Avengers Spotlight #30

Mann's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, on Friday night. Most of audience departing the theater seem to understand why “Lethal Bat 2” had grossed some 33 million dollars in its first two weeks of release. Others however, are dubious. Among the theater-goers are Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse-Barton, better known as Hawkeye and Mockingbird, respectively. Dressed in civilian clothing, Clint tells Bobbi  that just once, he would like to see the plot resolved with something more creative than a .357 magnum. 'Does a hero have to kill to earn the audience's respect these days?' Clint asks. 'Nah, I'm sure disfigurement beyond recognition would go over just as well' Bobbi replies, before telling Clint to feel free to laugh, as it was just a joke, as she holds onto his arm. 'I know, I know, I just wish we'd gone to see “Honey, I Imploded the Kids” or something!' Clint replies. 'Uh-huh' Bobbi mutters, to which Clint tells her 'You know what I mean. A picture that didn't remind me so much of work'.

'Well, I liked it' Bobbi declares. 'You would -' Clint begins as he steps off the sidewalk and onto the road, but Bobbi yanks him back: 'Eyes open, dearest! The light!' she exclaims, referring to the traffic light which indicates for pedestrians not to walk. 'HEY!' Clint protests, but Bobbi reminds him that this isn't New York, and that here you wait for the walk sign. 'I wonder if I'll ever adjust to this town's traffic customs! They're perverse!' Clint then steps out onto the road, 'They actually expect you to obey blasted -' he begins, before Bobbi screams 'Clint – LOOK OUT!' and she pushes him to the ground as a car drives past, roof pulled back, three men sitting up in the car with large guns – which they then use to shoot down the civilians who were following Clint and Bobbi. 'Wha -?' Hawkeye calls out, but Bobbi tells him to shut up and hit the ground.

The car with the gang-bangers screeches away, and Bobbi and Clint leap to their feet. 'What in the name of -' Clint begins. 'It's called a drive-by shooting!' Bobbi explain. And as the sounds of screeching tires and gunfire subsides, Clint and Bobbi turn their attention to the softer sounds behind them – sounds of suffering and sorrow and anger. The moans and sobs of the wounded. The whispered prayers and murmured curses of those whom luck has spared. The last, low gasp of the dying. Over a dozen dead and wounded lay in pools of blood. 'There's – nothing we can do here!' Clint exclaims before asking Bobbi if she got a good look at the car. Reaching into her duffle bag, Bobbi tells Clint that she did, and asks him if he wants his mask. After pressing a button on a small device, Hawkeye's sky-cycle appears above them, and putting his mask on, Hawkeye tells his estranged wife 'You bet I do. I want to make this very official'. As Mockingbird puts her mask on, other civilians arrive on scene, and one of them exclaims 'Hey! That's Hawkeye and Mockingbird!'

Hawkeye and Mockingbird climb onto the sky-cycle, and Bobbi asks Clint if he is all right. 'There's – I don't know – an edge to your voice I'm not used to' she points out. Hawkeye tells her that he is fine, but that random killings just tend to tork him off. 'I'm funny that way, I guess' he mutters as they take off on the sky-cylce. 'Go get 'em, Avengers!' one of the civilians calls out. 'Yeah, make sure those suckers pay in blood!' another exclaims. Hawkeye asks Mockingbird to grab his bow and quiver, as he uses a remote to open up the magnetic clamps. 'Got 'em!' Mockingbird replies as she takes the bow and quiver full of arrows from the clamps on the side of the sky-cycle. Clinging to Hawkeye, Mockingbird helps put his quiver on his back, as she tells him that all she was trying to say down below was that she is concerned about him. 'I told you – I'm fine' Hawkeye responds, telling Mockingbird to just keep an eye out for that car. Bobbi reminds Clint that if his emotions get out of control, it could affect his judgment – and his aim.

Suddenly, Bobbi spies the car below, and alerts Clint that the car is to his left, on the freeway ramp. 'We got lucky!' Hawkeye exclaims, seeing that there are no cars directly behind or in front of the gang-bangers. Hawkeye readies his bow and an arrow as Mockingbird asks him what he is going to do. 'Provide an incentive for them to pull over -' Hawkeye replies, as he releases a flare arrow which detonates right in front of the car. 'YAAAA!' the driver calls out as the car screeches on the freeway. 'Who -?' one of the gang-bangers asks. 'In the sky, homes – over your heard! Blow holes in 'em, man!' one of the gang-bangers exclaims as two of them turn their guns upwards, and open fire, while the man in the front passenger seat takes the wheel from the blinded driver who exclaims 'Grab the wheel! I can't see!' As the gunfire blasts towards the Avengers, Mockingbird tells Hawkeye that they are tracers, and to get some altitude. 'Hold tight – I'm taking her up!' Hawkeye replies.

'Higher! We're still in ran-' Mockingbird remarks, before she cries out in pain as one of the blasts strikes her shoulder. 'What – good lord! You're hit! I'll set down -' Hawkeye begins, but Mockingbird tells him not to, that she is all right, it was just a nick – a deep, painful nick, but that she will be okay. 'I want you to get  those worthless little slime bags!' Mockingbird declares as she clings to Hawkeye, who fires another arrow down to the car, telling Mockingbird that he will  try to oblige – and that unless they are suicidal, an incendiary arrow should persuade them to ditch the car. The arrow strikes the back of the car, and sets it ablaze, causing one of the passengers to alert the others to the fact they are on fire. 'Pull over!' he calls out. The four gang-bangers leap from the car and one of them suggests they dive for the bushes – as the gas tank is gonna blow. An instant later, the gas tank does explode, creating a large fiery display, as the gang-bangers seek cover in the bushes.

Moments later, Hawkeye has landed the sky-cycle, and aims an arrow at three of the gang-bangers who are on the ground. 'These three are in a pleasant stupor – probably their usual condition' Hawkeye remarks, before asking where Mockingbird is going as he sees her step into the bushes. Mockingbird announces that she is going to look for number four, reminding Hawkeye that they all jumped free of the car. 'Out of the question! Not while you're wounded!' Hawkeye declares. 'That's an order, 'Bird!' he adds as Mockingbird steps further into the bushes. 'Avengers chain of command!' Hawkeye exclaims. 'Do you know how many husbands dream of an excuse like that?' Mockingbird responds, before reporting that there is no sign of the fourth gang-banger. As the fire rages from the wrecked car, Hawkeye warns the three captives not to make any clever moves, and to just sit quietly and wait for the cops – because they won't want to see what this arrow he is holding does! Meanwhile, the fourth gang-banger slips further into the bushes, 'You wanna make this your war, you got it, man...!' he thinks to himself.

Some hours later, inside the Avengers West Coast Compound in Palos Verdes, 'Still can't sleep?' Bobbi asks as she enters the library where a shirtless Clint is sitting on a sofa. Clint looks up at Bobbi and tells her that he can't stop thinking about how strange life and crime fighting can become. He reminds her gthat the Avengers have saved the world more times than he count, but four punks in a Chevy took them completely by surprise. Bobbi sits next to Clint as he tells her that there are now six people dead and another six on the critical list, with many more suffering minor injuries – and one of the creeps got away. 'Not easy to swallow, is it?' Bobbi replies. Clint frowns and tells Bobbi not to patronize him. Bobbi tells Clint that she isn't at all, and reminds him that she has gone through all this before, back in her days with SHIELD. 'Espionage keeps you a little closer to the streets than the Avengers usually get' Bobbi remarks, a bandage can be seen on her shoulder where she was struck.

'You're lucky, then... because this thing won't let go of me. It's making me nuts not knowing what all that bloodshed was for' Clint frowns, announcing that he has to find some meaning in this somehow. 'Fine. Meaning tomorrow – sleep tonight. You're exhausted' Bobbi points out as she pulls Clint up from the sofa. Clint reports that tomorrow he is going to visit the police station where they are holding those punks. 'If you want...but you may be getting involved in something you won't enjoy' Bobbi replies as she puts an arm around Clint's wasit and they walk out of the library together.

Daylight, and as Hawkeyes sky-cycle sits parked outside the police station, Hawkeye is in full costume inside the station, interrogating one of the gang-bangers. 'You're just going to sit there and not say a word?' Hawkeye asks. 'I don't gotta talk to you. I know my rights' the thug replies, reclining on a chair. 'What about the rights you and your pals took from those people last night?' Hawkeye asks. 'Like the right to continue breathing, for example' Hawkeye exclaims. 'The air stinks anyway, man' the thug mutters. Hawkeye grabs the thug by his shirt and pulls him up off the chair: 'WHAT WAS IT ABOUT?' Hawkeye shouts. 'It was some kind of gang thing, wasn't it? You were willing to fire into a crowd to settle some petty feud!' Hawkeye snaps. 'Go die' the thug replies. Hawkeye lets him go, tearing the thug's shirt as the thug asks 'You think you scare me, man? You're nothing!'

The thug continues, boasting that Hawkeye wouldn't have the guts to put his hands on him in the streets. The thug points at Hawkeye and tells him not to give him any high and mighty bull on gangs. 'You got your own gang, man! Just 'cause yours got a mansion don't make it no different!' the thug declares. 'Shut your face while you still have one!' Hawkeye retorts. He turns to leave the room, telling the thug 'I think you've convinced me. It's useless to talk to an animal. Go back to your cage. We're finished'. The thug crosses his arms and mutters 'EAT. An' you owe me a shirt, man'.

'Had enough of Prince Charming?' a detective chewing on a matchstick asks as Hawkeye strides towards him. 'That's his street name, you know' the detective remarks. 'Yeah, well, I'm sure he charms the pants off 'em down in the gutters!' Hawkeye replies, before addressing the Detective as Zamora, and thanking him for allowing him to talk to the thug. Zamora reminds Hawkeye that he earned him, and adds that this whole incident was probably the result of a gang dispute. 'Somebody insulted somebody – sat in the wrong car – walked down the wrong street. These things don't really make sense the way you'd like them to' Zamora explains. 'So I'm learning' Hawkeye replies as he puts his quiver over his shoulder, adding that he has literally spoken to androids with more humanity in them. 'Oh, they're human. That's the scariesty part' Zamora replies, before suggesting Hawkeye leave the gangs to the police, and to watch out for himself. 'Huh? You're not serious?' Hawkeye asks. 'I am – very' Zamora warns the Avenger.

'Oh, come on! What are they gonna do – storm the compound with AK-47's? We've got security that -' Hawkeye begins, but Zamora tells him that they don't storm anything, and they don't announce themselves like super-villains – they will wait to get him alone, and then come down on him like a gross of anvils. Hawkeye leaves the precinct and gets onto his sky-cycle, thinking that Zamora is only trying to help, but wonders how he can worry about a gaggle of street punks. 'I'm an Avenger! I'm not about to spend my life looking over my – shoulder?' Clint turns around, but nobody is there. 'Oh, swell. Power of suggestion' he mutters.

In Beverly Hills, in a high-rise building with the sign “Lotus Realtors” across the top of the building, the thug who escaped Hawkeye and Mockingbird stands in a lavish office, where a woman in fish-net stockings, a mini skirt and a blazer with large shoulder pads calls him Slice and tells him that it was stupid for him to take his trivial quarrels out of the neighborhood. 'You know how I hate headlines' she adds. 'The Blanks took out a homeboy – we hadda –' Slice begins, before the woman scratches his face. 'What was that for?' Slice exclaims. 'By drawing the Avengers' attention to yourselves, you've compromised my interests' the woman snaps. The woman declares that she does not tolerate mistakes of this magnitude and orders Slice to repair the situation in the manner she specifies, or they will no longer do business.

The woman turns from Slice, who rubs his scratched cheek, and tells him that the Avengers' interest must be focused on his gang to the exclusion of any ancillary parties. 'Yeah, sure, Lotus – anything ya want...' Slice replies. Lotus tells Slice that his boys are tough, and that they should be able to handle that. 'So what do we do?' Slice asks. Lotus sits on the edge of her desk and leans back as she replies 'Isn't it obvious? You kill Hawkeye'.

That night at the Palos Verdes Compound, 'This's the place! Toss it!' a voice exclaims urgently as a van drives past the Compound. 'HEY, AVENGERS! SPECIAL DELIVERY!' a voice from the van shouts as something is tossed onto the entrance way. The Vision's robotic voice can be heard reporting that there is unauthorized activity at the main gate. He rushes to the entrance with Hakweye, Mockingbird and John Walker the USAgent, who remarks 'You called that one right, Vizh!' before he asks 'What the devil's going on around here?' A body can be seen wrapped in a sheet, and the Vision states 'This organism is no longer operational'. 'He's dead, you mean' Hawkeye exclaims, to which USAgent asks who would dump a stiff on their doorstep. Hawkeye notices a bandana around the body's head and tells his teammates that Zamora explained that the bandana is a gang insignia, their “colors” and that this guy belongs to the same gang as last night's victim.

Suddenly, Hawkeye discovers a note taped to the body – a note which reads “Hawkeye, stay out of our business or your next – the Stone Perfs”. 'He was kiled as a warning to me!' Hawkeye exclaims.'What?' someone asks. 'It's true – the kid's blood is on my hands!' Hawkeye exclaims as he strides away from the others. Mockingbird follows him and tells Hawkeye that is ridiculous, and that murder is a way of life for these gangs – so he can't take responsibility for this. Hawkeye doesn't answer her as he climbs onto his sky-cycle and takes off into the air. 'Where are you going? What are you going to do?' Mockingbird calls out. 'What I get paid to do. Avenge' Hawkeye responds.

Soon, in Downtown Los Angeles, Hawkeye makes his way down a run-down street, asking locals if they know of a gang called the Stone Perfs. 'I pray that you do not find them!' one of the locals utters. 'A place where they hang out? Anything?' Hakweye asks a woman who retorts 'I bgot three kids that need their mother! Find those bums yourselves!' Hawkeye turns to a homeless man lying on the street drinking from a bottle and asks if there is anything he can tell him. The drunk hiccups as he tells Hawkeye that he makes it a practice not to know his own name. Hawkeye thinks that this is unbelievable – the gangs hold these neighborhoods in a grip of terror. 'I had no idea it was this -' he begins, before he notices someone with a bandana run down the street. 'StonePerf! Wait up!' Hakweye shouts, but the thug doesn't slow down, so Hawkeye follows him, unaware that on a rooftop nearby, more of the Stone Perfs are watching him, guns at the ready. 'Man ate the bait, homes. We move' Slice tells the others.

'What's the problem, pal?' Hawkeye calls out. 'Not so brave without all your -' Hawkeye begins, as he finds himself in an alleyway, but the thug has vanished. 'He's gone, man!' another thug exclaims, as Hawkeye turns to see the entrance to the alleway blocked by several members of the Stone Perfs. 'Yeah, he like, went poofm man. Like magic, man -' one of the thugs begins, while another tells Hawkeye that now it is his turn to to the big vanish. 'Of all the moronic. I ran smack into an ambush!' Hawkeye thinks to himself. 'Put the guns away, or I'll have to -' Hawkeye begins, before a voice from above asks 'Have to what, Hawkus?' Hawkeye looks up and sees Slice and other gang members standing on the edge of the building rooftops overlooking the alley. 'You ask me, you done too much already, man. All you gotta do now is just stand there, look stupid – and DIE!' Slice shouts as the gang members open fire in a frenzied attack, with several bullets striking Hawkeye.

When the attack subsides, Hawkeye remains standing. 'Lookit – the man's still standing!' one of the gang members calls out. 'It's just the shock, homes!' another replies. 'He just needs a minute to figure it out...then he'll do like any dead guy'. As if on cue, Hawkeye suddenly drops his bow, which snaps, and an arrow, before falling to his knees, then face-first into the ground. 'Should'a known this wasn't your war, man' one of the thugs remarks, before they begin to disperse. A blond thug running out of the alleyway sees a boy who he calls Luis and asks him what he is doing out bast his bedtime. When the gang members have all vanished, Luis looks down the alleyway and sees Hawkeye's motionless body. 'Ohh, man!' he utters, before rushing to a payphone where he dials 911 and reports the shooting.

'How could any one man possibly be so bullheaded and dumb?!' Mockingbird snaps inside the waiting room at a hospital. The rest of the Avengers West Coast ar with her. Dr Hank Pym and Jan van Dyne the Wasp sit on a sofa as Hank explains that Hawkeye fell victim to his conscience, andtells Mockingbird that she can't possibly fault him for that, to which Jan shushes him and tells him that Mockingbird knows that. Greer Grant Nelson a.k.a. Tigra growls, to which Simon Williams a.k.a. Wonder Man remarks 'My sentiments exactly'. 'You JERK! I swear – if you live through this, I may throttle you myself!' Mockingbird shouts. Wanda Maximoff the Scarlet Witch leans into her estranged husband the Vision, who doesn't put an arm around her as he tells her to have hope, and that the doctos are doing all that they can to restore Hawkeye to functionality. Jim Hammond the Human Torch stands with Iron Man and USAgent, as Iron Man asks '- at a time like this?' to which USAgent declares that it is his job, and that he has to think about their manpower shortfall.

'Doctor Willis, is he -?' Mockingbird calls out as an elderly doctor enters the waiting area. The doctor reports that Hawkeye is alive, and that there is a chance he will pull through. The doctor reveals that Hawkeye lost a massive amount of blood, but by sheer luck, his heart and brain were undamaged. The doctor puts a hand on Mockingbird's shoulder as he tells her that they were able to patch him up, but it is anybody's guess whether those patches will hold – and that any of a hundred complications may set in. The doctor adds that Hawkeye is in great pain, and so they will be keeping him heavily sedated for a few days. Speechless, Mockingbird is barely able to thank the doctor, who tells her that she is welcome, and remarks that her husband owes his life to that boy who phoned in the emergency. 'If not for him, we'd be discussing Hawkeye in the past tense' the doctor points out.

Later:  “Bull-headed and dumb” Hawkeye quotes. 'That's the first thing you ask your husband... after he's unconscious for three days?' Hawkeye asks as he tries to sit up in the hospital bed. Bandages can be seen around his chest and on his arms, as he asks Mockingbird 'Whatever happened to “hi, how ya feeling” or “gee, nice to see you”'. 'Clint -' Bobbi begins. Clint starts to say something else, before Bobbi tells him to shut up, and kisses Clint on his lips. Clint leans back in the hospital bed and admits that he was an idiot, thinking that a super hero costume would intimidate a street gang. 'Yeah, if it was Thor's costume, maybe...' Clint mutters, while Bobbi tells him that he did what he thought he had to, and suggests he lie back and conserve his strength. Clint is drowsy, and tells Bobbi that in a few days he wants to talk to Tony Stark, that it is important. Bobbi assures him that she will happily arrange it – once he is strong enough to speak at least two sentences in a row. 'You're so kind...' Clint utters. 'I know. Now sleep' Bobbi replies, crying as she kisses Clint on his cheek. 'Do you know how heartsick I've been at the prospect of life without you?' Bobbi thinks to herself.

Three weeks later, Clint is sitting up in the hospital bed as Mockingbird and Tony Stark sit next to the bed. Tony examines some sketches that Clint has given him, and Clint explains that he would like it made from a lighter weight of the mail he used for Iron Man's armor – strong enough to stop a bullet, light enough for somersaults. Tony tells Clint that he understands, while Clint adds that he is thinking infrared lenses in the helmet for targeting in the dark, to which Tony tells him that is a good idea. 'I assume you won't mind if I, uh, clean up the design a little?' Tony asks. Clint smiles as he asks Stark if he wants the job, or whether he should hire Calvin Klein. 'He doesn't work in chain mail!' Tony declares. 'Or graphite, either' Tony adds, assuming that is what Clint wants for the bow. Clint informs Tony that he jotted down some specs on the back of the drawing, before thanking him. 'My pleasure. Get well' Tony replies as he shakes Clint's hand.

Shortly, after Tony has gone, Bobbi and Clint hold hands, as Clint tells Bobbi that there is something they need to talk about. 'Let me guess...you plan to make a career out of being bull-headed and dumb?' Bobbi asks. 'Close. I want to put that gang out of business' Clint announces. 'How special. And what about the estimated 70,000 other gang members in town? Going to take them on, too?' Bobbi snaps. Clint smiles as he tells her that he hasn't decided yet.

Three more weeks later, in Downtown Los Angeles, one of the Stone Perfs members leans against a building, smoking and singing, when suddenly, 'Lean back into the trap' a voice calls out, and the thug looks up, 'Huh?' confused, before something strikes his head and knocks him out. When the thug comes to, a voice tells him to remain absolutely still, and then he won't be hurt. 'I can't make any guarantees otherwise' the voice adds, while the wide-eyed thug discovers that he is clinging to Hawkeye's sky-cycle, which remotely speeds through the night sky. 'I need an address for the Stone Perfs' the voice calls out, demanding the exact street and number, as he doesn't deliver to PO Boxes. The voice warns the thug that he has 15 seconds to talk. 'If you don't, the sky-cycle will drop you somewhere between here and Maui' the voice explains, before beginning a countdown.

The thug begins to scream, looking down below him, he sees a busy freeway and informs the voice that the address is 3901 La Paloma. The sky-cylce drops down to a rooftop, where Detective Zamora is waiting. 'Welcome back to terra firma, kid. You're under arrest!' Zamora calls out, while purple gloved hands can be seen holding a remote that controls the sky-cycle. 'What for, man? You got nothing on me! I'll be out in an hour!' the thug boasts. 'I don't think so' Zamora replies, cuffing the thug, and telling him 'My friend over there can identify you as the one who led Hawkeye into that little ambush. 'That's a lie! That guy wasn't even there!' the thug protests. 'How would you know?' Zamora asks. 'And besides, you're very much mistaken. Trust me' he adds. The thug tells Zamora to go ahead and laugh, and boasts that he will be out in 20 minutes. 'Uh-huh. You have the right to remain silent...' Zamora tells the thug as he leads him away, while the purple gloved hand waves at Zamora and tells him he will be by later to swear out the complaint.

Shortly, purple armored boots can be seen standing outside 3901 La Paloma, a suburban house covered in graffiti, while inside a dozen or so members of the Stone Perfs are sitting around smoking and drinking. 'Too quiet, homes' one of them remarks. 'Speak for yourself, homes' another replies, while one of them suggests that some excitement would be nice. 'Let's go make some noise!' one of them exclaims – when suddenly, they are all hurled through the air by an explosion that bursts the side of the house open. Several arrows are fired into the house, which release a gas. 'Who -?' one of the thugs asks, while another suggests that they find out after, and tells everyone to head to the door – but as the gang members step outside the house, they find themselves trapped under a net that is released from an arrow that is fired above them.

Standing before them in a new costume is Hawkeye, who aims an arrow towards the gang as several neighbors gather at the street to watch. Hawkeye tells the gang that he wanted to serve notice of the fact that they will be living a new reality – for starting now, this neighborhood belongs to the people who live in it, and starting now, they will be held accountable for every act of violence they commit – and the consequences will be delivered to their door. 'Oh, in case you haven't figured it our yet, let me introduce myself – I'm Hawkeye!'