It's a Spider Thing. {Peter Parker and Natasha Romanoff}

{11} people aren't property

ONCE THE AVENGERS ARRIVED AT THE TOWER, they split off into groups.

Clint rushed off to the hospital wing with Peter securely tucked in his arms while Tony trailed behind them, telling Jarvis to set up a range of medical equipment for their arrival. Thor was in search of Bruce so he could attend to the gunshot wound despite Jarvis having already alerted the scientist.

Meanwhile, Natasha and Steve accompanied the unknown woman into an interrogation room for questioning before sending her off to a Shield base far away from Peter.

The room was bare apart from the usual, stand-alone table and chairs.

Steve secured the woman to the table by her handcuffs, ignoring the way her eyes bored into his head like she knew something he didn't. Across the table Natasha leaned back into her seat, not even looking at Steve when he sat beside her- he glanced in her direction when she withdrew a phone and began texting, his curiosity peaked.

Clint: Getting Bruce to check Peter out.

Natasha: take him home.

Clint: On it. Meet you there?

Natasha: soon as possible.

After a moment she looked up, ignoring the quizzical look Steve was shooting her way.

They had little time with the woman seeing as Shield would arrive to pick her up as soon as possible for their own interrogation, and the assassin was much more interested in her than providing an explanation to the captain.

"What's your name?"

The woman's lips curled into a smile as her cuffs clinked together when she set her hands onto the table, looking thoughtful. "Helen? That's a good name, isn't it?"

Despite the teasing, Natasha's gaze remained fixed on the woman. Her lack of response didn't deter the captive, instead her attention seemingly jumped to Steve who had frowned disapprovingly at the lack of a truthful answer. He opened his mouth to press for something more honest but Natasha cut him off smoothly, she didn't have time for the trivial thing like a name. If the woman wanted to fake it then she could do so for the time being.

"What's so interesting about a kid in a spider suit to you?"

"It's what's beneath the suit." Helen drawled as if they were painfully dense. "It's what's in his blood that makes him very interesting Miss Romanoff." She smiled, all teeth and no warmth when Natasha arched a singular eyebrow in question- her eyes glittered, making Steve wonder if she was even sane. "His abilities are the same to a mutate we lost. We're only retrieving what's ours."

"People are not property." Natasha's voice was cutting and sharp.

Her eyes narrowed at the implication that Peter was someone to be owned, like an animal- her mind involuntarily jumped to the collar that had dug into his skin enough to draw blood. She recalled the fight in the warehouse with perfect clarity, including the case of cash that had been spilled onto the floor; her skin crawled with the idea of Peter being sold to the highest bidder.

Despite her internal conflict, Natasha's features remained eerily calm.

Steve eyed her slightly, as if sensing the warring emotions but not being able to physically see them. Instead of commenting, he leaned forwards in his seat and forced himself to focus on the 'Helen' woman in front of him. "Who's we?"

"Hydra. Which you, of course, already knew." Helen explained, sitting back with a bored look.

Steve huffed out a frustrated breath, "What do you-" He cut himself off when the door swung open and Tony of all people poked his head into the room, looking irritated and panicked. His sleeves were rolled up and his hair ruffled, like he'd ran his hands through it a few times.