"What did you do?"

"Hmm?"

"After the last memory. What happened?" Steve prods gently.

I slowly open my eyes, not moving from where I was curled next to Clint, under his arm. "My dad brought me hiking boots."

"Come again?"

"My dad bought me hiking boots." I repeat. "A pair of industrial strength, matte black hiking boots. I brought my bodyguard to school the next day and bruised Martin's shins until they looked like eggplants."

"Was no disciplinary action taken against you?" Thor squints at me.

"Nope." I smile smugly. "Because guess who bought out the school not even an hour after I came home the day before?"

Natasha's face gains a devious smirk. "He didn't."

"He did." I nod smugly. "High school was a breeze after that."

Steve and Clint both send me an amused huff.

"Did he do things like that often?" Bruce wonders aloud. "Buy out buildings and stuff for you?"

I raise an eyebrow. "You are asking if I took advantage of the silver spoon I was born with?"

"Well when you put it like that…" Bruce fidgets with his glasses nervously.

"No." I sigh, suddenly tense. "No, I did not. He only did things like that when there was no other way. A last resort if you will." I pause. "Of course, I didn't spend much time around things that were made by either me or my dad, so the need wasn't truly there anyways…"

"It's starting again," Steve calls, and I relax into Clint again as the screen resumes.

A~A~A

"Straighten your back!" an instructor calls, and six pairs of children check their posture.

Taylor glances at her partner, a stranger, before looking over his shoulder to send a mournful look at her dad, who just gives her an apologetic shrug and a 'nothing I can do' look.

"One two three! One two three! Pick up the pace!" The instructor hollers, sounding more like a drill sergeant than a dance instructor.

"One!"

Turn right.

"Two!"

Step back.

"Three!"

Turn back to the left.

Taylor was learning how to waltz.

"You need to learn how to waltz, Obie said." she grumbles quietly. "It's necessary, he said."

"Wait," Clint interrupts. "Why was it necessary?"

"Galas." I offer, slipping into a mocking copy of Obie's voice. "The heir of Stark Industries must learn how to conduct herself at charity events and parties."

"Why was your dad on board?"

"He didn't have much choice in the matter." I shrug.

"Spin your partners!"

Taylor twists under her partners arm before taking his hand again. "Why are you here?"

"My mom. Eton Incorporated. You?"

"Dad. Well, technically godfather. Stark Industries."

"Wait, this Obie character is your other godfather?" Steve asks, surprised. "Why haven't we met him?"

I just stare at Steve as Natasha leans over from her couch to hiss something in Steve's ear. Afterwards he just leans back, stunned as ever.

The boy nods with a sigh, "Let's get this over with," as he spins Taylor again.

"Let's." Taylor agrees.

"Miss Stark!" The instructor howls. "Are you talking?"

Taylor just keeps her eyes on her stepping feet.

"Well?" The instructor demands.

Taylor looks up slowly, her blue eyes and jaw set and hardened.

"Uh oh." Natasha chuckles. "That's the face you use when you're about to do something rash and impulsive."

"It is." I agree softly, smirking at my ten year old self. "Oh yes it is."

Natasha just blinks at me.

"What if I was?" Taylor challenges.

"Then this is your third strike, Miss Stark, and I will be forced to evacuate you from my class."

"You will be forced?" Taylor back talks, pursing her lips as she releases her partner with a nod.

"Miss Stark." The instructor sighs. "I need you to leave my class, if you will, and please do not come back."

"Oh, I will, that's for sure." Taylor snarls. "I'm not going to step foot in this room ever again."

She stomps up to the instructor and a booted foot sweeps out and knock his feet out from under him. "Never."

The ten year old then storms out, her dad quickly in tow.

"Nice going back there." Tony pants as he catches up to Taylor, who is leaning against the car outside. "Was it necessary?"

"I don't know." she shrugs. "Maybe I could have been more civil. But riddle me this: was in fun?"

"I'm assuming so." Tony nods as he goes to start the car.

"We have a winner!" Taylor chuckles softly as she climbs into the car.

"Obie's gonna be mad." Tony warns.

"Obie," Taylor snorts, "should have really expected this. You didn't like these classes either."

"Yeah," Tony admits, "but I just hid out in an unused lab at school." he points out. "I didn't insult the instructor."

"I didn't actually hurt him!" Taylor whines. "Just knocked him down."

Tony just rolls his eyes and ruffles her hair. "Come on, let's get home. The Secretary of the Navy called, he wants more LRT-C4's."

"Doesn't Penn have any other suppliers?"

Tony just shrugs.

"Fine. Can we get ice cream on the way home?" Taylor suggests hopefully.

"Ice cream then weapons. Got it."

A~A~A

"So here you were ten." Steve looks at me. "When did Iron Man happen?"

I tilt my head slightly. "About three years after this, I think. Pretty sure I spent my thirteenth birthday looking for my dad."

Nobody needs further explanation as to what I mean.

That particular set of bad memories is coming up soon enough.