The Dark Archer

Prologue

Clint POV

I sighed as I gazed down at the sleeping form of my daughter. She looked so sweet curled up in her pink baby blanket. Laura insisted on the color. That totally wasn't me.

"She's so beautiful Laura," I sighed peacefully. I felt overwhelmed by the protective emotions blossoming in my chest. I looked over at my wife Laura. She looked exhausted, but happy as she stared lovingly at me holding our daughter.

"That she is. But if she's anything like you, Clint, she's going to be a handful," Laura chuckled at me as I gasped in shock. But of course I knew she was right.

"Me? A handful? I am not a handful," I replied with mock hurt. Laura giggled at me and I dropped the act, sighing.

I swayed happily holding my little girl. She slowly peeled her eyes open and yawned. I wondered if she could see me, if she somehow felt who I was to her, though I knew that babies could only see blobs until they were like three months old. Even color couldn't really be seen unless it stood out.

"Hey sleepyhead," I cooed. "She looks just like you Laura." I smiled at this and then asked, "What should we name her?"

It was at that moment that Natasha burst into the room. I darted my eyes up in alarm only to see my friend beaming as she went to take my baby from me and rock her. I quickly relaxed and looked at Laura, waiting for a response to my unanswered question. I giggled looking at the fierce Natasha babying my child. She scowled at me and continued cooing at her.

"Don't test me Clint," Nat growled. I held my hands up in surrender and turned back to Laura.

"I don't exactly know," Laura shrugged. "But I like the name Kylie."

"You guys are talking about names?" Nat asked. She quickly turned to me and gave me an award winning smile.

"Sorry Nat, I'm not naming my firstborn child after you," I chuckled. She smirked.

"Then I fully expect that you name your second born after me," she said. After a pause she continued with a snort. "And please Clint, what are you going to name this poor kid? Knowing you, you'll implement bows and arrows in some way."

With that inspiration I came up with a name. Kylie Arrow Barton. I liked the sound of that.

"Oh no," Nat exclaimed. "What have I done? I'm so sorry Laura now your baby girl is going to be named Bow Arrow Barton!"

"Hey!" I proclaimed. "I'm not that ridiculous. I was thinking more along the lines of Kylie Arrow Barton." This idea didn't seem to go over any better than Bow Arrow Barton.

"Clint," Laura said glaring at me, "there is no way you are naming my child after a weapon." I pouted for a moment then perked up as Nat suggested something.

"The least you could do is change it to a different language. Arrow in Russian is strela for example. Kylie Arrow Barton sounds ridiculous, but Kylie Strela Barton has an excellent ring to it."

I turned to Laura and gave her my best puppy dog look. She continued glaring for a minute until she finally groaned and complied.

"Fiiiiine. Kylie Strela Barton it is then," she agreed. I squealed and gave her a gentle hug, hoping my gesture conveyed my joy. Laura laughed at me and held out her arms for Kylie.

Nat walked over and handed Kylie to Laura with a longing expression on her face. I was one of the few that knew what that look meant. Wanting something you can't have. Nat was childless by force, not by choice. The horrors of the Red Room had taken that chance away from her.

I stared fondly at my family. Nat was like my big and little sister all at once and I already loved Kylie more than I thought was physically possible.

I heard the door open again and I turned around and stared at the man in the doorway. It was Director Nick Fury in all his goofy glory. Because we were trying to keep this on the down low he was in casual wear: sunglasses, jeans, sneakers and a hoodie with the hood up. He looked absolutely ridiculous and I couldn't hold back my chuckle.

"What are you laughing at Barton? That little girl already has you whipped," Fury demanded. My laugh turned into a cough as I had no comeback for Fury's observation. He smirked and looked at Laura and Kylie. He visibly softened and I realized Kylie had him wrapped around her tiny finger too. I smirked inwardly.

"What's her name?" Fury asked.

"Kylie Strela Barton," I responded. Fury nodded and looked at me.

"Could I discuss something with you in the hall, Barton?" Fury inquired. I slowly nodded my head yes as I wondered what he could possibly want to talk about. I followed him out of the hospital room into the hall. As I turned to face Fury I noticed him checking the hallway for people. He reached down and pressed a button that I knew would disable electronics in a ten foot radius for two minutes.

"Alright Barton her test results are in. We subjected her data to further scans using SHIELD tech and we've discovered something's up in her genome," Fury quickly said. I sucked in a worried breath.

"There's nothing that would suggest she is deformed or will be harmed by the mutation that's occurred, but this abnormality could lead to other...abnormalities later on." I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. What was he trying to say?

"I suggest you move your family out to that farmhouse in Upstate New York we found right away, Barton. She shouldn't be in danger or anything, in fact after you all check out we are erasing any existence that you were ever here. You should spend some time with Kylie away from prying eyes. Evidence suggests that she could develop certain abilities later on."

Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

"Are you saying," I asked carefully, "that my Kylie could have super powers?"

He waited a second before pressing the button to deactivate electronics. He looked at me before replying.

"Yes."