It's a Spider Thing. {Peter Parker and Natasha Romanoff}

{40} i can live with her blood in my ledger

SEEING EVERYONE GATHERED in a conference room was a painfully familiar scene.

Natasha took in a small breath, steeling herself, as she moved to the head of the table with a file grasped in her hands just like Nick had done only two months prior. Tony was already sat down with Harley on his left, both now at the front of the table instead of the back- Thor and Bruce were still in the middle, and Steve was now sitting at the end.

The assassin cast her eyes across the room when Fury entered through the door, the movement forced her attention to him. He stood against the far wall and inclined his head silently which she returned.

"Barton." Natasha announced, setting a phone down on the table.

"Reporting for duty ma'am." There was a teasing lilt to his voice that everybody welcomed.

It broke the tense atmosphere that had settled when Natasha had declared a group meeting, and everyone felt as though they could take in a breath again. Even if it were only briefly. It had been a long two months of simply waiting and searching for Peter and now that they could have found him? No one was willing to voice what the grim thought was weighing on everyone's minds- what if he wasn't alright?

"Are you good out there Legolas?" Teased Tony.

Only Nat caught the serious glint in his eyes, and despite wanting to press on she couldn't find it within herself to reprimand him for the question and silly nickname; she was grateful for his hidden concern towards Clint. Even if it went over everyone else's head. "I'm golden Tin Man."

Faint smiles flitted across features around the room until Natasha set down the file that she had been holding onto, in the centre of the table. "Let's get to business."

Pictures were laid out one by one; most were from surveillance cameras of the Hydra base- it was a huge compound with several floors, and it was crawling with Hydra soldiers like cockroaches. Another sheet had their security system highlighted, including a marked-out path to the electric board and the control room that they would need to access for her plan to work.

"Peter is being held at this Hydra base." Her finger tapped rhythmically on the nearest photograph as she looked out at the men in front of her- they were either staring right back or investigating the contents of the file. "Clint and his associate have been stationed there as soldiers undercover; they'll be our way inside." Murmurs of agreement rose, so Nat pressed on. "They'll get to the electric board that's located on the south side of the building and break it, hopefully shutting down their lights and a few cameras but we can't be sure." Natasha moved a sheet of paper for everyone to see.

"Then Bruce will drop us from the Helicarrier- everyone will be on the ground except Banner."

"Don't you think the hulk would be more helpful on the ground Romanoff? They've got a lot of weaponry." Fury queried. Natasha's gaze met his one good eye.

"If Peter needs immediate medical attention, then I want Bruce." She said firmly, before adding, "And we need someone at the wheel for a quick getaway."

The assassin spared Bruce a glance and a warm smile before continuing.

"Thor you'll secure the perimeter with Steve while Clint, his associate and I are on the inside. Tony will hack into their mainframe and lead us straight to Peter and any other prisoners inside the base." For a moment, Natasha's eyes scanned the group, searching for any hesitance in the faces staring back at her before she settled on Steve. He was frowning slightly in thought.

"Got anything to add Cap? I know you're good at strategies."

"What are we doing with Helen? She'll-"

"I'm going to take care of her."

The room got somehow tenser as they all sneaked looks at one another. There was a clear charge in the air as Steve shifted while his frown deepened.

Usually, Steve and Natasha backed one another's decision, so it was strange for the rest of them to see them with opposing ideals- it was only ever their methods that conflicted. Typically, Natasha would follow his strategy, trusting his judgement so if it meant no killing then there would be no killing.

It helped keep her on the right track. But Helen had crossed a line and Nat would be damned if she didn't fire back. With a bullet. Lots, and lots, of bullets.

"You mean kill her." Steve stated.

"Why not?" Nat questioned, eerily calm for someone discussing murder with the Captain America of all people. "If she lives, she'll only come after Peter again."

Steve shook his head adamantly. "You don't know that-"

"Don't I?" Her anger flared. "The first time she came after my kid, we locked her up. Then she escaped Rogers. Who's to say she won't do it again? The past will always catch up to you and Peter has one hell of a past so my plan is that I'm going to stomp it out before they can touch him again."

Tony shifted in his seat, sending a meaningful look to Natasha who only just caught it; she was grateful for the support. Harley swallowed thickly but continued to stare intently at the assassin.

"If we stoop to their level Nat, we're as bad as them."

"Are you forgetting I was?"

A thick silence suddenly fell over the assembled group. No one moved as Steve struggled for a response; he knew that about her. Everyone did. Natasha wasn't shy about the reality of her past. But it felt strangely damning and jarring to hear her compared against the people they were actively planning a fight against.

"I used to be like them." Nat said again, before shrugging like that fact held no weight.

"Then I wiped out the red in my ledger, but there is nothing I wouldn't do for Peter. I can live with her blood in my ledger. Could you live with Peter's in yours?"

Steve didn't respond. 

A/N

Ok. I love the idea of Steve and Nat having conflicting methods, it's such an interesting dynamic to me, ya know?

Anywho! Let me know of any spelling mistakes! xoxo.