**Chapter 4: Banner's Big Stink**
The peaceful morning Natasha had enjoyed after returning from Doctor Strange's was short-lived. By the time she got back to Stark Tower with Baby Clint, the rest of the mini-Avengers were awake and making their presence known in the loudest ways possible. She barely had time to set Clint down before Baby Thor let out an ear-piercing cry from the living room, clearly upset that his stuffed hammer was out of reach.
Natasha hurried over, grabbed the plush Mjolnir, and handed it back to him. Thor immediately quieted, clutching the hammer like a lifeline. Meanwhile, Baby Tony was already at work, disassembling a toy car with a determination that only a future inventor could muster. Natasha made a mental note to keep a close eye on him—she'd seen what Tony could do with a screwdriver, even at this size.
But it was Baby Bruce who was most on her mind. After everything that had happened, Bruce had been the quietest of the bunch. He spent most of his time alone, calmly flipping through picture books or playing with soft toys. If Natasha hadn't known better, she'd have thought he was the easiest to manage.
However, her instincts told her that something was off. Bruce had always struggled with controlling his emotions as an adult, and Natasha couldn't help but worry that those struggles might manifest in unexpected ways now that he was a toddler.
As she scooped up Baby Bruce from his playmat, she noticed a distinct smell. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what it was.
"Oh no," Natasha groaned. "Please, not this."
Bruce's face scrunched up, his expression somewhere between confusion and discomfort. Natasha quickly laid him down on the changing table, praying that this wouldn't be as bad as she feared.
But as she unsnapped his onesie and removed the diaper, it became abundantly clear that her hopes were in vain. The mess was... monumental.
"Great," Natasha muttered under her breath. "Just what I needed."
Bruce, for his part, seemed blissfully unaware of the chaos he was causing. He giggled up at her, his big brown eyes sparkling with innocence. Natasha couldn't help but smile back, despite the situation.
"Okay, Banner," she said, reaching for the wipes and a fresh diaper. "Let's get you cleaned up."
Natasha was no stranger to difficult tasks, but this one might just take the cake. It was a delicate operation, requiring more skill than she'd ever used in the field. She had to hold Bruce's legs up with one hand while cleaning him up with the other, all while keeping him from wriggling too much.
Baby Bruce seemed to think this was all some sort of game. He kicked his legs excitedly, babbling happily as Natasha worked. Each movement made the situation more complicated, causing Natasha to bite back a groan. This was definitely not what she had in mind when she signed up for the Avengers.
"Hold still, Banner," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I promise this will be over soon."
But Bruce was having none of it. He wriggled and squirmed, giggling as he grabbed at the clean diaper she was trying to put on him. Natasha was starting to wonder if this was some kind of cosmic payback for all the times she'd made Bruce go into the field when he wasn't feeling up to it.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Natasha managed to secure the fresh diaper in place. She let out a sigh of relief, quickly snapping Bruce's onesie back up before anything else could go wrong.
"There," she said, lifting him up into her arms. "All clean. You're lucky I like you, Banner."
Bruce snuggled into her, his small hands clutching at her shirt as he let out a contented sigh. Natasha couldn't help but smile, her earlier frustration melting away. For all the trouble he'd caused, Bruce was still one of her closest friends, even in this tiny, innocent form.
She carried Bruce back into the living room, where the other babies were still engrossed in their activities. Baby Clint had taken it upon himself to build a fort out of couch cushions, while Baby Steve was trying to get Baby Tony to share his toy car—an effort that was proving less than successful.
Thor, meanwhile, was back to gnawing on his stuffed hammer, his earlier tantrum forgotten. Natasha set Bruce down on the floor beside him, hoping that the calm energy he exuded might rub off on the others.
But no sooner had she done so than Bruce's face scrunched up again, this time in concentration. Natasha froze, dread pooling in her stomach. "No, no, no..." she whispered, but it was too late.
With a loud grunt, Bruce let out another explosion in his diaper.
Natasha stared at him, her mind going blank for a moment. "You've got to be kidding me."
Bruce looked up at her, completely unfazed, and giggled. Natasha put her face in her hands, groaning softly. This was going to be a very long day.
As she prepared to go through the whole diaper-changing process again, she couldn't help but think about how this experience might affect her relationship with Bruce once they were all back to normal. Would he remember any of this? Would he even know what she'd gone through to keep him—and the others—safe and comfortable?
One thing was for sure: Natasha Romanoff could now add "superhero babysitter" to her already impressive résumé. And as much as she loved her teammates, she was definitely going to need a vacation once this was all over.
With a resigned sigh, she picked up Baby Bruce and headed back to the changing table. As she started the process again, she couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Saving the world was one thing, but cleaning up after a mini-Hulk was a challenge she never saw coming.
But no matter how messy things got, she knew she'd handle it. After all, she was the Black Widow. If she could face down gods and monsters, she could certainly handle a little bit of poop. Right?
