SAVED BY THE AVENGERS

WHY?

"Tony, do you remember Oscorp?" Pepper asked, her eyes watching him carefully.

Tony frowned. "Yes, they asked for funding and initially I gave it to them because I was interested in their glider technology, but when I found out that they were also doing human testing on people who weren't volunteers I pulled out. What's this all about Pep?"

"Norman Osbourne, CEO and Founder of Oscorp," Pepper said slowly. "Adoptee of Gwen and Peter Parker. Gwen was one of those test subjects."

"I'm lost," Clint said. "Why aren't we after the Bastard yet?"

"Because legally, we can't touch him," Pepper broke in before the conversation turned to 'suit up' mode. "And I highly doubt that Fury would appreciate his response team going after a high powered businessman who currently holds a military contract."

"That's not the only way to take him down," Tony said, an odd light in his eyes. Then he was up and bolting down the hallway towards the lift, calling for both Pepper and JARVIS.

With a sigh, Steve heaved himself up off the couch to follow after Pepper. "I'd better go after him. Someone's got to make sure that he doesn't cause an international incident."

"I think an international incident is the least of our worries if Tony Stark is angered," Thor said. "I don't believe I have ever actually seen him so serious about anything that wasn't his beloved suit before."

"Norman Osbourne has been a thorn in his side for a long time now," Natasha said. "The fact that he's been performing illegal experiments on a girl and threatening to do so on a little kid just means that he's not going to show mercy."
It was a few hours later when someone decided to pop into Gwen and Peter's room to check up on them. Gwen turned her head to watch as Clint Barton, aka Arrow Man, walked over to their bedside.

"Thank you," Gwen whispered softly, trying not to wake her brother. "Peter told me that you were the one who took down those two Lab Rats and saved me."

"Why do you call them Lab Rats?" Clint asked.

"They work for Osbourne. I assume that your teammates have filled you in?" At the man's nod, she continued. "They always wear lab coats, never take them off. They remind me of the rats that labs use to test things on. Hence the name, Lab Rats."

At that moment, Peter shifted in his sleep, wincing and curling into his sister further. Gwen just waited until her brother had settled before bringing a hand up to stroke his bangs away from his forehead. Clint caught sight of a scar right behind the boy's ear.

"Why are you doing all this for us?" Gwen asked. Good things always came with a price, she had learned. Most of the time, the price was entirely too high.

"Because we can," Clint said, "and because we want to. There are some good things in the world that are free, Gwen. We're not going to ask for anything in return from you or your brother."

She blinked up at him. How had he known what she was thinking?

"Dinner's going to be here soon. None of us felt like cooking so we ordered out. You guys like pizza? We didn't know what toppings you two liked so we just got a smorgasbord of everything. Thor will likely eat whatever we don't. The guy's appetite is huge. Everyone's in the rec room getting comfy and I think that Tony is picking out a movie."

Gwen just blinked at him again before she answered. "I never would have pegged you for a chatterbox."

"Most people don't," Clint replied. "Why don't we get you and your brother up and out so we can get some food?"

After waking a sleepy Peter and getting some more medicine in him, Gwen followed Clint Barton into the rec room where the rest of the Avengers were arguing over what movie to watch.