134. Recruitment Part 2

Few days later in New York City – Midnight

Rain fell in heavy sheets over the ruins of East Harlem. Lightning occasionally illuminated the shattered buildings and fractured skyline, casting eerie shadows through the broken windows of an abandoned apartment complex.

On the third floor of one such building, hidden behind collapsed furniture and burnt walls, a figure sat slumped in the corner of a dark room — chest heaving, blood trickling down her side.

She wore a white combat suit — torn, stained with soot and crimson — and a sleek tiger mask, its jawline cracked and smeared with dirt. Her breath was ragged, each inhale sharp like a blade through her ribs.

Her name was Ava Ayala — the last bearer of the White Tiger amulet, a mantle passed down in her family. But tonight, she wasn't a hero. She was prey.

She touched her side, flinching as her fingers brushed an open wound.

He found me again...

Outside, the wind howled. Rain pelted through the broken ceiling. The world felt as if it were holding its breath.

Then — a feeling.

Not a sound, not a sight — but an instinct. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Danger.

Without thinking, Ava sprang from the corner, leaping through a shattered window and landing hard on the wet fire escape. She didn't stop. She vaulted to the next building, breathing hard, boots slipping across wet metal.

BOOM!

The abandoned apartment exploded behind her in a burst of fire and crumbling stone.

Smoke curled into the air. Chunks of concrete scattered across the alley below. And from within that cloud… he emerged.

Dressed in a thick hunter's coat, eyes cold and sharp beneath a wide-brimmed hat. A heavy rifle hung from his shoulder, and an electrified spear crackled in his right hand.

Kraven the Hunter.

He stepped over the rubble, smiling faintly.

"Still fast, Tigeress," he called, voice deep and rich with arrogance. "But the wounded don't run forever."

High above, Ava crouched on the edge of a rooftop, muscles coiled, breath unsteady.

"You blew up a building," she hissed, eyes narrowing behind her mask.

Kraven shrugged. "It was rotting anyway."

He sniffed the air, then smiled wider.

"You're bleeding. And tired. The hunt… is almost done."

Lightning split the sky. And in that second of light — he leaped.

Ava barely rolled aside as Kraven's spear crashed into the rooftop, sending sparks into the air.

She spun and kicked, striking his chest — but he barely moved, simply grunting and swinging the spear sideways. It caught her shoulder, tossing her across the roof like a ragdoll.

Ava groaned, gripping her injured side. The Tiger amulet under her suit pulsed faintly, trying to mend the worst of the damage, but even magic had limits.

Kraven approached, slow and confident.

"I've hunted lions in Africa. Snakes in the Amazon. But never a tiger blessed by gods." He twirled the spear. "Your kind is rare now. Sacred. That's what makes the trophy valuable."

Ava gritted her teeth, forcing herself up. "I'm not a trophy."

"You're a challenge," he corrected. "And I only kill worthy prey."

She dashed forward, claws extended, slashing across his chest. Sparks flew as metal met armor, but this time he staggered slightly.

Ava pressed on, flipping behind him, going for the legs.

But Kraven moved like a phantom. He grabbed her mid-motion and slammed her into the ground.

Pain flared in her ribs. Something cracked.

She lay there, rain pouring into her mask, chest struggling to rise.

Kraven stood over her, raising his spear.

"Good fight," he said. "But this is where your story ends."

But then—

FWOOOM.

A circular blue portal opened behind Ava's crumpled body, swirling with energy and humming with power.

Kraven blinked, pausing mid-strike. "What—"

From the portal stepped a man — tall, lean, with a bow strapped to his back and a quiver of trick arrows across his shoulder.

The purple vest, short sleeves, and sharp eyes beneath the wind-mussed hair were unmistakable.

Ava's breath caught in her throat.

"Wait… you're—"

The man raised one hand calmly.

"Clint Barton," he said. "Some folks call me Hawkeye."

Kraven scowled. "Avenger."

"Retired," Hawkeye said casually. "Mostly. But I don't like watching cowards beat up on exhausted girls."

Kraven stepped back, narrowing his eyes. "This is not your hunt, archer."

"You're right," Hawkeye said, stepping closer. "It's hers. And she's not done yet."

Kraven hissed through his teeth, then slowly backed away. "Another time, Tigeress."

With that, he disappeared into the smoke and rain, his silhouette vanishing into the night.

Ava groaned, trying to sit up.

Clint knelt beside her and gently helped her lean back.

"You're lucky I was nearby," he muttered, checking her wound. "That guy's a monster."

Ava winced. "You… shouldn't have stepped in. I had it."

Clint raised a brow. "Did you?"

She hesitated.

"…No."

Clint smiled faintly. "Good. Honest. That's rare."

He stood, glancing back at the portal still swirling behind them.

"I'm not here to drag you through that," he said. "But I am here to give you a choice."

Ava looked up, still holding her ribs. "Choice?"

"There's a place," he said. "Not government. Not S.H.I.E.L.D. Something quieter. We help people like you. People who've been hunted. People who fight alone. People who've lost too much."

Ava stared at him, silent.

"You've got heart, kid. You're fast, smart. Brave. But you're trying to fight wolves with your bare hands." He crossed his arms. "You wanna get stronger? You wanna learn how to beat guys like him next time?"

"…Yes."

Clint nodded. "Then rest up. Heal. Because in a few months, your new journey will begin."

Ava looked down, the weight of exhaustion still pulling her toward the edge of consciousness.

"…You really think I can win next time?"

Clint smiled, soft but confident. "I think you'll be the one doing the hunting."

***

Sky Fortress – High Orbit

The blue portal opened inside a quiet medical wing of the Sky Fortress. The swirling energy hissed, and Hawkeye stepped through with White Tigeress slumped in his arms.

Her mask was cracked. Her suit torn. She had passed out mid-transit — partly from her injuries, partly from the portal's disorienting pull.

Clint grunted as he shifted her weight and carried her to an empty room, where he left her to rest. He knew she just needed time—and she'd be back to normal in no time.

Clint took a step back, exhaling slowly.

His hand gripped the side of the bed for a moment.

The portal jump had left him nauseous too. His stomach twisted like a pretzel, but he clenched his jaw and pushed the sensation down.

"Ugh… those damn portals," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "Next time I'm taking a taxi."

He looked down at Ava, watching her chest rise and fall as she slipped into sleep.

"Hang in there, kid," he said quietly. "You've got fight in you."

Clint turned and walked toward the exit. As the door hissed closed behind him, he rolled his shoulder and muttered under his breath:

"One down. Nine to go."

And with that, Hawkeye disappeared into the next mission — leaving the Sky Fortress behind and heading off to find the next name on the list.