The Shadow [a marvel fanfiction]

Avengers: Chapter Nine

Natasha was riding a Chitauri chariot.

Iron Man was flying all over the city.

Thor was striking Chitauri soldiers with lightening.

Steve was rescuing civilians from a bank.

Clint was letting arrows loose in the sky.

Marie? Marie was cutting down soldiers and collecting said arrows.

She had gathered over ten by the time she reached Clint. Dried blood—hers or the Chitauri, she didn't know—stained her uniform and clung to her hair. Everything ached. Her left shoulder was possibly torn, her heartbeat throbbed in her head, and her lungs were on the verge of giving out.

Marie stumbled out of the shadows panting. The roof blurred and wavered before her.

"I-I found some of-of-some of your arrows."

Clint's eyes didn't leave the sky. "Put them in my quiver, tips down."

Marie nodded. She had to blink several times to make the three quivers form one. She carefully inserted the arrows, one by one, and tried to catch her breath.

The familiar tightness grew in her chest. Marie closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths. She tried to swallow her panic. Blow out the candles. In and out. In and out. Put out the flames—shit where's my inhaler?

Marie fumbled for her boot. She yanked her inhaler out and pumped it twice. She sucked in the smoky, debris-filled air of what remained of New York. The battle was dragging out and she didn't know how much more she could take.

"All good? Still breathing?" Clint asked. His eyes scanned her figure quickly as he fired several arrows in quick succession. Each one hit their target—not that Clint had to turn and look.

"Yeah. I'm-I'm breathing."

Marie wiped the blood dripping from her nose. It wasn't stopping. She pressed her hand to her nose. It had to stop eventually. She crouched down and bowed her head. That's what Coulson told her to do; to let the blood drain out.

"Marie, what's wrong?"

"Noth-Nothing. I'm fine," she said, her voice muffled.

"If you need to sit out—"

"I said, I'm fine. Just-Just a little overuse." Marie stood and wiped her bloody hand on her uniform. She sniffled and gave Clint a wry grin. "See?"

Clint huffed. "Fine, but—Nat, what are you doing?"

Marie watched as Natasha flew by them, maneuvering her stolen chariot rather well. Loki chased after her and fired several blasts at her.

"Uh, a little help!" She cried out over the comms.

Clint was all too happy to aim an arrow at Loki. "I've got him."

The arrow spun through the air. Loki snatched it, just before it hit him, and looked at the roof with a smirk. Until the arrow exploded.

Marie laughed at Clint's uncontained glee. But it didn't last long. The Chitauri tracked the arrow to their position. Soldiers flew to the roof, shooting at them. Clint fired arrow after arrow at them, until his quiver was empty.

Marie spun around and threw her last knife into the chest of one of the soldiers. Clint hit another with his bow. Marie pulled out her gun and fired. More soldiers swarmed them; chariots flew circles around the roof and blasted them from all sides.

Clint and Marie made brief eye contact.

She jumped into Clint's shadow as he threw himself off the roof. He fired a grappling arrow at the next building. She clung tightly to his shadow as they flew through the air and crashed through a window.