Hawkeye: Agony

The Dream

The Circus of Crime stood in front of me; I saw my life cave in. They were gone, and yet, they were here - once again - to mock me.

I was in a tent, their tent. The ring was oh so familiar to me. The sound of confused murmers ran through the stands - all of them unaware to the events that would uphold them. However I knew, I knew the routine by now; how they would soon be lying dead in their seats in a moment of seconds - or would be singled out one by one to face their fears. Their fears were the group that stood in front of them; in front of me. 'The Circus of Crime'. I know that you don't know who they are, but I don't think an introduction is necessary; because honestly, you don't want to know them.

**

They approached me. Honestly, I thought that they were torturing me, just like they were about to do to the procedures. But I was clearly in no restrains. I stood in the backstage area. If they were torturing me then I would have been long gone by now.

Instead, they talked to me about a show - giving me instructions on what I needed to do. I didn't understand why they were telling me this, until my head reluctantly nodded in agreement to their plans. Then I realised that I wasn't in control.
"We will draw them in with your Circus abilities, Barton," The Ringmaster was talking to me directly, which inside, I found nerve racking, "You and Trickshot create a show, before we all single out the people on seats 67-69. Then we will embrace the others' fear, and slaughter them all."
I can't believe I agreed to that. I cannot believe that I could have ever agreed to that.

In the past, that is what I would do for a living. I would simply agree to such ridiculed plots - ones that wouldn't gain me anything. A few dollars for a ticket entry, and nothing more. It was hardly a profit for the work I had to do to earn it. I don't think even millions of dollars could restore my conscience after a day of murder.

**

I walked out in to the centre tent with everyone else and I began to perform. It was possibly the best part to my job, seeing the children smile at my tightrope skills, and listening to the parents cheer at my finale. Everyone would enjoy my act, even if I fell - they would laugh at how I would fall on to the trampoline and flick myself back up. Landing with persision, back on the tightrope wire.
You can understand why I originally wanted to be in the Circus act, but I wouldn't have ever dreamt that I would become a murderous villain.

**

After a long session of 'ooh's and 'ah's from the audience, and a few double flips on my part - their plan was placed in to action. I climbed down from my post, at the top of the tightrope - to stand beside my masters, Trickshot and the Ringmaster.

A light fell on the seats 67-69.
*this is when my body began to quake in my sleep*
Who I saw sat in those seats were a brunette woman, with two children sat in the following seats. A baby was placed on her lap.
It was my wife, Laura, and my three children.

We all smirked up at them and insisted that they come down.
Did I even know that they were my family?! I wouldn't put them in that danger.
Of course, Laura was hesitant; she had every right to be. I had only but hoped that she would resist the urge to join in with the Circus act. But no. As always, she did what would make my children happy, and at this point - it was joining the Circus.

They made their way down from the stands and the Ringmaster himself shook Laura's hand.

How dare he?!

The crowd cheered and we all applauded them of their 'bravery'. My children: clearly excited to be greeted by the most mysterious Circus in the world. And me? I was getting my bow ready to murder them.

When Laura saw the human shaped target board, she immediately knew that they shouldn't have signed them up for our charade. She shunned the children quietly behind her and gestured for them to back away, though she didn't move herself - in fear of embarrassed towards the massed out crowd. I opened up the cuffs on the target board and gestured for her to step inside. She gave the baby boy to the Ringmaster, who was now clearly not hiding his menacing smirk.

I locked her in, as Bruto grasped the children. They struggled in his grip, but there was no escape for them - he is the strongest man in the world. As I locked them in too, Trickshot positioned himself on a floor mark - myself soon following. We both poised our bows, syncrinating our movements - and we both let fly an arrow. Shooting both children through the chest. They gasped and their eyes widened black, as their pupils dilated - blood seeping through their limp bodies. Laura screamed, attempting in strain, to pull herself away from the shackles. We all laughed at this, as it was worthless to resist.

The crowd's murmers slowly turned to panic; breaking in to screams of horror as the two children died in front of their eyes. Their faces looked petrified at the sight of restrains, attaching themselves around the waste of each person.

We all laughed. We had nothing else to do but laugh. Why we all found murder an element of joy, is still unknown to me. I can't believe that I once ever lasted like this. The murmers, the screams and the deaths to follow. They scare me even now, and I recall almost every single one.

Their horror was seen to us as joy. And so, to spite this, I shot a final arrow through the heart of Laura.

I lowered my bow and watched my wife until the vision of her limp body slowly slipped away - not paying heed to the envelopment of green gas that envoured the stands.

The crowd were being gased to their death. Choking on their own breaths until their skin turned a bloodless white - with no way to move their arms, to comfort their loved ones, or to simply cover their mouths.

But they didn't matter. None of them did. My sight didn't move from Laura and my two lifeless children. And as my vision of them slowly disappeared, I could feel my lungs screaming with the fear of my dream. The, oh so familiar feeling of desperation. And the weak shiver that ran cold through my veins.

The undeniable feeling of Agony.