The kid avengers

Being a super hero is fun

"Darcy, what's your job?" Clint asked the next morning after breakfast. He was currently lay on his stomach in the lounge helping Bruce build a tower. He'd been wondering since Jane excused herself to phone work, Pepper was answering important emails in her room and both Phil and Maria had gone to the office for a few hours on 'emergency business'

"Well, right now I'm a superhero wrangler"

"What's a wrangler?"

"It's like a babysitter"

"But you babysit us" Clint said, confused

"Yep"

"But we're not superheroes"

"No, but you could be"

"Like play pretend?"

"Why not, you want to play?"

"Yeah!" Clint shouted enthusiastically, "Hey Steve, Tony, Thor! We're gonna play superheroes!" he shouted, running down the hallway to get the older boys

"Hey Nat, you wanna be a superhero?"

"No thank you"

"Why not?"

"I just don't..." she said sadly

Darcy sensed she'd probably said something she shouldn't; Natasha had gone very quiet and discarded the lego she was playing with.

"Well what do you want to be?"

"I wanted to be a ballerina, but I'm not allowed anymore"

"What do you-"
"They're coming!" Clint announced excitedly "Hey Darcy, can I have a bow and arrow as my weapon? Like Legolas in Lord of the Rings? That'd be cool for a superhero right?"

"Sure you can sweetie, it'd be very cool" she smiled

A thought suddenly entered Darcy's head; "Hey Tasha, how old are you?"

"She's five" Clint answered for her, searching the toy chest for the toy bow and arrows Darcy had given him as a gift when she'd first joined the team of babysitters

"I'll be right back" Darcy said, getting up from her place on the floor. "Watch Bruce for me"

She wondered down the hallway and knocked on Pepper's door

"Come in"

"Hey Pepper, how you doing?"

"I'm good. How're you doing?" she asked suspiciously

"I was just wondering... Is it possible for me to read their files? I mean I know some stuff about their pasts... But"

"I'm not even allowed to read their files" Pepper cut her off, but she knew how frustrating it was. They were suppose to look after their friends but knew a limited amount about their pasts. "It is something particular bothering you?"

"I just feel like I'm constantly saying things I shouldn't, upsetting them by reminding them of their pasts"

"It is difficult, but it's not really in the past for them anymore, it's recent and raw. They each have their own specific trigger; for Steve it's the mention of the year. He's perfectly comfortable with the technology, and how much everything is different, but mention the year we're in and it sends him sulking for days. Tony is fine as long as you avoid mentioning his parents, and Thor is okay as long as no one mentions Loki; he's the only one of the children to become homesick, and only when he misses his brother. Clint is a bit funny about his past in general, but he's pretty good at ignoring subjects which make him uncomfortable, turning it into a joke or changing the subject. Natasha is a difficult one to figure out... Some things I was sure would upset her, but she'd be fine, other things which I never even thought to consider can cause her mood to drop dramatically"

"She mentioned she wanted to be a ballerina..."

"She loved to dance, she still does... Natasha; the adult Natasha, once told me that's where they found her. A guy named Ivan saw her at her dance class and decided she'd be perfect for the training. The Red Room made her continue her dance lessons; she was gifted, but they told her that wasn't what her body was for anymore"

"But she's five; they were already messing with her?

"Yeah, for almost a year now. She was taken on her fourth birthday"

"That's just shit" Darcy replied, there was just no adequate word...

Darcy wondered back down the hallway, feeling saddened and wishing she hadn't pried into Natasha's past.

But her spirits were lifted when she walked into the lounge. Clint was sat on top of the kitchen table shooting his plastic arrows while Tony ran round with his StarkPad, using sound effects on the table to make explosion noises. Steve was using a pillow as a shield while Bruce stomped around shouting "Smash! Smash!". Thor had joined in and tied a blanket round his neck like a cape, "I'm flying! No one can stop me!" he called as he ran round the room, his cape blowing behind him, and Clint had even gotten Natasha to join in by convincing her girls needed to be superheroes too.
Jane had returned from her phone call and ended up playing the bad guy, Natasha was clinging to her back while Jane ran away from Thor and Tony.

"Can I play?" Darcy asked, but regretted it when one of Clint's arrows hit her in the face

"She has an accomplice!" Tony bellowed, pointing to Darcy. Okay, this wasn't quite what she'd expected... Thor leapt at Jane and helped Natasha take her down while the others turned their attention to Darcy; it took only minutes for her to be captured too.

"See Tasha, being a superhero is fun!" Clint told her smiling, and Darcy was relieved to see the little girl smiling back, nodding in agreement