Next Avengers: Secret of the Spider

Part 19

Hawkeye woke up choking on his own breath. His wickedly hurting wrists pulsed against his bandages, which were about an inch thick. He couldn't close his eyes, his mind racing. His breath shook as he drew it in, and as he released it. Just a dream. He sat up, resting his arms on his legs. He'd had these dreams before all the time when he lived in the real world, but this one was slightly different. It wasn't Ultron killing him this time. It was Thunderbird. He desperately wanted to shoot something, but it was physically impossible. He had to go back to sleep. He leaned back down, trying to get a grip on himself. Just sleep. Just sleep. Just...sleep.

"You're late," James said as Hawkeye walked in late to breakfast.
"Mmgh," Hawkeye mumbled, sitting down beside Penny.
"Rough night?" Penny asked, taking a bite of egg. Hawkeye shrugged, locking at his eggs.
"Where's your dad?" Pym asked Penny, already done.
"I dunno," Penny replied, mouth full. "He's been with Tony and Sam all night."
"Wonder what they're doing," Azari said sarcastically.
"Something that doesn't involve us," Torin snapped. "As usual."
"Maybe it's about the fight that no one remembers," Pym said.
"Probably," James said. Hawkeye put a piece of toast in his mouth and held it there whole, getting up and walking out.
"What the heck?" Penny said, watching him leave. "Where are you going?" Hawkeye didn't answer. He just walked out.
"What's gotten into him?" Torin asked.
"Same thing that's into Tony, Sam and Peter," Azari replied. "He's becoming one of them."
"That's not a bad thing," James mumbled.
"I'll talk to him," Penny sighed, getting up and running after Hawkeye.

"What the h*ll is wrong with you?" Penny hissed, dropping in front of Hawkeye from a tree. Hawkeye gave her a glare and shoved past her. Penny scoffed, shooting webs at his back. She pulled him back, grabbing his shoulders. "Francis!" she snapped. "What is going on?" Hawkeye glared at her for a while before leaning in and whispering something in her ear. Penny let him go instantly. Hawkeye stormed past her, leaving her stunned. Her eyes started welling up with tears. She shook her head and jumped into a tree, curling up in the safety of the branches to cry.
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"Anyone seen Birdbrain around?" Azari asked, walking around.
"No," everyone replied in unison.
"He's probably off with Penny," Torin said.
"Well, I can't find Penny either!" Azari said, crossing his arms. "There is NO ONE HERE."
"There's us," Pym said, flying up.
"Well, we're a team," Azari replied. "Ohana and all that crap."
"Fine," James groaned, sitting up from lying on the ground and staring at the top of the biodome. "I'll help."
"Me too," Torin agreed, flying over.
"Okay," Pym said, flying over as well.
"Good," Azari said. "Now, anyone who can fly, go search the trees. The rest of us are going to scour the ground." Torin and Pym took off, leaving James with Azari. They all spent a good hour and a half trying to find their missing friends. Torin and Pym found Penny in the trees, but Hawkeye was nowhere to be found. They met up in the clearing.
"Did you find Hawkeye?" James asked.
"No," Torin replied.
"Don't even try," Penny said harshly. "He's not worth it." Her comment stunned everyone.
"Where'd that come from?" Pym asked.
"Yeah," James added. "I thought you liked Hawkeye."
"Not anymore," Penny said, storming off towards her room.
"Wow," Azari said. "That was unexpected."
"Yeah," James mumbled. "Well, at least we know where she is now."
"I will go try and figure out what's wrong," Torin said, flying after Penny.
"Guess it's up to us to find Hawkeye," Pym said.
"We could go get Peter and Sam to help," James suggested.
"Nah," Azari said. "We'll be fine. Besides, they'd probably just yell at us." The three boys jogged (or flew) into the forest once more, again looking for Hawkeye.
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Hawkeye stood in front of his father's shrine, staring up at him.
"Dad," he sighed. "How do I fix this? Dreams are just dreams, but this one felt real." He itched at his chest where the talons of the wretched bird-boy has theoretically impaled him. "God, I'm going insane." He relaxed, his bandaged arms swinging awkwardly for a couple seconds. "I can't take this," he snapped. "I can't! I don't have powers, I can't shoot my arrows, what the h*ll am I supposed to do?!" He leaned his back on the shrine, looking up at the sky. "I don't wanna die, dad," he whispered.
"I don't get you," someone said. Hawkeye gasped and stood up, automatically holding his hands in as good of fists as he could. Sam was standing there, arms crossed.
"What d'you want?" Hawkeye snapped, relaxing.
"To talk," Sam said. "Nothing more." He walked up to Hawkeye, sticking his hands in his back pockets. "Why do you think you're gonna die?" Hawkeye shrugged, feeling a bit stupid.
"Dreamed it," he mumbled.
"Well, that shouldn't tell you anything," Sam said. "Dreams are just dreams."
"Not these," Hawkeye replied. "No way."
"Well...then there's nothing you can do," Sam said. "You just have to accept that you die for a reason." Hawkeye sniffed, closing his eyes.
"I don't want it to happen," he said, choking up slightly.
"Well, you've done your duty," Nova said. "You've made the grade. You just have to accept the fact that you're finished."
"I don't want to leave you all," Hawkeye said. "You'll never make it without me!"
"Yes we will," Nova laughed, rubbing his hair. "We'll be fine." Hawkeye smiled.
"You'd all die without me," he said. "You know it."
"Oh yeah?" Nova asked, grabbing him in a headlock. "You think so, huh?"
"Yeah," Hawkeye grunted, wrestling with Nova and laughing. They wrestled with each other for a while before running out of breath from laughing and tussling.
"Cmon, kid," Nova laughed, sitting up. "We should go tell the others you're not dead."
"Please don't," Hawkeye said, sitting up as well. "Look, I just broke up with Penny, and she's mad as anything, and I don't wanna go face her."
"That wasn't very nice," Nova said.
"I know," Hawkeye mumbled. "I just... I didn't...I thought if she stayed away, she wouldn't have to see me die." Nova sighed.
"Hawkeye," he said. "Just because I'm a superhero doesn't mean I have to forsake love. I've got a little sister back home-she's 15 now-and she knows I'm a superhero. Doesn't stop me or her from hanging out whenever I've got spare time."
"She's different," Hawkeye mumbled. "She's your sister."
"It's not that different," Nova said. "Look, you gotta make things right."
"How?" Hawkeye asked. "She won't even listen to me."
"You could do a musical number," Nova said.
"Uh, no," Hawkeye replied. "I can't sing."
"Yeah, right," Nova said.
"Oh, shush," Hawkeye snapped, standing up and walking away. "I'll go talk to her."
"Finally," Nova replied, getting up and following. "I wanna come see this." Hawkeye sighed, nervous.
"But what if she turns me down?" he asked, turning and walking the other way.
"You try again," Nova said, turning Hawkeye back. "Dude, you're the kid of the toughest mortal I knew. You've got this." Hawkeye sighed, sticking his fingers in his pockets.
"Fine," he said, walking back in his original direction.
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Hawkeye faced off with Thunderbird in the now blazing forest, the cries of other battles echoing nearby. Both of them had been relatively beaten already, Hawkeye's bandages unraveling and scorched at the edges and a steady drip of blood leaking from his ear. Thunderbird's arm was shedding feathers everywhere, with his normally chocolate head feathers stained a dark scarlet on one side.
"Only one of us is going to make it out alive," Thunderbird growled.
"In that case," Hawkeye said. "Tell Doctor Doom I said hi." He drew an arrow and fired it in a second, Thunderbird dodging to the side.
"Why don't you tell him yourself?" he snapped, lashing out at Hawkeye. He jumped back, throwing his bow around Thunderbird's neck and yanking him backwards. Thunderbird let out a strangled cry and pulled at the bowstring, trying to regain his breath. Hawkeye wasn't exactly breathing easy, however, since the smoke was getting to him. He coughed, trying to force the smoke out of his lungs, but more just came in. Thunderbird took advantage of this and punched Hawkeye in the throat, making him instantly drop his bow and fall on his knees, gasping for air. Thunderbird set his talons on Hawkeye's neck, ready to snap it. Hawkeye was ready, however, and jammed an arrow in his chest. Thunderbird screeched as a hole was blown in his chest, and he staggered backwards. Hawkeye stood up, still coughing.
"Guess my fate's changed," he mumbled hoarsely. He grabbed a sharp-tipped arrow and walked over to Thunderbird, gripping the arrow like a knife. He walked over to Thunderbird's barely breathing form and knelt beside him, the arrow ready. Suddenly, one of the wicked taloned hands jammed into his chest, leaving five gaping holes.
"See you in hell," Thunderbird whispered. Hawkeye gasped, then stabbed the arrow in Thunderbird's throat, ending his life. He shakily pulled Thunderbird's talons out of his chest, feeling the life draining out of him. He crawled a couple feet before collapsing in the grass, his eyes sliding closed.

Penny ran up to Hawkeye's body, tears instantly springing to her eyes.
"No," she gasped, kneeling beside him and turning him over, revealing the five bloodstains on his chest. "No, please, no!" Hawkeye coughed and opened his eyes, looking up into Penny's eyes.
"Penny," he coughed, reaching up and running a hand along her face, Penny leaning into it.
"Yeah," she said. "I'm here."
"I love you," Hawkeye choked out, pulling her head weakly closer. "I love you so much."
"No," Penny sobbed. "Not yet. You're going to live."
"No I'm not," Hawkeye replied. "You know it. I know it. It's inevitable."
"I can't lose you," Penny cried, pressing her forehead to his. "I love you."
"Then let me share my last breath with you," Hawkeye mumbled, pressing his lips against hers. Penny held him there until his hand slipped off her cheek and his eyes closed. Penny set him down, tears streaming down her cheeks. She started sobbing, her red-brown hair falling over her face. The rest of the team ran up, as shocked as they'd ever been. Penny looked up through her hair, shaking.
"He's gone," she choked out. "Hawkeye's dead."
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And here, the story ends.

For now.
-Rune