Adopted Assassin [COMPLETED]

Chapter 27

.27
TESSA: CENTER OF NYC
PRESENT DAY

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I gasped at the pain. My eyes darted to the attacker: another Dark Elf. He slid the weapon out of my stomach and I took the chance to melt him. He dropped to the ground as my vision started to blur. My head was spinning and the pain was becoming too much. I dropped to my knees and put my head down. Blood was pouring out of my stomach. I coughed up even more blood when I fell to the ground and a few people ran over to me. I wearily looked up at Wanda's face.

"Tessa, I - I am so sorry. I t-took down the field when you killed her, b-but I didn't see-"

"You – didn't – see that coming." I recalled Pietro's catchphrase. She smiled sadly as Bucky grabbed my hand.

"Hey, hey, you're gonna be alright, okay? You have your powers, right? That'll help you get better, right?" He picked me up gently and carried me over next to Clint. I looked at his lifeless eyes.

"Yeah. It – will," I replied, focusing on Clint's eyes. I faintly saw Loki's face. "Read – my mind." I whispered.

I have to transfer my powers to Clint. Then he'll be okay. You gotta help me.

His eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously. "You'll most definitely die then."

"You – have to – help me on – this one. It's – enough pain – as it is." I coughed again. He sighed.

"Alright. But you have to swear to me that you'll greet Frigga for me when you arrive." I chuckled softly and nodded.

"What're you talking about?" Dad asked. "What're you doing?" I ignored him as I grabbed Clint's hand. The coldness surprised me, but I squeezed it tight.

"Loki, what do you mean by 'greeting Frigga'?" Thor asked. I looked at him panic as realization hit him. "Tessa, you cannot."

"I – have to save – Clint," I murmured. I focused on sending all of my powers to my hand, where Loki transferred them into Clint. I felt all of my energy drain out of me. I felt weak. Vulnerable. My breathing got short and choppy. I was relieved when I saw the rising of Clint's chest once again. I grabbed Dad's hand.

"This is all my fault," he admitted to me.

"It's – no one's – but mine. I – completed the – battle. Like the – prophecy – said." It was getting hard to breathe. "Tell – Clint that."

"I can't lose you again."

"You – won't." I spit the blood out that was in my mouth. "Just – don't forget – me while – I'm gone."

"I won't," he choked. "I promise." I looked at my dad for the last time and I closed my heavy eyelids.

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THIRD PERSON POV: CENTER OF NYC
PRESENT DAY

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Her hand fell limp in Tony's. Her eyes closed and her chest stopped moving. "Tess?" He asked softly. His heart collapsed on itself. It was beginning to get hard to breathe for him. Everyone and everything around him swirled in and out of focus.

"Tony?" He heard Wanda ask. He gave her his attention. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have taken the force field down without her okay and-" Tony clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault, kid. This isn't anyone's except mine. I shouldn't have let her fight." A flash of red caught Tony's eye. Clint's hair was turning a bright hue of the color, the same as Tessa's when she worked too hard. He was beginning to stir. "Guys?" Tony asked. "How are we supposed to explain this to him?" The Avengers were silent. None of them knew what to do. They all watched with a broken heart as Clint sat up with great difficulty.

"Guys, what happened?" He asked, not knowing that his little sister's body was laying lifelessly next to him. Natasha walked over with a heavy heart and knelt down next to him. His hair turned back to its blonde-brown color.

"While we were fighting, you fell off the roof," she started delicately. "You died." He took in a deep breath.

"Then why am I here now?" He questioned.

"Tessa had to fight the queen." She ignored him. "She got hurt, badly. But when she saw that you wouldn't make it—" She paused. "She, uh, gave you her powers so that you could live
and it killed her," she blurted out. Everyone stood there in shock. No one had ever seen Natasha this nervous before, not even in life threatening situations. But she knew that he wouldn't take this lightly.

"S-She what?"

"She gave you her powers so that you could live, and that killed her." Clint's eyes drifted to Tessa's body.

"Tess." His heart broke when he saw her lying there. "This is-"

"She said that it wasn't yours, Clint," Steve interrupted. "She said that she completed the prophecy and that we were all safe. And that's all that mattered." Clint's hair started to turn the red color again. His eyes couldn't rip away from the sight of the hole in her stomach, still seeping out blood through her catsuit.

"Why?!" He screamed. "Why did you let her do this? I would've died a thousand deaths instead of seeing her dead because of me! You all knew how important she was to me! Why?!" His eyes turned orange. He used telekinetic powers to throw the scattered debris around him. He didn't know that, though. "And Stark!" He snapped. "I would think that you of all people would understand how I feel right now. But no! You had to let her die for me!"

"Clinton, calm down," Loki shouted. "She wouldn't want you to use her powers like this. She wouldn't want you to use your Dark Side because of her death." Clint realized the flying cement and it immediately dropped. His eyes turned back to its original color. He felt really embarrassed. "You shouldn't take her death in vain, friend." Clint flinched at the word friend. He didn't know if he saw Loki that way. Loki didn't realize the word even slipped out of his mouth.

"You're right," he said quietly. He turned away from the group so that they couldn't see the tears running down his face. He bit his lip. Clint sat down on the ground next to Tessa's blood and dirt soaked body. "I guess I am the damsel in distress every mission." He mumbled to himself. He picked Tessa up and headed for home.

Alone.