Hawkeye: Agony

Alarm Bells

Prison breaks - Clocks - Fire detectors - Sirens - Crying - ...Screams.
That's what I hear daily. Alarm bells. And that day was no different than any other.

Burglar alarms rang throughout the museum that I had been told to heist.
An emerald jewel in it's centre; placed within an eye. A crystal from, apparently, another galaxy.
Ten guards stood around the perimeter, which I could easily see at my small glance from beside the podium the eye stood on.

I hadn't ever set off an alarm before now, but I was a bit too small to reach the eye without something to stand on - clearly only fully grown men were allowed to look at the display.

The guards turned on me and I whipped out my bow and shot them in the chest - with no hesitation. The Swordsman, my mentor, was beside me, and so took the eye whilst I was fighting,
"That was insolent of you, Hawkeye."
"Of course, sir. I'm sorry, sir," I pulled the purple mask tighter over my face at the sound of my new code name.

One guard spoke, though he had an arrow lodged deeply through his heart - forcing himself to sit up,
"H-Hawkeye...?"
I recognised the voice and I looked over, only to see the guards head hung weakly.
The Swordsman grabbed my shoulder, "We have what we came for. We need to go," He did not sound nervous by the nearing police sirens.
"... Clint?" The guard looked up, and it was Barney.

I ran over before I could even process who it was, and my hands fumbled around the arrow in his chest, "I'm sorry. I'm so_," I looked up at his face.
"N_No," His own hands fumbled more than mine did, but still managed to pull my hands away, "I'll bleed out. I_I just need a hospital..."
I started to help Barney up with an arm over my shoulder, despite the height difference.
"No," The Swordsman grabbed Barney by the collar and threw him back to the floor - causing him to yell in pain.
"He needs help! Please! We have to_ to stay and_!" I was young and defenseless at this point.
"G_Go, Clint... I don't want them to hurt you..." He looked up with his eyes almost closed, clearly trying to shoot the circus man a glare.

I was suddenly feeling really guilty, knowing this wouldn't have happened if I had gone to war with him. I knelt back down beside Barney and spoke quietly, "I tried to follow you, ...I did..."
"I_I know you did..." He took my small hand shakily, as he used to do whenever I was ill, "I'll be okay... Just g_go," he grew pale and his pulse faded, "Don't let them... hurt you."
I hugged him softly, one of his arms managed to raise around my shoulder.
His eyes closed whilst his head was past mine, and his arm slowly slipped down to the floor - a heavy thud as he fell.
"B_Barney...?" I gently grabbed his wrist to find that he was dead and shook him desperately - tears falling beneath the mask, "BARNEY?!"
The Swordsman grew impatient and picked me up from behind.
"NO!!!!" I tried to kick him away, "Let me stay with him!"
"You will get arrested," He ran out with me just before the police pulled up - covering my mouth as he took me back towards the tent so no officials could hear my desperate cries to pull away.

I'd killed my brother. And I would never get to see him again.

The Alarm Bells were the last thing that I heard - fading in to the distance.