Chapter Text
Fading
Chapter 1
2 years ago
I sit up, taking in the familiar dry, cold air. Sliding out of bed I start my routine, I walk to the mess hall, eating plain rations. The other girls around me eat in quiet discipline, and once finished I head to the training area. As I circle around the practice dummy, hitting every pressure point, I am called to the Commander’s briefing room. Ivan Somorodov is sitting at his desk looking through papers. When I enter he gives a cold smile, “Recluse, I need your assistance on a mission.” I reply with a carefully neutral face, “I am yours to command, Sir.” He smiles, then begins the briefing. “This is to be a joint mission between Hydra and the Red Room. I don’t like it much, but they’ve promised their top agent to help with the mission.” I grimace, “I thought you said that I worked best alone Sir?” He scowls, “I told you that I don’t like it, but you're our best agent.” I simply nod in acknowledgement of the compliment, it’s a bad idea to show emotion in front of Ivan. He continues, “Your mission is to simply retrieve a little of STARK Tech.” I raise an eyebrow, “Just a little…” My biggest mistake is the little smile clinging to the edge of my mouth. He scowls, “Emotion clouds your judgement and makes you weak, you’d do well to remember that Recluse.” I bow my head in shame, “Yes Sir.” He presses a button on his desk, and the door behind me slides open. I whirl around, a boy looking to be my age enters with a bow and quiver on his back. A sarcastic smile grows on his lips, “Here I thought I would be working with your best. Guess I misheard.” I scowl, maddened at his comment.
Chapter 2
I raise an eyebrow at the girl who is still scowling at me. The Commander turns and notices the tension between us. He gets a look on his face and says dryly, “Well go ahead and shake hands.” I force a plastic smile on my face as I hold out my hand. My smile becomes slightly more genuine when she gives me a look that says, I’d rather shoot you. Our hands meet and quickly pull apart. I turn back towards the commander, still sneaking glances at the girl. She has faded scars lining her hands, and absently touches them from time to time. I feel my own hands, recalling the long hours spent training. The Commander begins speaking, “Your mission is to retrieve as much STARK Tech as possible, and retrieve data from Avengers Tower. This is a stealth mission, and highly sensitive. You will go in with no extraction plan, as our forces cannot step foot in New York. I frown, “Excuse me Sir? If this is so sensitive, could you pick someone slightly more experienced?” I see the girl trembling with rage, The Commander nods at her and she whips around, clocking me in the jaw. As I stagger, pain exploding across my jaw, she says, “Do NOT question the Commander’s judgement. Just because we are working together doesn't make you immune to consequences.” I scowl, realizing there's more than looks and empty threats to her. The Commander clears his throat, “If you're quite finished?” I see he's voicing a command, not a question, so I reluctantly turn my attention back to him. “You will acquire all the weaponry you need in the training room.” “Dismissed.”
Chapter 3
I walk quickly to the training room, passing through the quiet, clean halls. I choose to ignore the clatter of boots behind me as the HYDRA operative hurries to catch up. We reach the training room, and I stride with purpose over to the weapons rack. I feel his eyes on my back as I select specialized widow blasters. Finally he says, “Do those actually work?” I turn around, annoyed. “Would you like to find out?” He clamps his mouth shut, realizing I'm serious. After a long silence, I say, “So, do all HYDRA operatives use paleolithic weapons?” He scowls, “Paleo.. What?” “Ancient. Outdated. Primitive,” He scowls, “It's a bow.” I say condescendingly, “Exactly.” In one fluid motion, he whirls around and fires an arrow at a target 30 yards away with trained precision. It hits the bullseye. I blink, “Okay.” He smiles, “Wait for it..” The arrow on the target beeps, then explodes with a loud boom. I stare for a moment, “Explosions don't make it advanced.” He grins, “Sure.” I turn away before he can see me smiling.
Chapter 4
We head out, climbing into a Red Room helicopter. Once we're airborne, we put on headsets so we can hear each other over the roar of the engine. She isn't scowling at me anymore, so I decide to press my luck. I move a little closer, and turn on the charm. “So.. What's a guy gotta do to set up a date?” She taps her headset and yells, “What you say?! The transmission is breaking up!” Even as she says it, I can see the grin on her face.
Chapter 5
We don civilian clothes over our suits, and exit the helicopter when it lands just outside of New York. We walk towards the city lights in the distance. I turn towards the operative, “So, what's our cover?” He grins, “What about boyfriend and girlfriend on vacation?” I roll my eyes, but I can't stop the smile on my lips. Maybe I'm starting to warm up to him.
Chapter 6
We arrive at the city, cautiously making our way towards Avengers Tower. I ruffle my brown hair with my hand, a rush of exhilaration running through me. We circle around the tower, keeping to the shadows, until we spot an open window several floors above us. I pull an arrow from my quiver, take aim, and fire. The arrow sails toward the window, a cord trailing behind it. It catches against the frame, and I give it a quick tug to make sure it's secure. We begin scaling the building, climbing higher and higher until we reach the window. I pull myself over the ledge, followed closely by the girl.
We're inside. As we start to move out of the room, we hear footsteps coming down the hall. We shut the door, and hide in the closet. I bump into something pointy in the closet. I turn around. A bow hangs from the coat hanger behind me. I stare. Wait…
Chapter 7
I watch the operative stare at the bow. Thoughts race through my head, but before I can say something, someone enters the room. I hear a sigh from outside the closet door. A voice shouts into the room, “You're a sore loser Hawkeye!” The person in the room groans. “You're never going to let me forget this, are you Widow?” The woman shouts, “Nope!” We listen as the springs on the bed creak. Eventually we hear steady breathing, I slowly open the closet door. We start to exit the room. A dry voice from behind me says, “So, what are two teenagers doing in Avengers Tower?” We slowly turn around.
Chapter 8
It's Hawkeye. Miraculously quiet, he slips out of bed and grabs his bow in only a few seconds. I decide to try and buy time, “I'm sorry! What are You doing in My room!” He blinks, momentarily puzzled. Before I can say anything else, the girl fires a blast at him. He easily dodges and retaliates with an electric arrow to the girl’s mid section. I wince as she crumples to the floor, unconscious. The distraction gives me enough time to pull out my bow. Now it's just me and the Avenger. We stand in a face-off, both bows drawn. He cocks his head slightly. His eyes move from my bow to the way I hold it. Then back to my face. I notice his grip too. It's almost exactly like mine. He focuses back on my face. “Who do you work for?” I respond, “The president of the United States of America.” He smirks, “That is the worst lie I've ever heard.” I smile back at him. “I'm working on it.” He scowls, “Where'd you learn your technique?” “Training.” He smirks. “The president hires people who train with paleolithic weapons?” I scowl, “I hate that word. It's too big.” He remarks, “I'm going to take an educated guess, and assume you're working for HYDRA.” I purse my lips, giving all the confirmation he needs. “Are you going to fight me yet?” He asks, his expression tense. I don't need any more encouragement. I fire an arrow. It hits the wall behind him. He glances at it. “You missed.” I grin. “I never miss.” The arrow beeps. An explosion knocks Hawkeye off his feet.
Chapter 9
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I slowly regain consciousness, my head roaring. I'm being dragged at a high speed. I open my eyes. “What did I miss?” The HYDRA operative looks down at me and stops. “Not much.” I push myself upright, still slightly shaky. “Are we headed to the server room or the armory?” He glances at me, making sure I can stand. “Let's split up, you go to the server room and I'll head towards the armory.” I nod, turning on my widow blasters. “Try not to get knocked out again,” he says. I glare at him. “You're one to talk.” He grins, before disappearing down a hallway.
Chapter 10
I heard down the hallway towards the armory. There's a scanner I have to walk through to enter. I shut my eyes for a moment and walk through. Surprisingly, no alarms go off. A robotic voice says, “Welcome Barton, Clint.” I frown. That sounds familiar… No. The explosion must have broken the gizmo. I start grabbing anything that looks advanced, then spot a quiver labeled: TRICK ARROWS - DO NOT TOUCH. I snatch them and race to find the girl.
Chapter 11
On my way to the server room, I pass through the main room. Something makes me stop. I turn and see a framed picture of Hawkeye, a woman, and… A young boy. I stare at him. He looks an awful lot like the HYDRA operative. On the front it says in pen: Cooper Barton. I stare at the name. Why does that sound familiar? I push it to the back of my mind and continue to the server room.
Chapter 12
I make it to the server room, and find the girl standing there. She's hacking the Database. We stand there in silence for a moment. Surprisingly, she starts talking first. “So, what's your name?” I shrug. “Does it matter?” She scowls. “I guess not.” She pulls out the USB she had stuck in the port. “Okay, let's split.” I kick out a window and fire an arrow toward the building across from us. The cord catches, and I jump out after it. I hear her gasp as I rappel down the side of the tower. I reach the bottom and look up at her. “Are you coming?” She scowls and grabs the cord. She jumps off the side, but slides down way too fast. I catch her. “Falling somewhere?” I grin. She pushes herself out of my arms. “It was a controlled descent.” I grin. “Whatever you say.”
Chapter 13
We flee into the city, knowing that the Avengers are pursuing us. I glance over my shoulder as we blend into the crowd. Then I spot Hawkeye making his way toward us. I grab the operative’s arm and pull him towards an alleyway. Hawkeye is getting closer. I turn to the operative. “Kiss me.” He blinks. “What?!” Kissing in public makes people uncomfortable. Kiss me!” He doesn't need any more encouragement. I pull him close. I feel Hawkeye’s eyes on us for a second. Then he walks past. We pull apart. I feel myself blushing. He finally says, “Do you have practice kissing? Because..” I punch him hard in the arm. “Shut up.” A homeless man that had been hiding behind a dumpster whistles. “Get a room.” I fire a widow blast at the wall next to him. He stares at us before hurrying out of the alleyway. “So how are we going to get back to base?” he asks. I sigh. “Let me worry about that.”
Chapter 14
We trek outside of the city, leaving the lights and noise behind. I look over my shoulder at the girl. She's starting to slow down, her eyes drooping with exhaustion. You should help her, my heart says. No. She's fine, my mind responds. I look up towards the sky. What am I doing? Then I scoop her up. Her eyes snap open. “What are you doing!?” I grin. “I got tired, so I needed someone to hold onto.” She smacks me, but lets me carry her. “Put me down.”
“No.”
“I can walk.”
“You're barely standing.”
“I hate you.”
“Sure you do.” I feel her slowly stilling in my arms. Since I don't know what her plan is, I find a good area to stop and make camp.
Chapter 15
I wake up lying on soft grass. The sun has just started to rise. I bolt upright. The HYDRA operative is lying on the ground a safe distance away. I grab a nearby pinecone and throw it at him. It hits him directly in the eye. He bolts upright. “OW!” I scowl at him. “Why didn't you wake me up!?” Instead of responding, he grabs another pinecone and launches it back at me. It hits me square in the face. He rolls behind a tree, grabbing more of them. I roll my eyes. “You're being childish. We have a mission, remember?” He shouts back, “You started it!” He fires another pinecone at me. I roll for cover and start searching for a similar weapon. I come up with an acorn. When he sticks his head out, I nail him. I run out of acorns. As I start to creep towards him, my comm pings. I freeze and accept the communication. Ivan’s holographic face appears."Are you ready to be extracted, Recluse?” I begin to respond when the boy, not realizing that I'm talking to the Commander, nails me with another pinecone. I wince and glare at him. He notices the communication. He swears under his breath. I act fast. “Sorry, Sir. The wind is blowing, and we're under a tree. Yes, I am ready for extraction.” Ivan nods. “We will be there in less than an hour.”
“Yes Sir.”
The comm turns off. The boy gives me a funny look“Did you just blame me on the weather?” We look at each other. I start to smile. We both burst out laughing.
Chapter 16
The helicopter lands in front of us. I decide to make a move. I grab her arm as she starts toward the vehicle and pull her closer. Before she can protest, I lean in and kiss her on the cheek. “I hear it's good luck,” I say.
Chapter 17
My mouth hangs open. He has the decency to look a smidge embarrassed. I punch him in the arm. “What was that for?!” He asks. I reply. “That was for the kiss.” I step closer, my heart pounding. “And this is for everything else.” Before he can respond, I kiss him. For a moment everything disappears. We pull apart. I rub the back of my neck. He darts his eyes to the side. We climb into the helicopter without another word. As we sit down, I hear a cough from the pilot. When we're in the air, I catch him sneaking glances at us in the rearview mirror. I look away, suddenly very interested in the window.
Chapter 18
When we arrive at the base, we are immediately hurried into the briefing room. I reluctantly hand over the trick arrows. The Commander strides into the room. “Well, tell me how the mission went.” I glance at the girl. She's already looking at me. “We snuck into the city and covertly infiltrated Avengers Tower.” The girl bites her lip. “But we were seen.” Ivan sighs, disappointment showing on his face. “Do the Avengers know the Red Room is involved?” “No.” He nods. The Commander turns toward me. “Dismissed.” We both get up. “Recluse, stay.” My eyes dart towards her. I leave the room.
Chapter 19
I watch the operative leave. Ivan focuses on me. “Did you know that every operative that goes into the field has a live video feed?” I freeze. He continues. “Your mission was a joint operation. So the head of HYDRA was watching the feed as well.” I shrink as he rises from his seat. He looks down at me. “Mayday Parker, you have become a liability to the Red Room.” He pauses. “A liability that needs to be.. erased.” I feel electricity sizzle across my back. My eyes widen. Then everything goes dark.
Chapter 20
I wait outside the briefing room door for the girl. Weirdly enough, the halls are empty. Everything is deathly quiet. I hear a faint crackling sound coming from inside the room. My uneasiness grows. Then I hear footsteps coming from down the hall. I straighten. Madame Hydra herself appears. My eyes widen. She sniffs. “You. Come with me.” I follow without question. We walk into a very clinical area of the base. “Cooper, you have always been our best agent,” she states as we enter a medical room. I nod, confused. “I hope you understand, then, that I can't let this go unpunished.” I frown. “Madame, I'm confused.” She pulls out a syringe and sticks me with it before I have time to react. My muscles immediately tense. I collapse to the floor. I feel myself being loaded onto a table. I'm still baffled. What did I do?! The toxin in my veins doesn't knock me out. I almost wish it did. The girl is rolled in on a different table. Now I'm really confused. What did both of us do!? Then I realize. We became attached. I mentally curse myself. How could I have not seen how this would play out! I should have known HYDRA would never let us be free! The doctor hovering over me announces, “Subject Cooper Barton and subject Mayday Parker are ready for the procedure.” So that's her name. Mayday. Then the other name hits me. Barton. No wonder it sounded familiar. Am I Hawkeye's son? I stare at the ceiling. Maybe I'm just a distant relative…
Chapter 21
I blink. The lights glare against my eyes. I try to move my arms. Nothing. I dart my eyes to the side, relieved I can at least move them. I see the boy. A doctor standing nearby announces, “Subject Cooper Barton and subject Mayday Parker are ready for the procedure.” I mentally frown. As my face isn't working. Cooper. Barton. I knew it! No wonder he's so good with a bow. I turn and look at Cooper. He doesn't move either, but I can see recognition in his eyes. They lower a device onto my head. I take a deep breath. I will find him. Then everything goes white.
Chapter 22
2 years later
I bolt upright in bed. I will find you. I shake, overcome with emotions that aren't mine. I shake my head. Probably more PTSD. I get up and start my exercises. I weave around the punching bag, trying not to think. Just be in the moment, Mayday. I hear a groan from the other room. Whoops, I woke my mom up. I slip out my window to go for a run. I head towards Central Park. I reach the tree cover. The shade makes me shiver in the cold morning air. My foot hits a pinecone.
THWACK.
The pinecone hits me square in the face. He rolls behind a tree, grabbing more of them. I shake my head, clearing the illusion. I stare at the pinecone on the ground. I'm having PTSD, about pinecones?? I head back, very confused. I use the house door this time. I come to my room. I check the door. The tape I placed on the frame is ripped. I automatically reach for the back of my pants. My hands grasp nothing. I sigh. Instead, I grab a vase. I burst into my room to find my father sitting on my bed. I put down the vase. He bites his lip. “Sorry. I was waiting for you to come back.” He puts an hand on my shoulder. I shrug trying to brush it off.
He sighs. “I made breakfast.” “Okay.” He gives up and leaves. I flop on my way-too-soft bed. What am I missing?
Chapter 23
“Subject Cooper Barton and subject Mayday Parker are ready for the procedure.” I wake up in a cold sweat. I calm myself. What procedure? Where is this dream coming from? I shake it off. I head to the training room. I take a deep breath. The simulation begins. I pull my bow off my back and roll to the side as an energy blast hits the floor. I draw my bow. I exhale. The arrow sails toward the source of the blast. BOOM. It explodes. Several more guns appear from the wall. I flip backwards and draw three more arrows simultaneously. As I roll, I fire them. They separate, streaking towards the weapons. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. I stand up. An electronic tone sounds, signaling the end of the program. A robotic voice announces, “Congratulations, Agent Barton. You were 2.3 seconds faster than your previous record.” “Only 2.3 seconds?” I grin. “I must be losing my touch.” “Ha ha ha.” The robotic voice replies. I roll my eyes. If only I had a real person to laugh at me.
Chapter 24
A breeze tickles my nose. I hear a voice that sounds familiar. “Did you just blame me on the weather?” I start to laugh, then freeze. Why is this happening to me? I look to see where the breeze came from. I left the window open. I smack my forehead. I decide to solve a different mystery I've left alone for too long. I pull open my dresser drawer and grab the web shooter I stole from my dad a week ago. I slap it on my wrist. I trigger the mechanism with my finger. A long web shoots out of the device and sticks to the door. I smile and try to pull the web off. It's stuck. I try to open the door. Also stuck. My mom heads toward my room when she hears a clatter and some swearing. I tug on the door. My mom tries to open it from the other side. “Mayday, what's wrong?” “Nothing!” I shout, embarrassed. She tugs on the door again. “Mayday Parker, unlock the door.” “It's not locked!” I protest. I give up and go out the window, still wearing the web shooter. I find my dad in his room, hanging from the ceiling while looking at his phone. “Hey, Dad…” He looks down and sees me. “Hi Mayday. What's up…” He pauses. “Oh wait, I am.” I snort. “I didn't come to hear Dad jokes!” He raises an eyebrow. “How long does it take for your webbing to dissolve?” “Two hours. Why?” He notices the web shooter on my arm. “Oh. I forgot you had that.” “Two hours!” I sigh and leave to get a crowbar.
Chapter 25
2 hours later
I sprint through the streets, the Avengers hot on my heels.
I glance over my shoulder.
They're gaining on me.
Great.
Just great.
I push past pedestrians silently cursing myself for insulting the Hulk. I make a split second decision. I need a hostage. I look for someone. There. A young woman about my age is crossing the street. I pull my knife out of its sheath and grab her. I stick the blade against her throat and whip her around between me and the Avengers. A lock of her red hair strays across my face. I get a slight ache in the back of my head. I yell, “Don't come any closer!” I feel guilty. I whisper in the woman's ear, “Don’t worry, I won't hurt you.” She replies, “Oh, don't worry. I know you won't.” I give her a weird look. Spiderman lands a safe distance away from me. For some reason he's grinning. “You sure you picked the right hostage?” My brows crease in a puzzled expression. The woman whispers to me, “You sure you don't want to let me go?” I frown. “Why would I do that?” She smiles. “Because you're about to regret it.” In a split second she slips out of my grasp and propels herself up, wrapping her legs around my body. The momentum forces my body down. I hit the concrete with a crack. I wince, dizzy with pain. I struggle onto my feet. “Who are you?” “Apparently the person you shouldn't have grabbed.” I groan. Just my luck. I run into a civilian who actually knows what she's doing!
Chapter 26
I eye the idiot who tried to take me hostage. He stands up. “Can't a guy catch a break?” I roll my eyes. “So, what did you do?” He scowls, ignoring the question. “What are the Avengers doing now? Training secret agents?”
“Close. Already was one.” He flashes me a grin, “What a coincidence. I'm a secret agent as well.” I eye his weapon? It's a bow… “A secret agent using a paleolithic weapon?” I laugh. “Where'd you find that? A pawn shop?” Suddenly everything changes. The New York street disappears.
I'm back in the Red Room training area.
I'm looking at the same boy.
I say, “So, do all HYDRA operatives use paleolithic weapons?” He scowls, “Paleo.. What?” “Ancient. Outdated. Primitive,” He scowls, “It's a bow.” I say condescendingly, “Exactly.” In one fluid motion, he whirls around and fires an arrow at a target 30 yards away with trained precision. It hits the bullseye. I blink, “Okay.” He smiles, “Wait for it..” The arrow on the target beeps, then explodes with a loud boom. I stare for a moment, “Explosions don't make it advanced.” He grins, “Sure.” I turn away before he can see me smiling.
Chapter 26
I eye the idiot who tried to take me hostage. He stands up. “Can't a guy catch a break!” I roll my eyes. “So what did you do?” He scowls, ignoring the question. “What are the Avengers doing now? Training secret agents?” “Close. Already was one.” He flashes me a grin, “What a coincidence. I'm a secret agent as well.” I eye his weapon. It's a bow… “A secret agent using a paleolithic weapon?” I laugh. “Where'd you find that? A pawn shop?” Suddenly I falter. The New York street changes into something familiar. I'm looking at the same boy in the Red Room training area.
I say, “So, do all HYDRA operatives use paleolithic weapons?” He scowls, “Paleo.. What?” “Ancient. Outdated. Primitive,” He scowls, “It's a bow.” “Exactly.” In one fluid motion, he whirls around and fires an arrow at a target 30 yards away with trained precision. It hits the bullseye. I blink, “Okay.” He smiles, “Wait for it..” The arrow on the target beeps, then explodes with a loud boom. I stare for a moment, “Explosions don't make it advanced.” He grins, “Sure.” I turn away before he can see me smiling.
I gasp sitting up on the concrete. “What just happened?” My dad's staring down at me. “You were talking to the boy, then you collapsed. Are you OK?” I curse. I mutter, “Stupid PTSD.” My dad looks at me. “You've been having PTSD? Why didn't you tell me?” He looks hurt. I struggle up, saying a few choice words I learned in Russia. “Where'd the boy go?” “He saw an opportunity and ran. The rest of the Avengers went after him.” I push past my dad. “Which way did he run?” My father points. “Where are you going?” “He's HYDRA. I need answers. Bye, love you.” My dad sighs as I run after the boy. Why did she have to be so like me?
Chapter 27
I slide the grate over my head, and climb into the sewer. This day keeps getting better and better.
I cringe when my foot touches something wet. I think back to the girl. She said paleolithic… Where have I heard that?
“So, do all HYDRA operatives use paleolithic weapons?”
I hear laughter. The girls laughter. I blink. I'm finally going crazy. That has to be what's happening. I hear a sound behind me. I turn around. It's the girl. She smirks, “Miss me?” I groan. She raises her arm. There's a widow blaster on it. I stare. “You're Red Room! I thought it got blown up…”
“Was, past tense. And yes. It got blown up.” She gives me a strange look.
“You asked earlier who I was.” She pauses. “My name is Mayday Parker.” My breath catches.
“Subject Cooper Barton and subject Mayday Parker are ready for the procedure.”
I look at her.
She looks at me.
We speak at the same time.
“Have we met?”
Chapter 28
I start talking.
“Is your name Cooper?”
“Yea...”
“Have you been having weird flashbacks?”
He looks at me.
“Why in the world would I tell you even if I have?”
I look down.
There's a pinecone on the ground.
He sees what I'm looking at.
“Don't you dare.”
I grin.
“You remember.”
He narrows his eyes.
“I remember you throwing a pinecone at my face.”
“You threw one at me first.”
“No, I didn't.”
“You absolutely did.”
He pauses.
“You remember that too?”
I stop smiling.
“Yeah.”
For a moment, neither of us says anything.
“How much do you remember?” I ask.
He looks away.
“Not much. Just... pieces.”
“Me too.”
He looks back at me.
“The weather.”
I freeze.
“What?”
“You blamed me on the weather.”
My eyes widen.
“You remember that?”
He nods slowly.
“I remember laughing.”
I stare at him.
“So do I.”
The silence between us suddenly feels different.
These aren't random memories.
They're the same memories.
I swallow.
“What happened to us?”
Cooper looks down at the pinecone.
“I don't know.”
I shake my head.
“No. Someone did this to us.”
His expression hardens.
“HYDRA.”
I stare at him.
“I think we have to have a talk with your boss.”
“Agreed.”
Chapter 29
I sigh. Mayday has been acting weird lately.
I start swinging home.
I need to check out her room again. Maybe something there will hint toward what's wrong.
I land, and walk through the door.
I open her bedroom door, triggering a high pitched noise.
“AHhh.”
I shoot a web at the speaker, silencing it.
“Seriously, Mayday?”
I start opening drawers, looking for anything suspicious.
Nothing.
I check under the bed.
Nothing.
Her desk.
Nothing.
Wait…
I look at her desk again.
There is paper hidden under the rest.
I pick it up.
There’s a sentence repeated over and over on it.
I will find you.
I stare at the page.
My stomach drops.
I've heard Mayday say those words before.
I turn the paper over.
Nothing.
I look back at the words.
I will find you.
“What are you trying to find, Mayday?”
I pull out my phone.
I open the tracker app.
This counts as a last resort, I think.
It’s showing Mayday in the sewers.
I feel guilty, thinking back to when I planted it on her.
She had come back from her run.
I had been hearing her wake up gasping in the night.
I was worried she would do something stupid.
So I planted it on her when I put my hand on her shoulder.
At least my gamble paid off.
Chapter 30
I make my way through the sewer tunnels with Mayday.
I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner!
All the gaps in my mind…
“August 1st.”
Mayday looks at me.
“What?”
“That's when my memories stop.”
Her expression changes.
“Mine too.”
I asked Madame Hydra about it, and she said it didn't matter!
I try to remember things, straining my mind.
There.
“I hope you understand, then, that I can't let this go unpunished.”
I growl.
Obviously Madame Hydra is behind this.
I feel a tingling sensation and turn around.
Nothing.
I shake my head.
Paranoia.
I keep walking.
I let out the breath I’d been holding.
He didn't see me.
I'm very confused.
What do they mean, ‘That’s where my memories stop?’
What did Mayday do now?
They start talking again.
“So, Cooper. What's your last name?”
I sigh.
Way to befriend a Hydra agent Mayday. I'm so proud.”
He responds.
“Barton, I think.”
My mouth hangs open.
No way.
No way this is the Cooper Barton that Clint used to tell me about!
We would meet sometimes at Starbucks to talk about our missing kids.
It was depressing.
And now I'm standing in a sewer, watching his son walk beside my daughter.
I'm divided.
I NEED to tell Clint, but…
I don't want to leave Mayday alone.
Then again, nothing I say is going to convince her to stop.
She gets stubbornness from her mother.
I silently start crawling towards the exit.
Once I tell Clint, we can beat them together.
I'm almost to the exit when I hear Mayday say, “So where's your base?”
I bang my head on the roof.
I better hurry.
I jump out of the sewer and try calling Clint’s number.
He hangs up.
I call again.
Same result.
I try texting.
‘Clint I found Cooper.’
My phone immediately rings.
I answer.
“Was that an accidental text?”
“No.”
“WHAT!”
“Clint, I found him.”
Silence.
“WHAT!”
“He's with Mayday.”
“WHAT!”
“They're in the sewers.”
He pauses.
“That makes sense.”
“They're going after Hydra.”
“WHAT!?”
“Hurry.”
I hang up before he can yell again.
Chapter 31
I stare at my phone.
Cooper.
After 6 years of nothing, we finally found him.
I look back to my Starbucks meetings with Peter.
We just sat at the table.
Peter would ask me, “Any news?”
“No. You?”
“Nothing.”
Silence.
I would finally say, “Want another coffee?”
“Absolutely.”
I come back to the present.
I try to picture him.
Brown hair.
Blue eyes.
He's 16 by now.
That's all I know for sure about my son.
My brain catches up with the rest of the information.
He's with Mayday.
They're going after HYDRA.
I sigh.
Of course they are.
I grab my bow.
“Time to find my son.”
Chapter 32
I tap my foot, waiting for Clint.
A SUV comes whipping around the corner and crashes into a fire hydrant.
I smack my forehead.
Clint gets out.
“I said to hurry, not break all the traffic laws in the state!”
He shrugs.
“I've waited 6 years. I'm not going to wait for a traffic light.”
I roll my eyes.
“You know we're going to have to explain the fire hydrant, right?”
“Later.”
He grabs his bow.
“Where are they?”
Chapter 33
“So where's your base?”
I ask.
Cooper looks at me.
“Why?”
“Because I want answers.”
“About the memory wipe?”
“Among other things.”
He sighs.
“It's not far.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“That's it?”
“What?”
“You're just going to take me straight to a HYDRA base?”
He shrugs.
“You were going there anyway.”
“Fair point.”
He starts leading me through the tunnels.
“So your base is in a sewer?”
“It's hidden…”
I grin.
“Oh, what the Avengers wouldn't give to know about this place!”
He looks sharply at me.
“What's your connection to the Avengers anyway?”
I shrug.
“I'm Spiderman's daughter.”
He stops walking.
“WHAT!?”
I grin.
“Yeah.”
He stares at me.
“You mean Spider-Man?”
“How many Spider-Men do you know?”
He shakes his head.
“I don't see the family resemblance.”
“You've seen me fight.”
“That's not genetic evidence.”
“I CAN stick to walls.”
“Prove it.”
I jump up and touch the ceiling.
I stick, hanging slightly off the ground.
He stares.
“OK, you're Spider-Man’s daughter.”
I let go, and drop down.
We continue walking.
After a little while we stop.
“We're almost there.”
“Okay.”
We walk up to a door. Cooper raps the door in a rapid pattern.
A voice comes from a speaker.
“Identify yourself.”
“Cooper Barton.”
“Vostok.”
Cooper freezes.
He buckles, and I catch him before he collides with the floor.
He's breathing shallowly and is limp in my arms.
“Cooper!”
I look at the door.
“What did you do to him!”
The door slides open. A man is standing there, with a gun pointed at me.
“He brought you back with him. He was supposed to bring back technology.”
I scowl, “I mean, what DID YOU DO TO HIM!”
“Deactivate him. He's fine though. Now, hands behind your head.”
I slowly put my hands behind my head.
I pull the emergency beacon from where it was hidden in my shirt.
I press it.
Then allow myself to be marched into the base.
Chapter 34
“Ughhh.”
I slowly opened my eyes.
“What the heck was that?”
I look around.
I’m inside a ray-shielded cell.
In my own base.
There’s another cell next to me with Mayday in it.
She notices I’m awake and starts talking.
I can’t hear a word she’s saying.
I sigh.
I point to myself.
“I…”
I cross my arms across my chest.
“Can’t…”
I point toward my ear.
“Hear..”
I point at her.
“You…”
She stares at me.
Then she mouths something.
I shrug.
Yeah. Still nothing.
She rolls her eyes.
I decide to try a different tactic.
Antagonize HYDRA.
I look straight at the camera.
I make several rude gestures.
No reaction.
Mayday is staring at me.
I try yelling.
“HEY! Come show yourselves, you ugly…”
A voice comes through the speakers.
“That’s quite enough Agent Barton.”
It’s Madame Hydra.
“We have more pressing concerns than your childish temper tantrum at the moment.”
I grin.
“What might those be?”
A boom in the distance rattles the compound.
I curse.
I look at Mayday.
She points toward the direction the sound came from.
I nod.
Finally something we can both hear.
I try to think of who could be attacking the base.
I groan.
“The Avengers.”
Chapter 35
I blow open the door.
Peter whistles.
“You could have just knocked.”
I growl.
“You're awfully calm.”
“Mayday can take care of herself.”
I grin.
“You sound like this is coming from experience.”
He bites his lip.
“I was on the losing side of a fight between us more than once.”
I shrug.
“Family squabbles aren’t my concern.”
Peter rolls his eyes.
“Whatever.”
We enter the base.
Guards come pouring into the halls.
They just stand there, not attacking.
I pause.
A woman emerges from the group.
“I am Madame Hydra. This matter doesn’t concern you, leave now.”
I stare at her.
“If this didn’t concern us before, it does now.”
“Why.”
“You messed with my son.”
She pales.
I loose an arrow at lightning speed. It splits into slivers of electric metal.
As they hit HYDRA agents I run off to look for my son.
Chapter 36
I tap my foot, waiting for the inevitable confrontation.
The Avengers and I have history. I've gotten on the bad side of almost all of them.
I mentally list all the Avengers.
Captain America: Steve Rogers.
Iron Man: Tony Stark.
Hulk: Bruce Banner.
Black Widow: Natasha Romanoff.
Spiderman: BLANK Parker.
Hawkeye: …
“Why can't I remember Hawkeye’s name?
An alarm sounds.
“Base breached.”
The robotic voice triggers something in my mind.
“Welcome, Barton, Clint.”
I freeze.
Avengers Tower.
I see myself standing beside Mayday.
We were breaking in to steal…
STARK TECH.
Then I see him.
Hawkeye is standing in front of my cell.
I'm confused.
Why is Hawkeye here? I thought he was on vacation?
A couple guards come into the room and start firing at him.
He rolls, and pulls FIVE arrows out of his quiver.
I sigh, I've only managed four.
As he fires, a wall crumbles in my mind.
I remember.
I remember Mayday.
I remember the missions.
I remember HYDRA.
I remember the procedure.
But why don't I remember how I felt ABOUT Mayday?
After the last guard falls, Hawkeye turns toward me.
He lowers the shield.
I scowl.
“You.”
He scowls back.
“You.”
I grin.
“Care for a rematch? I haven't seen you for 2 years, maybe you've improved?”
He sighs.
“Where's my son.”
I stare.
“Son? Heck if I know? You HAVE a son?”
He slams his hand into the wall, and starts muttering.
I start.
I forgot about Mayday…
I look over.
She's silently shouting and making rude gestures at me.
I move to let her out.
I'm about to let her out, when a web sticks my hand to the wall.
Spiderman appears in the hallway.
“Stay away from my daughter.”
I curse.
Chapter 37
I am going to go crazy!
First Cooper ignores me!
Then he actually comes to open my dang cell!
THEN MY DAD BECOMES OVER PROTECTIVE AND STOPS HIM!!!!
Even though I can’t hear their conversation, I can guess what my dad is saying.
UGHHHHH!
I try to get their attention.
Just like men to only want to squabble!
Finally Hawkeye looks up and notices me.
He turns, walks past Cooper and my dad, who are STILL yelling at each other, and lets me out.
Their yelling suddenly turns into sound.
“SHUT UP!”
I yell, really mad.
“THANK YOU FOR FORGETTING ABOUT ME!”
There’s an awkward silence.
“Mayday..”
I turn towards my dad.
“Don’t. Can we PLEASE focus.”
Cooper chimes in.
“Yeah, we need to undo what Madame Hydra did to us somehow.”
Hawkeye interrupts.
“The real agenda should be finding my son!”
Peter looks between Hawkeye and Cooper.
“You don’t KNOW?”
They respond at the same time.
“Know what?”
Peter clamps his mouth shut.
“Nevermind.”
Suddenly Hawkeye looks at Cooper like he remembers something.
He points at Cooper’s quiver.
“Those are mine.”
Cooper bites his lip.
“WHAttt… I don’t know what you're talking about?”
Hawkeye scowls.
“Did you steal those 2 years ago?”
“Noo…..”
Clint raises an eyebrow.
“You hesitated.”
“I was thinking.”
“About lying?”
“About how much I don't want to answer that question.”
I look at Cooper.
“Did you snatch those when I sent you to the armory?”
“MAYbee….”
Hawkeye stares at Cooper.
“You stole my quiver.”
“Technically, I borrowed it.”
“For two years?”
“It was a long-term loan.”
“Give ‘em back.”
“No.”
Before a fight breaks out, I intercede.
“BACK to the main objective!”
I pull Cooper down the hall to look for Madame Hydra.
Chapter 38
RINGGG
I answer.
“Is the girl secure?”
I grimace.
“No. The Avengers became involved.”
A sigh.
“Bring her to me.”
“And the others?”
“Avoid them.”
“If they stop me?”
“Do not harm anyone.”
I growl.
“Fine.”
The call ends.
I look at the monitors.
They’re headed this way.
I smile.
There’s no way I’m getting the girl out of here.
But I’m not going down without a fight.
Chapter 39
As we progress through the hallway, I get the headache of a lifetime.
It feels like there’s a thought that I can’t quite get at.
I finally look at Mayday.
“What’s Hawkeye’s real name?”
She looks at me curiously.
“Why?”
“Just curious.”
“Clint Barton.”
I stop.
Clint.
Barton.
My name.
The quiver.
The arrows.
The memories.
Hawkeye.
I turn around.
I run.
Chapter 40
I stare after Cooper.
“Whatever.”
I turn and keep walking.
A few minutes later, I stop in front of a door.
CONTROL ROOM
I raise an eyebrow.
“Well... that's convenient.”
I open the door.
There’s monitors displaying the security camera feeds.
A phone lays on the ground.
I pick it up, and go to recent calls.
This phone received a call five minutes ago.
I trace the call.
Westchester County.
“Huh.”
Chapter 41
I look at Peter.
“Your daughter is kinda feisty.”
He scowls.
“It runs in the family.”
Suddenly the boy who stole my arrows appears from the hall.
“What do you want?”
I ask, seeing his urgent expression.
He gasps, “What's your son's name?”
I look at him sharply.
“Cooper. Why? Did you find him?”
He swallows.
“Because I—”
He stops.
I stop.
Avengers Tower.
His technique.
The bow.
Cooper.
I look at him.
“What's your full name?”
He swallows.
“Cooper Barton.”
I drop my bow.
I just stare at him.
He stands there, looking uncomfortable.
I finally choke out, “Do you… Remember me?”
“A little.”
I hear Peter cough, and walk down the hallway.
I don't care though.
I try again.
“How… How have you been?”
He bites his lip.
“Ummm. I got my memories wiped. I got brain washed.”
I sigh.
I look at my son.
Six years.
Six years of wondering where he was.
Six years of wondering if he was alive.
And he had been here.
“I'm sorry I wasn't there for you.”
“You couldn't have known. I didn't know.”
He slowly comes closer.
I close the distance between us and embrace him.
I whisper to him, “Wait till your siblings hear about this.”
He jerks his head up.
“Siblings!?”
Chapter 42
I come back into the room to hear Cooper exclaim, “Siblings!?”
Clint answers, “Yep, three of ‘em.”
“THREE!?”
I cough.
“Hate to interrupt your moment, but can we go find Mayday now?”
Clint's smile disappears.
“Right.”
Cooper looks toward the hallway.
“Where is she?”
Chapter 43
I stare at the phone.
Westchester County.
There's something about that place that bothers me.
I continue to look around.
I hear a slight click behind me.
I turn around.
It's Madame Hydra.
“Someone wants to talk to you.”
She says.
I try to dodge as she grabs my arm.
She pulls me toward her.
“Stop struggling! I'm not allowed to hurt you!”
I grab the monitor and throw it at her head.
It smacks into her chest, forcing her to let me go.
She recovers and pulls out a device.
She presses a button, and the device emits an ear-piercing sound.
I collapse, the sound assaulting my ears.
I'm about to black out when Madame Hydra jerks.
She falls forward, an electric arrow attached to her back.
The device clicks off.
I gasp for air.
An arrow..
I slowly look towards the doorway.
“Cooper?”
He comes into the room grinning.
I scowl.
“I was doing fine.”
“Sorry. I got bored, so I needed someone to save.”
He looks past me.
“What's that?”
I pick up the phone.
“Someone called Madame Hydra five minutes ago.”
He looks at the screen.
“Westchester County?”
I nod.
“Do you know what that means?”
“No.”
I stare at the screen.
“Neither do I.”
Cooper reaches down and helps me up.
I steady myself.
“Thanks.”
He gives me a strange look.
“I hear it's good luck.”
Before I can ask what he means, he kisses me.
I freeze.
He pulls away just as quickly.
We stare at each other.
Something flashes through my mind.
A memory.
Not HYDRA.
Not a mission.
Us.
I grab my head.
“Did you just remember something?”
He looks just as confused.
“...Yeah.”
Before I can respond, I hear a cough from the doorway.
My dad and Hawkeye are standing there.
“Did you just kiss my daughter?”
Chapter 44
I cough.
Mayday's Dad is glaring daggers at me.
He turns to my dad.
“Are you OK with this?”
He grins.
“No.”
A pause.
“Obviously my son is too good for your daughter!”
I stare at my dad.
“You found me five minutes ago.”
He shrugs.
“And?”
“And you're already embarrassing me.”
Peter crosses his arms.
“For once, I agree with him.”
Chapter 45
We set out, bringing Madame Hydra with us.
I turn toward my dad.
“I'm going back home. I should let Mom know what happened.”
He nods.
I branch off from the group, and cut through the park.
I hear a crunch behind me.
I whip around.
Nothing.
I feel a cold hand on my shoulder.
“Hold still honey.”
A woman with a southern accent says.
I black out.
Chapter 46
I hear the phone ring.
I push myself over to it.
“Yes.”
“I've got the gal you wanted. Headed to you now.”
“Good. Thank you Anna Marie.”
I hang up.