The Selection

Chapter 4

Around midnight, the train came to a full stop, finally having arrived at its destiny. Eager to get out, every passenger immediately got out of their seats and exited the cramped space the moment the doors opened, everyone except one.

Peter was still half siting half laying in his seat deep asleep, now looking much warmer than before. When everybody had left the train, Clint went to Peter and gently shook him awake.

"Kid, time to wake up"

Peter waked up slowly and groggy, having interrupted his cycle of sleep. "We're here, it's time to go" he heard a voice saying

Clint watched as Peter slowly open his eyes, clearly not fully awake, before the child slowly lift himself from his seat letting the blanket fall off his body

"No, don't take it off, it's cold outside" Clint said wrapping the blanket around the boy again "come on, the car is waiting outside" he said as the kid slowly began moving with a hand securing the blanket, so it doesn't fall.

Clint guided the kid, out of the thankfully empty station, since it was common for some people wanting to take a look at the kids who got selected each year. But it seemed that the news of a late arrival had not been made public. If it, had it would complicate the process since Clint bet that Peter at this moment wasn't even aware of his current situation, still half asleep and another crowd of people although a lot peaceful would surely awake him up of this trance.

Finally arriving outside, the cold hit them in the face, Clint being unfazed by it, used to this weather, but Peter instantly wrapped the blanket tighter as to trap the heat inside. The agent quickly spotted the academy car waiting for them, hurrying peter into the back seat, before he entered himself

"What took you so long" the driver grumbled, clearly not happy for having to pick them up at these hours.

"Sorry, the kid is kind of sluggish" Barton respond chuckling to the annoyed driver.

The man didn't say anything else, choosing to ignore his passengers in favor of driving in silence, wanting to go to bed the sooner possible.

Once again Clint took out his phone trying to get his work done in advance since it would take a while to get to the academy, and unlike Peter who had fallen back asleep with his head resting against the window, Clint couldn't do that.

A few emails later and they finally pull over the big build that house the 'academy', as they would like to call it, for all the select students. Not wanting to upset the driver even more, the official quickly gets out of the car going around the car to repeat his action once again from the train, making the kid grumble at someone interrupting his sleep for the second time of the day.

Normally upon arrival all the students would have some formalities to complete, but looking at his situation and time, Peter's check in process would have to be postponed to the morning. Clint dragged the half-asleep teen to the empty corridors of the building, crossing some people that were patrolling the hallways before reaching to the door that led to the kid's room.

Opening, the boy immediately walked in the direction of the bed thankfully taking out his worn-out shoes before laying on top of the covers covering himself with his train blanket, falling asleep immediately.

It pained Clint to see the kid sleeping on top of the bed in his dirty clothes or rather rags but he didn't have the heart to wake up the kid again and making him take a shower, Peter would probably not even manage to be awake enough to do that.

With a sigh, Clint closed the door, thankful that he could finally go to sleep, after a long hard day.

Morning comes too fast for his liking, Clint thought as he stood in front of Peter's new room. He wanted to give the kid a little more time to sleep, but after taking a look at his schedule for today, he knew he couldn't do that, especially after seeing the king wanted to see the kid.