A footage of Clint's psych evaluation came up onto the screen, instantly playing. Sitting in the chair within a white, sterile room that had two chairs and one desk was a fifteen year old Clint with short brown hair, plain white clothes and a few pimples dotted about on his face.
I remembered that Clint was a cute brother when he was younger but I had forgotten just how cute. He was the nervous, polite boy I remembered growing up, yet if you were to look at his eyes and face closely, you would see a boy who had to mature faster than anyone would have expected him to.
"Hello, Clinton Barton. My name is Dr Victoria Gracien. I'll be leading this psychological evaluation, is that okay?"
Clint nodded, wringing his hands, "M-miss, I p-prefer Clint."
Appearing to be struggling with his words, he looked at the desk, avoiding eye contact with Dr Gracien.
Oh, he has a stutter. Concern filled me as I did not remember Clint having a stutter when we were younger. Although, he did fit better into the orphanage than I did so we weren't really together all of the time. Mainly because I was being bullied severely by the other kids and, on occasion, the staff members. Not to mention that he was exceptionally good at keeping secrets.
Dr Gracien smiled politely, "Clint. Do forgive me, I'm not so good with names. I'm sure you can understand."
Clint nodded, head bowed as if he were in prayer. It really was adorable to see that again. However, I knew more than most that he was acting innocent so they would allow him into the programme. A trick that most orphans or abandoned kids knew to do when they wanted something.
"Now, Clint. Your file says here that you wish to be an agent. However, you seem to be suffering from insomnia and you have a lot of bad dreams. Please can you tell me what these dreams are about?" Dr Gracien nudged gently, writing something down on a notepad.
"They're... they're about my s-sister, K-Katra."
"Katra? What a lovely name. Very different."
"Yeah. It is. Mother picked it as Katra was very different from the rest of us." Clint answered softly, his expression turning sad.
"I see. So why do these dreams that involve your sister seem so bad?"
Clint's POV
Sitting up on the bridge next to Nat, we were getting our stuff ready for our vacation that Director Fury had authorized. The only reason we had stayed behind for the time being is because Nat needed to get some intel on our flight that Fury had allowed us to have out of S.H.I.E.L.D organisation budget.
"Sir? Someone is viewing a restricted file. The file name is K-T-94." An agent told me. Normally they would report it to Agent Hill or Fury but since both were absent, the newer agents usually give the report to me.
K-T-94.
It sounded familiar to me. Although, I do have a lot of files to read through on a daily basis to keep an eye on things in different parts of the world so I couldn't be sure which one it was as it could have been a number of files. Like the conflict in India or in England.
"K-T-94? Isn't that yours and Katra's file?" Nat inquired.
My face paled. Instantly, I pushed back from the chair and looked at the agent.
"Who has accessed the file?"
The agent squeaked out, "Agent Campbell, sir!"
Ignoring the fact that I had lost my composure, frightening the agent in doing so, I immediately rushed to Campbell's room. Seeing as he was her best friend, besides Nat, and had level seven clearance, he was the only one who could have seen the file.
"Katra! Please don't look! Please!" I pleaded with her out loud, despite her not being within range to hear my prayer.
Zigzagging around agents, supervisors and technicians, I rounded the corner on the far west side of the Helicarrier. There it is- his room and where my sister was. My lungs were burning from over exertion, not to mention, every injury I had sustained began to protest, I kept going.
I have to stop her from watching that video! No matter what, I can't have her seeing my past!
"Katra!" I burst through the door, the door banging open to reveal my sister crying silently while Campbell was horrified.
Katra looked up at me, tears wet on her pixie shaped face, her accusatory eyes trained on mine. Pain twisted my stomach- both emotionally and physically. My wounds hurt like hell; it was my emotional pain that broke me.
It's over. She knows.
"You... You knew? You knew what they were doing to me? How could you?!"
She stood up, poking me in the hard in the chest, face twisted up in rage. Katra's face held a lot of distrust, contempt and betrayal. The brown in her eyes turned nearly black with those tears welling up in her eyes.
"Katra... I-"
"Save it. I don't want to talk to you right now."
Katra pushed past me and stormed off out of the room, sobbing. Turning around, I went to try to catch up to her, wanting to explain myself. A hand clasped my arm; it was Campbell. His face was genuinely furious but I could see that he was controlling it- barely.
"Leave her be. You've done enough harm and going after her will only cause her more pain."
Frozen in place, all I could do was watch the door where my sister had run away through. I knew then, I had lost my only immediate family left through my own mistake.
YOU ARE READING
The Second Born Curses- A Winterborn Series
Romance"You can't fight me, Katra, I will have you" he said, pushing me against the wall as if he owned me. I shivered at the proximity at which he was standing at, his gaze boring into mine. "I-I won't s-surrender" I stammered, my fingers itching to touc...
