.

Okay to be fair- he wasn't the one who actually spiked their drinks.... Sure, he watched while Tony poured alcohol into their water-But he shouldn't be blamed for all the passed out teenagers in their kitchen.

Right?

Okay, lets just pretend you agree with him so Natasha won't be mad.

To be truthful-before things went down hill... Things were already rolling to the edge of the cliff.

The teenagers were telling them absolutely NOTHING.

He studied each wearisome face, as if trying to pull some information from their guarded gazes. He didn't know why he did-he already knew it was no use. They had already realized that these teens weren't going to budge. They needed to get them to loosen up.

He whispered this to Stony, who were both relatively near him. He was certain the teens couldn't hear him-but than again, he really wasn't certain, because Rachel kept narrowing her eyes at them.

Do you think we should get them drunk?

Tony mouthed, curving a hand around his mouth to block Steve's view of the conversation. Of course, this didn't work, since Steve automatically stuck out a foot and jabbed Tony in the butt.

"Don't you dare, Stark." He whispered, his eyes glinting with concern. Though Clint wasn't sure Tony was even listening. He was probably already thinking up ways to spike their drinks.

Slowly Clint pulled himself away from the conversation and went back to studying the children. His gaze seemingly centered on the blond haired 'doctor' called Will. He was currently wrapping more medical tape around the bandages he had secured to Percy's bleeding stomach. But subconsciously Clint's eyes were drawn to his left arm which was sporting a bronze colored bracer. Half heartedly, Clint wondered why he hadn't noticed it before-but remembered that earlier the boy was wearing a sweatshirt which covered his arms-and now all he wore was a tank top. He didn't have the room in his awesome brain to wonder why Will had taken the sweatshirt off.

"You do archery?" Clint wished he could have shoved his fist in his mouth before he spoke. But the boy's gaze locked onto his-and there was no taking it back now.

Rachel snorted in the corner.

Will just rolled his eyes and played with the strap on his bracer. "I wouldn't call it 'You do archery.' As if I take a class...I hunt."

"Animals?" Natasha persisted from her perch on the table.

"More or less." Will winked, though it seemed half hearted and meaningless. Clint couldn't get his words to register in his mind...more or less....what was that supposed to mean?

All the while Percy was awake. Staring blankly at the ceiling as if he had seen a ghost. Not speaking-barely moving. Gripping Rachel's hand so hard Clint thought he was giving birth.

"You do teach archery though-at...at camp." Rachel was careful with her words, Clint noticed.

Natasha made a tsk sound from the corner.

"What kind of camp lets a KID teach archery?" Clint's eyes darted between the children before him-doubting their words.

"A fake one?" Tony offered sarcastically. Though Rachel just glared at him.

"Will is a better archer than any of YOU will ever be-so shut up."

"Actually-Archery is my job...so I wouldn't place money on it. I can probably teach you some skills if you want." Clint didn't know why he was offering. He was just tying down more ties with this group of teens. He immediately regretted his words.

Luckily though, to his surprise and astonishment, the teens just started to laugh.

Not just any regular old laughter though, but loud,raw laughter-that burst out of nowhere and filled the air with energy. These kids haven't laughed in a while, he realized, his heart filling with sadness and sympathy. What could have happened to these kids?

"Did he seriously just ask you

if he could teach you archery?" Nico appeared in the doorway to the bathroom. His frail frame wiped clean of vomit and clothed in Will's sweatshirt...though Clint wasn't sure anyone but Rachel noticed. And Rachel was hiding a soft smile.

"That's fine with me." Will's grin was no longer sweet and simple-instead it glinted with evil humor.

"Oh gods Will-please don't start with this. We all know you could beat him in two second flat. But we don't need anymore problems." Nico frowned, his olive complexion glowing in the bright lights.

"Excuse you?" Clint blinked-his eyes narrowing.

Will just shook his head slowly at Nico. His blond hair falling in messy tangles on his forehead. The low annoying beep of the monitor-humming softly in the growing silence.

"N-Nico?"

The silence shattered, as the room suddenly snapped into a frantic scramble to turn around. The different eyes of its occupancy, falling onto the one boy they never thought would speak again.

But yet-

He did.

"W-where is s-she..." His eyes were lost, but frantic in the haze of pain-as he clasped a shaking hand upon his cousins arm.

"I-I'm try-trying to let her-let her go....p-please,N-Neeks...w-where is she?" Nico dropped hard to his knees-so that his face was level with Percy.

"I don't understand-Percy...you know she's gone. We miss her-...we miss....we miss all of them." Nico held the cool skin of his hand up to Percy's feverish cheek. Trying hard to get the boys hazy eyes to focus on his own dark ones.

"S-she told me...she said to let her go. I-I'm trying Nico. IM TRYING." His voice broke, his hands shaking. His eyes darted around the room-searching for the one person who he knew would never be there.

Because she was gone.

And she wasn't coming back.

Clint slid off the dresser-his eyes moving between Nico and Percy. Confusion lacing his silent gaze. Tony was too shocked-immobile against the dark wooden floors. But after a moment of aching silence- he jumped his feet.

"What is he talking about? What is my nephew talking about? Why is he rambling like that? What's wrong?" Tony suddenly shook himself from his loss of words. Clint could tell his face was more angry than confused.

Angry because no one would explain what was wrong with Percy.

Angry because he couldn't help him.

"I-is she there N-Neeks?" Percy's eyes shifted hazily, to the spot above Nico's shoulder-holding his gaze towards the empty air. His breathing shallow and raspy.

Nico's eyes fluttered close-still holding tightly to Percy's hand. A moment later his dark eyes flickered open and he sighed.

"Y-yah. She's there now Perce-and she will always be there waiting for you."

Rachel reached out a pale hand, brushing a dark piece of hair from his forehead.

"It's okay Percy-it'll be okay eventually." Her words were meaningless.

Even to Clint; who was sitting in utter confusion.

Her words were lies.

And everybody knew it.

___________________

10 minutes later.

Okay here's when things get dangerously close to the jagged edge. Even though Clint should NOT be blamed for any of the following actions.

Please?

_________________

Percy had drifted into a feverish slumber. His pale skin glittering with sweat and his body shaking in silent tears. Quietly, they all slipped out of the room. Except Steve who insisted he stay and keep watch. Though what he was watching for was unknown, since Percy wasn't going to jump up and do a backflip.

They had decided to bring the conversation down a few flights-the awkward elevator ride jittering their nerves. Natasha had slipped off to some unknown mission. Though to be fair-she could be binge eating at McDonald's for all they knew.

They had barely reached the kitchen, when Tony started bombarding them with questions.

"Whats wrong with HIM? What happened to him-why aren't you telling us?"

Rachel tapped her fingers against the granite of the counter top. "Its really not our place to say. I know you want to help him, but you can't."

"What do you mean 'we cant?' If you told us what happened to him, WE CAN HELP." Tony got up suddenly, and marched over to the cabinet. "Whose the 'She' he was talking about?"

Rachel drew in a sharp breath. Her hair outlined in the golden light of the setting sun. The floor to ceiling windows-casting the room into a beautiful soft glow. "She was Percy's girlfriend."

Clint raised an eyebrow. "What happened to her."

This time, it was Nico who answered.

"She's dead...along with almost everyone he ever cared about." Rachel knocked her heel into his shin. It was obvious he had said too much. A sudden dull throbbing of pain latched itself onto Clints heart. They must have died on a mission from the assassin camp. Poor kids.

Tony was pulling glasses from the ccabinet. Careful to block his process from view, he poured glittering water into each, and than he handed them to the teens.

Nobody saw the glint of the flask.

Nobody noticed the smirk on his lips.

"We have to take him back to the camp." Rachel warned. "He can't stay here."

She took the glass greatfully in her hands; lifting it to her lips. Nico had already taken a sip-his nose crinkling at the taste.

"What is this?" He put the glass down with a clattering plunk. Tony gave a surprised glance, like the fact that the water would taste strange was astonishing.

"We have hard water." He replied, as if that would explain the strong taste. Rachel narrowed her eyebrows and studied the glass.

"Doesn't taste that bad to me." Will had already drowned his glass-smiling brightly. His blue eyes flickering and unfocused. No one seemed to notice.

Rachel shrugged, and took another gulp. Nico just scowled at his drink. Though after a moment, his thirst was too great, and he finshed the liquid in the glass as well.

Tony took Nico and Will's glasses and refilled them. The mystery liquid sploshing dangerously over the rim.

"What did you use?" Clint whispered nervously as Tony passed close by. Their whispers swallowed by the loud clattering of glasses.

"Polish vodka." Tony grimaced as Clint aimed a sharp jab at his side.

"Isn't that like 94% alcohol?" Clint muttered, his gaze flickering to the children who were already starting to slump.

"96% actually." Tony replied. Clint spun around as Tony pushed passed him and grabbed the billionaire by the shoulder. "That's like 50 times larger than your IQ; if you thought that was a good idea. You can't just give that to 15 year olds."

Tony held up his hands, pulling his arm from Clints grip.

"Rachels a bit older...I think."

Clint glanced nervously up at the ceiling. Where not far above, Steve was disapproving of their actions.

"This is going to be fun." Tony grinned.

But Clint couldn't help but feel the lingering dread on his skin, as he watched Nico fall lopsidely off his seat.

Whatever this was-it definitely wasn't fun.

_______________________

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