When Howard woke up that morning the first thing he heard as he walked past his daughter's bedroom was the sound of glass shattering, when he returned a few minutes later with a dust pan and brush he heard Kat's voice and her shocked/panicked tone greatly concerned him.
"Kat? Is something wrong?" Howard asked as he slowly opened the door, at first, he saw his daughter sitting at the edge of her bed with a shocked look on her face but when he opened the door fully he saw what had caused her reaction as two large wings protruded from her back. "Oh my god, what happened?" Howard asked, and Kat looked up.
"I don't know, I woke up in a daze, so I went downstairs to get something to drink." Kat said before having a feel of her wings to confirm that they weren't seeing things. "Yeah, I know, you've talked to me about walking around the house in my underwear, but I woke up at dawn, figured you wouldn't be awake for another couple of hours." Kat added before running both hands through her hair. "It wasn't until I saw myself in the mirror that I realized that these things sprouted overnight, and no, I don't know how I didn't feel any pain either."
"Those things can retract right?" Howard asked with a concerned look on his face. "Because I don't see you getting out of this room otherwise."
"I don't know, they unfolded when I thought the word extract, I don't know if they are going to retract or…..." Kat's sentence was interrupted when the wings closed in around her body like a bird's wings would until they hugged the sides of her body completely. "Well, so much for my athletic career." Kat sighed as she looked at her trophies. "There's only so long that I can claim that I got dragon wings tattooed down my sides."
"You know I'd never pay for tattoo work that extensive or expensive anyway." Howard responded, and Kat nodded. "Get dressed, we're going straight to the hospital, I'll try to book at emergency appointment with Dr. Koboyashi."
"How am I supposed to fit my wings through my tops?" Kat asked before shaking her head. "That's not a sentence I ever imagined myself saying."
"Just wear one of your tank tops for today, we'll figure something out for the rest of your tops." Howard responded before going towards the door. "And mind yourself around that glass by your right foot."
"Huh?" Kat asked before noticing the broken glass that was her glass of water. "Oh, right." Kat added before waiting for her dad to leave the room and once he did she started looking for a tank top. "Just when I thought getting kicked off the Avengers Internship was the least of my worries." Kat thought before picking up a midriff bearing red tank top and blue jeans. "Is this what that evolution business was about? It feels like my back pain was never there so who knows, wait, maybe I should wear a long coat as well, yeah that would help hide my wings." Kat thought before glancing over at her coats. "I guess the trench coat Marco got me for my eighteenth birthday will do, I'll definitely be sweating in today's hot weather but it's better than the odd looks the wings will give me." Kat thought before thinking of something and grabbing her iPhone. "Marco, I'm off to the hospital and don't know how long I'll be back, I'll text you when I go get back and we'll meet up in central park for patrol, I'll have something to show you and I haven't figured out how to explain it yet." Kat read the message out loud as she wrote it before hitting the send button, pocketing the phone and exiting her room.
"You're not going to be hot in that, aren't you Kat?" Howard asked once he saw his daughter and Kat nodded.
"Yeah, but I figured it was better than the odd looks the wings will give me." Kat responded, and Howard nodded in understanding.
"Fair enough but we have an emergency appointment to get too, your mother will be accompanying us and yes, I told her about the wings." Howard responded, and Kat nodded before following her dad downstairs.
*meanwhile*
Whilst that was going on at Kat's house a different scene was unfolding over at Marco's.
"Man, my head hurts." Marco muttered to himself as he sat up in bed, he had woken up an hour after Kat had but with a major headache. "Pretty sure I would've remembered getting drunk last night, especially if I got up to any mischief with my powers."
"Morning sleepy head!" Marco looked up and saw his younger sister at the door, she was a few inches shorter than Kat and had dark brown hair like Marco only hers was cut short. "How's your girlfriend?"
"If I have to tell you that I'm not dating Kat one more time I'm going to scream." Marco responded as he messaged his forehead. "Or I would if it weren't for my major headache."
"You sure its not from that music you play?" Sophia asked earning an annoyed glare from Marco. "Or from your singing? Because if I had your singing voice I would be barred from every karaoke club in all fifty states."
"Very funny." Marco groaned as he rolled his eyes. "Seriously though, my head feels like its just gone a few rounds with The Hulk and the Juggernaut at the same time, could you ask dad to get me some headache pills?"
"Yeah, sure." Sophia responded before pausing. "So, seriously, how is Kat? I heard that she took her firing really badly."
"I had to chase her all over New York before she settled on a High Rise near central park just, so I could give her that much needed pep talk." Marco explained with a frown as he started brushing his hair. "So yeah, I'd say that's accurate, she was feeling a lot better when she left to go give her parents the bad news and when we met up again for patrol, but she had to call that off because her back was killing her."
"Yeah, I remember you saying but Kat's boobs aren't all that big." Sophia responded with a shrug and Marco shook his head.
"It's complicated, now can you go get me some headache pills or would you rather watch your older brother get dressed?" Marco asked, and Sophia wasted no time in heading downstairs whilst making sure to close the door behind her, Marco started searching for clothes but was interrupted by Kat's message which he read. "Kat can't catch a break, first she's fired from the Avengers Internship and now she's back in hospital? I hope she's okay."
*a bit later*
Kat and her parents had just been called to Dr. Koboyashi's office and had entered the Doctor's room, the Japanese doctor was going over the notes from the last appointment as the family entered and Dr. Koboyashi looked up.
"Didn't think I was going to see you so soon Katrina." Dr. Koboyashi commented as he turned to the teenager. "What seems to be the problem?"
"I think it's better if Kat shows you." Howard responded before motioning to Kat, Kat took off her trench coat before taking a deep breath.
"Extract." Kat said quietly and almost like clockwork the wings spread out, as the office was smaller than Kat's room it was suddenly very cramped with the wings out which Kat quickly noticed. "Retract." Kat added, and the wings retreated to her side almost as quickly. "Is there anything that can be done?"
"I'm not sure if I follow." Dr. Koboyashi responded as he looked at the wings closely. "From what I can see, this is the final stage of your evolution."
"That's just the problem." Howard chimed in and the doctor turned to him. "Kat's had an interest in athletics since she was a little girl, in fact she was planning to train for the Olympics when she went to college but something like this could put a halt to those aspirations."
"Yeah, wouldn't really be a level playing field when I can call these out and it's like I said to my dad." Kat nodded in agreement as she glanced at her wings. "I can only claim that I've had tattoo work done for so long before I get busted, is there any way to remove them?"
"It is possible, but I need to check your MRI scans from the other day." Dr. Koboyashi responded before reaching into a draw and checking the scans. "How does your back feel?"
"Stronger than ever to be honest." Kat responded and Koboyashi nodded.
"I had a similar patient come to me with the same issue, like you he was an athlete, but the mutation made it impossible for him to pursue his dreams." Dr. Koboyashi responded before sighing. "And I'm afraid its not good news, with that previous patient I consulted with one of the surgeons for his opinion and I'm going to tell you the same thing I told that young man." Dr. Koboyashi responded before taking a deep breath.
"If it's bad news, I'm ready for it." Kat sighed as she folded her arms. "It's not like I haven't had enough of that recently.
"There is a surgery that can be performed but it has a one percent chance of success, and a ninety nine percent chance of leaving the mutant in question paralyzed for the rest of their lives, the surgeon refused to do it on the grounds that the risks were too great, and I can guarantee you that you won't find another reputable surgeon in this country who would and besides, that athlete was in his mid-forties when his powers started to mutate, your eighteen years old and still have the rest of your life ahead of you, I wouldn't wish that on someone your age." Dr. Koboyashi explained and Kat was silent for the longest time as the doctor's words set in.
"So, I'm stuck with them?" Kat asked and Dr. Koboyashi nodded and sensing how upset her daughter was Lin put a hand on Kat's shoulder.
"You still have the rest of your life ahead of you Katrina, just because one door closed doesn't mean there won't be other opportunities." Lin assured her, and Kat nodded in response. "Besides, it's not like you'll get fat, what with all the Superhero work you do."
"Yeah, I guess." Kat sighed as she glanced at her wings again. "My costume is going to have to be adapted for my wings, but would Captain America even do that for me? I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask."
"Well, thank you for your help Doctor, may not have been what Kat wanted to hear but at least we got answers." Howard thanked Dr. Koboyashi before they stood up and left the doctor's office.
*later, at Kat's home*
Since she got home Kat had spent most of her time in her room only coming out occasionally when she was hungry or thirsty.
"Hopefully this works." Kat thought as she sat in front of her laptop and waited the Skype call to go through. "We set up this Skype group over the weekend, before my major fuckup screwed everything up for me." Kat thought before Captain America appeared on screen. "Hi Cap."
"Katrina, I thought you were removed from this group chat?" Captain America responded, and Kat frowned. "If your calling to try to get back in the internship its going to take a lot more than your sincerest pleas."
"If I was under the impression that it was going to be that easy, I would've tried that already." Kat sighed in response and Captain America nodded when he realized that she had a point. "Long story short, my costume needs adapting."
"Adapting?" Captain America asked with a raised eyebrow. "Hold on, Iron Man and She-Hulk are coming on."
"Oh, great!" Kat groaned as the other two heroes appeared in the vid chat. "Hi guys, just explaining to Cap how my costume needs adapting."
"And we should humor you, why?" Iron Man asked with a frown. "Do I really need to reiterate what I said during the meeting?"
"Do you want to see an eighteen-year-old cry on camera?" Kat asked, and Irion Man went to respond but couldn't find the words.
"Point taken." Iron Man responded before sighing. "Look Kat, Marco told us about the state he found you in and I'm sorry that you took the firing as hard as you did, but it needed to be said."
"Yeah, I know, didn't soften the emotional blow however." Kat responded as she shook her head. "Look, we can go back and forth on this, or I can just show you what I'm talking about, your choice."
"I think we should hear her out." She-Hulk responded, and the two men nodded with some hesitation. "It's probably something minor anyway."
"If only it was that simple." Kat thought before setting her video screen to full to get the point across. "Extract." Kat sighed, and the three older heroes sat in silence as the wings came out with the wide screen allowing her to show just how wide they were. "Retract." Kat added, and the wings folded up. "They sprouted overnight, and I got a rude wake-up call when I saw them in my mirror."
"Is that what was causing your back pain?" Iron Man asked, and Kat nodded. "Yeash, no wonder you were popping pain killers like it was going out of style."
"I haven't tried wearing the Dragon Girl costume with the wings out but since the top is essentially a cropped sweater I'm just going to assume that I'm going to be leaving some holes in it by the end of the week." Kat commented before sighing. "Now do you see why I need my costume adapted?"
"Cap, we shouldn't humor her, we booted her for a reason." Iron Man said, and Kat frowned. "What kind of message will this send to Marco or any future recruits?"
"Cap, you said that if I needed your help that I shouldn't hesitate to call on you." Kat argued as she turned to Captain America. "I get that you likely meant for Superhero battles but if I go out in a tattered top because of these damn things I'll be the laughing stock of the Superhero community and the subject of so much porn fan art on the internet that it's not even funny."
"Kat's right, and besides even if we don't grant her request, we'd have to replace her top eventually for the reasons she's mentioned." She-Hulk chimed in and Iron Man's frown deepened. "It's two to one Iron Man and I don't think Cap's taking your side this time."
"And your right there because she's right, and as for your question Iron Man, it sends the message that just because a young hero gets dropped doesn't mean they should be afraid to call for help." Captain America responded, and Kat grinned whilst Iron Man hung his head in defeat. "Since it's only your top that needs to be changed, it shouldn't take too long, I'll have Marco bring the new top to you when you go out on patrol with him but seriously, next time just have Marco pass on a message to us because once this Skype call ends I'm removing you from the group."
"Fine, to be honest I was surprised that I was still in this group." Kat admitted before the other heroes hung up and sure enough once the call ended Kat was removed from the group. "That went a lot better than I thought it would, still I need to clear my head and going out on patrol wouldn't hurt." Kat thought before she grabbed her costume and started putting it on. "If my new top is a tank-top then I should stop getting changed on the roof, dad would have a heart attack if he saw me walking around outside only wearing my bra for a top, Marco on the other hand would be causing a large puddle from all the drool coming out of his mouth." Kat thought with a frown as she started putting the costume on.
*meanwhile*
Whilst that was going on at Kat's home a set-up of a different kind was happening across town.
"Remember Crossbow, you are to oversea this meeting with one of my rivals." Julius Drexo said into the earpiece that belonged to Crossbow, a mercenary who used archaic weapons, as he sat atop a rooftop overlooking an alleyway, the only other person on the rooftop was a maintenance worker for the building who Crossbow had dismissed as not being a threat. "As soon as he gets out of line, make an example out of one of his men."
"Easy work but at least the pay's good." Crossbow scoffed as he kept his crossbow trained on the alley below. "Your rival's waiting for you Drexo, just give the word and he won't be a problem." Crossbow added not realizing that the maintenance worker was approaching him from behind.
"Don't get overconfident, they'll be expecting an ambush off some kind and…..." Julius's voice was cut off when a single gunshot rang out going straight through Crossbow's back and sending the gangsters bellow fleeing. "Crossbow? Crossbow, do you hear me?"
"Justice is served, Crossbow." The maintenance worker said to the dead mercenary before picking up the earpiece. "And Drexo? Your days are numbered."
*a bit later*
Kat had been flying around the city for a good half hour now and was mostly spending her time getting a feel for her wings as she flew through the sky.
"Well, my flying speed's a lot faster than it was before these things sprouted." Kat thought as she glanced over at the wings. "And it was already really fast before, at least I won't have to worry about being late for school once the repairs are done." Kat thought before she spotted something in the alley bellow her.
"Oh, don't worry sweet-heart!" One of the two men in the alley commented as they cornered a terrified young woman in a dead-end alley. "We'll be gentle."
"Yeah, right, that's the same thing those thugs told me before they tried to gang rape me last week." Kat thought before she started to descend. "Retract." Kat whispered as to not give away her position and the wings folded to her sides as she entered the alley.
"No, stay back!" The woman pleaded before she reached for a can off pepper spray that she had been keeping in her handbag, but the other thug knocked it out of her hand before she could use it on either thug.
"Hey, didn't your mothers tell you that no means no?" Kat yelled out at the two thugs who promptly spun around and saw Kat standing behind them.
"It's Dragon Girl, get her!" The thug who hadn't spoken up yet before the two thugs charged at her before Kat took off towards them.
"You'd have thought the common criminals in this city would have learned by now." Kat thought as she flew down the alley towards the thugs. "But I guess the regular criminals are all masochists or something, anyway it shouldn't be too hard to extract her once…no! No!" Kat thought but it was to late as the wings unfolded greatly increasing her flying speed in the process.
"What the…." Was all the thug closest to Kat was able to blurt out before Kat decked him in the jaw sending him flying and knocking him out, she turned to the remaining thug who gulped before running down the alley straight past Kat and out the alley.
"Pretty sure I just scared the shit out of him, so I shouldn't have to worry about him." Kat thought before turning to the terrified woman and realizing that they were the same age. "Hey, are you…..."
"Get away from me, you monster!" The terrified woman responded, and Kat blinked before glancing at her wings.
"I guess I didn't think about how villainous my wings look." Kat thought before turning to the woman. "Hey, I'm no monster, it's me, Dragon Girl, you know, latest young female Superhero on the…..."
"I SAID GET AWAY!" The woman snapped at her before running straight past Kat and out the alley leaving Kat stunned.
"I'd better meet up with Marco." Kat thought as she started to take flight. "We agreed to meet in Central Park, shouldn't take me too long to get there." Kat thought before flying off.
*twenty minutes later*
Kat had arrived in Central Park well in advance and without even realizing it she had landed in the same place that she and Marco had previously tested their powers, she landed on the branch and sighed as she glanced at her wings.
"When I first got my powers, I thought I'd be using them for good." Kat thought as she looked at her wings before shaking her head. "Retract." Kat whispered before the wings folded close to her body. "But what's the point if these things make me look like a Supervillain? It won't matter if I manage to defeat a major Supervillain who's taken hostages at Time's Square because I'll be condemned by public opinion because of these damn wings!" Kat thought before punching the tree in frustration causing a dent in it. "Still better than being stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life though."
"One Special Delivery for the best looking Chinese American Superhero in New York coming up!" Marco's voice rang out and Kat looked up seeing her friend below her in the Mental Boy costume carrying a box. "And judging by the fact that you just punched a tree, I'm guessing this is a bad time?"
"No, I'm just frustrated." Kat responded as she shook her head before hopping off the tree branch and landing next to her friend. "Did Captain America tell you why I requested the costume modification?" Kat asked, and Marco shook his head.
"All he told me was that it was better if I saw it in person, I haven't even seen your new top." Marco responded, and Kat nodded. "So, you want to show me what's changed?"
"Promise me you won't freak out?" Kat asked, and Marco blinked under his helmet.
"Why would I freak out? After everything that's happened this past week nothing could surprise me." Marco responded with a shrug and Kat sighed.
"Extract." Kat whispered and even though she couldn't she his face because of the helmet Marco's body language said it all. "You want to talk without the masks? I don't think there's any park attendants around."
"Sure." Marco nodded in response before removing his helmet and Kat did likewise with her mask, sure enough Marco's facial expression was one of surprise and shock. "Now it all makes sense, the back pain, why you went to the hospital this morning, your increased aggression…..."
"Marco, if these things were affecting my aggression don't you think I would've beaten the crap out of a thug earlier than I did?" Kat pointed out and Marco went to respond but couldn't find the words. "Thought so, I've already tested out these things in combat."
"How did it go?" Marco asked, and Kat sighed in annoyance. "Not well?"
"As I was flying over to the meeting point I stumbled upon an attempted rape in progress." Kat responded as she leaned against the tree. "One of the thugs basically told their would-be victim the same thing I was told when those thugs tried to gang rape me last week, I intervened but as I was flying towards the thugs I accidentally activated my wings." Kat added before sighing again. "I knocked out one thug and sent the other one fleeing but, in the process, I scared the crap out of their victim."
"Because your wings look like a demon's wings?" Marco asked, and Kat gave him an annoyed glare. "Yeah, that could've been worded better, so how have you been feeling? I know you've already had a rough week because you were kicked out of the internship."
"It's making me question my worth as a hero for one thing." Kat responded before sighing as she folded her arms. "I mean, look at me! Dark red costume, crimson and black wings? I look more like a Supervillain than a Superhero!"
"And that was never an issue before you got those wings." Marco pointed out and Kat nodded in response. "Hell, if anything you look even hotter with the wings out."
"Thanks, I think." Kat responded with an unsure look on her face. "You've got my new top right? Can I at least try it on?" Kat asked, and Marco handed her the box before she went behind the tree. "You can watch if you want, I'm just wearing my day clothes under my Dragon Girl outfit anyway."
"Well, it should hopefully fit, I mean they still have your measurements." Marco responded as Kat removed her Dragon Girl top revealing the same tank top she worse to the hospital and Marco went behind the tree with her.
"Wow, this is bigger than I thought it would be." Kat commented as she looked at the new top before she started putting it on, it was the same style top as her first Dragon Girl top but with one major difference, extra material that would allow her wings to fit and made them look like angels' wings. "Bit tight around the back but I can I can ride it out."
"Want me to grab onto something and help out?" Marco responded as he motioned to the material around the wing. "Wow, this is tight." Marco commented as he felt the wings.
"Hey, whatever you kids are doing back there, break it up!" A park attendant's voice rang out and the two teens blushed furiously as they realized what it sounded like. "This is a public park! Save that for the bedroom!"
"Spoilsport!" Kat called out by the time she did the park attendant was long gone. "Let us never speak of this again!"
"Hey, at least we didn't get busted by another hero." Marco responded with a grin before thinking of something. "You can make those things hug your body, right? I mean they were when I arrived."
"Yeah, why?" Kat asked before realizing what he meant. "You want to see if it'll be easier to cover up the wings that way? Or is this just an excuse to feel me up?"
"Trust me, if I had that in mind you probably would've kicked me in the balls by now." Marco assured her, and Kat grinned accepting his response. "Just saying, it might be worth a try and if you'd feel more comfortable trying it yourself, I won't mind."
"I guess so." Kat nodded before taking a deep breath. "Retract." Kat whispered, and the wings hugged close to her body, as they did the last piece of material snapped into place on both wings completely covering them. "So, how do I look?" Kat asked as she gave herself a twirl.
"You look great." Marco responded with a grin before sighing. "So, err, I know we keep getting interrupted every time we try but you want to cement us being more than just friends?"
"You just know that the moment we lock lips is the moment a Supervillain goes on a rampage, right?" Kat joked before shaking her head. "Marco, I…" Kat trailed off before sighing sadly. "How are we even sure this is going to work? Back when you confessed your love for me, I still looked like an average Asian American teenager, but now? I look like an Asian American teenager with wings." Kat added as she turned away from Marco. "Truth is? I had been meaning to spit it out for a long time as well, but my main concern was our families, you're of Italian heritage and as I said, I'm first generation Asian American, how is this supposed to work?"
"My dad wasn't sure how he was going to handle raising two kids on his own after mom passed away either." Marco admitted with a sad sigh. "But he worked his ass off to make sure that we had a good upbringing and if he can make a situation like that work, what's to stop us?"
"Our different cultures, that was my main concern with my parents." Kat responded as she glanced over at Marco. "And that was before I got my wings, how do we know that your dad won't freak out?"
"He didn't freak out when I admitted to me being a mutant, I mean I'm sure the last thing he'll expect is you showing up to the house with wings, but he should be okay." Marco added before grinning. "And Sophia's going to be making Red Bull jokes until the cows come home but that's beside the point, Kat you are beautiful, I'm not going to deny that, but I fell in love with you for who you are, not because of your looks."
"Though you'd be lying if you said that they weren't a deciding factor, right?" Kat asked with a grin and Marco laughed.
"I'm not commenting on that." Marco responded before placing a hand on Kat's shoulder. "Besides that, everyone we know already thinks we're a couple, I don't know about you but I'm getting sick of telling everyone that we're just friends." Marco added, and Kat looked at the ground for a second. "If you need some time…..." Marco never finished his sentence as Kat turned around and locked hips with him, the kiss continued for several minutes before they broke it up. "Not a cover up this time, right?"
"No cover up." Kat grinned before kissing him again, however just as it got heated the two teens heard a fire engine nearby and looked up in time to see it speed by. "I didn't think our make out session got that hot, did it?"
"Well, whatever it is, we should check it out." Marco responded, and Kat nodded in agreement before they put their masks back on and flew off after the fire truck.
*a bit later*
"Oh jeez, that's a big fire." Kat commented as they approached the fire truck's destination, a high-rise building was engulfed in flames and the firefighters were doing everything in their power to put it out as the residents watched on from the side. "Maybe we should leave them too it?"
"You don't understand! My children are up there!" A hysterical mother's voice rang out and the two teens looked up to see the clearly worried mother pointing to the top floor of the building. "They are going to die if they don't get out of there!"
"Lady, our ladders don't go up that high and short of a Superhero showing up, I don't see how we can save your kids." The fire captain responded as his men continued to fight the blaze and Kat and Marco shared a look. "We'll retrieve their bodies after the fire has been dealt with, that's the best we can do!"
"You are talking about children here! The oldest among them is five years old for God's Sake!" The woman responded at which point Kat and Marco touched down next to them. "Oh, thank god, a Superhero is here! Maybe you can talk some sense into him!"
"I'm going to tell you kids the same thing I told her, our ladders only go up as high as the 37th floor and her children are stuck on the 80th floor." The captain responded, and Kat frowned. "I have men searching the lower floors for anyone who's trapped in there but there's no way that they can reach the top floor in time."
"Ma'am, how many kids do you have up there?" Kat asked as she turned to the mother.
"Five, three girls and two boys." The woman responded after she took a deep breath. "You can get up there, right Dragon Girl? I've seen you fly on the news!"
"It's not safe up there, the fire was started on the top floor and it progressed downward." The captain responded, and Kat frowned. "Even then, there's no way you can get up there…."
"There is one way." Kat responded before glancing at her wings. "Extract!" Kat commanded and to everyone's surprise the wings unfolded. "Long story but my flying speed is a lot faster with these things out!"
"If you think you can get up there in time, then by all means, try." The captain responded, and Kat nodded. "Just be ready to sign an autograph when you come back, my daughter's a big fan of yours."
"Don't worry, I've got this." Kat assured him before she took off towards the top floor.
*meanwhile*
"Howard, have you seen Kat?" Lin's voice called out as Howard was channel surfing. "I had hoped that she would help me on the line tonight, but she wasn't in her room."
"She's probably gone out on patrol with Marco, if you need my help I'll be happy to give it." Howard responded before he changed the channel to the evening news.
"I am here live at the scene of a tremendous fire that has completely engulfed the high rise behind me." The news reporter said as she motioned to the building. "Fire fighters are fighting diligently to put out the flames, but hope has arrived for one resident as the Superhero known as Dragon Girl has flown up to save her children."
"Oh my god." Howard thought with dread as the camera showed Kat flying up to the top of the building. "Lin, did you see Kat's phone in her room?"
"Yes, why?" Lin asked as she entered the living room with a glass that she was washing in hand, when she saw what Kat was doing however she dropped the glass in shock. "What is she doing? She's going to get herself killed!"
"She's trying to be a hero, like her old man." Howard responded as it dawned on him. "Kat, please be safe!"
*back at the fire*
"Probably should've counted the floors before I took off." Kat thought as she flew threw the air, even with the increased flight speed granted to her by her wings it had still been at least ten minutes before she reached the open window that the hysterical mother had pointed her towards. "Just remember Kat, don't breathe fire, you'll only make the situation worse!" Kat thought as she entered the burning building whilst using her hand to cover her mouth. "An apartment number would've helped as well in hindsight, that said, it looks like I'm in an apartment so that narrows things down." Kat thought before coughing. "Kids are you in here?" Kat called out as she made her way through the flames.
"Help us!" A young sounding male voice came from behind the wall to her left and she grinned.
"Thank god they're okay!" Kat thought before running out of the room she was in and into the hallway, once she identified the door she was looking for she kicked it down with all her strength and looked around the room. "I can't see them, they're probably hiding somewhere." Kat thought before calling out again., "Kids, if you can hear me make as much noise as you can!" Kat called out and a series of shouts came from behind a wardrobe at the approximate point where she originally heard the voices and she opened the wardrobe revealing the five kids as described by their mother. "It's okay, I'm here! I'll get you to safety, all right?"
"Are you an angel?" The second youngest of the five children (as the youngest was clearly too young to know how to speak yet) asked and Kat turned to her. "I told them an angel would come!"
"Yeah. I'm an angel." Kat responded once the initial surprise wore off. "We can't stay here, those who can walk get onto my back, I'll carry the youngest, just think of this as the most epic piggy back ride ever!" Kat told the kids and the four oldest did so with the two boys holding onto her shoulders and two of the girls grabbed onto her wings. "Hold on tight, especially those on my wings, you ever been on a roller-coaster ride?"
"Mom says we're too young for them." One of the boys responded and Kay sighed as she picked up the youngest.
"Consider this a free preview, courtesy of Dragon Girl." Kat responded with a grin before she flew towards the window, however she barely ducked in time as two gunshots impacted the window and she glanced up. "Ugh, what now?!"
"Ride's over Dragon Girl!" A fireman, a Scourge of the Underworld agent, said as he pointed a gun at her. "When you saved Chemistro, you became little more than a criminal."
"I don't know if you noticed but we're in a burning fu…..." Kat caught herself mid-sentence once she realized that was about to swear around children. "A burning building and I'm trying to save children! I don't know these kids but I'm pretty sure that none of them have committed a crime!"
"I don't care, orders are orders." The Scourge responded, and Kat frowned.
"Kids let go off me and cover your eyes." Kat told them, and the kids nodded before doing so and Kat set down the youngest gently. "Last chance, either leave me alone, or your coming down with me!"
"I don't care…" The Scourge agent went to respond only for Kat to fly across and deck him knocking him out in one hit.
"I hope to god that's Shaun Gibson under that disguise." Kat thought before picking up the unconscious Scourge agent and turning to the kids. "You can look now." Kat told them as she ran over and the kids climbed back on her before she picked the youngest back up with her free hand and opened the window. "Five kids and one full grown adult, yep, this will test my strength!" Kat thought before turning to the kids. "Hold on as tight as you can!"
*meanwhile back on the ground*
"Marco!" Marco looked up and saw Jenny running up in her police uniform. "Please, tell me that wasn't Kat I saw enter the building on the evening news!"
"It was." Marco responded with a nod. "There's five kids up there and Kat volunteered to save them, I know you've probably got some questions regarding her wings but…." Marco never finished his sentence as a loud explosion erupted from the top floor and his face dropped. "No, no! This can't be happening!"
"We are reporting live from the scene of the high-rise fire!" The reporter yelled out over the panicked screams of the onlookers. "Just moments ago, the young Superhero known as Dragon Girl entered the top floor to save some children, but it appears that this heroic action has cost Dragon Girl her life!"
*back at Kat's home*
"No, no!" Lin sobbed into her husband's shoulder as Howard watched the TV in shock and disbelief. "Not Katrina, not my little angel!"
"Please god, watch over my daughter and let her escape with her life." Howard prayed as he watched the action on screen with baited breath.
"This is Susan Daniels, reporting for…wait, what's that?!" The female reporter stopped herself mid-sentence as she spotted something flying out of the top floor. "Tom, zoom in on that, quickly!" Susan added, and Lin looked up as the camera zoomed confirming that Kat had made it out in time with the kids and the firefighter in one piece and was flying down to the ground. "She made it! Dragon Girl is safe!"
"Oh, thank god." Lin said as she took several deep breaths whilst clutching her chest whilst Howard was equally relieved.
*back at the scene*
"Let's do that again!" One of the boys called out as he flew on Kat's back and Kat shook her head.
"Thanks, but I'd rather only be that close to dying once in my life." Kat responded as she started to reach ground level. "I've done this several times without the extra weight, how hard can it be?" Kat thought before toughing down on the concreate bellow the flaming high rise, she skidded to a halt in front of the press and knelt down to let the children off easily.
"My babies!" The mother cried out as she ran up to her children and Kat grinned broadly upon seeing the happy reunion before handing the youngest over to the mother. "Thank you, Dragon Girl, I thought they were dead."
"We all did." The fire captain said as he walked up to Kat and patted her on the back. "And thank you for saving one of my men, I don't remember any of them being that high up however."
"Because he's not one of your men." Kat responded as she sat down the firefighter gently. "He's a Scourge of the Underworld agent, he tried to shoot me up there even though I had the kids on my back." Kat added before standing up straight. "So, you said something about an autograph?"
"I think your boyfriend wants to chat with you first." The fire captain responded before the police ran up to arrest the Scourge agent having heard what Kat said, Kat looked up just in time for Marco to grab her in a running hug.
"Kat don't do that to me again, please!" Marco said as tears of joy ran down his face. "I think I aged about thirty years when I saw the explosion, and I'm sure your parents feel the same."
"Yeah, I bet…. oh shit!" Kat cussed once she saw that the kids were out of earshot. "I completely forgot!"
"You didn't tell them you were heading out?" Marco asked, and Kat nodded. "Did you at least remember your phone?" Marco asked, and Kat shook her head after checking her pockets "Well, let's hope they were watching the news, it would save you the trouble of explaining why you're a little extra crispy."
"Funny you should say that." Jenny responded as she came up to them. "Phone call for you Kat, and yes it's from your dad."
"Oh great!" Kat thought as Marco pulled away from the hug and Kat took the phone. "Hi dad." Kat sighed knowing she was about to get an earful.
"Kat, as soon as you are done with the press you are coming home now!" Howard's voice rang out and Kat winced at his tone. "You snuck out without telling us and had us worried half to death when you entered that building, as soon as you get home you are grounded!"
"Grounded?!" Kat echoed as her jaw dropped. "But I just saved lives dad!"
"Yes, and you nearly cost you your own, we'll talk about this when you get back." Howard responded before hanging up and Kat winced.
"Don't worry, I'll talk to him." Jenny assured Kat and Kat grinned. "By the way, those wings look good on you."
"Yeah, kinda a long story about how I got them though." Kat responded with a sigh and Jenny shook her head.
"Mutant powers evolved?" Jenny asked, and Kat nodded. "My dad went through the same thing, had to give up his athletics career but he was close to retiring anyway."
"Yeah, the doctor I saw said something about that." Kat responded before she heard the press calling her name and sighed. "First time giving an interview in front of the press, how hard can it be?"
"Let me put it this way Kat, there's a reason why most officers prefer to leave the announcements to the chief when it comes to high profile cases." Jenny responded, and Kat sighed in annoyance. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll knock 'em dead."
"Easy for you to say." Kat thought before going over to the press to answer their questions.
*an hour later*
The mini press conference had taken a lot longer than Kat had expected even after she had gotten the questions about her wings out the way early but by now Kat was flying home alongside Marco.
"So, your stuck with those things?" Marco asked as he motioned to the wings which were currently hugging Kat's side so that Marco could keep up with her.
"There is surgery available, but if it goes wrong I'll be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life." Kat responded as she turned to her boyfriend. "A 99% chance at that, the head surgeon at the hospital considers it to be to big a risk and Dr. Koboyashi said that there wasn't a reputable surgeon in the country who would perform the operation." Kat explained before sighing. "In other words, I can kiss my dreams of winning gold at the Olympics goodbye."
"Yeah but it's not like you're not living out another dream of yours." Marco responded as he motioned to her. "I mean, you've wanted to be a Superhero since you were eight years old and ten years later here you are, saving kids from a burning building."
"And worrying my parents half to death." Kat responded with another sigh as they neared her house. "Would've appreciated your help back there by the way."
"You know this thing only has so much fuel, might talk to Cap about getting it upgraded now that I mention it." Marco added before sighing. "Oh yeah, whilst you were busy with the press Captain America called me to tell you that he's proud of your bravery."
"There's a but, isn't there?" Kat responded with an annoyed look as she stopped just above her house and Marco nodded.
"It wasn't enough to get you back on the internship, but it did go a long way to mending how the older heroes view you, Iron Man especially." Marco responded, and Kat sighed in annoyance. "I think it's all about baby steps for now, you'll get back on the internship eventually, but you'll just have to work hard at it."
"And if I hadn't fucked up so royally we wouldn't be having this conversation." Kat responded with a frown on her face as she glanced towards the side alley where she effectively ended her internship. "Well, this is my stop." Kat added before removing her mask. "Mind removing your helmet for a sec?"
"Yeah, sure." Marco responded before removing his helmet. "What's up…..." Marco trailed off as Kat jumped on the glider and kissed her new boyfriend, it lasted about ten seconds before Kat broke it off and hopped off the glider. "We're going to have to make it so that our private time together lasts more than ten seconds."
"And there are so many dirty jokes I could make about that sentence that I don't even know where to start." Kat responded with a laugh and Marco grinned sheepishly. "I'd better go face the music." Kat sighed as she glanced at the open window to her room which had been how she had left earlier. "Don't know if they'll allow me out of the house to join you on patrol but I'll keep you posted."
"No worries." Marco responded before he put his helmet back on. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you." Kat responded as she watched her boyfriend glide off, once she was out of sight Kat lowered herself towards the open window before climbing in. "Light's still off like it was earlier, maybe I can avoid an awkward conversation for the…." Kat's thoughts trailed off as the lights came on and she saw her parents in her room. "Or not."
"Kat, you know the rules, you have to tell us if your heading out, and if you do head out take your phone encase there's an emergency at home." Howard said sternly, and Kat lowered her head as she put the mask next to her laptop. "And we thought you were dead for a minute there!"
"I got out of the building seconds before the explosion hit." Kat responded as she rubbed her ears. "Even if I had my phone on me, I couldn't even hear anything for a few seconds because of how loud the explosion was."
"Look Kat, I know you want to prove yourself as a hero, but you need to be honest with us, as I said over the phone you are grounded for the rest of the week." Howard added, and Kat nodded. "I'll allow you two hours of patrol per night and that's it, if you run into a Supervillain and it looks like the fight will take longer call me at the earliest convenience and I'll allow a little leeway but that's it." Howard added before sighing. "I was originally just going to bar you from going out on Patrol, but Jenny talked me out of it, considering the fact that you saved lives back there it's the least I can do."
"Would it help if I mentioned that I captured a Scourge agent?" Kat asked, and Howard raised an eyebrow. "The firefighter I rescued? He tried to shoot me whilst I had those kids on my back, said that I was no better than a criminal for saving Chemistro's life the other day, but he missed and is now in custody."
"I'll think about it." Howard responded before leaving the room, Kat sighed in annoyance as she sat on the bed and her mother joined her.
"Kat, your fathers just concerned for your safety." Lin assured her, and Kat glanced up at her mother. "And so am I, you did a great thing by saving those children and don't you forget it."
"I know mom." Kat said before glancing at her wings. "And if it weren't for these wings there would've been no way I could've gotten to the top floor on that high rise in time, so I guess they aren't to bad." Kat added before grinning a bit. "One of the kids I saved called me an angel when she saw my wings, immediately made me think of your nickname for me growing up so I told her that yeah, I am an angel." Kat added before sighing. "Too bad Angel's already taken as a Superhero name."
"That may be but your still an angel, to me and that little girl." Lin responded as she hugged her daughter. "And I thought I lost my little angel when I saw that explosion, I know there are risks involved with what you do but please, don't scare me like that again."
"I won't, and I'm sorry I scared you." Kat responded with a nod as Lin pulled away from the hug. "Any chance you could talk to dad about letting me off easy?"
"I was the one who suggested grounding you Kat." Lin said as she stood up and Kat sighed in resignation. "And as Howard already said, we are being lenient with you, besides it'll be over before you know it."
"I hope so." Kat responded before Lin left the room. "Eighteen years old and I'm still being grounded, at least it won't be too long before I can go out whenever I want again." Kat thought before reaching over and grabbing her iPhone. "Better check what messages I missed whilst I was out." Kat thought as she accessed her phone.
*meanwhile*
As it turned out, the fire at the high rise wasn't an accident as it was caused by the master arsonist/Supervillain known as Blowtorch and like the last time he was in the spotlight he had been paid to do it by a third party.
"That high rise went up in flames, just as you asked." The villain said as he entered an alleyway where his employer waited for him. "Unfortunately, your associate failed to kill Dragon Girl and got captured."
"Don't worry about him, he's so far down the totem pole that my boss won't even bother to break him out." The figure said before he stepped out of the shadows revealing himself to be Shaun Gibson. "Now then, you want your payment, right?"
"That's why I'm here." Blowtorch responded with a nod as Shaun reached into his pocket. "You gave me five hundred dollars up front and promised me the other half once the job was complete, a deals a deal!"
"Now here's the thing Blowtorch, I lied, I gave you all the money I had." Shaun responded as he grinned broadly. "Here's another fact for you, you want to know how I know how I know my associate?" Shaun asked before pulling a shotgun out. "We are the Scourge of all criminals and your next on my hitlist!"
"Wait…." Blowtorch pled but it was too late as Shaun shot him through the head (to avoid the fuel tank for his flamethrower) killing him instantly as the arsonist fell over dead.
"Justice is served, Blowtorch." Shaun commented before picking up the money he had paid the villain and fleeing the scene.