New York City docks, 2:42AM

[avengingarrows.livejournal.com]

The Cornelia Marie is no stranger to the city's docklands. Every three weeks, she arrives at the pier with a fresh cargo of fish and shellfish for the city's restaurants and hotels. Her captain's biggest client? The Lensherrs, owners of the most successful chains in the city.

The shipments seem legit. But the Avengers have reason to believe other shipments may be piggybacking inside the crates; shipments that won't see the light of day.

Opium is a premium commodity on the street. This is what they're waiting for. Tonight, they get to blow the lid on this operation and finally get something concrete to nail the Lensherrs' collective asses to the wall.

At Pier Twelve, several Lensherr 'employees' in large black Buicks await the Cornelia Marie's captain and her illicit cargo.

Comments

[he-done-snapped.livejournal.com]

High up in the skies, one of many birds is circling the pier. But while all the rest are looking for some good scraps to eat, this one is watching the activities of Lensherr's employees very closely.

[avengingarrows.livejournal.com]

Perched atop a stack of cargo containers, keeping a low profile in the darkness, Clint "Hawkeye" Barton watches the scene unfolding down below. He's had mixed feelings about this moment since they got the tip, but it's too good not to act upon. And with Gyrich riding their asses on this, they have little choice -- find something, or get shut down for good.

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

Lensherr's men, dressed in high-end Italian suits, are passing the time waiting by playing a quick and dirty game of poker on the bonnet of one of the Buicks. Banter and cigarette smoke drifts upwards into the orange light that falls across the pier.

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

His instincts have never served him wrong before. Everything in him is insisting that this is a trap.

But the best way to deal with a trap... is to spring it.

He's still nervous, though. He's waiting for the right moment.

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

One of the men nudges his friend as three figures approach them from the other end of the pier. Two are wheeling two large dollies of merchandise in the lead figure's wake. The captain of the Cornelia Marie is here to make his dropoff.

The card game is abruptly halted; game winnings swept off the car's hood with practised ease. "About time you showed up," one of them needles the captain.

The captain is an older gentleman who walks with a slight limp, aided by an elaborately handcarved wooden cane. He pauses a few yards short of the gaggle of henchmen. "Business keeps me busy," he replies in a thick Russian accent.

A gesture to the two following brings the loaded dollies forward.

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

Two of the Lensherr men, wearing black leather gloves, step forward with a crowbar to open one of the wooden crates.

"I trust this is, as usual, to your employer's satisfaction."

The splintering of wood cracks the humid air. The two would-be inspectors take a cursory glance inside, remove a small package that looks like a white powder, then nod to their boss. He reaches into his inside jacket pocket for an envelope and hands it to the captain.

"As was agreed."

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

Steve nods to the others. "Now," he whispers.

[avengingarrows.livejournal.com]

"About damn time," he grouses, but he wastes no time. Two arrows, large purple broadheads designed to pierce the best bulletproof vest, find their marks.

[jim-rhodes.livejournal.com]

From another direction, a repulsar blast is leveled at one of the goons.

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

"What the -- "

Two of the suits go down, and the others scatter like ninepins, immediately reaching for their guns to fire back, looking for cover. Yelling intermingles with gunfire.

"Where the hell are they?"

"It's the goddamn Avengers!"

The dollies of illegal goods tip over as the Cornelia Marie's crewman dive for the safety of the stacked metal cargo containers.

[avengingarrows.livejournal.com]

The arrow he'd nocked clatters to the ground, giving away his position. The bowstring, pulled back to its greatest tension, snaps back in his face. He growls several cuss words. He's got a spare, but he doesn't have the luxury of time to fix it. A bullet whistles past his ear. Footsteps herald Lensherr's men approaching.

Hawkeye snatches the arrow up and scurries for cover behind another stack of shipping containers, looking in his pockets for another string. Sparks fly as shots ricochet off metal.

[wanda-maximoff.livejournal.com]

A voice comes out of the shadows, the sound oddly swirling around him. "Did you really think this would work?"

[avengingarrows.livejournal.com]

In a reactive move, he's palmed a flashbang before he reacts, looking for the source of the voice. He knows that voice well, even if it's mostly from the media. "Figures you'd hide behind your goons. Just like always."

[wanda-maximoff.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure you would prefer it if I stepped out into the light where you could kill me." There is a low, throaty chuckle. "But I'm not that stupid. Little man. With your little bow and arrows...."

[avengingarrows.livejournal.com]

He dodges more gunfire, stepping further into the forest of cargo containers. "Coward. You and all your good for nothin' family. Afraid to face a guy with a couple arrows."

[wanda-maximoff.livejournal.com]

"A guy with a couple arrows who thinks my father would sully himself with the drug trade," she says contemptuously, her voice still giving him no clue as to her location. "Fool."

The sparks of the ricochets grow into a cascade around him.

[avengingarrows.livejournal.com]

Arms come up, reflexively to shield his head and face from the white sparks raining down. Dammit. White fire sears his skin through the uniform he's wearing. He needs to get up on top of these things, but the earlier ankle injury's still nagging at him. "What's good for the goose, gander, all that crap," he yells back. "Whatever it takes!"

A piece of metal turns into a makeshift shield. Damn bowstring ...

[wanda-maximoff.livejournal.com]

The metal rusts, crumbling as he grips it. "Whatever it takes. Is that your motto? What a coincidence."

She aims another hexbolt at his quiver of remaining arrows. "Whatever it takes...."

[avengingarrows.livejournal.com]

"Shit-- " He's barely had a chance to restring and fire off a flare arrow, designed to signal an Avenger in distress.

Then, the broadheads in his quiver all go off, simultaneously.

The seven explosive tips tear into his back, violently rending flesh and muscle from bone in a split, agonizing moment; throwing the archer forward as the sonic heads split the night with their siren song, mingling in a cacophony with the scream that's torn from his throat. Blood peppers the side of one container even as he's thrown into another. Kidneys, liver, torso: all are ripped apart in a mockery of human frailty.

Fingers no longer capable loosen, the compound bow forgotten in the agony of mortality, the crux soaked with the Avengers' lifeblood.

The inferno in his nerves is suddenly gone. The cold takes over, reaching every limb of his abused body. Even in those last moments, he manages to get the last words from his lips; his face pressed to unforgiving steel even as the light leaves his eyes.

"See you in Hell, bitch."

Hawkeye's shattered body falls back to the ground, unmoving.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

He knows it's not his Clint. But it's still Clint.

Just as this is still Steve.

He approaches and puts a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Steve... he's gone."

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

Steve keeps trying, not even looking up.

"No, dammit. Not on my watch..."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Steve... let go. It's okay."

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

Finally, Steve looks up. He blinks, utter confusion on his face as he looks into the face of his dead brother.

"..."

He swallows, his mouth suddenly a desert.

"Bucky?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

This isn't the time to tell him, No, not really.

He puts a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, Steve. It's me. And I'll explain everything, I promise. But for now... the hearse is on its way. Let's respect his sacrifice. Let go."

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

Steve blinks back tears... and embraces Bucky. His dead brother is here, beside him. He's not going to question this right now. He's going to accept it.

Later, they'll talk about how it happened. But for now... Steve's just going to accept this miracle with thanks.