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

{23} because apparently hydra loves mountain bases

"SHOULD SHE BE IN HERE?" STEVE ASKED.

He pointed to May Parker who simply sent him a pointed glare before she returned her attention to Clint's explanation of a game called 'flappy bird'- Steve had no idea, just that it appeared to be a heated discussion with lots of flailing hands and angry huffs of air as the woman in question looked thoroughly amused and exasperated simultaneously.

Natasha looked up from the papers laid out in front of her. "If you can move her Rogers, be my guest." she teased, smirking as she looked back at the file she'd been organizing.

Speechless, Steve looked between the two women. His mouth opened and closed uselessly.

"A little help here Director?" He asked, watching the man sit down.

"I have found it easier and less injury inducing to leave Mrs Parker alone." Nick shrugged; he had taken the space at the head of the table and levelled Clint with a look that had him stowing away his phone and grumbling under his breath. May covered her laugh with a cough.

Then Clint looked positively gleeful as he watched Steve crumple in defeat and resume waiting.

Slowly, the rest of the avenger's team- or what was left of it- began to filter into the room. Bruce and Thor took their usual seats in the middle of the table whilst Vision occupied the spare seat in the back of the room, leaving Tony to take the available seat beside May. His attention was solely on the tablet in his hands as he no doubt was still scouring any and all cameras for sightings of their three missing teenagers.

Natasha's eyes settled on Tony for a moment, clearly debating whether to make him pay attention before she decided against it and passed around copies of a file.

"Hydra was clearly behind the attack on Peter and the tower." She announced, drawing everyone's attention bar Tony, though his eyes flickered up every now and again. Natasha knew that was all the reaction she would be getting without using lethal force to pry the device from his hands. "Which means we have a big problem. No one knew about Peter's history because Fury and Hill kept him off Shield radar. Not even a paper trail."

On instinct people turned to Fury who nodded gravely.

"Imagine my surprise." He commented, his words dry and lacking humour but dripping with genuine anger. He'd grown closer to the teenager over the year he had spent with the avengers and was reluctant to admit that he was slightly protective over him when Romanoff wasn't around to be so.

"I looked into the world council- none of them have connections or have been in contact with anything Hydra related. It's highly likely there's a mole within Shield and they tipped the council off about Fury withholding information." Agreement rose from the table. "No one knew about Peter. So, the only conclusion is that someone who was previously working on the mutant experiments somehow escaped when we were too busy burning down bases- slipped right through the cracks."

There was a heavy silence at the implication.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Natasha managed to control her expression as she looked out at her teammates- the closest thing to family she had left.

"We think they bugged Fury's office or possibly Hill's, and we led them straight to Peter."

"Suspects?" Steve asked, reading through the file diligently. He looked up when he heard Natasha walk behind him. She shifted through the papers and pointed at a single photo.

"The last surviving member of Hydra with any kind of authority- Cain. Alexander Cain. He is one sick son of a bitch." She paused, reigning in her anger as she looked at the surveillance footage of the man; Natasha walked back to the front of the room. "He started the mutant trials, was the founder of them actually. Therefore, it makes sense that he would have such an interest in Peter because he's the only subject outside of Wanda and Pietro that had ever survived."

Clint winced; the reaction miniscule but Natasha caught it.

Everyone within the room was staring at the picture- May's mask of indifference faltered, clear loathing in her eyes before she managed to steel herself and look away. Natasha admired her.

"How far would he be willing to go?" Clint asked. The question only made the room tenser.

"Who knows." She admitted. "The guy is unhinged and relentless from what I've managed to find of his personal history with Hydra and outside of it."

Steve sighed heavily and rested his chin in his hand as he began to read through the list and the detailed accounts of Cain's exploits over the years; experimentations, mutilations, indoctrinations, assassinations- he made Helen look warm and fuzzy. Natasha unclenched her fists and forced herself to shove away her emotions. She set her hands flat on the table.

"If there's no Hydra, why chase after him?" May asked, voice only wavering at the end.

Clint spoke up before the woman had the chance to form a sentence. "Peter is a testament to his pride, living proof of his genius. Like a trophy."

Natasha took in a slow breath at the truth behind Clint's words. "And he's trying to rebuild Hydra." she continued, shooting the archer a stern look for his morbid comment. "I checked his bank accounts and they're all going to one place in particular- a base in the mountains-"

"- because apparently Hydra loves mountain bases-"

"-Peter would be an invaluable asset." Natasha spoke over Clint and made a point of ignoring him. For a moment, her jaw clenched before she spoke again, the words harsh but truthful. "He's cold and calculated and ruthless. The perfect killer which makes him dangerous."

The group was once again drenched in a thick silence at the plain statement.

"Which means he's going to have to break Peter down to nothing to have even the slightest chance of turning him against us because Peter is all of those things- I can't lie and say that he isn't- but he's more than that now. I don't want to find out what it'll take for him to break."

Fury cleared his throat, ignoring the dread building in his chest. "So, what's the plan Romanoff-"

A sharp ringtone cut off the sentence. Everyone turned to Clint in confusion as he fished out a phone from his sock, frowning to himself. He had multiple on his person for a range of different reasons and contacts- but Natasha recognised that phone in particular almost instantly.

It was a simple burner phone. But the only numbers on it were her own and Barney's. 

A/N

Steve in the beginning has me dying- I just, love it. And Clint being morbid as all hell while Fury is being sarcastic in the background is peak; Natasha, Clint and Fury are an underrated trio.

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