The Kids in the Dark

Realtionships Rage and Results

The door opened on the third knock to reveal a half shaved Hawkeye standing in the door way. Jacob saw his gaze harden as he took in the state of the teenager. Jacob gave him a half hearted grin.

"Can you literally not keep out of trouble for one day?" the older agent asked exasperated as he stepped closer to Jacob to examine the already swollen bruises on his face.

"I don't go looking for trouble, trouble finds me," Jake retorted, wincing away from Clint Barton's hands as he pressed the tender bruise under his jawbone.

"You're telling me, kid. I thought I trained you better," Barton sighed as he shook his head. "What brings you to me?"

"I need a ride."

"To where?"

"........the hospital."

"Can't you drive yourself?"

"If I could, I wouldn't be asking you," Jake grumbled, not in the mood to be questioned.

Barton raised an eyebrow quizzically. After what seemed like ages, Jacob's trainer finally rolled his eyes and leaned back into his room. He leaned back out a second later and tossed Jacob the keys.

"Deck uno, I'll be there in ten minutes," Barton said with finality before shutting the door to his quarters to finish shaving.

Jacob tried to catch the keys, but his reflex was to use his bad arm. The moment he moved it a spike of pain shot through body and Jacob saw white for a few seconds. When the fire finally subsided, he managed to slowly pick the keys up from the floor and make his way towards the parking decks.

Jacob never liked the parking decks. They were hidden underground, beneath the huge edifice that was SHIELD Agency. This was supposed to protect the vehicles and cars from being bombed or tampered with. However, all it did was make the place dark and moldy, the last place anyone with sense would want to go.

Exactly ten minutes after Jacob unlocked Hawkeye's car and got in, the superhero himself slammed the driver's door, freshly shaved and dressed for the kill. He tossed an ice pack into Jacob's lap.

"It might help keep the swelling at bay for now," Barton advised, cranking the car. "You'll still be looking like you got your wisdom teeth out for a week or so."

"Still look better than you, I bet," Jake said teasingly, which got him a smile from Barton.

"Only if you're blind," Barton challenged with his own smirk. Jacob rolled his eyes jokingly and started to smile, but a split in his lip kept him from taking it too far.

Though, it was true. Jacob looked rough. His entire body was covered in the huge purplish bruises that hadn't even swelled to full capacity yet. A black eye had started to form under his left eye. There was a thin slash down one side of his face which was lightly bleeding, as well as a few other odd and end scratches. Then there was his arm... Jacob couldn't bear to look at it. He could only hope it was a sprain, though he knew for certain that the snap that echoed through his ears in the gym had come from him. If he really broke his arm, it wouldn't matter if he passed his tests or not, he wasn't going to be able to go back out in the field until his arm was healed.

"So," started Barton, trying to begin a conversation, "I'm guessing the tests didn't go very well today, then."

"No, they went freaking fantastic," Jacob mumbled sarcastically. Barton only chuckled at his pouting passenger.

"I told you, those tests work at you. They're meant to prove that you're ready to go back out there. That's why I thought you should've waited another week."