Time to go

The circus never changes

Clint stared up at the large canvas tent he hid in the shadow of and swore under his breath.

He had been 'dead' for a week now and the city's noose like grip was already tightening round his neck. Everywhere he turned it seemed someone was watching him,judging him. He needed a way out of the city, no the country that couldn't be traced.

That was when he saw a familiar old poster. Carson's Carnival of Traveling Wonders. After all he had seen and everything he lived through he never thought he'd see the brightly striped yellow tent again, but life is funny that way. The things you thought were buried so deep in your past that nothing could find them pop up like daises in the summer. Like a poisonous,thorn covered daisy.

Now as he stood with the wind ruffling his hair he felt closer to his past than ever. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath in through his nose and suddenly it felt like he was a little kid again, about to preform for the first time. Clint didn't remember his memories as scenes but as flashes of sight, touch, emotion and smell coming together to paint a picture.

His memories of the circus were bright and hard, jumping through his head like fireworks whenever he thought them. But they were never his favourite, they were too flashy. His memory of Natasha was one of his favourite. A streak of bright red, a strong and slender arm around him on nights when the nightmares were tough, a wall a pure strength hiding delicate emotions and the faint smell of gun smoke, blood and rosemary.

For a second he swore that Natasha was standing next to him in the shadow of the tent, but he pushed that away. You need to let go of every tie you have to the avengers. He told himself, the only way everyone can be safe, the only way that Natasha can be safe is if you let this part of your life go.

With that thought in mind Clint left the safety of his shadow and entered the tent.

Inside looked as if he had never left, the high perches hanging in the top of the tent were still made out of flaky black paint, the stage still had its cheesy paintings of wild animals and clowns around the edges it was like a walk down memory lane. But Clint wasn't so sure he want to walk down this lane again, if the circus tent hasn't changed who says the people haven't. Paying the lady for his ticket he realized one thing that had changed about the circus, the ticket price. It had went through the roof!

Just a Clint found a seat in the already packed audience the show began. It was nothing that Clint hadn't seen before, heck the routine hasn't even seemed to change from what he learned ten years ago! First it was the horses, then the elephants, clowns, sword fighters, dancers, snake charmer, lion tamer, strong men, and then finally the final act; the acrobats and tight rope walkers.

Clint watched in complete silence not caring to clap when the other people in the crowd did, he was too busy grading their effortless flips the acrobats did and noticing that they were one acrobat short...