♠ - for my muse to forcibly restrain yours

“It’s a trap.” There was no hesitation in Clint’s voice, no room for argument. He knew the Circus, knew how they thought, how they operated. He knew everything about them because they’d taught it to him, and if this was him? He’d set a trap. He’d set this trap.

It was... enticing, to say the least. The Circus had announced its intention to visit Waverly, Iowa, no doubt knowing that the town where he’d grown up would draw Clint in. No doubt knowing that he’d want to protect it from them. The ‘leaked’ information he’d obtained indicated that the Circus’s plan would include civilian casualties, that people would be hurt, that people would die. It was a trap, but it was a smart one.

“Yeah, way to state the obvious,” Barney scoffed, shaking his head. There was a moment’s hesitation, his eyes studying his brother carefully before he added, “You’re going, aren’t you?”

Clint clenched his jaw. “I have to.” Even if it was a trap, there was no way of knowing that the Circus wouldn’t still hurt people. Hell, with their track record? They probably planned to. One way or another, they wanted revenge against Clint for all the headaches he’d caused. He knew they’d take it out on either him or the civilians in Waverly. Clint couldn’t let innocent people be hurt because of him. Not again.

“No you don’t. You don”t owe them anything. Fuck, half the people there knew what kind of monster... They just let it happen. You don’t owe them shit.”

“You know that’s not gonna work on me, Barn.” Maybe the people who’d been in town when they were kids had known what kind of man their father had been, maybe they’d sat back and let it happen. That didn’t matter now. They still didn’t deserve this. Barney, he knew, knew that too, even if he’d never admit it. (Clint refused to give up hope that his brother was a good person underneath it all.)

For a moment, Barney didn’t say anything. Anyone else might have missed the range of emotions that passed over his face, but not Clint. Clint recognized the fear, the anger, the grief, the pain. He saw every bit of it. “They’re gonna kill us,” Barney said quietly, sounding smaller than he had in a while. He sounded more like Clint remembered him when they were kids.

“You don’t have to come.”

“Fuck that. It’s the Circus. You don’t get to take them out alone.”

“I don’t want you to come.”

“When have I ever given a shit what you wanted?” And Clint had to laugh at that, because that was probably the most honest his brother had ever been. But the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, the laugh wasn’t quite sincere. 

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go down. Clint could accept his own death, could handle the fact that this might mean the end of him. He couldn’t accept it for Barney. The Circus, they didn’t even know Barney was here. They weren’t after him. He could still walk away from all of it, if he weren’t so damn stubborn.

“Long as you know we’re gonna die. I was just making sure.” Barney’s tone was light in spite of the fear in his eyes, and Clint offered him a little smile.

“We’re not gonna die,” he said, shifting his arm behind his back.

“Never took you for an optimist,” Barney snorted, raising a brow. Clint almost felt guilty. If he hadn’t been saving Barney’s life, he probably would have. But he wasn’t gonna let himself feel bad for keeping his brother alive.

“I’m not,” he said. “Sorry about this, Barn.” Barney’s eyes widened, and he reached for the bow leaning against the wall at his side, but he was too slow. Clint was already ready. He fired an arrow at Barney’s wrist, and it shot out an adhesive on contact, restraining Barney’s hand to the wall. Gotta love trick arrows, Clint thought. He hoped he got the chance to thank Tony for that one.

“Clint, I’m not kidding, man, you get this stuff the fuck off’a me. I swear to fucking Christ, I’ll kill you if you don’t. That’s a goddamn promise.” Clint responded by firing an arrow at Barney’s other wrist, securing him completely to the wall behind him.

“I’ll come let you go when I’m back,” he promised quietly. “Or... someone will. I’m gonna take care of this, Barney, I swear. I’m taking ‘em down for good this time, okay? For both of us.”

“No. No, you don’t get to do that, you goddamn fucking asshole. You don’t get to run off and go down in some blaze of glory while I’m stuck to a goddamn wall.” There was a desperation in his tone as he spoke, and Clint shook his head.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, and he knew he needed to go before he lost his nerve. “I love you, man. I dunno if I ever said that, but just in case I don’t make it back. Don’t expect to hear it all the time if I do.”

“Clint --”

“Bow’s yours, too. And the arrows. Avengers’re gonna need another arrow guy, and Katie’s got her own team. Green Arrow’s got his own thing going on, too, so I guess that leaves you. Better not ruin my reputation, man.” 

Clint turned and left then, leaving Barney screaming behind him. He blocked out the threats and insults as he made his way to his skycycle, focused entirely on the mission at hand.

The next morning, it was Steve who came in to free Barney. His voice was hoarse when he greeted the archer. He didn’t need to speak in order for Barney to know what happened, but he did anyways. The Circus wouldn’t be back, he said. Neither would Clint.

(Clint went out a hero, Steve told him, as if that was supposed to make Barney proud. It didn’t. He’d never wanted a hero for a brother. He’d only wanted Clint.)