Of The Wolves And The Orphans

Trust

 I was on the bridge monitoring potential terrorist threats from the Middle East with Natasha when I got the call. Keira had a relapse. I ran through the corridors, pushing anyone who was stupid enough not to move out of my way. I knew she couldn't have just relapsed without any push and something set her off. I curse myself for not watching her more closely.

I burst into her hospital room to find a sickening sight greet my eyes. Keira is curled in a ball on the floor with about five nurses and two doctors trying to pin her down and knock her out with a syringe, but she is flailing her arms so violently that they are not able to get a clear shot at her vein.

I push the nurses aside and grab Keira's shoulders, holding them down to the cold, white tiles. I can tell from the deranged, glazed look in her eyes that she isn't in the present. She is seeing threats that don't exist.

"Keira! Keira, calm down!" I attempt to grab her attention. She lifts her tear stained face and wide, scared eyes to mine. I see the tracks of tears run down her cheeks and the pure fear in her expression. Her eyes slowly come into focus on my face and her struggling ceases.

"Barton?" she asks uncertainly.

"The one and only, kid," I whisper as I cease to pin her down rather than hold her. She clings to me, burying her face in my Kevlar vest like she did when during the New York invasion. She is oblivious to the outside world as she cries her heart out into my chest. I nod to the nurse with the syringe. Keira doesn't even respond when the nurse grabs her arm and sticks her with the needle.

I grab Keira's chin in-between my thumb and knuckle, focusing her eyes on me. "Listen kid, you're gonna be okay," I see her eyes start to glaze over as she begins to lose consciousness. "Do you trust me?" I ask.

She nods once before slumping unconscious in my arms. I let the docs pull her off me and I slowly stand up, watching them work on her lifeless body. Who knows how many times I've seen Keira knocked out, but this time she looks especially vulnerable. What's wrong with me? I never show emotion, and yet, she has brought more emotion out of me than ever before.

I turn away to leave the room when something catches my eye. I see a shadow of a man in the corner, and immediately I don't like him. Our eyes meet, and a malicious smile creeps over his features. I feel an odd sensation in my stomach. It feels like... fear, something I haven't experienced in a while. I feel like I know this man, but from where? Immediately I know why Keira had a relapse. The pain of seeing her so vulnerable is still fresh, and the fact that this man caused it makes my anger resurface. I'm about to take a step forward when a hand descends on my shoulder.

"Clint," Natasha says softly, yet forcefully. So much is behind that word. I can tell by her tone of voice. She is telling me to save it, to let it be. I don't even remember her in the room, but she must have followed me here.

Reluctantly, I back away, but not before I get the man's name from his tag. Hey, my code name is Hawkeye, right?

Later, I am in the computer room again. "Ryan, you are going to do this for me, or..."

The Geek is nervous, as usual. "Barton, I can't just give you access to all the data base of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s records!"

"What are you going to do? Go tell Fury again?" I ask threateningly.

"Now wait just a minute," he back peddles nervously as he pushes his glasses further up his nose, "I never said I wasn't going to let you. I just said it might not be a good idea."

"I just need one name. Go ahead and tell Fury, he won't care." It's true. I'm not the best at following orders, but I am one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best assassins, meaning I pretty much have free rein.