"There's no shadow you won't light up, mountain you won't climb up."

  "I told you before that I've found Smith's bunker," said a low and kind voice, in a tone that suggested he had said this sentence multiple times. "Even if Smith is dead, that place is still very well protected. I think Smith was only a part of something bigger."

  "So you think she's still in danger ?" asked Pepper's worried voice.

  "I think we need to be careful," said the first voice. "Turns out we don't know anything about what Harper can do or, at least, not much. Maybe the answers lie there."

  "That's bullshit, Steve," Tony railed. "My daughter...my baby's not fine, that's true. But nothing tells us that..."

  Harper opened her eyes and tried to sit up. 

  "She's awake !" Peter exclaimed as he caught her hand to help her sit. "Hey, welcome back."

  "How long ?"

  "Three hours. It wasn't a big dose."

  She recognised Steve Rogers and hugged him straight away.

  "You scared the hell out of all of us," he whispered as he patted her back.

  When Steve stepped back, Harper could finally see everyone. Sitting on a chair nearby, Natasha was smiling to her. Next to her, Clint was trying to hide his worries. Tony and Pepper were holding hands : one had hurt joints ; the other had puffy eyes. Harper wanted to get up and join them but when they saw how dazed she still was, they sat next to her.

  "I heard you talking about...about Smith," she said. "You got anything new ?"

  "We think he might not have been acting alone," Steve explained. "I found his bunker and it's still in activity. I saw hidden guards."

  "Then we need to go."

  "Harper, enough," Tony said firmly. "If we go there, you're not joining us."

  "Why ?" she asked on an outraged tone. "I want to know what's wrong with me, for God's sake ! And I feel like that's where I'll find the answers."

  "That's what we're thinking," Tony admitted. "But there's no way I'm letting you come along."

  "But Dad..."

  "No. End of discussion. Natasha, Steve and Clint are here to help you. From now on, I want you to know how to defend yourself."

  "I can fight."

  "Yes, but you don't know how to shoot a gun," Natasha noted.

  "And you can't shoot an arrow properly," Clint added. "I bet your shooting skills are all rusty."

  "And you sure don't know how to protect yourself efficiently," Steve finished.

  "Fine, I got it," she mumbled. "When do I start ?"

  "Tomorrow morning. Be ready at five."

***

  It was five in the morning. She'd had to wake up at four thirty. In front of Natasha, Harper was rubbing her eyes and yawning.

  "You'll need more sleep if you want do this right."

  "Then why don't we do this in the afternoon ?"

  "And why don't you go to bed earlier ?"

  "I..."

  Harper didn't have an answer for her. The night before, she had gone to bed late and she had a reason : Peter had stayed with her. He couldn't leave her without making sure she was sleeping deeply and peacefully. They'd talked up until late at night about everything, about them. The very memory of it made her smile dreamily.

  "It's your boyfriend who makes you smile like that ?" 

Natasha was almost softening at this sight.

  "Maybe."

  Boyfriend. This word still sounded so weird in her ears. She shook her head and came back to her senses. She wasn't here to talk about her love life.

  "Where do we start ?" she asked.

  "You're gonna learn how to shoot."

  "Right now ?"

  "Yes, right now."

  "Thank god the basement is soundproof," Harper mumbled.

  Indeed, Stark's basement had multiple rooms that served different purposes. Some of them had been there before Tony was born ; he had built the other ones, just like this training room where Harper and Natasha were practicing. The grey walls were decorated with their lots of different targets : human silhouettes, classic targets, robots... Everything was there. In the back, there were a few punching bags as well as a boxing ring. Finally, on Harper's left, a screen door locked the way to a small armoury. Natasha got out a key from her pocket and opened the door. She didn't wait any longer and grabbed to basic handguns. She held out one to Harper and gave her some bullets.

  "Okay. First you need to load your weapon, like this. You see the bullet holes in the barrel ? That's where you put them."

  With a skilled gesture, the famous spy showed her how it was done. Harper mimicked her and managed to load her guns less quickly, of course, but as precisely as her instructor.

  "Nice," she complimented her. "Now, remove the safety catch, like this."

  She mimicked Natasha action, like a dedicated student. She was eager to finally learn how to use a gun properly, even though it fascinated her as much as it scared her.

  "And now, get into position."

  Harper walked to one of the targets. She grounded her bodyweight where Natasha told her to stand.

  "Those weapons aren't made to shoot from a long distance. They're more efficient in a ray of one hundred and fifty feet, more or less. You need to be stable and well-balanced on your legs. Without balance, you won't be able to aim precisely."

  Harper nodded and held out her arm that was holding the gun."

  "No, not like this," Natasha corrected her. "I know it looks cool in the movies but you better start shooting with two hands."

  "I saw you doing it with only one hand," Harper noted.

  "Yeah, because I've been training for years, Miss Stark," she explained with a smile. "Go on. Focus. Do you see your target ?"

  "Very clearly."

  It was a basic target made of multiple concentric rings. For now, it was intact.

  "Don't close an eye : what matters is the target. Focus on it and look right at the spot you want to hit. Lock your shoulder so the kick doesn't surprise you."

  Harper listened carefully to Natasha's advice, corrected her position every time she had to. And then she was ready. She breathed out and pulled the trigger without hesitation for one second. The bullet didn't reach the centre ; it touched the second circle starting from the outside. Harper let out a disappointed sigh. 

  "Perfect !" Natasha congratulated her. "I'm surprised."

  "Why ?"

  "You hit the target on the first try. That's impressive."

  "You think so ?"

  "Hell yes ! Come on, bullet number two. Steady look, calm breathing, locked shoulders, grounded legs... Go !"

  Pumped by Natasha's good words, Harper shot a second bullet, a third one and then a fourth one. The fifth one almost reached the inner circle.

  "Ugh, so close !"

  "It's good, Harper, really. Now go change. You have to go to school."

  Harper put on an annoyed frown.

  "I like your classes better than school," she confessed.

  "Yeah, no kidding," Natasha said as she laughed lightly. "You'll be with Steve tonight and with Clint tomorrow morning. Same time. Come on, chop-chop ! I think Peter Parker's waiting for you."

***

  "How was it ?" Peter asked, looking just as enthusiastic as she was.

  "Awesome !" she answered before she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I've got the best teacher. She taught me how to shoot, today," she whispered.

  They were in the middle of the hallway and even if it wasn't crowded with student, she chose to be careful. Speaking of guns and an Avenger's identity out loud probably wasn't a really good idea.

  "I'm training with Clint tomorrow."

  "So cool !"

  Leaning on her locker, Harper softened at Peter's joyfulness. This boy was so lighthearted and fun : how the hell could he pull that off ? Yet, Harper knew about his story. Not precisely, of course, but she knew he had been through a lot, too. Her eyes were filled with affection as she looked at him : Peter couldn't resist the urge to kiss her right there, against her locker. He placed his hands on her hips while she placed her hands on his cheeks. She let her forehead rest against his just for a moment. They enjoyed every moment as if it weren't meant to last and yet hoped it was : it was the euphoria of a first love, the euphoria of the blossoming feelings that invaded them.