Instincts (A Loki Fanfic)

Chapter Thirteen

(Kit's Pov)

After shopping that day, Natasha helped Kit organize everything they bought into her room. Not before Kit could show off her cat ears to everyone though. Of course the team thought this was adorable- or at least that's what they said.

"What does this do?" Kit asked Nat, holding up a papery thing. It was strange because it unfolded so unusually. Like a book, but... not.

"It's a calendar. You can mark special days with it and stuff."

"Is every day not special?"

"Some are more so. Valentine's Day is in a week. You can start with that."

"Valentine is day?"

"Valentine's Day. It's a holiday about romance and crap." She seemed to realise her mistake before Kit could press further. "Don't repeat that."

"Repeat what-"

"Hey girls!" A voice called from the doorway, as Steve's head peeked in. "Dinner's here. And Tony keeps insisting on a movie night, so Clint picked something called 'Lion King' for us to watch."

"We'll be down in a minute." Natasha called back, and with a nod of approval Steve was gone. Apparently the team insisted that she just had to try this food called 'pizza', and now watch a 'movie' too. Nat quickly finished setting up her room, pinning the calendar on something called a 'corkboard'.

*

"This is very good." Kit said for the millionth time, shoving another garlic knot in her mouth. They were like breadsticks, but better. After a single slice of pizza, she decided that breadsticks were the only thing she was eating from now on. They were just too good.

"Quiet, we're starting the movie." Tony whispered, as Jarvis started the film. The entire team sat around the lounge, on anything from couches to bar stools they had stolen.

When the movie started, Kit's eyes never left the screen. The little kitten watched Simba be held high, as all the animals bowed down to him. She watched as he played with Nala, and then when they got into trouble. Her expressions as she watched each scene unfold only became more and more invested, until Simba was in the canon practicing his roars.

She didn't know what was coming. Sure, Scar was bad- but why would he resort to hurting a cub? It was unthinkable. Unimaginable.

So when the stampede started, Kit could barely hold back her plea for that little kitten to run. Get away from his toxic uncle, get out of the canyon he was trapped in, escape from the hyenas.

And then Mufasa ran to the rescue. Finally, they were going to be safe. The kitten was being rescued, it was going to be fi-

Nope.

"Dad!" Simba yelled from the screen, nudging his father to wake up. Kit was holding back a horrible feeling in her chest, a feeling she didn't think she would ever feel again. It felt like she was choking on the air itself, her tears halted in fear of missing what would happen next. But it was only bad things, the kitten's uncle telling him to run. Run away and never return.

Even though they had been right next to her, it seemed the team only now realised her reaction. Well, one team member.

Loki.

"It's just a movie, Kitten." He said softly, bringing her closer to his side of the couch. They were always next to each other now it seemed, sitting close together in one way or another. This time they shared a couch, seemingly perfect for a time like this.

"He died." Kit whispered, as Loki wiped away her tears with his thumb. "He should not die."

The rest of the team finally turned to them, realising a certain member was in distress. "He shouldn't, but that's what the directors wrote." Clint agreed, even though his words didn't quite help.

"Why? Do they not want Simba to be happy?"

"He will be, eventually." Natasha smiled, "It'll help him later."

"How can it help him? Would it not help him more if he was there?"

"You're overthinking it. Simba needed to leave for him to find his other friends."

Kit sighed. That made some sense, but why couldn't there have been a better way? Surely there could've been some other way that didn't involve him dying. "It is cruel."

"It is." Loki agreed, "But perhaps the answer will be revealed later in the movie." After Kit finally agreed, the movie was rewound a few seconds, and they continued on.

When the movie finished, any thoughts of that feeling were gone. All that Kit felt was how happy that ending had been, so much better than the beginning of the movie.

Accompanied with the credits, Jarvis beeped with a message.

"What is it, J?" Tony asked, as most of their attentions' were brought towards the ceiling. After pizza and a movie, everyone was content to just lounge around the couches until it became too late.

"Kit's bloodwork has returned." The AI announced.

"Well, what is it?"

"Fully feline, sir." At this information, the team became confused.

"What do you mean? She's a pure cat?" Steve asked the science bros, most likely in hopes they might shed some light on this development.

"Apparently. But..." They glanced in Kit's direction, as she listened intently. But those results were false. She was only part cat, the same way she was part human.

"We did take the blood when she was a cat, Tony." Bruce pushed his glasses up in thought, considering any possibilities. "But if every form has a completely different set of DNA..."

"It's magic." Loki surmised, shrugging as if it were a normal thing. "Transformations are like that, there is rarely any way to show if the forms are connected."

"So if she changed her appearance enough, we would have no idea if it was really her?" Clint asked, dumbfounded at Kit's newest ability. "How many forms do you have?"

Kit thought for a moment. Her human form will always be her favorite, although the small house-cat was useful in some situations. And if she wanted to protect herself, her larger panther form could do that.

But another form? To what purpose?

"I do not know." Her eyebrow creased, as she looked between the team members. "I think it is possible to form another, but it is very hard."

"Interesting." Bruce mumbled, as light conversation resumed between them. But the questions still remained, what exactly was she? The team accepted her, but what would happen if her skills fell into the wrong hands? Back into Hydra's hands?

Kit could only hope the team would save her from that fate, again.