"What?" Barton asked, taken aback by the question, his voice carrying through the open window.
"Your mom, Mother's Day," Tony prompted.
"Rude, Stark," Natasha interrupted, not looking up from her paperwork.
"What, he's got a mom, right? We can't all be orphans, that would just suck."
"I am not an orphan, Tony," Thor reminded him, looking up briefly from where Steve was teaching him chess.
"Okay, that's one," Tony agreed, huffing a bit. "Come on, I have six people living with me and I know hardly anything real about any of you."
"Define real," Barton instructed, coming in off the balcony.
"Something that makes you seem like people and not SHIELD employees," Tony elaborated.
Barton smirked, shrugging.
"I got her a dozen roses and an old book on herbalism."
"Okay. Cool," Tony said, pleased at getting an answer, but unsure how to continue the conversation.
"Are most of you orphans?" Thor asked, feeling sad for his teammates.
He looked around and saw from the tense, uncomfortable expressions on Steve, Tony, Natasha, and Bruce's expressions that they were. Thor shook his head, knowing there was nothing he could do or say that would be of benefit.
"Why has your mother not visited, then?" he asked Barton, knowing how much he missed Frigga, at times.
"She might," Barton answered, shrugging. "Usually, I visit her, though."
"You might want to tell us what she looks like, so I can have JARVIS let her in...just in case," Tony prompted. "Got a photo?"
"Yeah, sure," Barton agreed, shrugging.
Clint Barton left and fetched a photo of his mother from his rooms. He brought the small photo, taken only a few weeks ago, and handed it silently to Tony. Tony took it with a smile and examined the woman. He was a bit surprised. A raven haired beauty grinned at him, leaning casually against a wooden fence. She had bright blue eyes, a mischievous smile, and her curvaceous body swelled temptingly against her jeans and blouse. A slight silvering of her long, curly hair at her temples and some laugh lines around her eyes were the only indications that the woman was old enough to have a grown son.
"Damn, Hawkeye. You sure you didn't accidentally give me your girlfriend's photo?"
"Yep, I'm sure. I wouldn't let you anywhere near a photo of my girlfriend, Stark," Barton said, the tease obvious, despite his flat tone.
Thor laughed at the jest and got up, moving over to view the photograph. He was, if anything, even more curious about his team mates than Stark. They were, after all, not only near strangers, but aliens, as well. Seeing the woman in the photo, though, Thor frowned.
"Is this a jest, Clint Barton? You say this female is your mother?" Thor asked, surprise and worry apparent in his tone, making Hawkeye frown.
"Yes, for the last time, that's my mom. What of it?"
"That is Loki," Thor told him, trying to be gentle, but unwilling to hold back the truth.
Barton rolled his eyes.
"You need to work on your sense of humor, there, Thor. See, I'm pretty sure Loki is supposed to be your brother, not your sister."
"I would not jest about such an important matter, Clint. Yes, Loki is male...generally. He is, however, a powerful sorcerer and a shape-shifter. He can take a female form, when he desires," Thor explained, his voice and expression both grave.
Barton looked at his teammates, finding everyone looking between him and Thor. No one was smiling, which worried him. Surely, this was still a joke. Yeah, Thor was honest and a lousy actor, but...Barton knew his mom and thought he knew Loki well enough. There was no way they were the same person!
"Yeah, okay, he can take the appearance of a woman, but actually get pregnant and carry a kid? That can't be possible. Right?"
"Loki does not merely assume the appearance of a female. That is a lesser magic. He can become fully female, with the ability to carry a child. He has done so before, in fact."
Barton leaned against the wall, his arms crossing and his expression becoming mulish.
"Okay, he's a shape-shifter and he took the form of a woman who looked a lot like my mom. It's an understandable mistake. Black hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones, whatever. Doesn't mean my mom is Loki. That's just...no. That can't be."
"I am sorry, but I know Loki's female form quite well, older or younger in appearance. He does not change his appearance, unless disguising himself as another. This is Loki, Clint."
Clint walked forward and took the photo, his heart sinking.
"Hey!" Tony protested, wanting his friend to slow down long enough for someone to find comforting words. Barton shook his head.
"If this is Loki, then you don't want JARVIS letting him in, not that he ever asked permission before."
Barton stormed off to his rooms, slamming and locking his door. He replaced the photo carefully in its album, then grabbed his phone, dialing his mother. The phone rang for a few moments, then went to voice mail.
"Mom, I need to talk to you. It's...this is important. I showed a photo of you to some friends of mine and...well, one thought he recognized you. If you know what I mean, we need to talk. If not...look, just call okay?"
Barton disconnected the call and leaned back against the headboard of his bed. He sat, waiting for the universe to right itself and reveal the situation as a horrible joke. It didn't. Ten minutes passed, then golden light appeared in the middle of the room, before resolving into Loki. He was dressed in the leather and silk outfit he wore, when he wasn't actively fighting. Barton swallowed.
"You showed a photograph to Thor, I take it?" Loki asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah," Barton agreed, rage and pain making speech almost impossible.
If Loki had laughed or smiled, Barton would have tried to kill him, but the other man's eyes were sad, his expression grim.
"I meant to tell you, sooner or later," Loki told him. "I know too well the damage secrets can do in families, between a parent and a child."
"Damage? You wanna talk about damage., Mom," Clint snarled, leaping to his feet. "Let's talk about the damage you did, when you pulled me out of my own skull and stuffed something more to your liking inside!"
Loki drew back, his expression dismayed.
"More to my liking?" he repeated softly, shaking his head. "No. No, Clint, you misunderstand. I took your mind, temporarily, so you would not be a target of the Chitauri. I knew you would not understand my reasons for conquering the Earth, but I thought, if I kept you safe, I would have been able to explain after."
"After. You really think I would have accepted it, if you won? You think I would have been okay, with you brain-washing me, destroying my friends..."
"Do you think your friends would be alive, if I truly wanted them dead?" Loki snapped, more hurt than anger in his voice, making Clint shiver.
His mother had always sounded more upset, than angry, whenever Clint had gotten into trouble as a child. Pure anger had been rare, but his mom had wielded disappointment expertly. Clint shook his head.
"You put Phil Coulson into a coma. He's still there," he said, sounding almost conversational, but Loki knew his son well, knew the signs of vulnerability that Clint rarely hid from his mother.
"Yet, he still lives. I could have killed all of them in their sleep, at any time," Loki pointed out. "There are spells that would have ensured they never awoke."
"Nice to know. Would we have died quickly, then?"
"Clint...my son, I would never cause you permanent harm, you know me well enough, as your mother, to know that!" Loki protested, his eyes wide, but Clint shook his head.
"I don't, though, do I? I don't know the real you at all. You...it was all a lie, a disguise you adopted, a game you took too far. I don't know that any of it was real."
Loki flinched, swallowing hard, but nodding.
"I deserve that, I know. It was real, almost all of it. Maybe not the physical form, but...Clint, I am your mother. Very little of our past was a lie."
"Change."
"I beg your pardon?" Loki asked, confused.
"I want to see you turn into my mother, see you as I've always known you."
Loki hesitated only briefly, before his magic burst forth, turning him into Clint's loving mother, the woman in the photo.
"Does this make things easier?" she asked.
"No," Clint said, his voice tight. "I just needed to see it for myself, so it would be real to me."
"Clint..."
Loki stepped forward, wanting to embrace his child, but Clint stepped back, shaking his head.
"I can't trust you. I don't. Right now, I want nothing more to do with you. I'm not sure that will ever change. Kill us or fight us, whatever. We'll stop you, if we can. You're a villain and I'm a SHIELD agent. Deal with it," Clint commanded, storming out of his room.
Loki watched him go, then sat down on his child's bed. A thousand memories, of his boy growing up, of fond embraces, and of shared confidences, rushed through his mind. Gone, now. Loki remembered learning of his Jotun heritage and the grief and rage that had filled him. He suspected that what Clint was going through was worse. Misguided though Odin had been, Loki knew he had acted as a king and father, protecting his realm and his son. For all Clint knew, Loki had only been playing a game. Loki himself knew better, of course, but his son did not.
Clint was thinking that exact thing, cursing Loki for his jokes and schemes, wondering how he could have maintained the role of caring mother so thoroughly, for so long. He made his way to the common living area, almost by instinct. He noticed the others had gathered close, sitting on the couch and in chairs, in a circle. Spotting Clint, Natasha stood up, but he shook his head.
"Loki was just here. It's true. He's been pretending...Edith Barton never existed."
Thor stood and approached his nephew, draping an arm across his shoulders, and smiling encouragingly.
"Do not take this news too hard, my nephew. You have gained new family from this! Loki has many flaws and his mind has become confused and twisted, of late, but he has always been a loving parent. I do not doubt he cares for you deeply."
"Okay, stop. Don't. I don't want to hear this. You want to claim me as your nephew? Fine. You're a good guy, Thor, and I can accept that. But, don't try to defend that bastard to me."
Thor gazed deeply at Clint, then nodded, reluctantly.
"As you wish, Clint. Do not hesitate to ask anything of me, questions or aid."
"I'll let you know," Clint promised.
The moment was shattered, when Tony's cellphone rang. He listened into it, grimacing.
"Family time is over, sorry, guys. Time to suit up. Doom has unleashed some doombots on city hall."
Clint was relieved, sliding easily into the cold armor of his Hawkeye persona. He grabbed his bow and arrows, almost fleeing out the door and towards the more manageable type of trouble. The fight lasted only two hours and the debriefing less than one, but it let him burn off some of the energy and nerves caused by the day's revelations. He was calm enough, that, once he got home, he read the letter waiting for him on his bed.
Dear Clint,
I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused you. I want you to know that I do not blame you for your anger and will respect your wishes, regarding contact with you. It pains me, but I owe you far more than this request. Know, however, that I love you very much. I always have and nothing shall ever change that.
Should you change your mind and wish to speak with me, I will keep my cellphone number. I hope someday to hear from you. I know there is much for you to forgive. My future has been uncertain for some time now, since a small while before the Chitauri invasion. However, I will always be close by, should you have need of me.
Your mother, Loki
Clint set the letter down, then rested on his bed. He could hear his mother in the soft words of the letter, but it was also too easy to hear Loki in them. Clint knew he had to reconcile the two images in his mind and accept the complex reality that was Loki. He needed answers and insight. Thor came to mind, but Clint knew his uncle was almost as puzzled by Loki as he was. Clint grabbed the letter and stuck it in a drawer, then forced himself to sleep.
For the next few days, Clint concentrated on his duties as a SHIELD agent, refusing to speak with the team about Loki. He knew they were worried, but he didn't want his mind to keep going in circles. He needed distance. Fortunately, most of the team was respectful of his wishes and Tony was easy to fend off. Iron Man wasn't the type to pursue emotional issues, anyway. Clint was grateful for the time, using it to regain his equilibrium.
The silence on Loki lasted until Clint's next mission ended. He found Thor waiting in the hall, after his debriefing. The Asgardian stood, his expression serious, leaning against the wall. Clint walked over and stood close to his uncle, not needing to be told why he was there.
"I guess we need to talk," Clint said, accepting.
"We do, Clint. Will you walk with me?"
"Yeah, sure."
Thor led them outside, away from other people.
"Have you spoken to Loki, since that day?"
"No. I ordered him away. He listened."
"He is a good parent. I do not doubt that he loves you."
"Wish I could be so sure. What's wrong with him, anyway?"
"He wants revenge and to prove himself more powerful than me. He thinks this will gain him Father's favor. He has always enjoyed mischief, but was a good brother and prince. His troubles began, when he discovered he was not born of our father and mother."
"Who was he born to?"
"Our enemies, the Frost Giants. The knowledge sent his mind onto paths I do not comprehend."
"When did he find out?"
"He discovered his true parentage very shortly before sending the Destroyer to Earth."
"Not that long ago, then. I was already with SHIELD."
"Yes."
"Now, he knows what it's like to be lied to."
"I doubt he meant to lie, Clint."
"I...my mom was a wonderful person. It's hard for me to see her as Loki...to see him as capable of the care she gave me. Seriously, man, I always thought my mom was pretty awesome. My entire childhood. How the hell did he find time for all that and to be a prince on Asgard?"
"A human childhood does not last such a long time. Loki would often disappear, seeking knowledge or adventures of his own. Sometimes, he would tell of his experiences and sometimes not."
"What was he like, back then?"
"He was my brother. He enjoyed pranks and was always trying to perfect his magic...he was a good man. He was always there, when I needed him. Sadly, I think now that he would not say the same of me. I am the better warrior, but he was, then at least, the better brother. He could be very kind at times and was always very clever and witty. He could be persuasive, too. He was often called silver-tongue, because he could make words so sweet."
"Mom always used to know what to say, when I was a kid. I always counted on her. I had an okay relationship with Dad, until he died, but it was Mom I relied on. She taught me a lot. She gave me my first bow, made sure I got lessons. She. I guess I should say he did those things."
"It would matter little to Loki, which you used."
"Yeah, I kinda get that."
"I...I must confess, that is probably one of the reasons for his lies. On Asgard, his allowing a man to impregnate him would be viewed with disfavor. It is considered dishonorable," Thor admitted, ashamed. "In many ways, humans are more advanced and wiser than we are."
"A lot of humans would agree with them."
"They would be wrong, too. My brother has always struggled for acceptance. On Asgard, physical strength and prowess are much admired. The use of weapons is strongly encouraged and praised. The art of magic...is considered almost cowardly, like cheating. Intellectual arts are the pursuit of those unable to compete physically."
"Wow. Uncool. So, yeah, I can see why he's kinda pissed at you."
"Yes. It has taken me a long time and much thought to understand his anger. I remembered our time together fondly, as a time when things were right. I now understand they were right for me, perhaps, but not for him."
"Okay, he's not the devil incarnate, but he's still a danger to Earth. We're sworn to protect Earth and are SHIELD agents."
"I know, believe me. I will not hesitate to fight my brother, if he makes it necessary. Can you fight him, if you have to?"
"Yes, I can," Clint confirmed, unhesitating. "I just wish he wouldn't make it necessary."
"So do I, nephew. So do I," Thor agreed, draping his arm around Clint's shoulders and hugging briefly.
A SHIELD agent approached, nodding respectfully to the two Avengers.
"Sirs, if you don't mind, Director Fury would like to see you on the landing pad."
"We'll be right there," Clint answered, frowning.
"Are we expecting company?" Thor asked.
"I don't know. Guess we'll find out," Clint told him.
They made their way to the landing pad and found a small group of SHIELD agents waiting for them. Clint strode directly toward them, relaxed.
"Where is Director Fury?"
No one answered. Instead, there were two sharp sounds and tranquilizer darts bloomed on both Clint and Thor. Clint's eyes widened, in shocked betrayal. Thor was rapidly losing consciousness, just managing to strike the landing pad with Mjolnir, hoping the noise would bring help. Clint was out, before the reverberations ceased.