American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

139. Hawkeye’s Journey.

"Has that guy left?"

As soon as Hawkeye opened the door to his daughter's bedroom, Ashley's voice, devoid of any familial warmth, rang out.

"Ah, yes, he's gone. Probably had something urgent to attend to, I guess," Old Barton replied with an awkward smile. He felt a bit hurt after embarrassing himself in front of his daughter, and he worried she might look down on him because of it.

"He's not your friend, is he?" Ashley asked calmly.

". . . Hard to say, perhaps—"

"If you're going to lie to me, then we have nothing more to talk about."

Before Old Barton could finish, Ashley interrupted him. She turned her gaze away, and with a swift flick of her arm, a dart she was holding embedded itself in the poster on the wall—a poster of a young Hawkeye.

"I—"

There were things Hawkeye couldn't share with outsiders as it would bring them endless danger. With only one daughter, Old Barton certainly wouldn't explain the specifics to her. At the same time, Barton didn't want this to create a rift between them, leaving him in a dilemma.

"Anything else?"

Ashley looked out the window, not turning her head, and asked again.

". . . I, I heard you got into a fight," Old Barton said awkwardly. He had never imagined that facing so many apocalyptic crises would be easier than dealing with his daughter.

"Yeah, some thugs were bullying a fat kid, so I stepped in—"

"A righteous act, that's great," Hawkeye said with a smile, but he was clearly too early in his cheerfulness.

"I went over and beat them all up. I protected the fat kid, but he refused to pay me. It was an insult to me," Ashley said coldly, as if she were recounting a mundane event.

"Well... that's not so great," Old Hawkeye sighed. He wanted to say something to educate his slightly off-track daughter, but he couldn't find the words. In this twisted world, he had no right to judge Ashley's actions. For most people in the wasteland, Ashley's actions and principles were correct. It's a survival-of-the-fittest world, and Hawkeye's ways were long 'outdated.'

"So, why are you here?" Ashley asked, still looking out the window.

". . . I have to go somewhere, to do something important. . ."

God knows how much determination Old Barton mustered to say these words. He took a deep breath. ". . . You might never see me again."

"Are you going with that sorcerer?" Ashley suddenly turned her head. Despite Old Barton's poor eyesight, he could see she was very interested in the man code-named 'Sorcerer.'

Old Barton didn't know if this was a good or bad thing. He believed the Sorcerer might be a superhero because, in his eyes, the man embodied a worldview and principles entirely different from this world—something no ordinary person could fake.

Only those who lived in a lawful, peaceful, and just world could develop such a worldview. Given the Sorcerer's age, it was evident he couldn't be a 'local' of the wasteland. So, Hawkeye was more inclined to believe he indeed came from a parallel universe, which was not surprising considering his own astonishing experiences.

But precisely because of this, Hawkeye was even more worried. He didn't want his daughter to be drawn into danger out of curiosity.

Old Barton might not have been a good father. He had money to buy a gaming console for Wolverine's child but was unwilling to use it to pay for child support. Yet, his love and guilt towards Ashley were genuine.

Sighing, Old Barton spoke slowly. ". . . No, we're not going together. Our goals might align, and maybe we'll work together in the future if I survive, but for now, I have some personal matters to attend to. Only I can go. I came this time just to see you, Ashley."

"Oh, you've seen me. You can leave now."

Ashley's tone remained emotionless, as cold as the winter wind, as if Hawkeye wasn't even her relative but rather less than a stranger.

After a long silence, Hawkeye eventually left. He didn't know what to say. Maybe he had taken the wrong path from the start. If it weren't for him, Ashley wouldn't have become like this. It was all his responsibility.

As he walked out of the Tonya Auto Repair Shop, Hawkeye's figure appeared exceptionally desolate in the wind. Leaning against his car, he began to ponder about 'the Sorcerer.'

He wasn't sure if the Sorcerer would act on the information he provided. Initially, he planned to act together with him, to fight evil in the wasteland, avenge those despotic supervillains, and become a true 'Avenger.' But unfortunately, the young punk just left, abandoning him.

"Am I really that old. . ."

Hawkeye's vision blurred. He didn't know how much longer his eyes would hold out, but he knew this might be his last chance for revenge. Thinking of the Sorcerer's expression before disappearing, Old Barton was filled with anger. He wiped his weathered face, gathered his energy, and then turned to open the car door and sat inside.

"Hmph, don't want to take me? You'll regret it!"

Driving out of Hammerfall City, Hawkeye shed his previous despondency. His target this time was the Thunderbolts—the group responsible for his sleepless nights all these years.

When Magneto and the Absorbing Man destroyed the Avengers' last hope, Hawkeye's remaining forces still had a fighting chance. Even if they couldn't win, they could at least cover a retreat. But at that critical moment, the Thunderbolts, who had been close allies, betrayed them.

They mercilessly attacked the Avengers from behind. With the Thunderbolts' sudden betrayal, the Avengers had no chance, leaving only Hawkeye, intentionally spared by the villains, to survive. Hawkeye had dreamed of personally killing those traitors!

For that, he needed their specific information and locations. Fortunately, Old Barton hadn't spent all these years in the wasteland in vain. He happened to know a place that might fulfil his needs. So, he drove to a small town outside Hammerfall City and entered a nightclub named Eye candy.

As soon as he stepped in, he was greeted by energetic, noisy music.

"Welcome, sir. How can I help you?" a friendly waiter asked.

......

20 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
140. 'Dazzling Confusion' and 'Eye-Popping'.
141. Wasteland.
142. Regressed Civilization.
143. Bullseye's Special Mission.
144. A Superhero Organization?