Saving Grace

Forty Four

By the time Tony finally gets home, Grace has fallen down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos about the hero: Spider-Man, as most have taken to calling him. She's been watching the videos ever since Tony left, though she had to take a break to do her online schooling. Now, she's back on the couch, watching the videos until Tony walks into the room.

"What happened to you?" she asks immediately, seeing the cuts and bruises on his face.

He sighs. "Bucky broke out of his cell, we all had to fight him. He escaped with Sam and Steve. We can't find them. They gave me thirty six hours to bring them in, and if I don't, they'll bring in a Special Ops force. And we can't let that happen." He slumps down on the couch next to her, rubbing his face. Then, he looks down at her phone, brows furrowing. "What's that?"

"What's what?" she replies. She looks back at her phone, then holds it up. "This?" She presses play on the video, which is of Spider-Man doing his usual routine in the city. Doing backflips, helping the little guy, stopping a moving car. "That's Spider-Man."

"Spider-Man?" Tony asks, seemingly interested. He looks at the buildings in the background. "Looks like he's based in New York."

"Queens."

"Hmm." He watches as Spider-Man swings through the streets on webs, saying hi to the civilians that shout up at him. Tony gets an idea, then stands, pulling out his phone. "I gotta go... do something. I'll be in the lab if you need me."

"Okay..." Grace trails off, continuing to watch the video.

Meanwhile, Tony is on the phone with Nat. "We're seriously understaffed," she's saying.

Tony nods a little, sitting down at one of his computers. "Oh, yeah. It'd be great if we had a Hulk right about now. Any shot?"

"No," Nat replies. "You really think he'd be on our side?"

Tony starts typing — searching. "No."

After a pause, Nat says, "I have an idea."

"Me too. Where's yours?"

"Downstairs. Where's yours?"

Tony smiles, looking at the screen. "Queens." He could give her the apartment number too.

~~~~

Suddenly, not ten minutes after he left, he comes back in the living room, dressed in a new suit and heading for the door. "I gotta go run an errand in Queens. Are you gonna be okay be yourself for just a little bit longer?"

Grace's brows furrow. "Queens? What's in-?" She stops herself, realizing, an excitement building in her. She gasps. "You found Spider-Man, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Tony replies, almost smiling, "and I'm gonna go recruit him."

Grace's eyes widen. "For what?"

"The whole... Cap situation."

She sits up, nearly stands. "I wanna go too."

"Grace-"

"If it weren't for me, you never would've known about him in the first place," she points out. "Also, I want in on whatever it is to do with the Cap situation that you're recruiting him for."

Tony stops, thinking. "You know, bringing you might be a good strategy..." He looks up at her. "Alright. We'll talk about it in the car. Hurry up and get dressed."

Grace runs off excitedly to change, then practically sprints back down to Tony so they can get in the car. As they drive off to Queens, Tony tells her about Berlin — only as much as he needs to, since he's taking her with him.