Hawkeye: Agony

The Prision

I was sat on a bench inside my own, personal, cell; the cold of the metal shakles was itching against my skin. There was a table inbetween me, and Tony Stark - who was sat across from me in a questioning manner.

"Clint...?" He said sternly, leaning over the table.
What was I supposed to say? He was my friend, and I didn't want to hurt him anymore than I already had.
"I'm sorry, Tony."
"Tell me what the f*ck is going on, Clint!"
I wasn't surprised by his sudden raise in tone, nor the sudden swearing. I was more surprised, and hurt, by the crack in his voice.
"I... "
"Tell me I'm wrong, Clint!"
"I..."
"I said tell me I'm wrong!" He sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair, in fustration.
"I... I can't."
"I need to get Fury..." Tony rose from the table, and began to make his way towards the door.

"He already knows..."
"WHAT?!" His hands suddenly came down upon the desk, hard;
I jumped up from my bench in shock.
"SIT DOWN!"
I sat down reluctantly, giving him nervous glances from across the table.
I tried to open my mouth to explain, but nothing came out.
"Clint! How the f*ck does Fury already know?!"
"He... he's the one who took me from the Cricus."

Tony was suddenly quiet; chocking on each word, "This is a sick joke, Barton."
I looked up, and to the outer edge of the glass cell - where all the other Avengers were stood. They could hear every word that we were speaking, but we couldn't hear any of theirs. But though I couldn't hear, I knew they were discussing my punishment.

"What happened to 'no secrets', Clint? We're a team."
All the other Avengers looked up from their conversations at this.
"This wasn't something that Fury thought was necessary..."
"Well it's pretty d*mn necessary now!"

"Tony, this happened a long time ago!"
"Yeah well, so was our encounter with Loki. He's still being blamed, Clint! How on earth could you kill someone?!"
I replied coldly, "I've killed people before, Tony."
Tony looked at me in shock, "This isn't the same."
"It is the same!" I stood up in fustration; slamming my shackles down hard upon the table.
"You killed that person in cold blood!"
"And we haven't done that before?!"
"We were saving people!"
"And we kill people to do that!" I was now leaning over the desk, giving Tony a cold glare - dominating over him.

"Clint, sit down..."
"Tony, this is the past. I have helped you all. I am your friend..."
"SIT THE F*CK DOWN !"
Before I could even think, my chained hands wrapped around Tony's throat and pulled him to meet my gaze - raising him off the chair.
"Tony, I've changed! I'm not that man!"

Steve had quickly made his way in to the cell, his gun pointed at me.
"Agent. Barton. Stand down."

"No you haven't..." Tony looked to Steve, and I followed his gaze.
I removed my grasp from around Tony's neck, looking shocked with myself and sat back down.
"I'm... I'm not a good man." I lay my head on top of my arms, lying on the desk.
"Clint. You are," Steve had put down the gun, "You just... have done some bad things." He reached for my shoulder, which I quickly pushed away.

"You can't worm me out of this, Steve."
Steve stayed silent, "I know you didn't mean it."
"But I did!"
"No... No. It was a mind control or hypnotics or _..."
"No, Steve. It was pure me."

There was silence, and it was eerie. No one spoke. No one made eye contact. No one breathed.
My skin tone was slowly turning pale, and my hands were shaking.

I was the one to break the silence; I couldn't take it any longer - the undeniable longing for another topic of conversation, "Please... Please. Can we just get this over with?" My voice was hoarse, and quiet.
Everyone looked at me then, and the breathing kicked in.
"I don't know what to tell you Clint. We are going to have to keep you here," Steve said, sounding more concerned.
My voice changed in to a whisper; an unreadable breath.
"Can you just kill me?"

Steve could tell just by my facial expressions that I was not comfortable, and sat down beside me.
"We'll sort this out, okay?"
"Can you just kill me? Please."
Steve moved his head, so that it was next to my ear - leaning in so he could hear me.
"Please... I want to die."

He took a long; unfaithful, pause before he squeezed my shoulder and shook me gently, "We aren't going to do that to you. You're our friend."

**

"Is he though?" Tony approached again, but he stopped with good distance - clearly afraid of what I might do to him.

Suddenly there was a red burst of energy that threw Tony off his feet; landing on the floor, bewildered.
I was grateful that the conversation had ended, but it was definite that Wanda had made things worse.

"What the f*ck Wanda?!" Tony exclaimed, standing up and approaching me now, "You're gonna side with him?!"
"He is not a bad man, Tony. We have trusted him this far _..."

"... And now. It needs to stop." Tony grabbed me by the throat and raised me up, as I began choking.
"Tony!" Wanda began to cry, and was attempting to pull his grasp away from my neck, as my face turned slowly purple.
"Tell me everything, Barton! You leave out a minor detail and you're dead to me... to us."
"Tony!" Wanda screamed.
"Tony... I can't..." I choked through breaths. "Please..."
"AGENT. BARTON!" Tony shouted at my face.

I couldn't bare it. He had disowned my name; any friendship we once had. And he was trying to force the same opinion on to everyone else.

I didn't speak, and I forced myself to stop breathing. I didn't want to tell them. I wouldn't tell them... but I didn't want to live like this, either.

"Tony!" Wanda cried some more, "Tony, he's stopped breathing! Let him go, Tony! Let him go!"

Then, my body fell limp in Tony's grasp - and my widened eyes, closed slowly as I blacked out. My last recollection being my body, hitting the cold; hard floor. And the silouettes of the Avengers stood over me.