Avengers Generations

Chapter 4

Jake blinked his eyes. His head hurt... His everything hurt... He was cold, and he felt like he was going to throw up. He looked around. Where was he? He was in a bed, in a white room... And he hurt...

"You're awake -" He heard his dad's voice. Jake turned to see him wheeling himself closer to the bed. He looked relived, but sad, and disappointed.

"Am I in the hospital?" Jake asked, his head spinning.

"Yes." His dad said "You overdosed, Jacob."

Jake gritted his teeth. He knew he was going through withdrawal. He was hot now, and even more nauseous.

"I need a shot." he said.

"You need a lawyer." His father responded "The police found your needles and some heroin. You're going to jail." Jake's dad, Clint Barton, sounded firm and angry, but Jake could hear the undertones in what he said. His dad was miserable.

Clint hadn't been truly happy in years - not since Jake was very young. What jake didn't know was that Clint and his wife, Natasha Romanoff, had been married while working for S.H.I.E.L.D.. Jake was born shortly afterwards, and they were ordered not to tell him about their work. Clint and Natasha went on missions - sometimes alone, sometimes together - but they always returned to their 'normal lives'... until one mission.

Clint and Natasha had been sent out together to Iraq. While there, Natasha was captured. Clint knew he had to save her, but for the good of his team they was ordered to leave. Clint refused, and pursued her captor alone. That decision cost Clint the use of his legs, and the love of his life. He had also been dismissed from S.H.I.E.L.D.. Clint had found work as an archery instructor in New Jersey, but always missed his wife. He didn't know if she was alive, but there was one thing he did know: S.H.I.E.L.D. knew, and they wouldn't give him any information. Jake was the only thing Clint had left, the only thing he cared about. Jake meant everything to him, but now even he was slipping away.

"Where's Tony?" Jake muttered from his hospital bed.

"Don't know." His dad responded "You were found in a parking lot - overdosed and alone. If you had any friends with you, they probably ran when you passed out. The paramedics found you by chance. It's a miracle you're alive."

"Yeah," groaned Jake "Lucky me." He didn't care if he was alive or dead. He didn't have any reason to live anymore except that death was so terrifying to him. Ever since his mom died, dad didn't care about anything - especially not him.

Jake lay in the hospital bed. Every square inch of Jake's body hurt. Every noise in the room made him jump. He was hot, then cold, then hot again. He was anxious - afraid of life... Afraid of being. He had been taking dope for years, and he had been through withdrawal many times before, but it wasn't something you got used to. It was hell. There was only one thing he could focus on, one thing he kept coming back to - he needed a shot.

Clint sat in his wheelchair reading a book.

"Are you gunna stay here all night?" Jake asked his dad with a quivering breath.

Clint raised his eyes and glanced at the clock.

"I'll need to grab dinner soon." He said.

"Great." said Jake "Don't worry about getting anything for me. I'm not hungry right now."

Jake didn't see it, but Clint smiled faintly. That was exactly what Tasha would have said.

"Alright," Clint said, putting a bookmark in his book "I'll be back in about an hour." He wheeled himself toward the door.

Jake glanced out the room's window. He tried to judge what floor he was on based on the lights outside. It was pretty high up...

"Oh, and Jacob," said his dad from the doorway.