The Black Widow huffs as she falls from a low tree branch, she running aimlessly deeper into the woods while occasionally shooting off round after round over her shoulder. The pounding footsteps behind her veer off in another direction and the Widow takes the chance to stop behind a tree.
Raising her left wrist near her mouth, she growls, "Next time you tell us we have an easy mission in retrieving alien weaponry, make sure you do all your homework, Captain!"
"I said I was sorry three times already, Nat."
"Sorry doesn't make up for the- what do we even call these things?!"
"Definitely wolf men," Tony cuts into the comms, amusement lacing his tone. "Have you seen these things up close?"
"Their teeth are gnarly," Clint muses next.
Natasha can hear the fight behind her, she taking a moment to catch her breath. The creatures, or wolf men as Tony calls them, had been guarding the alien technology for the higher-ups, and driving them to and from owners and buyers. The Avengers had been tracking the latest batch of technology, they finally stepping in when the creatures took a break in the small town of Beacon Hills. The Preserve had been perfect for the ambush, but much to everyone's surprise the people they tried ambushing ended up being enhanced and were putting up one hell of a fight.
A twig snapping at the Black Widow's ten o'clock has her turning and raising her gun instinctively, she putting five bullets into a blue-eyed female creature. The bullets only slow her down, but the sixth bullet to the head drops her. A second creature rushes from the Widow's two o'clock, but she's too slow and catches a set of claws to her right thigh.
Grunting in pain as the claws rip right through her suit, Natasha then manages to un-holster her second gun, she then firing off two rounds into the abdomen of the creature. The bullets do nothing to him and it only earns her another swipe of his claws, but this time it's to her own abdomen. The Widow then falls to the ground, she cursing and panting in pain and exhaustion as she tries to crawl backwards so she can keep the creature in her sights. Her bullets are of no use and she needs the man closer for her Widow's Bites to work, but as the man looms over her with his eyes flaring dangerously, she really doesn't want to get too close to his claws again. He raises his right clawed hand in the air with a snarl, ready to strike with what no doubt would be the killing blow, but a sharp whistle from their left draws his attention.
A decently tall and hoodie wearing figure leans against a tree at ease, a bat hanging limply from his right hand. The figure tuts mockingly, waggling a finger at the creature. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to never mess with Little Red? She'll kill 'ya, 'ya know?" The creature snarls again, this time rushing for the new guy only for the new guy to pick up his bat and swing. The connecting blow actually knocks the creature off his feet and gives the new guy just enough time to stride up to Natasha.
"Who are you?" She asks. "And what is he?" She then nods to the groaning creature who's slowly climbing back to his feet.
The hooded figure holds out his hand for her and Natasha stares at it with caution in her eyes. "It's okay, I'm a friend," he says. "That guy's a werewolf and he's trespassing on claimed territory. My friends are helping out your friends back in the clearing." Natasha takes the offered hand then, but only holds on long enough until she's standing on her own feet. Then ripping away from his touch, the figure finally lowers his hood and Natasha's left staring at a young-ish pale guy. He has moles dotting the left side of his face and neck, spiky dark hair, and small black plugs piercing his gauged ears. "I'm Stiles, by the way."
Natasha says nothing, but her gaze darts to the werewolf that's standing once more, he growling and snarling and readying himself to lunge at them. She powers up her Widow's Bites, but Stiles merely chuckles. With his free hand he reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls free a now formed fist, and before the werewolf actually lunges, Stiles' fists shoots upward and Natasha watches as black dust flies up before spreading outward and making a perfect circle around them.
The werewolf leaps then, only to meet an invisible barrier that shimmers blue when he hits it. "What did you do?" She mutters in awe.
Glancing over his shoulder, Stiles grins. "Mountain ash. No supernatural creature can cross it."
Natasha watches as the werewolf continues to claw at the barrier, snarling and snapping a mouth full of sharp teeth. From behind the first werewolf and to their sides, more werewolves make an appearance and she shifts uncomfortably at being trapped. "There's too many. Will your barrier hold?"
"Definitely. I know you're the Black Widow and can kick ass all on your own, but do you mind if I handle this?"
Eyes darting from one threat to the next and then to Stiles who's still holding a baseball bat, Natasha rolls her eyes before relaxing her stance and shrugging. "Be my guest."
Stiles' grin widens into a smirk and then he's stripping off his hoodie only to leave his upper, heavily tattooed torso bare. There are runes of all kinds along his inner forearms and on the right side of his ribs. A triskelion is inked on his bicep that's facing her and when he shifts to stand in front of her, Natasha notices two plain black bands- the top band thicker than the bottom- inked around his other bicep. But his back- his back is what truly catches her attention.
Stiles' back is completely tattooed- a clearing in a forest which a trio of wolves sit in, the three of them howling towards the full moon that sits on his right shoulder blade. And inside the moon, Natasha recognizes two different soulmarks that she's polite enough to not read what they say and quickly averts her gaze.
She doesn't know what to expect from this new supposed ally, but he stepping out of the ring of ash that was protecting them is definitely not it. She doesn't know how the seemingly innocent baseball bat can deliver such an immense blow to these creatures when her bullets didn't even faze them, but she doesn't question it. She watches as Stiles delivers blow after blow, one werewolf eventually sneaking up behind him. She calls out, she then watching in disbelief as Stiles practically snarls himself before throwing one hand out- his palm connecting with the werewolf's chest to send it flying. And as he faces Natasha to make sure she's okay, Natasha can only stare at all the runes on his arms and chest faintly glowing as his power simmers.
With all the threats down for the mean time and whining in pain, Stiles rushes back to Natasha and scoops up his hoodie from where he had dropped it on the ground. "Come on, lets leave before they get back on their feet."
He quickly ties the sleeves of his hoodie around his waist and only offers the Black Widow aide in running when he sees her wince as she puts pressure on her injured leg, she also curling in on herself from the wounds on her abdomen. Grabbing the wrist closest to him, he quickly pulls her arm over his shoulders and curls it around the back of his neck, he then sliding his free arm around the back of her waist to help pull her along.
Natasha doesn't tell him anything, she taking his offered help with only a nod of gratefulness, and the two of them run towards the sounds of a fight.
xXx
When Stiles and Natasha finally stumble into the clearing, the fight is done with, and Iron Man, Thor and Hawkeye stand to one side while some of the McCall pack stand just a few feet away.
"Uh, hey, guys," Stiles calls out. "Anyone missing a spider?"
Natasha manages a faint snort and pinches the nearest piece of skin from where her arm is still wrapped over the back of Stiles' neck, he flinching and laughing as Hawkeye suddenly rushes forward. "Shit. Nat!"
"I'm fine," she tells him, switching her weight into Clint's grasp and then nodding towards Stiles. "He found me in time. Werewolves are really hard to put down."
"Thanks for helping her," Hawkeye tells Stiles before looking to Natasha. "And we had an alpha with us so they went down pretty easy. Steve, Bucky and some guy named Derek are securing them in the jet, but Scott says that we need a Stiles to subdue them long enough until we can get them into containment for questioning."
"Lydia could have easily subdued them," Stiles huffs, but shrugs nonetheless, "but sure, I'll do it." He watches as Hawkeye grins and Natasha wince when they start walking, Stiles then halting Hawkeye and the Widow before looking towards the pack. "Hey, Liam! Come here, will 'ya?"
When Liam's at his side, Stiles nods at Natasha. "Leech her pain, please? She took some claws to the stomach and thigh."
Liam nods and looks to Natasha, he grinning like a dope while offering his hands- palm up. Natasha just stares at them, but after briefly explaining how werewolves can siphon pain temporarily, Hawkeye persuades her to just grasp the kid's hand. And while Clint giddily watches the black veins slither up Liam's arms, Stiles follows everyone as they make their way towards a black jet where Lydia stands at the bottom of the opened ramp before telling Scott about the remaining wolves in the woods that need to be dealt with.
Scott and Malia return to the woods and everyone else trudges up into the spacious jet, the Avengers having eight wolves in custody, and Stiles sets to work under the curious stares of Captain America and the Winter Soldier. He unties his hoodie from around his waist, he quickly slipping it on, but leaving it unzipped. His hand reaches into the pocket that doesn't contain mountain ash, he coming up with a baggie of purple powder. Surprisingly, no one questions him, but the McCall pack suddenly shift uncomfortably and make their way to the opening of the jet. Then pouring a small mound into the palm of his hand, Stiles crouches in front of the first bound wolf and blows the powder into his face.
Each bound wolf gets purple powder blown into their face, he talking to the Avengers gathered at his back about how the powder has various effects on werewolves and other were-creatures. And after closing the small bag, he tosses it to Natasha to use should the wolves wake or get too unruly during flight or interrogation.
The McCall Pack eventually file down the ramp now that the work is done, the Avengers following but staying on the ramp instead of stepping down.
"Thanks again for coming to our aide," Captain America tells the Pack just as Scott and Malia rush back into the clearing, looking at ease. "I guess this'll teach me to really do my homework before going after a target. Also, we're sorry for trespassing on your territory, Alpha McCall."
"It's fine," Scott tells him with a small laugh. "The Avengers are more than welcome to Beacon Hills without notice."
"Yeah, especially if the threat is handling weapons that can vaporize us," Liam shivers. "Alien technology is freaky."
Malia, Kira and Stiles laugh at the youngest beta, and Captain America then turns his attention on Stiles. "And you," he says, waiting for Stiles to look at him. "thank you for sticking with Tasha. We could hear you and her through her comm link, but we couldn't find her."
Stiles goes from mellow to downright gaping in two seconds flat, Liam and Malia whining at his fluctuating chemo-signals. "Holy shit," he squeaks, "Captain America just said my words!"
It's the Captain's turn to gape and stare in disbelief, the Winter Soldier being the one to break the following silence with his muffled laughter. His fingers- flesh and metal- reach behind his head to unclasp the mask from the lower half of his face, and Stiles finally gets to see the Howling Commando for the handsome man he is without the mask obscuring his features.
As Bucky Barnes laughs and claps Steve Rogers on the shoulder, Stiles comes to a sudden realization. Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers are soulmates, and now Stiles is Steve's as well. Triad's aren't unheard of, but it's just really surreal for this to be happening right now. "I'm in way over my head, aren't I?"
And instead of gaping like a fool, Bucky merely stands tall and smirks as his laughter tapers off. "You have no idea."
Stiles actually flails as Bucky reaches forward, his metal hand fisting the material of his hoodie right before yanking him forward. Rough, warm lips capture Stiles' in a demanding kiss, Stiles easily calming and giving back as good as he's getting. The touch of a warm hand and a cold one make Stiles shiver and moan, and Bucky can't help but smirk against his soulmate's lips.
A not-so-subtle clearing of a throat breaks the two apart, and Stiles and Bucky face Steve who's grinning at them happily. Steve reaches out now, his hand gripping the back of Stiles' neck, but instead of pulling him in for a kiss he just pulls him flush up against his chest. Steve's sparkling eyes promise some fun later and Stiles can't help but laugh in relief and let his forehead rest against Steve's chest.
"Finally!" Clint whoops happily. "Rogers and Barnes are such little shits, we were waiting for their third to keep them in line."
"Uh, calming factor, he is not," Liam snorts and the rest of the McCall Pack snicker at the confusing expression of Hawkeye. "We're all screwed if those three," he waves in Stiles, Steve and Bucky's direction, "really are soulmates."
Stiles' slow and devious smirk causes Clint to suddenly, the archer's head falling back in false exasperation while the Pack outright laugh, and Steve and Bucky can't help but feel complete with their third tucked firmly between them.