Chapter Text
Time has never been something that Clint kept track of. He was always going with the flow, going where the world needed him. However, with the great evil vanquished, he found himself teaching children archery and patience. It was a simple life, one that he certainly did not take for granted. It was quiet and safe. If his skills were ever needed again, he was able to jump back in; however, teaching others and training them to be the new set of heroes was a different matter altogether. That was more his speed these days. At least, it was, until that time rift opened.
Clint wasn't sure where he was, or when he was, for that matter. What was once his peaceful farm in Iowa now stood cybernetic skyscrapers and flashing neon lights, and a lot of chaos. There were brawls in the streets against man and machine. He hadn't seen fights like this in years, but he knew what this was. It was a war, and just like any other war, Clint found himself in the middle of it. Only this time, he doesn't know which side is in the right. He doesn't know what either side even is. All he knew was that if he wanted to get back home alive, he had better figure it out.
As he travels through the streets, Clint picks up on a few things. Dimension rift, two dooms, and needing heroes. All of those things he's all too familiar with. After their fight with Ultron in his timeline, many of his friends ended up going back to their own corners of the world, only grouping up again when another threat appeared. Ultron spoke of the multiverse, but no one listened to him. "Who'd have thought that bucket of bolts would be right about something..." Clint muttered to himself as he continued to duck and dodge the chaos. "Now, where the hell am I?"
Keeping to the backstreets, Clint found himself in the heart of the battle, where he saw some familiar faces. In the sky was Iron Man, Tony Stark himself, blasting away. Close by was his web-slinging prodigy, Spider-Man. However, he knew that his Tony wasn't in the suit anymore, because his Tony wasn't there anymore. He lost him in the last battle against Ultron, a battle that either hasn't happened, is actively happening, or he won. Whatever the case, he doesn't see another person he even thinks he can talk to.
When the dust cleared, the two found themselves on solid ground. Tony stepped out of his nanotech suit while Spider-Man took his mask off, sighing. "That one was rough."
"That new suit is getting its licks in." Tony looked at the chaos in front of him calmly, "But we got there."
Spidey nodded, joining M. Stark's Gaze around the city before his eyes fell onto Clint, looking confused in the crowd. "Uh, Mr. Stark. Isn't that your friend?"
"What are you talking about, kid?"
"Over there, isn't that your archer friend?"
"Peter, you're seeing things. Clint got blipped, remember?"
"Yeah, I know, but look." Peter pointed at Clint, who was looking like a deer in headlights, "That's him."
Tony followed Peter's gaze, meeting Clint's eyes with the same level of confusion. "...Well, son of a bitch."
"Let's go say hi." Peter put his mask back on and was already web-swinging over to him before Tony could process what he said or where he went.
"Dammit." He muttered, stepping back into his suit to catch up to him.
Peter made it to Clint before Tony did, which Tony hated. "Hey, you're Mr. Stark's friend, right?"
Startled, Clint threw a defensive punch, which Peter dodged. "Shit... sorry, kid, you scared me."
"I do that, Mr. Stark said You got blipped. What happened?"
"Blipped?" They had a blip, too, but he didn't make it. Likewise, his Tony, nor his Spiderman, made it. What a universe to drop into. "You had a blip, too?"
"Too?" Tony caught up, only taking the mask off to stay in his suit, just in case this is a trick. "You're talking as if you're not from here."
"I don't think I am." Clint says, "Where I'm front, you two got blipped, and I retired on a farm, training kids in archery."
"Sounds boring." Tony says, "But, if you are a Hawkeye of another time, you shouldn't need any extra training."
"...training for what?"
"That." Peter pointed to the sky, where a large, neon blue portal-like structure was swirling like the eye of a storm.
"Is that where I came out of?" Peter nodded at Clint's question, "What's going on?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out." Tony looked him up and down, memories of his own Hawkeye flooding back to him, but he made sure not to let that emotion show. "We were on our way to meet up with Richards, see if he's made any sense of it. Come with us, we'll get you suited."
There wasn't really anything Clint could say to justify not going. Especially if it means he's going to get suited up. He felt naked without his bow. "Alright, I'll stay close."
"No need." Spidey scooped up Clint and started swinging away. Clint closed his eyes and held on tight, hoping they would get there sooner rather than later.
"Easy, kid!" Tony shouted at him before chasing after him. He doesn't know what's fully going on, but if this was bringing his old teammates back, then maybe this rift isn't going to be as bad as he thought it was.