The kid avengers

Lots To Do

They got more than a few strange looks as they arrived at the mall. Mostly because of how the children were dressed, or, not really dressed may be more accurate.

After the first shop, and several whispered comments of "I'd never let my kids out the house dressed like that!", they took the kids to the restrooms so they could change. Pepper was glad that she only had to take Natasha and Bruce into the women's, leaving Phil with the other four (albeit the elder four). Natasha managed to dress herself, with minor help from Pepper when she struggled; only able to use one hand. Pepper suspected her wrist was bothering her more that it should be...
And Bruce, when he wasn't screaming, was a lovely content baby who happily sat still while Pepper dressed him, smiling and muttering to Natasha.

The three waited for Phil and the boys, who emerged not long after. Tony's top was inside out, and Clint's trainers were on the wrong feet. But other than that, they looked much better.

The rest of the shopping trip went surprisingly well. Natasha held Pepper's hand the whole way round the mall, Clint carefully holding Natasha's other. The two of them chatted away. Phil had Bruce, and now they'd bought a stroller, he was satisfied to just sit and observe his surroundings; watching everything and everyone while clutching a toy truck they'd bought for him. The three eldest boys walked a few feet ahead of the others, talking and joking.

They'd bought enough clothes for each of the kids to last months! Along with various pairs of shoes, toys, books, games and films. Pepper had ordered each of them a bed aswell, to save them sleeping on the sofas/floor again; she'd cleared out some of the rooms on the 63rd floor so they could make them into bedrooms for the kids, Phil and Maria.

Once all their shopping had been shipped off to the tower, the group decided to go to the park. It was a nice day and Pepper thought it'd be a good opportunity for the kids to burn off some of their energy.
Pepper pushed Bruce on the swing, while Clint and Natasha played happily together on the teeter totter. Tony and Thor chased each other up and down the jungle gym, while Steve went with Phil to queue for ice cream.

"So, how you doing Steve?"
Steve had been the quietest of all the children. Having said very little about himself, only expressing concern for the others. Steve had been invaluable in helping the adults take care of the other kids, especially the younger ones.

"I'm fine thank you sir" his gaze wondered over to where Thor and Tony played. "And yourself?"

"Can't complain" he smiled back fondly.

Phil ordered eight ice creams. Two strawberry (Steve and Bruce), three mint (Natasha, Clint and Pepper), two chocolate (Tony and Thor) and one vanilla for himself. He called Tony and Thor over to help them carry them all back.

"You have a large family!" The woman behind him said, once Phil was left holding just his and Pepper's ice creams; the three kids had gone to sit down. "Are they all yours?"
He smiled politely. Not really knowing how to answer. He eventually decided to go along with it.

"Yeah they are" he said with a grin.

"You're a lucky guy" she said before turning to order. With that, he turned to join the seven people sat on a large picnic blanket Pepper had brought with her.

Clint was talking so enthusiastically and animatedly that his ice cream melted and fell to the floor before he'd had any of it. He looked upset but smiled brightly as Natasha handed over the remaining half of her ice cream.
Thor finished off Bruce's ice cream after his own, which Bruce had been mostly wiping on his face and clothes as opposed to eating it.
"Don't have too much!" Phil warned. "Remember what happened last night?"
Thor just nodded and smiled.

After several more hours at the park, the group headed back to the tower.

Phil got Bruce to have a nap in his newly assembled crib while the others settled down to watch a film. After several minutes of argument, Pepper had got them to agree to vote on it.
Finding Nemo was playing on the TV, while Tony sulked in the corner (he'd wanted to watch Wall.E) when Maria joined Pepper in the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry! The meeting ran late, and then I had hundreds of agents wanting to know what happened to the Avengers, their latest mission, their whereabouts..." she trailed off...

"So how was your day?"

"Surprisingly good" Pepper answered with a smile. "We got them all some clothes and toys, and then we went to the park"

"And you've managed to not kill any of them yet?" Maria asked wryly, "or lose any of them?"

"They were actually all really well behaved..." Pepper began, but at Steve's arrival in the kitchen she stopped. She knew the day so far had been too easy.

"Mam... Erm, it's Tony, and Clint, and Natalia..." he began, but Pepper was already on her way to the living room.

Wall.E was now playing on the TV, Thor sat on the sofa watching bewildered as the other three children fought and shouted, a look of confusion on his face. He was clearly torn as to whether he should intervene or not get involved.
Bruce started to wail from the other room, and Pepper could hear Phil trying to calm him once again.

"WHAT is going on here?" Pepper asked, sounding sterner than she'd expected.

The three children broke apart. Tears appeared on Clint's face, while Tony had a huge scratch bleeding just above his eye.

"He started it!" Clint said angrily, looking over at Tony

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"RIGHT!" Maria interrupted, taking Tony by the hand and leading him away to stop the bleeding.

"You two, with me" Pepper added.

Clint and Natasha sullenly followed Pepper into the kitchen, sitting on the two chairs she pulled out for them.
Pepper just stood and waited, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.

"Tony changed the film!" Clint finally said. A Look of outrage on his face

"And Tony will be punished for that – you should have come to get me, or Phil, or Maria, we would have dealt with it"

"He called Clint a stupid baby" Natasha added. "He was being a bully"

"And thats why you hit him?"

"I tell him to stop. That it is not true, and he still continue"

"And thats when Natalia pounced on him!" Clint said proudly

"Shush!" Natasha exclaimed, glaring at Clint.

"And you joined in the fight Clint?" Pepper asked, her attention now back on him

He sighed. "I tried to stop it at first, but then Tony hurt Natalia, she has a poorly tummy, the doctor put bandages on it and he hurt her, so I hit him in the face..."

Pepper rubbed her temples; she was never having children she decided then and there in that moment.

Maria and Tony entered the kitchen, an iron man band aid on his forehead.

"Tony has something he wants to say to you two" Maria said, pushing Tony forward.

Staring at the floor Tony muttered "I'm sorry".
Pepper glared, and the other two mumbled sorry in return.

"Right, all three of you to bed strait after dinner"

"But... But... But" came the response

"No arguments, we said no fighting. That was rule number one. And you three broke it"

"But she started the fight!" Tony cried, a finger pointing accusingly at Natasha.
Natasha's eyes were still glued to the floor, she looked truly sorry and had gone very silent.

"Yes Tony Stark, but you changed the DVD after we specifically told you not too, and you called Clint names - which breaks rule number two" Pepper responded quickly and firmly.

The three children left the room sulking, joining the others who had resumed watching Finding Nemo in the lounge.