Synopsis / Summary / Plot
In the last Clint Barton issue (#19) Clint lost his hearing (again) and brother Barney Barton got stuck in a wheelchair. Clint is getting by with the sign language and lip-reading he learned the previous time(s) he was deaf. But they rallied their neighbours in the apartment block to defend it against the Tracksuit Draculas gang who are trying to drive them out so the whole area can be torn down for a new mall.
Now Clint shows Barney holdalls full of money in the basement. He admits that some of it is Barney's (that Clint was given by Baron Zemo in the Hawkeye: Blind Spot mini-series) but the rest was taken from bad guys (in our #2). But he tells his older brother that if it all goes wrong he can take the money and escape.
As the tenants prepare for a siege Clint gets a visit from ex-girlfriend Avenger Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) who he called at the end of #19. Clint apologises for pushing her away like he does to everyone who cares about him. He apologises for hurting her (sleeping with Cherry/Penny) and she apologises for hitting him (#9). They almost kiss but then she gets an alarm call from the Avengers. He tells her to go, they don't need *him*. But she assures him they do as she leaves. And we see Cherry/Penny arriving by plane in New York.
Barney urges Simone to take her kids out of here. He promises to join her at the harbour in 24 hours after he's helped defeat the bad guys. But Clint drags him and his wheelchair up the stairs to the roof where he'll be safe. Grills' dad is there with a couple of barbecue braziers aflame. Clint shouts to Deke and Aimee the bike messenger out front to go. Deke goes inside and Aimee pedals off, seemingly to safety.
5 vans full of Draculas led by their old boss Ivan Banionis draw up. They know that Barton is on the top floor with the safe they're after. Deke panics as some of them enter and shuts his door. Then flaming coals rain down on those still outside, and Clint gets more of them with arrows from a fire escape. (He's still not wearing his Hawkeye duds but he's put on a suit and tie for the occasion.) Ivan urges his remaining men on, some via the entrance door and some up the fire escape. And hanging back the Clown loads a shotgun.
Deke has joined a neighbour known as Tito. They climb up through a hole in a ceiling and Clint drops down to replace them. Meanwhile Ivan and the TDs have discovered a load of furniture blocking access to a higher floor. And Aimee stops her cycling and takes out Clint's car keys. Next we see his Dodge Challenger barrelling into the Dracula's still outside and then blocking the entranceway. Clint has crept up to the TDs at the barricade and takes aim with 2 arrows at once. But the Clown approaches from behind and shoots him through the thigh. Clint dives back into the room he came from, getting Clown in the shoulder with an arrow on the way. The villain enters the room to find that Barton has already escaped back up through the hole to the next floor. But as he limps away he gets repeatedly hit by a baseball bat wielded by the old lady tenant shouting "You hurt my boy".
He feels himself being dragged up stairs and when he returns to his senses he's on the roof with Ivan, the Clown and some TDs. Barney is there in his wheelchair, hands tied behind him. They are hitting him and seem to be saying something about a safe. Then Ivan and Clown head back downstairs. Still unable to move Clint sees Barney work his hands free and he knows that his brother is going to take on the 3 remaining Draculas. He's doing well (and obviously didn't need his wheelchair as much as it seemed) and puts 2 of them down. But then as Clint forces himself to his feet the 3rd pulls out a knife and stabs Barney in the back. Clint decks the 3rd guy and cradles his dead(?) brother in his arms.
And then Lucky the Pizza Dog shows up with an arrow between his teeth.