Time to go

The longest journey

Clint's stomach dropped like a stone in a rushing river, Fury had said those words to him before and that was how he became an Avenger. Now he had a feeling that those words would be how he becomes a dead man. All he wanted to do was reach up and choke the life out of the Director, Clint wanted to watch him twitch and spasm, make him suffer for what he had done. But he couldn't do that, because if he killed Fury all he would bring on his friends was suffering. If he killed Fury he would be dead within minutes, shot in the head by a guard and Bucky would be alone. He wouldn't get out if Fury died. So Clint clenched his fists to his sides and clicked on his good little agent mask.

"What do you want from us, Director?"

"Well since you asked so nicely, I guess I'll tell you." Fury sat down at the interrogation table and motioned for them to sit on the opposite side.

There was only one chair. Both boys stood up, but neither of the boys sat. Instead Clint stood shoulder to shoulder with Bucky and slipped his hand down to grip Bucky's, he could feel Bucky pulse flip- flopping underneath his skin. Clint shook his head slightly at Fury, he wouldn't let go of Bucky's hand and he also wouldn't let Fury see their hands intertwined. The director had a way of exploiting any weakness and he sure as hell wasn't going to give him anymore ammunition.

"Alright then, don't sit. Back to the point, a little while ago a.... friend of mine came by and made a deal with me. And now it is time to follow through on my side. You are free to go."

"What?" Bucky's voice was raspy and full a disbelief. "You wouldn't let us go that easy."

"Smarter than you look, huh, Winter Soldier?" Fury laughed emptily. "Fellas come on in." He said this to no one directly, but without a moments delay a group of lab coated men rushed in, each holding a terrifyingly long needle.

Before Bucky or Clint could protest the men grabbed their right arms, pulling Bucky away from Clint and inserting a needle into both boy's arms. Bucky knocked over the man who pushed down the needle plunger in his arm with a feral growl, but it was too late. Whatever was in the needle was flowing through his veins.

"What the hell?" Clint growled as he pulled the empty needle out.

"Has it really been so long agent Barton? That you have forgotten what a tracker feels like?"

A tracker. Clint wanted to scream. No, this can't be happening, not again.

"Clint? What is going on?" Bucky asked.

"Tell Barnes what is going on Clint." Fury almost taunted. "I'm sure you know by now."

"He's sending us on a mission." Clint's voice wavered. "A suicide mission, if we succeed we have our freedom."

"Exactly." Fury continued. "But we have some rules that go along with this. You get no help from SHIELD. You must retrieve the object and give it to us without protesting. You have a month to do it. Is it all clear?"

"Yes. But what is the mission?" Clint asked.

"You will be retrieving the Tesseract."

And with those words Clint felt his heart stop beating.

__________________________

Clint was moving on autopilot. His body was working on it's own, putting his hand out to take a flash drive Fury and a file with the finer details of their 'agreement'. Following him out of the interrogation cell with Bucky leaning heavily on his shoulder. He barely remembered Fury handing them some street clothes and opening a steel door to the outside then telling him to leave or he would stuff him back into a cell.