Twenty-One: Freaks at the Carnival
Welcome back to the never ending series of Panic Stark, as usual Loki and Panic had a face off in Russia after Panic had a confrontation with the Black Widow and now she's in some other time period. Be sure to favorite, follow, and leave me comments on my little story
Carson's Carnival of Traveling Wonders
The first thing to tip me off to where I am is the kooky carnival music that plays behind the veil of darkness hiding the world from me. Who could possibly be at the carnival and why? Shaking my head I watch for the dark haze to fade away which slowly does, revealing the ground below me. Dirt, extremely dry dirt so desperate for water and is now cracking from the lack of it.
When counting it down, there really aren't to many people that could have been at a carnival. Dad would be busy or at home with his parents, depending on the year. Natasha Romanoff wouldn't really be sent on a mission at a carnival, well I'm sure she could but it's highly unlikely. That means the only likely candidate for being her would be Clint Barton but why would he have been at a carnival?
That's the mystery I'll eventually solve but for now I need to focus on the task at hand which is making sure he doesn't get killed by Loki. Currently, that shouldn't be much of a problem as his powers are temporarily neutralized so I need to catch him and get him back to the future before he gets the chance to regain them because I have a better chance of stopping him when his powers are out of commission.
Red and white striped tents line the carnival ground, as the smell of freshly prepared junk food fills my nose. I'm starving, like really really hungry. When was the last time I actually ate something? I can't even remember. Glancing down I realize that now I'm dressed in a frilly white dress with pink and purple flowers imprinted along the dress. Hey, at least it has built in pockets.
Crossing the carnival grounds I stop by a small little food booth and order myself a pepperoni pizza and silently much on it as I aimlessly wander around the carnival in search of an identifiable sign to at least tell me what carnival this is. As if by magic I glance up and see a bright yellow sight with a large clown head pulling out from the standard rectangular sign.
Red curly hair, white face paint, creepy paint coated smile, blue circles on his cheeks, and the round red nose is all that's needed to identify it's a clown pictured on the sign. Carson's Carnival of Traveling Wonders is the name of this carnival writing in goofy bubble letters like they though Time Roman was to mainstream like a hipster would most likely claim.
Medisters? Medieval Hipsters, are those even a thing because I highly doubt it as hipster isn't even a word in this... ancient time. Even without knowing the exact year, I can tell that the word hipster won't be a common saying around here. I tread slowly past each tent I near in case I hear anything suspicious that may either help my find Loki or Barton, either one will work just fine.
"Please, would you let us stay. Barney and I-I could work here in exchange for food, shelter, and a place of refuge..." a familiar voice sounds from the farthest tent across the grounds. The size big enough to fit a herd of elephants. Jogging over, I slip into the tent and fall to my knees and hands so to craw across dry dirt instead of walking in plain sight.
I peak up over the sturdy chairs for guest to sit and watch, a man who I am unable to see, stands back towards the other side of the tent, shrouded by a dark shadow to hide his face from view. As for the other two boys, they are in the daylight, I am able to see them. Two boys, younger than I am, younger than Dad was, at least ten but not older than fifteen.
They're covered in dirt and the one on the left has the same color of hair as Barton so that explains him but what about this Barney kid? It looks like they've both been through hell. A glance passes between each other, one that Mom and I used to do when Ian, my alcoholic, abusive step-father, was passed out on the couch and it was a sign that meant we are going to get out of our own personal hell, at least for a little while.
"What about your parents?" is the Shadow-Man's response.
The boy to Barton's left speaks this time. "Our parents are dead, died when our father collided with a tree."
Our parents!? C-Clint Barton has a brother, holy hell I could NOT have called that one. Seriously, how does one manage to hide something that big for all this time without telling anyone, but then again I hid my identity for five years and my mom hid my existence from Dad for ten years. Reality tells me it shouldn't be that big of a surprise considering everything else that's happened.
In the shadows the man shifts slightly. "Orphans like you always come running to the carnival to escape, where, an orphanage? That would be the most logical guess," the Shadowed-Man replies.
Neither of them respond but then Barton steps in. "Yes, an orphanage but we are determined to prove out loyalty in exchange for your help in our survival, we'll do anything."
"Give me your full names."
"Clinton Frances Barton, but I go but Clint," he replies almost instantly.
The other boy beside him speaks next. "Charles Bernard Barton. It's Barney to everyone else."
An eerie silence drags on for a moment or two until the man in the dark steps forward, a light laugh erupting from him to fill the room with a constant sound of laughter. "Alright then, you both may stay and in exchange will work as roustabouts," the man spins a shinning metallic sword in a circular motion as if to intimidate them.
"You can start immediately, go to the North of the carnival grounds and search for Lana, a fire breather, she'll tell you everything you'll need to know about your jobs for working here, you both can go," he usher the both of them away and I flatten against the dirt as close as I can to stay out of sight as Clint and Barney pass me without noticing a single thing.
Carefully looking over the seats again I see the man with the sword looking at the opening of the tent were Barton and his brother just exited from and I don't like the look on his face. He seems to be stressed, thinking about something.
"The time is coming, I think I've found my new assistant, and when all said is done the blame will fall on him and I won't be their main focus but first," he grins. "I must get that child to trust me, perhaps a promotion is soon to appear in his very near future."
When Sword glances away I crawl my way out of the tent and dart as far away as I can before hiding behind a ring tossed currently closed for the minute allowing me to dust the front of my clothes off. While Loki may not be around, it seems a lot of crazy shit happened in the past as well. Who the hell was that guy, how could Barton have a brother, and where the hell did my pizza go.
Honestly, this shit only happens to me, how can I seriously look a big piece of pizza!?