Hello, Who is this?

30) Hulk Attack and Apologies

Riley sprinted into the lab to find tables flipped and one was sticking out of wall at an odd angle. There were liquids all over the floor, some mixing and appearing to react to one another. One such liquid was slowly eating through the floor. Hulk was stomping around near a corner while Nat and Clint were sitting against a far wall. Nat was whisper yelling at Clint while he defended himself in the same manner. 

"Hey Hulk. How are you sweetie?" Riley was carefully approaching him, side stepping the mess as best she could. When she stumbled over a chair, Hulk immediately came to her aid, picking her up gently and hugging her close to his chest. 

"Ry safe? No hurt? Hulk no hurt?"

"I am good Hulk, not hurt. Thank you. What happened, hmm?"

Hulk grunted at Clint and said he make Nat and Banner mad. He tried to hurt Banner and Ry. Riley raised a brow at Clint but didn't argue while Hulk was explaining. 

"Oh I see. Is he still going to hurt anyone? I don't think he will. Maybe later this week, you and I can go back to our field. I would like to see you and have fun again. What do you think?"

Hulk grunted and glared at Clint before smiling at Riley and nodding at her suggestion. He set her down and she hugged him again as he brought Banner back.

Once Banner was back to being himself, she looked at the lab and allowed the anger she was holding in with Hulk, surface. "What in the actual fuck tide happened here?" 

Clint was glaring right back at her and if she wasn't so angry, she might have been intimidated but here and now, she was anything but that.

"Keep glaring arrowhead. I was already told you wanted to hurt me. Was that the case? Decided I was a threat all of a sudden. Go ahead and try it."

Clint was too angry to back down as he stood and stomped to her. "You never said how you were hurt like that. I deserved to know what you suffered. Nobody should ever have to-"

"You're right. Nobody deserves to be treated like that. However, who I tell and how I tell them is within my control. I don't appreciate being spied on. It is my body Clint, you don't get to say what is or is not deserved to be common knowledge."

Just as she finished her rant, he paled, she thought it was because she had gotten through to him but instead, she heard the voices of her mates agreeing with her as well as Tony complaining about the state of his lab. 

"What was that about, not that you were in the wrong but... we would like to know?" Bucky was trying to keep calm but knew it wasn't exactly working.

"Also, what happened to breakfast and tea sweetheart?" Steve had his hands on his hips, trying to be playful to lighten the mood. Loki was looking at the chemicals on the floor and trying to figure out how to get everyone out of there before something happened to them. Riley was barefoot after all. His thoughts suddenly stopped as he took in her appearance. 

"Ry, darling, have you worn that all day?" 

Tony stopped gesturing at the table in the wall when he heard Loki. He sighed deeply, trying to focus on her face and see what her eyes were hiding. The only thing he read was exhaustion. 

Nat chose this moment to speak up. "Riles, are you okay? It has been a very long couple of days for you. Where is Eddie?"

"Yes, I've worn this all day, don't worry though. I am going to be showering and changing soon. Eddie is gone now. He agreed to not help R-Hydra anymore. He was simply misinformed and needed some things cleared up. In all honesty, I might finally be tired enough to sleep."

Bruce and Clint noticed her swaying in place and both put a hand on her elbows. Loki was suddenly at her side and almost ready to pick her up when he saw bruises across her arms. "What happened here?" 

Bruce eyed the thick red marks that were slowly darkening into thick bands. Only to remember how Hulk had held her to him. They were right where his hands had been. He and Hulk had done this to her. He looked down, ready to admit to causing them and take whatever her soulmates dished out when instead she said; "Nothing Loki, could have been anything. We had a Hulk attack moment and I ran in here like a crazy person. Don't stress about it."

When Loki simply nodded, everyone was shocked, himself included. Tony was the next one to say something though. "Sweetie, when was the last time you slept? Was today too stressful for you?"

"No Tony, it was fine. Just a lot going on but Eddie is no longer a threat to us and that means that one mission is complete, right?"

Tony smiled and nodded at her. However, Steve saw the evasion for what it was. 

"And the last time you slept?"

Riley fidgeted with her fingers and swallowed as she eyed the bluish-purple liquid that was slowly working its way toward her toes. Loki gently nudged her while bruce looked over at her and Clint shook her elbow gently. Closing her eyes and keeping her head down, Riley whispered a single word answer that only Nat caught onto.

"Lab."

Nat sucked a breath sharply in through her nose and nodded. She wouldn't call Riley out in front of everyone but it was time for her to get some actual sleep. When she glanced down at what Riley was looking at she nearly yelled. 

"Too close, everyone needs to get out and this needs to be cleaned up, any ideas?"

Loki used his magic to undo all the damage around them as Riley swayed in place again. Clint was done waiting for her mates and took her out of the area and up to her room. He needed to talk to her and apologize for snapping earlier. As soon as he was at her door though, her four very angry mates caught up to him. "We can take her."

"Guys, please. I messed up, I need to let her know that I know that and I need to talk to her because I said some messed up... Just, let me please?"

"S'okay Clint. I am not mad. I know you were just upset. I told you before, people are entitled to a reaction. I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did."

"No, Riles, you were completely in the right. Just, I need... Shit, I don't know. I just- I can't set you down and walk away after what I saw and how I reacted. I am so sorry."

Riley hugged his neck tighter, much to Steve and Loki's displeasure. Bucky and Tony were more caught up in the words he said. "What did you see?" "Yeah, and what reaction?"

"Boys, let me and Clint talk. I will see you all soon. I am sorry about breakfast, you all just seemed too tired, I didn't want to disturb you." 

"Sugar, how long have you been awake?" 

Riley sighed and looked at Bucky before answering. "I've gone longer than this. If I am needed elsewhere, I can help."

Bucky frowned at her answer. She was good at answering without answering. There was a name for that and he couldn't think of it.

"Nice deflection Darling, now... How long?"

This time she looked at Loki from over Clint's shoulder. "I haven't slept since I woke up in the lab at the compound."

Clint stopped caring who tried to get in his way at this point. He walked into the room with her and set her on the bed. He asked for Nat and Wanda to come to the room so they could help her shower and change before putting her back to bed. He let her head sit against his side as he held her tight and let a few silent tears slip down his cheek. He couldn't imagine how strong she must truly be to do what she does. He thought of his own kids and how he would kill anyone who tried to do anything to them, let alone whatever Riles had lived through. 

He stayed like that until Riley woke up again, keeping the door cracked so any of his or her soulmates could check in on them throughout the afternoon.