Chapter 25
Clint was released from medical a couple of days later. Friday could monitor him wherever he was in the tower, plus Mikayla vowed never to let him out of her sight. Clint was okay with that since it meant she'd always be nearby. "How's your leg today?" Mikayla asked as she ran her fingers through Clint's lately perpetually messy hair. They were sitting on the couch in their suite with Clint propping his legs on the coffee table, feet resting on a couch pillow.
"Healing like it should." Clint picked up one of Mikayla's hands. "How are your fingers?"
Mikayla flexed her fingers and made a fist. "They get stiff, but the gloves help. Physical therapy starts later today." Mikayla looked at him. "Want to go to the common area, see if anyone's fixed breakfast?"
Friday spoke before either of them could stand. "The two of you are the only members of the team here at the moment. Boss and Doctor Banner have gone to visit the lab at a local university. Thor is out and about with Jane and Darcy. Agent Fury sent Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers, and Sargent Barnes out on an undisclosed mission. I can have something delivered for you."
"That's okay, Friday. I'll take care of it." Pepper took over. "Morgan and I are up here in the penthouse. Morgan hasn't seen her godparents in a while. I'll order something, and we'll be down shortly."
"That's great, Pepper, thanks." Clint turned to Mikayla. "Guess it's time to make ourselves presentable and head out to the common area." Mikayla nodded. The couple helped each other get dressed, though it took them longer than usual as hands and mouths wandered. Eventually, they appeared in the common area with Clint limping and Mikayla walking next to him, offering support (which he, of course, refused).
The couple sat on the loveseat, and Clint propped his leg on the ottoman. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. "Yay!" Clint and Mikayla looked over and saw Katie and Philip running toward them, slowing down as they saw Clint's leg.
Without a second thought, Katie jumped into Mikayla's lap. "I've missed you, Mikayla." The girl threw her arms around Mikayla, who hugged her back just as fiercely.
"I missed you, too, Katie."
Katie pulled back, suddenly remembering the last time she'd sat in Mikayla's lap. "Your hands, they're still hurt?" The little girl looked at the gloves Mikayla was wearing.
"Yes, but I wear the gloves to help them heal." Mikayla let Katie hold her hands and look at them. "See, I can use them." Mikayla ran her fingers through Katie's hair, then picked up Katie's hands and linked their fingers.
While Katie and Mikayla were talking, Clint had picked up Philip and gently placed him on his non-injured leg, then smiled when he saw the boy's ears. "What do we have here?" Clint pointed to the bright purple hearing aids.
"Unca Tony made 'em."
"Do you like the color?"
Philip nodded. "Purple 'cause of you. He said it was your fav'rite."
Clint didn't know how to respond, so he ruffled Philip's hair and hugged him. "Thanks, buddy."
After a few minutes, Pepper and Morgan arrived with the breakfast delivery. "Morgan, go see Uncle Clint and Aunt Mikayla." Pepper let go of Morgan's hand, and Morgan waddled over to them.
"She's walking already!" Mikayla said excitedly. "How did I miss that?" Mikayla's excitement dropped. "Oh, yeah, right. HYDRA." Clint immediately grabbed her hand and squeezed it, helping to remind her to stay in the present.
"Friday?" Pepper asked. "Please play the videos of Morgan."
The TV turned on, and a video began to play while Pepper set up the breakfast dishes. Everyone laughed, watching Dum-E transporting Morgan around in her carrier. Morgan was trying to climb up on the loveseat to sit between Clint and Mikayla, finally giving up and collapsing to the floor with a full-on Tony Stark pout. Pepper came over, swept her daughter in her arms, and whisked her away to put her in her highchair. "Breakfast's ready," Pepper called. Clint and Mikayla motioned for the siblings to hop off their laps, and then the quartet went to the kitchen to enjoy breakfast with Pepper and Morgan.
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A few weeks later, after another minor skirmish with AIM agents, the team was gathered in the living room. Clint and Mikayla were still not medically released to go on missions, much to their dismay, so the others shared details of the fight. "Where's Thor?" Clint asked, realizing the Asgardian wasn't there.
"Talking to Jane," Natasha answered.
Clint nodded. "Are we taking bets on whether this is the last we'll see of AIM? If we are, put me down for 20 bucks on no way in hell are they finished."
"Noted." Natasha looked up and saw Thor enter the room. "How's Jane?"
"My Jane is well." Thor looked around at the group. "My father has scheduled the party for two days from now. That is when I will ask Jane for her hand. I understand a custom is to ask the father for the daughter's hand in marriage. Since Jane's father is no longer with us, I took the liberty of asking Erik. He, of course, agreed to the union. Unfortunately, he will not be traveling to Asgard with us but is sending along his well wishes." Thor turned his attention to Clint and Mikayla. "Will the two of you still be joining us? I will not take offense if you have changed your minds."
The couple looked at each other, then at Thor. "We will be there, Thor," Mikayla answered. "You and Jane are our friends, and we would not miss it."
Thor beamed. "Excellent, my friends! Heimdall will send for us in the morning." He sat down and made himself comfortable in one of the empty chairs. "What are we watching this evening?"
"Toy Story," Steve replied.
"Ah, the movie with the cowboy and the spaceman. I love this movie!" Thor said as Bucky handed Thor a bowl of popcorn, and then the team settled in for the mini-Toy Story marathon.
The next morning, the team (minus Sam, Bucky, and Bruce) gathered on the landing pad. "You remembered it," Clint said, looking over at Mikayla.
Mikayla nodded. "I did." She lightly ran her fingers over Frigga's necklace Thor had given her as a birthday present. "I hope the Asgardians won't mind."
Clint put an arm around his wife. "I'm sure Thor cleared it with them. If not, most of your family will be with you to back you up."
"True," Mikayla smiled.
"Are we ready, my friends?" Thor asked. Everyone nodded as Thor lifted Mjolnir. "Heimdall? To Asgard!"
Before they knew it, a strong wind wrapped them up and transported them to Thor's other home. When they 'landed,' they were greeted by a dark-skinned man dressed all in gold and holding a large staff. "Welcome to Asgard, Midgardian friends. I am Heimdall." He nodded to each of them, who nodded in return. The man stood atop a series of round pedestals and stepped down to meet them. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mikayla. You've kept me busy, and I'm sorry I've lost track of you at times."
Mikayla smiled. "It's okay, Heimdall. You've got many worlds to watch. I'm glad to finally meet you." She started to bow, but Heimdall chuckled as he stopped her.
"That's not necessary. You can save that for Odin." Mikayla chuckled, feeling a little more at ease.
"Ah, my friends! You remember Lady Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral." Thor pointed to his Asgardian friends, who had entered the receiving room as Heimdall spoke. "I need to go meet with Odin, so they will be happy to show you where you will be staying this evening and also show you around my other home." Thor left as the quartet approached the team. Lady Sif and Natasha immediately bonded, so they headed off. Volstagg and Hogan took Steve and Tony to their quarters, leaving Fandral with Clint and Mikayla.
"So, fair Darcy is not with you?" Fandral asked, looking around for her.
Mikayla chuckled. "No, sorry. I think she'll be arriving later today with Jane."
"Wonderful!" Fandral stepped in between them and threw an arm over each of their shoulders. "I'm happy to see the both of you doing better. Thor kept us updated on what's been happening on Midgard."
"Thanks," Mikayla said. "Also, thanks for your help."
"I'm always up for an adventure."
"Not to mention, it gave you a chance to see Darcy."
A light blush appeared on Fandral's cheeks. "Hey, I get it," Clint said. "Any chance I got to see Mikayla, I took it."
"Even though it took 6 months to call me," Mikayla joked.
"This sounds like a fascinating story. Why not share it while I show you around?" The trio walked out, leaving Heimdall shaking his head at the trouble those three could get into.
As Fandral showed them around, Clint grew nervous. One person was still missing: the elephant in the room, Loki. Clint didn't want to mention him, let alone think about his name, for fear he'd suddenly appear. He didn't want to go through that again. It had taken him long enough to learn how to deal with the aftereffects of their encounter the first time. Of course, the incident during their honeymoon proved to Clint he was still dealing with it. There was no way in hell he would go through a round two with Thor's younger brother.
Mikayla sensed her husband's tension. As Fandral pointed out the sights and sounds of Asgard, she leaned over to Clint. "Clint? You're thinking about him, aren't you? Remember, Thor reassured us you wouldn't have to have any contact with him. Plus, Thor wouldn't lie to you. I don't think he knows how." She'd thought a lot about Loki, probably more than was healthy. It was hard not to compare his situation to Clint's and Bucky's. All 3 of them had been forced to perform horrible acts while under someone else's control, and that control had eventually been broken. Clint and Bucky were still dealing with what they'd done, reminding themselves they weren't responsible, though she wasn't sure either would ever wholly believe that. She knew a little about that herself, even though she hadn't been forced to do anything against her will while in the hands of HYDRA. Mikayla hoped Loki had been able to start accepting that as well, but she would never voice that to Clint.
"I'm fine," Clint replied stoically. Mikayla recognized that tone. She knew he was lying and hiding how he felt, but since they were Thor's guests, she decided not to confront her husband and dropped the subject.
Fandral received word that Darcy and Jane had arrived, so he left the couple in the gardens and went to meet the two women. Clint clasped Mikayla's hand as they strolled along the well-worn paths. They were stopped by several people who wanted to meet Thor's friends from Midgard. After feeling like they'd been through a receiving line, they found a stone bench and sat down. Mikayla noticed Clint had grown quieter during the tour. "I wasn't sure what to expect, but they seem nice and welcoming."
Clint nodded. "Makes it easier." Mikayla knew what he meant. He discovered Asgardians were generally more like Thor than his brother, which made sense since Loki was adopted. The couple continued chatting and observing their surroundings until they saw Nat approach. Clint looked up at her. "What's up?"
"There's a meeting in the main room, and we're all invited."
Clint and Mikayla looked at each other. "Customs to go over before the party?" Mikayla asked.
"Thor didn't say, just said to gather everyone." Natasha turned around and began walking back toward the buildings. The couple stood and followed her.
When they arrived, everyone else was waiting for them. The trio found places to sit and waited for Thor to arrive. "Thank you for being here, my friends," Thor said. "There will be a slight delay in the party, which can't be helped. Our forces are needed in Jotunheim. Their people, the frost giants, have heard of the gala and think it would be a perfect time to launch an attack on Asgard. My father wishes for us to travel to Jotunheim and preempt their actions. I would be honored to have my Midgardian friends join us."
The rest of the Avengers looked at each other. "I'm in," Natasha answered.
"Sign me up," Clint said. "Haven't fought on another world before."
"Thor, if you don't mind, I'll sit this one out," Steve replied. He wasn't looking forward to traveling to any place where beings named frost giants were located.
"Captain, I completely understand. You and Master Stark, along with Lady Mikayla, may remain here on Asgard. The rest of us will travel and defeat the enemy, and then we can all rejoice together at the vanquishing of another enemy."
"You good with staying behind, babe?" Clint asked.
Mikayla nodded. "I need to work on building my strength back up. I'll head over to the training area Thor told us about."
Clint smirked. "We can work on special strengthening exercises when I get back."
"I'm holding you to that, Hawkeye."
"Counting on it, Lady Hawkeye."
"Friends, let us meet Heimdall, and we will be transported to Jotunheim," Thor announced. The group followed Thor and the rest of the Asgardians back to Heimdall. After saying their goodbyes, the ones staying backed away as Thor lifted Mjolnir, and, in a whirlwind, the warriors were sent off to Jotunheim.
Mikayla turned to Steve and Tony. "I'm gonna head to the training area and test it out. Heimdall?"
He bowed. "I will alert you upon their return."
"Thanks," she smiled, left, and walked to the training room. When she entered it, Mikayla was amazed by how spacious it was. There were areas for using every weapon she could think of, and some she needed to figure out what they were. She took in the other areas as she made her way to the archery section. There were sections for knives, spears, guns (which had been requested by Thor to accommodate his Avenger friends), arrows, katanas, and the like. When she arrived at the archery section, she was pleased to see targets set up at different ranges and locations, even moving targets to activate. She noticed off to the side were various bows and arrows as well. 'Clint's so going to hate that he missed this,' she thought. Mikayla warmed up with a few easy shots and wondered if cell phones worked here. She wanted to take pictures of the dead-center bullseyes she was making. After a few minutes, she decided to change it up and use one of the Asgardian bows. She picked it up, and it immediately molded to her hand. She picked up an arrow, notched it, aimed, drew back, and let it go. Pulling the bowstring back took no effort, and the arrow flew true, hitting its mark and obliterating the arrow it struck.
"Impressive," a male voice behind her commented.
In one motion, Mikayla whirled around, grabbed an arrow, nocked it, then aimed at the voice. She discovered it came from a tall, slim man with hair a shade of black darker than hers. He was pale, had high razor-sharp cheekbones, and wore a green outfit trimmed in gold. His voice was soft yet held power behind it. "Can I help you?"
"It does not appear you need any assistance, my lady."
"And you are?"
"Loki Laufeyson," he bowed. "You must be Lady Hawkeye with skills such as those."
Mikayla took the arrow away from the bow but held the weapons close to her to use at a moment's notice. "Mikayla Barton, also known as Maid Marian."
"Ah, yes. Thor advised me of the marriage. Allow me to congratulate you." Loki bowed again.
"Thanks. Thor's told us about you." 'This may be the most uncomfortable conversation I've ever had,' Mikayla thought. "I hope you are doing well."
"Thank you. Yes, I'm doing much better since my actions on Midgard." Loki pointed to her neckline. "I notice you're wearing my mother's necklace."
Mikayla reached up and nervously fingered the necklace. "Yes, Thor gave it to me as a birthday present. I hope it's not upsetting anyone or bringing back sad memories."
Loki shook his head. "Thor explained to us the reasoning behind it, and I concurred. After watching your skills, I believe she would be proud to have you wearing it."
"I was sorry to hear about your mother's death. It's not easy to deal with the loss of a parent."
"Thank you. You have lost yours as well?"
Mikayla nodded. "Both my parents died in a plane crash years ago. I want to think they're still with me."
"In our culture, they are. Death is a journey to another realm, and beings can converse between realms."
"I like that. It's comforting." Mikayla returned to her archery, wondering where this conversation would lead.
"Mikayla?" Loki was less formal than Thor, which Mikayla attributed to him not being expected to be the future ruler of Asgard. "I do not know how to make it up to your husband, but I am truly sorry for my actions on Midgard. I accept full responsibility and am dealing with the punishment assigned to me."
Mikayla turned around to face Loki. She looked directly into his eyes and didn't see the shade of blue Clint and Nat had described, but a clear blue closely resembling Clint's. They didn't twinkle as Clint's did, though. "Since I've met the Avengers, Thor and I have gotten to know each other and have become friends. He explained what happened to you with Thanos and how you two dealt with him. Your brother explained how you were under Thanos' control while on Earth, so if Clint can't be held responsible for his actions while under your control, then you shouldn't be held responsible for how you acted while being controlled by someone else." Mikayla turned back toward the targets and resumed shooting. "I'm only going to say this once. If you ever lay your hands on my husband or try to hurt him, I will find you and end you. Understood?"
Loki smiled. "You will not have to worry about that, Mikayla. Your Clint is a lucky man to have such a devoted partner. You remind me of Jane."
"That's what Thor says. I have a lot of respect for her. She is a good person and a good friend. My father was a scientist. I was raised to hold science and scientists in high esteem. She is the best at what she does."
"Do not sell yourself short, my lady. I have heard your computer skills are as remarkable as Lady Jane's scientific ones. It also appears you have picked up weaponry techniques from your archer."
"I can also use a gun if I need to. I like to have a working knowledge of various weapons."
Loki nodded. "Our mother would have been honored to have known you. If I may, I have a working knowledge of knives if you would like me to demonstrate."
Mikayla shrugged. "Sure, why not? A girl can never have too many ways to defend herself."
"Please, follow me." Loki turned and strode to another area of the facility. Mikayla took her bow and quiver and followed him, knowing Clint would probably kill her for talking with Loki, but she was convinced this wasn't the same Loki that had possessed Clint's mind. At least, she hoped he wasn't.
Suddenly, Heimdall's voice was broadcast through the room. "Mikayla, the battle is over, and your spouse has been injured."