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Fill 25 Card 1: Death
Jun. 7th, 2023 08:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
innitmarvelous_ogToday, Clint Barton would meet his end under a relentless barrage of bullets fired by SHIELD's specially commissioned firing squad.
After Clint had been convicted for his merciless acts of murder in the aftermath of Thanos's snap, the world demanded justice. A trial was held, and when the overwhelming evidence of his crimes had been presented to the world, a firestorm of outrage had quickly built up which had ultimately sealed his fate. As an Avenger, Clint's position carried a weight of responsibility, demanding the highest price for the blood he had spilled. SHIELD, being the organization he once served, reluctantly agreed to carry out the public execution within their fortified facility. Every detail of his death would be broadcast live, ensuring the eyes of the entire world would bear witness.
As he lived out his final hours of life, Clint tried not to pace his cell or show any fear about what was going to happen to him today. But the closer he got to the hour of his death the more restless he became. He had not been allowed to see his family after his arrest and he was afraid he would die without the chance ro tell them how much he loved them.
The loudness of the security buzzer on his cell block sounding off made Clint look up through the bars and the other end of the hallway. Through several gates he could see the people he loved the most in all of the universe making their way towards him.
Clint stood up and as he waited for them to reach him, he looked at each of them.
Lila was openly crying, Cooper was trying to be stoic he was faltering, while Nate was too young it seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. The little boy was smiling as though he were walking into McDonald's for a Happy Meal and some time on the playground. Although Laura was plainly relying on her past training as an agent to hide her emotions, Clint had known his wife far too long, and he did not miss her grief with every step she took.
Finally they were at the last gate, and the lead agent of the guards escorting them swipe his keycard to raise the final gate, and Clint's family entered the large cell he'd called home as he awaited execution. The guards stepped into the cell with weapons pointed at him just to be sure he did not try to bolt, and they allowed his family to pass. Clint made sure not to move a muscle as he did not want to give them reason to call off the only visit he would have with his family.
Laura and the kids didn't move forward towards him until the agents withdrew and the gate had been lowered once more. Then Laura flew at him, momentarily knocking him back as she kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Well there wasn't any tomorrow for him as he would be executed in four hours time. He kissed her back until they were both breathless, and then he clung to her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry!"
Laura said nothing in response, instead she just held onto him as she tried to imprint everything she could also him. The impending loss of him hung over heavily in the air like a funeral shroud, but the brief moment in each others arms, there was solace.
Their solitary embrace last a few more moments, then Clint pulled back, and gestured for their children to joint them. Lila, his first child and only daughter reached him first and she wrapped her arms around him, crying softly into his ear, "Oh, Daddy!"
Clint hugged her back, and did his best comfort her. "Shhh, sweetheart. It's okay, it's okay." He kissed her cheek and combed his fingers through her hair for a few minutes.
Cooper was the next to hug his Dad, and Clint heard his breath hitch as the boy buried his face in Clint's neck. All he could do was hold his holding son tightly as he was at a loss for words to say to Cooper. The moment ended when his youngest squeezed in between his brother and Dad. Cooper reluctantly released his Dad and stepped away to allow his little brother his moment.
Clint knelt and wrapped his arms around the little boy, "What's up, squirt?"
Nate pulled and looked at him, "Mommy said we had to come and see you coz you're going away, Daddy, and we needed to say bye to you. Daddy, where are you going? Can I come with you too?"
Nate's innocent questions hurt him so bad, so the only thing Clint could do was pulled the boy against him again, "I'm going on a little trip, Natty. It's somewhere that you and Mommy and Lila and Coop can't come to yet. But one day you all will and when you do, I have everything ready for you guys and we'll be a family again and never be apart again. How's that sound, bud? Sound good?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Nate said excitedly.
After kissing the side of his head, Clint stood up and looked at Lila, "Come here, sweetheart."
In the meantime, Laura herded Cooper and Nate to the other side of the room where she talked to them quietly, mostly an effort to occupy her youngest.
Clint led his daughter over to the bed, and sat down.
Lila stared at him, her bottom lip trembling, "Why, Dad?" Why did you do what you did to all those people? Why did you hurt them like that?"
Cooper's expression contorted with a mix of anger and sadness. "But Dad, we needed you. We needed our hero."
Tears welled up in Clint's eyes as he caressed Cooper's cheek. "I know, Coop, and I let you down. I'm so sorry, son. I wish I could turn back time and undo everything I've done, but I can't. All I can do now is accept the consequences and hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
Clint looked into his daughter's eyes, eyes that were so full of pain and confusion. He took a deep breath before he answered her, "Lila honey, I did what I did, because at the time, I was so very angry that you and your Mom and your brothers got erased like you didn't matter, like you were not worthy of living that I just... got even angrier when I realized that the people who actually didn't deserve to like were still here. I went crazy with my grief and anger. Neither of those excuse what I did though, and it wasn't my place to judge those people unworthy. But I did, and I... and I erased them as a result."
He looked away from her, "I made choices, bad choices that hurt people, and I have to face the consequences of what I did. I wish I could change it, make so those people were still here, but I can't. All I can do now is accept the consequences, even if those consequences mean I pay the highest price for what I did."
Lila was trying to process what her father had said to her, but more tears welled up into her eyes, "But Daddy, you've always been a hero. I still don't understand how you could have done those things? I mean I looked up to you!"
Clint took her hands in his own, and his voice trembled when he told her, "I know, Lila, and that is one reason why this hurts so much. I let everyone down, but especially our family. Even heroes sometimes make horrible mistakes. All you can do is try to learn from them always, and understand the consequences that come with them, and never forget the value of life or compassion."
The teen girl sniffled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, "I miss the old you, Daddy. The one who saved people, and fought against the bad people. You did what was right."
"Me too. I miss that version of me too, Li," Clint murmured, his voice remorse-laden, "But I lost my way, and I hurt those people. Now I have to face the consequences of what I've done, and maybe when I do, it'll help people get some of their faith in heroes back."
"I don't want to lose you, Daddy!"
Clint tightened his grip on her hands a little bit, "And I don't want to leave you either, but I have to face what I've done. I know it is a hard thing to ask, but promise me that you'll remember the good times we all had together. That you will remember the lessons I taught you, and you'll carry them in your heart. That you'll do your best to be strong and make the world a better place. I believe in you, honey."
"I promise, Dad." Lila whispered solemnly as tears pour down her face, "I'll make you so proud of me. I love you."
He pulled his daughter into a tight embrace, and he held her for a long moment, "I love you, too, baby. Never ever forget that."
When Clint released her, he looked over where Laura was still talking to Cooper and Nate. His heart ached so badly at the thought he would get to see them grow up that he could almost believe he was having a heart attack. They would have to grow up with their father and it was all because of what he had done. He knew one day they'd realize the truth of why he wasn't here anymore, and he hoped that on that day, they would hate him for leaving them like this. He hoped that they'd forgive him.
Time was beginning to run short, and he caught Laura's eye. He looked at Cooper then back at her, and she nodded. She said something to him, and he got up to come over to where his father and sister were. Clint kissed Lila again, and told her, "I'll always be with you, Lila. I love you, baby."
"I love you too, Daddy," she said, hugging him one last time before she went over to her mother and brother.
Cooper arrived, and immediately he went to his father's arms.
Clint held onto Cooper tightly, savoring the weight of his son against him. He could feel Cooper's tremors against him as the teen tried to contain his sobs. Once more, Clint was at a loss for the words to tell Cooper how much he loved him, how far the depths of his love went. He could on;y hold his son with the hopes that somehow Cooper felt in it what he could not say.
Cooper finally pulled away, his red eyes looking into his father's, "How, Dad? How could this be happening? How could you have done all of what... what they said you did? I mean you always protected people before. You didn't hurt them! What happened?" Cooper's voice went on the rise as he asked his questions and he was almost yelling by the end.
Clint looked over in his wife's direction and saw Laura looking over at him. He shook his head, and she went back to comforting Lila. He turned back to his oldest son.
"Because, Coop, even heroes are not infallible. They make mistakes too, and this one was the worst one I could have ever made. I let my grief and anger consume me, and then I let it lead to do things I can't take back. Horrible things."
Cooper looked puzzled by his words, and angry, "I don't get it, Dad! You let what happened to me and Mom and Lila and Nate make you so made that you went out and and killed all those other people? Dad, you doing something like that goes against everything you and Mom have ever tried to teach us!"
The anger in his eyes aimed at him is almost most than he can bear, so much so that Clint must take a deep breath to steady himself before he tries to respond. Regret, so much regret tainted his voice as he told his son, "You're right, Coop. You are so right. Like I said I let my anger and my grief consume me, I let it burn in my heart like a fire until it was raging, and it clouded my judgment. I didn't want to see what I was doing was wrong, so wrong, and I lost sight of the values I hold dear. I lost sight of all the things I ever tried to teach you and your sister and brother."
Blinking back tears, Clint went on, "I failed, Cooper, both a father and as a hero. I let my anger have control and I let it lead me to make choices that are unforgivable. I hurt people, people who maybe deserved judgment for what they did but it wasn't my place to be their jury, judge, or executioner. I can't ever change what I did but I hope that the three of you will learn from my mistakes, and never let your anger lead you to do something like I did."
Cooper's anger start to soften a little, and was replaced by sadness as he thought about what his Dad's words mean, "How do we move on from this, Dad? From what you did and what they're going to do to you because of it?"
Clint put his hands on his son's shoulders, his gaze as steady and sincere as he could make it, "I'm not going to lie, Coop. Moving on won't be easy for any of you. It's going to take time for all of you to heal from this. But try to remember that we all make mistakes, and how you learn from them and how you strive to become better for what you've learned is what defines you. You're strong, Coop, and have the resilience to overcome what I did and from... from my death. You can be the person you want to be. Don't let my actions or my death define your future, son."
The teen looked down, "I don't think I can ever look at you in the same way again, Dad. And I... and I don't know if I can forgive you."
His broke at his son's words, but he understood why Cooper would feel in such a way because of how his actions had affected their family forever. He swallowed a lump, nodded, then said, "I understand, Cooper, because forgiveness is not that can be demanded or even expected. It's can only be earned by being sorry for what you've done, and actions someone takes moving forward. I can't do anything to earn your forgiveness. All I can do is face the consequences of what I did, and hope one day you might find it in your heart to forgive me."
Cooper looked at him again, his eyes searching his father's face. After a moment of silence, he said, "I don't hate you, Dad. I'm just so... hurt and disappointed."
The tears Clint had been fighting streamed down his face. He pulled Cooper into another tight embrace, "I'm disappointed in myself too, son. I wish I could go back and change everything, but I can't."
After spending a few more minutes talking to Cooper, he spent some with Nate, talking with the little boy about the things of his world that interested him. He knew he should try to impart some words of wisdom to his youngest but in the end he didn't want to shatter his youngest's innocence as that would come soon enough. So they talked, then Clint hugged and kissed him, and then sent him to sit with his siblings.
Then Laura came over to him, and once more they kissed like there was no tomorrow, before they pulled back, and the sitting together wrapped in each other's arms.
They talked in soft tones, allowing themselves to briefly to escape their present by escaping into the past, remembering their life together. They talked about their children, the dreams they'd accomplished, and the challenges they'd faced as a family.
Clint gently brushed a stray hair away from Laura's face, looking at her with tenderness. He couldn't help but marvel and be grateful for her strength and resilience. He admired how she had always been there for him and for their children. They'd faced so many battles together, on and off the field, and their love have always grown stronger for it.
"Five minutes!" one of the guards yelled out, shattering their quiet time together.
Clint looked into her eyes, nodded, and after one last kiss, they got up. Together, holding onto one another's hands, they walked back over to their children as it was now at last time for their last goodbyes.
Clint had no final words for his children beyond telling them how much he loved them. Instead, he just held onto them as tight as he could, and let himself believe time had frozen. Then the sound of the guards coming to take his family back out shattered the peace. His heart shattered as he made himself let go before tany orders were issued to him.
He stood against the wall, and watched as they left clinging to each other. He called out, "I love you all so much! Never forget that! I love you!"
Laura looked into his eyes one last time, and told him, "You were a good husband and loving father, Clint Barton, and we will always remember that! We love you!"
With those words, his family was gone.
Just over an hour later, the same guards returned to take him to the execution chamber, They bound his hands behind him, and led him down a hallway his family thankfully hadn't seen. He was led into a room that on one end a screen had been set up to conceal the firing squad's identities, and on the other a metal pole had been placed into the floor. They led him to the pole where the cuff were briefly unlocked so they could secure his hands behind the pole. Finally the fastened his body to the pole with leather straps before a target was pinned to his shirt over his heart.
"Oh you're not inspiring a lot of confidence from me if these guys need a visual aid to find their target," he quipped.
The guard said nothing but instead stood to the side, coming to attention as a lone figure entered the room. When Clint turned his head to meet the gaze of the man who had entered, one lone eye gazed back. One eye full of all sorts of emotions with the most prominent being sadness.
"Hello, sir," Clint said quietly. "I'd heard rumors you'd be the one to give the order but I didn't really believe it until just now."
Nick Fury nodded, "I'm sorry it came to this, Clint, that it's me. But since we're the ones who agreed to carry out this... entire thing, I have to be the one who gives the order."
"Of course, sir. I wouldn't expect otherwise."
"Three minutes, Director."
Clint swallowed, and dropped his gaze.
"I will look after them you know... from a distance as I don't imagine she'll want anything to do with me after this," Fury murmured.
Clint knew Laura might eventually forgive Fury for his role in this but he didn't think it was wise to say so. Instead, Clint just nodded, and said, "Thank you, sir. That means more to me than you know."
"One minute until we're broadcasting!"
Fury looked at the guard, who took out a black hood, and approached Clint.
"I don't need that. I'm not afraid of dying," Clint said, moving his head away.
"I'm sorry but you have no choice. It's one of the things that's been insisted on," Nick told him.
"I guess they don't want people to see the life leaving my eyes."
"I guess not."
Clint sighed, and allowed the guard to slip the hood on.
"Twenty seconds."
"Godspeed, Barton," Fury said before he walked over to the side.
"You too, sir," Clint said.
Clint assumed they were live on the airwaves when he heard the sound of the firing squad enter the room. He listened as they positioned themselves opposite of his position without any verbal commands.
"Do you have any final words?" Fury asked him.
"The only thing I want to say is, I am sorry for how I was like Thanos and I thought I had the right to bring balance to the universe. I didn't and I hurt innocents because of it. I hope those who love me can forgive me one day."
Fury waited a moment to see if he would speak again, and when he didn't he yelled out, "Ready your weapons!"
Clint heard the sound of the guns being readied.
"Aim!"
He swallowed, his heart and breathing quickening.
This was it.
"Fire!"
Deafening shots rang out, and Clint felt the bullets pierce his heart.
Then his head rolled forward, and his body went limp.
A medic on standby went forward, and listened for a heartbeat, then looked at Fury.
"The prisoner is dead."
"Time of death, 10:07PM, December 7th."
Tags:
- !-x2 (or 3 or more!!!!),
- ++done,
- +fill,
- angst,
- avengers: endgame,
- bingo,
- bingo: square small corner,
- card 1,
- clint barton,
- cooper barton,
- death penalty,
- execution,
- fandom empire bingo,
- fanfic,
- filled: card 1,
- laura barton,
- lila barton,
- major character death,
- marvel cinematic universe,
- nate barton,
- prompt(s),
- prompt: death,
- rated pg
