You're Not as Lonely as You Think You Are (I'm Trying to Tell You)

Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy

It came to him in flashes - the night of his mother's death. He wouldn't take her hand. Goddammit! Why wouldn't he take her hand? He wouldn't. He couldn't. He ran outside after her heart monitor flatlined. He ran until he fell to his knees. Then, that big, blue bastard abducted him. That bastard threatened to eat him. Threat, after threat, after threat. He finally decided it was his chance to escape. He hijacked an M-Ship, that he deemed to be the Milano (after Alyssa Milano, of course!), painted it orange and blue, and took off like a bat out of hell. He landed the ship on what should've been his grandpa's farm...but it was gone. He was so excited to go home, but it was all gone. He didn't know what to do, so he did the only thing he really knew how to do...

That's right! Petty theft - and gone wrong, too. Not even an hour later, he was caught and thrown into a temporary cell at the local police station. He sat in that damn cell, bowing his head like a scolded puppy, knowing how disappointed his mother would be in him. Little did he know, what happened next, would change his life forever.

"Peter Jason Quill." A dark-skinned man's deep voice echoed throughout the abandoned police station, making his way towards the cell. He stopped in front of it with his hands behind his back and an expressionless face that scared the boy shitless. He looked up at the man, noticing a black eyepatch over his left eye. "How old are you, son?" He asked without emotion.

"Four...four...four..." Peter stuttered.

The dark man put his hands on his hips, looking down on him in disbelief. "You're four? You sure act like yo' four, stealing stuff that ain't yours."

"...Teen." Peter whispered, turning his attention back towards the ground.

"You better stop the damn pouting!" As if on command, a police officer walked in with a set of keys and unlocked the cell. He left as soon as it was opened, leaving the young teen alone with the intimidating man.

The man turned his attention back to Peter. "You know kids don't get locked up like this for petty theft, right?" The young teen's stare remained at the floor. "They said they chased you down to an alleyway. Found an - how did they put it? 'Alien weapon'? Like the ones from Star Wars they said." Peter still didn't look up, despite understanding the reference being made. "I wanna know where you got it. Cause' down here, on Earth, we don't have weapons like that. Explain yourself, now."

"Not until you tell me who you are and what you want from me." The young teen demanded, glancing up at the man, who had just scoffed at his remark.

"Nick Fury. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

***

Two Years Later...

Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga

Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga

Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga

Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga

Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga

"Dammit..." The sixteen year-old moans as the alarm on his phone went off. He feels the top of his nightstand, searching for it. The boy smacks it when he finds it, managing to hit the snooze button. He grabs the pillow from beneath him and pulls it over his head, falling back asleep.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'M

The loud intro from the chorus scares him awake, causing him to fall off of his bed. "Okay-" He whispers to himself. "I'm up."

It was the first day back from summer break (or what was considered summer break, given the fact that he was stuck at the academy all summer), which meant there would be an assembly, introducing all of the new students. S.H.I.E.L.D Academy was well-known for taking in special, troubled and even homeless kids, giving them a second chance at a better life. The school teaches discipline as well as regular education. Some students stick around after they graduate and join S.H.I.E.L.D. They even have agent training programs for electives where students can go on missions. For most students, it felt like a dream come true. For Peter, however, it was just another boring school day.