003 ➳ Video ➳ Day 99 ➳ Clint Barton

[greatatboats]

[ He was having trouble sorting things out when the dream stuff happened. Sexy dreams with a redhead were the least of his concerns. Everything was all muddled up and Clint didn't know how to deal. He wasn't doing so well since his kidnapping. He felt more and more like he couldn't defend himself. His bow was gathering dust and he was starting to get comfortable. Clint didn't get comfortable. He had spent most of his life moving and staying ahead of things. He settled into that house with those people and suddenly he was attached. To all of them. His housemates were sneaking past his walls and he didn't like it. Ned and Kenzi especially. Mainly because when Clint was healing Ned took care of him the most other than Kenzi and her mothering crap. He needed to take a breather so he took a few things and left.

Clint stayed in the forest. The outskirts were easiest to navigate. Staying low was easy. His last convo with Kenzi was about her being in charge of the food and stuff like that. He gave her some shit and left it at that. He didn't think he'd come back from the forest to find that she was just gone. Not there. She wasn't the only housemate missing either, but her being gone hit him the hardest. He felt sick to his stomach knowing that once again he wasn't here. Maybe those assholes had taken her like they had taken him. That just made him angry.

There was a moment where he just stood in her room trying to absorb whatever had happened. After a few moments had passed he left her room immediately and retreated up his attic. He dropped his shit by the door and stalked over to his bed to sit. He lifted the communicator up and flipped it on. ] Where the hell is Kenzi? If someone took her--I will cut your hands off and feed them to you. I swear.

Comments

[Video]

[undomesticated]

[Oh, hey. Look. It was the kind of angry quiet guy. That made the house a little less lonely. Maybe. Or maybe not. She could hear him stomping through the house as he looked for Kenzi, then listened to him move back upstairs, trying to be quiet. Well, until she answered.]

Um, sorry, Clint? It was Clint, right? She's gone. Same with Galen and Jesse and a whole bunch of others. I'm sorry. I know she was your friend.

[Riley does seem genuinely sorry, knowing how upset she'd been when Balthazar had been missing for a few days.]

[greatatboats]

[ Knowing that three of his housemates were on the list for the missing kind of pissed him off. He still wasn't sure if he was going to just take the fact that she was gone at face value. What if someone had taken her though? Anyone of these people could be some sort of homicidal maniac. Clint was right up there in terms of not typical or functional in any normal fashion. Why shouldn't he suspect these folks might be just as bad?

His jaw has set and he's looking more mad than ever. He's not mad at Riley though. She lives here too. He has no reason to be hostile with her. He's mad at himself mainly. Something happened and he wasn't here. ] When did she go missing?

[undomesticated]

[Yeah, he looks mad. She just hopes it isn't at her. She has nothing to do with people going missing, and frankly, after hearing the stories of where some people go, she's bordering on terrified of winding up there herself.]

Just over.. um, two weeks ago, I think. Yeah, about that. You were gone a while too.

[She's pretty sure he knows that already, but she thought she'd point out that a lot of people were popping in and out lately.]

[greatatboats]

Yeah. I needed some time. I didn't think someone would take her while I was gone. [ Just another thing for Clint to pile onto his back. He's very good at taking blame when it's not even remotely close to being his fault. This didn't look like his fault from the outside, but he was rationalizing it to be his fault. He was really good at that.

Clint sighed heavily and hung his head. He hated to think of what might have been going through his housemates heads when they were taken or something. The idea made his stomach turn. ] Ned's okay right? What about the redheaded guy? [ He didn't have much interaction with him. Ned was the only other consistent face besides Kenzi's and sometimes this girls. ]

[undomesticated]

Ned's okay. He keeps busy with his baking and he seems to have been doing okay. Daneel? I'm not really sure. I don't see him much unless he's cleaning. Him and Ned have turned this into a germ free zone.

[He looked upset and Riley felt bad for him. He always seemed upset or verging on being pissed off, but maybe that was just his way of dealing with being here.]

I was thinking of making something to eat in a bit. If you don't have a weak stomach for reptile, I could bring something up to you?

[greatatboats]

That's good. I was starting to get a little worried the little guy got taken. [ Little being sarcastic because Clint was well aware that Ned was a giant. He dwarfed Clint. Then again most of the Avengers dwarfed Clint. He was used to it. What he lacked in height he made up for in experience and the alarming amount of ways he knew how to kill a person. He was good at his job.

He didn't know much about Daneel, but these people were kinda like the only thing he had resembling a family these days. They were important to him. Their health kinda meant something. Even if he did shut himself off from them most of the time. ] I guess I won't be coming downstairs too much. I like my germs.

I ate in the woods. You can come up though if you want? Might have to sit on the floor, but I won't mind the company.

[undomesticated]

[The germ remark gained a small smirk from Riley, one she tried to hide by looking to the side for a moment.

The offer to come up, however, was unexpected, but welcome. It was lonely in the house without the noise of the others and it would give her a chance to so very subtly look him over to see if he was hurt in any way.]

I think I can handle sitting on a floor without breaking out in hives. Sure you don't want something to drink?

[ video ]

[noblexcompanion]

[ Well hi there handsome guy Donna had dream sex with. But right, that's not the important part of all of this. ]

Kenzi's gone. She's not the only one either. A whole bunch of people seemingly vanished overnight. I just hope they've gone home and not... y'know, to the crazy mad scientists...

[greatatboats]

Yeah. I've met the crazy mad scientists. I couldn't get out of bed for a long time after I spent time with them. [ He's not had a chance to really study the screen. Finally he zeroes in though and realizes where he's seen her before. Not just from the video call before the dreams started. She was the tea woman, but also the same one from the dream. The very erotic dream. Oh. Damn. This was worse than him sleeping with a rookie agent and then having to see them in a briefing the next day.

Clint clicked his tongue and nodded slowly. He had run out of things to say because all he kept thinking was 'i've seen her naked. i've seen her naked.' on repeat. Fuck. ] We--um--yeah.

[noblexcompanion]

Luckily managed to avoid the mad scientists myself so far. My best mate wasn't so lucky.

[ Really, Clint? Really? Talking to the ginger he had sex with and he turns to a flailing teenage boy? Sigh.

She arches a brow. ]

Yeah. I guess we did.

[greatatboats]

He got snatched up huh? Tell him I feel for him. If he ever wants to talk about it I get it. It's a hard thing to deal with. That's why I took off for a little while. Was hoping I could clear my head. Nothing's felt right sense. Haven't felt like myself I guess. [ It's strange that Clint is so willing to talk about this experience with a strange like this man she's referring to. Or even to her. Clint's always run from this type of stuff. Maybe he's making some progress being here with these people.

Whoa. Flailing? Back it up. He is not flailing. If anything he's just a little flustered. He wasn't even certain he'd have contact with her after the dream sex. No making fun. He's trying here. He'll get better. Lighten up more. ] Sorry I didn't call. [ Did you call after something like that? What the hell was the protocol? ] I don't know how to deal with this.

[noblexcompanion]

He came back a dribbling mess. Doing better now, but I'll pass on your message, thanks. [ Talking helps. And if talking doesn't then gossiping does! Always. Bitchy gossiping will always make a person feel better!

Donna laughs. ] Good job I'm a tough girl, huh? Else you might've broken my heart. Nah. Never expected a call. Not even sure if dream sex counts as real sex. Does it count? Are we counting it?

[greatatboats]

It's a hard adjustment. Guess I got off easy. Only thing they did to me was beat the living hell out of me. I looked like pounded meat. I'm sorry they worked him over mentally. It's not easy having people inside your head. [ His experience with Loki taught him how horrible that felt. It was like having someone break into your home. Afterwards you felt violated only this was about a hundred times worse.

She's funny. Got a lot of spunk. That's good. This coulda merged into a whole different awkward situation. He's lucky his sex dream was with her and not with someone else. ] I dunno. Feels wrong to not count it. I know what you look like naked. You know what I look like naked. I kinda think that might be a big thing. It was nice.

[ He paused and leaned forward to get a better look at the screen. ] It feels weird talking about this in this form. Do you wanna come over?

[noblexcompanion]

I know first-hand what it's like to have grubby fingers poking at your mind. Never a picnic! [ Some things are probably best left unsaid. ]

Nice is one way of putting it. Hopefully we're not doing scoring, but if we are? Yeah. You're pretty high. Oh I see how it is! Inviting me over for a repeat performance! Cheeky.

[ She laughs. ] I've got some free time. So. 'Come over' would be to where exactly?

[video]

[bostonhowler]

A lot of people have gone missing lately. Kenzi, both Charlies, a few other people. I'm sorry.

[She looks it too.]

[greatatboats]

How many Charlies we got? [ He just knew about Charles. Good ole Chuck. He liked that guy and his ability to say groovy without batting an eyelash. He was more worried about Kenzi though. He had a personal connection to her. She was one of the first people to help him. She gave him a place to live and practically bossed him around like she owned him. It never bothered him though. ] I'm--I'm sorry if you lost someone too. [ He could see it in her face. He just didn't know who. ]

[bostonhowler]

Two that I know of. Both are missing. One was my roommate, the other was going to run the poker game at the church.

[greatatboats]

Poker? In a church? That's ballsy. [ He's frowning though as intriguing as poker in a church does sound. She's obviously lost someone too. ] Maybe--maybe they went home? [ The idea sounds wrong to Clint, but he wants to make it easier for this woman. He can't be a complete dick. ]

[bostonhowler]

I asked them to use the bar, but apparently someone is living there now. I'm going to try to get them to use the diner, since the Host does have members here. It seems... wrong.

[Faithful.]

I hope they did? But at the same time, Charlie didn't speak fondly of home to me, so it might not be better.

[greatatboats]

Man, I wish I could live in the bar. Who the hell got lucky and claimed that joint? [ Clint, your inner alcoholic is showing. Calm it down. Clint was actually kinda jealous of the isolation that place probably provided. Not that he didn't mind living with the folks in his house, but it was gonna be hard to stay here after Kenzi was gone. He couldn't stay on the helicarrier after the incident. Except for work.

The Host? That sounded weird, but he's not going to read too much into it. Different strokes for different folks right? ] Cards isn't a sin, Red. I bet Jesus played cards. Or a version of cards?

[ Video ]

[packpapa]

[ Derek watches the man on the screen with a raised eyebrow; he thinks he might like this guy, even if it is against his better judgement. ]

It's going around. She's not the only one that's missing.

[greatatboats]

Yeah, but she's the only one I actually care about. [ He cared about Jesse and Galen to an extent, but his interaction with them was limited. Kenzi was the one who came to actually get him when he showed up her first. She drug him back and told him he was going to live in the attic. She also harassed him on a daily basis. Like it or not he actually missed that.

Clint doesn't exactly know the full extent of how many people have gone missing. He's never really cared enough to keep a poll of them. ] I'm really not liking how easily they can just take people. Regardless of power or training.

[packpapa]

[ He gives a stiff nod, but he can understand the logic in that; he's not exactly a social butterfly on the best of days, and extending his concerns beyond the few people he has grown somewhat close to is more than enough. ]

It's definitely not something to be overlooked. [ The fact that they got half of the people here with the powers that some people have is disconcerting in and of itself. ] I prefer to know I stand a chance before something comes.

[greatatboats]

I can feel ya on that. I like to know my odds, but these guys--it's like shooting in the dark with earmuffs on. You got no way of knowing how many or coming or where they're coming from. Whatever they're using to take us isn't good news. I wanna know what the hell it is and how I can stop it. I don't like people going missing because these guys get bored on a whim.

[ If he could put an arrow between their eyes just once it would make him feel much better. Just knowing he can defend himself from them would let him sleep better at night. ] I can't stand this whole big bad powerful shit they have going for them.

[packpapa]

[ As someone with heightened senses, which includes hearing to be proud of, he actually agrees. It's not often anyone gets by him, even if he doesn't win a fight that often, he usually knows when one's coming. Here? Not so much. And it concerns him more that it takes a lot to take him down over the average human. ]

You're not the only one. [ It's strange, for him, but he likes this guy already; no one else seems quite as suspicious, or at least not for long, but maybe that's the trust issues. ] I haven't been here long enough to know much, but asking around is useless.

[ After singing a song about power and how everyone wants it, he's never wanted it more, but now it's simply to get himself out of here along with everyone else. It's begrudging, what he thinks next, but tries to make it sound less so. ] They're good, but there are people here who have the potential to be great if they work together.