— CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

— "GOOD MORNING, KATHERINE" Natasha says the following morning as the teen walked into the kitchen. A soft clearing of the spy's throat prompts a chorus of "good morning, Kat" from the rest of the group.

The teenagers merely looks at her, pouring herself a cup of coffee before sliding some bacon and waffles onto a plate.

She sat down in her usual spot at the kitchen table, across from Thor, who was there that morning. "Morning, Katherine." He says, sipping on orange juice.

Kat gives him a small smile. She wasn't mad at him, she knew that the team usually left him out of the loop on certain things. "Hi, Thor." She says quietly.

Clint, who was sitting at the head of the table, glared at the God of Thunder. "Good morning, Katherine." He says,  no trace of his previous anger at her. His wife had talked talked some sense into him, and he was now ready to fix everything.

Katherine acted as if she couldn't hear him though, and Thor clears his throat awkwardly. "So, hows school?"

"Fine." Katherine answers, slicing into her waffles. "You've been gone a while this time."

To most, their conversation sounded stiff and empty, but it was actually a normal exchange for the pair.

"Speaking of, did you get all of your homework finished??" Clint asks, although it was only a formality leading what he really wanted to ask. He needed to butter her up some.

The rest of the avengers were silent, listening to the conversation. They were doing it horribly though, all of their spy skills suddenly out the window.

Katherine remains silent and Clint watches her for a moment, sipping his coffee and completely ignoring the plate of food in front of him.

"So, I got an interesting call from Fury last night." The archer says, tilting his head at her. "He told me to tell you that if you can stay out of trouble, he'll let go on that trip over Christmas break." He saw Katherine's shoulders tense. "Do you know what he's talking about? What trip?"

Katherine purses her lips, giving him a sideways glance. The way she saw it, she had two options here: answer the question, or not answer. The bitchy teenager in her was leaning towards not answering.

The girl glances at Thor (who already seemed to know she was going to say something stupid) before sucking in a breath, the whole room seemed to breath in collectively at the same time, and turning to face Clint.

"Perhaps the trip you're on right now." She says dryly.

Clint's eyebrows raised to his forehead, his head tilted at her as he tried to figure out if he heard her correctly. "I'm sorry?"

Katherine turns to face him in her chair, pushing her plate of food away. "You must be tripping," She says. "if you think that I'm going to pick up a normal conversation with you because you just randomly decided to stop being a sniveling bitch."

The whole room got stiff, just as the elevator dinged, signaling someone's
arrival. She figured it was Tony or Bucky, as they were the only ones missing.

"Excuse you, young lady?" Clint says, astonished that she would say such a thing to him. "You want to say that again?"

"No," Katherine says, rolling her eyes sarcastically as she stands from the table, just as Tony and a boy about her age stopped at the doorway. She didn't recognize him, and she certainly didn't want to hang around long enough to meet him. "I want to go to school."

She didn't bother pushing her chair in, or putting her plate in the sink, and practically shoved Peter out of her way as she passed, muttering a: "Move!" as she headed for the elevator herself, leaving behind a room full of staring adults and a very angry Clint Barton.

"What did I miss?" Tony asks, shocked. He had never seen her be so rude to somebody she had never even met before, let alone not clean up after herself.

Sam was the first to speak, the others too shocked. "She just called Clint a Sniveling Bitch." He says, feeling oddly proud of her, he could tell that Tony did too.

"Well, you kind of had it coming, Barton." Tony says, although he knew she had crossed a line. She also seemed to have a struck a bad nerve, as Clint's face was now a cherry red and the mug he was holding was suddenly shattered by his clenching grip.

"Wh-who was that?" Peter asks, looking around the group. He was confused, nobody had told him about a new girl, let alone a pretty girl.

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"You called him a What?!" Logan asks, looking at her best friend with wide, fearful eyes. They were standing in the cafeteria lunch line and Katherine had just explained her morning to her.

Katherine had wanted to tell her all day, but Zander (who wasn't in the loop like Logan) had been hovering since Happy dropped her off. She knew he was trying to be sweet, but she wanted him to go away.

"A sniveling bitch." Katherine repeats, sliding a greasy looking slice of pizza onto her tray, before grabbing a large amount of fries. Eating was a new nervous habit she had developed. "And he didn't seem too thrilled about it."

"My father would whoop my ass if I ever did that!" Logan says, laying for both of their lunches.

Her words only made Katherine more nervous, and she grimaced at the thought of going home. "Will you come over after school?" She asks, following her through the mess of tables. Zander was waving them over from a few tables away, causing Logan to head that way.

"He won't be as harsh if you're there." She says and upon noticing her unsure expression, she sweetens the offer. "Thor's home."

Logan brightened instantly. "Did he ask about me?" She asks, sliding her tray into the empty spot across from Zander, Kat slid in next to him.

Zander's arm was around her waist immediately and she grinned as he kissed her cheek. "He did." She's lies, not wanting to lower her spirits. "He wanted to know what you were up to while he was gone."

She thought Logan was having a stroke for a second, and began looking for her phone. "He so wants to tap this!" She chokes, causing Zander to snort.

Katherine furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding what Logan meant. "Why would you want him to tap you? Wouldn't that hurt?" Katherine may not have been a virgin, but she was still innocent when it came to terminology.

Zander and Logan shared a look, both of them sporting amused smirks before laughing, causing Zander to pull her closer into him.

The rest of the school day when by smoothly, and Katherine didn't worry about going home until the final bell rang.

She and Logan (who were usually late to the flagpole meeting spot on day they went home together) were one of the first people out of the school, and waited with Zander by the flag.

Katherine was practically glowing with Happiness as they waited for Happy, the wind had began picking up, turning the air chilly and Zander had wrapped his letterman jacket around her shoulders at first sign of her shivering.

He had to leave though as soon as he saw his sister, just as Happy honked the horn of the BMW.

"Where were you?" Katherine asks, sliding into the front seat. She was used to him just being there when she walked out of the school building.

Happy snorts, fixing his shirt collar. "The one day I'm late is the one day you two are early." He says, the girls don't answer though as the both of them caught sight of something on his neck af the same time.

"Happy," Logan says slowly, leaning between the two seats as he begins driving. She was trying to get a closer look at the red stain hiding just below the collar of his white (and very casual) T-shirt. "is that..lipstick on your neck?"

"And where's your button down and blazer?" Katherine asks, noting that his eyes flirt nervously too the rear view mirror, and his hand instantly tried to rub the stain away. "Have..have you been with a woman?"

"What? No!" The man says quickly, glancing at the two girls as he fidgets in his seat. Logan and Katherine share a look, knowing that the man was lying. "Shut up! You can't tell anyone!"

The drive back home was filled with an awkward tension as the girls tried not to catch each other's eyes and laugh, and by the time they reached the common area of the tower, they both had forgotten that Clint was probably waiting for Katherine.

"Who do you think he's sleeping with?" Logan asks as the elevator doors slide open.

The two girls step out with a giggle, which falls short when they spot the entire Avengers group sitting on the couches. They were all facing the elevator, arms crossed over their chests and gazes fixed on Katherine.

Fear suddenly clutched at her chest as she noticed Clint standing off to the side, closest to the elevator. He tilted his head at her, a calm kind of anger radiating off of him..that's what scared her the most, the fact that he was calm.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asks, his tone even as the other Avengers watched the exchange. "Hm?"

"Logan and I were gonna do homework and..hang..out?" It came out as a question as she met his eyes, she wanted to look away but she couldn't and she felt Logan leave her side.

Natasha moved over on the couch, to make a spot for her next to Thor and the teen happily took it. "What's happening?" She whispers.

"Well," Tony says from behind her. "I think we're about to have a major breakthrough in their father daughter bond."

"No, we're about to be witnesses to a murder." Bucky says, he was standing next to Tony and Steve, his arms crossed over his chest.

Logan looked back at him with a surprise.. "Holy shit," She says. "You can speak?"

"Wrong." Clint says, unfolding his arms as he takes a step towards her. Katherine drops her bag, folding her arms over her chest as a defensive measure. She was trying to look as if she wasn't scared shitless. "You actually thought that you could bring Logan over after this morning? You thought you would walk in here as if nothing had happened and expect not to get punished?"

Katherine scoffs. "Last time I checked, you're not my parent, so you have no right to punish me." She says, a glare now in her face as she looked over at the others. "None of you are." She instantly regretted saying that, the look of hurt on Tony's face was heart wrenching. She heard him mutter something about needing to get a drink, before turning towards the bar near the large windows.

"Yeah, well I'm as good as one!" Clint says, voice raised as he took another step towards her. "As far as I'm concerned, you're my daughter, which means you follow my rules!"

Katherine glares at him, standing tall. She was pissed, how could he say that after what he had hid from her? "Bullshit!" She says loudly. "That's a load of fucki- "

The whole room seemed to gasp as Clint crossed the distance between them in two steps, grabbing her wrist as she moved backwards and pulling on it with such force that she tripped over her own feet, Natasha thought she could already see a bruise forming.

"Oh my god!" Logan says, shocked that he would have done that. She always thought Clint was gentle, especially towards someone he thought was his child. She looked towards Bucky as he grasped something on his hip, noticing that Steve had a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Clint!" Natasha says, standing to her feet to intervene.

"Back off, Natasha!" He says, pulling Katherine against him so he was in her face. "You're gonna learn some goddamn respect little girl," He yells, his face red.

Despite her terror at what was happening, Katherine couldn't refrain from responding back. "My respect for all of you went out the door when I found the file you were hiding!" She yells back, their faces were so close that their noses were almost touching.

Tony freezes at the bar, causing him to over pour his scotch, the liquid spilling over the cup and over the edge of the counter, ruining his shoes.

Clint furrows his eyebrows, confused. What the hell was she talking about? "What fucking file?" He yells, letting go of her wrist with so much force that he accidentally throws her backwards, causing her to land on her ass and slide across the smooth marble a few feet.

The whole room went silent, as she yelped at the unexpected pain. The anger that had been coursing through him vanished almost instantly, and he moved forward to help her up. "Katherine, I am so sorry!" He says, offering her his hand, she stared at him in complete and utter shock. "I didn't me-"

"Fuck you!" She screams, sweeping out his feet from under him. He lands on his back next to her and she rolls on top of him. Nobody had noticed Bucky and Peter jump over the back of the couch until Peter began pulling Katherine off of the man.

By the time Peter managed to get her to her feet, she had given Clint a bloody nose. "Take her to her room!" Bucky yells, trying to pull Clint to his feet. He tried to go after her as soon as he was up, and Bucky had to push him up against a wall, a hand wrapped around his neck. "Now!" Clint was trying to his his head and pry his flesh hand away, but it wasn't working.

Peter began dragging Katherine towards where the rooms were, she was quite literally kicking and screaming and he was surprised that he was strong enough to hold onto her with the force of her movements.

"Fuck, I hate you!" She screamed, flailing her legs and arms as she tried to get loose. She wanted nothing more than to hit him again, hit all of them maybe. "I hate all of you!"

As Peter got her around the corner and halfway down the hall, Bucky finally let Clint go, although he kept him trapped against the wall. "If you ever hurt her like that again," He threatens, bringing his metal hand up to his throat. "I'll crush your windpipe and rip out your spinal cord."

Clint makes eye contact for a solid moment before pushing the man with ease, which he knew was Bucky backing away willingly because even Clint couldn't match his strength.

He looks at the group. "What file is she talking about?" He asks, not realizing that everyone was asking the same question..everyone except for two people.

"I'll just..go check on her." Logan says quietly, feeling as if this was a private conversation she shouldn't hear..that, and Bucky and Clint officially terrified her now.

"Anyone?" Clint asks, looking around the group as holds the bottom of his T-shirt to his nose.

Bucky clenches his fist, sighing as he looks towards Tony at the bar, who was trying to clean the spill. "Why don't you ask Tony?" He says, realizing that they were the only two (Besides Kat) to know what she had been talking about.

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"Who the hell are you?" Katherine asks as Peter throws her onto her bed. The boy quickly went to go stand by the door, Incase she tried to get out.

"My name is Peter Parker." He says, giving her a small wave. "I'm Spider-Man..hi!"

Katherine narrows her eyebrows at him. "What the hell is a spider-man?" She asks, before shaking her head. "Nevermind..I'm Katherine..Tony's..uh..daughter.." She wasn't sure if that still applied with heroes that weren't the avengers.

"I know who you are." He says, he could tell she was struggling. "Mr. Stark told me that you're a ward from SHIELD, and you're staying here so you can go to school..or something, I kind of forgot.."

"Or something.." Katherine whispers, leaning back on her bed. As she stared up at the poster on her ceiling, a thought popped into her head. "Hey, howd you know this was my room?"

Before he could answer, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Logan's soft voice..

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Hi hey we love angry, sassy, Katherine but we don't love a fight with Dad Clint ok??
New chapter soon!