PSEUDONYM! PETER PARKER ²

00.01 Classified: You Get One Phone Call

CLASSIFIED MISSION: ONE PHONE CALL

TEAM: THE RENEGADES 

DATE: 3.5 MONTHS AFTER CIVIL WAR

LOCATION: OHIO 

"We lost signal." Steve closed the phone solemnly and glanced at the nail-biting Black Widow, and she turned to face the window. The Quinjet was resting over an isolated field in Ohio, but the signal made it look like they were in Canada.

"What'd she say?" Sam asked, elbows resting on his knees.

Steve held a breath and squeezed the phone in his palm. "She said she misses us."

"Steve, what'd she really say?" Natasha glanced up from the window of the jet.

A tendon in his throat protruded as he swallowed. "She wanted me to say something nice." Steve carefully, it hurt him to say, but he kept his tone honest. "Past few months have been rough on her, kid's tough but..."

Sam preened at the silence, the unreadable expression on Natasha's face was worse than the cracking one on Steve's. "She's a fighter, they're not much she can't handle."

"She's fifteen, she shouldn't have to." The redhead spoke, head swiveling around. "She's a kid." It was the same words she said when she convinced Steve to put her on team Iron Man. Her sudden display of emotions silenced the room, then more calmly, her eyes fixed on the two men. "Has Tony said anything?"

"He put her in therapy that's all we know," Sam replied, knowing the subject was a sticky one.

Natasha bit her lip, "She's gonna hate that."

"There's not much we can do now." Steve sighed, how much had he ruined when he dropped that shield?

Sam went back to the front of the ship to check on the controls, he had gotten much better at it. Still not as good as the redhead, but he could hold his own while Steve forced her to take breaks. Being on the run had taken a toll on all of them.

Natasha sat with her legs splayed out and her knuckles under her chin. Cunning eyes now soft on the window, she barely even looked at Steve when he sat down. "Why does it feel like every time I try to do something right, I'm taking two steps back?"

"Because being right requires a leap of faith." Steve shrugged and leaned forward. Her head finally turned and to see his tiredly supportive face crack a smile. "Sam's right, kid's tough. Chewed me out before we could even talk about the weather."

This made her laugh a little. "She likes you."

"Likes you, too."

Her eyes searched his for lies; there were none. "Maybe she shouldn't." She shrugged, hiding the pain in her voice with a playful grin.

"Hey," Steve tilted his head. "What happened in Berlin was more my fault than yours, you did what was best for her."

Natasha sucked in a breath, the day running through her mind. "You should have seen the look on her face." Nat shook her head. "She's not going to like me after that."

"She will," He assured, then leaned back, "If not just smuggle her another one of Sam's hats."

At the front of the ship, Sam played around the buttons more so to distract him a little bit, Stark equipment was still much different then the rougher equipment he was used to. After a while he was able to turn on the radio, an older 80's one played hush in the speakers as he checked to see if the signal they set in Canada was still leading people off their trail.

"So, who is she?" A voice asked, startling Sam slightly. His head turned around to see Wanda, curling out of her napping position in one of the benches. She liked sleeping in the front of the ship, next to the big windows, it made her feel less trapped.

Sam turned back around to the control panel. "Who is who?" She didn't respond because it was obvious, then he sent a look over his shoulder. "Stay out of my head."

She rolled her eyes, slightly offended. "I was only eavesdropping; your precious little secrets are safe."

After a second, he thought carefully but didn't let his gaze drift from the panel. "She's a kid, the one from Berlin."

"So, she's one of Tony's."

He snorted, almost picturing the way teenager's eyes would narrow in insult before making a rude comment. Then guilt bit his memory of her. "She's a friend."

Wanda thought about it and remembered the singe of electricity on her leg where the girl had shocked her. "Not a very good one if she sided with Tony."

"It's complicated." He shot in a colder tone, and Wanda monitored his stoic face closely.

Wanda opened her mouth, then closed it. If she recalled correctly, the girl had been the one who caught Sam, yet his face was the one colored with regret. "Sorry."

He gave her a small nod of forgiveness, then hit a button that sent a cold blast throughout the cabin. Wincing at the sudden icy chilly, he pressed the same button, but it only decreased the temperature.

Wanda then pressed on the button next to it, successfully shutting it off. Sam noticed the different colors between the two and gave a closed-lip smile. "Thanks."

"No problem."