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"We're going to find them here?" Steve whispers, carefully picking his way through the mass of dancing bodies.
"You doubt my information gathering skills?" Natasha lets out a low chuckle, nudging her way to the bar. Steve hurriedly follows her lead, keeping his head down while stealing glances at the people around him. They're all living in their own worlds, dancing the night away and he catches glimpses of what looks like drugs being passed around.
The world has gone to shit every since the Snap happened. Crime rates have risen, many places have fallen into lawless ruin, power vacuums have been created and filled countless times as ambitious people seek for ways to get ahead amidst the chaos. The Avengers have lost members, their band torn apart by the Sokovian Accords and the Snap. Thor and the Hulk have gone missing since the Sokovian Accords, Hawkeye has vanished ever since the Snap, and Steve has no one left except Natasha. Bucky and Sam had been Snapped into dust along with King T'Challa, Rhodey was still alive but he wasn't that close to Tony's right hand, and he didn't know the status of anyone else.
It had been a hard five years on everyone, and that was evident when what remained of the Avengers gathered for the first time since the Sokovian Accords split them apart.
Tony had a life, a family but had chosen to be Iron Man once more. Rhodey as always was right behind him. Hawkeye, no, Ronin had agreed to join so that he could get his family back. Natasha, the ever steadfast woman had been the one to rope Clint back into the group. Hulk and Bruce had merged together and were more than willing to lend their brilliant mind to save the world.
On top of that, the Guardians of the Galaxy had joined them in their quest to reverse the Snap. They had lost members too, and wanted them back. Steve could respect that, he understood their drive more than he cared to admit. He'd lost Bucky for a second time, and that cut deeper than any would could. He'd lost Sam, a precious and irreplaceable friend. So here he was, in a club with Natasha to find you, The Hunter, and ask for your help in reversing the Snap as you were one of the few people left whom he knew.
He'd interacted somewhat with you before. You were fierce, loyal, driven, and most of all a firm anchor for Bucky. The first time he had met you was back in SHIELD, where he, along with Natasha had tracked down the Winter Soldier and stopped HYDRA. You were reserved, guarded, but an effective fighter, helping greatly in the fight against HYDRA and had given Bucky a safehouse to stay in the aftermath of it all.
Steve greatly appreciated the gesture, and was surprised to see how close you and Bucky were. You had sided with him during the fight at the airport which had landed you in The Raft and made Bucky anxious but Steve had managed to reassure his best friend into leaving you behind. He'd seen the reluctance with which the two of you had parted, the gentle touches and soft whispers that had been exchanged, but he'd also seen the way Bucky lit up when you walked into the Wakandan medical room he was sitting in after being freed from the Raft, seen the way the both of you embraced each other. You were Bucky's lifeline and he was yours, you were inseparable from one another.
Then the Snap happened. You'd watched Bucky crumble to dust before your very eyes, watched as he reached out a disintegrating hand towards you, listened as his mouth whispered your name, his final word. If it had hurt so much for him to see Bucky disappear, he couldn't imagine how you'd felt that day.
"Steve?" Natasha's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. He blinks and gives her a confused look.
"Come on, this way." She gently tugs at his arm, shooting him a look of concern but he waves it off and follows her.
The moment he steps through the door, the entire scene changes. Gone are the bodies swaying to the beat, gone are the laughter and cheers that accompany the smell of alcohol, gone are the smiles and seductive glances. Instead, roars and jeers fill the air, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol stings his nose, and the sound of flesh hitting flesh shakes him out of his stupor.
"You're in for a treat! The person you're looking for is currently fighting in The Cage." The man who led them here grins at him and Natasha widely. "Enjoy yourselves!"
He leaves with a cackle and Natasha grimaces. "Well, I guess we'll have to wait for them to finish their fight."
Steve pushes his way to the front, Natasha using the path he carved through the bodies to find a spot next to him and watches the fight everyone is so hyped up about with him. It's nothing like what he expected, it really is just a cage match where the contestants brawl until one surrenders or dies. It's raw, painful, and visceral.
You're bleeding from your nose, panting, and Steve can see the bruises littering your sides. Your knuckles are raw and bloodied, the floor you're standing on is stained with splatters of blood, and you're clearly winning, but you're hunched over. There's no light in your eyes, they're empty orbs devoid of life and it hurts Steve to see the state you're in.
Your opponent throws a punch that Steve knows you can easily dodge but the fist connects with your jaw and sends you flying. Your back hits the bars of the metal cage with a loud clang and he hears you grunt in pain. He winces, watching you stand back up and spit out a tooth.
Then you laugh.
Your laughter rings out, cutting cleanly through the noise of the spectators and suddenly the roar from the stands becomes deafening. The people around him start to hoot, shouting for you to cave your opponent's face in and he sees Natasha grit her teeth. She's enjoying this as much as he is.
"Is that the hardest you can hit? Pathetic." You grin, blood trickling from the corner of your mouth. You raise your fists and beckon him forward with a finger. "Try again, weakling."
Your opponent snarls furiously and charges straight for you. His fist skims along your cheek but your fist breaks his nose and Steve hears the crunch of the bone beneath. Blood pours from your opponent's nose and he staggers backwards but you don't give him any time to recover. Lunging forward, you press the attack, slamming fist after fist into his flesh until he falls to the ground and doesn't get back up.
The bell sounds, calling out your victory but your head remains hanging, bloody fists clenched tightly. The body of your opponent is dragged out of the cage, leaving streaks of red on the grey floor and all you do is stand there, hair messily falling over your face.
"Hunter! Hunter! Hunter!" The crowd hollers but you pay them no mind. You simply leave the cage, heading off down a corridor and Steve runs after you, Natasha following close behind.
"Leave." Your tone is curt. You're washing your hands, turning the water red. You don't even look up to acknowledge the two of them and move to bandage your ruined knuckles. Steve takes a step forward into the room and you shoot him a glare.
"I said leave." Your hand rests on the door, ready to slam it on them but Natasha clears her throat.
"You're a mess, Hunter."
"It's none of your business, Widow." Your lips curl into a sneer. "Now get lost before I make you."
"No." Steve pushes his way in. "Buck wouldn't want to see you like this."
"Good thing he's not here then." You spit. "Last warning. Get out."
"Buck —"
"We've found a way to reverse the Snap." Natasha cuts in, shushing Steve. "Are you going to help bring Barnes back?"
You freeze, eyes wide. "Reverse…the Snap?"
The words leave your lips in a whisper and Steve sees a flicker of life in your eyes but it fades just as quickly. You turn away, shaking your head. "That's impossible."
"It's not. We're going to go back in time to collect the Infinity Stones and recreate the Snap to bring everyone back." Steve grabs you by the shoulder. "But to pull it off we need your help."
"You don't. The people you need are heroes, not monsters." You push his hand off. "I'm not cut out for saving the world."
"We don't need you to save the world. We just need you to save Barnes." Natasha places a hand on her hip. "So, are you going to save him or not?"
She knows she has you, all it really takes is to mention the man you love deeply and she has you hook line and sinker. You turn to look at her, taking a deep breath and sigh.
"I…I'm not who I was before. I —" Your eyes turn golden as you dodge the bullet that flies past your head, hands automatically moving to where you used to keep your holsters and Natasha grins triumphantly, gun in hand.
"You were saying?"
"Fine. But I'm not doing this to save the world or anything grandiose like that, I'm doing this to bring back the man I love." You walk over to your messy cot and lift up the mattress, revealing the stash hidden beneath. "I'm not that selfless."
"Don't need you to be, Hunter. Just need your skills." Natasha gives you a smile. "See you at the entrance of the club in five?"
"Three." You're already strapping on the first holster and Steve catches a glimmer of fire in your eyes. He smiles and Natasha quietly chuckles.
The Hunter has returned.