After the War

Part 9

You looked at the empty bowl in your lap. "Hey, I'm going to get some more snacks real quick," you say to Peter, gesturing towards the general direction of the kitchen.

His head turns to you, simultaneously picking up the remote. "Do you want me to pause the movie?"

You shake your head immediately, knowing that it wouldn't take too long to get snacks and you wouldn't mind hearing Peter catch you up on the minutes missed during the movie. Not that you'd ever tell him. "No it's fine, it'll only take a few minutes."

His nose slightly scrunched at the thought that you'd miss some of the movie, but he'd be lying if he said that he didn't like the thought of being able to talk to you more, even if it was only about a few missed minutes. Not that he'd ever tell you that. "Oh ok."

You flash a small smile before turning and skipping down the hallway. Even though you'd been here a bit over a week and seen these walls what seems like a million times in that time, you couldn't help your curious gaze as you took in every detail once more. The spotless unmarred white, except for the tiny chip from where Sam pushed Bucky a bit too hard. Your feet carry you past the lab where they stop. Turning towards the door you exhale shakily. You debate whether you should bother Tony again with an invitation to movie night or just leave him alone. Shaking your head you turn away. But what if he's reconsidered? You think. You turn back and prepare yourself, raising your fist to the metal door.

Lowering your hand, you freeze when you hear voices arguing on the other side. Quickly you glance at the empty hallway and against your better judgment you press your ear against the door.

"You have to tell her," one of the muffled voices say.

"She's not ready, we only just found out a week ago," the other argues.

"But she has a right to-"

The other voice cuts them off, "We have no idea how far her powers even go, and no idea if telling her could put her in more danger."

You search your mind for who they could be talking about. Your stomach churns at the thought that you could be the 'she' they're referring to but there's no way that you could be her. Right? You were just a normal girl that happened to get pulled into this mess when Spider-Man decided to show up in your bedroom.

One of the voices speaks again, breaking your thoughts. "She deserves to know. Y/N deserves to know about her powers. You do remember that she is your dau-" too fast, you back away from the door. The words spoken run through your head over and over.

Powers. Y/N deserves to know about her powers.

This can't be happening.

Breath quickening, you drop the plastic bowl, barely hearing the clatter, muffled by your racing thoughts, turning and running down the hallway.

"Y/N?" Peter's slightly concerned voice bounces off the walls. The walls that you'd admired and felt safe behind but now feel as though they're closing in.

Your feet carry you faster as you take the hallway that wouldn't pass Peter, still waiting for you in the movie room. The sight of the glass doors is a welcome one and your hands grab for the handle, wrenching it open.

She deserves to know.

You embrace the cold night air, whipping your hair around your face. Frantically looking around, you breath a sigh of relief when you see your car.

Peter's POV

"Y/N?" I shout down the hallway. My voice echoes, practically a siren in the silence. Quietly, I push myself off the couch, looking down the hallway. My eyes immediately catch on the red plastic bowl that I'd last seen in Y/N's hands, now abandoned on the ground.

My breath comes shallower as I run down the hallway, looking both ways at the cross section, but seeing no one.

"Mr. Stark!" I yell, running back to his lab.

The metal door wrenches open in response, my mentor and a bearded Steve Rogers running out. Their eyes search me for any possible injury and up and down the hallway for an intruder but find nothing suggesting either.

"She's gone," my chest tightens at the thought of her being out of the compound, vulnerable to Thanos's forces.

Mr. Stark and Cap exhange a glance before heading in different directions. Mr. Stark get back into the lab, yelling directions at FRIDAY, fingers typing rapidly to try to get her location as fast as possible. Meanwhile Captain is in the garage, lifting the tarp of one of the vintage cars, practically jumping into his seat, hands immediately grabbing for the keys.

My feet plant on the ground, my mind wandering to try to understand why she left all of a sudden. What feels like hours pass, before the man in front of me coms the location of her to Captain. He activates his suit before grabbing me by the shoulder and lifting me up and out of the gusting night winds.

3rd POV

Her head hits the desk, finally succumbing to her mind-numbing exhaustion and resting on the dark wood, light from her computer wreathing her. Her eyelids flutter closed and a sigh makes its way past her lips, when the light from her computer screen turns green, and the machine starts emitting a quiet siren.

Her head jolts up, eyes now truly alert for the first time in hours as she reads the blaring words on the screen.

Target Found