The Tower

A Question of Security

Immediately after my rescue, there was chaos. Steve showed up and collected up Giuletta while Natasha continued to hold me and soothe me telling me I was fine. That everything would be fine. Tony had scared me flying off like that. I knew he was blaming himself for what happened but how can you tell someone that's not the case if they fly off in an armored power suit?

Natasha picked me up and started carrying me to the jet. I have said before but Natasha is much smaller than I am so she must have looked ridiculous but she didn't struggle. She just held me curled into her as I trembled. She was called over comms to do a lullaby for the Hulk, whatever that meant and Sam swooped out of the sky and took me from her carrying me to the jet.

"I've got you, princess." He said, buckling me into one of the jump seats. Giulietta was locked into one further up, still unconscious. I couldn't even bring myself to look at her.

"Who was she? What did she even want?" I asked, the very hint of hysteria in my voice.

"I don't know a lot, it happened a long time before the Avengers. Before Iron Man even. Tony said she had worked her way into Stark Enterprises. Seduced one of the board members who recommended her to Tony as an assistant or something." He explained. "She started trying to seduce Tony. Her plan was to marry him, kill him, inherit the business. Only she fell for him hard. Weird I know. She got a bit stalker level crazy. I guess she's just gotten worse over time."

I leaned into him and he did his best to hold me, albeit awkwardly because of the seat. "I went on two public dates. Why'd she take me?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't know, but Tony is not dealing with it well. This doesn't leave the two of us but I'm really worried about."

Natasha got back on the jet supporting a very exhausted looking Bruce Banner. He was wrapped in a blanket and hunched over and avoiding everyone's eye contact. He went to a drawer near where the weapons seemed to be kept and pulled out some sweats, pulling them on hurriedly before coming and buckling into the seat one over from me.

I have never seen a person who looked as small, fragile and broken as he did in that moment. Completely full of fear and doubt and he looked exactly like I felt. I reached out my hand and touched the ends of his fingers.

He looked up at me startled as Clint, Steve, Bucky, and Wanda all got on the jet. Nat and Clint moved to the cockpit while the others buckled themselves in. "Are you okay?" I whispered as my fingertips grazed over his hand.

"I - I just - he - when he takes over..." He stuttered and trailed off. He turned his hand over and I ran my finger down his palm.

"You came to save me," I said, quietly. "You don't even know me."

He looked up at me. "We're a family here." He replied and closed his fingers around mine.

I fell asleep on the ride back to the tower. When I woke up I started panicking about those little things again. "I need to call work. Who's teaching for me? My dad's going to be so mad." I babbled as we got off the jet. Natasha took me to the medical wing where they used a machine to reknit my flesh, healing the wound that Giuletta had made with the acid. After that, she took me to her room and held me until I fell asleep from sheer mental exhaustion.

When I eventually woke I was in bed with Natasha, curled up into her. I opened my eyes and saw she was looking down at me. "Morning, Mishka. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. Okay, I guess." I answered.

She pressed her lips against my forehead. "I'm sorry I brought you into this. I thought I could protect you from something like that happening."