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It’s a long and convoluted battle. There are too many civilians and not enough manpower to evacuate them all. There’s fire everywhere, dust and smoke, and no one can see clearly who is attacking who.
Clint hates the low visibility and wishes he at least had some goggles. A blast erupts from his left, and the building he’s on top of shakes violently.
Shit. Don’t collapse on me just yet.
Just as some of the smoke clears, Clint sees an attacker coming straight for Natasha from behind. He looks quickly to see if anyone else is coming to back her up, and then releases his string. The arrow goes straight through the man’s neck, and he falls to the ground in a crumpled heap. Clint gives himself a mental fist bump and keeps looking around for the others.
Suddenly, a loud explosion comes from across the street, and Clint sees Hulk take it straight to the chest. He’s knocked completely off his feet as he flies straight into the building behind him, the crumpling building Clint is standing on top of.
Before he can hang glide to safety, the floor falls from beneath him, and he’s plunging through rubble and smoke and fire. Everything is hard to see, and a piece of broken metal tears through his calf like a machete through paper.
In spite of all his training, Clint cries out and passes out when he hits the ground.
----
Clint wakes up in the hospital ward, and the first sounds he hears are arguing people.
“No, you don’t understand. I’m a doctor too, and if I want to make him my patient, I will!”
Clint dizzily looks around his room for the voices and spots a glimpse of a shirt and wavy brown hair. He smiles and falls asleep again.
The next time Clint wakes up, Bruce is sitting beside him, reading a chart.
“Hey,” Clint struggles to whisper. Bruce perks up at the sound and smiles apologetically.
“I’m sorry you’re in here. It’s my fault.”
Clint waves a lazy hand and shakes his head. “You couldn’t have known what building I was on. No one could see anything.”
Bruce lowers his head and shrugs. “That doesn’t make it any better. You’ve been seriously injured. Your leg is going to be fine, but it’ll be a hard recovery. A lot of muscle and tendons were cut. You’re going to need physical therapy, and you’ll be in no fighting condition until you’re done.”
Clint closes his eyes and lies against his pillow again. This is his greatest fear, being unable to take care of himself in the event of an emergency. When he feels the warmth of Bruce’s hand covering his own, he opens his eyes.
“I’ll be there with you every step of the way. I promise to help you with whatever you ask for help with. That’s the whole point of these things,” Bruce holds up his hand and taps his promise ring.
Clint grins. “I’m glad that wasn’t just for show.”
“Oh it was. But now it’s serious. You’re my friend and anything you need, just ask.”
“Then can I get Natasha in here in a sexy nurse costume?”
Bruce swats him in the shoulder with the clipboard.