Chapter 7
Chapter 7
The two men leapt from rooftop to rooftop through the city towards one of the locations that Logan suggested they may find Kitty or Ogun. Hopefully it was the former and hopefully she was safe and unharmed. Logan didn't have to tell Clint how worried he was about her. Everything in the way he moved and held himself told Clint everything he needed to know. Clint just worried about what would happen if what they found wasn't good. Lord help this Ogun if they found something bad had happened to her. Clint was deadly but Logan – Logan was vicious. And Clint knew full well he wouldn't stop Logan from tearing to apart limb by limb if that was the case.
Trailing behind Logan, Clint came to a stop when he noticed how Logan ceased his movements and held out a hand to stop Clint from getting too much closer to the edge of the rooftop. Clint cautiously came to stand next to him and peered down. There was a group of people down below, all dressed in either black or red. At the front was a man with a red mask and next to him…
"Kitty." Clint turned as he heard Logan sigh her name. She looked perfectly fine but he saw her face and instantly knew that look of pure subjugation. "The damn fucker is controlling her. He's gonna put his subconscious in her."
"Not if we can help it," Clint muttered as he put his mask on and his hood up. "I'll distract them – you get your kid back. Just wait for my signal."
"Yeah? And what signal is that?"
"Oh trust me, you won't be able to miss it."
Clint slipped away, grappling his way down to the street level. His idea was reckless and probably stupid but not knowing how much time they had to stop this before it was too late, Clint needed to act fast. And between the two of them, Clint could blend in easier, especially with his new outfit. No one would think twice of another person in all black making his way through the crowd. Not that anyone was really paying any mind to him as he gently pushed through the crowd. All eyes were on the man in front with Kitty by his side. Her gaze was blank as she stared at the crowd. Was she even aware of where she was? Clint flashed back to his time under Loki's mind control and how he hoped that her memory of the events didn't exist. He didn't wish that kind of trauma on anyone.
"My brothers and sisters," Ogun yelled from the front, drawing Clint's attention to him as well. He was surprised by the use of English (surely everyone here save himself and Kitty were Japanese) but he was glad that he wasn't having to translate in his head. "The time has now come! You shall all bear witness as we bring our new sister into our clan and follow her into the future."
He turned to Kitty with his hand outstretched. "My child…."
There was no time. Clint had to act. He had hoped that maybe they had arrived at the beginnings of whatever speech it was he had brought them here for but they hadn't made it in time. It was time to improvise. Clint pulled out a few throwing stars and aimed them for Ogun's hand. The blades whizzed through the air and embedded themselves in his palm, causing everyone's eyes to turn towards Clint. After the stars had left his hand he had pulled out his sword and sprang the blade to life while holding it at the ready. "Let her go, Ogun!" Clint yelled, speaking in Japanese to hopefully throw off everyone around them as to who he was.
Ogun smiled as he pulled the stars from his hand and pointed to him, blood dripping from the wounds in his palm. "Bring him to me, my brothers and sisters."
The crowd all turned towards him, each one pulling out their swords. Clint wasn't a fool – he knew he was vastly outnumbered and surrounded. There were easily thirty of them and only one of him. All eyes were on him.
Which was exactly what he wanted.
He held up his sword, ready to defend as he waited for someone to make the first move. He was not foolish enough to think that if he attacked first that it would end well. Eventually someone's patience was done and they ran at him and swung. He deflected it with ease and pushed him back just in time to turn and block another slice at him. The crowd descended upon him and he focused on keeping their attention while the shadow of Logan worked his way around the crowd to grab Kitty. Clint was able to bring down a few of the attackers. He wasn't sure how many, maybe eight or nine, and he thought maybe there was a chance that he would make it out of this. That was until someone caught his arm and yanked it back, forcing him to drop the sword lest he wound up with a broken arm. Now disarmed more descended and grabbed him, holding him captive and forcing him to his knees as the sea opened and Ogun stepped towards him. Clint wrestled and fought to break their holds but there were too many. His gaze shifted to the stage where Ogun had come from and smirked behind his mask as he noticed a familiar shadow carrying Kitty off into the night. So it had worked. Well, that had to count for something.
Ogun grinned as he pushed Clint's hood down and started to grab the mask. "Let's see who is beneath the mask," he muttered, pulling it off and revealing Clint's face. "Clint Barton….what a pleasant surprise."
Clint didn't say a word as he kept pulling on the hands holding him. "It was foolish for you to come here," Ogun added, switching effortlessly into Japanese, "You have quite the bounty on your head."
"I didn't know you were in league with the Hand."
Clint grunted as a fist collided with his stomach, sending the air out from his lungs. "Do not insult me, Mr. Barton. I would never work with the likes of those low-lives. No, the Yakuza wants you. Alive."
His brow knitted together in confusion. Why in the world would the Yakuza want him? "Don't worry, Mr. Barton, all will be revealed in good time. After I complete my ritual, I shall take you to them." Ogun stepped away and Clint tried to pull a bit harder from their grasps. He watched as Ogun turned back to the stage. He couldn't help but smile as Ogun came to a stop when he realized Kitty was gone.
Bad news for Clint, but at least he knew Kitty was safe. "My child! She's gone! Spread out! Find her! Bring her back to me!"
The crowd began to disperse except for the men holding Clint on his knees. Ogun turned back to Clint and he could see the fire burning in his eyes. "You!"
Clint shrugged as much as he could. "You should really pay more attention to your surroundings."
Ogun growled as he looked at the men holding Clint. "Prepare him for questioning! He will tell us how to find her."
"What about the Yakuza?"
Ogun smiled as he looked at Clint. Clint didn't like the way he was looking at him. It was unsettling at best and normally meant bad things for him. "They can have him once I'm through with him."
Clint didn't show anything on his face as he was forced to his feet and dragged to a nearby car. His hands were bound behind him and a hood pulled over his head before he felt the car start to move and bring him to wherever it was Ogun decided to take him. There was no knowing if Logan would come for him. He couldn't count on it. Surely Logan's first priority was to keep Kitty safe and Clint couldn't blame him. If it had been Wanda or Laura or his kids, Clint would do the same damn thing.
No, Clint was on his own.
TBC…