"I-I have no idea."
"Bruce?" Natasha looked at the billionaire.
"We need to look at the reports on the procedure again. And also the blood." Bruce replied.
"Anything that we need to know more at what he said to you?" Natasha asked as she looked at you.
You shook your head slowly as you were sure there was nothing important left to say.
"Okay. Uncle Tony and uncle Bruce might need some time to search for the answer so you can leave now if you want. Do you want to spend time with me?" She asked softly.
You took a moment to think before you looked up at her and smiled, "It's okay mama. You have work to do with them."
Natasha raised her left eyebrow, "Are you sure, detka (baby)?"
"Yeah. I have Peter to keep me occupied while you work."
He was somehow surprised when you chose him but he was happy when he heard his name.
Well, he was the only teen friend you had in the compound while the adults were busy.
"Alright baby. I'll be here when you need me." She said before she turned her gaze at Peter, "Watch her for me, okay?"
"Mama, I'll be fine. You worry too much." You whined.
Natasha looked at you with a disbelief look, "Of course I worry! You've been taken from me for 3 months and now you have powers in you."
Her voice raised and you looked down, slightly scared at your mother's reaction and it made Natasha feel so guilty.
"Hey, hey. I'm sorry I raised my voice. I didn't mean to. It's just, I don't want to lose you again and I don't want you to be hurt- because it hurts me too. You're my baby and I love you so much." She said before she hugged you tightly while kissing your head.
"I love you too mommy. I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry, baby. It's okay."
Natasha left you with Peter and headed inside the lab again to join the others.
You and Peter decided to take a walk outside the compound and you could feel the slight awkwardness between you too.
"Uhh, are you okay, y/n? It's a stupid question, I know." He asked.
You smiled, "Hey, it's not. I'm fine by the way. Maybe I'm a little overreacting in the lab. I'm sorry."
Peter sighed, "Stop saying sorry, y/n. It's not your fault. It's the bad guys's fault. They are the reason you got anxious and the panic attacks. I'm not the one to go through it but I know it was horrible."
You kicked a pebble that was on the pavement at the compound park while trying to take his words.
"I hate being like this. I want my old me back. I literally flinch on the smallest things that happen around me." You said.
"We'll go through this together, okay? We're all here to help you. Don't ever think that you're alone. Miss Romanoff wouldn't like that."
"Thanks Pete. You're the best brother I have ever had." You said as you looked at him.
"So, I'm not your best friend anymore?" He teased.
You smirked, "A brother would suit more since you live with me now."
He laughed.
"Umm, how's Ned and MJ?" You asked.
"They know. I told them you were taken by the bad guys. And our group is not the same anymore. They were devastated that they couldn't do anything to help you." He sighed.
"I'm sorry I made you guys worry about me. And now I'm back with these shitty powers that I don't want."
"Hey, they are not shitty. I promise you this means something. Aunt May always say that to me." He smiled.
"I guess." You shrugged.
"Can you show me? Uhm- your powers? They are really cool. I know I already saw you using them on the team but that wasn't actually you." He said.
"Uhm sure, I guess. But I don't really know how to use it properly. I don't really get full control of it yet. Just like you said, it wasn't me that had full control of the powers."
You walked to an open space in the park and took a deep breath while Peter watched you.
You held up your hand and quickly formed into a fist, trying to create the lightning blade that Tony boasted the whole day.
But nothing was in your hand. You tried again as you clenched and unclenched your fist several times but the result was still the same.
You sighed.
"It's okay, y/n. You don't have to force yourself. I can help you to practice it." Peter reassured you as you smiled faintly.
"Alright, one more time. I can feel it coming, Pete. Come on, y/n. You can do it." You encouraged yourself.
You closed your eyes and tried to focus. Maybe by imagining the blade, it would work. So you formed the image in your head and clenched your fist again a little bit faster.
"Holy shit! It worked, y/n! Open your eyes! It worked!" Peter yelled excitedly.
You opened your eyes and saw the lightning blade, literally in your bare hands.
"Oh my God! It worked, Pete! It worked! I know I can do it!" You jumped excitedly and almost lunged forward to Peter where he panicked and stepped back.
"Whoa, y/n. Back off. I don't want to get electrocuted by your blade. I literally saw you did that to Mr. Stark."
"Oops, sorry." You said with a teasing grin.
You were in disbelief as you looked at your hand. You turned your hand slightly and took a closer look at the lightning blade you created.
You knew you could do that as you had used the lightning blade since Dr. Myers forced you to get a hold on your powers he injected, but this time you weren't forced.
It was created with your own will, your mind's control.
The sparks were all over your hand but you didn't feel anything and it amazed you.
As you were done admiring the blade, you looked around and saw a small bush in the park. You were hesitant with your next move but you didn't have a choice.
You reluctantly threw the lightning blade to the small bush as it burnt to the ground in seconds.
"Hey, that's-" Peter was out of words at your action.
"I don't know how to make it disappear. I can't put in the trash like that. Or would you like to be the honor to receive it?" You smirked at him.
"I'll just pretend that I don't know about it when Mr. Stark asks." He raised his both hands in defeat as you laughed.
While you were having a little bit of fun there, you didn't notice several pairs of eyes were watching you from afar.
⧗
In the lab, Bruce was busy with your blood in the vial while Tony was searching for the file reports regarding his and Bruce's work of the synthesized embryo on Natasha.
With FRIDAY's help, he got the reports in just minutes as the procedure was held merely 14 years ago.
"Help me out, FRIDAY. Analyse the file for me and find something unusual starting from scratch." Tony instructed.
"On it, boss."
While waiting for FRIDAY, Tony joined Bruce to help him with your blood under the microscope and read the report that came out.
Natasha along with the adults were talking about their concerns about you as they expressed their opinions on how to help you.
"Uhh, hey, Nat. I think you might want to see this." Bucky suddenly called the redhead as he looked at the glass wall in the lab.
Natasha walked towards him but it seemed that everyone wanted to join too as they all looked at what Bucky pointed at.
Her heart melted seeing you through the glass wall, trying so hard as you clenched your fist several times.
"She really didn't have full control of her powers when she's on her own." Steve said.
They could see from afar how your brows furrowed with closed eyes as you tried to focus.
"Whoa, Stark wasn't messing with us when he said she really formed a blade-shaped lightning with her bare hand." Pietro said.
"I told you so." Tony raised his eyebrows.
"That's my baby girl." Natasha whispered to herself proudly with a smile.
She shook her head when she saw you jump excitedly with the lightning in your hand, almost hit the brunette boy.
"Wait, did she just throw it and burn the innocent bush? She can't un-made it back?" Yelena gasped as she saw the ashes from the bush.
"Not my bush, y/n." Tony groaned, "I guess I need to make a space for her to practice her powers now."
"Agreed. I don't think she can practice it in the training room, unless you want the room to be upside down in a second." Wanda chuckled.
Tony sighed.
⧗
You and Peter continued walking through the park after you made sure the bush you burnt wouldn't affect the others.
"Hey y/n." Peter called.
You hummed.
"You think you might come back to school?" He asked.
"I don't know, Pete. I think it's way too early to think about school, you know? With these powers, I don't think my mom would allow me to." You said.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry." Peter apologized.
"By the way, how's school going for you?"
"Nothing changed much. Just normal school things. And we won the Decathlon though last month. Wish you were there with us." He sighed.
"Really?! I knew you can do it without me." You teased, trying to cheer him up and didn't want to remember much about your trauma.
"Mr. Harrington always asks me about you. They want you back at school and the team. They don't know you were taken. Miss Romanoff told them you quit and homeschooled after the incident. And with Liz and Brad always bullied you, they didn't ask much on why." Peter explained.
You sighed and turned your gaze to the scenery of the lake in front of you.
"Hey, since Ned and MJ know about us, why don't you call them here?"
Peter raised his eyebrow, "Are you sure, y/n? You just came back yesterday."
"Pete, they are my best friends. They deserve to know I'm okay." You said with a faint smile.
"Okay, but I'm not going to tell Mr. Stark about them coming here."
You rolled your eyes, "It's my idea, of course I'll tell him."
You and Peter made your way up to the lab again. When you entered, the adults didn't saw you coming in as they were busy with the reports.
"Uhh, mama?" You called and all heads turned to you and Peter who was hiding behind you.
But of course they still could see him as he was taller than you.
"Hi baby. What do you need?" Natasha quickly made her way to you.
"I want to ask uncle Tony if I can invite Ned and MJ here. Can I?" You asked as you looked at her and Tony.
"Wait, they know about you, kid?" Steve asked Peter with a stern tone.
"Uhh, yeah." Peter replied as he avoided the super soldier's gaze.
"Don't be mad at him, uncle Steve. They knew about him the day they knew about me." You defended him.
Steve's look softened, "Hmm, okay."
"You should be grateful the friend of yours didn't expose you, young man." Tony said.
Peter's cheeks flushed red at the attention as he nudged you slightly.
You looked at Natasha who was amused with the situation.
"Mama, can we?" You asked with your puppy eyes displayed.
Natasha groaned and pinched your cheek, "Okay. The results may take some time. You can spend your time with them while we all will be here."
You grinned and hugged her, "Thank you mama! I love you so much!"
"Hey, it's my building." Tony teased.
You giggled and made your way to him, "Thank you uncle Tony. I love you so much too."
He smiled and ruffled your hair.
⧗
Posted on 27th December 2021
Edited on 15th October 2023