Sequel to Choices and Ultimatums. [Not necessary to read that one first but there will be some references that may make more enjoyable reading for you.] Is it our choices or chance that shapes our destiny? Dick is about to find out when a relative he didn't even know existed comes to Gotham and declares he is letting down the family legacy.
It all came down to this moment. Standing on a roof opposite his former team. He knew what he had to do, but doing so would have him crossing yet another line that he never thought he would cross. He did this and he killed another part of him that used to make him Robin. There would be no going back.
April was the one who mentioned it first. "Splinter is rather old for a rat." Then she asked "How long would we live?" I'd never thought about it before, never thought I needed to. Splinter would always be there and I never thought about the end. Donnie had a theory though. A theory he was willing to explain. How long would we live for?
Coulson is excited about the big discovery that SHIELD has made. Barton, however is suffering from lack of sleep and not best pleased to be woken up.
"He made a different call." Why did Clint not kill Natasha? Maybe they'd met before, maybe more than once. This is the time they met in New York. This time, Clint came with a warning. The Black Widow is moving up SHIELD's priority list and Clint isn't happy about it. He knows that if she gets any higher she'll be assigned a kill order. One that he'll most likely have to carry out.
"Selvig is dancing naked on national television," yelled Natasha. "His head was messed up by the same guy that played with Barton." Natasha wants to know where Barton is and there's only one man who would have the answer. (By popular demand, Chapter 2 has been added)
"He made a different call." Why did Clint not kill Natasha? Maybe they'd met before, maybe more than once. This is the time they met in Budapest. Agent Barton is on a mission that has gone drastically wrong, he's lost contact with SHIELD and he's hurt. He has one option left, seek help from a woman who promised to shoot him.