Life Happens

Clint

This was bringing back many memories. Staying back in the snow covered trees shooting tanks and any other enemies that showed up. Why was it always cold? He hated the cold. The Hydra base was in Sweden of all places. Why Sweden? Who knows.

Clint looked to the left where he could see Wanda doing witchy things when all of a sudden there was an explosion in the base. Shit.

"Cap you alright?" He heard Tony ask over the comms.
"Yeah." Steve coughed "where's Nat?" He asked.
"I thought she was with you." Tony said.
"Nat do you copy?" Steve asked. No response. "Nat?"
A chill ran down Clint's spine. He couldn't lose someone else. Especially not Natasha.

"She's ok I can sense her." Wanda said calmly. Although that calmed him at first it didn't last long.
"We're being ambushed! Code Green!" Cap shouted over the comms. A loud roar rippled through the forest.
"Of course this would be too easy." Clint muttered. He reaches for an arrow but he's out. Fucking great. Time to use a knife. He slashes at every soldiers neck or exposed part of skin. Blood covers his hands and arms and parts of his face. He doesn't pay attention to it though. He has to find Nat. He won't lose her.

Wanda follows him taking out anyone that Clint couldn't. Not that he noticed. He running on pure panic and anger every slash of his knife created that satisfying squelch of blood as it oozed out of his victims. The sound of them suffocating on their own blood fuelled his body. He was going to find her

****

Clint broke through door after door every room he entered was empty. Every so often an enemy would appear but they were quickly killed.
"Nat?!" He shouted every couple of minutes. Every time he was met by silence.
"Nat?!" He shouted again.
"Clint?" A soft voice said.
"Nat?" He asked quieter.
"Cl...Clint?" The voice stuttered. That was definitely Natasha. He walked through the next door way to see that the floor above had collapsed in on the room. Dust covered everything and in the middle of the room stuck underneath a concrete slab was Natasha.
"Oh thank fuck." Clint says. "Are you ok?" He asked as he kneeled down next to her.
"Other than being stuck yeah I'm fine. My comm broke so I couldn't talk to you."
"I found her." He said over his comm to the others. "She's stuck under concert though could use a little help."
"Be there in a minute" Cap said with a sigh of relief.

****

"That could have gone a lot better." Tony says as they enter the quinjet.
"You weren't the one stuck under rubble." Natasha said with a smile.
"Yeah but I did the fighting."
"Tony, we all did the fighting." Steve interrupts.
"Pfft." Tony waved him off as he sat in the pilot seat.
Natasha sits with Bruce. They talk quietly between each other. Clint is happy for them to have each other. Sure they might not be together but they acted like a married couple some times.

Clint leaned back in his seat. The adrenaline was wearing off and he felt exhausted. He let his eyes drift close.

Clint was lying on his back with the long grass surrounding him. The sun was warming his skin. He could hear his kids laughing and playing.
"Daddy! Daddy! A man is here!" Nathaniel shouted at him. The toddler ran to Clint and jumped into his arms. Clint looked at the man. He couldn't see his face as the sun turned him into silhouette. Clint approached him. As he got closer he noticed he was wearing a black jacket with white arrows down the arms. It looked so familiar. His hair was platinum blonde and shaggy. Wait. It can't be. His eyes look straight at him and his lips quirk up. "You didn't see that coming?"
"Pietro?"
"So the old man remembers"
"When did you wake up?"
"I didn't."
Just then bullet holes ripped through his body and blood poured from them. But instead of falling to the ground he stood there. Staring.
"This is your fault. You could have saved me. You failed me." Pietro took a step forward. "Know body would know."
"Stop it."
"Nobody." He took another step forward.
"Stop it!"
"The last I saw him..."
"NO!"
"Clint!" A distant voice shouted. Clint put his hand over his ears trying to block out the sounds.
"Clint!"
Pietro's body fell to the ground.
"I need you old man." Pietro said softly.

"Clint!" Wanda shoutout as she shook him awake. He jumped out of the seat. He was still in the quinjet but he was alone with Wanda.
"Clint are you ok?" She asked with tears in her eyes.
"What happened? Why are we still in the quinjet?" He asked as he sat down again. He was covered in sweat.
"The others left just before I tried to wake you but then you called Pietro's name... I'm so sorry. It's not your fault Clint." She said hugging him tightly. Clint returned the hug.
"What isn't my fault?"
"You said Pietro's name..."
"Oh." They sat in the quinjet for a few minutes.
"I suppose we should get going." He said as he unhooked his arms.
"Thank you Wanda. I really needed that." He said as he placed a kiss on her cheek.
"It's ok Clint. You know I'll always be there for you." Wanda walked ahead of him. He tried to think about anything other than the nightmare but all he could think about was what Pietro said.
I need you old man.

****

Clint was lying on his bed trying to sleep. All night he's been thinking about that one line. The dream it self didn't bother him that much as he has has them hundreds of times. They are all the same to some extent. It's starts with him being happy, Pietro shows up and dies again and then he wakes up. This one was so much more different. Pietro spoke this time. Everything he said about it being Clint's fault was everything he already told himself but that one line. That one fucking line kept replaying in his head.
I need you old man. Clint couldn't take it anymore. He got dressed and left his room. He'd never done this on his own before but he need to see him. He left the tower and hailed a cab.

****

Clint sat there in silence. Pietro had changed a lot. It had only been twelve hours and yet he looked better? His hair had lightened and his eyes weren't so hard.
"You look better kid." Clint said. He knew he couldn't hear him but he liked talking to the kid. Well when he was alone anyway.
"I remember when we first met. "You didn't see that coming?" Oh you were a little shit. It's weird. Then I could have killed you and thought nothing of it but the more I saw you, weirdly, I liked you? Well like is a bit of a stretch more like I could stand your presence and not want to strangle you. Why'd you do it? Why'd you save me? You hardly knew me. I appreciate it I do believe me but... Ah Never mind. Just wake up kid. Wanda needs you. Maybe I need you." Clint sighed. He needed to sleep. "It's been a long day. Until next time Pietro. Whenever that may be."