Chapter 25 ━━ I Loved That Mug, Bro

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Handing over a few dollar bills to the driver, Heather gets out of the taxi to head into the familiar apartment complex.

He is still dizzy from the effect of the sedative, but somehow manages to get to the door of Moira Brandon's apartment.

Kate opens the door, answering to the knock as her face fills with relief. "Oh, there you're. You look awful. What happened?"

Heather stumbles into the apartment, closing the door behind him and moves towards the kitchen. He finds a paper bag with two cheese burgers sitting on the counter waiting for him. Wasting no time, he feeds his starving stomach while Kate pours him coffee for a mug. "I went to the club and Yelena was there. We argued a little and somehow went to her place and... you know..."

Kate raises an eyebrow, handing the mug to him. "Don't tell me you two..."

"Don't give me those judgy eyes, okay? I got my needs and she was there. Case closed." Heather says and drinks his coffee. It's not as good enough as his morning black coffee. But it works at the moment.

"Oh god. You can't just go around and sleep with everyone just because they're there!" Kate exclaims with irritation, throwing her hands in the air.

Heather glares at her. Anger is boiling in him and he throws his now empty mug into the floor which shatters into pieces. "You know what I think?! I think you can't go more than 9 hours without some sappy motivational speech!"

"I'm not doing this." Kate pinches the bridge of her nose with annoyance before she sees him grabbing her mug, ready to smash it to pieces. "Hey, absolutely no! That's mine. You don't get to throw somebody else's stuff when you're pissed."

Heather finds this as a challenge and tosses it into the floor with a smirk. He is no longer angry. He is amused.

"I loved that mug!" Kate shrieks. Her eyes are wide and her whole body is shaking with anger this time. Actually, that is how the famous Kate Bishop attempts to be angry at Heather Barton's childish tantrums. She sighs loudly, counting backwards to calm herself down before she looks back at the younger Barton brother. "You know what? I have to find Clint and help him. He's after Maya. I'll see you soon. Stay in the apartment."

Before sending a murderous look at Heather, Kate walks to the living room, grabbing her bow and arrows. But then again, she walks back to the kitchen to find Heather trying to pick the broken ceramic pieces on the floor with his shaking hands.

"Absolutely not!" Kate shouts, pausing the supersoldier in the midair. She helps him up and directs him to the guest bedroom. "Don't try to clean the kitchen. Get a shower and go to sleep. You're not well."

"Yes, ma'am." Heather remarks sarcastically, rolling his eyes at her demands which he gains a slap on the back of his head.

Kate lets out another sigh when the supersoldier pouts and rubs the back of his head. "Promise me. That you won't leave the apartment until I return with Clint."

Heather huffs. "I promise."

"Pinkie promise?"

With a confused look, he connects his pinkie finger with her and then he is sucked into a memory.

Six years old Hedeon is in a cell of the warehouse with the other kids, who are ready to transport to the Red Room. He finds the blonde girl in the corner sitting all alone and crying her eyes out.

With small steps, he approaches the girl and takes a seat next to her. "Why are you crying?"

Yelena looks up with her puffy red eyes with tears. Her body is shaking violently with the sobs escaping her. "I'm scared."

"My name is Hedeon." He introduces himself with his sweet smile, hiding his tears behind the bay. "What is yours?"

"Yelena."

Hedeon wipes the tears of his new friend, gently and rubs her back, comforting. "I'm scared too. But don't worry, Lena. We're in this together. I will protect you."

Yelena's eyes fill up with hope as a small smile traces all over her face. "Pinkie promise?"

Hedeon's smile widens as he connects his pinkie finger with her, making an unbreakable promise between them. "Pinkie Promise."

Heather snaps out of the memory and snatches his hand from Kate as if her touch is burning him.

"Are you okay?" Kate asks. Her tone is full of concern.

Heather nods, rubbing his forehead, an attempt to get rid of the rising headache. "Go and help Clint. I won't leave."

With hesitation, Kate leaves to find Clint, leaving Heather in the apartment all alone.

Heather stumbles straight to the bathroom and steps inside. Cold water blasts into the basin as he turns on the faucet. He bends over and puts his hands on the sides of the sink.

His stomach is turning over, his head is pounding, legs feel like they will buckle under him at any moment. He cups his hands under the tap, filling them. The shock of the icy water on his face begins to calm him after the third handful before straightening and looking at his reflection in the mirror. It has no imperfections, no defects. His eyes roll to the ceiling as he exhales, then levels straight into the mirror. He stares into those steel blue eyes, listening to the blasting water.

"This must be a goddammit joke." Heather says, holding his own gaze. He turns off the tap when he suddenly gasps, clenching his jaw. His brain feels like it is going to explode as he uses both of his hands to clutch the side of his head tightly at the sudden pain. He feels like he is dying from the excruciating pain as images of the little boy and girl reappear in his mind.

The outline of the bathroom door starts to blur as Heather fights to keep his bearings. He loses his balance but somehow manages to catch the doorknob and open the door.

He closes his eyes to control the tilting, spinning environment around him. The thought isn't that funny, but he cannot keep from laughing out loud. He thinks about Clint's disappointed face when he get to know that Heather slept with Yelena, about what Charles Barton might be eating for breakfast, and about Alexei hopping onto his hands and knees to oink like a pig.

Okay. Maybe the latter is a little bit funny.

He calms himself down and gets his laughter under control just before the headache grows wildly. He holds his head from both his trembling hands screaming in pain, tears run down from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm scared too. But don't worry, Lena. We're in this together. I will protect you."

"Oops! Did I break your whore dolls?"

"You're just like your mother, Hedeon. Innocent and native. Look what it brought to Alina. Death."

"My world doesn't always circle around you, asshole."

"He has a soft spot for the star spangled man."

"You wanted me to stop? Sorry, my speciality is destroying."

"Everytime I see blood, I want more. It's like an unhealthy addiction."

"You crave blood."

"The touch of the someone you have deep feelings with, it calms you down."

"He has a thing for Yelena."

"I love you too, Dumbass."

"You're fucking annoying, Lena. Be grateful that I love you."

"And here's another thing. I'm fucking in love with her. Hurt her again, family or not, I will not hesitate to kill you."

"You're all the colours in one at full brightness."

"Yes, Hedeon. I'll marry you. And I love you too."

All the memories start to flood into his head one by one. It's too painful. He gasps for air, feeling something wrong with him. It's like someone just stopped his air supply.

He opens his eyes, now weeping uncontrollably like a child not knowing what to do, smearing blood under his nose whilst he wipes it.

He tries to reach his phone, which is perfectly laying on the bedside table. Unfortunately, his vision goes completely blurry. He forces his eyes into a squint to make them obey before he collapses into the floor due to his numb legs. He puts his hand back to brace himself on the floor. But it's too late since his head bangs hard against the nightstand. He lands on the white tiled floor when blackness swallows him in whole, leaving him unconscious in the middle of a pool of his own blood.