Yerevan, Armenia
Natasha
I turned the shower knob and let the hot water rain down.
I fingered the scar on my stomach.
A bullet wound.
Years ago, I had been trying to take a bullet for someone, but it went through me, and hit its mark.
I pumped shampoo into my hand and lathered it in my hair.
I would have to dye it soon. It was too risky going around in public as a flaming redhead.
Another glance at the bullet wound brought back the memory of the nuclear engineer that I failed to protect. His face was still fresh in my mind. He was a brilliant guy, whether he had been cocky or naive, it was hard to tell. Either way, he wasn't at all concerned when he learned that I'd been sent as a security escort. He insisted he didn't need security, that the trip would be safe. He didn't know how wrong he would be.
Remembering the face of the engineer brought me to remembering the face of James.
The car had flipped over. I was dangling over a cliff with the engineer and the Winter Soldier came.
It was the first time I'd seen him since our final day in Kyiv together.
Before we were both captured. Before our baby was supposedly killed.
James, please. It's me. Natasha.
I turned off the water as if that would shut off the horrific memory of seeing James trapped as the Winter Soldier.
My pleas to him echoed in my mind.
James, don't do it!
A bystander would've thought it was insanity to try to revive the memories of a killer like that. But he'd been so confident that he'd be able to remember again.
Bang! Bang!
I found comfort now, knowing that the attack was in the past. James had his mind back. It could all just be a scary dream.
Steam billowed through the small hotel bathroom.
I wrapped myself in a towel and stared at myself in the mirror.
I was a redhead. James had darker brown hair.
When Peter was a baby, he looked like he'd be a ginger.
Just how did he come out with the hair color he had now?
Someone knocked on the door.
"Natasha?"
Wanda opened it. Her hair was still damp from the shower she'd taken before me.
"You need to see this."
I pulled on a bathrobe and followed her into the other room.
Steve and Sam sat on one of the beds, staring at the TV screen.
They had found an American news station.
"What is it?" I asked, sitting on the bed.
Steve grinned. It was still weird seeing him with a beard.
"Your kid is at it again, Nat. Look."
A reporter was standing in front of the Washington Monument in D.C.
"A group of high school students were in danger earlier today, when there was an explosion at the Washington Monument from an unknown source. The explosive damaged the cables of the elevator and put a class visiting from New York at risk."
They showed photos of teenagers in bright, yellow blazers being helped out of a broken elevator.
"Thanks to the masked vigilante known as Spider-Man, there were no casualties. Shortly after the explosion, he was seen climbing up the monument."
It showed a spotty image of Spider-Man climbing up a wall.
"Witnesses say that Spider-Man broke through a window and stopped the elevator from falling in the nick of time."
They showed a photo of the class after the accident. Peter was in the group photo. I laughed, knowing that it was secretly another picture of Spider-Man.
"The New York-based superhero was first spotted about a year ago, preventing car accidents and minor criminal activities. He gained national attention when seen fighting alongside the pro-Sokovia Accord Avengers in Leipzig, Germany in an attempt to apprehend Captain Steve Rogers and former Avengers, now deemed war criminals."
When talking about superheroes, every media outlet always went back to the Sokovia Accords without fail.
"Oh, here they go again." Sam groaned. "Now they're gonna say that Spider-Man should take up responsibility for his actions and sign the accords."
"There is debate among New York and national law enforcement whether or not Spider-Man should take responsibility for his actions and sign the accords."
"Called it." Sam said proudly.
"He hasn't signed the Accords." Wanda said, glancing at me. "Has he?"
Steve shook his head.
"They don't know his identity. Until they can put a name to the face, they won't be able to push anything on him. Have you heard from him, Nat?"
"Some. I said. "He checks in with daily reports on Happy's phone. I managed to talk to Stark about him last week."
I worried that bringing up Tony Stark would hit a nerve, but Steve didn't react.
"He really wants to be an Avenger." I added.
But that was the thing. Peter knew he was in a fine legal gray area, but he still wanted to be an Avenger. The only way to be one of us without being illegal was to sign the Accords and have the government babysitting you all day.
The world was still chaotic right now, but I didn't hear about any of the Sokovia Accord Avengers going out there and dealing with those problems. No, they were under constant government surveillance.
As long as Peter hid his identity and didn't join the Avengers, he could still keep doing what he loved.
But how long could that charade hold?