The Prince of the Tower

Chapter 1: Welcome to Avengers Tower

The tower was big in a different way than the institute had been big. The institute had felt like something that a nobleman from Robin Hood's time had lived in that was just updated to have, like, TVs and stuff. The tower felt like Tony Stark had just dropped a bunch of rooms on top of each other and made everything shiny and new.

It took a lot of getting used to, especially because Clint had finally felt like he knew where everything was in the institute — and now he had a whole new place to learn.

He did know the basics, at least, like how to find the kitchen and the living room from Logan's room where he and his mom were staying. Which was good, because his mom was still absolutely dead asleep that morning, even though she usually woke up before him.

He decided to let her sleep, because he had never seen her that tired except when she got in that fight with Sabretooth, and got himself downstairs to the kitchen.

Nothing there was built for people his size, but he still managed. Tony had bought a few cereals that looked like sugary kids' cereals, and he found the one that said it had a toy in the box, set that on the counter, and pushed a chair over so he could climb up to reach a bowl. By the time he had also gotten out the milk and a spoon, he had drawn an audience — though he hadn't heard anyone coming when he was focused on the task at hand.

So he totally startled when Jan sat down on the stool next to him after he'd finally climbed up to have his breakfast. "Do you do that every morning?" she asked. "That's... an impressive workout for a bowl of cereal."

"The other place wasn't this ... tall."

"I know; it drives me nuts too," Jan said, leaning forward with a smile.

"I can do it, though," Clint insisted quickly. "I'm big enough."

"Of course you are," she said, smiling wider. "You took care of it, didn't you?"

"Uh-huh." Clint tipped his head to the side. "D'you want some?" he asked. "I can probably get you a bowl..."

"I can get my own," Jan said, tipping her chin up slightly. "You enjoy yours before it gets soggy."

"Yeah, that's gross," Clint agreed. "And then the milk turns weird colors."

"Only when you eat the stuff that's weird colors to begin with," she pointed out as she headed over to get herself some cereal too — if nothing else, to use the chance to talk with him. "So. How do you like the Tower so far?"

"It's pretty big," Clint said quietly. "And — and not just 'cause I'm short."

"Yeah, it's a huge building," she agreed.

"It took me a long time to learn where everything was at Jean and Scott's school," he told Jan.

"Well ... the good thing about this place is that it's all almost in a circle," Jan said. "Aside from the bedrooms, it's just a loop."

"Oh, is that why I feel like I'm going in circles?" Clint asked with a little, crooked smirk.

She snickered at that and then nodded as seriously as she was able. "What are you reading today? Or are you and your mom just going to get settled in?"

"No, Mom's still sleeping," Clint said with a shrug. "So, I'll probably finish my Hardy Boys. There's, like, ten of 'em that Storm let me have for while we live here, and she has even more at her house!"

"Sounds like she's set to keep you busy," Jan said before she took a long sip of her coffee and glanced at the clock. "What time does your mom usually get up? I'd like to ask her a few things — make sure she's set for clothes ... things like that."