Natasha took a steadying breath as she turned towards the door to the cell. She reminded herself that she was about to encounter a child. A brainwashed, enhanced child, that seemed to be highly trained, but still a child. She pushed open the door and was not surprised when a small figure barreled towards her.
Instantly, Natasha shut the door and quickly maneuvered the boy so that she held him in a firm hold. It shouldn't be painful, but it would hold him until he listened to reason. "Do you speak English?"
No response. Natasha went through every language she knew and realized that the boy responded to none. "Peter-" She tried.
This caused an extreme reaction and the boy began thrashing. So much so, that she was afraid he would hurt himself and she released him. "So you know your name." She told the small figure that was heaving and looking around wildly.
"I am Weapon." He told her firmly.
"No. You're Peter Parker. HYDRA wanted you as a weapon." She explained calmly, lowering herself to his eye level cautiously. "You are not a weapon."
Peter's voice rose as he stated loudly, "I am Weapon!" Then he charged Natasha again, only for her to catch him in another hold. Peter looked like he wasn't used to losing a fight. She briefly wondered who HYDRA had him up against. The boy was persistent, but not even close to her level of skill. She believed Stark when he said he was holding back when the kid attacked him.
"You may be stronger than me, but you are not more skilled. You will not win against me. If I let you go, will you stop fighting and listen?" Natasha bluntly told him.
Peter was breathing heavily and the look on his face spoke of an infinite amount of stubbornness, but he nodded stiffly and she let him go. He attacked her again and again, she halted his efforts almost immediately. "I suppose I can explain what is going to happen just as easily from this position. You are no longer a prisoner of HYDRA."
"I am Weapon." Peter insisted.
Natasha frowned. "That is what they told you. It does not make it true. You can either remain in this cell, or come with my friends and I. You would have to stay with us at all times, but you would have more space and your own bedroom."
No response.
"If you choose to come with us, we can get you some new clothes and food. We can help you, but we must go now. I am letting you go. If you fight me again, you will not like the consequences." Natasha explained to him. She hoped making it seem like he had a choice would make the transition easier.
"Punishment?" Peter asked warily.
Natasha let him go and the boy backed away from her, keeping his eyes trained on her. "No." She told him. "Consequence. If you push a ball and it rolls away that is the consequence. None of us will hurt you, but you will not hurt us either."
Peter nodded. Natasha stood up. "It is time to go, Peter."
"I am Weapon."
"Be good and hold my hand as we go to the quinjet." Natasha ordered. She breathed a sigh of relief when the boy took her hand awkwardly.
"Weapon is good." He told her firmly.
"You are very good." She agreed as she opened the door. Natasha prepared for him to bolt but was surprised when he obeyed and held her hand all the way to the quinjet like she ordered. When the others spotted them, she wanted to roll her eyes at their look of surprise. They forever seemed to underestimate her.
"Hey! Look who made it! Welcome aboard, squirt!" Clint grinned and reached his hand out to ruffle Peter's hair. Peter's eyes narrowed at Clint and he viciously snapped his teeth at Clint's hand that was retracted just in the nick of time.
"He tried to bite me!" Clint complained. "Did you see that? Squirt could've taken my whole hand off with that chomp."
"Stop being dramatic." Natasha told Clint and tugged Peter over to a seat and told him to sit. She buckled him in securely and looked him in the eyes. "No biting. Be good."
"Weapon is good." Peter said, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Clint. Steve and Natasha both noted that it was more adorable than intimidating, but Clint seemed to disagree.
"What did I do?" Clint whined.
Natasha rolled her eyes and looked around. "Go fly us home. Where's Stark?"
Steve sat down a couple seats away from Peter. "He flew ahead. Something about updating the tower before Peter arrives."
"I am Weapon." Peter told him.
Steve looked at Natasha worriedly. She sighed and sat next to him, trying to tell him without words that they'd work on it. All of the adults on board wondered if they had bitten off more than they could chew. Leaving Peter to be raised in a cell by uncaring agents was not an option, however, so they took off without a word.
A few hours later, when they landed at the tower, everyone on board the quinjet was relieved to get out of the confined space. Peter did not cause any problems, but his complete stillness was disconcerting at best. Natasha unbuckled him and had him take her hand as they went to the elevator and rode it down to their communal floor.
When the door opened, Steve lit up as he always did when he saw the figure sitting on a sofa reading a book. "Bucky!" Bucky looked up from what he was reading and his relaxed posture immediately stiffened.
Peter looked at Bucky with a face of both fear and awe. "Asset." He said clearly.
Bucky rose with an unreadable expression on his face. He approached Peter slowly before stating, "Weapon."