Ghost - An Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 9

"Bruce, stop!" Clint yelled, launching himself forward. Time seemed to slow down as Clint flew toward Banner and the girl, his heart crashing against his ribs. Bruce had turned his head toward Clint as he yelled his warning, and the doctor's eyes widened as Clint raced toward him. Since his back was turned, Bruce failed to notice that the girl's eyes had snapped open. Clint watched as she leapt up onto her knees, swiping a scalpel from the tray beside the bed as she did. Her focus was solely on the back of Banner's head as she reached her arm down in one graceful motion. Time sped up again to its normal pace just as Clint collided with Bruce, pushing him out of the way and sending him sprawling to the floor. The girl's arm closed around Clint's neck, and before he could even blink, he had been pulled into a headlock, with the girl using her right arm to hold the scalpel against Clint's throat. Her knee dug painfully into his back as she crouched behind him, the hospital bed she was kneeling on giving her the height advantage she needed. Her left wrist was still cuffed to the side of the medical bed, and because of this, she was forced to only use one arm to restrain Clint. She used her knee to press Clint's back, forcing him to lean back on an uncomfortable angle. Of course, being in a situation where a teenage girl was pressing a sharp blading against your throat while holding you in a headlock was always going to be uncomfortable.

"Take it off." The girl said flatly, her lips close to Clint's ear. "I don't know what..." He began calmly, but he stopped as she applied pressure to the blade on his throat. It didn't break the skin, but Clint could feel the edge as it scraped his skin every time he breathed. "Take it off." She demanded softly, a dangerous edge to her words. She moved her left wrist, causing the Ironband to rattle against the medical bed, emphasising her demand. Clint hesitated. He had wondered before why the girl hadn't simply teleported away once she woke up. One theory he had was maybe she wouldn't be able to physically teleport far enough away to escape. Maybe she could only teleport to a spot she could see. Another theory he had, although fairly unlikely, was that she wanted to be there. Now he realised that it was the Ironbands which had kept her there. Every conscious moment she had on the Helicarrier, she was contained by the Ironbands. Clint mentally slapped himself. The fact that she had tried so many times to break free of them should have made him realise.

A sudden pain in his neck brought Clint back to his situation. He felt a trickle of warm liquid run down his skin and realised the girl had pressed down with the scalpel, not enough to seriously hurt him, but enough to make him bleed. Enough to show him that she meant business.

"I can't take them off with a scalpel to my neck. Remove your arm, and I can help you." He stated calmly. Clint felt the girl tense up at his words. "Take it off!" She ordered, her voice hard. "I can't help you if I can't face you. Remove your arm." He repeated firmly. The girl hesitated, then her arm tightened against Clint's neck. "Make him take it off of me. If he tries anything, I will slit your throat." She hissed under her breath. Clint scanned the laboratory, searching for Banner. He spotted him slowly crawling towards the doorway, hiding behind some equipment as he tried to remain out of the girl's sight. Most likely trying to alert Larson. Get some help, Clint thought as Bruce's head appeared beside a table leg, about nine metres from the door.

"Doctor Banner, could you come here a moment please." Clint's polite request sounded odd, even to him. There was a pause in the room, then Bruce stood and dusted himself off, before walking slowly towards the pair. The girl had completely tensed up at Clint's words, the scalpel scratching his skin further, but Clint realised the girl hadn't intended to do that.

"Doctor Banner?" The girl asked softly, sounding incredulous. It was like she recognised Bruce, but she sounded so fragile and shocked that it physically left Clint breathless. Clint's surprise was mirrored by Banner, who had stopped a few feet away. He clearly did not recognise the girl, but she somehow knew him.