Under the Hawk's wing ~ ON HOLD~

a few weeks later

I ran out of steam with this story. I know its been months and you probably want to hunt me down and shoot me in the eyesocket.

I havent seen the avengers movie since september, so please forgive out of characterness)

(in all honesty, this chapter is pretty crappy.....)

(Aves pov)

"When I swing at you, roll Faster. You're moving to slowly." Natasha called out instructions in a tone fitting a personal trainer. I nodded my acceptance and readied myself.

Natasha lunged at me, I sidestepped, which caused her to turn and try to roundhouse kick me. I threw myself into a faster roll than last time. I whipped out my empty bow and pretended to shoot her. She stood up and walked over, offering me a hand up.

"Good job! I might've actually died!" Natasha praised me, smiling cheerfully. She actually was quite chipper in peace times.

"Again?" I prompted, we had been working on the same move for half an hour. She glanced at the clock.

"No, the avengers are going to lunch remember? We'll continue this tomorrow." She gave me a questioning look, as if to say 'don't you remember?' but I shrugged it off.

We packed our training gear into sports bags. Natasha's was black and red while mine was purple and grey.

*******

(Hawkeye pov)

This must be what parenting is like. I thought to myself, proud of how easily Aves had integrated into our little Avengers family. She was completely at ease sitting between Bruce and I in the cafe. It was two weeks since the attack and SHIELD had finally finished all the repairs so all us Avengers decided to have a luncheon party at a little cafe.

We were laughing into our sandwiches at one of Tony's wisecracks when something went off. A loud creaking noise that grew louder and closer, the source mysterious until the large window next to us was engulfed in ice. The glass shattered around us as we seized our arms.

"Avengers Assemble!" Steve rallied, hefting his shield. I snatched my bow, stringing an arrow and watching approvingly as Aves did the same.

We followed Steve out into what was now a veritable winter wonderland. Aves nervously scanned the horizon, a daunted look set on her countenance.

"scared?" I asked her.

"yeah... well. Terrified actually.. One frost giant was bad, what if this is like an army.. and Loki...." She said, a pile of over-thought fears coming off her chest.

"We defeated him and an army of Aliens. we can do it again." I tried to sound confident, even though I had nearly identical worries. She opened her mouth to reply, but didn't; a solid ball of ice the size of a basketball hurtled in the space between us.

"Jotuns." She said, her enhanced eyes confirming the worst.

"We need to get to a vantage point." I told her, the others charging forward to confront the enemy.

She jerked her head at a parking garage a little down the street from us.

"Good thinking." I started towards it with her in my wake.

We made it inside the garage without a problem. It was devoid of people, civilians had been evacuated, and every noise echoed amongst dozens of cars. We pounded up flights of utilitarian concrete steps until we reached the last covered level. Running to the streetside railing, we knocked arrows and aimed at the bright blue frost giants in the chaotic scene below.

"We have the element of surprise, aim patiently. They won't be able to pinpoint us until we've fired a few volleys." I cautioned Aves. She nodded, tension showing on her face. Situations like these made me regret putting her on the team. She's just a kid, war is for the grown-ups.

She nodded and we both loosed our first arrows into the melee. Both struck down Jutuns. We fired more, most arrows finding targets. I was proud Aves was not distraught by killing enemies. I hadn't even considered she would be until I watched her purple and grey fletched arrow sink into the chest of a frost giant and I felt a twinge of guilt when he dropped, but she remained stoic.

"what happens if we run outta arrows?" Aves asked suddenly. Releasing the arrow she had drawn she turned expectantly to face me.

I opened my mouth to reply, but a voice that turned my guts to stone and made my blood boil spoke instead.

"You die." Loki stepped out of the shadows, his scepter,which he had stolen again, was loosely held in his hand. He looked just like he had when I first saw him; green clothes, raven hair, mischievous smirk.

Aves took a step sideways, her mouth agape. I drew two arrows and fired them at loki while yelling.

"AVES RUN!"

She hesitated, then sprinted between cars, trying to escape.

***

(aves pov)

Adrenaline pulsed through my veins, I had never been so scared in all my life. I darted down an aisle and whipped around the corner to nearly collide with loki.

I yelped in surprise and crashed into the wall in my haste to avoid him. I felt the skin scrape off my elbow, but I ignored the stinging pain.

I turned and ran the other way, only to have a clone of Loki pop up laughing to block my path. I turned again, more clones, they all stepped closer, I backed away until I hit the wall.

Clint fired an arrow tipped with explosives at the original Loki, but he caught it, looked at it with a smirk and threw it back. It hit a roof beam in front of Clint, and exploded. Rubble trapped him in a corner. I was officially screwed.

Loki redirected his attention to me.

"Tsk.. They really shouldn't put children into battle... Unless they wanted to get you killed.."

I bit back a response and knocked an arrow, my arms shaky. I leveled it with his head and paused.

I regretted my hesitation instantly when he lashed out with his scepter sending my bow skidding across the floor to snap against a concrete post.

I darted sideways along the wall, only to be tripped by a clone. I fell to my knees, my palms cut against the rubble strewn concrete. I stared down at the ground, my moral wilted away.

Life had been great for less than a month.

I had been part of a family that cared and taught me.

He stepped closer, his scepter reaching for me.

It was a shame the better part of my life was so short.

The tip of it, turned so the blade flat pointed up, pressed against the bottom of my chin, slowly lifting my head. I fixed Loki with a defiant glare.

If I'm going to die, at least I got to be happy for a few weeks.

He slowly turned his scepter, and I felt the tip prick the loose flesh where my chin became my neck.

I braced myself for the end.

******************

CLIFFHANGER!

OMG ITS BEEN FOREVER SINCE I LAST UPDATED!

I'M SORRY THE FIRST HALF OF THE CHAPTER WAS A PIECE OF CRAP! (or the wholechapter)

I feel like the action scene might be a little rushed. If you agree, tell me. I might rewrite it.

But omg over two thousand reads?

And like twenty people with this in their reading list?

I never thought this story would be a hit!

Thank you guys sooooooo much!

<3 Holly