"You look horrible."
In a small and simple bedroom, Natasha sat at a table as she spoke with a figure on the laptop before her.
"Just horrible? That's a compliment." Tony replied, sipping some coffee out of a cup, which he soon decided to spike with some alcohol.
"Lucky for you, I bring good news."
Tony turned to Natasha attentively with raised eyebrows as she continued.
"We were able to find the culprit behind the Helicarrier crash."
Hearing this, Tony slowly widened his eyes as he leaned closer to the screen.
"What?! How?!"
The only reason he was so surprised is because, even after a few sleepless nights, he was still no closer to uncovering the mystery.
Truthfully, it simply hurt his ego that SHIELD was able to outclass him.
"He confessed."
However, Natasha softly smiled as she let him off easy, telling him the truth.
Hearing this, Tony paused, soon nodding his head as he shrugged.
"Yeah, that makes sense."
Natasha rolled her eyes, continuing before she lost Tony to Tony.
"But more importantly, other than the fact Fury is busy with the culprit, the only reason you're hearing this so soon from me is because this same guy was the one who hacked your systems a few days ago."
Tony's heart leapt upon the mention of this figure.
He had no doubt Natasha was being truthful since he hadn't told anyone of that incident.
But Tony lowered his head as he fell into deep thought.
The reason for this was because…
'It…doesn't make sense.'
"Natasha, what was the reason they confessed and why did they do what they did?"
"Well, after hacking Stark Industries, he was able to learn of the Hydra moles we were investigating and that one of them would be on that Helicarrier."
"He claims he wants to do what's right. He hacked you to find where he could start and when the time came, he went too far. An accident, he says."
Countless thoughts ran through Tony's mind.
'It doesn't make sense. He was after far more than just where he could do right.'
If what he'd just heard was true, what reason did the hacker have for snooping through Abandoned Projects, Avengers and the Mutant-Kind?
Tony felt like something was missing.
He could believe the same person who hacked him also crashed the Helicarrier, however, confessing?
No, not after what he'd seen in that alleyway.
This guy…was too arrogant to confess.
'Something isn't right.'
"Also, the culprit is just a kid. No older than 15."
"Natasha!"
Tony slammed his palms on the table, his heart racing as he stared at the screen intently at the confused Natasha.
"A picture. An image of the boy, do you have it?" He blurted out, his impatience evident in his tone.
"Yeah, I already sent it. Check your messages."
She replied, causing him to bash his fingers on his keyboard rapidly.
"His words seem remorseful and I believe him for the most part, but who knows? With peculiar cases like his, anything's possible. He could be a better liar than myself."
"For now, Fury's going to train him as an Agent. Talent like his would be wasted inside a cell…"
"No…impossible…"
Tony's mumbling caused Natasha to pause as she finally leaned in, staring at the man who froze at his feet.
"What's going on with you?" She asked.
But she wasn't able to see what he was currently looking at.
On his monitor was the mugshot of the green-eyed boy with a scar stopping at his jaw.
But directly beside it, Tony also stared at the A.I. malware inside his systems on that day.
"Natasha…"
***
"What the hell is going on?" Fury yelled, still in the main quarters of the Helicarrier.
Countless agents scurried around, each trying to answer his questions as the Director stared at a dozen screens before him, each showing heavy static.
'Why do I have a bad feeling about this?'
Fury asked himself, an uncomfortable expression painted on his face as the cameras before him continued to malfunction.
"Can't a single Agent here tell me anything!" He yelled, but his rage was slightly quelled as an Agent radioed in.
"Mayday!"
Fury snatched the walkie-talkie, not caring who it belonged to as he brought it closer to his lips.
"This is Director Fury. What's happening?" He asked, his tone more tranquil but still authoritative.
"Director, it's the boy. Taylor and Swift are dead. I don't know how he's doing it but…"
-CRASH!!!
Fury jolted the walkie-talkie away from his ear as a loud CRASH rang out from the other side, cutting the feed.
"What…"
Fury had his eye wide, countless emotions running through him as his thoughts were cut off in the next second.
"Director, every Jet in the hangar is turning on." An agent yelled, causing Fury to grind his teeth, snapping backwards.
"He's planning on escaping. I want every Agent in that hangar. Use lethal force to put him down if you have to. Now!"
The Agents in the area scurried out, radioing this order to agents all around the Helicarrier, all while Fury slammed his fist on a nearby table.
'How? He must've gotten to a computer, but…nothing's making sense. How the hell is he hacking a Jet?'
The only conclusion he could come to was that the boy was purposely sending false data to make them think he'd switched them all on when in reality he was in one, hidden amongst them to escape.
After all, they'd already confirmed he didn't have abilities.
It was rare for regular humans to awaken an ability and not be a Mutant.
However, minutes passed, and nothing happened until…
"Director!"
"What is it?" Fury hurriedly replied.
"Sir, there's no one here?"
"What? Just search for the single Jet that's starting up."
"That's the thing, sir. They're all staring up but no one's inside any of them."
Fury froze as the walkie-talkie stayed before his face.
It was as if in that moment, his worst nightmares became true.
And as if to confirm them…
"Director!"
Natasha dashed into the main quarters, clear that she had sprinted all this way.
"The boy…He's a Technopath!"
Fury's heart skipped a beat as countless things became clear.
It was as if Natasha handed him the last piece of a puzzle which had been bothering him.
And as if to mock him…
"Director, the cameras are back on. We have eyes on the boy."
Fury snapped his head to the cameras, Natasha standing beside him.
"He's…on the other side of the Helicarrier to the Hangar."
'So far? He…'
The realization dawned on Natasha as she turned to Nick to see if he'd noticed as well.
"That bastard. He tricked me into sending the Agents to the Hanger."
Fury mumbled, regaining his professionalism as he struggled to contain his rage.
They witnessed the boy dashing at full speed atop the head of the Helicarrier, where the aircrafts usually took off.
'It doesn't take that long to reach where he is from where he was last seen. What's he been doing in the time in between?'
"He's…not planning to jump off, is he?" A nearby Agent thought out loud.
However, it still wasn't over, and an Agent running to Fury knew this as he bore good news.
"Director, he's here."
Fury and Natasha didn't even need any clarification as to who he was talking about, as they were expecting this individual.
However, it was only their hearts that dropped as they turned back to the screen.
The boy sprinted, close to the edge as he prepared to seemingly jump.
The wind was heavy, causing his hair to dance on his forehead and his bronze trench coat to flutter.
-FWIP
However, just as he leapt, an arrow shot into his shoulder, lodged halfway as the boy followed the momentum of the powerful arrow, his body spinning mid-air.
"Yeah!"
A few Agents cheered, seeing things were finally going their way, their excitement growing as they stared at a figure perched atop a high platform on the same runway.
With a sleek black outfit with dark purple highlights, the figure carried a black bow with a quiver on his back.
"I never thought I'd be so glad to see Hawkeye of all the Avengers." An Agent muttered as the others had similar thoughts.
However, Fury and Natasha failed to express this same enthusiasm as Fury snapped his head back.
"Tell him to withdraw!" Fury yelled, Natasha being the first to act as she dashed to a computer, pressing a button.
"Barton, it's Romanoff…"
"Natasha? How you been? Listen, I have a kill shot but I'd rather not have the death of a child on my conscience…"
As he spoke, he watched as the boy rotated mid-air, finally turning and revealing his wide and predator-like eyes that stared straight into his soul despite being shot a second ago.
With it, Hawkeye's eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat.
That look… was one he was familiar with.
"Barton, get out of there!"
But it was too late.
"It's necessary…"
-BEEP
Clint read the boy's lip as he mumbled, his arm raised as his middle finger and thumb touched.
The archer slowly turned at the same time to stare at the familiar BEEP of the trick arrows in his quiver.
"Explode."
-BOOM!!!
As the boy's fingers clicked, the platform where Clint once stood was completely engulfed in flames as the explosion rang out in the air, its shockwave reaching the falling boy.
"Clint!"