It was strange how strong bonds could grow in the heat of battle, Nate mused as she slid out of the car she had shared with Tony.
Thor and his brother was going home today. This would their goodbye for now.
The news channels were buzzing with clips of the Battle of New York and the aftermath, both Tony and herself had realised that soon the Avengers would have to call a press conference and get everything sorted out before some idiots began to blame the whole battle on them.
They had been debating letting the world know that she was Tony Stark's sister as they both knew questions would be thrown at them because it was now known that Nate was Valkyrie. It would save them having to deal with the press trying to ruin Tony and Pepper's relationship and the budding relationship of Nate and Steve.
Plus it would cause chaos and let Tony mock the press for them not seeing the family features that they shared for the fourteen years that Nate had been in the public's eyes.
Nate smiled at Steve when he joined them and slipped her hand into his, smiling wider when he interlocked their fingers together as flashed her a smile.
She ignored Tony's huff and dark glare—he would get used to it. Eventually.
She only let go of Steve's hand to give Thor a parting-hug which he returned with slightly greater strength that made her wheeze. She had to slap him on the back with her left hand—which had been placed in plaster after they had finished eating and everyone remembered that she had punched Captain America in the face. It wasn't broken, just fractured—to remind him to let her go after he lifted her in the air with his strength.
Thor grinned sheepishly as he put her down and Steve had to steady her, he ignored the dark glares Steve and Tony was fixing on him as he knew he would have acted the same if someone hugged his dear Jane with too much strength.
"I'll return for the joyful union of you two." Thor declared as he slapped his hands on Steve's and Nate's shoulders, smiling gleefully at their blushes and stammered denies as Tony puffed up like an enraged cat—spitting and hissing at Steve to trash the idea of Tony ever allowing his sister to marry him because that wasn't happening as long as he lived and breathed—only to wince and wheeze when Nate 'accidently' hit him in the stomach with her cast.
Steve and Nate may have gotten together in the heat of the battle, but Thor could see their feelings for the other was strong. There would be marriage in their future—of that Thor was sure—and Tony wouldn't be able to stop it happening.
He finished his goodbyes before taking the transporting device, watching as Bruce placed the cube in it to power the device, before walking to his brother and holding it out to him.
Completely defeated, Loki reached out with his chained hands to grab one end of the device.
Satisfied that his brother wasn't going to try to fight him or run, Thor gave one last nod to his new friends before twisting his end of the device.
He would be coming back for the Lady Nate's wedding to Steven, he vowed as the blue light of the cube departed them back home.
Nate hid a grin when she saw Bruce slid into Tony's car with his bag—the doctor wouldn't be heading to the airport like he had declared.
After all, Tony had promised he would see candy land, and there was no way that Tony was going to let Bruce hole himself up alone anymore. Bruce was a friend now and Tony could be very clingy when it came to friends.
She hugged Tasha knowing that she and Steve would be seeing Tasha and Cling soon. They all worked for S.H.I.E.L.D after all.
Tasha hugged back—Nate was one of her few friends after all—and smirked to herself as Nate slipped on to Steve's motorbike behind the soldier and wrapping her slender arms around his middle.
The Captain better not hurt Nate because Tony wouldn't be the only one out for his blood, Tasha thought to herself as she slipped into the car with Clint.
Nate had been chosen as the spokes-person when the press conference was finally called. Something about her having the patience of a saint, according to Clint—Tasha said she had to with her living with Tony which made her brother pout and Steve and Bruce to laugh.
But standing at the podium and staring at the small sea of faces with mics, recorders and flashing camera, Nate cursed the fact that she agreed.
She was the sibling who didn't care for attention, the sibling that didn't have reports swarming her for private details of her life, and the sibling that never had to deal with press conferences.
She was simply Natasha Howard, a genius who channelled her brilliance into her art, and had a habit of appearing on Tony Stark's arm because he 'sponsored' her as a child.
She breathed deeply through her nose, grateful she had already popped some of her painkillers as she was sure this conference was going to cause a headache, and smiled wanly out at the cameras and the leeches that called themselves reporters.
"Right, so the PR department gave me this speech to tell you have everything is mostly classified and such." Nate began as she held the coloured speech cards up in the air. "But I know that isn't going to fly with all of you and frankly people deserve to know the truth. So questions?"
"Who attacked New York?"
"Was it really aliens?"
"Where are they now?"
"Why has Tony Stark built you a suit?"
"Is that the real Captain America?"
"Why is the Hulk on your team?"
"Do you feel threatened by the Hulk?"
"Are you really having a secret affair with Tony Stark?"
Nate raised her cast covered hand to silent them so she could answer.
"The attack on New York was orchestrated by the alien Asgard Loki." She began to answer the questions. "You'll all remember Thor from last year?" She paused for the nods. "Loki was Thor's brother and that was why Thor came to help us defeat his brother. Loki has been taken back to Asgard to face justice at the hands of Odin—who we know from the legends will judge and punish him duly for his crimes.
Yes this is Captain Steven G Rodgers, and yes he is the real Captain America who was found earlier this year.
The Hulk is a valued team-mate, who without the alien army would have overrun us and Tony would be dead. I don't feel threatened by Hulk, he's my friend that I know for fact will have my back." She said firmly.
"Why have you got a suit? And question about a possible affair between you and Mr Stark?" One reporter shouted out. "Why haven't answered that?"
"One, I ignored the question about an affair between Tony and I because the thought grosses me out as I'm not into incest." Nate answered honestly before the reporters burst into questions so she had to almost shout to be heard. "Two, the reason I have a suit is because my brother wants me to be safe. And three, I think you're all idiots for not noticing the family resemblance between the two of us as I've always been told I have Howard Stark's, our fathers, eyes."
She then innocently blinked said eyes at the chaos that was the reporters while Tony howled in amusement in the background, Tasha hid a smirk while Clint flat-out smirked at the reporters, Bruce had a small smile on his face and Steve was shaking his head at her with a fond smile on his lips.