(^That's older White Tiger btw)

Trigger Warning(s): Suicide attempt?

(Recap: Okay, here goes... PeterisaHYDRAassassinwithhisfreindsandoneofthemgotcaughtbytheAvengerswhentheytriedtokillTonysoPetergottorturedinpunishmentandAvajustwokeupintheTower *gasping* Okay, continue.)

Steve pushed open the door to the private medical room for Tony. The billionaire nodded his thanks and watched the girl sitting in front of him closely.

Bruce had already told him that he had found a fake tooth full of poison that was obviously to keep her from talking under torture. Of course, torture hadn't even crossed their minds. She had still fought when she had first woken up, so they had to put handcuffs on her. She was now attached to the bed, siting up and glaring at them.

She can't be much older then the other kid. What are they, seventeen? Way too young for this, in Tony's opinion. The billionaire pulled up a chair and sat at the edge of the bed while Bruce, Steve and Nat remained standing. The Avengers had been called off to a mission, actually, but considering their prisoner situation, the four of them, plus Clint and Bucky stayed in the tower.

The girl didn't stop glaring. Tony thought he caught a hint of a growl as well.

"So," he began easily. "What's your name?"

Her expression didn't change.

He sighed. "Fine. Why did you break into the tower and try to kill us?"

Still no response. Could she even hear him?

"Honey, your situation isn't going to get much better if you don't start taking."

Something sparked in her eyes. Tony couldn't tell what it was, but he was a bit unnerved by the intelligence he saw in them. Either way, it got her talking. Kind of.

"Ava."

Nat narrowed her eyes. "What was that?"

"My name. It's Ava," the girl repeated hotly, something forming in her eyes that Tony couldn't place.

Oh well. "Now we're getting somewhere. Why did you attack us?"

She tensed up a little at the question, but still answered. "Because I was told to."

"That's vague," Tony rolled his eyes.

Bruce narrowed his own. "By who? Who told you to?"

"By whom," she corrected irritably. "By my boss."

"No shit."

"Tony," Steve snapped. "Language."

"Sorry, Captain Language."

Ava rolled her eyes at their bickering. At least they were distracted. No one noticed the pin she slipped from the sleeve of her black suit. She twisted it around a bit before slipping it into the cuff on her wrist under the blankets.

Keep them satisfied, she thought.

"Who is your boss?" The assassin, Black Widow, Ava remembered, stepped closer.

"A man." A but of frustration is always good.

Tony's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Really?"

Ava smirked. "I know, it's hard to believe there are men as dumb as you, in the same world as a man as brilliant as him."

Stark's mouth fell open. Ava wanted to laugh. She may have liked homework, but she was no nerd. The Tiger could hold her own.

Bruce swiped Tony away so that he could get a statement in. "Look, we know you work for HYDRA."

I'm not stupid, she thought sourly. She already knew they had figured it out. But, she acted confused, because that was what they were expecting. "How did you–?"

"Your pill," the scientist held up the fake tooth. "Let's just say it's been used before around us."

"For a scientist, you're not very smart," she snapped as he dangled the pill in front of her.

He frowned in confusion. "Why do you say that?"

She smiled for the first time as she felt the cuff click on her wrist. She had one hand free and that was all the assassin needed.

There was a flurry of movement as she kicked Dr. Banner in the stomach, causing him to double over and drop the pill. At the same time, Steve launched forward to catch it before she could and Natasha slipped a knife from her sleeve in preparation. Tony stood in surprise.

Steve lay awkwardly half on the bed, but he successfully caught the pill. Unfortunately, he had kicked Nat in the process, tripping her. The red head fell on the other side of the bed as Ava stood, half upright and tore away the assassin's knife.

Natasha, seeing what the teenager could do with a knife earlier, wisely backed away and pulled out another. Steve rolled off and landed next to Tony, who stood uselessly. Nat expected the girl to throw the knife, or use it to cut off the other cuff.

Either of those would have been better.

Steve watched in shock as the girl turned the knife on herself.

"No!" Tony shouted in a panic and tried to grab the teen's arm. He still needed to ask her about the boy! She dodged away and glanced down hesitantly at the knife. This was it.

That hesitation gave Steve an opening to dive over and pry the knife from her hands. Ava clawed at him and roared angrily.

Bucky ran in half asleep to see what the shouts were about. "What in the name of hell...?"

He was surprised to find Steve holding down a growling teenage girl while Bruce shakily prepared a syringe and Nat picking a blade off the floor. You know what, I'm not even going to ask.

"No!" Tony shouted at Bruce. "Don't sedate her yet! I need to know about the other boy."

The mention of her friends - especially the one that was the kindest to everyone - made her snap.

"Don't you touch Peter!" Ava yelled in a rage. Her team was like her family, all those annoying boys her brothers. She wasn't going to let Stark get anywhere near the wall crawler.

Tony's entire world stopped at her words.

"What did you just say?"

"I said don't touch him, you git!" She barked, still struggling against Steve and now Bucky, who took her other arm.

"His name is...Peter? Fifteen years old?" Tony demanded.

For the first time during the conversation, Ava was truly shocked. "How could you know that...?"

Tony looked up at them all with a pale face, bottom lip quivering in horror, shock, sadness, but there was a bit of relief and hope mixed in.

"Because he's...he's my son."

——————————

Peter was shoved roughly into the boys' shared room. He could hardly see due to his double black eyes, but he could tell what his friends had been doing. Poor Luke had his head in his hands and looked like he was having a small panic attack. Sam's cheeks were coated with tears as he sat with his arms around his legs on his bed. Danny kept running a hand through his hair and pacing quickly around the twenty by twenty bedroom.

They all looked up as Peter stumbled in the room. The agents didn't have to push him so hard. Danny was immediately there supporting him as the boys heard the door close and lock behind him.

Sam quickly stood to help him as well. "Oh my god, oh my god, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault..."

A fresh stream of tears started. Peter had only been a few doors away. His team had probably heard his screaming all night and day. He knew he hadn't gotten sleep the last time Danny had been punished for a few hours. Peter had been in there for nearly twenty four hours.

"I'm sorry," he breathed as they helped him to his bed.

"Don't be," Luke took a deep breath and sat down beside their leader, panicky breathing subsiding. "It wasn't your fault."

Peter was staring at the ground, too exhausted to look up, but he could practically hear Luke glaring at Sam.

"Don't blame him," Peter said, raising his head a little. "It's fine. I'll be good as new in three or four days."

"How can it be fine?" Luke nearly shouted in disbelief. "Honestly, you are way too forgiving."

"Well," Peter let a small grin grace his face. "Maybe if he smelled my shoes I'll forgive him."

"Are you serious?" Sam's mouth fell open.

Peter rolled his eyes. "I'm joking, Buckethead."

"Does that mean you're going to be okay?" The corner of Danny's mouth lifted a bit as he said it.

Peter looked up at the three of them seriously. "Not until we get Tiger back. I can't believe she's dead. I just can't."

Danny nodded. "I don't think she's dead either."

"The word of the fist is good enough for me," Luke snorted.

"What," Peter joked. "Mine's not?"

"In your dreams, Spiderman."

The four of them laughed comfortably, Danny and Sam standing above the two boys sitting on the bed.

"Seriously, though. We are going to save her when Strucker gives us the okay. Then we're going to kill the bastard that started all of this."

The three boys nodded at Peter's statement. The spider grinned and put his fist up. Danny and Luke looked at each other and put their fists in with matching smiles, remembering how they had come up with the action when they were nine. Sam looked at Peter hesitantly, but let a relieved smile slip onto his face at the other's encouraging expression.

They threw their fists up in unison, shouting different variations of "Yeah!" and "Go team!"

Peter nodded his approval jokingly.

"Now let's go save the Tiger and finish our job."

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I don't know how people are liking this or not but oh well 🤷🏽‍♀️
Hope you're enjoying it, anyways. The next part will be the last part (maybe, hopefully). Byee

(Edit: It's not the last. Why do I even try to shorten things?)

(EDIT Edit: I don't know man, you should just stop.)

(EDIT: You legit turned this 'short story' into a whole freaking book, shut your trap.)

(EDIT: Wow, I need to stop.)

- Wanda