Despite Tony Stark's best efforts to keep his daughter away from the Avengers, Katerina Stark gets roped in- more than she ever could have planned to. With Ultron now a threat, Tony has no choice but to keep Katerina close to him to protect her. Dur...
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KATERINA AND STEVE had made fast friends after they sat down and talked together. Steve felt like he had someone to talk to who would genuinely listen– without judgment– and Katerina felt like she finally made her first true friend.
She was currently sitting on the fence as her father and Steve chopped wood. This wasn't exactly her ideal choice of hanging out, but she didn't care all too much, as long as she wasn't alone.
"Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked them.
"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things." Steve said, looking over at Clint and his son, and then at Tony and Katerina."I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception."
"Yeah, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him."
"It was clearly bad." Katerina joined. "He had this distant look on his face the whole time."
"'Earth's mightiest heroes.' Pulled us apart like cotton candy."
"Seems like you walked away all right."
"Is that a problem?"
"I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old-fashioned."
"Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet." Katerina smiled at Steve's response. Her dad was annoying when he pushed – she knew that all too well.
"You know Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right?"
"Well, I guess you'd know. Whether you tell us is a bit of a question."
Katerina didn't want to get involved. She hated seeing anyone argue and she had no right to step in, so she just sat there.
"Banner and I were doing research."
"That would affect the team."
"That would end the team! Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the 'Why We Fight'? So we can end the fight. So we get to go home!"
Katerina's eyes went wide as Steve easily ripped a log in half. She wondered how he hadn't managed to get any splinters.
"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time."
Katerina didn't even notice, but Laura stepped up behind them awkwardly. "I'm sorry. Mr. Stark... Clint said you wouldn't mind but our tractor doesn't seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might..."
"Yeah, I'll give her a kick." He began walking, before looking at Steve again. "Don't take from my pile."
When he was far enough away, Steve turned to look at Katerina. She just sighed and hopped off of the fence, walking to Steve and interlocking her arm with his, a platonic gesture.
