Endgame

I came upon a group of children playing
     in their yard in the snow as
          the dogs and I were
walking

three of them building two snowmen - perhaps
     a snowman and snowwoman?
          and two others kids standing twenty feet
apart

they had apparently been engaged in an
     epic snowball battle, but now the
          tall girl was on her phone
texting

and the small boy was making snowballs
     in his too-big gloves and gently
          lofting them towards the tall girl's
feet

until he turned and saw the three of us 
     approaching from across the street and
          his expression was a familiar one 
can I pet them?

so we crossed and stood on the snow-packed
     sidewalk while the small boy approached
          and I kneeled down as he reached first for Zeus,
then Mac

and I nodded toward the tall girl and asked, sister?
     and he nodded in turn while still
          petting the dogs and I asked a
follow-up

have you seen the Avengers movies? and he smiled and
     said yes and we made eye contact and I
          told him, she is Thanos, so what do you need to do,
Thor?

and he continued to pet the dogs and then
     it dawned on him what I was saying and a 
          smile played at the edges of his
mouth

and he stood up and and met my fist with a 
     bump and said a little too gleefully 
          as he padded back toward his victim
go for the head