Hawkeye's Revenge

Enjoy!

Bruce smiled tiredly as Tony practically skipped down the sidewalk beside him his eyes firmly fixed on the fast approaching coffee house less than a block from them.

"I swear Bruce you have got to try their white chocolate, caramel, mint frappe. You can get it decaf," Tony added as he noted Bruce starting to open his mouth to protest that the caffeine was bad for his control "And we might break the golden oldies a bit by introducing them to the joys of flavored coffee."

Steve just smiled in amusement as he said dryly "You know Tony both Bucky and I have had frappes. You have actually seen us drink them."

Tony waved his hand dismissively at this statement and continued extolling the virtues of their destination but Bruce was struck by the changes a year could make in two peoples' relationship.

A year ago before the Battle of New York, he had honestly been afraid to leave the Super Soldier and the inventor in the same room together least they start fighting but now they actually had become friends despite their differences. Bruce mused that a lot of that had to do with the camaraderie created by surviving an alien attack together but a lot of it was the two just getting to know each other and allowing themselves to see beyond the public image they presented to the world.

Yes, Tony could seem arrogant and selfish at first but once you got to know the man you realized quickly that that was just a front he displayed when he was uncomfortable or uncertain how to handle a situation. It hadn't helped that he had more issues with his father than almost anyone Bruce knew and that said father had been obsessed with finding one Steve Rogers since before Tony's birth. It was understandable that Tony had had some misplaced resentment toward Steve upon their first meeting.

As for Steve, Bruce had realized quickly that the man absolutely abhorred bullies. Bruce thought personally that Steve had taken Tony's flippant remarks and attitude as a form of bullying and reacted as he always did by meeting force with force. When Steve had realized that there was a lot more to Tony than a billionaire, playboy he had mellowed toward Tony considerably but what had really brought the two together as friends was Tony's reaction to Bucky.

Tony had been understandably upset when he had learned that Bucky had been the one to kill his parents and had gotten into several fights with Steve over him. The fact that Steve had brought Bucky into the tower, having not trusted SHIELD not to try to use or imprison Bucky, had made the fights ten times worse. Tony had felt betrayed and Steve had felt backed into a corner as he couldn't take Bucky out of the tower without risking that he might be captured. The fighting might have gotten to the breaking point but Tony had trusted Steve enough to not do anything rash until after he had learned everything he could about the issue.

Bruce didn't really know what Tony had found during his all night hacking session, Tony had refused to allow him to see the files and had made sure that no one ever mentioned them to Steve, but after that Tony had gone directly to Steve's floor. Bruce had trailed behind him wanting to defuse any fights that might occur but all Tony had done was knock on Steve's door and when there was no answer gently pushed the door open. They had found Steve collapsed against the wall three feet from Bucky who was standing in a corner of the room at attention while staring at nothing. Tear tracks had been clear against Steve's too pale face as he gazed at an unaware Bucky but he had snapped around to look at them as Bruce closed the door.

Steve had stared at them startled before closing his eyes in pain as he passed a weary hand across his face to wipe the tears from his face. He had slowly stood up, using the wall as support as though every move hurt but Bruce could tell from personally experience that it was more mental weariness than physical weariness that was weighing Steve down.

Steve had taken a deep breath as though steeling himself for the argument to come "Tony, I know what you are going to say and you are right. It was insensitive and stupid of me to impose on you like this. I am finding a place.."

"He can stay," Tony had said waving away Steve's words with a tired hand and leaving Steve gaping at him.

"What," Steve had asked clearly confused and unsure if he had heard right.

"He can stay and... and it was within your rights to bring him here. I gave you this floor so I don't get a say in how you use it or who you have live here," Tony rushed out waving his arms a bit in agitation as he paced in a small circle in front of the door. The movement seemed to draw Bucky's attention and Bruce had winced at the panic in the man's eyes as he seemingly realized that someone besides Steve was in the room with him but other than his eyes the man's face and posture had not changed at all. Anger licked like fire within his gut at the thought of how much torture it must have taken to get someone to stand without moving in the face of such panic inside them.

"Tony, calm down a bit. Alright," Bruce had said softly forcing his own agitation and anger down as Tony turned to look at him questioningly. Bruce had gestured with his eyes to Bucky who had still been standing at attention looking at them with panic filled eyes. A look of sympathy had crossed Tony's face as he had stared at Bucky but with an effort he had turned his attention to Steve as it was clear that his attention had been making Bucky's panic worse.

"Like I said, he can stay. I will have Jarvis send a list of possible therapists to your phone, good people who are used to helping prisoners of war and such," Tony said as he turned to slip out of the room "Just tell Jarvis if you need anything."

They had been almost to the elevator when they had turned back as Steve called from his bedroom door "Tony, ..... why..why did you change your mind. I mean I am glad you did but...."

And suddenly Bruce had really seen Steve and not Steve acting as Captain America and team leader; before then Bruce had never realized who much Steve held back around everyone.

Tony had stared back at Steve his mouth slightly open as he considered what to say before he finally shook his head and simply stated "I am still angry about my parents."

Steve had looked both crushed and as though he were about to argue at that statement but Tony's next words had seemed to take the breath from him "I am still angry and I probably will be for a while but I am just not angry at him anymore. No one should be made into a weapon."

They had stared at each other for a minute in silence before Tony had broken eye contact as he turned back to the waiting elevator. Bruce had given Steve a reassuring smile as he said "If you need any help just give me a call. I will do what I can."

The elevator doors had been closing as Steve's voice had filtered to them "Tony, Bruce .....thank you."

Tony had stared blankly at the wall but Bruce had known he had heard by the way his hand had balled into a fist at the wet hitch in Steve's voice.

The next several months had been hard for everyone as Bucky slowly came back to himself and healed mentally and physically from the decades of abuse that Hydra had inflicted on him but it had also brought everyone closer together. They were more than a team now, they were family, and they knew they could rely on each other if things got tough.

"If you really want to blow my mind, Stark, buy me a Reese cup smoothie," Bucky drawled carelessly but Bruce did not miss how the man kept glancing around at every movement and how closely he stuck to Steve's side.

"And here I would have thought your one true desire would have been me being silent for more than five minutes," Tony snarked back with a cocky grin.

"I am a realist, I like to ask for what I have a chance of getting," Bucky snipped back a hint of a smile softening the tension surrounding him and Tony bounced a bit more at having gotten Bucky to relax a bit. Moments later Tony grimaced as he jarred his yet to heal ankle and bruised ribs.

"Tony," Steve admonished with a long suffering look "We should go back. You need rest, you are still injured."

"No, what I need is caffeine and possible one of their goat cheese and apple danishes. Really you guys have got to try them, they practically melt in your mouth," Tony enthused ignoring the worried look Steve shot to Bruce. Bruce simply shrugged. Likely they would be carrying Tony back to the mansion at this rate but Bruce knew Tony well enough to know that sometimes you just had to let the man have his way. Thankfully Bruce had been able to wrap Tony's ribs and put a brace on his ankle before the man had talked him, Steve, and Bucky into going to a nearby coffee shop with him, Natasha, proving that she was smarter than the lot of them, had chosen to stay behind and take a long hot bath.

Steve looked highly sceptical of this statement though whether it was because of the goat cheese and apple danishes or Tony practically saying caffeine was a cure all was up to debate. Bucky, however, looked a little intrigued by the idea and said a bit wonderingly "Goat cheese and apple, umm. Actually doesn't sound half bad."

"Stick with me Robocop, the world will be your oyster," Tony said teasingly and seemed pleased when Bucky snorted a small laugh at the joke.

"You know I actually know what that reference is to now, right," Bucky said as they all sat down at one of the many outdoor tables. Tony grinned at the memory of their last movie night.

"But I still got you on Terminator," Tony hummed just as the waitress started to approach and noting the way that Bucky was tensing up Tony smoothly moved to intercept the young woman before she could get within ten feet of their table. A charming smile later and a bit of small talk and Tony was heading back to their table with the menus in hand and with the waitress heading back into the coffee shop.

"Here. Just tell me what you want and I will tell Janice. She agreed to just let me bring out the stuff so we can have our privacy," Tony told them easily as he handed out the menus as though he waited tables every day. Steve flashed him a grateful smile but Bucky simply frowned down at his menu.

"Sorry, I know she wasn't going to do anything. It was stupid to get all tense," Bucky apologized his shoulders tense and Bruce could guess that he was making frustrated fists under the table.

"Don't worry about it. My pulse still starts racing anytime I have to put my head under water," Tony told them carelessly as he examined his menu but the fingers of his left hand drummed restlessly on the table in a way they only did when he was upset or worried about something.

Silence descended on the table for a moment before Bucky snorted a laugh.

"I guess, between you and me we won't be having an Avengers swimming pool party with the Playboy bunnies anytime soon then," Bucky said faking a disappointed frown.

Tony glanced up at him with surprise then grinned widely.

"Why so disappointed, Barnes, you know the girls would have been all over me anyway. That is why they tagged on the playboy to the billionaire, philanthropist moniker."

"I thought that was a self-appointed title," Bucky rejoined and just like that the two of them were off trading quips and barbs leaving Bruce and Steve to roll their eyes in fond exasperation.

Bruce laughed in delight as Bucky's latest verbal volley left Tony gaping like a fish and Steve struggling to hide his grin behind his menu.

"I see how it is. You are both on his side," Tony exclaimed with a dramatic finger point in their direction "I expected it of Steve but really Bruce, you...."

Tony cut off as a surprised look spread across his face and Bruce was just turning to see what had caught his attention when he felt a hand catch his. Warm, work roughened fingers laced with his own as a chair scrapped up beside him. Bruce stared at the hand laced in his stupidly before following the arm up to find Hawkeye, the man they had been looking for, sitting casually beside him, a pleasant expression on his face and steely determination in his eyes.

Without a word the man threw a folder on the table as he calmly straddled the chair he had pulled up to their table, keeping a firm hold of Bruce's right hand with his left.

"What," Steve exclaimed as he started to rise but Hawkeye interrupted him smoothly "Sit back down, Captain or I detonate the bomb I have in my wrist guard," at this the man held up their joined hands then continued calmly as though he were not talking about mutilating himself and others "and we get to see how much damage the Hulk can do to the D.C. area."

Steve seemed completely stunned by the man's words as did the others but Bruce didn't have time for shock, he was too busy trying to control his racing heart. Distantly he noted that his skin had taken on a greenish tinge but while Hawkeye glanced at the change he seemed supremely unconcerned by the possibility of meeting the Hulk personally.

'I guess if he is willing to blow himself up he isn't too worried about the Hulk ripping him apart,' Bruce thought wearily as he slowly brought his racing heart under control.

"What......," Bruce started once his skin had returned to its normal shade but stopped as he realized what Hawkeye was doing was obvious, the why was what was in question. Meeting the man's eyes, he noted absently that they were a startling shade of stormy blue/grey with flecks of dark green throughout, he asked in confusion "Why are you doing this?"

A flicker of regret seemed to pass through those extraordinary eyes before they iced over again and the man nudged the file he had dropped on the table.

"I want the antidote to those. Give it to me and we all walk away from this with no problems," Hawkeye drawled then added with cold indifference "And if you don't I set off the bomb and me and the Doc get our arms blown off."

"Clint," Steve started and Hawkeye turned a hard look on him at the name but Steve just returned his look with open concern and Bruce thought he saw the assassin twitch a bit in discomfort. Bruce didn't blame the man, anyone with a shred of decency couldn't help but be affected by Steve when he was in full on Captain mode.

"You don't want to do this, Clint. You don't want to hurt Bruce and use him as a weapon to hurt so many others," Steve told Hawkeye earnestly and Bruce could fill Hawkeye's flinch more than see it but the next moment the man had tightened the hand gripping his tight enough to make Bruce clench his teeth to keep from crying out as the bones in his hand ground together.

"I didn't want to hear my son screaming my name in agony, begging me to end his pain as this shit you invented ate away at him but I didn't really have a choice," Hawkeye growled his teeth bared and voice rasping in his anger.

"I didn't Want to learn that two of my neighbors who got shot died from heart attacks induced by the pain caused by whatever the fuck this is," Clint continued in a low furious voice as he slapped his hand on the file he had flung on the table before continuing in a voice that slowly gained volume as he told them "I didn't Want to have to put my Son in a fucking medically induced coma so that I could buy him time before his own heart gave out but I REALLY DIDN'T GET A CHOICE."

Clint met each of their eyes his breath coming fast and hard as he seemed to finally realize that in his anger he had stood up and dragged Bruce up with him. Running a shaking hand through his hair, Clint slowly sank back into his chair and after a moment of shock Bruce sank down into his own seat. Steve looked utterly devastated while Bucky's expression had closed off but Bruce didn't miss the way his jaw was clenched so hard that his super soldier enhancements were the only reason he had not cracked a tooth. Tony just stared at the file as though it was a viper and Bruce knew he was bracing himself to look through it. Glancing around Bruce saw several people casting them weary looks but thankfully none of them seemed willing to get closer.

Turning his attention away from the staring people, he stared at the still visibly upset archer before slowly reaching for the file on the table before Tony could make a grab for it. He didn't want the man to see the file until he could be sure that no pictures had been included of the people who had already died from this thing. A quick glance had him relaxing for a moment as he saw that there were no pictures of anyone dying in agony or of any people at all but his heart sank quickly as he took in the molecular signature of three samples taken from three different blood samples. The signatures, along with a photo of one of the blood samples taken under magnification meant that he was positive that the substance identified within the blood samples was the nano constructs he and Tony had made to deliver a timed sedative to the Hulk.

Looking up at the others he slowly passed the file to Tony who looked it over with a pale face and continued to stare at it in shock before finally looking up at Clint.

"This.....," Tony paused clearly struggling to gather himself before trying again in a voice that was just a touch breathy from emotion "I.. These...they are not weapons. At least they were never meant to be. They were meant to act as a delivery method for sedatives for the Hulk. They are nano capsules that break down in the blood within a 24 to 178 hour period of time. We could never make the time more precise so they were useless but...."

Tony shrugged helplessly under Clint's hard stare seeming at a loss when faced with the obvious emotional agony the other man was going through. Slowly the archer leaned forward against the back of the chair and still staring at Tony said in a soft, deceptively calm voice which still managed to convey the anger and desperate grief he was feeling better than a shout "I don't give a damn what these things were intended for, I just want to know how to stop them before they kill my son."

Bruce stared at the side of Clint's face, noting the desperate set of his jaw, the pain in his eyes and finally cleared his throat gaining everyone's attention.

"We don't know how to stop it," Bruce told the man softly feeling as his hand tighten painfully once more on his hand but not flinching this time as he met the archer's eyes squarely and explained "This delivery system was meant to be injected into my blood and the nano containers were meant to open when a specific electrical signal was passed to them from a controller but while the nanos responded to the signal they were also triggered by random chemical signals found in mammalian blood. The project was shelved because we couldn't ever figure out how to stop the nanos from releasing their contents early. We worked for months on them without success."

Bruce stopped as the man in front of him seemed to slump in despair.

"So there is nothing to be done but to kill him quickly and put him out of his misery," Clint whispered his expression so devastated that Bruce ached for him. He could tell that the man was planning on killing his son to end his pain and that then he planned on killing himself.

"But we could.....I mean if we could run some tests. We might be able to figure out what they put in the nanos and figure out a way to neutralize it," Bruce rushed out, wanting, no needing to erase that look from Clint's face. He didn't think he had ever seen a look so full of love, determination, and pain in his life.

"It wouldn't be for sure. I mean we have no idea what we are dealing with but we could try," Bruce hurried to tell him, not wanting to get the man's hopes up.

"You think I would trust you with my son," Clint snarled as he abruptly looked Bruce square in the eyes and Bruce felt his heart plummet as he realized that while he might be able to help, the man was also right not to let his son near a monster like him.

"Hey," Tony started to protest angrily but Clint cut him off "You work for the organization that Shot...My...Son. Do you really think I am going to give you access to him so that your bosses can finish the job?"

Bruce blinked in surprise as the man beside him swept his gaze over everyone. Clint wasn't reluctant to let him near his son because of the Hulk but because of SHIELD which he obviously didn't know had been infiltrated by Hydra. For some reason that he couldn't name he felt relieved that this man didn't object to them helping his son because of the Hulk.

"Hydra," Bruce said softly and was rewarded by Clint turning a surprised look on him. "Hydra has been infiltrating SHIELD and they were the ones who hurt your neighbors and son. We would never work for any group that would hurt innocent people."

Bruce met Clint's eyes as the other man searched his face for signs of deceit before sitting back to examine the rest of them.

"I don't trust you," Clint said finally with a sad smile and a shrug "No words will change that. So why would I put my son's life in your hands."

Silence was his only answer for a heart beat before "Because you don't have a choice."

Clint turned a hard glare on Bucky seeming unsure if that was a threat or not but Bucky merely continued to look at the table seeming both tired and sad.

"It is true, isn't it," Bucky asked softly glancing up through his eyelashes at the other man with understanding in his eyes "You wouldn't have approached us, risked your life if you had had any more readily available options."

He paused finally looking fully at Clint "I know what desperation looks like. I have seen it enough in the mirror to recognize it in someone else."

Clint lent back his eyes still locked with Bucky's as emotions flicked through those expressive eyes too fast to follow before the man finally sighed as he let go of Bruce's hand and used his now free hand to rub at his eyes.

"Fine," the archer breathed in defeat, the life seeming to have been sucked from him. Bruce realized that he didn't believe in them, didn't believe they wouldn't just turn him in and let his son die but he had no choice but to take the chance.

Impulsively Bruce reached out with the hand that was still warm from Clint's grip and gently took the hand that had been gripping his own not a moment before. Clint actually started at his touch as he stared at him in surprise.

"You can keep me as a hostage if you want," Bruce offered then at the archer's look of incomprehension added quickly "To ensure we don't betray you or your son. I mean no one wants the Hulk running around so.....um..."

Bruce trailed off as the man beside him continued to regard him with puzzled surprise before a small smile quirked his lips and he gently disentangled his hand from Bruce's. Deftly the archer removed his wrist guard and tossed it casually on the table making them flinch before relaxing as the bomb didn't go off.

"Hey, be more careful with those. You may be ok with being blown up but the rest of us aren't," Tony exclaimed then huffed in irritation as Clint chuckled slightly.

"Are you nuts," Tony asked and Bruce wondered if the archer was a little off.

"It doesn't have any explosives, couldn't get any in time for this meeting. We only realized you were landing in D.C. about three hours ago after all," Clint told them calmly then added with a smirk as they continued to look stumped "I was bluffing."

"Seriously, seriously. Are you even for real? You threatened Captain America, the Winter Soldier, the Hulk, and Ironman with a fake bomb," Tony exclaimed waving his arms and completely ignoring the scolding looks thrown at him for referring to Bucky as the Winter Soldier.

"I am disappointed. We merit at least a real threat," Tony continued in a huff.

Clint merely raised an eyebrow at the rant and gave an amused smirk as he said sarcastically "The next time I threaten you I will try to live up to your high expectations."

"You better," Tony huffed crossing his arms, ignoring or missing the archer's sarcasm.

"Tony, we are going to have a long talk about not giving people tips on how to attack us," Steve said with a sigh as he stood from the table.

"I am going to go pay our tab. After that I think we should go to where your son is. Do you have a vehicle that will fit us all," Steve asked as he pulled out his wallet.

Clint looked around at the lot of them then shook his head. "I stole a little Honda to get here but I doubt you and Barnes could fit in the back together without one of you riding in the others lap let alone fit the rest of you."

"Right," Steve said simply though it was clear that he disapproved of the fact that Clint had stolen a car.

"Don't worry, Cap, the man I stole the car from deserves a jacked car and more," Clint said a hint of amusement in his eyes once more as he clearly read the reason for Steve's discomfort.

Steve glanced at him in surprise but settled for a simple nod of acknowledgement as he went to the counter to pay. None of them missed the way that Bucky became more tense as Steve moved away or the way that he followed Steve with his eyes. Bucky still had a hard time allowing Steve out of his sight convinced that Steve would be hurt or killed if Bucky wasn't backing him up at all times.

The rest of them sat in awkward silence during Steve's absence, even Tony seemed subdued as Clint gazed down at his lap his gaze distant and haunted.

"Clint, would the place you are treating Matt have an area we could land a quinjet," Steve asked as he returned after taking his seat once more.

Clint stared at him hard still hesitant to trust them but finally he nodded tersely then added "It was how we got him there."

"Why did you bring him to America," Bruce wondered out loud then flushed in embarrassment as all eyes turned to him.

"Sorry, it is just ...... well you must have moved him before the nanos started releasing their," he paused here as he realized the man didn't need to be reminded about what danger his son was in and that he needed to choose his words carefully to avoid causing him further pain "contents. So why America? From what I remember there are some very good underground hospitals all throughout Europe."

Bruce left out the part that he had worked at quite a few of those hospitals while he was first on the run because they rarely asked too many questions about a person's past.

"I have contacts here that I trust to help me and Matt when things go south," Clint told them tersely but refused to elaborate further and none of them pushed not wanting to push the other man into changing his mind about allowing them to help Matt.

"Well, we will have to get Agent Agent's permission to use the quinjet unless you want to take one of my private jets. The quinjet would be better though since it has a medical area," Tony told them as they started back toward his mansion. Bruce could tell the man was annoyed that his jet was lacking and Bruce had no doubt that the billionaire would have medical areas on his jets within the week.

The walk back to the mansion was tense with both Clint and Bucky scanning the surrounding buildings and crowds for danger but thankfully it was also brief. Walking past the gate attendant they all pulled to a stop as they spotted Phil leaning against the ruined Jaguar with Natasha standing on the steps of the mansion giving the agent an unimpressed look.

Phil and Natasha turned to them at the same time and no one missed the way that Natasha's hand inched toward a weapon as she spotted Clint but Phil merely raised a single eyebrow before nodding pleasantly at the archer.

"Hawkeye," Phil said calmly before turning his attention to Tony "I am afraid I had a little accident with your car, Tony. My apologies."

"Damn, Agent Agent, I thought I was tough on cars," Tony said wonderingly, seeming not at all perturbed that Phil had essentially totalled a quarter million dollar car, as he circled the car to get a better look at the damage.

"Are these bullet holes," Tony asked fingering a hole in the rear of the car and Phil nodded.

"I was followed from SHIELD headquarters by a group of Hydra agents and had to lead them on a chase before I was able to eliminate them," Phil stated still regarding them calmly as though he got chased by a crazy Nazi affiliated group all the time.

Clint strolled around the car ignoring Natasha's wary regard and Phil's unconcerned eyes as he stroked a hand over the crumpled hood of the Jaguar.

"Went through a metal warehouse door, umm," Clint said more than asked as he looked the car over. To Bruce's surprise Clint lightly hopped up onto the top of the car in order to poke around at something up there.

"Yes, how did you know," Phil asked curiously as he watched Clint poke around. Clint flashed him a grin with more teeth than strictly polite as he said "I have crashed my share of cars through warehouse doors. The corrigated metal leaves distinctive grooves when it tears through a car."

Clint made a considering noise as he poked a finger through an especially deep groove "Though I have to admit even I haven't crashed a Jaguar through a warehouse door before."

From his tone and expression Bruce thought that the archer was regretting the fact that he hadn't yet crashed a Jaguar through a metal door and Bruce wondered briefly how this had become his life. Super spies, assassins, a super soldier, former brainwashed super soldier, and an Agent who could probably stop the end of the world while still filling out his paperwork. 'I have no idea how I did not realize my life was so boring before I met up with this group,' he thought as he let a tiny smile slip onto his face.