Blade of the Avengers

Chapter 2 - Visitor in the Dark

PRESENT DAY

Eleanor Bishop turned over in her cot in her cell. She had pled guilty to a number of crimes including to conspiracy to the attempted murder of Clint Barton. In return she received a lesser sentence if she cooperated and told the DA what she knew about the organized crime rings in New York. Eleanor kept her reasons for wanting Barton dead to herself. She knew that if she played her part in ten years she would be released, five with good behavior. However, Eleanor did not tell the DA and attorney general all of the truth. It was a closely guarded secret that she kept from Jack and her daughter Kate. Only her late husband was aware of the identity of the organization that she was a member of. Before her imprisonment, Eleanor had nothing to fear for she was a well-known and respected member of society. Now she was afraid. Afraid that someone would pay her a visit in her cell and eliminate her for what she knew. And what Eleanor knew would be very interesting to her daughter's new friends.

Eleanor kept track of Kate from prison though her daughter rarely wrote or visited her. It had been reported in the news that she was being considered to replace Barton as the new Hawkeye; something that she was vehemently against. What wasn't reported was that Kate was spending a lot of time with Yelena Belova, sister of the infamous Natasha Romanov the Black Widow. Another person that she didn't want her impressionable daughter associating with. After meeting Barton and even after discovering that he was the notorious assassin Ronin, she continued working with him. Now she lived with him and his family while she trained. Eleanor did not want her daughter becoming an Avenger. She wanted Kate to live a normal life away from danger. But Kate was drawn to danger, drawn to conflict like a bee drawn to nectar. But if her daughter intended to become a superhero, she could serve a purpose and when Eleanor was released, she intended to tell Kate the truth about her hereditary.

Eleanor heard the door open to her cell and the lights in the prison block briefly dimmed. Prenting to still be asleep, she turned over and her hand gripped the shiv under her mattress preparing to defend herself. Eleanor jumped and slashed blindly only to feel a blade pressed against her neck. She dropped the makeshift knife and watched as it was kicked to the door. Her assailant came into view and her eyes flew wide in recognition of her attacker. Terror gripped her and Eleanor back peddled tripping falling onto her cot. In her cell stood an Assassin, clothed in menacing dark blue and grey robes; his hood obscuring his face. As a little girl, her father told her stories of the Assassins. They were like the boogeyman showing up when least expected and never showing mercy. It was even rumored that Barton turned to them for training when he became Ronin. She never fully believed the stories until now. The Assassin took a step forward and Eleanor screamed calling for help pressing the panic button in her cell.

"Nobody's coming Eleanor. The guards are taking a convenient nap and all the cameras and microphones have been disabled. It's just you and me."

"What do you want?"

"I want the name of the person who gave the order to have Clint Barton killed."

Eleanor was shocked. She admitted in court that it was her idea to have Barton killed blaming it on her Mob affiliates. But in reality, Eleanor kept her true allegiance a secret. However, it did not surprise her that the Brotherhood would suspect her. Many members of her Order were in government positions, CEOs of businesses, high profile lawyers, bankers, generals and other powerful people in society. But if she was to be interrogated, perhaps she could glean some useful intelligence.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Eleanor watched as the hidden blade spring from his sleeve and the Assassin took a step closer. From the stories she was told as child Assassins killed without remorse and were raised that way. They were killers, nothing more. Even the Red Room and its Widows could not compare to the Brotherhood's ruthless efficiency.