Author's note: I wonder how many times I have to say sorry, because once is not enough to cover nearly two years. Believe me, I'm SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY! TT_TT. This chapter took me forever. I don't think I expected it to become as long as it did, especially since I meant to have this story be a compilation of short chapters. It could use some improvement, but once I finally managed to reach the end I wanted get it out there. Loads of kudos and thanks to all the people who favorited and reviewed this story in the interim and kept nagging me in the reviews to continue. I personally hate it when fanfic authors don't finish stories, and believe me, I intend to finish it. I fully give you guys permission to hound the hell out of me to finish this thing, just please, no flames or and please don't kill me. In any case, with this quarantine going on I don't have any excuses.

This takes place after "Thor the Dark World" and before "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers, they're Stan Lee's and Marvel's, yadda yadda.

2. Brother trouble (Clint)

"What?" Clint hissed, pressing the earpiece hard into his ear. "Did you just tell me that you're sending Thor?"

"Sorry, Legolas," Tony replied fuzzily through the communicator. "I know he's not the ideal guy for this mission, but everyone else is tied up at the moment."

"You're sure no else can come?"

"Well, there's Bruce…"

"That's even worse."

"Hey, you asked."

Clint groaned. Ever since the fall of SHIELD, the Avengers had taken over the hunt for HYDRA, and searching for every outpost and member had stretched their forces thin. SHIELD was still in the process of rebuilding itself, and there was still a long and vigorous investigation determining which SHIELD agents were HYDRA and which weren't, so those people couldn't be counted on at the moment. The FBI, CIA, INTERPOL and SWAT teams had been deployed to help round up HYDRA, but they weren't SHIELD, which had had agents that were trained to take on the more dangerous and ridiculous dangers to the country and the planet.

Therefore, the Avengers got involved, as they were more accustomed to dealing with these threats. As former SHIELD agents, Clint and Natasha had proven extremely valuable in the search, as they understood how the HYDRA agents were most likely going to act. Their skills in gathering intel and infiltration was also very important as well. Some of these missions had required a more delicate touch than others.

Which was why Clint was feeling a very strong desire that his communicator was a cell phone instead, so that he could pull it away from his ear and stare at it in disbelief. Doing that with his earpiece wouldn't be helpful, as he would waste precious time stuffing it back in and making sure it was working correctly. Instead he had to content himself with the idea of stabbing at it with his finger.

"Seriously," he demanded, "there's nobody else?"

"Look, you called for backup, and this is what we've got. Happy's going to drive him over and one of the FBI agents will help bring him to your position. You'll just have to improvise. That's what we Avengers do best, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but-" Clint grimaced when he realized that the transmission had cut off, and not unintentionally. He groaned again, looking over the cement wall he was crouching on to the broad shipping yard below him, where some undercover HYDRA supply smuggling was taking place. Seriously, why Thor? This was one of his more delicate missions, and bringing Thor into it was the equivalent of solving the challenge of threading a conch shell by tying a piece of string around the leg of an elephant instead of the leg of an ant.

Not that he disliked Thor- he felt that nobody could- but due to their different skill sets, the two didn't work together very often unless it was a mission that required all of the Avengers. Clint was a trained spy, accustomed to using stealth and precision to accomplish his goals, while Thor was a warrior wholly accustomed to fighting in open battle. Clint, with all his precision, agility and deftness, was like a surgeon; while Thor was like a battering ram. And a battering ram was the last thing he needed on this mission.

Still, he had called for backup, and this was what he'd been given. He'd have to improvise, as Tony said. This was going to be a challenge, but surely there was a good side somewhere. His mind immediately presented him the image of Thor, in his armored, red-caped, medieval-looking glory stepping out of one of Tony's cars. He stuffed his fist in his mouth at the thought. He wasn't going to see that, but the very idea made the situation a little more worth it.

A sudden burst of static. "Hawkeye, come in. Over."

"Hawkeye here, go ahead. Over."

"Agent H here." This was one of the FBI agents. "Er… 'Goldilocks' has arrived and is headed to your position as we speak. ETA three minutes. Over."

"Acknowledged. Thanks for the update. Over." Well, if one of the FBI agents was bringing Thor to him, there might be a chance that Thor might not be detected. Hopefully.

He was still mulling this over when his instincts alerted him. In one fluid motion, he had turned around, arrow in bow and ready to fire, before peering uncertainly and lowering the arrow. "Thor?" he said, sounding out the name slowly and uncertainly.

The long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and the beard would have made the man before him instantly recognizable as Thor, but the rest of him did not. The man was wearing a casual modern black jacket, black pants and a black shirt. There wasn't any sign of that silvery armor, nor his bright red cape, nor even his hammer. Instead his hands carried a large black umbrella, prompting Clint to double-check the sky, which was clear. The man was very much devoid of all the things that made Thor…Thor.

Then the man smiled down at him, and Clint knew it for sure. Nobody smiled like Thor.

Clint looked over his shoulder to see a rather serious-looking, no-nonsense female FBI agent standing behind him. She must have been the one who had brought Thor here. He nodded to her in silent thanks, then waved his hand in a dismissal, hoping that she wouldn't take offense. She didn't seem to, just returned his nod and left. Clint returned his attention to Thor.

"Clinton, my friend, are you not pleased to see me?" Thor inquired crouching down on ground next to Clint and giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze in greeting.

Clint couldn't help smiling back as he clapped Thor on the back in return. Yeah, Thor was the last person he needed for this mission- well, second to last, he really didn't need Hulk- but Thor had something about him that made everyone happy to see him. Besides, though Thor had returned to Avengers tower a few days ago, Clint had been working on this mission the whole time, so he hadn't been able to welcome Thor back yet.

"Of course I'm happy to see you," Clint replied. "It's just- you look like you were attending a funeral."

It was meant as a joke, but the good humor in Thor's face vanished. His face took on a hard, somber look as he said, "How did you know?"

That surprised Clint. "I- uh- it was just a joke. I mean, you're all in black, and here on Earth lots of people tend to wear all black to funerals…" he trailed off, feeling bad. "Damn, I'm sorry, man. Do you want to tell me who it was?"

Thor opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. "I'll tell you about it later," he said finally, after a few silent seconds passed. He turned his attention to the scene before them. "So, what matter is at hand here?"

"No one told you? Not even Stark, or Bruce, or Happy?"

"I was given, as you say, the 'gist' of it, but I thought you would explain things to me in more detail. You needed some backup- that much is clear to me. However, I still do not understand the importance of your mission. Stark, when he contacted me, did not sound at all enthused about it."

Clint rolled his eyes. "Well, of course not. It doesn't include a giant robot or aliens or monsters or some sciencey, world-ending thingamajig, so of course he thinks it's boring."

"I can see his point."

Clint simply rolled his eyes again, but he agreed. Once again, dealing with monsters and aliens etc. were really the kind of threats that Thor was most suited for fighting. Not this undercover work.

"Doesn't make it any less important," he retorted, turning to look down at the dockyard again. "I hope you've been briefed about HYDRA and SHIELD?" Thor nodded. "Good, that saves some time. So, basically, we've been searching for HYDRA's strongholds and leaders. One way to do that is to follow paper trails, money trails, data trails, etc. Another is to find their resources and supply lines. When HYDRA was infiltrating SHIELD, they were able to use SHIELD's resources to supply their strongholds. Now that SHIELD has fallen and HYDRA is exposed, they have to find other ways of getting their resources. But from the looks of the last couple strongholds, the fall of SHIELD hasn't affected their operation very much, which means that they should have some alternate suppliers elsewhere- and probably ones that they had contact with long before any of this shit went down."

"Suppliers of what?" Thor wanted to know.

Clint shrugged. "Oh, normal stuff. Food, clothing, bedding, medicine, building supplies…" Catching Thor's look, he went on, "It all sounds very boring, but this stuff is the lifeblood of any organization. Without it, HYDRA would be unable to function at all. Which is why this mission is important- if we can find their suppliers, we can get information as to the location of HYDRA's strongholds and members, and if we cut them off, it can weaken them as well." A sudden thought occurred to him. "I suppose you won't find it the most honorable approach…"

Thor shook his head. "No, strategies like this were taught back in my learning hall days. You're right, I prefer open confrontation- so does my father- but in this situation that would not be so easy."

Clint blinked. He hadn't thought that Thor would go along with this method very well. "Oh," he said. Recovering from his surprise, he went on, "Government agencies including the CIA and the FBI have been working of these missions in place of SHIELD, and they managed to take some of the suppliers down, but recently there have been reports of super-powered or heavily armed guards being brought in to help oversee the transactions. Since the CIA and FBI aren't trained to deal with these sorts of situations, they called me, Black Widow and Captain America in."

"These guards must be worthy foes indeed, if these government agencies of yours decided to call on you for help," Thor remarked as he looked into the dockyard. Clint felt a warm glow of pride at that- though Thor had often remarked that he considered them "fine warriors," he wasn't sure what the Norse god thought of their strength. Thor turned to face Clint. "Perhaps this is a sign that the efforts to cut off their suppliers are working, if they are bringing in greater security?"

Clint raised an eyebrow at that. "That idea's on the table, but there's also the idea that they could be smuggling other supplies along with the basic stuff. Things like weapons, or special chemicals, or generators. Or they could be sending in extra security for guarding both. Anyway, I helped take down a few transactions in the last few weeks, and they all had basic supplies, but the last few raids revealed that HYDRA was trying to smuggle in some more powerful weapons."

"So you think-"

"This time is different. I don't think it's weapons- not like the ones I found recently. It's something bigger." He jerked his head in the direction of a very large metal crate, handing Thor a pair of binoculars. "If you look closely, you'll see there are warning stickers and signs pasted all over that thing, with some people in special uniform standing by. They're not only guards, they're also people who are trained in handling the equipment inside. That means it's something big. And the security here is not only more heavily armed, it's also tighter than usual." Taking back his binoculars, he took a quick look around the site before adding, "Which is why I'm surprised you managed to get here without anyone noticing, even with an FBI agent guiding you and the way you're dressed." He nodded at Thor's clothes.

Thor shrugged. "Doctor Banner told me it was an undercover mission, and said I had to wear different clothes."

"I'm surprised they didn't give a special SHIELD uniform or something," Clint said. "It would've given better protection."

Thor shrugged again. "There wasn't time to get one, and besides, there's no need. When need be, I can call my armor to me at any time."

"What about your hammer?"

Thor grinned and tapped his umbrella conspiratorially.

Clint raised eyebrows. "You don't mean…"

Thor chuckled a little. "Mjolnir can do a lot more than call lightning, help me fly and return to my person."

Clint rubbed his eyes. Thor was full of surprises tonight. "Anyway, since something big seems to be going down here, I felt it was best to call in some backup, just so that we can be prepared for anything."

"Such as?" Thor inquired.

Now it was Clint's turn to shrug. "I don't know, but my gut's telling me that there's more than what I'm seeing here, and my gut is usually right."

"More than what you can see?" Thor asked, sounding a little puzzled. Clint didn't blame him. From what they could see in the dockyard below, there were several heavily armed guards posted at the entrances, exits, the walls, and the huge submarine, which also had a flat deck that seemed to double the transport as an aircraft carrier, that was in the dock and that the dockworkers were in the process of loading. Just seeing that alone would justify Clint's description of the security as being "tight." But it wasn't only that.

"If you look at those dockworkers down there," Clint said, pointing and handing his binoculars over to Thor again. "Some of those people aren't the usual kind that are hired for shady operations like this. They move like trained fighters. You can tell they're more aware of their surroundings than others."

Thor frowned as he stared through the binoculars. "And you think that these people are the more heavily armed or super-powered people that you're referring to?"

"No," said Clint. "They're just more guards hiding in plain sight. But it's more security than usual, and it makes things more difficult, because we need to conserve as much of this stuff as we can for evidence and take in as many people we can for testimonies. It makes me think- with all this security, what is it that they're transporting, and what sort of big guns would they have guarding it?"

No sooner was the last word out of his mouth when a sound of something thin splitting the air reached his ears. He barely started moving out of the way when he caught something thin and black darting straight for the ground in front of him, and Thor let out a slight grunt of pain. Clint looked down to see an arrow on the ground and a bubbling, steaming liquid on Thor's hands, eating away at his skin and prompting Thor to drop his umbrella. A slight movement gave Clint enough warning to duck as something big suddenly slammed into Thor, knocking him off the rampart into the street on the other side. There was a loud series of crashes as Thor apparently had fallen into a stack of crates.

Clint rolled in the opposite direction of the thing that came out of nowhere, arrow in his bow at the ready. He was a little surprised to see a man opposite him mirroring him- including the bow, arrow and even his uniform, except it was red.

"What…?" Clint muttered, a little surprised.

The stranger chuckled. "Oh, c'mon, kid. You're not the only one who likes playing with bows and arrows."

Clint frowned. He turned his arrow to the sky and fired. A second later, a piece of rope fell, swinging back up and then moving back and forth on a large pole behind him.

"Not just arrows," Clint said, thinking of the rope tied to the pole and the liquid on Thor's hand. A tether-anchoring arrow and an acid arrow. The archer had used a zip line to push Thor off the ramparts. "Trick arrows. Like mine."

Even in the harsh fluorescent light provided by the dockyard, Clint could make out a smile on the stranger's face. He squinted. There was something familiar about that smile…

"Like yours," agreed the archer, "but better handled. No other reason why I could get the drop on ya, eh, little brother?"

Clint's insides froze. That nickname…that voice… this had to be a dream…it couldn't be…

The stranger moved forward into the light, and it illuminated red hair, along with a red uniform designed much like his own. He also had a red domino mask covering his eyes, but Clint could still identify him just fine.

"Barney…?" he whispered.

The stranger shook with laughter- laughter that Clint recognized very easily now. It didn't warm him like it used to; only make his insides feel even colder. "You should see the look on your face!" The man cackled, and for a second, Clint thought- hoped- that this was just a big joke. But he couldn't deny the sound of the voice when the stranger spoke again. "Jus' what I've always wanted to see!"

"Barney…" Clint whispered again, lowering his bow unthinkingly.

"What, firs' time you see your brother in years and all you do is gape like a fish outta water?" the stranger- no, Barney- drawled.

"What- I- but you're dead!" Clint yelled.

"Was, kid, was," Barney replied, smirking. "I thought you'd be happier ta see me, but considerin' how ya left me for dead last time, I guess I shouldn' get my hopes too high."

"SHIELD told me you were dead! Their medics told me! What else was I supposed to think?"

"Well, as I've been told, you can't exactly depend on SHIELD. Especially not recently." Barney's smirk at the last sentence was predatory.

Ouch. Clint had to give it to him there. But he saw SHIELD take away his brother's body. Which meant…

"Are you saying that SHIELD lied to me about your death?" Clint said, not quite believing the words coming out of his mouth.

"Yeah. Who knows what they would've used me for. Luckily, HYDRA infiltrators realized I was still alive and smuggled me out."

"To do who knows what to you," Clint retorted.

Barney shrugged. "Never enough time for them to do anythin'. I was in stasis for a while and brought back only recently. Somethin' to do with Tahiti. Anyway, when they heard all their supply operations were gettin' busted, they suspected you were involved, and figured that sendin' me ought to shake things up a bit." He grinned that predatory grin again. "They were right. I haven' seen you be a deer in the headlights like this except after you first saw Swordmaster do his thing."

Clint stared at Barney as he absorbed this information. The man's voice was familiar, but despite the man's jokey tone, there was something sinister underneath that Clint didn't like. And his eyes…through the eyeholes of his red mask they were the same deep blue, yet also deeply hateful. Along with his build, height, and short red hair, Clint would have sworn it was his brother, but he had never seem him look quite this hateful before.

"Barney," he repeated, almost uncertain this time, "HYDRA may have brought you back, but you know what they're like. You-"

"Don' try talkin' me into joinin' your side, little brother," Barney sneered. "I repay my debts, unlike some ingrates. Besides, I played hero once, and we all know where that got me. Didn' do any favors, did it, unless you consider showin' your brother to death's door is a favor. Which is one-" he swung his bow up with an arrow notched and at the ready- "that I'm gonna repay!"

Clint was so shaken, he barely dodged the first arrow. Automatically he started back flipping further away, as he would do to gain some distance, dodging arrows as he went. When he was about twenty feet away he stopped, raised his bow, readied an arrow, then paused.

His arms were shaking. The arrowhead moved around too much for his liking. If he was going to shoot in this condition, he was going to miss- and Clint made a point to never miss.

Clint lowered his arrow, scowling. He'd fought drug and human traffickers, gang members, crazy scientists, professional security guards, professional thieves, professional fighters, other spies, other assassins, HYDRA members, Natasha, and alien invaders. How, after all that, could he have trouble against his own brother? He wasn't even sure he was his brother… except, he kinda did. It brought to mind that dialogue from the Star Wars movie he watched with his kids the last time he was home, "Search your feelings. You know it to be true."

Of all the elements of a science fiction film I could compare my current life to, it's that, Clint thought with annoyance.

"What's wrong, kid? Can't bring yourself to shoot your own brother?" taunted Barney's voice. Clint snapped back into reality, just to see his brother's bow arm swing up again with another arrow notched in. "Funny, cuz I'm not findin' any problem at all."

Clint barely dodged this arrow, but a second one sliced open his right calf as he was fumbling at his tools. He yelped in pain, barely remembering to keep his voice down, as he automatically grabbed at the wound to stop the bleeding. He almost didn't catch his brother's words to him as he pointed his bow towards him once more. "Say hello to the reaper for me, brother."

Clint was saved by a wooden crate flying out of nowhere, knocking Barney to the ground. It was followed by a flying Thor, now clad in his armor and cape and Mjolnir spinning in his hand.

"CLINTON!" he bellowed, upon seeing him and flying over. "HOW-" He then remembered to use his inside voice. "…how dost you fare?" He noticed Clint's bleeding leg. "You're wounded!"

"No need to stay quiet, Thor," Clint said, waving a hand to indicate the area around them, which was now filled with the sound of guns firing. "They know now." How could the enemy not, after all that noise and Thor's "look at me!" red cape?

Thor seemed to realize this, for he looked sheepish. Picking up Clint, he flew him over to a safer area in a deserted dockyard nearby, where they set to work treating Clint's wound. "Do you suppose that this archer is the 'something big' you talked of?"

"I…don't think so," Clint said slowly as he pressed gauze from his utility belt to his wound and fumbled with bandages. Thor took over the task, proving to be a deft hand at it. "I think he's extra security… well, maybe more. He said that HYDRA sent him to rattle me."

Thor frowned. "Why would this rattle you? Is seeing another archer so like yourself-"

"He's not just any archer," Clint interrupted, wincing as Thor tightened the bandages. "He's…" he sighed, then took a deep breath. "He's my brother."

Thor stopped what he was doing and peered over at Clint in shock. "Your brother is working for HYDRA?"

"I didn't know," Clint admitted. "He was supposed to have died years ago, but it seems that HYDRA somehow got a hold of his body and brought him back to life or something. And he blames me for letting him die."

Thor opened his mouth, no doubt to ask what had happened, but he shut it and finished tying up the bandage. "You must share with me the story behind this later," he said, giving the bandaged leg a friendly slap before getting to his feet, then leaning down with an open hand. Clint grasped it and let Thor haul him up to his feet.

"Yeah," he said, adjusting his bow and quiver. "But for now, let's focus on the mission."

They flew back to the dockyard, where the guns had stopped firing, but the dockworkers were working at a faster pace than before.

Hiding in the shadows, Clint swore at the sight. "Damn. All that noise has made them pick up the pace. Sometimes they dump the operation if they're discovered, but not this time. The transaction must be really important."

"Why haven't the SWAT and FBI members surrounding the place converged on it?" Thor inquired. "Now would be a good time, wouldn't it?"

Clint shook his head. "No. They're depending on us to take out the more dangerous security. If they got involved, a big fight could occur that would destroy our evidence and let key witnesses escape. We can't let that happen. Usually, I go in and take down the big guns and really important people, then SWAT comes in and helps round up the rest. It helps preserve the evidence for future trials and embarrassing the companies involved in this."

"Your brother has vanished," Thor commented from behind. Clint turned to see that Thor was inspecting the crate that had knocked Barney out maybe ten minutes ago. Indeed, Barney was nowhere near it. "He must have recovered from the blow."

Clint sighed. "Great. Thor, you stay here and keep an eye on things, especially that cargo crate with all the warning stickers on it. I'll go and look for Barney."

"Your brother?" Thor asked.

"Yes."

"No," Thor said, surprising Clint, because he of all people seemed to be the sort who would allow two people with a personal feud to fight it out. "Leave him to me."

"What?" Clint said. "Thor, he's my brother, and an archer like me. He used to be part of the CIA- I know how he works. I'm better suited to fight him than you are."

"Perhaps, but you can't beat him," Thor replied.

Clint gaped at him. "What?"

"Clint, I know better than anyone what it's like to fight your own brother. When I tried to face off against Loki during the Battle of Manhattan, I could not beat him. And that was because, in spite of all that he did… he was still my brother." His face twisted in pain at the memory. "You understand, do you not?"

Clint opened his mouth to protest, paused, then shut it. Perhaps Thor was right. After all, when he tried to shoot Barney… he just couldn't pull the trigger. Or release the bowstring, if he wanted to get technical.

He squeezed his hands into fists tightly before relaxing them. Regardless…"Ok. Try to raise some hell and grab his attention. If he's a part of security, he may try to stop you from causing destruction. I'll go and find the people overseeing the transaction and take them down. After that we'll take down any other threats that may come up. Ok?" Thor nodded.

Personally, as big a threat as Thor was, he didn't think Barney would go after the Asgardian- trick arrows weren't enough to bring down Thor, and a sniper knew how to pick his battles. Nonetheless, it would help Clint some if most of his enemies were focusing on Thor.

"Is your communicator still intact?" Clint asked.

"Yes, it seems that Stark's newest upgrade is much more effective than the others."

"Good. Keep me informed if you notice anything else happening."

The two split. Thor started spinning Mjolnir around, drawing thunderclouds to the area. Clint jumped onto a covered catwalk that was built into the dock wall and ran around the inside of it. He focused, trying to think of where the big shots overseeing this operation would be. If anything, they would be in either the office, which was situated high in the walls of the dockyard with a window to allow the people inside to see what was happening or…

The sub, Clint thought, his eyes flicking to the enormous vessel. Yes, that seemed more likely. The sub would be good for emergency transport, and no doubt it would be heavily fortified in case of attack. No doubt that those in charge would probably be in there. And if the guy in charge of the dock wasn't there but on land, the perimeter set by the FBI and SWAT teams surrounding the place would probably catch him or her. Therefore, the best thing to do was head for the sub.

He took to the shadows and ran in their cover, focused on his goal, when he heard a sudden beeping noise.

He noticed some small blinking lights on wall ahead of him. Eyes widening, he stopped to turn back when-

BANG

Smoke was everywhere. Clint covered his eyes, coughing a little and still trying to stay quiet. Great, now more attention would be drawn to him instead.

"Where do ya think you're goin', brother?" snarked that familiar voice. Clint gasped and choked, smoke getting in his lungs. Panting, he grabbed for his weapons and dared open his eyes a little to see the owner of the voice.

He could see his brother's figure appearing in the clearing smoke. Barney was leaning casually against the wall, fiddling with an arrow in one hand while his bow rested the other.

"I know it's been a while, but not that long. I still know what goes on inside that head of yours." His brother smirked at him. "Don' think you can get away from me. I'll-"

Zzzzzzzzzzzt! A flash of light materialized, hitting the redhead and flashing a sight of the man's skeleton. A low boom followed the light, followed by the boom of Thor's voice.

"There you are, scoundrel! Now come out and challenge me like a true warrior!"

Blinking spots from his eyes, Clint glanced back at Barney. The man was scorched all over, but alive. In fact, he was scowling at something behind Clint, presumably Thor.

Still alive, huh? I guess Thor's learning how to hold back. He should really give more credit to the Asgardian. He continued making his way to the sub.

As before, due to Thor's racket, everyone was now firing in their direction. Clint stayed to the shadows, hoping that they would focus their attention on Thor. He cursed when he found several supposed "dockworkers" blocking his path.

Clint sighed. Well, it looked like he would have to get a little messy. A few twangs of his bow, and in the next few minutes all his opponents were either collapsed on the ground due to a shock arrow; trapped in goo, or tangled up in nets. Not willing to waste more time, he fired a zipline arrow at the far wall, where the gate to the dock opened to the sea, and where he needed to be to get closer to the sub. As he pressed the retraction button, he grabbed a piece of sheet metal and threw it to the ground, hopped on it, then sped across the ground as smoothly as a champion skier on water.

Once he reached the dockyard wall, he leapt up off his metal sled and rappelled up the wall. At the top, he fired another line at the sub and, after a few testing jerks, zipped down to the sub's deck.

Chaos was everywhere, as some people on the submarine were running around, perhaps preparing for departure or for a fight, and dockworkers were apparently still trying to load some stuff onto the submarine, including the big metal crate with warning stickers on it. Clint frowned when he saw it. That thing screamed trouble, and not just because of the stickers. His gut screamed at him that he should ensure that thing didn't get on board the ship.

Just take down the guys in charge, and that should speed things up. Looking for the submarine's bridge, a loud boom rattled the deck, one which he recognized as being the boom of a large metal object crashing down on the ground, not that of Thor's thunder. He turned, and saw with increased shock someone- something- emerge from the crate, which was still not onboard.

It was huge, maybe bigger than Hulk, but its skin was not Hulk's vibrant green, but a dull, weary grey. The- creature, he decided, it looked human but he wasn't sure he could call it that- was bald, and naked except for some black boxer shorts covering up his nether regions- ok, maybe this thing was created in a lab and not from Asgard or something.

Clint gaped, then recovered himself. This thing was nothing compared to those massive Chitauri leviathans from the Battle of Manhattan. It was still quite a shock, though. Was this the weapon that all the security was for?

Then he noticed the people in the different uniforms talking to the creature. One of them pointed at the dockyard.

Crap! Were they telling it to destroy the dockyard? But they needed all of that stuff for evidence! Unconsciously, Clint ran and dodged several Hydra agents as he tried to find a way off the ship.

His communicator crackled. "Clinton?" Thor's loud voice roared through the device. Clint winced; had anyone ever told Thor to use his inside voice? "How dost you fare?"

"I just got on the sub, but this weird gray giant just came out of that massive crate. I think they're telling it to destroy the dockyard. I'm going to see if I can stop it. How about you?"

"A giant? A frost giant, perhaps?" Thor said, his voice rising in some excitement at possibly fighting a familiar foe. "I'll be on my way!"

"Hold it!" Clint yelled. "Normally I'd say go ahead, but you'll destroy the dockyard if the two of you fight! And what about my brother?"

"Oh, I've taken care of him. I already delivered him to the SWAT people."

"Ok." There was some noise, and Clint turned to see some of the deckhands moving around in preparation of the sub moving out of the dock. They had to stop it. He glanced back at the giant nearby.

New idea.

"Thor, get in front of the dockyard. Keep the giant from getting in there, and lure it to the sub!"

"Right!" Thor shouted. Clint started to make his way to the highest point on the sub, trying to get a better vantage point, and was nearly knocked off his perch by a shockwave that pushed the submarine several yards from the dock. A little shaken, Clint looked down to see Thor and the giant brawling on the deck, while several ship hands jumped off the sub for their lives. He could easily see what happened here; Thor being Thor, he had decided not to lure the giant onboard but instead sent the two of them flying via tackle onto the sub.

"Thor, damage the deck and the plating as much as you can while you're fighting! If you blow holes in it, they won't submerge!"

Clint thought he heard a grunt of reply from Thor before another agent contacted him, asking for an update. Clint gave a quick rundown and snapped off a few sharp orders demanding the Coast Guard and some Hulk-containing equipment be brought in on the double.

Now all they had to do was stop the giant. Looking down at the brawl, Clint felt like a Pokémon master who barely had a grip on his over-powered Pokémon. Maybe it was time to give in to his wife and watch one of those chick flicks she went on about. At least it shouldn't have anything that reminded him of his job, nor would it give him loads of references from kid's cartoons.

This monster, though holding out well from Thor, did not appear to be as strong or as temperamental as the Hulk. Clint hoped that it was a good sign as he pulled out three of his tranq arrows from his quiver. These babies not only had tranquilizers strong enough to bring down ten elephants, they'd be sharp enough to pierce an elephant's hide too. Not that he was interested in bringing down elephants; his kids loved them too much.

He fitted the three arrows, pulled back the bowstring, aimed, and released.

"Are you sure that those tranqs will keep it down?" asked a nervous-looking Coast Guard member, staring at the huge lump of grey flesh collapsed on the deck.

In spite of the brawl tearing up the sub's outside, the sub's crew still stubbornly tried to make a getaway, but the transport quickly surrounded by the Coast Guard and was forced to turn back. Now the sub was now being pulled back into the dock, complete with a busted rudder thanks to Clint's instructions and Thor's efforts.

Clint concluded the fight after firing eight out of his ten tranq arrows at the giant, much to Thor's consternation. Even so, he still eyed the slumbering lump with as much apprehension as the coast guard on board with them. With such creatures built like the Hulk, it was sometimes not a question of whether they could be brought down, but how long they could stay down. Once they were back on land and the Hulk containment equipment could be brought in, he would breathe easy. Nevertheless, he tried to reassure the man.

Going back to the dock, Clint remembered his brother. Was he still there? Thor had brought him to the members of SWAT. Did they take him to jail already? He had to know. There was so much he had to know, so many questions he had to ask.

As soon as the sub was docked again, and a team bringing in Hulk-containment equipment rushed onboard, Clint decided to excuse himself and made his way quickly to the dockyard exit. Though rushed, he noted, with some pride, that there wasn't as much damage as he expected from Thor, and loads of the evidence had been preserved, now being labeled and loaded into trucks marked by the insignias of various U.S. government agencies. It was turning out to be one of his less messy missions, and that was saying something, considering that there were two members of the Avengers involved.

After finding the exit, he burst onto the street outside the dockyard's walls, looking around for his brother. He found him lying on a gurney, apparently unconscious, with a paramedic treating him and a SWAT agent standing guard nearby. Clint could see that the man had been divested of all his weapons and his hands now were encased in cuffs.

He sighed. He was a few feet away, but he could still see his brother's chest rising and falling.

He was still alive.

He's still alive.

"When I said I was going to fight him, I didn't say that I was going to kill him," rumbled a voice close to his shoulder.

Clint jumped and turned with an arrow at the ready, but lowered it when he recognized Thor. Much like when they first met tonight. How was Thor getting to be so stealthy? Then again, he was distracted this time…

"I know. It's just…" Clint paused.

"…you can't believe he's alive?" Thor suggested when the silence stretched. Clint nodded and sighed.

"You'd have thought the same as me, knowing how he died," he said.

"Really," Thor said in anticipation, but Clint didn't elaborate any further. As an awkward silence began to stretch between them, Thor cast about for something else to fill the silence. "So you and your brother were both taught how to use a bow?"

"No. That's the weird thing, actually," Clint replied. He heaved another sigh and continued, "You see, Barney and I ran away to the carnival as kids. There was a guy there, called Swordsman, who was good at throwing swords. He offered to train both of us. Barney said no, but me… well, I thought there was nothing more I could want, until Swordsman's buddy Trickshot taught me archery."

"Barney was different though. He wanted to go to school, get an education, that sort of thing. He didn't want to learn any carnival tricks. We butted heads a lot. In the end he got sick of the carnival and left for the army. We didn't see each other for a long time after that."

Here Clint once again paused. He didn't want to talk about it, and wouldn't it be breaking SHIELD protocol to talk about that?

Oh, what the hell. Everything about SHIELD was plastered all over the Internet now. Talking about this was hardly going to make a difference. Besides, it might be good to share it with someone.

He still had to take a breath.

"Then," he went on, "We met again, sometime after I joined SHIELD. I was on this team with some other agents and we were sent to arrest this mad scientist who had developed some new weapon. I discovered Barney in this guy's lab, working for him."

Now they were getting to the hard part. Clint unconsciously started to pace back and forth, not going more than a few steps before turning around. Thor waited patiently.

"There was a fight," Clint continued stiffly, his voice hardening as he remembered. "The scientist had hired goons, you know, classic super villain. They put up a fight. I'm not sure what Barney was doing; when I found him, he was rushing all over the lab, going through files. I was- surprised," his breath hitched, "but I didn't say anything. Barely stuck to my cover. He didn't acknowledge me either… probably doing the same thing…"

"He was undercover?" Thor questioned. But Clint ignored his question and kept going.

"Only a few seconds after I found him, the scientist ran into the lab, where they have the weapon. He tried to use it on me and all the other members that were in the room. Some kind of emitter ray, I think. But my brother, he just pushed me out of the way and threw himself at the damn thing. The weapon was-" he gave a slightly hysterical chuckle- "so stupidly delicate… crumpled up like it was paper. I pulled him off- he'd been stabbed in the chest, his skin…burned by the ray. Affected. Marked. I'm not sure how to describe it. He was a bloody mess. I held him up, tried to perform first aid- man, I was such a greenhorn then. I should've focused on the mission and finished it, but I could only think about him. I think the rest of my team took care of the scientist- yeah, that's what happened." His eyes glazed over as they focused on something very far away. "He clung to my shirt. Asking me, telling me, he didn't give me away. I told him he hadn't. He asked me if he was a hero. I told him… he was." His voice cracked as he pushed out that last word, desperately trying not to cry.

He stared transfixed at the ground, apparently still within the trance of memory. Then his head snapped up, turning back in the direction of the ambulance, where his brother was- his living brother.
"He was a damn hero," he croaked, his throat tight. "Later, I learned he was a CIA agent and he was responsible for all the info we gathered on that scientist. Undercover. And now HYDRA- frickin' HYDRA-."

Fighting the urge the cry, Clint instead punched the cement wall next to him, hard. His fist hurt like hell, but it helped distract him. He punched the wall few times more for good measure.

When he finally stopped, his chest heaving, a quiet, pained voice distracted him. "At least your brother is alive."

Looking to the side, Clint discovered one of the thunder god's big hands grasping a metal pipe affixed to the wall, the knuckles white and the pipe molding itself into Thor's hand as easily as his kids' play-doh. The man said hand was attached to now sat on a pile of crates, his face was bowed low, but from what Clint could see it was tight, as if in pain.

"Thor?" Clint inquired carefully. Did he actually get hurt in that battle…?

Thor looked up, pain and desperation in his eyes. "Clint," he rasped, the shortened version of his name capturing Clint's full attention, "Loki is dead."

Clint stood there, shocked, his mind racing as it tried to connect what he'd said to what Thor said. Amidst all this confusion, words slipped uncontrollably out of his mouth. "Are you sure?"

"He died in my arms, Clint," Thor replied, his voice pained, not unlike Clint's a few seconds ago. "I took him back to Asgard myself. They confirmed it."

Clint was silent for a moment, then acted on his first impulse, which was to laugh. He didn't notice that it sounded high-pitched and hysterical, only focusing on the joy and relief that filled his chest. Finally, the monster that had haunted his dreams, who had turned his mind and made him kill his fellow agents, was gone- really gone, not gone-to-prison gone. The spell was short-lived, as he remembered the person in front of him, forcing him to clap a hand over mouth to stop it.

Now he felt embarrassed. He hated- had hated Loki, but he did like Thor, and he knew how much Thor cared for his brother. It had been a sort of sore point between them, but one that Clint tried to keep from getting in the way. Regardless of how this news made him feel, it was insensitive to showcase those feelings to someone who had actually cared for the asshole.

"Sorry," he said, then felt even more ashamed, as he knew his 'sorry' was not an I'm-sorry-for-your-loss sorry, but an I'm-sorry-for-laughing sorry.

Thor peered at him with a look that was a mixture of hurt and anger towards him, but after several long seconds, it softened a little.

"It's fine," he grunted. "I know how you felt about him, and I don't begrudge you for it." He shifted in his seat, his grip on the pipe loosening. "I'm just saying, I know how you feel. I wish I had my brother back, like you, even if he still hates me and I don't know why. Do you understand?"

Strangely enough, Clint felt that he did understand. Actually, several things about Thor became increasingly clear to him. Thor knew what it was like to have a beloved brother who turned against you, said they hated you, and the confusion that went with it. He knew the pain of listening to others speak of his brother's mistakes and misguided actions, and trying to convince those people that he wasn't like that, that he could be better, because he had seen that good person before, a long time ago. He knew how hard it was to fight against someone you loved, who you really didn't want to fight. He knew what it was like to be horrified by his brother's actions, yet still want to forgive him, to save him. To feel happiness when he found that his brother was still alive.

"Yes," he said softly. "I do understand." He sat down on a crate next to Thor, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing in an attempt at comfort. "I'm sorry."

Thor sniffed. "Thanks."

They were silent once more, and Clint, once more on an impulse that made him question his judgment later, asked, "How did he die?"

"He died a hero."

Author's note: So, I hope this was okay. I did some research on Hawkeye and his brother beforehand, and the general relationship between Thor and Clint, and there's not much to go on. It was hard to find something that these two had in common, and eventually I fell back on the both-have-supervillain-brothers thing. Action-wise, I personally think this needs improvement, but emotion-wise I think it turned out pretty well. I just hope I didn't make either Clint or Thor too OOC.

I wanted to keep this within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I also wanted to involve the story of Barney's death from the comics. In the comics, Barney fights Egghead, the original mad scientist, alongside the Avengers, but since Egghead appears in the movie universe much earlier, I decided to replace him with some random mad scientist. Zemo was the one who revived him, but the situation the team faces in the movie universe with Hydra and the downfall of Shield made Hydra a perfect replacement for Zemo. I also tried to incorporate some of Barney's accent from the comics too, though I'm not sure how well I succeeded there. Not too sure about Thor's dialogue either. In any case, I hope it was okay.

Please read and review!