Black Canary and Hawkeye

"This is a misunderstanding."

Old Barton opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but in the end, all he could do was mutter dryly.

No one continued discussing the matter, but Ashley’s expression visibly darkened. She had originally hoped to improve her relationship with her father, but now it seemed she had been flattering herself.

Kara and Pietro rolled their eyes so hard they nearly flew out of their heads. It was not that they looked down on Old Barton’s private life; they simply had some contempt for an old man who was advanced in years yet still played around so wildly.

"Ashley, my princess, you have to believe me. It was entirely for work. I never laid a finger on any of those women." Barton walked over to Ashley, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

But Ashley clearly had no intention of giving him the chance. "What does it have to do with me? You and my mom are already divorced. How you want to play around has nothing to do with me."

At that, Old Barton immediately became flustered. This time, he really was not lying. Despite coming here so many times, he had never done anything inappropriate.

"Ashley, I really—"

Barton wanted to defend himself, but Venom cut him off before he could finish. "Enough, old man. Haven’t you noticed Ashley’s hatred for you? You really set a fine example."

"Parasite, this is none of your business. I swear, if you keep driving a wedge between me and my daughter, I’ll tear you out and throw you into a volcano. Try me!" Barton clenched his fists.

But Venom was utterly fearless. He revealed his terrifying, grotesque face and burst into laughter. "I’m so scared. What, does the great Hawkeye dare to act but not take responsibility? Want me to tell everyone about your ‘glorious history’ in S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"You!" Old Barton’s fury surged, but the next moment, it was as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over his head. His momentum instantly faltered. "…How do you know that?"

"Ha, I parasitized quite a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents during that battle. I learned plenty of interesting things from their minds." Venom licked his lips and grinned.

"Enough, stop talking about that."

Seeing the conversation gradually heading toward Hawkeye’s dark past, Kara spoke up to interrupt Venom and Barton. She picked up the wine on the table and took a sip before continuing.

"We’ve already turned our attention to Red Skull. I encountered one of his variants in another world. Since he dared provoke superheroes, it clearly means he has confidence in his victory. We have to be prepared."

"Yes, there are only a few days left. We need to get ready," Pietro added. "We don’t know Red Skull’s background, much less what kind of power he possesses."

"Judging by the forces Red Skull controls, he should be the head of the most powerful organization on Earth today. That means the resources available to him are beyond imagination. I remember that the Vibranium he has is enough to build a fortress." Barton sighed.

"A fortress made of Vibranium, my God." Pietro looked at his Vibranium prosthetic and could not help opening his mouth wide.

Having used Vibranium for so long, no one understood its power better than Pietro. This powerful metal, capable of absorbing attacks, was practically indestructible. If Red Skull truly intended to pull something like this, their rescue operation would become far more difficult.

"Quiet, someone’s coming."

Suddenly, Melissa spoke. Hearing this, everyone fell silent and turned toward the private room’s door, curious about who would interrupt them at such a time.

The next moment, a pale hand pushed open the door.

A blonde woman slowly walked in. She wore a black skintight bodysuit that perfectly displayed her curvy figure and slender waist, along with black fishnet stockings that made her long legs impossible to ignore.

The woman casually closed the door behind her and swept her gaze across the room. Her eyes passed over each face before finally stopping on Old Barton. The blonde woman smiled slightly and spoke.

"Looks like I came to the right place."

"Uh, actually, miss, you came to the wrong place. We didn’t call for a hostess."

Old Barton blinked, struggling to focus his blurry vision before replying.

The already silent atmosphere became even more deathly quiet after Barton’s words. Pietro and Ashley exchanged a glance, and both saw the speechlessness in the other’s eyes.

"You must be Ms. Lance, right?" At that moment, Kara was the one who stepped forward.

Kara walked up to Lance and extended her hand with a smile. "We’ve been waiting for you, Lance."

Lance had felt a little awkward because of Barton’s inexplicable words, but Kara’s gesture improved her expression considerably. Taking Kara’s hand, Lance smiled as well.

"Just call me Dinah. It’s nice to meet all of you."

"…Sorry, I didn’t mean it. My eyes—"

"I know. Glaucoma, right?" Dinah turned her gaze back to Barton. Looking at the elderly man before her, she could not help feeling a hint of familiarity.

He looked alike, far too alike.

The same hairstyle and beard. If their faces had not been somewhat different, Dinah might truly have believed that this was an aged Green Arrow, Oliver Queen.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Barton. I’m Dinah Lance, from another Earth, a reserve member of the Justice League. You can also call me Black Canary."

"Hello, hello."

It had been a long time since Barton had heard an introduction like that, and it made his eyes sting with tears. At that moment, he truly seemed to have returned to the days of the Avengers, watching heroes emerge one after another. Memories of the past flooded back, and his heart could not help aching.

He had struggled for half his life and drifted for half his life, always carrying loneliness in his heart.

He felt that he had never been able to find a place where he belonged. In the eyes of heroes, he was their best brother, but in the eyes of villains, he did not even count as a true hero.

He was like an aging hawk with no sense of belonging, seeking only his own redemption and a nest that could truly accept him.

The last eagle’s nest that had taken him in was the Avengers, but all of that had been destroyed forty-five years ago. Over these years, Old Barton had been unable to find another place worthy of his wholehearted service.

No one knew how important joining a team was to Hawkeye. It was like the pride he had felt when he first joined the Avengers all those years ago, so long as someone placed their trust in him.

Now, he could finally face himself honestly.

Old Barton felt his blood boil. He proudly straightened his chest and said earnestly.

"Call me Clint, Dinah. I’m a member of the Avengers, code name—Hawkeye!"