I wince as Hank carefully wraps the bandage around my wrist.

"Steve, what possessed you to fight her when you already knew how good she was?"

Clint whoops.

"It was brilliant! At one point, she ran up the wall, kicked herself off and knocked Steve right over! And when he had her in a full arm-lock, she stabbed him with her tail! That's where that cut came from!"

I don't know how to react. 'Tana is better than ever and also didn't hold back for one second. Clint then turns and grins.

"Then she kicked him between the legs, three times!"

"Clint, right now I'm not feeling very happy. I have just gained bruising to my ribs and, as you have already so kindly pointed out, was kicked three times in quick succession. I'm not in the best humour."

Suddenly Etana sticks her head in and gives an embarrassed smile.

"Do you have a spare bandage anywhere?"

"Over there?"

She walks over and I spot a slight limp. She picks up the bandage, looks around then sighs.

"What?"

She shakes her head then just slices into her trousers to reveal a huge gash along her thigh.

"Caught myself."

I freeze, remembering when at the very beginning she moved a little too close to the wall where a nail was and froze. And I didn't even see her catch her leg. She fought me with a six-inch gash that is probably a lot deeper than it looks. And now I realise exactly why she wears clothes the colour of fresh blood. It hide her injuries, makes her look more invulnerable. If I'd seen the cut, or the spreading blood, I would almost certainly have gone easier on her, but most real opponents would go in for the kill. Clint is staring at her as the white bandage suddenly goes red and I realise exactly how much blood there is. She winces and then cuts out a whole section of her clothes.

"Dammit. Now I need to buy new clothes. I liked these trousers."

Clint is staring again and I start looking for something to throw before he says something stupid and ends up dangling out of the window. 'Tana beats me to it.

"You know, unless you're a mutant healer, staring isn't going to do anything."

He blushes and Hank coughs slightly so he starts and shoots out.

"Do you want me to sort that?"

"No. I heal quickly. And I've learnt to treat myself. I can't always get to someone I trust."

Hank is staring at her now.

"You know, I've always wondered about the adaptions allowing your body for flight…"

Her wings tuck in defensively.

"Listen to me. There is one thing and one thing alone that all my father's people automatically knew when they gained their wings. Even Warren, who was born after the others were all dead, knows it. Our wings are intensely private. Often, we only allow two, three people to touch them. Our parents, when they hold us close, our partner when we pull them to us and our children when they need our protection. I have never known my father, never had a lover and consequently never had children. No one has ever touched my wings without my permission."

"Not even Max?"

She just looks at me.

"Max was claustrophobic. I would never wrap my wings around him. He would panic."

"Max?"

Etana just stares at me.

"You may know him as Magneto."

I stiffen up.

"Magneto…? 'Tana, that isn't funny."

"It's not meant to be Steve."