Clint Barton gazed around the streets of New York. Dead Chitauri littered the landscape; their battle wagons looked like downed dragons, and their weapons were silent and decommissioned. He looked up at the now crystal-clear blue sky, as bright and blue as the day giant planes had flown into the Twin Towers. If one looked up, it was as if it were a normal day; looking down, it looked like some sort of alien bomb had detonated in the center of the city. He looked up as anguished cries reached his ears.

"Nat, listen. Do you hear that?" He tilted his head so he could get a bead on the direction. Nat looked at him somberly, nodded and pointed.

"Mom! Mom! Get up! Please! Tony? Where are you?" The cries were heartbreaking.

A tween stood not too far from them partially hidden by a smashed car, actually, the first car to be hit. Her hair was a frightful mess; her clothing was tattered and torn, and she was shoeless. She clutched a Chitauri gun to her chest defensively as she looked around wildly.

"Hey, little one. How can we help?" He tried to keep his voice as low key and nonthreatening as possible so she wouldn't panic.

She ran to the car. "Help me get this off my mother," she pleaded. She lifted on one corner and managed to get it about three feet off the ground before she had to put it back down, mostly because she wasn't tall enough to get it any higher. She then aimed a savage kick at one of the dead Chitauri. "Bastard!" She buried her head in her hands and sobbed as Thor lifted the car and dragged her mothers' body out from under the twisted hulk. His face twisted into a look of anguish, and he gently enfolded Trinity in an all-encompassing hug.

"My niece," he explained at long last, wiping his eyes.

"Tony! He's not slowing down, someone screamed. Trinity wrenched herself from Thor's grasp and watched with horror as her hero, her father, plunged to earth. She couldn't take any more and wrapped herself in light, disappearing from sight. Everyone was too stunned by Tony's sacrifice to notice her, so she wandered away, dazed by the chaos and destruction.

A couple of days later, she was starving, still invisible to the normal eye, wandering the streets, when a fantastic odor tickled her nose. Her mouth was watering, and she followed the smell of roasting meat to a small shop selling Shawarma. Inside The Avengers sat, eating hungrily. All except for Cap, who sat looking at his, brooding about something. She slipped in quietly, hoping for a bite. She knew she was filthy; hopefully she wasn't as foul smelling as she feared. Even though they couldn't see her, if she stunk, it would give her away. She slipped between Captain America and Thor and stuck out her hand for a bite…

Thor thought he caught motion from the corner of his eye. He reached out, grabbed, and latched onto a small hand.

"Ow! That hurts!" The illusion broken, Trinity was suddenly visible. She looked ten times worse than she had previously. Her hair was hopelessly tangled in long, ropy dark knots. Her face was blackened with dirt and soot, and she sported myriad cuts and bruises. She was still barefoot, and her feet were cut.

Thor loosened his grip. "Don't dart off," he warned, pulling her into his lap. He wrinkled his nose but smiled. "You smell like a warrior, little one."

"I knew my stench would be a dead giveaway," she grumbled. Cap handed her his meal, and she dug in with Asgardian gusto, devouring it within minutes.

"Just who are you, anyway?" Tony asked tiredly. It had been a long 48 hours. He was ready for some shuteye.

"Trinity Odinson Stark," she said proudly as she stuffed the last bite into her mouth. "My mother is…was Tif Odinson, and Tony Stark is my father."

Tony's eyes widened in shock, revealing just how bloodshot they were. Everyone looked at him expectantly.

"She didn't tell me! That is, she dumped me," he admitted in shame at last. "I went to see her, and she moved with no forwarding address. I really liked her." He sighed deeply and brooded.

"Honey let's get you cleaned up. Would you like a bath and clean clothes?" Natasha asked the waif in front of her. Her hunger satisfied, Trinity nodded eagerly. Clint and Nat accompanied her to Avengers headquarters.

"What am I going to do? I know nothing about being a dad," Tony said in panic. "I'll screw her up. Look at the mess I am. Besides, I'm never home! Surely there's got to be someone else who can raise her better than I can."

"How about Barton?" Bruce suggested sagely. "He's a dad, and a pretty good one, as far as I can tell."