➖ CHAPTER THIRTEEN!

➖KATHERINE NICOLE COULD not bring herself to open the cover of the thick file and instead star3d at her name printed kg the white sticker label.

Several thoughts ran through her mmind as she sat frozen at her desk. Was she really ready for this? What if her parents weren't who she thought? She wondered of SHIELD knew and decided that it was best to hide her information, create fake files on her as decoy..she wondered if they were protecting her.

Printed on these pages were the answers to everything she had ever asked, wondered about herself. Everything inside of this folder would be the truth and she would not be able to throw it away and restart it. This was not a make believe child's game.

Was Katherine ready to crack open this vault? Was she truly ready for this overload of information she was about to take in?

From the teens frozen state most would say no, she was not ready. And they would be right, she was terrified of what was inside. She had also been raised by Nick Fury, who did not like scared children as his top notch agents.

She had only froze once and Nick had taken the matter into his own hands. Katherine was only twelve at the time, and was learning how to kill. When sparring against her trainer, she had easily gotten him to the ground but hesitated on the kill strike and wound up gasping for breath on the hard floor.

Fury had been overseeing that day and knelt to the ground next to her, leaning over her small body to look at her with his good eye. "You froze, Katherine Nicole." She remembered that he was encouraging back then, it had always been as if she could do no wrong when she was that young.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was too small, always afraid of getting in trouble. It was something they worked on daily.

"You were scared and in this room that's okay." He helped stand her up then, putting his hands in his trench coat pockets. "But out there, in the field? That would have cost you your life.." She remembered trying not to cry as she looked at the floor in shame.

"It's a kill or be killed world, Katherine." He lifted bher head up to meet his eyes. "And only the cowards freeze, get killed. I don't like having cowards as my agents. I need to know that each of them will always come back alive, especially you."

Katherine had never heard the man say that, and to her it was as close to "I love you, don't die" as she would ever get.

"So are you a coward, Katherine?" He asks giving her a stern look. "Or are you a killer? Will you let me down, or make me proud?"

"I'll make you proud, sir!" She remembered saying, and this was what rang through her head as she stared at the label.

No, she was not ready, but she would not be a coward. And as the sky began to lighten, the teen decided to use the last of what little peace she had to read her file, and she created the outcome would not be good, she could feel it.

She couldn't turn back though, it was too late for that. "Here goes." She took a deep breath, holding it  for a moment as she made a decision. Whatever she found in here, was not her. In the end, she will always be Katherine Nicole. The thick covering flipped open with the exhale and her eyes met the first word of the top page.

Katherine was able to get through twenty pages before Logan woke up. Her best friend was grumpy in the mornings and Katherine found it best to just go along with whatever.

This morning she would shuffle down the hallway after Logan, who rubbed her eyes and moaned about food that was already cooking.

Clint stood at the stove when the teens walked in, he had his back turned and Katherine was glad that he could t see her go stiff. "Morning, Logan."

She rolled her eyes as the archer clearly snubbed her and sat down at the counter. She watched him continue to cook, unable to stop herself from wondering if he knew everything she had read so far, like her name or who her parents are.

She assumed he did and that made her want to scream and yell at him. This wasn't fair. How could he try to control her life when he was keeping such things from her?

As Logan fell out of her chair with a thud (Thor did it!), the teen decided that she did not want to be in this room or around who worked for SHIELD.

"I'm not hungry." She muttered, pushing a plate of food back to Clint as Logan picked herself up. "Thor, put a goddamn shirt on before you give someone head trauma."

Both males watched her leave the room before looking at each other and then Logan as she stuffed her mouth with a strip of bacon. "She's probably just on her period." She said, voice muffled around her food.

Clint cringed and Thor got stuff for a moment, he may not have been familiar with too many midguard things but women were the same in one way across all nine realms. Of course they had yet to meet Katherine on her period and little did they know how terrifying that even would be.

Katherine couldn't stand the thought of going back to her room, the file sitting on he desk was haunting at every turn, overwhelming her and causing her mind to go into overdrive.

Katherine knew that she needed to be somewhere that would take her mind off of it, or with someone. The only people that could try to help her were Logan and Zander.

She was screwed on both ends.

Zander would be getting ready for church, sitting through the service and having a long brunch with his family. Sunday was the only day they were all at the same table together, she couldn't take that away from him.

And Logan would either be day dreaming about Thor or would ask fifty questions before Katherine could even get the thoughts out of her mouth.

With her boyfriend and best friend out of the question and the rest of the Avengers sidelined, the only option left for her was the one other thing that always calmed her and soothed her mind.

And she didn't have to change to do it! The elevator ride to the fifty-fifth floor lasted only seconds despite Katherine thinking it was minuets. The lift has begun to feel small, as if the walls were closing in and she regretted not taking the stairs, which would have saved her from cardio.

The doors of the elevator slide open as the car stops and the glimpse she first got of the training room calmed her just the slightest bit. She practically pushed the doors apart with her hands before stepping through them, a shiver going down her sounds as she meets the cool air of the large room.

She was the only person in there and as the doors slid shit behind her, the teen decided to do her normal workout routine from when she trained at head quarters.

Katherine lost track of time after a while, her muscle memory taking over and allowing her to zone out. Music blared over the sound system and sweat dropped off of her skin as she finished her time at the punching bag. She had been at them for a while and went too hard, she realized  as she stopped the bag from swinging wildly.

Her shoulder was beginning to ache from the impact of repeated harsh blows to the heavy bag and her knuckles were bleeding, The blood began seeping through the purple colored wraps she adorned.

Katherine had been so zoned out that she wasn't aware of anything, and as she unwrapped her hands with a hum she failed to pick up on another presence in the room, which would have ended badly under different circumstances.

Bucky has been watching the girl since he came down nearly an hour ago, he hadn't expected the girl to be there or be as obviously worn out as she was and he wondered what was on her mind.

He also wondered why he didn't use his brain in the next moment, "Who pissed you off?" He spoke without thinking, causing the girl to startle.

The teen acted instinctively and went on the defense, her brain not registering the familiar voice. She jumped in shock and spun around, her stretching out to close the distance between them.

Bucky didn't have a chance to register her arm stretching forwards, it all happened too fast. In the next moment the super soldier sank to his knees, metal and flesh hands gently cupping his genitalia as he let out a strangled noise.

"Oh my god!" Katherine screams, not even waiting for her arms to be by her side before she runs over to him. "Oh fuck- shit, I'm so sorry, Bucky!" The mans face is a deep red color, whether it was caused by the pain or lack of breath in his lungs she was not sure.

The pain is so unbearable that he can't even hold back or stop a stream of hot tears from rolling down his cheeks. He could t keep the expression off of his face either and it must have been a good one as seconds later the enhanced  human is laughing.

Katherine couldn't help it, the situation was awkward enough, but the look of pure rage and pain (with an eye twitch) on his stubbles face sent her over the edge. She tried to stop, but every time she looked at him it just got worse and worse.

Bucky grit his teeth, the pain beginning to subside slightly. "You think this is funny?" He growls out, although it sounds more like a whimper and only makes her laugh harder. "I think you broke my balls, Katherine Nicole!"

Again, more laughter. It was the kind of laughing that was so hard, tears streamed down her face and no sound came out of her mouth. She was just a silently laughing, crying, mess on the floor and after a moment he had to laugh too (despite the pain) because she just looked so goddamn ridiculous. Cute, but ridiculous.

"Shut up!" He wheezes out between laughs. "It's not funny!"

"Why are you laughing then?!" Katherine yells, finally able to get a breath. After a moment, Bucky stops too, but continues to hold himself in pain.  "C'mon, lets get you to Bruce." 

The hundred year old man found that standing was rather easy, but it was a slow and excruciating walk to the elevator. Although he would have managed on his own, Bucky let Katherine help him and leaned on her for some support.

The whole team stood in the living room and looked up when the elevator doors opened. They all gave worried and strange looks at the stance both were in, Bucky practically laying on Katherine, and her about to fall as they walked.

"I broke Bucky's balls." She states after clearing her throat. Three separate cheers went up from the crowd as Banner came forward for the man.

"Girl what?" Logan asks, wondering what she had missed. "Why did you..never mind- ""

"Funny, I thought those belonged to HYDRA.." Tony says, sipping a glass of bourbon.

"Where have you been all day?" Clint's voice asks, which wipes the amusement off of Katherine's face. "Huh?"

She wanted to argue that it had only been a few hours but a clock told her it was nearing two in the afternoon. Katherine had been down there for seven hours.

"I was in the training room, I needed to catch up." Subconsciously she rubs her sore shoulder. "Not that it's any of your concern what I do with my days."

Clint looks like he's about to retaliate but keeps silent when Natasha's hand pinches his arm.

"I didn't realize how long I was down there. And it's not what you think." She says, beginning to go towards the kitchen for ice. "I was in a zone and he scared me, my instinct was defensive, so I punched him in the balls. Hard."

She muttered something about him crying like a girl that only Sam seemed to hear, sending the man into a fit of laughter from the back of the group. "Fucking savage!" He says, holding his hand up for a high five as Katherine passes him, he was glad that he was the cool uncle again. "I love this kid, can we keep her forever?"

HOURS LATER
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Logan Killian stood in a darkly lit room, staring intently at the photos she was developing. They were the stills from the football games and around school..and even random ones of Katherine that she would take.

As the images began to clear the teen began to notice a reoccurring event in the background of each photo with Katherine in it. In every shot there was either a man or a woman, both dressed in all black and seeming to stand out but blend into the crowds perfectly.

They were in almost all of the random snaps of Katherine, and even a few stills from the games. They were always on the very edge, nearly out of frame but perfectly in focus. And their focus of attention? Always Kat.

"Holy shit!" She breathes, knowing that this wasn't good. Without a second thought she grabbed some of the finished photographs and quietly exited the room. She made sure to leave a note on the fridge for her sleeping father before quietly picking up the car keys and sneaking out of the house.

She wasn't sure how she knew this, but these two stalkers were bad news for everyone and Tony needed to know of her revelations instantly.

"One thirty in the morning, Logan." She mutters to herself as she drove through the city at a dangerous speed. "Way to go- you cut me off, asshole!"

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HI, HEY, WELCOME BACK!
WHO ARE THESE MYSTERY STALKERS??

ALSO I AANT TO GIVE A FEW SHOUTOUTS,

FIRST TO MY HOME GIRL BREE (imma_be_a_boss ) SHES GOT THIS AMAZING MITCH RAPP FIC GOING ON AND IT NEEDS SOME LOVE! SO IF YOU'RE A FAN OF AMERICAN ASSASSIN OR OF DYLAN O'BRIEN IM GENERAL GO CHECK ITOUT! YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!!

SECOND TO MY OTHER HOMEGIRL TESSA (-imbroglio ) WHO HAS ONE OF THE BEST SCARVIS FICS OUT THERE, GO CHECK THAT OUT TOO!

AND THIRD, AS ALWAYS I LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO NICKI (-ravenclaws) FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE TO LISTEN TO MY SHITTY IDEAS AND HYPE MY BOOKS TF UP!! SHES UP IN MAINE RN LIVING HER BEST COLLEGE LIFE AND JUST BEING ALL AROUND AMAZING!

all three of these lovely ladies are amazing authors, and inspire me to write in so many different ways, and you're truly missing out on something amazing if you don't know them/read their books..

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