Here's the next chapter, please enjoy!

Endgame: Chapter 4

"Live at Strikers Island: The Raft has been broken into!"

The newswoman's urgent tone cut through the nearby store window, drawing nearby civilians to the tv set. They crowded around the window, their umbrellas protecting them from the downpour of rain.

"It seems that the Avengers have been sent to deal with the situation, though we have recieved no official confirmation on this. At the moment, the Raft seems to be completely silent, which leads some to believe that the Avengers may not have won their alleged mission."

"Lady, you don't know the half of it,"

As Hawkeye trudged past the store window, he pushed his baseball cap closer on to his head, his sunglasses helping to hide his identity. It was safer to go undercover than to parade around in costume. After all, the Avengers were being hunted.

It was dangerous, coming back to New York, but the archer had to risk it. He had a few contacts in NY, some of whom were vital for plan C. Not that Barton liked plan C, mind you. If he had had his way, they would have called in the Secret Avengers to clean up this mess. But Cap was Cap, and if he made a call, it was a good idea to follow it.

Ducking down the nearby alley, Hawkeye kept his head down until he reached the end of it. Putting one hand against the wall, he muttered a password:

"Stars and garters,"

Immediately, the wall slid away, revealing a vast, high tech lab, full of giant machinery and blueprints. The lab had several floors, all plainly visible through the transparent floors. In the middle of it all was a giant tangle of monkey bars, spiraling upwards like a DNA strand.

"Hank?" Hawkeye called, stepping further into the lab.

"Ah, Clint," A voice replied from the top of the monkey bars.

Seconds later, a blue, furry creature made its way down, jumping from bar to bar. It was dressed in an old, blue X-Men costume, with the added feature of a black toolbelt. A pair of red goggles rested upon its head, obviously just removed from its eyes.

"I was wondering when you'd make your way over for a visit," The creature continued, smiling mischeviously. "How's the big life treating you?"

"No time for jokes, Beast," Hawkeye replied, taking off his baseball cap. "The Avengers are down, Count Nefaria is on the loose, and something's gonna get done about it."

"What?" Beast asked, suddenly dead serious. "Is this part of the Raft thing on the news?"

"Pretty much," Hawkeye confirmed. "We went in half-cocked, we got tricked, and I'm pretty sure we got taken down. It was 54 of them against seven of us, Hank. I'm lucky I managed to get Cap and get out of there."

"So you're with Steve?" Beast breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. We're going to need to call in the Secret Avengers-"

"Stop," Hawkeye ordered. "That's not the plan, as much as I'd like it to be. Before he got knocked out, Cap told me to use plan C: Assemble the old Avengers. We're bringing back the old members, Hank. Most of them, at least."

"Which old Avengers?" Beast querried. "There were quite a few, if you remember."

"I would presume that there is a list," A voice rang out.

"Vision?" Hawkeye asked, turning to see his old friend come floating through the wall. "How'd you get here? I thought you went down with the others!"

"Count Nefaria foolishly knocked me out of the battlefield," Vision replied. "It turns out I am far more durable than he imagined. As soon as I landed, I began calculating possible places to turn to, and Beast's lab stood out as one of the top. That was where my ride factored in."

"Least I could do," Suddenly, Giant-Man appeared beside the others, growing from his formerly miniscule size.

"Pym, good to see you," Barton said, smiling slightly. "Let me guess: You just happened to be in the area when Vision crashed?"

"Pretty much," Giant-Man, or Hank Pym, admitted. "Now, how can we help with this plan C of yours, Clint?"

"Like Viz said, there's a list," Hawkeye replied. "Cap made me memorize it, in case something like this happened. Most of the people on it will be easy enough to recruit. Some... Well, some might be harder."

"I am sure that they will not be a problem," Vision responded. "On a side note, where is the Captain?"

"Cap's in the Lighthouse," Hawkeye answered. "I headed there as soon as I managed to escape the attack, in hope that someone would be there. There wasn't anyone there, but at least that base isn't compromised."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Beast grinned. "We, my friends, have a team to assemble!"

"Great," Hawkeye said. "I'm assuming that you brought a Quinjet, Pym."

"I did," Giant-Man replied. "Let's go, Avengers!"

...

"Just in: Staff of the Thunderbolts program, including Luke Cage and Songbird, have been found unconscious at the steps of Avengers Mansion! Several experts are saying that this signals-"

She-Hulk turned off her television set, gazing out her apartment window worridly. First the Avengers go missing in the Raft, and now the Thunderbolts get taken down. Something was definitely not right here.

Suddenly, a knock came on the door, causing Jen to turn her head and stand up.

"Coming!" She shouted, running over to her door and opening it quickly. "Clint?"

"Hey Jen," Hawkeye greeted, lifting the sunglasses from his eyes. "How'd you like to help out some old friends?"

...

"We are live at Avengers Mansion, where members of the main Avengers seem to be in the middle of a fight with Luke Cage's Avengers team, albeit without their leader. Strangely, Captain America, Hawkeye, and the Vision are all missing from the team, and it is believed that-"

The Black Knight frowned, sitting back in his chair as he stared at the TV in front of him. "Stark, what are you doing?"

"An excellent question, Dane Whitman," Vision said, rising up through the floor. "One that we need your help to answer."

...

"I repeat, Avengers Mansion has been destroyed. Luke Cage's team seems to be out of action, with Iron Man's squadron winning the day. Reasoning behind these actions is currently-"

"Yeah, I can hear you," War Machine said, turning the tv broadcast in his armour off. "Really? And you want my help? All right, Beast, you got a deal."

Turning in midair, he marked a path to Beast's lab and took off. He had some friends to save.

...

"The Fantastic Four have been contacted to combat the threat of the Avengers, though we have yet to recieve word of their reply. Whether this will lead to another superhuman war is yet to be seen, but longtime superhero and mutant leader Cyclops, otherwise known as Scott Summers, remains cautiously optimistic."

"I would hope that this situation will not reach that level," Cyclops said, not at all fazed by the dozens of microphones that were being shoved in his face. "But if it does, the X-Men will stand ready."

"So, as you can see, T'Challa, we're in a bit of trouble," Hank Pym said, conversing with his friend over a comlink as he stood in the Quinjet. In front of him, the television broadcast flickered on the monitor.

"And you want my help?" T'Challa asked. "Very well, Pym. You have the support of the Black Panther."

30 Minutes Later, In Beast's Lab

"No!" Vision shouted, glaring at Hawkeye. "I will not allow this!"

"Vision, I know you two have a horrible history," Hawkeye replied calmly. "I have one with her, too. But this is a serious problem, whatever it is. We need Wanda on the team."

"How do you know she won't kill us again, Barton?" Vision asked, anger flaring in his eyes.

"She doesn't have the same power level anymore," Hawkeye answered. "And, even if she did, I know she wouldn't repeat what she did before. She's got control now."

"For how long?" Vision queried, turning and smashing the table behind him. "I am not letting our murderer on this squad!"

Without a word, the Android took to the air, floating up and out of the building.

"Well, that could've gone better," War Machine said. "What's the plan now?"

"We get Wanda," Hawkeye responded. "Vision'll come back soon enough."

"Let's hope "Soon enough" is before the government starts hunting anyone who's ever been an Avenger," Black Knight said.

"Or before Nefaria beats them to it," Beast said. "Clint, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Not really," Hawkeye answered. "But that's the beauty of it, Hank. If we don't know what we're doing, our enemy won't, either. Now, let's go find an old friend."

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