Alex remembers Antonia despite the girl not remembering any of them. His tail wagging, nipping at her heels the way he would try to back at the tower whenever Natasha and Bruce would babysit her.

Riley can finally have a moment to discuss earth problems with Thor who insists on a breather regardless of the urgency.

Once Riley shares the dilemma, the group head for the balcony for a bit of air. Riley's frantic nature demands a drink and some time to mull over her words. Even if Riley is getting agitated by this waiting process, she figures Thor is too busy to focus. And he's broken the second she mentions his favorite orphan, Linda.

Izabella is with Bruce, avoiding questions about Svetlana but eager to tell him about Brody's ambitions for flight. About how James Rhodes and Sam Wilson have been powerful role models for her brother.

Izabella gets into a detailed explanation of her college courses next.

Banner is reassuring, "So no biology studies? No science?"

She chuckles with further avoidance, having abandoned that part of herself after their disappearance, "I'm not sure yet."

"The way you describe your thread to Asgard- it's amazing. I'm so impressed," he taps at the table, knee bouncing.

Izabella smiles wider, leaning forward and eager to continue on the topic. Her eyes light up, "We talked about realm travel so many times in the lab."

"We did,' he smiles, proud of her, 'and you figured it out. All on your own."

She lifts her necklace, dropping the red stone to hold the green, "I had you with me."

He grins absentmindedly and sips his tea.

Izabella runs hand through her hair when she asks quietly, her eyes wide and hopeful;

"Will you come home? To fight HYDRA."

He drops his jaw only to be interrupted by the noise on the nearby field. Agmundr is screaming so Bruce switches his focus and gives Lucy a warning;

"Don't push the twins or they'll electrocute you."

Lucy is watching the younger kids, chasing the three of them around the open gardens with their extensive water features.

"I remember,' she yells back, ''Pikachu babies' is what Tony used to call them. Double A batteries."

Agatha squeals playfully and runs in the opposite direction with her brother and Antonia.

Bruce sips his tea, eyes low, "How's Tony?"

Izabella looks up over his question, slightly bitter.

"He is fine,' she can sense a hesitation in her mentor, prying a bit, 'I think it would be good if you and Natasha talked about... coming home? You heard Riley. We need you."

"Oh?"

"…We can not host a gala without an attack."

She breaks eye contact over another yell in the yard, watching Bruce quickly stand to check on Anna;

"Are you good?"

The Stark child stares wide eyed up at Banner- he's a stranger after all. Typically the girl would be rambling, but this stranger doesn't have a camera or a Vogue badge, so, what's the point? She addresses him with an uncertain mumble and quickly runs back around to outsmart her friends.

Izabella releases a disappointed sigh over his avoidance and lets her hands fall, standing up beside her mentor to watch the field. She's slowly becoming disenchanted by the physicist and her heroes.

"What do you think about it?" She asks softly,

"About what," he holds a nervous smile, avoiding eye contact.

"What I said? The hulk could help us- You could. Not just the hulk," She tries one more time, hoping to reach him.

Bruce looks over his shoulder, into her eyes and back down at the barrier with a tentative grin, "I'm not going to promise you something if I can't follow through with it."

Izabella clicks her teeth together and follows his line of sight beyond the field. She rests her hands on the barrier beside him as she takes a deep breath;

"Think about it? Hypothesize?"

He sighs with a light laugh and leans on the barrier, staring contemplatively off into the distance;

"I'll think about it."

"OWWW!" Lucy screams from the field.

Antonia laughs from the top of their elaborate play area, "No it didn't!"

Valkyrie laughs and eyes Lucy in a nonverbal cue for a challenge, urging Agatha to hang back for a moment.

Thor forces a laugh with a raised glass, a few feet away, "The young she-hulk is a small warrior of steel! You do not need to fear breaking this mortal."

Lucy smiles over the remark, tussling with Valkyrie.

The warrior nods as they momentarily part, "Not bad, not bad at all. You do not know the proper form but that can be taught."

"Form for what?! I thought we were just messing around."

"Would you want to legitimately wrestle?"

"I mean! I don't want to hurt you or anything-."

Brunnhilde snickers, "You don't have to worry about that."

She takes a swing and pummels Lucy to the ground.

"Woah, woah," Bruce calls protectively, "Valkyrie? Can you ease up a little?"

"It's fine! I got this!" Lucy wheezes, determined to fight back and win.

Izabella crosses her arms, taking Banner's side with a laugh, "You are out of breath."

"Shush!" Lucy grumbles.

"Stop trying to show off for your girlfriend and focus," Valkyrie eggs Lucy on.

"Ew! Izzy is not my girlfriend, she's like my cousin!"

"My apologies. Your friend then?"

"I just started tolerating her existence, so let's not push it."

Izabella drops her jaw with an offended huff, "I really thought we were friends."

Valkyrie tries to rile up the physicist next, "Hulk should join us."

Bruce refuses to acknowledge, pretending not to hear her.

Izabella tilts her head with a thought, addressing her mentor, "Is it the hulk? Is that why you won't come home?"

Bruce kicks a pebble on the backing ledge, "I…"

"Because, he 'died', a hero."

"Did he?"

"You do not care," Izabella responds softly, hugging her elbow with a laugh as she looks back toward the field.

"Of course I care-."

"It's okay, you do not have to pretend-."

"Izabella?"

She looks up, hoping he'll have something decent to share.

He urges her to keep talking with a nod, "I'm listening. I care."

She looks over her shoulder with a shrug, tired of suppressing her emotions, "I waited...I searched for you and Natasha. My hands never healed after the last time. And I struggled and I fought and I cried but I tried to move on. It is okay. It does not matter."

He stops himself from responding further in case she has anything else to share. He bites his cheek and tries to make and keep eye contact.

Izabella forces a smile, brushing the ledge with her fingers as her accent bleeds out thicker, "I wish I knew why you stayed away? I was there too. I saw everything that you and Natasha saw. Losing you, it hurt me."

He's distant, tugging his fingers, gnawing his cheek, "I'm sorry."

Mikhailov bites her lip over his discomfort. Realizing he doesn't plan on elaborating makes her agitated and she hates herself for it. She rotates.

Her mouth opens with the intent of sharing more but she fights to get the words out;

"It's okay."

Valkyrie pins Lucy a bit more easily while she's distracted, eyes squinting up to focus on the conversation between Izzy and Bruce, "Your feet are a tad sloppy. Do you need a dance class?"

The girl snaps, "Oh! Don't you dare, Kida of Atlantis!"

Valkyrie flips her again, over the shoulder this time. Lucy moans as she hits the ground...again.

Sif rubs her temples, addressing the one she finds most logical and quiet based on introductions, "Lady Riley…"

Riley sips her tea, smacks her lips and refuses to answer. Sif accepts her cue, "Your decision to be silent will be respected."

"No it won't," Natasha crashes on the bench out on the balcony space, sitting on Riley's opposite side.

Sif can immediately feel the youngest girl tense as the energy changes, taking her leave to go sit by Thor and watch the little ones.

"What's going on? Why are you so mad," Natasha asks.

Riley scoffs, her elbows pulled closer as she hugs her mug, "I'm literally stumbling around blind trying to save the world amongst a group of people who don't give a shit."

She splashes her glass down toward whatever absent minded bystander happens to be a story below her.

"That's not true,' Natasha starts, 'I care. We all do. After everything you've shared? How could we not."

"You don't want to do anything about it-."

"I do-."

"You won't come back to Earth. That's not your intention."

Natasha can't deny Riley's intuition. Even without breaching a mind, this girl turned woman can read a person without trying very hard.

Romanoff swirls her glass with a thought, biting her cheek and changing their topic, "How's Clint?"

"He's spent the past few years going on Izzy's warp missions," Riley drops her now empty glass next to her on the bench.

"Warp missions?"

"Izzy went on missions with what was left of the Avengers looking for you. Clint spent months away from his family trying to find you."

Natasha frowns, eager to change the subject, "How is Laura? And Garrett."

Riley speedily retorts in a monotone, "Laura started a scrapbooking company and I'm trying to get Garrett a job with SHIELD. I'm the head spy so-."

"-You're a spy?" Natasha looks so proud, a softness in her tone and a glow in her stare.

Riley's face never changes, without any glimmer of emotion.

Natasha folds her hands, "What about the baby?"

Riley sighs. Of course someone who has been gone for years needs to check on every coming and going of her best friend and his family, "You missed five and a half birthdays and his first day at school."

"What is his name?"

"Nathan Robert Barton. He was born deaf so. Try learning sign language for your boyfriend's brother when you're blind."

Riley can't help herself bragging about Nathan- the little brother she always wished she had. She smiles a bit, "He grabs my hand and tries to sign into it. He's left-handed. He's more creative than...woodsy. Much to Clint's dismay. And absolutely terrified of spiders."

"You can't trust them," Natasha jokes.

Riley immediately makes her regret it, "Apparently."

Reading Natasha's mind seems like it would be nothing but a disappointment. She stops mid breach.

"Oh Riley," Natasha wants to take her hands, wishing her prodigy would just complete her breach- ready to be an open book.

The girl tucks her chin, "Why didn't you come home? Why did you leave us?"

Natasha whispers, "We never meant to leave-."

"Then what was it,' Riley forces herself to breathe, frustrated over Alexand Agatha's fox joining the background noise, 'Because you didn't even try to come home. You chose to hide."

Natasha shakes her head, "We were warped to the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter. We didn't know if the tower blew up, if Izabella made it-...Survival instincts kicked in and then-."

"And, then, what. When Thor found you? I never crossed your mind."

"Riley," Natasha swallows dryly and looks elsewhere.

"You realize Linda is working with HYDRA? That she was taken and is basically completely and utterly brainwashed."

"I know," Natasha tightens her grip around her glass, "I thought about you. Every single day."

"You never thought to check in?"

"I'm sorry if you felt abandoned-."

Riley's volume raises, "-I trusted you...I waited for you to come back. To save us; Violet, Linda and I in the same way you did back in Russia, from Alexei and Blonsky and your, psycho father, but you never showed up. We buried you. You know that, right? We had a funeral. You're dead. Everyone thinks you're dead."

Natasha sighs over the thought. Taking Riley's lecture.

The young spy groans, "When I go out to help the world, I put on your uniform. Because I thought you died a hero. I wear your suit everyday because I thought you were someone I could look up to. Someone who could fix anything and everything. Who was brave enough to do whatever it took to keep her family together. But this?! This feels negative and selfish."

Natasha fixates forward, "I'm so sorry you feel that way. But I'm human. With human feelings- wanting to live out my days in peace."

"That's not it,' Riley wags a finger, heading towards the redhead, 'You're not a quitter."

"Riley."

"It's Linda. It's HYDRA."

"Riley."

"Why did you just quit?! I deserve to know! You called me your daughter- you treated me like a daughter. Tell me, I'm waiting. Tell me why the woman I looked up to, the spy Maria Hill and Clint Barton, bragged so much about, quit!"

Natasha practically rolls her eyes, tilting her head over the eyes of those on the balcony falling onto her, "I work for myself now."

"But you,' Riley holds the bench, following the sound of Natasha's voice with her chin, 'You have the name and an actual ability to make people care. You quit instead."

"Stop saying 'quit', I moved. I have a new job. And you can do anything I can do."

"I can't. I'm not, you."

"I wasn't born a hero Riley. I was trained to kill. You're doing good things and you don't need me-."

"Why did you stay away?! You're hiding something! As usual."

"Riley. I gave you space to come into your own. You didn't need me to become everything you're meant to be. You need to believe in yourself. You don't need help-."

"I do! I don't have experience in dealing with HYDRA! I don't know how to take Linda down-! I can't keep my family safe, I'm blind!"

Natasha brushes her fingers against her glass, "It's not always, about taking people down. We've talked about this... Sometimes it's about helping them to choose a different path. If Barton followed his orders and chose to kill me, I don't think either of us would be sitting here right now."

"Linda is beyond help if she thinks it's okay to kill. And she does. I have my orders. Do you realize if we don't take her down-."

"So if you were Clint, you would've shot me?"

"I follow orders," Riley is growing frustrated, tugging at her hair, "I came here to find help- we all did. We're desperate- we weren't counting on finding you or the Hulk. You're ignoring a fight because you want to chill up here while we handle the shit down there-."

"-Thor will help you," Natasha snaps, sensing Maria Hill's more stubborn nature in Riley.

Riley takes a breath- a real one for the first time all week. She squirms uncomfortably, "Linda can beat me. Everyone you love has a target on their back. Don't you get that? Don't we matter?!"

Natasha ignores any reference to Linda and pushes forward with her thought;

"This is your fight. You're all grown up now…Just remember that it's not always about following the protocol. You know you can break the rules every once in a while."

"Okay well,' Riley stands slowly, 'I'm a spy who works for SHIELD and I need to keep my job because I don't have the luxury or desire to run away from my problems…"

Natasha glares, hoping Riley can judge her tone, "Who do you think I am?"

"I told you who I think you are...You're a big name that demands respect. You were my hero...my second mom. And I want you to fight with me. For all of us. For us kid metas you helped adopt. For your Avenger family. But. Clearly you're not the same person I met in Russia."

Natasha sips from her glass, looking out over the serene landscape to calm down.

Thor steps in front with a cough and his head low, "I shall meet with you momentarily Lady Riley to discuss battle procedures and a plan to return with you and your friends to Midgard. I wish to inform you that Valkyrie and Sif will join in the fight against HYDRA as well. Lady Romanoff, I require some intel on our foe?"

Riley reaches for Thor's arm, "I wouldn't count on Natasha for much. Thank you for caring."

"Of course! I hold deep affection for Midgard," he adjusts his uniform with an offended huff.

"She's throwing metaphorical daggers at me, Thor. Not you," Natasha frowns and watches the interaction with grinding teeth.

He is unsure how to respond, "Indeed. We must first head to the science department with Jane and Dr. Banner to scan and secure the stones-."

"I wanna watch!" Agmundr runs up to his father, Agatha and Antonia to follow.

Thor shakes his head, lovingly brushes his son's head, "I'm afraid it is very dangerous."

"May I come?" Izabella asks timidly, Bruce is still standing beside her and ready to vouch for the responsibility of his prodigy.

Jane nods without a question, "Yes you can! I don't see why Agmundr can't watch from a safe distance? You promised Bruce and I could take a quick look for science before you stow them away. They don't even have to come out of the box with our tech."

"If he must."

Brunnhilde drops a hand to help Lucy off the ground, "You have the makings of a Valkyrie. Unless of course you would rather fight the midgardian battle."

Riley yells, "She should really be back in jail, honestly."

"The midgardian battles are Riley's thing. But this,' Lucy flips Valkyrie onto the ground and pants, 'This is mine."

Jane covers her mouth with a laugh, eyeing Bruce, "Oh my."

He's busy staring at Lucy, arms crossed disapprovingly, "Jail?"

Lucy shows her teeth in a fake smile, helping Brunnhilde up, "Juvie."

"Dudes? Why are we at a High School," Darcy drums her thumbs against the steering wheel.

Garrett crawls from the back of the vehicle and tugs open the car door, "I see him."

Brody rolls down his window and yells, "Yo! Arthropod Boy!"

The high schooler whips around in a frenzy, hood up on his jacket, "Who? Me?"

"Unless there's another Peter Parker at this school."

Garrett nods, "Are you late for math or do you have some time for official hero business?"

Peter smiles initially, face changing once he feels a need to protect his identity and heads for the car with his friend following behind in a panic;

"Peter!"

"Not now Ned!"

"Great,' Darcy mumbles from the driver's seat to no one in particular, 'More boys."

"Hey Dingass. Why are you getting in that creepy car?"

Darcy leans forward in offense, addressing the young girls arrival with equal sass;

"It's not creepy, what are you talking about?!"

Peter waves with a blush, "Ohhh MJ! I gotta,- I got this family thing."

Erik snickers from Darcy's car, "It's his grandmother."

"Grandmother?" MJ quirks a suspicious eyebrow.

Darcy mumbles next, hand supporting her head while she turns to glare at Erik, "Grandmother?! That's the oldest trick in the book."

"Well I'm old!"

Rick laughs louder than he should, sitting beside Erik with the guitar on his lap.

Garrett nods, tired of the banter and channeling a bit of Riley Park-Proctor-Hill in his response;

"Are you coming or not?"

Peter leaps into the car and finds a space to sit. Darcy points with a pout;

"Please bring your girlfriend! I like her!"

Peter laughs nervously, tugging an invasive backpack from off his shoulder, "She's not- we're not- she's not my girlfriend."

"Aww, denial. So sweet. Let me know if you change your mind about that and need any advice. I'm a professional couple's counselor."

Erik smiles a bit, "Are you really?"

Darcy wheezes breathlessly with obnoxious laughter, "No."

Garrett points, "There's a trail in the ally on the corner of fourth. There's a loose brick…"

Brody nods approvingly, "Look at you! Doing spy things."

"Fourth...of what. Queens? Manhattan? I need a few more directions," Darcy rests her hands on the steering wheel.