Damage with a credit card
It turns out Pepper knew how to do some damage with a credit card. She basically told Kat and Valkyrie to go nuts and get whatever they wanted. Valkyrie didn’t need to be told twice, but Kat on the other hand, she had no idea what to even look for. Everything she’d ever worn she had to buy from a secondhand store because the pitiful amount of money she made at the diner she worked in didn’t amount to anything.
“Kat, are you okay sweetheart?” Peppers voice sounded from behind her. She jumped slightly and turned around. “Yeah, I’m just a little lost here. I don’t really do this sort of thing.” She admitted. Pepper nodded and Kat followed her as she walked around the racks and picked out several things, glancing at Kat every few minutes, ass if she was gauging her size.
“Here.” Pepper told her, handing her the clothes. “Go and try these on and let me know what you think.” Kat nodded and took the clothes into the dressing room. The first outfit was a black t-shirt dress that was a galaxy print. It came just to her knees and fit her like a glove. Kat smiled in the mirror and stepped out of the dressing room to show Pepper.
“That looks amazing on you Kat. We’re definitely getting that one.” Pepper told her. She blushed, walking back into the room. There were a few more dresses, one was black with sunflowers, Kat liked that one quite a bit. Sunflowers were her favorite. There was a dark green one with lace over the top that brought out her eyes.
There were also several pairs of jeans, some leggings, various tops, things that Kat thought were way too nice and expensive for her to be wearing. Her mouth dropped when Pepper told her they were getting everything she had tried on. She tried to refuse, but she soon realized she couldn’t argue with Pepper. They also got some shoes, new boots, heels, which Kat had no idea how to walk in, and some running shoes for training.
They also picked up new bras and panties, and let’s just say Pepper had very good taste when it came to that department. Between Kat and Valkyrie, she was sure the credit card machine would break when Pepper swiped her card. It gave Kat a sick feeling in her stomach. She wasn’t used to this. That was more money than she’d make in months.
When they got back to the compound, Valkyrie took her things to her room, and Kat gently grabbed Peppers arm, stopping her for a minute. “Thank you for today Pepper, really. This is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” Kat told her. Pepper smiled and pulled her in for a hug. “You’re welcome sweetheart. You’re one of us, we’ll take care of you.”
Before Pepper left, she handed Kat a box. “In here is the newest version of the Stark Phone. It’s got GPS so we can track you, Friday is uploaded into it as well. It’s got top security on it, and a panic button that has to be tapped twice and it will alert someone on the team that you need help. We all have one. All our numbers are programmed in there for you as well. The other thing that is in there is a Stark Pad. It’s pretty much the same as the phone, all the same features, except it’s bigger, you can watch Netflix and what not on it.” Kat looked down at the box in her hands. “Thank you again Pepper. This is really too much.”
“Nonsense. Tony likes to go overboard and spoil people. Just let him do it. He will be insufferable if you don’t.” You laughed at the woman as she waved to you and headed to her car.
You’re one of us. Kat thought about that statement when she got back to her room. One of them. Was she an Avenger now? She met these people twenty-four hours ago and they were already so willing to accept her.
Over the next week, Kat fell into somewhat of a routine. She’d get up and have breakfast with whoever was in the compound. Always Loki and Valkyrie, most days Tony, unless he was at meetings with Pepper for Stark Industries. Rhodey came occasionally, and a teenage boy named Peter Parker came and visited Tony in the lab.
After that she would go into the gym with Valkyrie. They would stretch, work on the treadmill, lift weights and then she would work with Kat on her hand to hand. Kat was getting better, learning when to dodge, and when to make her move.
Her training with Loki, however, wasn’t going at the pace Kat wanted it to. She wanted to push more, see where her powers could take her, but Loki insisted they go slow, so she wouldn’t overexert herself and get burned out. She understood where he was coming from, but it still frustrated her that she was still working on the same stuff she had been the first day. She just made bigger orbs and moved Loki further into the air each day. Nothing else.
“Please Loki, let me try something else! I know I can handle it.” She pleaded. Loki rolled his eyes, smirking at her whining. “Oh alright, just stop that pouting.” He told her. She smiled and stuck her tongue out at him. Oh, she was going to be the death of him, that he was sure.
“Okay, try lifting yourself up.” He instructed her. She nodded and closed her eyes, focusing on just herself. She felt her magic flow through her and when she opened her eyes, she was a few feet off the ground. “I did it!” She yelled, feeling excited. She could do more, she wanted to do more.
“That was good. Come down now.” Loki told her. She shook her head. “No, I can move more, I want to try.” Loki was shaking his head, but she drowned him out and tried to cross the distance to him in the air. She was doing it, and she had almost made it, until her hands got shaky and she couldn’t control it anymore. She felt herself falling and closed her eyes for the impact on the ground, but it never came. Kat opened her eyes to see Loki’s blue ones. He had caught her.
“Thank you.” She said softly. Loki nodded, setting her upright. “Please listen to me next time. You pushed yourself too far.” Kat nodded and followed him back inside. She was frustrated with herself. She knew she could do it, so why had she faltered?
Later that night in her room, she set various items out on the bed in front of her. Her phone, a pencil, a shoe, and a makeup brush. “Okay Kat. You can do this. This is easy.”
She lifted her hands in front of her and took in a deep breath. She watched as her magic flowed from her hands and went around the four objects. They lifted in the air and started to float around each other. Kat moved her hands and the raised higher in the air. She sat them back down and smiled to herself. She felt more in control than she ever had in her entire life.