It's a Spider Family. {Sequel to 'It's a Spider Thing'.}

{20} no mother ever does

THE TEAM WAS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE TOWER, reflecting on the turn of events that caused them to lose their youngest members of the team.

Tony was holed up in his lab, frantically searching any and all the security footage that he could get his hands on- privacy be damned. He'd lost all three kids at once and there was a part of him missing with them; he refused to rest until he got them back home where they belonged.

After the whole debacle with Hydra the first-time around, it had taken Harley months to finally relax instead of constantly looking over his shoulder. The billionaire had worked so hard to build back that sense of security and it had been ripped down like it was nothing but glorified tissue paper.

Then there was Wanda. The girl raised in a war-town country. He'd promised her stability- a home- and instead she'd gotten an invasion. Yet another fight not on her doorstep but inside her house.

Peter Parker was a kid who hadn't had much of a home to begin with. But the teen had opened himself up, allowed Tony to offer something he'd been craving for, for years as a child and yearning for as a teen- a place where he didn't have to fight and carry a gun on his person.

And what had Tony done? Not enough apparently. Because he'd lost his kids all at once in the very place that he'd promised they would never be touched.

The familiar feeling of self-loathing crept down Tony's spine and he tripled his efforts.

On the other side of the tower, Steve was occupied with helping the clean-up from their latest fight, thankful that the building hadn't taken too much structural damage from the Hulk. He was restless and needed to do something other than sit around and wait for Tony to find any information that would give them even the briefest idea of Peter's location.

At some point in the aftermath of everything, Bruce had disappeared to meditate and only Thor had any idea of his specific location within the building- the God was also helping with clearing away some of the rubble too, taking comfort in being a helping hand.

Vision was spending his time hovering behind Tony's shoulder, (not enough to be annoying, but enough to be a grounding presence), as his eyes moved with an inhuman speed while he also searched for the trio of teenagers, taking in information quicker than the billionaire could ever dream of.

Eventually, Natasha and Clint settled in the main area, their injuries attended to when the elevator doors opened. They revealed the two most unlikely people on the other side.

"Where is he?" Came the demand.

May stormed into the room while Nick followed behind her, sporting a bruised cheekbone; he glared wordlessly at Clint who eyed the injury. "Where's Peter?"

The instant silence that descended was stifling as Natasha moved so she was standing in front of May Parker, her usual façade breaking as she met the woman's eyes with her own, unable to offer a verbal answer because she didn't know. The spy who knew everything and everyone, who had her hands in more international pies than anyone else- had no information. Nothing.

A lesser woman than May Parker would have crumbled at the answer the lack of response provided.

A pained understanding settled between them, and the older woman walked forwards before wrapping her arms tight around Natasha; she slumped against May and fleetingly wondered if she'd fall apart if the woman ever let go. "I don't know what I'm doing." she whispered, barely audible with her lips hidden in the woman's shoulder. But May simply hummed and held on tighter.

Grief swept through May's chest as the loss of Peter once again riddled itself into her bones, occupying the space it had only momentarily vacated.

"No mother ever does." she finally murmured.

Minutes passed before they pulled back. May rested her hands firmly on Natasha's shoulders and squeezed them before she turned back to the men in the room. Clint and Fury looked mildly confused but neither questioned the exchange- both slightly afraid of the women in front of them.

"What's the plan?" May announced, dropping her hands, and squaring back her shoulders.

Her eyes were drawn to Clint as he shifted from his position on the couch; he'd offered her honesty before, and she knew he'd offer it now. The archer looked up to meet her eyes, before emitting a heavy sigh and running a hand down his face; the action filled the woman with a sudden, cold, dread for the answer but she steeled herself. "It's a waiting game right now. We don't know where he is." He explained and May hesitantly nodded in a show of understanding.

Part of her wanted to be angry. To scream at the people around her who'd she left Peter with, the people she thought could protect him. But all she felt was tired.

"This Hydra," her face pinched at the name, "what will they do to him?"

Immediate regret filled May's chest as the question left her lips and she watched the faces around her turn into blank slates; Natasha and Clint shared a long look between themselves as May waited slightly impatient for an answer. Fury avoided her gaze entirely. He was more focussed on trying to decode the wordless exchange between his two best assets but came up empty handed.

"Nothing good I'm assuming." she huffed, wringing her hands together nervously.

"He's a strong kid." Fury announced. Natasha's attention flickered to him as he spoke, whereas Clint stared down at the floor resolutely. "Survived years without us. He can hang on for a couple days."

"And he's not alone." Natasha added, because she was clinging to that fact too and knew the other woman would find some comfort that at least this time Peter wasn't alone. May gave her a questioning look. "He's with two friends. Harley and Wanda. They'll look out for each other."

Drawing in a deep breath, May offered a teary smile.

"Well then. You're stuck with me for a while, so, why don't I make some lunch?" The assembled group knew it was an attempt at normalcy when everything was far from normal, but Natasha nodded anyway because she wasn't above pretending everything was fine when it felt like it was all falling apart around her.

"I'll help." she said and led the way into the kitchen.

Clint and Fury looked at one another for a second before following the duo.

"How'd you get the bruise?" The archer questioned; Fury said nothing and marched onwards without so much as a glance at the agent. "It was May Parker, right?" Still no answer, though Clint grinned as if he'd gotten one anyway. "I knew it. Maybe he doesn't get it all from Nat."

"... no, he doesn't." Fury muttered. 

A/N

I love how May sympathizes with Natasha and comforts her because she knows what it's like to lose a child. And she isn't even upset that Nat and Peter clearly have a mother/son relationship- she's just so understanding, like what a woman.

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