Chapter Text
Clint wasn’t expecting Chisholm to betray him like that but then again what else should he expect eve Clint starts to Pull the arrows out his shoulder pain searing down his arms, he eventually frees himself and goes to check on Barney and the other guy he shot before fumbling with the battered flip phone Barney gave to him for his 14th birthday.
Clint dials 999 with shakey hands hoping the operator doesn’t ask too many questions. An ambulance and the police arrive soon after and start asking questions.
“What happened here, kid?” Asked a large officer rather harshly.
“Umm we were just mucking about and drinking a bit y’know darin’ each other and all that and we took it too far and this happened.” Clint lied through his teeth trying his best to sound convincing.
“Right very well then.” The police officer says before walking away to talk to his partner. One of the EMTs sits clint down to check the wounds, cleaning up the gouges in his shoulders before bandaging them.
“Will he be ok?” Clint asks looking down at his mucky shoes.
A few hours later clint is standing in bareny’s hospital room.
“Im sorry barn i didnt mean to shoot you.” Clint whispers fidgeting with the end of a bandage. “I lied to the cops said we got drunk and were darin’ each other…” clint lets the silence fall before leaving.
It’s raining outside cold drizzle hitting the dry pavement as clint walks down the street to the bus stop kicking a few stray rocks. Clint stands under the bus stop waiting for the last bus of the night hoping it can take him to the right place before the circus packs up to head south for winter. After 10 minutes of waiting the bus arrives and fares pretty cheap the last of Clint’s change pulls together a ticket. Clint triedly trudges down the isle of the empty bus to the back before slouching into a seat staring out the window.
An hour or so later the bus arrives at the right stop and clint gets out, walking down the street lit by old lampposts and the moon, he rolls back his shoulders only to be reminded of what’s happened by the sharp pain. He eventually gets back to the circus grounds happy to no one outside and quickly jogs to his trailer.
Once inside he goes to the bathroom to have a shower, washing the grime and dried blood off his skin. Letting his mind wander off replaying the events of this night over and over again. Getting out the shower clint pulls an old pair of joggers on before sitting down on his bed running a hand through his hair. Eventually falling asleep.
In the morning he wakes up to sunlight streaming through the thin blinds. Clint drags himself out of bed pulling on an old hoodie combing is hair with his hand before making a coffee, and searching the cupboards for something to eat and after only finding mouldy bread clint resides to just having coffee. Is peacefully sipping is soon disturbed by his own mind. Clint groans before standing up snd heading outside rolling back is stiff and sore shoulders in the crisp morning air letting out a huff of discomfort.
He sits down on step zoning out to the early morning birds. Letting his mind wonder trying to think happy but all he feels is an ache in his chest from another mentor betraying him, letting the growing distrust for mentors fester. His peace is eventually disturbed by the others coming outside and going about their tasks. After another few minutes of thinking Clint gets up to go on a walk, heading back into the trailer to pick up his old mp3 player.
Clint arrives back just before dinner having being out all day wallowing in solitary rumination. Clint sits in his usual spot for dinner with a pit in his stomach feeling slightly pathetic picking at the spaghetti much more the eating it. Dinner doesn’t last long like normal and clint hurries back to the trailer, biting his tongue in discomfort. Once inside he quickly takes his shirt off to check the wounds on his shoulders trying to loosen the knots in his shoulders, only making the burning pain worse. Clint rests his head against the wall squeezing his eyes shut trying to breathe it out but giving in and going to the bathroom to find some pain killers; clint takes a few paracetamol before sitting in the shower turning on the water hoping the water may relieve some of the discomfort.
After using up all the water clint gets out and collapses into bed staring at the ceiling feeling slight euphoria at the pain being lessened. Clint drifts off pretty fast exhausting overwhelming his body.
The next morning clint is woken by a bell being rung outside. Clint wipes the sleep from his eyes snd sits up pulling a Tshirt on before heading outside.
“We are packing up today, were moving down south” announces the ringmaster before gesturing vaguely and leaving seemingly to get ready. Clint bregrudingly walks over to help start taking the tents down rolling out his stiff shoulders with a pain filled huff. Clint always hates moving its not the act of moving he likes travelling its bc its so tedious to pack every thing has to fit so the means spending hours packing away big tents.
By 9pm all the tents are packed up and everyone is tired and just packing left over bits and bobs before going to sleep ready for the moving. Clint is the last outside searching the lot for any left of archery gear over combing over the area a few times clint decides just to bed wondering how long it will take for the move probably a day or two, rubbing is shoulders some before falling asleep.
The move takes about 2 days, everyone setting up down on a lot in texas.
After about a month everyone has settled in for the off season and clint is finally getting back to archery properly after a month of painful and stiff shoulders, picking up his bow to do some training hoping he is still good enough to impress the new ringmaster.
After a few minutes of shooting he can feel himself getting back into the zone hitting his target every time, a good 20 minutes of pure focus later his concentration is broken by a slap on the back. Clint whips his head around to see who it is.
“You’re good kid, y’know you’ll rake in a lot of dosh. People like young talent.” He sputters out in his big voice.
“Oh umm i’m not sure…” clint mumbles looking around nervously “are you the new ringmaster?” He asks tentatively nocking a new arrow.
“That i am boy!” The ringmaster bellows “lets see if you can impress me again.” He says stepping away to give clint space to shoot. Clint draws back aligning his shot before releasing his arrow and letting it thunk dead center splitting and arrow previously there.
“Well you do live up the legend son, what do ya say you gonna come back and earn ya keep or what?” He pushes rather harshly “you remember your act right. obviously its missing Trickshot but I’m sure your ready for a solo, come on kid what do ya say?” He pats Clint’s back once again to hurry him along
“Yes i remember…” clint mummers bitterly schooling his face neutral and refusing to meet the burly ringmaster’s eyes
“Thats good then we start rehearsals for when the shows back on tomorrow. You can even mix it up some.” The ringmaster chuckles joyfully.
“Isnt it a bit early to start preparing its only November…” clint questions as the circus usually starts up again in March or April.
“The worlds our oyster kid, i want us to be the best circus therefore we train more.” The ringmaster claps before walking off leaving clint to go back to shooting.
Later that evening clint is sat on the step of Barney and his old trailer, absentmindedly shuffling a pack of cards stopping every now and then to drink some beer, trying to drown his misery.
“Clint you are so pathetic, not even 18 and already drowning your sorrows.” Utters Eden in her usual snark, before snatching the bottle from him “where’d you even get this?” She questions before finishing it off.
“Shut up Eden, no one asked for your opinion.” Clint retorts sharply. Going back to shuffling cards.
“Oh my god! Are you still wallowing about whatever happened with Chisholm, come on clint it cant have been that bad and it’s been a month.” She snorts out rolling her eyes. Clint doesn’t say anything scoffing and turning his head away.
“Wow, you really are pathetic being abandoned really got you that down bad.” She says before flicking a pebble at him.
“Leave off Eden, go back to kissing your boyfriend or something!” Clint spits angrily wiping a bit of sawdust from his trouser leg. A few seconds later Eden huffs walking off to do something else, leaving clint alone; he stays outside for another 5 minutes before going in to sleep.
The next morning clint wakes up to the sun searing through the blinds, begrudgingly pulling himself out of bed to get ready because the training will probably be soon. Clint rubs a hand down his face pulling on some joggers and an old t shirt before heading outside. The morning sun is shining but the air still has a lingering chill; Clint shivers before heading over to the big top to see if theres anyone else around and if anyones got breakfast.
He scans the area, and decides everyone must still he asleep so he trudges back to his trailer to get his wallet and go into town and get something.
“Stupid wallet!” Clint exclaims as he picks up his tried old wallet from down the side of his bed. Pulling on a jacket and more appropriate shoes before finally heading into town.
Clint walks around for maybe 10 or so minutes before finding an open café on the highstreet. The bell jingles softly as clint opens the door and walks up to the counter. Clint orders his coffee and breakfast sandwich sitting down in a booth. After a few quiet minutes clint name is called and he gets his food and coffee thanking the worker before sitting back down.
Clint eats his food in silence sipping his coffee in-between bites finishing up snd leaving to go on a stroll before having to head back for rehearsal. Clint rolls his shoulders and walks around the town centre and to the park electing to hang on the monkey bars to try and distract himself from the inescapable sadness he feels at being betrayed by another person whom he saw as a father figure.
After another 10 minutes of hanging around clint gracefully jumps off the monkey bars and starts the walk back to the circus grounds. He walks into the big top to see whats going on and a few of the acrobats warming up; clint walks over to join them not having anything better to do. Practice goes on for about 2 hours, which is fine by him less hours to waste alone. Clint follows them to dinner eating the chilli that he is given before going off to do some archery for the rest of the night.