She's Gone {Avengers}

Clinton Barton: The Archer's Sweetheart

"We're going to die," Wanda stated.

  Pietro glanced at her sideways. "Way to be positive."

  "I'm being realistic," she countered. "Stark is gone, and Rogers is not only Loki's first target he's completely lost the plot since Grace died."

Clint got up and paced back and forth. "I don't know about you, but this bugs me. Two Avengers' lovers down in as many weeks?"

"It's a coincedence, Clint," Natasha put in.

He bristled. "I have to think about Freya, okay?"

"Rebecca," said Bruce pointedly.

Bucky's metal hand was denting the table. "Katelyn."

Pietro let out an exasperated sound under his breath. "I have a wife and a child!"

  "That's not the point right now, Maximoff!" Clint yelled, hammering a fist down on to the table. "The point is, Loki could be rampaging through the Earth at any moment and my girlfriend is the only one not in a SHIELD facility!"

  Suddenly, the TV screen flickered on. "- has been spotted raging through New York much like in last year's incident, only the army appears to be super powerful armoured warriors. No sign of the so-called Avengers as of yet -"

  Clint took one look at the screen and paled. "Freya."

"Suit up and move out, guys," said Natasha, instantly getting up as the rest did too. Her eyes met Clint's. "Forget Loki, Barton, get her out of there. We're not losing anyone else."

He nodded. He knew she didn't just mean losing Freya. Tony was dead and Steve was a wreck. He didn't want to know what would happen to him in a world without his girl. "Yes, ma'am."

The corridors were pandemonium, but he forced his way through. He was already wearing his suit and he punched in the combination to get at his bow and arrows, the super-mechanical weapon thrumming into life at his touch. He got out of the building and ran through the streets towards Freya's apartment building. Which was, he realised with dismay, right in Loki's path.

Deciding it would be quicker, Clint launched himself up the building, clambering over the balconies to reach her second-floor home. The balcony door was locked but he smashed the glass with a non-explosive arrow.

Inside, a young woman span round, dark chocolate eyes full of fear, blonde hair in gentle waves. Her eyes widened as she took him in. "Clint! But - you're Hawkeye! What?"

  "No time to explain. I'm sorry. Let's g-"

  "Well, isn't this touching."

  Clint span around, instinctively standing protectively in front of Freya. Loki stood in the balcony; Loki in full armour, Loki almost glowing with his illusion magic, the manipulation of light.

  "Don't touch her," he said immediately. "It's not our fault what happened to Grace-"

  Loki's eyes darkened. He stepped forward and without warning hit Clint across the face with the end of his sceptre. How did he have that? Freya gasped. "It was sworn on the behalf of the people of Midgard that my daughter would be safe. Now she is dead, and they will burn."

  "They had nothing to do with this." Clint took a defensive step back, shielding Freya from him with his body. "Leave them alone and exact your vengeance on me."

  "You? You are not a high enough price for a princess of Asgard."

  Suddenly he was angry. "How can you say that? How come you get to choose who lives and who dies? Let me guess, people of Midgard doesn't include a certain Eve?"

  Loki's face was a mask, expressionless. "I might've let you get away with speaking of Grace. But never Eve." He raised the sceptre.

  Clint braced himself and closed his eyes. But nothing happened until he heard the swish of the cape, and when his eyes opened Loki was gone. Then he heard the soft thud behind him and span around.

  "No." He crouched down at her side, lifted her up into his arms, stared desperately into her sightless eyes looking for a trace of life. "Freya." This was his fault. What had possessed him to keep seeing her? It was too dangerous. What had possessed him to fall in love? Loki would burn for this.

  And Eve would die for this, no matter where she was and what lay between them. If Loki wanted to know pain, let him have it.