"let's finish this. for tony."
Natasha Romanoff threw a right hook at the punching bag, the force reverberating through the heavy bag. She followed it up with a left elbow strike and right knee, unleashing a flurry of moves honed from years of training.
"Looking good, Nat," Bucky Barnes said, holding the bag in place. "You're could knock Hulk out cold with those moves."
Natasha smirked, landing one last spinning back kick. "Well, I have to be ready for anything. Fury did say he had an urgent mission for me. Gotta be prepared."
She grabbed her water bottle and towel, taking a long drink. Bucky stepped back, rolling his shoulder.
"Any idea what this mission is?" he asked.
Natasha shook her head. "No details yet. Just told me to be ready for briefing."
At that moment, Natasha's phone rang. She picked it up, Nick Fury's name flashing on the screen.
"Speak of the devil," she said. "Fury, what's going on?"
"Romanoff, we've got a situation brewing in Europe," Fury said without preamble. "Need you on the next quinjet out."
"What kind of situation?" Natasha asked.
"There's an enhanced individual who appeared in Mexico named Mysterio. Real name Quintin Beck. He claims to be from an alternate Earth, one where these creatures called the Elementals destroyed his world. Now they're supposedly here and he's the only one who can stop them."
"You don't buy his story," Natasha said. It wasn't a question.
"It's too convenient," Fury agreed. "We did some digging and there's no record of him prior to a few weeks ago. No Quintin Beck matching his description. I need you to get to Europe and investigate. See if you can verify his claims. If he is who he says he is, we need to know. But if not..."
"He could be dangerous," Natasha finished. "I'm on it, Nick. I'll gather intel and report back. Any recommendations on where to start?"
"Prague. Word is he's headed there next. An Elemental attack is expected within days."
"Got it. I'll leave immediately."
"Keep me updated. And Romanoff...watch your back. We have no idea what this Beck is capable of."
"I always do. Talk soon." Natasha ended the call and turned to Bucky. "Fury wants me to check out this new powered guy, Mysterio. Supposedly fought some creatures in Mexico but his story has holes."
Bucky crossed his arms. "I don't like the sound of that. Want some company in Europe?"
Natasha considered it and nodded. "Actually, yeah. You and Yelena should come. Could use the backup."
At that moment, the training room door opened and Yelena Belova strolled in.
"Speak of the devil," Natasha said with a grin. "Yelena, want to join me and Buck on a mission?"
Yelena's eyes lit up. "Try and stop me. What's the mission?"
Natasha quickly filled her sister in on the details Fury had provided about Mysterio and the Elementals.
"So Fury wants us to investigate this supposed hero, see if he is who he claims to be," she concluded.
Yelena cracked her knuckles. " espionage and potential ass-kicking? I'm in."
Natasha smiled. "Wheels up in 20. Grab your gear."
Twenty minutes later, the three Avengers were aboard the quinjet, en route to Prague. Natasha went over the intel Fury had sent, looking for anything useful on Mysterio and his movements. There wasn't much to go on, but she had worked with less before.
"Guy wears a fishbowl for a helmet and a cape," Bucky said, looking at footage of Mysterio on his StarkPad. "That seems a little ridiculous, doesn't it?"
"Says the guy with the metal arm and a man bun," Yelena remarked. Bucky shot her a look.
"The outfit is a bit much, but we can't judge just by appearances," Natasha mused. "If he is from a parallel universe, who knows what the style is there."
"Do you really think he's from another Earth?" Yelena asked.
Natasha shrugged. "Honestly, it seems far-fetched. But after everything we've seen, I don't rule anything out. That's why we need to be smart and keep our eyes open."
It was a short flight to Prague. Upon landing, Natasha put in a call to Fury to check if there were any updates.
"How's the view from Prague?" Fury answered.
"A little overcast, but the goulash is supposed to be killer," Natasha replied. "What's the latest on Mysterio's status?"
"He was spotted heading towards Prague just hours ago. If his pattern holds, the attack could happen at any point within the next 24-48 hours."
"We'll be ready," Natasha said. "Anything else I should know?"
Fury was silent a moment before adding, "I have another friendly in the area that could provide backup if necessary. Call it a hunch."
Natasha lifted an eyebrow. "Do I get a name for this friendly?"
"Let's just say you two have a history. Don't be surprised if your paths cross."
With that cryptic comment, Fury signed off. Natasha frowned contemplatively as she pocketed her phone.
"Fury mention who else might be operating nearby?" Bucky asked.
"No name, unfortunately," Natasha replied. "Said it was someone I've worked with before."
"Could be Steve or Sam if they're on a mission out here," Bucky suggested.
Natasha considered it but shook her head. "I don't think so. Fury made it seem more circumstantial, like just happening to be in the same area."
"Guess we'll find out soon enough," Yelena said. "In the meantime, what's the play?"
"We run down any leads on Mysterio and the Elementals," Natasha decided. "See if we can pinpoint where and when he'll make his next move. If we can get ahead of him, we control the playing field."
They spent the next several hours following up on contacts, digging through databases, and analyzing past sightings. It was tedious but necessary work. By late evening, they had narrowed down a handful of potential target zones based on previous Elemental attacks.
"So these areas have the right conditions and layout for an attack," Bucky said, reviewing the map. "Wherever Mysterio shows up next, it'll be one of these spots."
"We'll set up surveillance at each site," Natasha said. "With any luck, we can catch him in the act, see what he's really up to." She stifled a yawn. It had been a long day.
"Let's get a few hours shut-eye," Bucky suggested, noticing her fatigue. "We can start fresh at sunrise."
Natasha didn't argue; sleep sounded good. They made their way to the safehouse Fury had arranged and quickly bedded down, planning for an early start.
Natasha awoke to her phone buzzing insistently. She shook off the grogginess and grabbed it, seeing Peter Parker's name on the caller ID. That jolted her the rest of the way awake.
"Peter? Is everything okay?" she answered, concern flooding her voice.
"Mom, thank god," Peter said, sounding frantic. "Something really bad is happening and I didn't know who else to call."
"Slow down, take a breath," Natasha said gently. "Talk to me. What's going on?"
Peter took a shaky breath. "So remember how Mr. Fury gave me those EDITH glasses after...after Tony?"
"Yes, of course," Natasha replied. After Tony's death, Fury had entrusted his EDITH technology to Peter, believing he was responsible enough to handle it. Natasha had agreed, knowing Peter had a good heart.
"Well, I...I messed up," Peter said, voice thick with emotion. "There was this guy, Quentin Beck. Said he was from an alternate Earth. I trusted him, told him about the glasses. But it was all a lie. He stole them, Nat. He has access to all of EDITH's capabilities now. And he...he knows who I am. Who Spider-Man is."
Natasha stiffened, alarm bells ringing distantly in her mind. She put the call on speaker and gestured urgently for Bucky and Yelena to listen in.
"Beck knows your identity?" Bucky asked worriedly.
"Yeah," Peter confirmed. "He tricked me. Lied so I'd give him E.D.I.T.H. And now..." He trailed off, his breathing growing rapid and panicked.
"Peter, listen to me," Natasha said in her gentle but firm tone. "Breathe. We're going to figure this out." She shared a look with Bucky and Yelena. Beck was Mysterio. It had been a ploy from the start.
"He said he's going to expose my identity," Peter went on shakily. "Said he'll target May, my friends...there's nothing I can do to stop him!"
"Yes, there is," Natasha said. "We won't let him hurt you or anyone you love. I promise you that." Her protective instincts surged, as did Bucky and Yelena's. "Do you have any idea what Beck is planning next or where he'll be?"
"I–I think London," Peter said after a moment. "I overheard him mention setting up something big there. Like a final performance." His voice caught on the last word.
"Okay, that's good intel," Natasha praised gently. "We're already in Europe tracking Beck. We'll head to London immediately."
"You're here too?" Peter asked, surprise evident even through his panic.
"We came to investigate claims about the Elementals," Natasha confirmed. "Which clearly were Beck's fabrications." Her tone hardened at the mention of Beck. "Stay safe until we get to you. We're going to make this right."
"O-okay," Peter stammered. "Please hurry."
"We will," Bucky assured him. "Whatever Beck is planning, we'll stop him. Just hang in there."
They exchanged a few more words of reassurance before hanging up. Natasha was already throwing on her suit, expression thunderous.
"I'm going to kill Beck for threatening Peter," she growled.
"Get in line," Yelena said darkly, checking her Widow Bites.
"Let's move," Bucky said. "If Beck is making a play in London, there's no time to waste."
Within minutes they were geared up and aboard the quinjet, speeding towards London. Natasha gripped the controls, knuckles white. She silently vowed to make Beck pay for hurting Peter. For now, she channeled her anger into focus, guiding the quinjet at top speed.
They landed on the outskirts of London, not wanting to announce their presence. As they cautiously made their way into the city, civilians streamed past them in the opposite direction, shouting warnings about an attack. Natasha spotted what looked like a tornado raging over Tower Bridge, lashing boats and cars with gale-force winds.
"There," she said, pointing it out. "Looks like Beck wanted an impressive stage for his finale."
"No sign of Peter yet," Bucky noted with concern.
"Let's get closer, try to contain that thing," Natasha said.
They sprinted towards the bridge, fighting against the people still fleeing. As they drew nearer, a familiar red-and-blue figure swung into view, narrowly avoiding a bus hurled through the air by the vortex.
"Peter!" Natasha yelled.
Spider-Man perched atop a lamppost, head swiveling towards the sound of her voice. Even through the mask, his body language radiated relief.
"Mom! Dad! Auntie Yelena!" He fired a web to swing closer. "Am I glad to see you guys."
"We've got your back, kid," Bucky said, clapping a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Let's take this fight to Beck."
Peter nodded, confidence bolstered by their presence. Natasha's gaze swept the chaos.
"Priority is getting civilians out of harm's way and minimizing property damage," she instructed. "Yelena, can you handle evacuation? Get people off the bridge?"
"On it," Yelena said, sprinting into action. She began ushering people to safety, away from the bridge.
"Bucky, contain that elemental - or whatever tech it really is," Natasha continued. "Try to redirect it away from the city if possible. Peter and I will find Beck."
Bucky hastily made his way onto the bridge, seeking anything he could use to dissipate or redirect the tornado. Natasha turned back to Peter.
"Beck will be nearby, running whatever tech is causing this," she said. "Let's end this."
Peter's jaw was set with determination beneath the mask. "This is for Mr. Stark. Beck doesn't deserve his technology or legacy."
Together, they began searching for any sign of Beck or the illusion tech controlling the funnel cloud. As they crawled and swung between buildings, Natasha spotted the flash of a green cape through an alleyway.
"There," she murmured to Peter, pointing discretely. They stealthily approached from behind, finally getting eyes on Beck. He stood on a rooftop balcony, hands moving across illusion-holograms while muttering commands.
Natasha met Peter's gaze and held up three fingers, counting down silently before they struck as one. Beck let out a cry of surprise as Peter yanked him away from the controls with a web. Natasha pinned him in place with an arm against his throat.
"It's over, Beck," she snarled. "Game's up."
Beck just laughed. "Is it, though? You really think it'll be so easy to stop what's coming?"
With a twitch of his fingers, the fake tornado abruptly began moving away from the bridge, towards a new target. Beck grinned wickedly.
"Time to put on a real show!"
Natasha hastily released Beck, shoving him aside as she and Peter raced after the twister. She felt her blood turn to ice as it bore down on a large hotel. Even from a distance, she recognized the Midtown High banners and buses parked outside.
"No," Peter gasped, clearly realizing the same thing. Beck was targeting his classmates.
Fueled by desperation, Peter wove a massive web between two buildings, trying to create a barrier. But the winds ripped through it like paper.
"We have to evacuate them!" Peter cried. "Get everyone out!"
He swung frantically towards the hotel, Natasha hot on his heels. They found panicked teenagers streaming from the hotel doors, teachers trying unsuccessfully to maintain order.
"Ned! MJ!" Peter yelled, scanning the chaos for his friends' faces. Finally he spotted them helping another student.
"Peter!" MJ cried in relief. Natasha shifted into the role of Black Widow seamlessly.
"Everyone listen up!" she shouted in full authoritative mode. "We need to evacuate away from the hotel, now! Follow Spider-Man and I, quickly and calmly!"
The students and staff quickly fell in line at her commanding tone. Natasha took point while Peter brought up the rear, ensuring no one strayed. It was painfully slow moving the large group to safety, but they couldn't leave anyone behind.
Finally Natasha glanced back to see the hotel safely distant behind them, the tornado continuing to carve an erratic path through the city. She breathed a small sigh of relief. They just needed to get the students fully out of harm's way.
"That's everyone!" Peter reported, landing beside her. "MJ, Ned, are you two okay?"
"We're fine, dude," Ned said, giving a shaky thumbs up. MJ nodded, face pale but resolute.
"Let's keep moving!" Natasha instructed. "Almost there..."
A blast of energy sizzled past her head, leaving her ears ringing. More blasts followed, students crying out fearfully. Through the smoke, several drones could be seen approaching. Armed drones.
Natasha's eyes narrowed. Beck's doing, no doubt. He was determined to terrorize these kids.
"Incoming!" she warned. The spider drone swooped in again. Natasha leapt, catching it mid-air and wrenching off one of its guns before tossing it away. She handed the weapon to MJ.
"Think you can handle one of these?" she asked with a quirked brow.
MJ accepted it with a fierce grin. "Hell yes."
"Atta girl." Natasha turned to the other teens. "Anyone else ever play laser tag? Same principle!"
The drones were almost upon them. "Evasive maneuvers - take cover, return fire!" Natasha ordered. "And look out for each other!"
Peter was already in motion, yanking Ned out of the line of fire and webbing down two drones at once. MJ lay on her stomach, firing steadily at the remaining drones with Natasha guarding her flank. Two male students had grabbed hunks of debris and were batting away projectiles like champions.
"Mr. Harrington, watch out!" Peter yelled, snagging their teacher and pulling him behind a bus seconds before a blast impacted. Within moments, the improvised team had downed all the immediate drones.
But in the distance, more approached. Natasha did a quick count; too many for their small group to handle alone. Where was Bucky with backup?
As if on cue, she heard the quinjet's engines. It soared into view, rotating into a strafing position. The drones scattered before its superior firepower, smashing into buildings and crumpling to the ground. Bucky brought the quinjet down expertly, lowering the ramp.
"Couldn't let you guys have all the fun," he called with a grin.
Yelena exited behind him, smirking when she saw the smoking drone parts littering the ground. "Looks like I missed the party."
With the quinjet providing cover, Natasha focused on the tornado still wreaking havoc in the distance. She had to find a way to shut it down for good.
"Peter, with me," she ordered. "We need to take out Beck. He's controlling that thing somehow."
Peter nodded firmly, mask lenses narrowed. "No one else gets hurt because of him."
Natasha squeezed his shoulder. "Let's finish this. For Tony."
Leaving Bucky and Yelena to safeguard the students, Natasha and Peter took off in search of Beck. It didn't take long to spot him perched on another rooftop, hands frantically waving through illusion screens.
Natasha grappled up behind him silently while Peter provided a distraction, peppering Beck with webs and quips. When she was in position, Natasha struck without warning, her electro-batons sending Beck into spasms before he dropped unconscious.
"Mama, the glasses!" Peter exclaimed.
Natasha carefully removed the EDITH glasses from Beck's face and handed them to Peter. "Go shut it down," she said with confidence.
Peter slipped the glasses on and accessed the system. "EDITH, disable all active illusions and drones," he commanded clearly.
"Right away, Peter," EDITH responded. Across the city, the fake tornado flickered and dissolved into nothing, along with all remaining drones.
Peter's shoulder's sagged in relief. "It worked. It's over."
Natasha allowed herself a small, proud smile. "You did good, baby spider."
Peter quickly deleted all of Beck's commands from EDITH, removing his access entirely. By the time SHIELD arrived to take Beck into custody, the glasses were secure in Peter's hands once more.
With Beck finally neutralized, Natasha focused on ensuring the students and staff from Midtown High were safe. Bucky and Yelena had them gathered beside the quinjet, keeping up a reassuring presence.
Peter lingered on the fringes, maintaining enough distance that no one would connect him with Spider-Man. But his friends spotted him and immediately rushed over.
"Dude, that was insane!" Ned exclaimed. "You totally saved us!"
"What happened with the fishbowl guy?" MJ asked.
Peter smiled at his friends. "He won't be hurting anyone else. Black Widow and the rest of the Avengers stopped him for good." He nodded towards where Natasha stood speaking with Fury.
Soon enough, Fury and Hill made their way over to address the students. Peter tensed, realizing his mask is gone, and he begins to wonder if his identity was going to be leaked by his fellow classmates.
Fortunately, Fury and Hill start to work their magic.
"You've all been through quite an ordeal," Fury began gravely. "But it's imperative that everything about what transpired today remains strictly confidential. Including Spider-Man's identity, who you all might know as Peter Parker."
The teens murmured amongst themselves. Flash looked indignant. "You want us to pretend we didn't almost get blown away by a giant tornado machine? No way, especially since we were saved by our classmate!"
Fury fixed him with his one good eye. "It's a matter of security. The man you saw, Mysterio, manipulated you all as pawns for his own gain. The Avengers could not allow that to stand."
Flash still seemed ready to protest when Natasha stepped forward. "What Director Fury means is that the world looks to the Avengers for protection. If word got out about a villain temporarily deceiving us, it would undermine the people's trust and sense of safety. We're asking for discretion...for the greater good. Especially because Peter is still a minor."
That gave Flash pause. MJ spoke up solemnly, "We understand. Don't we, guys?" She gave them all a pointed look.
The other teens quickly voiced their agreement. Satisfied, Fury gave them one last warning look before turning away with Hill and the other agents.
Peter let out a breath. His identity was safe, for now. Ned grinned and gave him a subtle fist bump.
"Dude, Black Widow and Winter Soldier totally just saved our butts. Your Avenger family is awesome," he enthused quietly.
"Yeah, they really are," Peter agreed, smiling as Natasha and Yelena discreetly brushed their hands over his shoulders as they passed him. They were a team, a family. And family looked out for each other.
A Few Weeks Later
Peter fidgeted nervously with his pen as he sat in the familiar Decathlon team room. It was their first meeting since returning from the disastrous Europe trip. Since Beck had exposed his identity as Spider-Man to his classmates.
True, the Avengers had made them all swear secrecy. But it didn't stop Peter from feeling like all eyes were on him now, seeing him in a different light.
At least Ned and MJ were treating him the same as always. Though Ned kept bringing up how awesome it had been to see the Avengers in action up close.
"Dude, I still can't believe your mom and aunt are Black Widow and...the other Black Widow," Ned whispered for the third time. "They were so freaking cool!"
Peter smiled slightly. "Yeah, they're pretty great."
Having Natasha and Yelena there when his class learned the truth had helped a lot. Their commanding presence and thinly veiled threats ensured his classmates took the secrecy vow very seriously.
Still, Peter shuffled his notecards restlessly, unable to fully relax.
"You've got this, babe." MJ said, squeezing his arm. "Anyone gives you trouble, I'll take care of them." Her fierce expression left no doubt on that point.
Peter felt a rush of gratitude for his amazing girlfriend. "Thanks, MJ. I don't know what I'd do without you guys."
"Peter, breathe," came Natasha's gentle voice, grabbing his arm to comfort him. Her and Yelena were covertly keeping an eye on the meeting, just in case. "You're among friends. And if not, your family has your back."
Peter took a calming breath. Having his loving mom and aunt close by did help, even if no one else realized it.
"Thanks, Mom. Love you."
Natasha smiles, and plants a kiss on his forehead. "I love you too, baby."
Natasha and Yelena make their way to the corner of the room to watch from a distance.
Soon Mr. Harrington entered and called the meeting to order. Peter kept his eyes fixed on his notes, avoiding looking directly at his teammates.
"Welcome back, everyone," Mr. Harrington began. "I know the past few weeks have been...eventful, to say the least. But it's time to get back into our Decathlon swing!"
There were a few awkward chuckles. Flash shifted restlessly, looking like he wanted to speak but glancing warily at MJ instead. She stared him down, as if daring him to try something.
"Right, let's do a quick lightning round to warm up," Mr. Harrington continued, oblivious to the tension. He glanced at his cards. "Your category is 20th century poets. Peter, let's start with you."
Peter took a steadying breath. "Yes, sir." He settled into answering questions, Ned chiming in, and soon he began feeling like a normal practice again.
Maybe it would be okay. As long as no one brought up -
"So when did Puny Parker become Spider-Boy anyway?" Flash suddenly blurted.
Peter tensed. There it was. "Um, it's Spider-Man, actually..." he mumbled.
"Flash, enough," Mr. Harrington admonished. "Let's keep this focused on Decathlon, shall we?"
But Flash barreled on. "Come on, we deserve to know! When did he get freaky spider powers and start swinging around in pajamas?"
Peter's face reddened. "I don't really..."
"Were you bitten by the spider?" Charles Murphy piped up curiously. "Or was it an experiment?"
Soon everyone was chiming in with questions, despite Mr. Harrington's attempts to restore order. Peter hunched lower in his seat, heart pounding. This was exactly what he'd feared.
Natasha's voice was in his earpiece he put in as soon as the practice started, low and reassuring. "Easy, Peter. Do you need me to step in?"
Peter hesitated, then gave a subtle shake of his head. He could handle this. Taking a shaky breath, he stood up.
"Guys. Please," he said earnestly. The clamor died down. "Look, I get you have questions. But my...extracurricular stuff isn't really relevant to the team. I'm still just me. Same old Peter Parker."
He offered an awkward smile. His teammates looked thoughtful at that.
"Yeah, cut it out, Flash," said Sally Avril. She gave Peter a supportive smile. "Let's leave Spider-Man stuff outside."
Flash opened his mouth to retort, then spotted MJ glaring daggers at him. He sunk lower in his chair, muttering "Whatever."
Mr. Harrington gave Peter an appreciative nod. "Well said, Peter. Now, continuing with our lightning round..."
Peter sat back down, tension easing from his shoulders. Maybe this would be fine after all.
The rest of the practice proceeded without incident. Peter began relaxing into the familiar academic exercises, spouting off answers with Ned like always. Outwardly at least, he was just another teen on the Decathlon team.
Afterwards, MJ pulled him aside with a smile. "Told you that you had this. No one can mess with you now that the team's seen the Black Widows in action."
Peter laughed. "Yeah, good point. Mom and Auntie Yelena can be pretty scary."
"I heard that," Natasha's wry voice came through his earpiece, making Peter jump. He'd forgotten she was listening in.
"A healthy dose of fear can be useful," came Yelena's bemused tone.
Peter shook his head amusedly. Having two of the world's deadliest spies watching over him could be unnerving at times. But he wouldn't trade it for anything.
"Hey Penis Parker!"
Peter turned to see Flash approaching, flanked by his usual posse. He braced himself, wondering if Flash would try to give him trouble now that practice was over.
MJ moved forward, eyes flashing, but Natasha's voice stopped her. "Let us handle this."
A moment later, Natasha and Yelena appeared in the doorway of the classroom. The other students who had lingered instantly looked nervous. Flash paled as the two Avengers fixed him with flat stares.
"Everything going okay here?" Natasha asked coolly.
"Y-yeah, totally fine," Flash stammered. "I was just, uh..."
"Leaving now," Yelena finished for him, arms folded across her chest.
Flash's mouth snapped shut and he hastily backed away. "Right, yeah, leaving! See you later, Peter."
He all but fled the room, lackeys on his heels. Peter had to bite back a laugh at the terrified expression on Flash's face. His mom and aunt's reputation really did come in handy sometimes.
Soon enough it was just him, MJ and Ned left with Natasha and Yelena.
"Thanks, but you didn't have to scare him off," Peter said. "I was handling it."
Natasha lifted an eyebrow. "Who says that was for you? I've been wanting to mess with that little punk since Prague."
Peter shook his head wryly. "Of course. Should have known."
Yelena ruffled his hair. "We just want to make sure all your classmates remember to keep certain secrets." Her tone was light, but with an edge beneath it.
Peter ducked his head. "Yeah, I know. And thanks, really. Making them promise directly was a good idea. I think it'll be okay now."
Natasha smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "Even so, we'll be keeping an eye on Decathlon for a while," she said. "Just to be safe."
Peter nodded, knowing better than to argue when she and Yelena felt protective. Besides, having his lethal spy mom and aunt covertly watch over practice did give him extra peace of mind.
"Who wants a ride back to the Tower for dinner?" Yelena asked, dangling her keys. "I'll let you pick the music."
"Yes please!" Ned said immediately.
The four of them made their way out to Yelena's flashy sports car. Soon they were cruising through the city, wind whipping through their hair as Ned blasted the hammiest pop songs he could find.
And even with his identity now exposed to his classmates, with everything that had happened, Peter felt content. Because tampering with secrets or not, he knew he was exactly where he belonged - with his family.