Marvel: A Tale of Shadows

Rio, Brazil

1999, December 30th

"Clint, how are you doing on your task?" Clint listened to the radio while he ran across the roofs. The Circus of Crime was in Rio this week. Last week they were in Argentina stealing some scientists' technical data. Before that it was Cuba where they stole weapons. They had spent the last two years going from place to place stealing something different each time, usually selling it to a person determined beforehand. But they usually also stole things on the side like jewelry or gold, something they could market internationally.

"Target is in sight, they are moving the painting now. It seems someone has gotten wise to your plays, Tidbolt." Clint answered as he watched the painting move into an armored truck with a number of mercenaries in body armor and helmets moving about.

"Shut it Clint." There was a minute of silence as Clint watched on as the armored truck started to be led away by other vehicles. "Okay, Orion, get a few vehicles going, you and Zandow will pick up Hawkeye. Swordsman & Trick Shot start cleaning up the circus we are leaving tonight. Hawkeye acquired the painting, I know you have a few trick arrows in the quiver in there. I am sure you can figure it out."

Clint shook his head, "Clint do this, do that, solve all my problems. Blah blah blah. One of these days I just want a job where I don't have to do everything." Clint spoke to himself as he ran along the rooftops. "But noooo…. Seriously. It is like Tidbolt only knows how to direct."

As he ran towards the intersection where the vehicles stopped he pulled out a balaclava and put it on. Then from his position on high he pulled out four arrows from his quivers and his bow. He breathed in and out.

Then he shot three of them in quick succession to a spot under the cars and truck. One for each vehicle.

*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

There was an explosion as the vehicles were flipped on their roofs by the carefully planned explosives. Then he ran to a neighboring roof and started climbing down, he was on the street level in less than a minute and by the burning wrecks of cars in less time. He aimed the last of the arrows at the back door of the flipped upside down armored truck and let loose.

*SSSSHHHICKKK*

The arrow released a green ooze that started producing a white smoke as the metal started to melt. As the hole was slowly produced he saw a pair of unconscious mercenaries next to a rectangular box the size of a computer.

"Haa… the only thing I am happy about in this whole situation is that the painting is not that big." He pulled it out of the truck and started running. "Orion, where am I going? I have that nazi painting."

"Just inside the jungle. Get running kid, I am sure the police and other mercenaries will be on your tail soon enough." Orion's voice crackled over the radio.

Clint started running, moving to the roof tops, going up the way he came down. It would be easier to move up there then it would be on street level. As he ran he could hear sirens in the distance. "Son of a bitch." He pulled off the mask as he started putting away his gear and going into a sprint.

Running along the roofs he could see as the sun slowly went down. "Damn this would be a beautiful sight if I was not running," He was only running for a few minutes when he saw the jungle ahead. Another couple minutes and he was walking along the road entering the jungle. But as he stepped into the jungle he glanced behind him. Mostly because he has felt like he was being watched

Frowning and grunting he started walking in, "Am I going to the spot we went to yesterday?" He asked over the radio. Even walking through the brush he could still feel it, the gaze of another person.

Over the last two years he had really sharpened his skills, learning acrobatics, methods of seduction, evasion, tactical driving, and survival skills. Which he was now using as he switched from running along the jungle pathway to sneaking quickly through the trees and brush.

Eventually as the sky turned orange due to the setting sun he arrived at an open lake area. Nearby on a gravel roadway by the lake was a green jeep that looked like it had seen better days.

"Haa…" Clint shook his head as he jogged over to the back door and opened up the door, hopping inside. "Seriously, you couldn't think of a closer rendezvous spot?"

Clint saw the hispanic Orion and Zandow started chuckling in the front seats. "You're fine, muchacho. You have gotten out of worse situations before. Like that time in Mexico."

"Do you mean when I had to run from Mexican special forces because Tiboldt decided to use me as a distraction as he stole from the military? Or how about the time in England when I broke into a spy facility without knowing what it was?" Clint asked as he pulled out the painting.

Opening the casing it was inside was easy. Once the secure casing was open it was a very bad looking painting inside of a frame. "So who are we selling this peace of shit too?"

The jeep started up, Orion drove down the gravel path. Zandow reached back and snatched it out of Clint's hand. Clint frowned but ignored it. "Where are we going?"

"Safe house, meeting the Ringmaster there. We will meet up with the others later. Ringmaster has another job for us." Zandow stated in his gruff Russian accent. As he started looking over the painting that Clint stole.

Clint grunted and frowned as he looked out the back of the jeep, just in time to catch movement out of the corner of his eye. But when he tried looking for it again it was gone. He had a feeling he was still being watched, and that it would not go away anytime soon.

—-----------------------------------

Chelsy let loose a final arrow just as man reached for the radio.

*Kurthunk*

An arrow in the man's back brought him down quickly enough. After he collapsed she began looking around the circus tent. It was littered with bodies, some with arrows and some with knives or slashes. Standing by the exit was Jacques.

He was wiping off a splatter of blood from his face. "Was this it?"

Chelsy turned around in a circle and nodded but before she could say anything the tent entrance shook and a bald African American man in a black trench coat and eyepatch. Chelsy raised an eyebrow as she walked over to them.

"I did not expect you to come here yourself, Fury." But as she got closer she frowned, "What happened to your eye?" She stepped over the bodies of Tiboldt's henchmen.

"What happened to your talent? Back in the old days it would have taken you less than a minute to take out the goons. Now it took you a few minutes and some help." Fury glanced at Jacques before he walked forward so they were only a few feet apart.

A second later, a bunch of men and women in suits walked in carrying equipment of all kinds. One of them was a pasty white looking man who seemed to already have thinning hair despite being so young. He walked up and stood at Fury's side.

"Sir, we have safely moved the cooperating circus members to the airstrip. They will be out of the country within the hour. We are only missing these two," The man pointed between Jacques and Chelsy, "and Clint Barton."

"What!?!" Chelsy's yell caught the attention of many agents that were cataloging bodies. "I thought you said you would be able to immediately extract him."

"We-" The white man glanced at Fury who grunted with an annoyed expression, clearly asking for an explanation as well. "Were going to extract him before he hit the convoy, but the artifacts department contacted us. The Nazi painting they are stealing is of significant interest."

Fury turned his full attention to the man. "Explain." Chelsy knew better than to interrupt Fury when he got like this.

"Well at first we thought it was just a simple crappy painting made by a Nazi who retired to Argentina. But when we looked at the Nazi's history we learned that he was a scientist who worked closely with Arnim Zola before Zola went to Hydra." That caught both Jacques and Chelsy's attention, who exchanged a look of surprise.

"He was one of Hitler's chief scientists and followers. Very radicalized and very intelligent. But he left for Argentina during the collapse, taking all his research and inventions and some wealth. Upon arriving here it was all gone, along with the entire U-boat he traveled in and its crew. Instead he had a bar of gold and a crappy painting of a waterfall. Do you see where I am going with this?" The man asked as he handed Fury a piece of paper.

"Yes, the scientist left a map to his research and riches in the painting. So why didn't we take it?" Fury asked.

The man nodded at the paper in Fury's hand, "because that is what we know of his research."

Fury looked down at the paper and frowned, "super soldier serum, quantum weaponry, experimental robotics, computing technologies, artificial mutant genetics, and…" Fury frowned even more as he handed the paper back. "Hypnotic brainwashing and control."

"This is another play at more hypnosis tech?" Jacques asked, "how many does this make?"

"Eleven, if this is true then we need to grab them up now." Chelsy looked at Fury. "You have a team in place right?"

"Yes." Fury then looked at her, "but we should go join them. I have a feeling they will need all the help they can get." They walked out of a tent and toward a black suv. "I have had a bad feeling about all of this since I landed in this country."

—--------------------------------------

Several hours later they were driving up to a riverbank. They had spent the time getting here trying to get in contact with the team that were in place to take down Tiboldt. But now that they were here, they knew why they couldn't reach them.

The night sky and clouds blocking the moonlight hid the field of bodies from afar. But now that they were closer, they could see the bodies.

"Jesus… are they all yours, Fury?" Chelsy asked as she could barely see the bodies. Nor make out anything about them.

"No, only some of them are. I see a lot of Brazilian Spec Ops and Tiboldt's people in addition to the Strike team." Fury then pointed towards several of the bodies. "Chelsy, are those arrows sticking out of several bodies?"

Chelsy and Jacques both looked in the direction he was looking. About a fourth of the bodies had arrows sticking up out of them. For a moment it even looked like a field of tall flowers when it was draped in shadows. But now it was clear as day, arrows were sticking out of them. But not just any arrows… Clint's arrows.

"It looks like Clint killed people from all three factions." Jacques glanced at Fury, who had a frown on his face. "Mind control?"

"More than likely." Fury then stopped the vehicle by a set of tracks that led into the jungle. He then took out a device and clicked something and there was a beep from the device. "Fortunately I came up with a backup plan."

"As usual Fury. You seem to know more than we do. Is he running?" Chelsy looked closer at the tracks, there were at least three different tire tracks. "Did we know he might do this?"

"Hmm… maybe, more than likely he knew something was coming. Because the Spec Ops were not our people. We should hurry, I will call in some backup. I have an agent nearby." Fury pulled onto the road and started driving down it.

"Then what is the plan you have? Just run them down? Or stealth?" Jacques asked.

"We will just watch for the time being when we catch up with them."

—-------------------------------------------

Clint held his hands up as he was held at gunpoint by Tiboldt. He looked around at the others who were packing up the vehicles with money and empty boxes. The soldiers in military garb were accepting cases of money. While the circus folk were moving the empty boxes into military humvees.

"Do you want to know what I find funny about this whole thing Clint?" Tiboldt asked as he fiddled with a device in his hand.

"I am a bit more focused on the gun in your hand at the moment, but if you want to do your bad guy monologue I might be persuaded to pay attention." Clint answered sarcastically as he watched Zandow move the painting to another car with Orion who was looking around confused.

"Your adopted parents tried to use you to spy on me. But now you will end up as the perfect tool and hostage for us instead." He then made a crooked smile as Clint frowned, when he felt a ringing in his ears. "Now then, listen to my voice."

Clint's eyes glazed over a moment later and he became stiff.

"You will be my weapon, you will kill who I tell you to kill, and when I tell you to do it." Tiboldt then turned the crowd of people and several other circus members including Zandow and Orion's eyes glazed over. "Kill them all, leave no witnesses!"

His loud declaration caught both the Brazilian Spec Ops, who had made a deal with Tiboldt, and the circus folk whose eyes were not glazed over were also caught off guard. There were also the members of Shield who were hidden in the trees.

Clint pulled out his bow and immediately started letting arrows loose. While the other members of the circus who had eyes glazed over attacked as well. Gunshots and screaming covered up the sound of arrows being shot.

"Strike team, this is the Strike leader. Move in, they are killing our witnesses!" The Strike team moved in unison. But as soon as one of them emerged from the trees an arrow found itself in his head.

"Holy shit!" Tiboldt was caught off guard by the Shield members. While Clint was dodging bullets and letting loose arrows. All while under Tiboldt's influence.

—-----------------------------------

"Agent Masters, are you in place?" Fury asked into his walkie-talkie. They were situated outside of some temporary camp that had been set up. At the moment they were watching as circus performers dressed up in outfits including Clint in his purple costume were moving about the camp.

"Yessir, anything I should be worried about?" The man's voice came over the walkie.

"Myself and two other assets will be in the field with you. We have to take as many alive as possible, because they are all under mind control. Except for a man in a green top hat. Included in people under mind control are two of our assets-" Chelsy gave a surprised look by Fury just gave a weak smile and shrugged. "One is in the purple getup with a bow, the other is a hispanic man in a ball cap, they stay alive at all costs. Understood?"

"Affirmative, moving in."

They simultaneously stepped out of the vehicle. When a spotlight lit up the area and from above dropped rappel ropes which were ridden by men and women in black body armor.

Chelsy pulled out her bow and followed Fury into the fray. Pulling out her bow she let loose two arrows which implanted themselves into Zandow who she recognized from afar he grunted as he struggled to stand with an arrow in each leg. But after a moment she saw his eyes go from glazed over to crying as he went down in pain.

"Pain knocks them out of a trance." Chelsy then moved forward and barrel rolled past another of the Strongman who swung a wooden mallet at her. After she was past him she kept on going as Jacques cut him down.

Chelsy dodged another attack as she got closer, her bones creaking as they did, she hadn't gone this hard since she retired. She grunted in annoyance as she kicked some acrobat into one of the parked vehicles.

Then she made her way to the entrance of one of the bigger tents. When she got there she saw one of the Shield guys in a skull mask. He nodded at her before he entered the tent with his weapon drawn, a handgun.

Chelsy quickly followed him in with her bow drawn. As she entered she clocked Tibolt holding the hispanic man with a ball cap at gunpoint. Then there was another man holding a hunting rifle pointed at them.

She was barely able to pull back the string of her bow when there was a whoosh of wind as an arrow went through her bowstring. Another arrow almost implanted itself in her neck, but she tilted her body and head last second so it missed. But because of that she was not able to dodge the shot fired from the rifle.

Another two gunshots echoed as the skull mask took down the sniper. Then dodged to the side as more arrows came flying by. Chelsy watched as she dove behind a box, holding a hand around where her heart was. She could barely breathe, more than likely she was dying. She watched on as Clint fought against the skull mask but he finally stopped when there was a sudden gunshot and Tiboldt dropped to the ground.

Fury walked into the tent. Gun raised and pointed at Tiboldt. He looked over at Chelsy who was starting to lose color in her face. She was looking towards Clint who was coming out of his mind controlled state.

As he looked around, he processed where he was and immediately ran to Chelsy's side. "Mom!"

Crouching next to her she smiled at him and patted his cheek, "you were fighting really well sweetie…" Her eyes then closed as she went unconscious.

—---------------------------------------

One Week Later

Clint and Jacques stared into a hospital room where Chelsy was still on life support. Jacques looked tired and angry. While Clint just looked tired and unfocused.

"What should we do now?" Clint asked while observing the life support equipment.

Jacques clicked his tongue in annoyance and only glanced at him for a moment. "We? We do not do anything. I am going to find a way to help my wife who was poisoned by some super rare poison. As for you… you're an adult now. I am not going to babysit you anymore. Figure it out yourself." He then spun around and stormed out of the room, mumbling about Clint being useless.

Clint only smiled sadly and held back tears. After a few minutes he was about ready to leave when that man he had seen once before walked in.

"Hey… I remember you. You were there… What was your name?" Clint asked as he stared at the African American bald man with an eyepatch who lacked even a speck of emotion on his face.

"My name is Fury, I have heard a lot about you Clint Barton. Trickshot has always had high praise for her one and only student." Fury nodded toward Chelsy as he spoke.

"Thank you for the compliment Fury, but in the end. None of my skills helped me against Tiboldt's mind control.

"No it did not. Unfortunately, mind control is the least of my worries. Which is why I want to make this quick. Have you ever thought about what your future might look like?" Fury asked while looking towards Chelsy.

Clint sighed and contemplated for a moment before he shook his head. "I really don't know. I have not given it much thought… Why do you ask?"

"Because it seems your mentor and adoptive mother thought of it ahead of time." Fury explained. "To be frank, I am in need of people like you. People with… unique and special talents."

Clint frowned, "what would I be doing?"

"Helping people… in one way or another." Fury gave a short explanation and gave the kid a quick half smile.

Clint only raised an eyebrow and looked back at his adoptive mother. Thinking it over as well as all that has happened to him. After ten minutes of contemplation and thought he only had one thing to ask. "Can I use my bow?"

—-----------------------------------------

Camp Pinecone, New York

2015, May 15

"I am sorry Mrs. Barton, but I cannot employ a known criminal." The camp director stated as he blocked her from the entrance of the camp.

Edith looked at the man with annoyance. "I am an ex-con if anything and I did my time and was cleared for release. Even got an apology letter from the federal government for failing to lighten my sentence. Why can I not teach a bunch of children how to shoot a bow?"

"For one it is bow and arrow, another thing. I feel that the parents would not take kindly to someone who had gunned down her husband teaching their children how to use a weapon. Since you clearly have your own problems with responsibly using weapons." The director retorted.

"But you accepted me over the phone, I even paid for all the bus tickets out here!" Edith was starting to get perturbed at this rate.

"Which is why we will reimburse you for the bus tickets and pay out for two weeks of work. As an apology. Now ma'am I would like to ask you to leave the grounds. The campers will arrive here within the hour and I cannot have you here."

Edith grumbled but turned away and started walking down the road. Since getting out of prison she has had a rough go of it. Clinton was busy with his 'work' with those other costumed people, but had offered to help her get on her feet. She refused to accept his help of course. She had too much pride to impose on her kids.

But if she was going to impose on one of her kids it would be Barney. But she couldn't even get in touch with him, she had not communicated with him for over a year. Last she checked he was working for the FBI.

As she walked down the road she sighed and started contemplating where to try for a job next. Not many places are willing to hire ex-cons. Then a black suv pulled up alongside her then ahead of her and stopped in front of her. She stopped in her tracks and watched as a woman climbed out of the driver seat.

She was pale skinned with black hair that seemed to shimmer a dark green with dark green lipstick. In addition to her dark green suit and tie. The only things that were not dark green were her dress shirt, her belt, hand the gun holster, and gun. Which were all black instead.

"Edith Barton?" The woman had an eyebrow raised.

Which is when Edith had released she had been staring. "Umm… yes how can I help you?"

The woman opened the back seat and motioned for her to enter, "my employer has a job offer. In exchange for listening we will give you a lift back to the city."

Edith walked forward and glanced into the backseat where a woman in white dress with brown hair and shining blue eyes. She glanced at Edith and smiled, "hello Edith come in come in." She motioned for Edith to enter the vehicle.

After a moment of contemplation and looking around, Edith climbed in the back seat which was closed a moment later by the green woman.

"So… you have a job offer?" Edith asked as she noticed the woman pulled out a pair of glasses and a wine bottle.

"Indeed, I would like to hire you to work security for my company. You would be part of a… unique division that my partner is putting together." The woman handed Edith a glass and she accepted it.

"Umm… I am not really that type of ex-con. I don't know what you have heard but-"

"Oh nonsense. You are the legendary golden archer, who could shoot a spider off its web from a mile away are you not?" The woman asked, catching Edith off guard.

"Golden Archer… I have not heard that title since… before I was forced to marry that douche bag." Edith is so caught off guard she completely misses when the woman pours her a glass of champagne. "Who did you say you were again?"

The woman smiled mischievously, "I apologize, I failed to mention that. My name is Emily Lyman and I would like you to come and work for Lyman Global Company." She then held up her glass full of champagne, "I can almost guarantee the benefits will be greater than you can imagine."

After a minute of confusion Edith shrugs then clinks her glass to the other woman, "you do know I am quite old and out of my prime."

"Baa… we have an enhancement serum all ready for you." The woman answers before she takes a sip of her champagne, "ahh… tastes like progress."