Chapter Text
Broken Bonds
"You son of a bi–" Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo screamed at Billy, who had shot him in the groin to win the game they were playing for their training sessions. "How could you?" he groaned, laying in the fetal position in the middle of the room. Billy couldn't stop the laugh he had tried so hard to stifle. "Don't laugh at my suffering!" Tony snapped, gritting his teeth as he got on his feet.
"You could've just jumped out of the way." Matt shrugged from the west corner, where he and Billy were located. "It's not that hard." It was Matt and Billy against Neal and Tony in an epic and brutal battle of the last man standing. The winning team won by making sure the other team either surrendered or couldn't fight back. It technically wasn’t one of SHIELD’s training programs, but it was a fun game the four liked to play to help hone their skill sets and play around.
“Not everyone has bat powers like you!” Tony shot back, folding his arms over his chest. “It’s still not fair you and Billy are always on the same team. You two are the best of us.”
Neal walked over to Tony and gently patted his back. He glared at Billy, who was still laughing. “Not funny,” Tony mumbled.
Matt shrugged. “Sounds like a you problem. Sorry about that.” He ducked to the side when Tony threw one of the boxing gloves at the redhead. “Hey! Don’t attack me because I’m right,” he shouted.
“Come on, Tony. You’re doing better. It’s not your fault Billy is the best sniper in SHIELD and that Matt has his powers.” Neal attempted to comfort Tony with a hug, pickpocketing the other man’s wallet. “Now, why don’t we all settle and get some food? Tony pays.” The con smirked at Tony, holding up Tony’s wallet.
“Hey!” Tony snatched the wallet back. “Is this ‘Bully Tony DiNozzo Day’?” he pouted like a child, laughing with the other three men. “Honestly, just because I may seem the weakest, don’t ever underestimate my skills.” He grinned. “I may one day be the one to save all of your asses.”
“Hey!” Billy yelled, storming over to Tony, who flinched . “We do NOT say self-deprecating stuff here. That’s why we have Matt,” he dodged one of Matt’s sticks, “and you aren’t the weakest here, Tony. All of us have our strengths and weaknesses.” He grabbed Tony’s shoulders and stared down at the man with a dark look. “I will not hesitate to fight you the next time I hear any self-deprecating thing come out of your mouth. I will fight anyone of you–except Matt because he would win–if you speak self-deprecating things. Understood?”
“Yep, understood,” Tony quickly responded, nodding and stepping a few steps backward. “Got it. Crystal clear, Billy. Confirmed, not going to say anything bad.” Matt was smirking behind Billy, knowing full well he was Billy’s favorite and could get away with things. Neal just shook his head and sighed.
“Now, food does sound good. Any suggestions?” Billy smirked. “Come on, Devious Lick, anything?” He looked from Neal to Matt, “Blind Bambi?” Matt shook his head, glared his best at Billy, “Discount Stark?” Billy chuckled at Tony’s death glare.
“Never call me that again,” Neal threatened, but everyone knew it was an empty threat. “I will steal your stuff.” That was a promise.
“Sheesh, calm down. I thought you guys loved my nicknames.” Billy snickered, knowing full well they had a love-hate relationship with the nicknames. “Anyway, fo–”
A loud siren and flashing red lights cut BIlly off. “What now?”
“Hey, boys,” Natasha Romanoff yelled as she ran into the training room with Clint Barton on her heels. “We have to leave. Intruders have infiltrated the compound. Fury ordered us to take the important files and hide. Fight if we have to.” She dropped a duffel bag with their suits. “Hurry up. We don’t have much time.” She gestured for Clint to go to the bunker with a briefcase that contained the information. “You know where to go.” With that, she and Clint left.
“Hey! Wait a minute! What is going on?” Tony shouted, throwing the other three their stealth suits. “Is this a drill?” They have had drills exactly like this. “Please tell me it’s a drill.”
Matt tensed, head tilted toward the door as he listened. “It’s not a drill. We have to move. There’s about thirty armed men between us and the bunker. Nat and Clint went through the vents.” He finished putting on the black stealth suit that had red boots, a red thigh holster for his billy clubs, red gloves, and a red outline of a Lady Justice on his shoulder. He had his classic black mask on his head, covering his head and eyes.
Billy rolled his eyes. “We’ve been training for this. We can handle it.” He wore a pitch-black suit with silver accents and a silver outline of a blackbird on his shoulders. Neal was in black with light blue accents and an outline of a key on his shoulders. Tony had a black suit with gold accents and the outline of a badge on his shoulder.
“Whatever you say.” Tony grabbed his pistols, while Neal grabbed his gauntlets that were similar to the Widow’s bite. “Let’s hope we survive.” He looked back at Billy, waiting for the signal to proceed.
Billy whistled and the four Everfree agents rushed out of the training room. Tony shot the men in front of him. Matt and Neal rushed ahead. Matt threw his billy clubs, hitting two men in the head. Sweeping his left leg, he tripped two others, punching them as they fell. Next to him, Neal shot three other men with his energy blasts. Billy calmly walked down the hall, shooting any man that wasn’t dead, much to Neal and Matt’s dismay.
Matt snarled as a bullet nicked his arm. He heard Billy shoot the man, and Matt growled. Matt bashed the head of an enemy into the wall. He jabbed the next man in the gut, sending the man to the ground with a solid right hook. He roundhouse kicked another man and rushed forward, jumping up and his knee connected with a man’s jaw.
“Just a little longer!” Tony shouted over the gunfire and siren. He shot a few more intruders in the head and shoulders. He kept close to the wall, turned the corner, and set an array of bullets at the men in front of him.
Tony turned back around the corner to reload his gun. "How much farther?" he called to Matt, who was leaning against the opposite wall, breathing heavily.
"Not far," Matt panted. He groaned and covered his ears. Something was wrong and making his senses go berserk. He could sense something coming closer, but he couldn't identify it or tell where it was.
"Matt, buddy, what's wrong?" Tony flinched as a bullet hit the edge of the corner. "Is there something else out there trying to kill us?" He spun around the corner and shot two more men before coming back around.
"What's wrong with Bambi?" Billy ” BIlly called over the gunfire, shooting at the enemies, ducking back to reload.
“Something is coming. It sounds small, but I can't locate where it’s all over all this noise.” Matt shook his head, the small buzzing noise going silent. “Never mind. It’s gone. We need to move.”
“New plan, we are evacuating the entire facility.” Clint’s voice echoed through the comms. “Meet us at the hangar.”
“That’s our queue to keep moving.” Billy smirked. “Let’s give ‘em hell. DiNozzo and I will give the two of you cover fire. The hangar is a little farther from the bunker, but it's not that far. Neal, you and Matt will run ahead and make sure the coasts are clear.” Billy nodded to the other three.
Neal and Matt rushed around the corner with Billy and Tony providing cover fire. The two quickly took down the enemies in their paths, giving the others the signal to keep moving. Everything was going in their favor until something had hit Matt in the neck. Matt’s vision went black.
“Shit, Matt!” Neal hissed. “Matt’s down!” he yelled over comms. “We’re close to the hangar and Matt just dropped.” He checked Matt’s pulse. “His pulse is fine, and he doesn’t seem to be injur–”
Neal’s words choked off when Matt jolted up, hands wrapped around Neal’s throat.