*This story is completely fictional and meant for entertainment purposes only.
XxX
It was just before the first day of 2023 when I saw I was getting an incoming call from Hailee Steinfeld, a pupil at my martial arts gym. Her dad was her own personal fitness trainer, but she saw me for self-defense classes.
"Hailee? Are you okay?" I asked the young starlet, not knowing why she'd be calling me.
"Yeah Jonah, I'm fine," she said, letting my heartbeat fall back to a safe rhythm. "I was just thinking, and I have an idea I want to run by you, but I want to do it in person," she said, sounding quite anxious.
"Uh, alright, sure," I agreed, not having any idea what Hailee Steinfeld could want from me. I wasn't going to miss a chance to see the Hawkeye lead, though.
XxX
I strolled into the Starbucks that she had requested we meet at, and she was already holding down a table, a cup of God only knows what drink in front of her, and a black coffee with some creamer packets sitting across from her.
"Thanks for meeting me so unexpectedly, and on New Years Eve, no less," Hailee said, removing her massive sunglasses.
"No problem," I said, waving a hand. "The gym is closed for the holiday, so I didn't have much going on. What did you need to talk about?" I asked as I sipped the coffee Hailee had generously got me. It was mere pennies to me, but the thought was touching.
"I've been thinking about a New Year's resolution, right?" Hailee began, leaning forward. I had to try not to look at her pert breasts showcased in a fitting white tank top.
"Okay," I said, waiting for her to continue.
"I wanted a real resolution, one to really bring change, and I started thinking about the show, Hawkeye. I want to be a real Kate Bishop, you know? I have the money and people know my name, and I can shell $5k to a charity without thinking about it. What about real change that I'm actually touching, though, that nobody like me is doing?"
"Hailee, are you talking about... you can't just decide to be a superhero," I said, face-palming.
"Like hell I can't," she retorted. "I'm insanely fit, you're teaching me how to fight, and I've been actually putting in real archery time since I started the show. I'm getting really good!" she argued.
"I hear you, and that's all great, but think about this, Hailee. Be real," I urged. "You could get into serious physical and legal trouble. You could actually get killed for real. And what if you had to actually kill someone? You can't shake that off."
Hailee rolled her eyes at me. "I'm not going to take down big drug cartels, Jonah. I want to do little things, like stop active shooters or robberies and stuff. I want to do good samaritan stuff... but while wearing a suit and hiding my identity."
I laughed. "What do I have to do with it?"
"I want you to keep training me, but also teach me how to do cool parkour stuff like you do. And you know, maybe do this stuff with me."
"Hailee, I'm 43," I pointed out.
"Yeah, but your body is still insane, you're a war vet and a cage fighter," Hailee retorted.
"Retired," I added. "If I had a kid, they'd be in high-school already. I'm not superhero material."
"I think you are, Jonah. A neighborhood crime fighter anyway. I'm going to do it without you, but I wish you would be the Clint to my Kate."
I sat there, staring into my cup for a bit. "I think this is a dumb idea, but I can't stop you from doing it... and I don't think I can just stand by while you do it. I wish you would have found someone younger. I'm old enough to be your dad if I would have made a mistake in high-school," I pointed out.
"There's nothing wrong with that, Daddy," Hailee told me with a wink and a cheeky smile.
I hated the way that instantly made my cock twitch. "Please don't call me that ever again," I said in a warning tone.
"Oh, Daddy's feeling stern," she teased, pursing her lips.
"Oh for fuck's sake," I groaned. "When are we starting this shit?" I asked, just trying to move the ball.
"Well it's New Year's, no time like the first day of the year, right?" she asked rhetorically, getting up from her seat and putting her huge shades back on. "We'll meet at the gym at 9 p.m. tonight? We can rock in the New Year doing a little civic duty. And we can probably hp a girl out with someone not listening to the word 'no' after a New Year's kiss or something."
"Works for me, I guess," I sighed, resigning myself to whatever the fuck was happening. "You're paying me for this, too, right?"
Hailee chewed her lip in thought before saying, "I'll pay the rent and utility on the gym for as long as you do this with me."
I raised my eyes atthat offer. "Deal."
"Don't worry Daddy, this'll be so much fun," she smiled again and took off before I could scold her. This was going to be a long... partnership?
XxX
As agreed upon, I showed up at my gym at 9 p.m., almost to the dot. I unlocked the doors and headed inside, but only turned on the light in my office. I figured it would be enough for Hailee to meet me by.
I opened my laptop to check some emails while I waited, but the sound of a bowstring pulling back made me pause.
"Hi Daddy. Happy New Year," Hailee said from behind me.
I said and slowly closed my laptop. "Hailee, we talked about this; please don't call me daddy."
"You're not even going to ask how I got in here?" she asked, clearly disappointed.
"You're a premium member, Hailee. You have a key to the gym."
"Yeah, but like, not to your office," she huffed.
"That's actually true. How'd you get into my office?"
She just smiled and shook her head. "Me and Jeremy used to enjoy some shenanigans together on set. Mainly practical jokes and stuff, occasionally involved lockpicking."
"Well that's great," I said. "So how does this little resolution of yours go?" I asked, seeing she was in her black leggings and purple top from the show. "Do you even have a mask?"
"Of course I do," she confirmed as she pulled her long dark hair into a ponytail.
"Don't you think it's also a little on the nose that you're wearing the Kate Bishop costume?" I challenged.
"No. People are going to expect it to be a cosplayer or a wanna-be, not actually me. If we're good enough, there won't be footage or anything," she said as she held up a thin, black knit ski mask. "I brought one for you, too."
I rolled my eyes and swiped it from her hand. "So we're just going to jump right in it, huh?"
"That was my plan. We'll do some patrolling, use my police scanner app, see what we can do," Hailee said as we left my office.
"I can't believe I'm going to engage in vigilante behaviors with Hailee Steinfeld," I growled.
"It'll be fun," she said, literally skipping ahead of me.
XxX
Exactly what I expected happened... not a damn thing. We burned through gas money for two hours driving around looking for anything we could stick our noses into, and nothing fucking happened.
"It's 11 p.m., Hailee. Do you want to call it a night? I'll go to bed like the old man I am and you can find some hot young guy to kiss at midnight."
Hailee smiled at me coyly. "What if I want to kiss a hot older man at midnight?" she teased reaching over and ruffling my dark hair that was just ever so slightly starting to gray on the sides.
"Then I'd say... you're entitled to whatever preferences you want to have," I said, deciding to be an adult and not yuck someone else's yum.
At that moment, the heavy wood and glass door of a bar next our car swung open violently, and an attractive young redheaded woman poured out, with a few guys following her.
"Fuck you, Brent. I'm not going to kiss you and ALL of your loser friends at midnight!" she spat.
"Come on, Becky, why not?" Brent slurred back, he and his posse of fools still tailing her.
"C'mon, let's make sure she's okay," Hailee said opening the door, and I was right behind her. Hailee was also smart enough not to bring her bow and arrows.
"Just one kiss!" the group kept pestering the young lady, they're hands now grabbing her arms to stop her from fleeing.
"Don't touch me! Let me go!" Becky wailed as they pulled her onto a side street and pushed her up against a building.
Hailee and I were right on their heels, and I didn't give them a warning before engaging. I pulled one guy off of the group and roughly threw him to the ground. Hailee kicked a guy between the legs when his back was still turned to her.
By then, the group realized they weren't alone, and with only three drunk college bros left, Hailee and I had no trouble with them.
"You okay, ma'am?" Hailee asked the woman who was still pressed to the wall. After that experience, I was going to let Hailee take the lead.
"Yeah, thanks to you two. I don't know what they would have done... how far they would have...." She trailed off, running her hands down her face.