Age Of Magneto

Practically An Avenger

Katie was still totally tickled with her new friends and her new dance class and her new Hawkeye friend as she bounced down the halls, following Kitty's lead, because she knew where the snacks were, and they were all worn out after dancing.

Katie was just telling Kitty all about how her mom had taken her out for ice cream before she met Scott when she let out a little eep and hid behind her bear. "There's something on the ceiling!"

Kitty frowned and then giggled when she saw that Kurt was the "something on the ceiling." She waved her friend back over and pointed up. "It's just Kurt. He does that."

"He's blue."

"Yeah. He's just like that."

Katie stared up at the ceiling for a second, pursed her lips, and then headed to the wall to start trying to climb it - which was obviously not going to happen, but she seemed determined to try. "How do you - how did you get up there?" she asked at last, clearly frustrated by her lack of progress.

"Him and Peter walk on the walls," Kitty explained. "Hi, Kurt!"

"Hello, Katzchen," Kurt said before he walked down to where the girls were. "Hello... what is your name?"

Katie glanced at Kitty and then shyly waved at Kurt. "I'm Katie."

"Did you come here with K too?" Kurt asked, his tail swaying curiously.

Katie broke into a huge grin. "Uh-huh!'" She was bouncing on her feet. "That's my mom! Do you know her?"

"She is your mother?" Kurt stared at Katie.

"Yep! She had to go away to fight monsters, but she said I'd be safe here, and I like it here already!" Katie didn't seem to realize that the other kids were staring at her with their mouths agape. "There's dancing and there's Hawkeye and I promised Mom I'd be real brave and stuff so I'm gonna help. Like - like I bet I can help Mr. Charles and stuff 'cause he sits everywhere..."

Kitty and Kurt both stared at Katie for a long time before Kitty said, "Wow."

Katie grinned and then grabbed both of them by the hands. "Let's get juice! Kitty said we were gonna have apple juice! You should have some too. It's yummy," she informed Kurt - not that she was giving him much say as she pulled her new friends along.

Of course, knowing what he did about the state of affairs with Tony, Clint couldn't ignore the fact that there was a little girl walking around saying K was her mom. She was old enough that it had to have happened long before Tony came along, but considering how honestly worried Natasha was, Clint knew Tony was pretty serious about this girl. Which meant he needed to know a few things.

So when the kids had all been sugared up and changed out of their dance clothes - and Katie, to Clint's further amusement, had decided to wear an "I Heart Hawkeye" tee shirt - Clint swept her up with a grin.

"Like your tee shirt, Katie Kate," he said as he tossed her in the air then set her back on her feet.

Katie giggled and shook her head. "It's just one Katie! I don't got two names."

"Yeah, but you're cute enough for two, Katie Kate," Clint teased.

Katie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I'm not cute. I'm beautiful."

"Can't argue with that," Clint said with a laugh.

"Nope!" Katie grinned and then darted over to hug him. "You need a tee shirt too," she informed him. "Cause you're actual Hawkeye."