A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate all of your support as we reach the final battle! I wouldn't count on everyone making it out this time...

*Trigger Warnings for mention of murder, depression, adult situation, abortion.*

Lucy's power over the small mob doesn't go unnoticed, leading Izabella, Brody and two of their friends across the street during the lunch period. With Riley and Garrett tagging behind she leads the group towards a major rule break.

Izabella talks through her teeth as they arrive at the strip mall;

"Natasha really does not approve of us off property."

Lucy lifts an eyebrow and holds the door to the bagel shop;

"Oh please you think anyone but us five are gonna care, or even notice? Loose up chic."

Tapping Brody on the shoulder she rejects Garret's proposal at holding the door;

"After you."

He hesitantly nods, trampled over as she presses forward to call her order;

"Cinnamon toasted with butter!"

Izabella can't help but wrinkle a nose over her loud leadership qualities, secretly irritated as the group ignores her command for an orderly response and tramples in imitation of the she-hulk's daughter. Releasing a heavy exhale she composed her self with utmost grace and elegance;

"Good afternoon-"

Lucy coughs to incite a laugh from the group;

"He needs your order Izzy, not a conversation."

She clenches her jaw and forced a grin;

"One small soup, please. Spasibo."

Lucy nudges her friend upon not receiving a response, nudged from the credit card machine. The Jameson girl scoffs;

"I got you girl. Go chill with the others."

Izabella inhales, "Thank you. Tomorrow we stay on property?"

She laughs, "Why? There are more options on this side."

Izabella forces her grin, "Because, as powered metas we must be safe. Avoid the newspaper...?"

Lucy laughs and signs her signature;

"Please. Mom didn't leave her debit card to purchase cafeteria food. Relax princess, it's okay to break a couple of rules. It's gotta feel good to, you know, cross the street...? You need to start taking down some pointless barriers...who knows what you'll accomplish."

The Russian scoffs, embracing Lucy's nudge as the two make their way to the booth. Izabella takes a moment as she lingers near the window, biting her lower lip. She turns to catch Lucy as they slip into the booth;

"I been too cautious to make decisions."

The California girl laughs loudly, tapping the table to address the group;

"So! What is everyone gonna do about the training tonight? Anyone up for pulling a prank on the coach?"

Riley laughs, "Right! Cause you'd pull a prank on Dr. Bruce."

"Oh. He's coaching tonight?"

Garret chimes in, "Prepare for a lecture on loyalty and teamwork."

Izabella shakes her head, sipping her cup of water Brody thoughtfully snatched up for his sister;

"What wrong with that? Team work is important."

Lucy crosses her arms, "Well. Paintball was fun. If I could actually join a team this time, maybe I could pull some strings. Maybe encourage a fun activity over a lecture...?"

The group nod amongst themselves before addressing their blue haired fearless leader;

"Yeah."

"Cool."

"Awesome."

She smirks, "Consider it done."

Izabella turns ever so slightly;

"What wrong with a lecture? It is how it always been...?"

Brody laughs, "Sis, I'll take activities over another hour of homework. Besides, I'd love to see the doc try to take me down!"

Riley giggles with a raised hand;

"Me too!"

Garret adds his two cents;

"I'll distract the doc, you all work to take him down. Maybe we can make him laugh for once."

Izabella sips her water with an eye roll;

"He does laugh."

"Yeah, for you. You're his favorite because you follow every rule perfectly,' Riley crosses her arms, 'Maybe Lucy's being here means some pushback with the more boring days."

Lucy winks and aims her pointer fingers, lifting an arm up and over Izabella's shoulder;

"Obviously."

The Russian peers over her shoulder toward the abrupt entrance, lifting her hand over the exposed side of her face;

"The press..."

The mob mimics the teen's movement, each turning to hide their faces. Lucy scoffs with an eye roll, pushing her way through toward the entrance as she addresses the adults;

"Hi guys!"

The videographer pauses, "Who are you? We're looking for Warp Girl and Meta Boy-"

With a hand raised she laughs, "I'll address those god awful names momentarily. I'm the daughter of Jennifer Walters-Jameson."

"She-hulk?!"

"One and the same..."

Pressed with microphones and flashing cameras, she embraces the attention;

"What is your name?"

"Do you have powers?"

"Are you member of the avenger initiative?"

"Where do you live?"

"What are you wearing?"

Lucy's cheek flush momentarily, successful in capturing their attention;

"Uh...Vans...? Can I get one at a time?"

Izabella peers hesitantly from over their booth, the rest of the mob stepping out toward the less then scary press members. For each gasp Izabella releases an exhale, guilt pooling for breaking the most elementary of rules. She crosses her arms. Brody tilts his head with a smile;

"They're not so bad."

She waits as he gets up to join the mob, circling around Lucy. Izabella presses her head against the booth, eyes closed tightly. Just because she didn't understand a rule, it was not an excuse to break it. She holds her stance, her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest.

Seemingly out of nowhere her eyes raise, finding a familiar blonde haired, blue eyed sophomore seated across from her;

"Look who's venturing out from the nest."

She lowers her head, "Not my idea."

John laughs, turning to glance over his shoulder;

"The porch is far prettier."

"Oh...why so?"

"The fall flowers are in full bloom. Something tells me that would interest you."

She smiles, "Maybe."

"Want to come see? Just the two of us. They're all yellow marigolds."

He extends a hand, she hesitates;

"Maybe..."

"You've ventured this far. It's just outside. No press. C'mon. I can sneak you out. What do you say? Do you trust me?"

She caves, offering a hand to the boy she's begun to trust as her opposite reaches for her backpack;

"Yes."

Brody offers one more glance over his shoulder, expecting to find Izabella behind them. With a heavy exhale he watches the infamous blonde lead his 'sister' through the back doors. Alerting Lucy with a cough and a poke he tilts head. The girl takes her hint with a nod and waits for the opportune time to sneak away.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Natasha pulls up on her dark black four door. As she turns to make her way to the Tower she pulls over across the street. With a twisted jaw she looks upward, her hand caught in her hair washed out natural red. She stares out into the distance with a racing mind.

Her foot props on the driver side door. For each runner who makes their way passed she can give every detail about their appearance and attire. In her mind she can see the splattered blood...her count for the trip? A solid 6 injured, 2 dead. She's never counted before. Sure, she can recall every detail but a count after the fact has never crossed her mind.

Her thoughts shift to the kids as she forces herself to leave the vehicle and begin making her way across the street. Steve Rogers makes his way around the block with an exhausted Brody at his side, the two some in their jogging uniforms and each a panting mess. Natasha forces a grin despite her thoughts. She addresses the child first;

"Keeping up with Cap?"

He pants, wiping his forehead, "I'm tryin! He's hard to keep up with."

Steve slaps his back and reaches to take the door from Romanoff;

"You're doing great. Your endurance levels are increasing, you're a true soldier."

Natasha swipes her key and scans her fingerprint, holding the elevator for the boys.

Rogers turns his head to look toward Natasha's lowered head;

"How was the mission?"

She looks up, "Longer then usual, I guess. We need to meet as a team and debrief."

He nods, "I'll schedule it."

"Sooner the better."

He takes her hint and presses a blue button within the elevator keypad to send an alert to the engineer;

"Send us a message when you can."

She nods, "When it's not 9pm. I'm exhausted. Fury's on call, he's aware of it."

Brody points curiously, "What does that button do Captain Rogers?"

Natasha answers for him, "It's a magic button. Wakes up Tony when he's busy napping instead of watching his kid."

The boy huffs out a laugh, "No seriously."

Natasha shrugs and lifts her small backpack over her shoulder as she exits onto the floor of her apartment. Cracking open the door, she's greeted by a hyper shepherd and his loud barks. She crouches to pet his head and tussle his fur, eager to momentarily forget all of the week.

Natasha searches briefly through the apartment, scanning her focus around the space;

"Where's your daddy Alex? Where'd he disappear to, huh?"

She stands up and moves through the room. With a heavy sigh she surrenders the exploration, eventually venturing into her studio space with a glass of red wine and her stereo turned up. A glass turns to two, three, then four. Pouring her additive into the sixth she starts to tumble out of her Torres. She's far too zoned out to notice the fresh lilies or the dog who has made his way into the room with a ball in his mouth.

Catching her balance she shifts her movement, changing to a stretch for her sore shoulder and hip. With a shaky breath her mind goes dark. She can feel the blood on her fingertips, cool pistol in hand. She stands to pace with hands over her hips. On the verge of punching a wall and returning to perfect a ballet turn she storms aggressively from the room, the apartment, and the hall. Leaving the door open she marches toward the gym and locks herself inside to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting punching bag.

Natasha's swings stay steady, unrelenting even for the blood blisters that have formed over her fist. Her groans fill the room, stray hairs sticking to the sweat over her forehead. Shrills turn to scream. Her fabric enemy turned to a pillow as she lets her head fall onto it. Her hands steadying it's swing. With a ragged breath she can feel a warm presence. Slowly she sinks, the comforting scent of his cologne ensuring her the guest is safe.

In her current state Natasha allows herself to fall, vision swarming from an alcoholic blend. She holds her head, mouth agape.

He settles across from her. His eyes soft in their peering. In the silence they share their glances. Bruce offers a soft grin and tries to break the silence;

"Happy Sunday."

Natasha glances upward toward the clock on the wall as it strikes 1am, letting her head fall back into her hands. She lifts her foot up and then back down with a groan.

The doctor shifts from the stool to the ground, crossing his legs as he sits in front of her. He holds his wrist as he tries to look into the eyes she keeps closing.

She stares forward, silently begging him for help, desperate for an emotional escape she can't find. Bruce tilts his head after an elongated period of silence. He nods and touches his forefingers to his lips. Reaching for her with his focus he speaks softly;

"Just breathe. Inhale..."

She obeys, desperate for relief and the calm of his voice as she awaits his 'exhale.' Her legs mimic his, crossing as he quietly urges her to find her center;

"Stack your vertebrae...close your eyes..."

Natasha has no urge to argue despite wanting to avoid the current images running through her head. His voice calms her nerves. His coaching successfully distracting her mind of immediate stresses. She doesn't need to say a word for Bruce to understand what she needs most; peace. Relief.

He can read her eyes, her trembling, her subtle movements she's unaware of. He provides the space she needs, close enough for her to feel safe without being smothered. If she needs to reach out, he knows she will. Content with the space between them she follows his coaching without saying a word.

Putting aside any need for conversation or emotional turmoil, he puts her first, recognizing a familiar expression of guilt and anxiety he's seen many times over the past five years.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"We need guards posted at all entrances at all times."

Natasha's demands are met with intense stares, each team member hanging on every word she offers. Maria interjects with a raised hand;

"We need to ensure the agents in position are valid-"

Natasha shakes her head with a cut off, "-We don't have the time. While this is an unfortunate waiting game my, source, made it out to be imperative. We can't trust anyone. Don't count on that changing no matter who Fury is able to send.

I trust none of them."

Steve interjects from the living room sofa, "What about the metas born metas?"

Tony scoffs, "There is one?"

The Captain shakes his head, "You're not at risk, you wear a suit."

Clint shrugs, "I just have a quiver of arrows."

Tony nods, "I've made my decision to stand by you all. That puts me, Pepper, and Antonia at risk."

Steve embraces the remarks and clasps his hands;

"We need protection at the tower."

Pepper swallows;

"Happy and I can handle an average human-"

Tony snaps, "I will call in my favors."

The Captain turns to address the demigod and a nervous Jane Foster;

"If you can remove your children from this it's for the best."

Natasha crosses her arms;

"Not for nothing, Cap, but I'd take Agmundr for a shield any day."

Jane rolls her eyes over the remarks;

"I want to take the children to Asgard. They'll be safer under Odin's protection."

Banner sighs, "I'll call Jen."

Romanoff nods, "It's unexpected. Hopefully we can find the infiltrators without a fuss. In the meantime;

Bruce if you can't stay calm I need you to stay away from the Center."

He forces a nervous grin, "Okay..."

Barton ducks his head into his hands, listening to a grumbling Tony Stark;

"Oh this will be good..."

Natasha struggles to keep her focus on the doctor;

"I'm worried Olga's play was the Hulk."

Banner's nod makes her gut twist. He holds a grin with arms crossed.

The pure exhaustion in her voice is evident even if no one knows they spent the night in a gym. The hours had past quickly the night prior, his calm coaching leading to sleep overpowering the emotionally drained assassin. He stayed with her to ensure her safety, still wrapped in his sport jacket as she leads the group meeting.

The Captain takes over as the couple focus on one another;

"We keep our guard up. We work to protect each other. Nothing and no one comes toward the children. Rotate guard duty on the tower. Pull your own weight, we'll get through this the same way we've done everything before; together,' he pauses with his eyes on Clint, 'Where is Maria?"

He looks up with his cheeks flushed a vibrant red, "Busy."

Jane snaps, "This is a vital meeting. The only reason Darcy couldn't make it is because she has the flu, what's Maria's excuse?!"

Tony interjects, "Really Robin Hood,

Maid Marian has intel and she could spare ten minutes-"

The archer snarls, "It's none of your business."

Thor shakes his head, "I do hope you share the information with your significant other-"

Barton snaps with a raised voice;

"She had an abortion! Okay? Satisfied!? She's laid up in bed and trying to recover..."

Natasha swallows hard, all color drained from her face as lights flash into focus. She stumbles, her own heart rate increasing as the team moves to catch her from tumbling forward. Banner steps into her path and wraps his arms to secure her in place, gently leading her to settle on the nearby sofa. Bruce reaches a hand over her forehead, crouching in front of his wife;

"You're warm. Tasha? Can you hear me?"

Clint reaches a tentative arm over his best friend's shoulder, her icy stare shifting to each of her teammates before it settles on Barton. She clenches her jaw in utter disgust.

Banner looks up in doctor mode;

"Can we get some water?"

Steve addresses the room to control the chaos;

"We know our roles. Team dismissed."

Pepper offers Bruce the glass he then presses against Natasha's temple. Romanoff reaches to take it herself, far too numb to feel his gentle hand stroking at her knee.

The archer shakes his head with a mumble only Natasha can hear;

"I'm sorry Nat, I didn't want to tell you."

She groans in response, "I should be supporting you...but I can't. I should be sorry but I'm not."

He taps her shoulder, dismissing himself from the group following Jane and Thor. Banner waits awkwardly with his head lowered and a hand on each of her knees as she talks with the Archer. Tony offers a "psst", abruptly met with a head nod from Bruce to leave them alone.

Steve takes the hint and makes his way from the group with a nervous fist pounding consistently into his thigh as the last to quietly exit.

Natasha shakes her head in the silence, feeling a spotlight she has no interest in being in despite the emptied room. With her eyes lowered she forces her words;

"I shouldn't be this affected."

"Why not."

She tilts her head, "It's not my life. It's none of my business. I'm a killer for a living. I shouldn't have any emotions on this."

He exhales heavily, grateful for her talking with him at all in comparison to the previous evening's silence;

"Your profession, doesn't make you any less human. You wanted what they had and you're mad because you don't have the option."

She bites back, "I'm a monster."

"I only see my wife, Tasha."

She rolls her eyes, "You can't even look at me without making me feel guilty."

"Sorry,' he reaches for her hands, urging her to sit back down as she moves to stand, 'hey. I've said the wrong things lately. I've, made stupid decisions; Because I'm worried about you."

Natasha shuts her eyes;

"You don't trust me. Why should you?!"

He lifts his focus, eyebrows softening through his own guilty stare;

"We've been, riding a difficult wave lately."

Lifting a shoulder, she mumbles;

"What else is new. There's always a wave."

He lifts her chin gently;

"Hey, I'm not giving up on you. On us. I'm not running away. I'm gonna stand by you whether I- understand you or not. We're not perfect. I'm not going get everything right all of the time. Most of the time, when it comes to you, I fail and I'm sorry for that. But my feelings for you aren't going to change. You're still Natasha. You would do anything for the people you care about. I don't care what you did I only care about right now-"

"-you have no idea what I've done."

"I can guess...that doesn't make you the monster you think you are."

Natasha makes eye contact, tilting her head. Her focus shifts as they clasp fingers. The honesty in his voice soothes her soul until she hears his words;

"I love you Tasha."

She shakes her head, her guard back up over his confession. She stammers and rises from her position;

"I'm broken."

"So am I."

"I have nothing left, I'm not whole-"

He stands with an exhale, listening to her vent with his hands in his pockets;

"I don't want 'whole'."

She pivots, hands throwing to the sides as she raises her voice;

"The kids are in trouble because I've been taking down the wrong targets. I should've been putting this team, our family first. I needed to prove I could fix the damage...I couldn't because I was worked up over Russia, over...Alexei. I'm not who you think I am. I can't be that loyal wife I promised to be, I've hurt you. We can't keep doing this, whatever this is."

He clenches his jaw, fingers now wringing over the tone in her voice. His heart hurts over the way she talks about herself;

"None of this is your fault."

She drops her jaw, her chest collapsing;

"Bruce! I've lied! I've cheated on you! I've murdered, made rash decisions. You read the logs."

His eyes shut tight. He knows but hearing her say is somehow far worse, "That's work-"

She snaps, tears in her eyes, "What is wrong with you?! Why are you still here..."

"What do you want me to say...?! I don't hate you! I'm disappointed and hurt but I'm not going to leave you! It's cutting me in ways you don't even bother to understand. But I know you're hurting too, you're not yourself."

"How do you know this isn't me. People change."

He sighs heavily, leaning up against the wall. With his hands caught in his curls, he tries to make eye contact;

"You're my wife. You're my everything Tasha. When I asked you to marry me I saw a woman who would take a bullet for her family. You're strong. You're kind, you're empathetic...I'm staying for you, I'm fighting for you. I want you to come back to me but, I'd take you coming back to yourself at this point."

She uncrosses her arms, taking a step towards him with after eyes;

"I want things to go back to the way they were. I just- after everything we've been through, at what point is the damage unrepairable?"

His eyes shift from off of her as Tony enters frantically. Half in his suit he snaps toward the couple;

"There was an incident at the school-"

Banner steps with an urgency, catching Natasha's bicep I'm a reassuring touch as they follow;

"Where are the kids?"

Tony shakes his head;

"Brody's injured, Garret and Riley ran to get help because Izabella and Lucy are missing."

Natasha picks up the pace and makes her way to snatch up one of her pistols without thinking twice.

. . . . . . . . . . . .