Vengeance [Avengers Fanfiction]

[Chapter 14]

    I could tell that Phil Coulson was almost smiling. Apparently he, too, had heard the rumors about the Phantom.

    Damn you, Fury! I growled in my mind. Of course he would level out the playing field, which would assure that I wouldn't put an arrow through Quinn's heart the second the round began. I wasn't worried about not being able to see, my hearing was excellent. I was worried about the Phantom and her tendency to be downright lethal in the dark, when she's at her element. It unnerved me that I didn't even know she was there in the warehouse, that she was like her namesake and didn't even make a sound.

    Everyone made their way towards the observation room, where Quinn placed her daggers and other concealed weapons on the table as I put down my gun that was issued to all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and a few other various weapons I had on my persona. Running my fingers over the smooth shafts of the selections of bows, I settled on a black, sleek bow that resembled mine and picked up a handful of arrows which I put into the arrow quiver on my back.

    The Phantom chose a pair of light weight daggers and slid them into her dagger belt. They were blunt, the ends smooth and straight, but that didn't mean I wanted one to hit me.

    As Quinn and I made our way to the training floor, Stark and Banner entered the room.

    "Lucius had to take an important business call, and I heard that a little showdown between Legolas and Tinkerbell was going to happen, so Bruce and I came to watch." Tony sat down in a chair next to Cap, his feet leaning against the glass of the window. Bruce sat beside him, looking curious as to how the fight was going to go.

    "Tinkerbell?" Quinn asked dryly.

    "Only because you're so happy and sparkly." Tony replied, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

    "Friend Tony, then what shall we call you? Gentleman Stark due to your politeness and tact?" Thor laughed.

    Tony just sent Thor a glare. "Thanks, Shorty."

    "Right. You two ready to begin?" Coulson interrupted, typing something away at a control panel.

    Quinn and I both nodded, making our way towards the arena. On my way out the door, my eyes connected with Natasha's.

    Be careful. Her gaze warned me.

    I'll try. I sent back.

[Quinn]

    Hawkeye and I stepped into the large, concrete and metal room, the door sliding shut behind us. Coulson's voice rang from hidden speakers in the walls.

    "The system is booting up. Once it starts, you'll have five seconds to get ready. Get into position by facing each other in the center of the room. Good luck, and Clint, please don't aim for the Phantom's eye. Those arrows can still blind people."

    Clint subtly rolled his eyes and muttered, "Thanks, Phil. Not an idiot."

    He faced me, a determined look on his face. I smirked slightly, and though he didn't show it, I could tell that it annoyed him a little bit.

    "Contestant One: Hawkeye. Contestant Two: Phantom." The metallic voice of a woman spoke, the voice echoing around the room. The lights dimmed and the one-way glass of the observation room became darker, preventing us from seeing inside the room.

    "You have five seconds." The lights in the room flickered out one by one, leaving an extremely dim light in the center, only bright enough to faintly illuminate our figures.

    "Begin."

    I melted into the darkness and pulled out my daggers, watching as Hawkeye drew his bow and notched and arrow onto the string, scanning the area around him.