had fallen in earlier except this one was larger and led to the controls of Engine One. My heart jumped in my chest when I saw Clint high above. He casually strode across the catwalk he was on. His intentions were clear. Shut down Engine One and others if he could to make us fall from the sky.

To my relief, Natasha was already there and following Clint. She was right behind him, sneaking up on him. Clint noticed and whipped around, sending a punch towards her which she easily dodged. They attacked each other in a flurry of movement I could barely keep up with, but I could tell it was a pretty even fight. Not only were they two of S.H.I.EL.D.'s best operatives, but they were partners and knew each other well. They had fought side by side many times and therefore knew each other's patterns, strengths and weaknesses just as well as their own.

I swiftly climbed up a ladder and didn't stop until I was at the catwalk above theirs. Patiently, I watched and waited for the right opportunity. It came when Natasha kicked out at Clint and he stumbled back right under me to avoid her. I vaulted over the railing and dropped down onto his back. Clint collapsed under my weight and Natasha hurried to help me restrain him. She passed me her handcuffs, but before I could put them on him, he threw himself up with strength that far overpowered my own. I grimaced as my shoulder hit the catwalk and the cuffs skittered to the edge. My fingers closed around empty air as I lunged to grab them before they slipped. I was too late and they plunged all the way down to the floor below.

Natasha was already up and after Clint again and I jumped up angrily to join the fray. I wrapped my arms around his neck in a stranglehold and he grasped at them to pull them away, but my hold was firm. He then suddenly kicked out at Natasha in the chest so hard that I could hear the breath whoosh out of her. She knocked her head against the rail as she fell down and didn't get up. Blood trickled down the side of her face from her temple. Clint then rushed back, slamming my back into the railing and I gasped, my grip on him slipping. He grabbed my arms and then pushed me in front of him, twisting them back.

I cried out in pain. "Clint, please." I gasped out. He twisted harder, making me wince. I kicked back, knocking his legs out from under him. He fell, but held on to me so I went down with him. I thrashed and struck out at him with cat claws unsheathed. At the last second, I pulled them back in. I couldn't do it. Not to Clint. Instead, my fist connected with his jaw, making his head snap back. An icy shiver of regret swept through me. I hated having to hurt him.

Sensing my aversion and hesitation, he quickly scrambled over me and began pummeling me, knowing I would have to fight back to get out. And like he also guessed, I didn't. He had me trapped. I couldn't slip out from under him or shove him away. Physically forcing him away by hurting him was the only way I would be able to get free and I wouldn't do that. I couldn't even if I wanted to. Every time I thought about it, I would think of the way it felt when I hit him before and lose it. So I let him beat me. He punched me once in the face and I could feel the bruise forming, but it was nothing to when he repeatedly hit my side. I did not cry out or scream and I especially did not cry. Then he caught sight of the pistol wedged in my belt. Clint grinned wickedly as he pulled it out and aimed it at my forehead.

Frozen in horror, all I could do was stare into his eyes. They were bright electric blue and the color was fractured like shattered glass. The anger and hatred was overwhelming. It was something I only caught a glimpse of once in a while whenever the Operators and GECS were mentioned. These were not the soft pale blue eyes of my brother. "Would you really shoot your little sister Clint?" I whispered into his mind.

"You are not my sister." he growled back. "My sister would support me and the cause I fight for. She would support Loki. You have done anything but that Elizabeth." Even though I knew this wasn't Clint speaking, it still hurt. It hurt a lot. I heard the gun click as he pulled back the hammer, but I didn't look away from his face. A part of me still hoped that a part of Clint would come back and stop himself from pulling the trigger. That hope was dashed when the gun went off with a loud bang.