Girl At War

Among Friends - 18

**Thank you LittleCaticorn0 for reading! :D**


"Hey, sleeping beauty." a hand gently nudged Eloyse's shoulder. Thinking herself back at home with Shyden irritating her, she rolled over and swatted at the hand.

"Hey!" the indignant Clint was hurt in pride rather than physical. He put his hand firmly on her shoulder and shook her awake. She sat straight up in blind panic, completely forgetting where she was. Once again she was on that terrible table, being shook into awareness after passing out from one of their experiments. In sheer terror, she lashed out, rolling away from whoever it was at the same time. The person grunted, stumbling backwards.

Finding the edge of the table abruptly, she rolled off and hit the ground on her knees. In a flash, she was on her feet and facing whoever had attacked her. She was trembling all over, fear written in every inch of her.

Clint looked up from where he'd been thrown in Eloyse's panicked defense. Steve and Natasha stood over him, looking curiously between Eloyse and Clint.

"What happened?"

"How would I know!" Clint complained, letting Steve pull him up. "I was wakin' her up, and she just exploded."

Eloyse's confused mind had been trying to make sense of the fact the people she thought were friends were enemies, and now she finally settled on the decision she was no longer in the Hydra base. Clint was on his feet now, holding his left wrist. Eloyse stepped forward, her eyes no longer glazed and frightened. "I'm sorry, Clint. You scared me."

"I sure did, didn't I?" He ruefully grinned. "You been wound up these last couple days?"

Eloyse considered. "You could say that." Looking around, she realized she was no longer in the suit, and they were also not outside anymore. "Where are we?"

All three looked at her surprised. Finally Natasha commented, "Yep, you were tired." She went on to explain they'd taken her out of the suit, and she'd half-directed them to the Hydra base she'd escaped from. They'd found it abandoned, and allowed Eloyse to crash in one of the rooms. As Nat talked, Eloyse remembered. She had been so exhausted. Clint was still clutching his wrist, and Eloyse noticed.

"Is it bad?"

"No." Clint pale face and emotionless tone said otherwise. Eoyse moved closer, frowning at him. She put her hand on his, and a look of wonder spread across his face. She gently probed around it.

"It's broken." She reluctantly told him. He just stared at her, uncomprehending the numbness that had crept through his pain at her touch. Noting his empty gaze, Steve nudged him.

"Hey, dreamer. You still with us?"

"Wha-oh, yea! Yea, yea. Sure. Definitely."

Steve snickered, shaking his head with a grin. "Takes a lot of power to break bones, especially this old guy's bones."

"I ain't old!" Clint indignantly frowned at Steve. "You're the one who's aged ninety-some years!"

"I'm more like thirty-some." Steve muttered in his defense. "You can't count the seventy in the ice, so I'm only in my thirties."

Only then he noticed what Natasha and Clint were already fascinated by. The blue glow in Eloyse's hands; the concentration in her face; the steely look in her eyes. She had one hand touching Clint's wrist with the tips of her fingers. The blue at her fingertips seemed to go in his skin, and all three Avengers were enthralled. Suddenly she drew back her hands, glancing up at Clint's wonder-struck face.

"We'll know if it needs more in a couple hours if it starts hurting again."

"Mmmm....?" bewitched, Clint peered closely at his wrist as if he was shortsighted. Nat watched Eloyse, puzzled. Steve was staring at the ground, furiously working out something in his mind. Abruptly, he looked up at Eloyse. She had crossed the room and was picking up the blankets which she'd slept on.