An alarm blared throughout the compound, so loud Steve was sure its sole purpose was to wake the dead. Jumping up, he grabbed his shield and dashed out the door into the hall, only to be greeted by Natasha whose hair was wild. Her eyes were wide and alert as she held a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. Movement behind him alerted him to the other Avengers. With a nod to the woman, Steve raised his shield and barged into the living room only to find it empty.

All the Avengers looked around before Natasha shouted over the noise. "Where's Tony?!" All eyes met each other before they collectively started towards the lab. They didn't get very far as Tony came burling into the room dragging a terrified looking Peter behind him.

"Friday, shut off the alarm!" the genius yelled and the noise ceased immediately. Looking to his team, he breathed a breath of air before nodding, not caring about their wild looking appearances. "Good you're here."

"Are we under attack?" Rhodes asked instantly.

Tony frowned before he shook his head. "What, no."

"Then why the fuck did the alarm go off?" Sam barked as he glared at the man.

Steve almost told him to watch his language but found himself agreeing with the man. "Tony, it's early."

The man waved him off as he seemed to bounce on his feet. "Yeah, I know but I think I figured it out."

"Figured out what?"

"Why SHIELD is so invested in the kid."

Steve glanced at the boy next to his teammate and saw the boy looked beyond scared. No doubt Tony dragged him all the way up here. "Could it not wait until the morning?"

"Technically it is morning."

Steve leveled him with a look but the other man simply brushed it off. "So I had Friday look up some info on our house guest. There are many files on Frank Foster, you know the typical Hydra stuff. At first we couldn't find anything on Vanessa Foster, until Friday finally found a file from SHIELD. Foster was apparently a SHIELD agent for a while."

He looked around at his teammates with wide sleep deprived eyes as they took in the news. It was Natasha who broke first. "I thought she was Hydra."

"She was or is. I don't know. The report said she can't be trusted. She may be lying."

"What did the report say?" She asked, sensing there was more to the story.

Tony summarized the first report quickly, from the moment she joined to the moment when she went missing. At the mention of his name, Steve stood up straight. Tony opened his mouth to continue but Steve held up a hand. "Wait. She was working with SHIELD while she was with me?"

"Yeah, I just said that. Please try and keep up because that's not even the interesting part."

Steve opened his mouth to say something but Natasha shook her head at him causing him to close it and wave Tony on. Without saying a word, he pulled the boy in front of him. "What do you see?" Tony asked.

"A kid that looks absolutely traumatized," Bucky voiced, leading to a glare from Tony.

"No. Look closer." Peter started to squirm as all eyes fell on him, raking over every inch of his face.

"Tony when's the last time you slept?" Rhodes asked as he took a step towards the pair. Tony released a groan and told them to look closer at the kids face. When nobody said anything he dropped scoffed in disbelief.

"How can you not see it?"

"Why don't you just tell us so we can go back to sleep?" Sam snapped.

"He's her kid." Silence settled around the room as Peter stood frozen. "There was another report. It wasn't finished but it said that they found Vanessa hiding in Russia. When they found her they saw that she was pregnant. When they landed here in New York she went into labor. That's where the report ends. Don't you see, she was so interested in finding him because she's her son."

All eyes fell on the kid again as realization slowly broke through the sleepy fog that was still settled on the Avengers minds. "Bucky boy here was right. Richard and Mary Parker aren't the kids' real parents. Vanessa is his biological mother. The kid was adopted or something," Tony exclaimed.

"Tony!"

The billionaire looked to his friend who was glaring at him. Before he could ask what the problem was, his friend's eyes shifted to the boy in front of him. Peter stood frozen as the words bounced around the room.

"Shit."


Peter stood frozen staring straight ahead. Of course he knew Vanessa was his mother, he had the proof in his backpack, but hearing other people say it caused his heart to clench. His brain slowly went over the checklist of things that just came out of the billionaires mouth.

The people he thought were his parents weren't his parents.

His real mother worked for SHIELD, the very people she told him not to trust.

His real mother was most likely a murderer.

His real mother was most likely a spy.

His real mother couldn't be trusted despite the fact that he trusted her so easily.

His real mother was a member of Hydra or whatever that is.

He was probably born while his mother was arrested.

Did that mean he was born in a jail?

The buzz of words flowed around him as someone approached him. A metal arm filled his vision as his spidey senses buzzed slightly, warning him. A hand rested on his shoulder and if it were at all possible, Peter would have become even more tense even more. The hand squeezed his shoulder slightly before he was shaken. Moments later a face filled his vision. A pair of brown eyes stared back at him with concern.

Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, his brain informed him. He watched as the man's lips moved but the words that came out only flowed into a jumbled mess. Peter's heart slowly increased in sound as the sound of his blood pumping filled his ears. He wasn't sure it ever slowed from the moment he was dragged from the lab.

The eyes disappeared for a second before they returned only this time, they were accompanied by another hand. Peter could feel himself being pulled towards the sofa. Every fiber in his body screamed at him to stand his ground but the connection cable between his brain and his body broke.

He was forced on the soft cushions as a cup of water appeared in front of his face. He made no move to take it. The hum of words continued to float above Peters head as his brain tried to find where the connection was broken. Another face appeared in front of his, this one wearing glasses and eyeing him with a steady gaze. A light was shined in his eyes.

As if the light shined right on the spot where the connection was broken, his brain fixed him. Sound came rushing back at him as his lungs inhaled some much needed air. The sound of his heart beating faded no to long after.

"Peter?" Bruce called from his spot in front of the boy.

His brain screamed at him to move, testing the now fixed connection and his body responded instantly. He shot up, knocking over Bruce in the process. A shout of alarm came from the man's mouth as Peter backed away from everyone.

"Kid?" someone called but he just turned and ran back to the room he abandoned earlier that evening. To the same room where his nightmares haunted him earlier. Slamming the door shut, he sucked in the air before releasing it slowly.

I already knew she was my mother, he thought trying to calm himself.

Yeah, but you didn't know she was a lying, murder, his brain defended as if to justify it's reaction. His heart thumped in agreement. His eyes traveled to where he hid his backpack. Rushing over, he tore the bag from it's spot and yanked out the folder.

Tearing it opened he eyed the letters and photos with a critical eye. The words danced across his vision. This woman who possibly murdered two people had her sights set in him.

You're her child. She wouldn't murder you, his brain scoffed.

People have murdered their own children before.

His brain remained silent, the only thing it did was send a message to his heart causing it to start racing. His eyes scanned the papers again. There was no mention of murder in the folder. Picking up the photo of Vanessa he studied it carefully. The glint he once took as a mischievous now seemed to change. Maybe it was a murderous glint. The pure thought of that sent a shiver through Peter's entire body as thoughts started swimming around in his head. If she murdered people and lied before what's to say she's not lying now? Did SHIELD really take him from her? Is SHIELD as dangerous as she says? May said they were but how would she know?

Does Vanessa actually know who A1 is? Friday is installed throughout the compound, so the odds of him being able to sneak off and figure it out was gone. He tried this morning only to get stopped by Tony on a security camera. Not to mention the facility is still on lockdown.

The words Scott said to him when he was in his hospital bed echoed in his head.

It's okay to ask for help. You don't have to do it all alone.

A knock at the door sent a shock through him. Shoving the folder and all it's contents into his backpack, he looked up just as the door opened. Bruce stuck his head in before opening the door all the way. His eyes roamed over Peter for a moment as if he were assessing him. The man licked his lips as he stepped into the room slowly as if he were afraid he would frighten the boy on the bed.

"Are you alright, Peter?" Peter took a deep breath before nodding slowly. Stepping a little closer, he gave the boy a smile. "I know that was probably a shock for you. It's alright if you're not."

Peter didn't respond, not that Bruce expected him to. From what he heard from the Avengers the kid had yet to say two words. The man watched the boy careful as his chest moved up and down. His body was tense as he sat still like a statue. Releasing a sigh, Bruce walked closer until he was right next him. Peter backed up a little before looking up at the man, distrust in his eyes. Taking a chance, Bruce sat down on the bed.

"Peter, I know this is all a little strange for you. One second you're in foster care and living on the streets and the next, you're living with the Avengers. I want you to know that you don't have to be scared of us. We only want what's best for you."

Peter glanced down at his lap bringing his bottom lip between his teeth. His gut slowly came up with an idea but his brain screamed at him not to do it. "Peter," Bruce called, capturing the boy's attention again. "We want to help and we can't do that unless you talk to us."

Looking away, Peter nodded once, signally that he heard as a battle between his brain and his gut started. Glancing at his bookbag, he willed for the final outcome of the battle. Do I show him the folder? Peter thought as he eyed Bruce wearlily. Finally after a few moments, Peter had his answer. His gut won in the end.

"I don't trust you," Peter mumbled, keeping his voice low.

Bruce froze for a second as he heard the first words escape the child's mouth. Peter held his breath as he waited to see if the man would recognize his voice, but if he did he gave no indication. Bruce stared at him as he tilted his head to one side. "You don't trust us?" Peter shook his head. "Why?"

Breathing in deep, Peter swallowed as his tongue darted out and dragged across his lips. "You work for SHIELD."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Turning away, Peter remained silent. Bruce asked again but got the same result. Seeing as he was not going to get anywhere, Bruce nodded and stood, slowly making his way to the door. At the last second he turned.

"Peter, you can trust us."


Natasha stared after Peter as he ran from the room. Sam called after him but his feet were set on their own course. Everyone stood still. "Nice going tin head," Sam sighed. Tony opened his mouth to respond, but Bruce cut him off.

"Alright, now is not the time for accusations. I'm going to go talk to him."

As Bruce made his way down the hall, Sam looked around. "This still doesn't make any sense."

"What?" Steve asked as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Let's just say the kid is her's, it still doesn't explain why Hydra and SHIELD want the kid."

Natasha made her way to the door as someone called out to her from behind. "Where are you going?"

"To get some answers." Natasha called over her shoulder.


The cells were quiet when Natasha entered in. Her eyes immediately fell on her target. Vanessa sat slouched against the wall, leaning her head against the metal bars. Schooling her features, she walked forward allowing her shoes to click on the ground alerting the inmates of her presence.

Vanessa looked up before she shot to her feet, her eyes studied Natasha carefully. The two women locked themselves in a staring match, where neither were willing to back down. Frank spoke up, interrupting the competition before it really began. "Did you come to let us out?"

"No," Natasha replied without looking at him. "I am here for answers though."

"Oh yeah? What kind of answers?"

"None that you can provide me for now, but your sister here might be able to."

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Peter Parker," was all Natasha said. At the mention of the boy's name, Vanessa's right eye twitched.

"What about him?"

"What did you want with him?"

"Well, now that's my business?"

"Really? So it has nothing to do with the fact that he is your son?"

Vanessa froze as she looked at the Black Widow. "Excuse me?"

Natasha shrugged. "Of course we will need a DNA test to be certain but we found a few files on you and it makes sense."

Vanessa remained quiet for a moment as she allowed for the words to sink in. Pacing, she ran a hand across her face. Turning to the other woman, she asked the one question that remained on her mind since the last time she saw him. "Is he okay? I didn't scare him did I?"

Ignoring the question, Natasha soldiered on. "It would make sense that's why you would want him, but what I find confusing is why Hydra and SHIELD are so interested in him."

Vanessa repeated her questions. Natasha remained silent as she watched the woman. The way she clung to the bars as if they were her last lifeline. Her lips pressed into a hard line as she eyed Natasha with a sense of hope. "He's fine." Vanessa visibly relaxed at the announcement.

"Now answer my question. Why are Hydra and SHIELD so interested in him?"

"I don't know."

"Bullshit."

"I don't, okay."

"How did you know Peter was your son."

"I saw his picture on the news and noticed that he looked a little like my great-grandfather."

Frank's head popped up at that as he eyed his sister through narrowed eyes. The Black widows back was facing him, preventing her from seeing his reaction. Vanessa kept her eyes on her interrogator but noticed the subtle change in her brother from her peripheral vision.

"You're great-grandfather?"

"Yes, I've seen pictures of him from when he was a kid, naturally. Peter looks just like him." Vanessa waved her hands at her. Freezing, Natasha turned her body to Frank who forced his body to relax. He set a glare on the woman as she turned back around.

"How can you be so certain?"

"I think I would know my own son," Vanessa scoffed.

"Of course you would. Like I said we'll need a DNA test to confirm."

"Right, I'll give you as much DNA as you need," Vanessa nodded.

Natasha nodded slowly. "Good." Natasha turned to leave but stopped before turning back to the woman. "You must have some clue as to why the two most powerful agencies in the world would want a simple fifteen year old boy."

Vanessa shrugged her shoulders. "I might but I can't be certain."

"Any help you could give us would be great."

Licking her lips, Vanessa looked down before looking back up. "Hydra wants him because he's my son. Despite what you may think, we are a tight knit family. When a child is born, we all help raise them."

"And SHIELD?"

"Naturally, I would think it's because of his father."

"And his father is?"

"I don't know."

Natasha raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't know who the father of your own child is?"

"No," Vanessa replied.

Keeping her thoughts to herself the Black widow pushed forward. "You must have some guesses though right?"

"Yes, but like I said I can't be certain. It was fifteen years ago, give or take."

Hearing the words, Natasha forced her body to remain calm but her mind sent off alarm bells. Nodding to the woman, she turned to leave but the other woman called out to her. "When can I see my son?"

"We need to confirm he's your son. Once we do, we'll see what happens next."

Without another word, she exited into the hall, closing the door behind her. Releasing a breath she looked up. "She's lying. About what I don't know but she's definitely lying. She was too forthcoming with her answers. The last time she was in a room with us, her lips were tight as a clam. She didn't trust us. Now, suddenly overnight, she has a change of heart?"

Sam stood up straight from where he was leaning on the wall. "Yeah. You may be right. It might be the part about how she found him. The moment she said it was because of the news, her brother looked at her. He was confused."

Natasha looked at him. "How did you see all that from the door?"

"I didn't, in fact I couldn't see anything from here. That's why, I took a chance and snuck in, then stood in the shadows. Saw his entire reaction. Question is, why is she lying?"

"I don't know."

Sam looked at the door before turning to look at the woman. "So, the father…"

"Yeah I know. It makes sense, I don't know why we didn't put it together sooner. The clues were staring at us in the face the entire time." Natahsa said as she ran a hand over her face in exhaustion. "It's not even eight in the morning yet."

"Are we going to tell them?"

"We have no choice."

"Three different possibilities, jesus. I see why she doesn't know."

"Four."

Sam tilted his head to the side in a silent question. "Steve, Bucky, Tony and possibly someone else. Four possibilities.

"Yeah, but why would SHIELD be interested in a fifteen year old boy who belongs to someone else?"

"They could be after him, because they suspect."

"We got to go before Tony comes down here himself."

Natasha nodded as the two slowly made their way back to the top. Silence settled between the two as their thoughts raced. Finally Sam spoke. "Honestly, can you see either one having a kid?"

"Tony yes, the others no. Honestly, I'm surprised no kids popped up for Tony yet."

Sam chuckled as he helped her into the hallway of the compound.


A/N: Hey, so the next update might be a while. I realized that I messed up in chapter 37 and I'm trying to figure out how to fix it without changing the rest of what I written. Wish me luck!