A Fool's Dance

Chapter Ten

James ignored Natalia when she stepped into the training room a few minutes after he did. He grabbed a punching bag from a stack and hung it on the chain with his metal arm and tilted his head when Natalia moved in between him and the bag.

"Help me find him, James. Clint...he's not exactly stable enough to live on his own."

"It's not my problem," James replied.

If he was being honest, he was curious as to what Natalia meant when she said he wasn't stable. The man had seemed mostly fine except for the dead eyes. And the anger problem.

"Please...I need you to help me, James."

"I already told you no," James snapped, pushing her out of the way.

"I'm scared for him, James. You know you would look for him if he was your friend."

"Well he's not."

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Clint fought down a wave of panic as the blade end of the scepter came towards his chest. The moment the cold metal touched his chest, he knew he was a goner. He could feel thoughts and emotions that weren't his own completely enveloping him. His hands dropped to his sides as the world took on a blue tint.

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Clint could hear screaming in the distance. He jerked awake to find himself screaming into the arm of the couch.

He couldn't seem to stop screaming even though he knew he was alone in his apartment. He screamed until his voice cracked and his throat felt raw. Clint finally sat up and brought his knees up to his chest, forcing away the nightmare that was tinted blue.

"It's been two fucking years. Get over it," Clint whispered to himself as he unfolded his legs and stood from the couch, moving towards his kitchen.

Halfway to the room, he remembered that he had no groceries. Clint turned on his heel and made his way to the bedroom, picking up his sheets along the way there. Clint made his bed sloppily and flopped down on the soft mattress.

I really should go get some food, Clint thought to himself.

He made no move to get up from the bed. He couldn't find the energy to bother, so he closed his eyes and slipped into another restless sleep.

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Honestly, it wasn't hard for James to slip out of the tower and track down Barton, careful not to leave a trail of his own.

He easily scaled the fire escape and peered in each window, trying to figure out which room was Barton's.

There was suddenly hoarse screaming coming from inside one of the rooms on the floor above him. James walked silently up the metal staircase and peered into the window.

Barton was asleep on his bed, screaming loudly. James slid a knife out of his belt and flicked open the window's lock with the blade. Slipping inside, he started for the bed after sheathing his knife.

The floorboard creaked under his weight and James froze, holding his breath. Since Barton was screaming in his sleep, he seemed not to have heard the creak.

James let go of his breath as he continued walking around the bed. He cast a quick glance around the room before stepping closer to the bed.

"Barton."

The man was awake in an instant, though he was still screaming. Barton didn't seem to notice that he was standing there. James frowned at him, noting once again the dead look in Barton's eyes.

Wordlessly, James bent down and grabbed the knife from under Barton's pillow. He moved around the room silently taking all of his hidden knives and pistol.

There was suddenly silence and James turned to look at the other man. He was passed out again, slumped against the headboard of the bed.

James tossed all the weapons in a bag that he found tossed in the corner before heading out of the bedroom to explore the rest of the apartment. The front door looked flimsy at best. James locked the deadbolt and jammed a chair from the kitchen under the handle. A quick circuit around the perimeter later, all of the windows were locked, curtains drawn shut.

He checked the fridge and rolled his eyes at the lack of food. Natalia wasn't kidding when she said he shouldn't live alone.

He slipped back into the bedroom and padded towards the window. The screaming started again and James paused, one foot out of the window.

Barton hadn't noticed him earlier, but he didn't want to risk getting caught, so he slipped out of the window and shut it behind him. James climbed back down the fire escape, then began heading back towards Stark Tower.