Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.


"Okay, well, I'M impressed."

Harper snorted. "Of course you are." She waved away Thor's compliment.

"It was cool." Clint agreed. "But what's the point of an exercise like that?"

"Wait, I got this." Jake set down his fork. "You know how after every major battle, the city's always completely torn apart?"

The Avengers nodded. "Well, think of all the clean-up and construction that has to be done, and all the money that goes into restoring the city."

"A lot." Steve answered.

"What if we didn't have to worry about that part; because we actually tried NOT to make a big mess during the fighting?"

"I don't actually worry about that part at all." Clint spoke up.

"You should." Harper chided.

"It IS our mess," Bruce added.

"But we have bigger things to worry about." Tasha argued.

"And that's why we have the Stark Relief Fund." Tony countered.

"We realize that you literally grow money on trees." Will rolled his eyes. "But throwing money around doesn't ALWAYS solve the problem."

"Even if it does most of the time," David brought up, "You shouldn't use your money as a crutch, you know what I'm saying?"

"Your job is to keep the city safe, and intact." Avery explained. "That means in mostly one piece."

"We all know your focus is the first part of that statement." Harper began. "and it rightfully should be. The exercise is establishing a part of your unconscious to focus on the surrounding area. The more you exercise this unconscious part, the easier it'll be to attempt to lessen the damage to the city while fighting."

"The villains won't hold true to this idea, but we can. It'll lessen the damage to a certain extent." Jake nodded.

"Also, the exercise is more for teaching you to be aware of your surroundings than anything else." Harper grinned. "Everything else is just extra."

Tony snorted. "Right."

"It's a good exercise." Tasha admitted. "And we've seen strategy and technique out of Team Two that we haven't before, which is an improvement."

"You're not teaching Team Two to BE you." Harper shrugged. "You're teaching them to HELP you. Don't make carbon copies, help them establish their OWN fighting skills."

Thor grunted. "Alright." He shrugged. "You're hired."

"Whoa." Tony raised a hand. "You don't hire people. I do." Thor rolled his eyes, and Tony turned to Harper.

"You're hired." He agreed.

"SO….what next, boss?" Will grinned.

Harper rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, but Steve spoke first.

"Understand," He sent the table a look. "Harper's in college, she has a job, and she's extremely invested in the Manhattan Project. We'll follow her schedule, because I'm not going to let her run ragged trying to keep up with us."

Clint saluted. "Yes Captain!" He agreed, then turned to Harper. "So….College huh?"

Harper nodded. "I'm majoring in Communications." She informed. "Mostly because I don't know what else to major in."

"Forget College." Will smirked. "Join the army."

Steve shook his head. "Don't forget College." He argued. "Don't join the army!"

"Yeah." Clint piped up. "Join the circus instead."

"Or not!" Harper blurt out. "Clowns TERRIFY me."

"Clowns terrify everyone." Tasha spoke dryly. Thor shuddered.

"I googled clowns a few months ago." He added. "Clowns are terrifying."

"There ya go." Jake shrugged. "God of Thunder has spoken. Clowns are officially terrifying."

"I wonder if that's what I should do with my kids nursery," Tony mused. "Clowns."

"Really?" Avery shook his head. "Your kid will be born with nightmares."

Tony grinned. "Yeah, never mind. Pepper would never go for it."

"Which," Harper patted his arm. "Congrats yo! I heard about the wedding!" She grinned.

Tony shrugged. "It seemed like the time. Plus Pep doesn't want a bastard, so…"

"Hey." Will pointed a finger. "You're pretty much surrounded by bastards….and we turned out fine, so."

The table went silent for a moment, then Avery leaned forward. "You're fiance's got the right of it." He nodded. "Get married."

"Tony rolled his eyes. "Right. By the way," Tony turned to Harper. "Pep asked about you."

"She did?!" Harper brightened.

"Stark Industies is taking on college interns. She wants to know if either you, or any of your college buddies would be interested in applying."

Harper nodded. "I'll ask around. How's she doing with wedding planning, being pregnant, AND running a company?"

"She's going crazy." Tony admitted brightly. "She doesn't have many female friends, she's kind of going insane."

Harper grimaced. "Maybe I'll stop in, see if there's anything I can do to help."

"Do that." Tony advised. "In your copious amounts of free time."

Harper rolled her eyes. "As busy as Papa Bear over there made me sound," Steve held up his hands, "I make time for what's important. I'll see if I can help."

"Great." Tony nodded.

"Speaking of women," Thor spoke up. "Jane has been going over your sobriety serum."

"Yes?" Harper straightened. "Did she figure it out?"

"Yes." Thor grinned. "She's brilliant, of course she did. She wanted to know if you wanted to run the trials with her."

"Uh…duh!" Harper beamed. "Tell her to call me. I'm DOWN." Her phone went off that moment, and she looked down with a grimace. "But uh, not at the moment. Work calls. But before I go…" She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "I should probably leave you with some homework."

"Or you could not?" Jake asked hopefully. Harper just smirked.

"Nice try." She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Here's contact info for a guy who'll tutor y'all for your GED. He's legit, and he'll work around your schedule, but he's expensive." Harper grinned at Stark who rolled his eyes.

"What with all that money I'll be saving by NOT tearing the city to shred every time I battle someone, I'm sure I'll be able to afford the guy." Tony snarked.

Harper chuckled. "I'm sure." She handed Will the paper.

"Quick!" Is Harper gone?" Scottie teased, walking into the room just then. Harper rolled her eyes.

"Bite me, Proctor." She retorted. "Now sit, this part involves you too."

"Aw darn." Scott took a seat. "Came in at just the wrong time."

"Shh." Harper smiled. "So. My first order of business is to pair you up. After watching the way you all fight against each other, I have paired you up on a compatibility basis. Spend time with each other, train with each other, and learn from each other." She demanded. "When we run training Exercises, and I say pairs, these are the pairs I speak of. They won't look like they make sense, but trust me. Aight?"

Everyone nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly. "Wonderful."

"Clint, you're with Jake."

"Will, you're with Thor."

"Avery and Tony."

"Steve and Scottie."

"I get a big?!" Scott pumped a fist. "Awesome-sauce!" Harper rolled her eyes.

"Tasha's with me." Harper beamed. "And Bruce and David."

Tasha raised a hand. "Why you and I?" She asked. Harper shrugged.

"Because we're twins." Tasha pursed her lips, but nodded.

"Well," Harper sighed and stood. "This has been fun, but I better jet. I'm meeting with the Manhattan Project Board," She winked at Thor, "and some of them are a stickler for being on time."

"Oh. Here." Steve flicked something Harper's way, and she caught it on reflex. "Something to help you get there on time."

Harper looked down at the keys, and Steve took the opportunity to stride away.

"These are keys." She said dumbly. She looked up.

"Father!" She ordered, rushing after Steve. "WHAT ARE THESE KEYS TO?"


"They're cute." Will grinned.

"Agreed." Tony pushed himself away from the table. "Well, come along, padawan. We shall begin your training." Avery raised a brow as Tony patted him on the shoulder. "Please tell me you're going to explain the advanced chemistry involved in your suits automatic sensors." Tony grinned.

"I like you." He decided, throwing an arm around Avery and leading him away.


Scott rushed off to go bug, er, FIND Steve, and Will turned to Thor. His eyes brightened. "Is Asgard really built using architecture similar to that of the Greek and Roman empires of long ago?"

Thor grinned. "We have our own signature, but it's similar, " He began.

Clint rolled his eyes. "Gross. Come on, Jake, let's go beat each other up."

Jake snorted. "You think you can take this?"

"If you stay black." Clint argued.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Even when I'm green," He argued. "I'm black."

Bruce blinked. David chuckled. "They're all crazy." He admitted. "But everyone is, in their own way."

Bruce nodded in agreement. "So." He spoke slowly. "What should we do now?"

David thought for a moment. "You know how to make quiche?"

Bruce frowned and shook his head. David grinned. "Come my friend. Learn from a master."


Tasha stood, arms crossed, once the room was clear.

The kid might have the ability to take out everyone inside her and didn't even know it….

But she was right about some things, that's for sure.


1 month later:

"Hey Harp."

Harper shot Steve a look. "Really?" She complained. "You don't get enough of me at the tower, or at home? You have to come bug me here? At my place of work?"

Steve grinned. "Everyone else hogs your attention at the tower and you're pretty much never home." He made a pouty face, and Harper rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Papa bear. We'll hang out after my shift, alright?" She promised. Steve smiled and nodded.

"Great!"

"Now are you going to order something, or did you come just to guilt me into hanging out with you?"

Steve shrugged. "Little bit of both. Just get whatever you made for me last time, that was great."

Harper smirked. "One iced Americano for the iced Americano!" She threw over her shoulder, and her coworkers, who were used to Steve showing up by now and were mostly chill about it, all laughed.

"Kid's got jokes." Detective Morris leaned forward from where he sat only a table away, and Steve rolled his eyes.

"Kid THINKS she's got jokes." Steve corrected. "She's not all that funny, actually."

"Psh. I'm hilarious. Come get your drink old man." She slid his cup towards him. "And go bug Morris about his homeless people problem."

"Homeless people problem?" Steve raised a brow at Morris, who shrugged.

"I've got a lot of odd disappearances going down." Morris squinted. "No one else seems to care,"

"Because the streets are looking cleaner?" Steve sympathized. "The news was talking about what an improvement it was."

"But the "garbage" that they're talking about having been cleaned up…it's people. And people have to go somewhere." Morris grunted. "But I've been slammed at work, I don't have enough time to organize all the files I'd need to ask to officially pursue this."

"That's why you need an intern." Harper leaned over. "And I volunteer."

"With all that free time you have?" Steve asked dryly.

Harper shrugged. "I need an internship for my Career class."

"And Stark offered you one." Steve retorted.

"Yeah, but that's with STARK." She scrunched up her nose. "I see him enough, thank you. Morris is way cooler. AND it's a case I can really sink my teeth into." Harper snapped her teeth together a few times.

"What do you mean?" Morris asked.

"I was homeless when I was a kid. Way before Steve." Harper grinned wryly. "I know the life. I have the drive to see this through and the skills to get them to talk to me in a way they won't talk to you."

Morris looked a little sick, and Harper threw him a banana.

"Being homeless as a kid is more of a constant adventure than it is anything else." She smiled. "Don't freak out, I survived." A voice hollered for Harper from the back had her pointing at Steve.

"Fix him." She joked. And she moved away.

Steve shot Morris a wry smile. "You alright there?" He asked.

Morris opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Then he nodded. "Yep." He nodded again. "I'm fine."

Steve stood. "Alright then. Good luck on your case." Morris nodded, watching Steve go with furrowed brows.


"So about that internship," Harper said as she returned, "I really think you should let me…" She trailed off and crossed her arms. "Talk out loud to no one, because everyone left while I was in the back." She snorted.

"Figures."


So, we've got Team Two and The Avengers finally working together thanks to Harper, and Harper is officially BUSY...but Morris' homeless people problem sounds QUITE interesting.

Everything's going pretty good, right? I would hate for...something bad...to happen...

HEHEHEHEH.

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~CLC~