Spider-Man: Duty and Loss Chapter 85: Worries and Truth

Finally he looked from the charts to Natasha next to him. "Where did you find sleeping beauty then?" Natasha looked at Laura for a second, before everyone else in the room. *Sigh* "I didn't really want to tell you guys for a while longer, but you know how I've been going out of the tower more often lately."

"Yes?" Said Steve uncertainly, while Tony in his wisdom decided to move the conversation along. "Yes, Yes, you've been going to the park to meet with some stranger." Tony waved his hand trying to make her spill the beans faster. But when he got no response from her and realized that the whole room had gone quiet, is when he realised what he just said.

Looking at Clint who with Steve had stepped back a bit, he finally looked at Natasha who was out of his sight for a few seconds. Turning around slowly, he jumped backwards in fright. Or he would have if two hands hadn't clamped themselves onto his shoulders and held him in place.

Tony starred into the cold, fiery eyes of the red head before him and gulped loudly, his legs shaking a little. Natasha was wearing a smile that didn't reach her eyes as she looked at him. "And how would you know I was going to the park when I went out, and meeting someone no less?"

Her voice was slightly sweet, a little seductive even. Tony would have appreciated the tone if not for the fear of dying in the next few seconds depending on his answer. The thought of throwing Clint under the buss and getting away scot free ran through his mind, and just as he was about to go through with it, Clint's voice came from the side, hiding behind Steve, who had a slight smirk on his face watching them.

"I walked in on him following you using one of his satellites; he followed you all the way to the park, before someone hacked his systems and cut the feed. We didn't get to see who you met, I swear to god!"

"Traitor!" Tony exclaimed as he looked at his avenging partner. He would have said more, but the pressure on his shoulders got even worse. Looking at Natasha's eyes he could only think of one thing to say. "Anything but the face please." Natasha gave him a patient smile and a nod of understanding, before her leg rocked back and her knee sprang towards his lower half.

"ARGH!!!!" For the next few minutes only Tony's screams for help and begging could be heard. Steve and Clint both sent prayers for their fallen comrade and hoped Pepper wouldn't be too mad if she had trouble having kids in the future.

(Minutes later)

Tony sat stiffly in the chair stationed next to the medical bed. He couldn't get up even if he wanted to. He kept his mouth shut not daring to make a sound as Natasha glared angrily at Clint who was shivering a little near the only exit to the room.

Clint's eyes flickered to it for a second. "Don't even think about it." Clint gave a fast nod at the chilled words before giving a sigh of relief as Natasha stopped glaring at him and returned to her usual self. "Clint, we're due for some 1v1 sparring soon. I think maybe next Monday would be a good time."

*Gulp* Clint only nodded once again at the words before everything went back to normal, though in his mind he was thinking of ways to get out the sparring session. Natasha sent a look at the quiet Stark for a second before she continued.

"AS I was saying...I have been going to the park recently as I made a new friend." Out of all the things said today, maybe that would be the most shocking. Steve and Tony had dumbfounded looks on their face while Clint had an even more comical expression.

None of them could believe it, though Steve and Clint were happy that Natasha was meeting more people. Especially Clint, it had been a few years since he had helped Natasha and brought her to shield. She was a killer from a very young age; some said she had no emotions left.

They were mostly right, when she had first come to join Shield she was as cold as ice, only doing as told and opening up to Clint. After many years she had become the woman all of them knew. Though she was reclusive with her emotions and didn't let people in, she still could befriend others.

It was one of the many reasons that she had befriended Steve so fast, helping him open up to the world around him. Though it had helped the soldier lost through time tremendously, it had also helped her as well. Her friendship with Peter being a huge step personally.

Seeing the happiness that she projected when she mentioned her new 'friend' sent a small smile to Clint's lips. "A friend? You?" The glare sent Tony's way by everyone in the room, shut him up quickly, while also making him clench his knees together.

"Yes...A homeless boy I met one day. I won't go into details, but he was living on the bench I usually sat at. Meeting him a few more times, I started bringing him food. He was only a kid, maybe 16, probably has to watch out for Social Services half the time, skinny to the bone..." Natasha stopped for a second lost in her own thoughts, while Clint commented in his mind. 'You're only 18-19 and he's kid?'

"We started talking more and more, I told him I was a temp so he knows nothing of who I really am, but..." Natasha stopped for a moment and a frown came to her face. "When hydra tried to take you and me out Cap, they attacked me when I was at the park..."

It only took a few seconds for Steve to realise what she meant and he became worried. A friend of Nat's was a friend of his! "Were they ok?" Natasha let out a sigh as she moved over to the other chair next to Laura.

"He wasn't there that day luckily, I took them down fast enough and left before anything else could happen. But after we took down Shield I haven't seen him since." Steve was frowning even more now, joined by Clint. They were both thinking of what could have happened.

Of course the kid could have just moved location after what happened that day, but you couldn't be certain. Natasha nodded her head when she saw their looks. "I have gone their almost daily recently to see if I could catch any sight of him, but I had no luck. Well..."

She gestured to Laura lying on the bed. "Untill today. She mentioned his name, was looking for him." Every eye in the room turned to look at the knocked out Laura once again. Knowing that this could have something to do with one of Natasha's friends they took in even more details.

Even Tony was more serious. There was a small amount of blood on the knuckles of her hand and her clothes were in tatters. With the hair and unwashed state she was in, if she had anything to do with Natasha's friend, things weren't looking good.

Though it was hidden Clint could see the clear worry that had crept into Natasha's voice as she recounted some of her tale. She was worried, and he didn't like that. "I'm sure he's fine Nat." Walking over to Natasha and clapping her shoulder Natasha only gave a nod, keeping her emotions in check.

Steve also entered his commander mode as he nodded after Clint. "Yeah Nat, he'll be fine and we'll help you find him." Even Tony spoke up. "Yeah we're the Avengers, there's nothing we can't do." Natasha gave a smile and a nod to each of them at the words, they giving her a bit more confidence that Peter was ok.

Chapter end