2014-04-13 - Beating on the Bros

So, it turns out when Clint puts his mind to it he can detective. Okay, maybe he /still hadn't found that car of Trudy's yet, but that was another story. Today he was looking for the no-neck Russian thug Ivan who had sent Shocker (what a lame name), Hydro-man and Vulture to collect on a debt; which was funny, because last Clint recalled he'd given Ivan money not the other way around. Russians bro, what can you do?

So thanks to a tip from a shady guy of Clint's acquaintance, is hanging from the roof of a Banya in Brighton Beach, peering in the window at Ivan and six of his most tattooed minions wearing towels instead of tracksuits enjoying a sauna or whatever it was Russians did in their bath houses. Whatever it was, it wasn't a great view but it did confirm Ivan and his goons were in the building.

Satisfied, so to speak, Clint pulls himself up to the roof starts towards the fire escape to get down to the street. As he does he pulls out his phone. He wanted to handle this by himself, but Ivan and his crew had escalated things, how much more would it take before they blew up the Aerie, like the Irish did his old building?

Clint sighs and dials. Nat was out for back up, but he did have his new best bud to call, Bucky Barnes.

Well. It's -not- going to do, Captain America (II) getting involved in sordid business, like that. At least, not the level that Clint was talking about. And - he'd really just finished discussing something with Mysterio, about how Winter Soldier was going to end him if he didn't talk. And, oddly enough, Shocker was one of the targets that had been mentioned who -might- know where the Tinkerer is.

So the man who shows up on the rooftop is -not- Captain America. But, a man with long banged hair, a mask over his eyes. And - where there had been the newly emblazened 'shield' for America and Captain's memory on his cybernetic arm? It'd been either etched over or hologram'd over with the Russian Hammer & Sickle. It's like Hawkeye's seeing a ghost. One that tried to kill him. Literally.

Just not this time. "The Bratva never will learn. Unless you give them a reason to," he tells Clint from behind, with a sort of grin. He's a gun on his belt. And, a knife. And no other weapon.

Clint had turned from watching the front of the place to see that ghost and he takes in a sharp breath before his brain catches up and reminds him it's Bucky. He stands and claps his hands together to get the roof dirt and bird shit off his fingerless gloves. "Yeah, they give me a run for the money for being hard headed, but seeing you in dressed like that," he looks Bucky up and down. "They might just get the point. At least that's my hope."

Clint moves closer to bucky, moving his long coat back so he can reach for an arrow and get down to business. He sketches out on the roof what he'd seen of the of building. "Got at least seven guys, including the boss Ivan, in a sauna on the top floor here, couple more rooms beside, it, but, these guys, they sort of live the stereotype of the Russian human wave, so I'd expect some more guys to come out of the woodwork." He looks up and puts the arrow away. "You down for this?" he asks. "I mean I know it's a lot to ask a guy I was trying to punch a month ago."

"You're going to owe me a lot of damn beer," prompts Bucky in return. "And a few good westerns I haven't seen, yet." Because anyone who in this day and age still thinks They Died With Their Boots On is a good movie, Bucky will trust to pick out something past circa 1945 for him to watch.

Then, the man dressed as the Winter Soldier studies Clint's drawing, "Then we incapcitate, and scare the holy hell out of everyone, and make our way to Ivan. Use one of your arrows to seal off the door from the back, so they can't escape. We'll do this from the front. Pincher move will get too complicated. And not have the desired effect you want. We want them to see you've got bigger, better friends. And more dangerous ones."

The plan was simple and brutal. He nods. "Great, works for me," he says. "Got the back door puttied up so that's not an option for them, so go in the front and lock the door behind us, so to speak." With anyone else along it would be a recipe for disaster, still could be, but at least it would be interesting. Clint nods towards the fire escape to head down to street level. "And yeah, no problem. Got the Man With No Name trilogy to show you. Trust me, you'll love it," he says before he grabs the railings and slides down.

"And you're going to tell me why you're borrowing money from the Bratva," says Bucky, as he follows Clint down. Then, he's moving around to the front of the building. This is not an operation that requires stealth; this is pure Shock & Awe. A form of combat in which he's rather familiar at, in both lives. The once-Winter Soldier opens the front door, then, swining it fast, and wide, so he and Clint can enter at the same time.

The gun is brought up, and he asks, << I will only ask once. Where is Ivan? >>

Clint follows on Bucky's heels, his compact bow snapping open to be used as a hand weapon. Which comes in handy as one a bratva bro emerges from a side room with a bat, he parries the bat and drives a foot into his chin to knock him back into the room he came from. "Stay down, bro," he warns pointing with the bow, then he turns and fires a putty arrow at the base of the door sticking it in place.

The guy with the gun in his face shakes and points at the stairs beside the desk. "U-up stairs," he says.

Clint follows on Bucky's heels, his compact bow snapping open to be used as a hand weapon. Which comes in handy as one a bratva bro emerges from a side room with a bat, he parries the bat and drives a foot into his chin to knock him back into the room he came from. "Stay down, bro," he warns pointing with the bow, then he turns and fires a putty arrow at the base of the door sticking it in place.

The guy with the gun in his face shakes and points at the stairs beside the desk. << U-up stairs >> he says.

<< Good. >> Bucky moves over to the man, and then cracks him across the jaw. Hard. And slams his face into the wall, leaving him unconscious. But, besides a broken nose and the memory, otherwise unharmed. And he doesn't break character. Instead, he makes his way to the stairs -- and one unlucky fellow who hears the commotion and comes from the hall beyond the stairwell going up goes down as Bucky's gun takes out his kneecap. Another shot carries the gun in his hand away. << Move, and I will kill you. >> The tone precise, intense. And there's no joy. No emotion in it. He's a man, doing a job. It's business. He points down the hallway, indicating to Clint, "Gas." That should mess up any reinforcements from that area.

Clint follows Bucky up the stairs, quietly in awe of just how much of a rip roaring rampage of revenge he'd just unleashed. Served them right, right? He fires the gas arrow down the hall, and slips something into his mouth until their passed. Sleep gas. Better to keep them down and out of the fight. Once the breather is back in his pocket he points with the bow. "The sauna thing is down there."

The once-Winter Soldier pauses, tilting his head points to a side-door down the passage. His cybernetic arm slams through the door, and there's a loud - thump- as a man's face hits the backside of the door. Then, two more of the same for good measure. That's one more goon that won't be shooting at them from behind. He pauses, measuring the rest of the floor. "Four," he tells Clint. Clint had said he'd counted seven. And who knows how many are down there with the sleeping gas. Shoving the gun into his holster, he now pulls out the knife. And moves towards the sauna.

Clint keeps their backs covered while they move towards the door, Taser arrow to string while he moves down the hall. "Ivan, bro, time to give it up," he calls out as they close. Let them think it's just him.

That man is a very, very familiar man in Russian circles. The Winter Soldier is a boogeyman, but one even tugs and mobsters believe in. So when three bulky, angry, heavily tattooed towel-wrapped 'bros' come out, they are not doing so thinking they are likely to survive the encounter.

One even dares to say, "Do you hev appointment?"

The one that speaks? His face is met with an electrical stun that'd incapacitate someone much larger - or more resiliant, than he with Bucky's cybernetic arm. This is followed by the one to that guy's right having Bucky's slash first the man's arm to literally severe the tendons and ligaments, and then sinking the self-same knife into the other's shoulder, using it as fulcrum for with which to shift the fellow to the side - and into the impact of his knee into that man's kidney. Extracting the knife allows him to slam the butt of it then into the man's head. No. No death. But, there will be pain. And memory. And the humiliation of not being -worth- the Winter Soldier's time to execute.

That leaves the last guy for Clint.

Clint jumps over the groaning and prone forms of the first two bros to slam a fist into the face of the last bro. Then twisting, he lashes out with his bow to drive it into the side of the guy's head and drop him to the floor. When the guy drops he looks towards the door teeth clenched as he calls out "Red rover, red rover send Ivan on over."

"Bro!" Ivan's voice comes from the doorway of the sauna. "Why you keel my men, bro? Bad for business." His arms fold across his chest.

One. Two. Three. Four. Shots. Two at the door hinges, blowing them off completely. One, at where the doorknob connects by mechanism into the wall. And the last, at the top of the door. That, defintely, is not Hawkeye's style. Not in the worst of times. Nor is speaking Russian. << Your men were not worth my time to kill. You will come out. Now. Or I will shoot your kneecaps off. And drag you out myself. >>

"We di-" BANG BANG BANG BANG. Clint flinches a little at the shooting so close to his ears. He shakes his head. "Futz me if I end up with tinnitus," he mutters before he calls out to Ivan. "Like he says, come out or we come in, and don't play dumb about why we're here, you sent some of Spidey's rogues to mess me up over a debt. Funny thing is I remember last time money changed hands between us, it was me giving it to you, plus a two million dollar bonus for your trouble. Ringing any bells, bro?"

"Es not about moneys, bro," Ivan replies, stepping out and giving Clint a look. One doesn't get to Ivan's place in the mob being afraid of bullets and death threats. "Respect. I still owe for your little fun in warehouse*, da?"

He looks at the Winter Soldier, and flinches. << It is just business. This man has caused much trouble. >>


 * Editor's Note, see Triple Trouble! for details.

<< And you have caused me much trouble. Since when has the Bratva been unable to deal with matters on their own? You dishonor the Bratva by calling in mercenaries that are not fit to lick my boots. And now? Now. >> James drops the gun.

He tosses the knife in the air, letting the bloodied blade spin. Catches it, with the opposite hand and points it at Ivan.

<< You have until the count of five to convince me that you will never touch this man again, and that the Bratva and yourself will consider all things even, and done. Or I send your head back home. And your family will be ostracized. >> Not from Russia. But, the Bratva? Far less forgiving for such humiliations. And even they'd not dare cross the shadow government of Russia. Which is who the Soldier works for. At least, as far as they're concerned.

"Respect? You shot kids, that's why I had to futz you up. That was on me should have shut you down sooner," Clint says scowling. "Anyhow, not sure what my buddy said but point I'm trying to make, Ivan, is you're not just dealing with me anymore. So, maybe you take me out, but if you do a whole world of hurt is coming your way."

Ivan grinds his teeth, glowering at Clint. << It is done. We will not touch him. >> That is gritted out reluctantly. Clint's little outburst isn't responded to-- the flash of anger in Ivan's eyes show it's certainly not ignored, precisely, but what can you do?

<< If I have any reason to believe otherwise, you will not just become a job, Ivan. You will become a personal project. >>

The knife is pocketed. And, James looks to Clint. "He will leave you alone. For good. The matter is closed." Then, to Ivan, he turns almost absently. "Some of your men are injured badly. They will need medical attention."

That was it, it was over. "Alright," Clint says when the gist is laid out for him. What else do you say when over a year of back and forth fighting was suddenly over? He steps back to doorway, keeping his eyes on Ivan. He has nothing more to say at the moment, so like the thug he settles for an angry stare before he says to Bucky. "Let's get out of here."