Finding Percy

The Spy Mother

Percy shivered in the cold, ducking his head down, and huddling closer to the woman who was cradling him in her arms. She was strong, and safe, she meant no Gabe, no attackers, safety. Nico liked her, the cat was curled in Percy's arms, getting the warmth from the woman's coat and Percy. 

Soon they were at a house, well, more like an apartment, and the inside was just like the outside, plain and simple, yet homey. 

It looked lived in, the way he liked, with a worn but comfortable looking brown couch, fluffy cream carpet and a few rooms leading off from it.

He liked how warm it was.

" We're here, welcome to my house," She murmured, putting him down on the couch and putting a blue blanket over him.

" Thank you, I'm Percy by the way," Percy mumbled, knowing it was polite to introduce yourself.

" That's a lovely name, Percy, now about I fetch you some soup and you tell me why you were in that alley at night," the woman murmured.

He remembered that on the walk here she'd told him her name was Kat, Kat Hughes.

He liked the name Kat.

Ten minutes later he held a bowl of vegetable soup, it smelt so much like his mother's that it almost made him cry. He tasted it, and it even tasted like hers.

" Now, Champion, why were you out in that alley so late?" Kat asked, her black dressing gown looked fluffy.

She sat by him, and he noted that it really was as fluffy as it looked.

" I-I was hiding from Gabe. He's mean and he killed mummy," Percy sniffled.

He saw the woman stiffen, her light brown eyes narrowing in to an almost feral expression.

" Did he now. Was Gabe the man who was trying to hurt you?" Kat asked, schooling her expression when she noticed him staring at her face.

Percy hugged his damp cat closer and shook his head, tears streaming down his baby cheeks.

" Y-Yes, h-he was t-trying to kill m-me too," Percy sniffled, still curled in to himself.

Kat wasn't used to being round children, but Phil Coulsen had given her classes on what to do for trauma victims. She had to be non-threatening and supportive, especially for children. She picked the boy and his cat up and held them in her lap as she slowly stroked his damp hair.

Percy seemed to calm down and he even snuggled closer to her, his soup forgotten completely.

" You're safe, miss Kat, just like mummy was," Percy murmured.

Kat smiled, hating how her mouth still twitched as she tried to smile nicely.

" It's going to be okay, champion, we'll keep you far away from all the nasty men, I have powerful friend who can make sure of that," Kat murmured, still petting his hair.

Percy sniffled slightly, his hair tickling her nose, he glanced up at her with his small face.

" Will you care for me now, miss Kat? Me and Nico just want to be safe with you," Percy pleaded tiredly.

She just nodded, continually stroking his hair and lulling both him and his cat to sleep. How in the world had Tony Stark's decision to upgrade her bike turned in to this?

The next morning she was brewing a mug of coffee, hair sticking up all over the place from bed and a drawn look on her tired face. She'd stayed up last night letting Fury know about her....predicament. She had to leave for work in an hour so she could cook breakfast for the Avengers and teach some of the new trainees how to work with the weapon of her specialty, the broadsword.

She would have to take Percy with her.

Fury was interested to meet the child that had one of his most secretive and inclosed operatives pulling out the protective side. Coulsen would be helping her draw up custody papers. She'd thought about giving Percy to the social services, but then again, they'd done nothing to help her whens he was a kid. She couldn't bare to send a sweet child like Percy to the same fate.

Percy toddled out to the kitchen, Nico trailing behind him like a shadow.

" Hello, miss Kat," Percy mumbled tiredly.

Kat smiled, turning to greet him a good morning but she stopped at his expression.

Percy was staring at her with wide eyes, his mouth open and terror in his eyes.

" What is it, champion? Are you alright?" She asked immediately, worried about the small boy.

She walked closer to offer comfort, but Percy backed away fearfully. With a trembling finger he pointed straight at her.

" W-Where is y-your arm?" Percy squeaked in shock.

Kat raised an eyebrow, looking at the empty space where her missing right arm was. Her metal and plastic prosthetics were both on her bedside table, there was no point in putting them on now when brewing coffee only took one hand. Her black singlet let nothing to question, she definitely was missing an arm.

" It's alright Percy, come here and I'll explain," Kat chuckled, amusement lighting up her face.

When Percy saw that she wasn't worried abut missing an arm he came over timidly and touched her shoulder where there was a stump of skin.

" Sometimes, Percy, people lose arms or legs or other parts of their body. When they lose them they can't grow another so they wear fake ones. Do you understand? I wear one that's all shiny and silver," Kat tried to explain.

Percy blinked up at her, confusion still on his face.

" But, miss Kat, how did you lose yours?" Percy asked curiously.

Kat held back a shudder at the memories facing through her mind. How was she supposed to tell  a child that her am had been literally eaten and slowly ripped off? She definitely wouldn't be telling him that.

" Oh I'll tell you when you are twelve," She dismissed, making Percy pout adorably. "Now I'll make you French toast and then you can come and meet my friends at work," Kat murmured affectionately, ruffling his hair.

The Avengers were going to just love this child.