"that's the black widow's badass daughter"
Natasha woke with a start, her hand instinctively reaching for the knife under her pillow. It took a moment for her mind to shake off the haze of sleep and remember where she was. The nursery. She was sleeping on the small cot in the corner of the nursery room in the Red Room compound.
Her gaze drifted over to the crib against the far wall. A tiny bundle was swaddled snugly inside, only the top of a downy head visible. Natasha rose silently from the cot and crossed the room. As she peered down into the crib, bright green eyes blinked up at her.
"Hello, little one," Natasha murmured.
The baby gurgled happily at the sound of her mother's voice. Natasha reached down and gently stroked the soft cheek. Her daughter. Her Penny. It was hard to believe this tiny person had come from her.
When Natasha had discovered she was pregnant, it was perhaps the most shocking thing that had ever happened in her life. She was the Black Widow, a graduate of the ruthless Red Room training program. She wasn't supposed to be capable of bearing children. Yet somehow, against all odds and logic, she had conceived.
The Red Room allowed her to carry the child to term, likely as some sort of experiment to see if future Black Widows could be bred. Natasha didn't care about their reasons. From the first flutter in her womb, she knew she would move heaven and earth to keep this baby safe. This was her child, not theirs.
Natasha had requested that she be allowed to raise the infant herself. Amazingly, the Red Room conceded. Perhaps they thought an attachment would make mother and child easier to control. Natasha knew better. The fierce love growing inside her with each passing day would give her the strength to do whatever it took to protect her daughter.
She had named the child Penelope, a name she liked from an American book she read once. She called her Penny for short. Penny Romanoff. Her little spiderling. Natasha spent every moment she could with her baby, singing Russian lullabies, telling her stories, cherishing each gurgle and coo.
There were whispers that the Red Room would start Penny's training on her fourth birthday. Natasha's heart clenched at the thought. She would not let them twist and break her child as they had done to her. She had to find a way out.
Late at night, as Penny slept, Natasha pored over smuggled files and dossiers of potential allies outside the Red Room's influence. Most promising were SHIELD and an agent named Clint Barton. If she could get word to them, perhaps they would help spirit her and Penny away before it was too late.
It was agonizingly slow work making contact without raising suspicion. Months passed without progress. Penny grew from a newborn to a toddler, her first words and steps bringing Natasha a joy she had never known before. She could not fail her little girl.
Finally, painfully, a coded message was passed to SHIELD. Natasha waited anxiously for a response. The days dragged by with no word.
Then one night they came for Penny.
Natasha jerked awake to unfamiliar footsteps outside the nursery. In one smooth move she snatched Penny from her crib and slipped through the secret emergency exit in the back just as the door burst open. Cradling her crying child close, Natasha ran through the dark compound, the only goal to get as much distance as possible between them and their pursuers.
Alarms blared, but the route she took confused their internal sensors. Natasha's feet flew across the snowy ground until she reached the rendezvous point well beyond the gates. Clutching Penny tightly to her chest, Natasha turned to face the oncoming forces with fierce determination. She would protect her baby to her last breath.
The Red Room soldiers approached, weapons raised. Natasha backed up until she hit the brick wall of a building, trapped. Penny wailed in distress.
Suddenly a volley of arrows rained down in front of the soldiers, halting their advance. Natasha's head snapped up to see a familiar man with a bow on the rooftop. Clint. The cavalry had arrived.
More SHIELD agents appeared, intercepting the soldiers. Natasha looked for an escape route with Penny. A figure stepped out of the shadows - Nick Fury himself.
"Give me the kid, Romanoff," he said gruffly. "You've got some ass to kick."
Natasha hesitated, then handed Penny over to Fury, the child's arms desperately reaching back for her mother even as Natasha turned to join the fray.
The fight was brutal but short. The Red Room troops were no match for the combined forces of SHIELD and Black Widow unleashed. When the last soldier fell, Natasha hurried back to Fury's side. Penny was still crying, her little face red and swollen.
"Shhh маленький паук, мама здесь," Natasha soothed, taking her daughter back into her arms. Penny clung to her mother fiercely. Natasha dropped a rare, tender kiss to the top of her head.
They were safe. Against all odds, they were free.
Natasha Romanoff raised her daughter in a SHIELD facility, unwilling to let her out of her sight. She trained her body and mind relentlessly, vowing that no one would ever come near her child again. Penny grew from a toddler to a young girl surrounded by SHIELD agents who nonetheless doted on her.
On Penny’s 6th birthday, Natasha sat her down and told her the truth about where she came from and how they escaped the Red Room. Penny listened with solemn eyes, remembering everything.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Natasha promised, cupping her daughter’s face. “You know that, right маленький паук?”
Penny nodded, throwing her thin arms around her mother’s neck. “Love you, Mama,” she whispered.
When Penny was 10, they were brought out of hiding by Nick Fury himself to join the Avengers Initiative. As the Avengers assembled for the first time, Natasha kept Penny close by her side.
"Gentlemen, this is Agent Romanoff, aka Black Widow, and her daughter Penny,” Fury introduced.
Natasha gave a curt nod. Penny waved shyly from behind her mother.
“Daughter?” Tony Stark exclaimed in shock. “Since when do you have a kid?”
“Classified,” Natasha said sharply.
“How wonderful, a little girl!” Thor beamed. He dropped to one knee to address Penny. “Greetings tiny warrior! I am Thor of Asgard!”
Penny giggled. "Hi Thor!"
Steve Rogers smiled kindly at them both while Bruce Banner gave an awkward little wave.
"Yeah we're all just one big happy family, great, let's focus up,” Fury interrupted.
Natasha shot him a look for his dismissive tone toward Penny but kept quiet for now. This was their best chance at a new life.
Penny took to all the Avengers immediately, her bubbly warmth eventually cracking even Fury’s cool facade. But Natasha noticed Penny seemed particularly starry-eyed around Tony, listening avidly to him ramble about suits and tech. A science whiz like Stark; Natasha made a mental note to nurture that interest.
Life settled into a routine with the Avengers, even if Nat remained wary and watchful, not fully trusting anyone but Fury & Clint with her daughter. Penny was happy though, and that was all that mattered to her.
On Penny’s 15th birthday, she bounced excitedly up to Natasha. “Mama, guess what? I got bit by a radioactive spider on my class field trip yesterday. And now I have these super weird abilities! Isn’t that cool?”
Natasha suppressed a wave of anxiety. “Explain to me exactly how this happened.”
Penny led her mother back to her room, rambling on about her new powers. Natasha listened grimly. More changes, more things outside her control. But Penny was thrilled, and Natasha wouldn’t take that away from her.
“Маленький паук, you know this means more training,” Natasha said.
Penny beamed. “Can I be a superhero like you now?”
Natasha ruffled her hair. “We’ll see, little spider.”
Soon Penny was mastering her abilities and proving herself quite adept with the webshooters she designed herself. Natasha watched her first solo flight through the training course with pride and terror warring in her heart. Her little girl was growing up.
Penny decided her superhero name should be Spider-Girl and designed a mini version of Natasha’s old black catsuit for herself, but with a matching black mask, to conceal her identity.
Natasha assessed her critically before her first day at her new school. “Remember what I said -”
“Keep your head down, don’t attract attention, and I’ll call you if anything happens,” Penny recited dutifully.
Natasha tugged on her ponytail. “And if any boys give you trouble...”
“You’ll make them disappear,” Penny finished with a dramatic eye roll only a teenager could achieve.
Natasha hugged her tight. “Have a good day, маленький паук. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mama.”
Penny scurried off to school, leaving Natasha waiting anxiously for her return. Hours later, Penny bounced through the door babbling a mile a minute about her day. She'd already made two friends, Michelle “call me MJ” Jones and Ned Leeds. Listening to Penny chatter, Natasha let herself relax slightly. Maybe this school thing wouldn’t be a disaster.
One night over dinner a few weeks later, Penny spoke up hesitantly. “Mama, I have something to tell you.”
Natasha paused, immediately on alert. “What is it?”
“I..I think I have a crush. On MJ. I really like her.” Penny risked a glance up at her mother.
Natasha blinked in surprise. This she had not been expecting. But she took it in stride, giving Penny a gentle smile. “MJ seems like a lovely girl. I’m happy for you, маленький паук.”
Penny’s face lit up in relief. She jumped up to hug Natasha tightly. “Thanks Mama,” she whispered.
Natasha held her sweet daughter close. She would love and support her no matter what.
Over the next few months, she watched as Penny and MJ grew closer, pleased to see Penny so happy. The Avengers were told of Penny’s relationship and were all fully accepting.
Natasha did threaten Tony within an inch of his life against making any jokes about her daughter’s love life. But overall, she was proud of Penny for being brave enough to share this part of herself.
Penny decided to share her biggest secret with MJ and Ned next. Natasha went with her to meet them and give the intimidating “hurt her and die” talk. Both friends were stunned but thrilled to learn their bestie was Spider-Girl. The three were inseparable after that.
And so things were going well. Until they weren’t.
One time, at the end of a school day, Penny found herself in the principal's office with Flash Thompson,
“Mr. Thompson, perhaps you’d like to explain why you thought shoving Miss Romanoff into a locker would be amusing?”
Penny sat stiffly in the principal’s office, face burning under the ice packs covering her bruises. The bully Flash Thompson slouched next to her, looking bored.
“Come on, it was just a joke. Romanoff knows I didn’t mean anything by it.” He shot her a smirk. “Don’t be so sensitive.”
Penny clenched her fists, rage and humiliation warring within her. She had put up with weeks of taunts and teasing, but the physical assault today was the last straw. She opened her mouth to tell the principal exactly what she thought of Flash and his idea of a “joke.”
Before she could speak, the office door slammed open hard enough to crack the glass. Heads swiveled to see Natasha Romanoff stalking in, fiery eyes fixed on Flash. Clint and Tony flanked her, looking similarly murderous.
“Маленький паук, are you alright?” Natasha asked Penny gently, though her gaze didn’t leave Flash.
“I’m okay, Mama. Just some bruises,” Penny said.
“You sure? Because your mother and I can make this kid disappear if you want,” Tony growled. Clint cracked his knuckles menacingly.
Flash paled, his smug attitude evaporating.
The principal stood quickly. “Er, let’s remain civil here, shall we? I’m sure Mr. Thompson is very sorry for his thoughtless behavior and it won’t happen again. Isn’t that right, Flash?”
“Y-yes sir. Very sorry,” Flash stammered, sinking lower in his chair away from the three looming Avengers.
“Penny, sweetheart, why don’t you wait in the hallway with your Uncle Clint & your friends while Tony and I have a word with the principal about school safety,” Natasha suggested, her tone honeyed and deadly.
Penny hid a smirk and let Clint usher her out.
As Penny walked out of the principal's office with Clint, Natasha fixed the perspiring principal with an icy stare.
"Now see here," he blustered. "All forms of harassment are against school policy-"
"Oh, we'll be discussing much more than just harassment," Natasha interrupted smoothly. She leaned forward, hands braced on the desk. "Let's talk about why my daughter has endured weeks of harassment and abuse from this little worm while your administration did absolutely nothing."
Tony crossed his arms, glowering. "Shouldn't you have put a stop to this after the first incident was reported? Or am I mistaken that schools are supposed to have a zero tolerance policy for bullying?"
The principal loosened his collar. "Well, er, yes, we do take such accusations very seriously-"
"Clearly not seriously enough," Natasha cut in coldly. "I was led to believe this school would be safe for my daughter. That was the only reason I allowed her to attend. Do you understand what a fragile trust you have broken by allowing this to happen?"
The principal paled, no doubt imagining what the deadly Black Widow could do in retaliation.
"Of course, of course, you're completely right. We should have acted faster. I can assure you, Mr. Thompson will be punished most severely for this." He shot a quailing look at Flash. "Expulsion is certainly not off the table."
Flash jolted upright. "Expulsion? You can't! My dad will kill me!" His arrogant facade had crumbled completely.
Natasha silenced him with a look. "You should have thought about consequences before you put your hands on my child."
Tony nodded sharply. "Yeah, and daddy's money isn't going to buy your way out of this one. We'll be having some words with your old man too about raising a bully."
Flash slunk down, ashen-faced. Natasha turned back to the principal.
"If you wish to retain my goodwill, here is what you will do. Mr. Thompson will be suspended immediately. You will send a formal letter of apology to myself and Penny. You will require your staff to undergo anti-bullying training. And you will guarantee in writing that my daughter will have no further issues, or I will tear this school down brick by brick." Natasha arched an eloquent brow. "Do we understand each other?"
"Yes, completely," the principal assured hastily. "You have my deepest apologies, and I give you my word this will never happen again. Penny will be safe and welcome here."
Natasha studied him coolly for a long moment before inclining her head in acquiescence. She stood gracefully and headed for the door, sparing one contemptuous glance for the quivering bully.
"Come along, Tony. We're done here."
Tony clapped a hand on Flash's shoulder, making him jump. "Remember kid, we'll be watching," he said with mock friendliness before following Natasha out.
The door clicked shut behind them with an ominous sense of finality. Inside the office, Flash looked ready to dissolve into a puddle while the principal buried his head in trembling hands.
Outside the school, the returning Avengers caused quite a stir among the student body. Teens crowded the windows and lined the hallways, buzzing excitedly as Black Widow and Iron Man exited the building.
"Dude, Black Widow was here! In our school!"
"Do you think she killed Flash?"
"I bet she like threatened the principal or something. Black Widow's so badass!"
"Do you think Penny's really in trouble?"
"Of course not! Do you think they would punish the daughter of the Black Widow?"
At her locker, Michelle Jones rolled her eyes at the dramatic speculation swirling around her girlfriend. Catching sight of familiar curly hair, she called out "Penny!"
Penny turned, relaxing when she saw MJ waving her over. She hurried to meet her girlfriend.
"What's going on? Is everything okay?" MJ asked, eyebrows knitting together in concern as she took in Penny's bruises.
Penny smiled, warmed by MJ's obvious worry for her. "I'm okay, don't worry. Just got roughed up a bit by Flash. But Mom and Mr. Stark came in and put him in his place. You should've seen his face." She laughed.
MJ shook her head. "What a dick. I'm glad your mom ripped him a new one." She brushed a feather-light touch over Penny's bruised cheek. "Does it hurt much?"
Leaning into her girlfriend's touch, Penny sighed. "I'll heal quick, don't worry. And I think Flash finally got the message to leave me alone now."
"He better." MJ's eyes darkened. "If he even looks at you again, I'll kick his ass myself."
Penny laughed and pulled MJ into a quick kiss. "My hero."
The bell rang, interrupting their moment. MJ stroked Penny's hair back gently. "I need to get home. But text if you need anything, okay? I could sneak over later with ice cream."
"Deal." Penny smiled softly at her tough, caring girlfriend before they parted ways. She really had the best friends looking out for her.
At the other end of the hallway, Ned Leeds was having a mild freak out.
"Dude, Black Widow and Iron Man were here. In our school! Do you think they'd remember me if I asked for autographs?"
Beside him, another student laughed. "Forget autographs, I just want to know what they said to Flash! I bet it was epic."
Ned bounced on his toes. "This is so cool. My best friend's mom is Black Widow! Hey, do you think I could be an honorary Avenger?"
His companion just shook his head indulgently and steered Ned away from Penny.
In the following days, per Natasha's demands, sweeping changes came to the school. Flash was immediately suspended, his angry father unable to sway the principal's decision at all. Teachers were required to take an anti-bullying seminar. Tougher policies were put in place to prevent harassment and violence.
For her part in the confrontation, Penny was let off with a stern warning about using her words instead of violence in the future. Natasha had argued fiercely on her behalf that Penny was only defending herself after weeks of unaddressed bullying.
Penny noticed a definite shift in her classmates' attitudes after word got around about what happened. There was new wariness, even deference in the way they interacted with her. Whispers of "that's Black Widow's badass daughter" followed her through the halls now. But for once, Penny found she didn't mind the notoriety. Let them gossip. She walked with her head held high.
At Penny's urging, Natasha agreed to come to the end of the year school science fair that spring. Students gawked and gushed over the Avengers who arrived to cheer on the young scientists.
Penny's experimental web fluid formula, with the cover story of it being "a theoretical formula for Spider-Girl to use", won first place. When the principal attempted to shake Natasha's hand during the awards ceremony, she coolly ignored it and went to congratulate her victorious daughter instead. Penny thought Tony looked ready to burst trying not to laugh.
Outside the school afterward, Penny impulsively hugged her mother tight. "Thank you," she mumbled into Natasha's jacket. "For always having my back."
Natasha stroked her hair gently. "Always, little spider." She held Penny a moment longer before pulling back. "Now come on. We need to get your project over to the compound. Bruce is dying to study your web formula."
Penny grinned and grabbed her mother's hand, practically dragging the amused Black Widow toward the car where the others waited. Clint and Tony were bickering over shotgun while Steve tried fruitlessly to play peacemaker.
Watching her eccentric extended family, Penny felt a surge of warmth and gratitude. She really was the luckiest kid in the world.
A Few Weeks Later
"Alright troops, here's the sitch," Penny declared, hands on her hips as she surveyed her team.
MJ and Ned sat attentively on the couch while Natasha leaned casually against the wall, amusement lurking in her eyes. Next to her, Wanda Maximoff was practically vibrating with excitement.
"After the hellish week we've all had, I officially declare this Avengers Prank Night," Penny announced. "Target: all the old geezers who've been driving us up the wall. Tonight, we take our revenge!"
"Yeah!" Wanda cheered, red sparks dancing around her fingers.
MJ grinned and cracked her knuckles. "I'm so down for this."
Ned was practically bouncing in his seat. "This is the best idea ever! Do we get codenames?"
Natasha smirked. "I think we're good without codenames. But I'm impressed by your initiative, little spider." She arched an eyebrow at Penny. "Though if Fury asks, I advised strongly against any of this."
Penny laughed. "Plausible deniability, got it. Okay team, let's start planning our attack!"
The group got to work gleefully plotting pranks for each Avenger. Their main targets were Tony, Clint, Steve, Thor and Bruce, who had been relentlessly teasing the teens all week. Playtime was over.
"Okay Wanda, you and I will take Tony," Penny planned. "I'm thinking we reprogram his suit to play the high-pitched buzzing every time it starts up."
Wanda cackled. "Yes! He'll lose his mind trying to fix it."
They schemed joyfully, each prank more ridiculous than the last. By the time they finished, the Avengers wouldn't know what hit them. This was going to be epic.
Under the cover of night, the pranksters split up to booby trap their targets.
Wanda used her powers to silently open Tony's lab and recode his suit. Penny sprayed web over all his tools. "He's gonna be so pissed," Penny giggled. They slipped out undetected.
In the kitchen, MJ carefully switched out all of Clint's coffee for decaf while Ned hacked his speakers to play bird calls continuously. Clint found both rude awakenings very un-amusing.
Natasha handled sabotaging Steve, swapping his weighted training shields for painted cardboard. His confusion trying to lift them turned to understanding when he heard her laughing. "Very funny, Romanoff," Steve sighed, trying not to smile.
They saved the best for last. Penny and MJ pooled their tech skills for an epic hack that had FRIDAY addressing Thor as "Point Break" no matter how much he protested. The look of dismay on the god's face sent them into hysterics.
The teens were nearly crying with laughter as they compared stories the next morning.
"Did it work?" Penny wheezed when Wanda came in looking smug.
In response, Wanda pulled out her phone. Loud, distorted high pitched buzzing rang out, underlaid by Tony's furious shouts.
"Turn it off, turn it off! FRIDAY kill the power, kill it!" Video-Tony wailed as he frantically tried to exit the suit to no avail.
The girls both howled. "His face!" Penny cackled.
Across the room, Clint was grumbling into his coffee mug. "Ugh, what is this swill?" He narrowed his eyes at their laughter. "Alright, which one of you messed with my coffee?"
MJ sipped her tea innocently. Ned let out an unconvincing cough.
Before Clint could interrogate further, a disheveled Steve stumbled in, cardboard shield in hand. "Someone replaced my training equipment with these." He shook his head ruefully. "Gee, I wonder who'd pull a childish prank like that?"
Natasha examined her nails. "No idea. Could've been anyone, really."
Right on cue, Thor's angry bellow rang out. "Lady FRIDAY I insist you stop calling me that ridiculous nickname!"
MJ nearly spit out her tea and had to leave the room, she was laughing so hard. But they quickly tried to compose themselves when the pranked Avengers assembled, looking for blood.
Tony jabbed an accusatory finger at them. "Alright, which of you teenage deviants messed with my tech?"
Clint crossed his arms. "And who switched out my coffee?"
The teens averted their eyes, struggling to keep straight faces.
Before the interrogation could continue, Nick Fury himself walked in. "Would someone care to explain why I just received several angry calls demanding I control my agents?" He glared at the sheepish Avengers, with a smirk. "Stop antagonizing the kid heroes or so help me, I will taze you myself."
As Fury ushered the chastised Avengers out, Penny caught Natasha's eye. Her mother gave her a subtle thumbs up. Phase Two was a success.
Penny beamed. Best. Prank Night. Ever.
They were still giggling about it at school the next day.
"Did you hear Tony shrieking when the loud buzzing came on?" Wanda asked gleefully. "I thought he was going to blast his own suit off!"
Ned shook his head. "Nah, the best was definitely Thor and his nickname." He mimicked the god's offended tone. "Lady FRIDAY, I insist you stop this instant!"
MJ grinned. "I'm pretty proud of swapping out Clint's coffee. The caffeine withdrawal should be hitting him...now."
Right on cue, Penny got a voice message from a very irate Clint on her phone. "Who drank the last of my coffee? I need my caffeine!"
The group dissolved into laughter again. Just then, Penny caught sight of a familiarly annoying figure and froze. "Uh oh. Incoming Flash at 3 o'clock."
Former bully Flash Thompson was walking over to them, trailed by nervous glances from other students. Ever since the Avengers had gotten him suspended, Flash kept his head down at school. But with his dad's money, he'd been allowed to finish senior year at a private academy. Sometimes he still crossed paths with Penny and couldn't seem to resist trying to provoke her.
Like now. "Well well, if it isn't the junior Avengers. Didn't your bedtimes pass hours ago?" Flash sneered. Behind him, his cronies laughed obnoxiously.
Penny tensed, warning Spider sense tingling. But before she could respond, MJ stepped forward, eyes blazing.
"Walk away now, Flash," she said coldly. "Or we'll make sure Daddy's money won't save your ass this time."
Sparing her girlfriend a grateful glance, Penny turned to Flash. "I'd do what she says if I were you. Unless you want another chat with the team?" She cracked her knuckles for emphasis.
Flash paled, glancing between the formidable girlfriends. "Jeez, okay, take a joke," he muttered. "No need to sic your psycho parents on me again." He quickly retreated under MJ's glare.
Penny laughed and pulled MJ into a dramatic dip kiss. "Have I mentioned you're extremely hot when you're scary?"
MJ smirked. "You're not so bad yourself, Spider-Girl." She leaned in for another kiss.
Nearby, Ned shook his head affectionately. "Think they know we're still here?"
Wanda laughed. "Absolutely not!" She linked her arm through Ned's. "Come on, let's go before they start making out in the hallway, again." With one last amused glance at the lip-locked couple, the two friends headed off to class.
After school, Penny and MJ went back to the Avengers compound, basking in the successful prank. They walked into chaos.
Tony and Clint were arguing loudly in the kitchen while trying to avoid a rampaging Bruce. "Who painted my lab pink? Is this permanent?" Bruce shouted.
Thor ran in, his long hair in tiny braids. "Friends, I need assistance! The twins have woven my locks into knots while I rested!"
A bedraggled Steve followed Thor, covered head to toe in glitter. "Pietro and Wanda have been pulling juvenile stunts all day. Have you two seen them?"
Before the girls could respond, two giggling teens sped past, high-fiving each other. "Thanks for the distraction last night!" Wanda called out as she evaded Steve's grasping hand.
Penny's eyes widened. "You didn't!"
MJ burst out laughing. "Oh, they got been played!"
While the older Avengers floundered trying to undo the damage, Penny shook her head in admiration. "Touche, you little witch. It's on now!"
The prank war raged for days between the teens and adults. Sides formed, betrayals happened, chaos reigned. They laughed more than any of them had in years.
Eventually, it came down to just Penny and MJ against the Maximoff twins, and Penny and MJ came out on top, in a shocking upset.
Penny stumbled into the living room after the epic water balloon fight she'd just had with Wanda and Pietro, soaked and giggling. Even with the twins' powers, she and MJ had pulled off the win. Barely.
MJ stretched out on the carpet, wringing water from her hair. "That was intense!"
Penny flopped down next to her girlfriend. "No kidding! I thought we were goners when Pietro hit us with that huge wave."
"But we turned it around." MJ held up her hand.
Penny grinned and high-fived her. "Teamwork dreamwork."
Nearby, Natasha looked up from her book, lips quirking. "Nice victory, little spider. You two make a good team."
"The best!" Penny beamed, then paused. "Uh, hypothetically, if Fury asks who escalated the water fight, it was totally not us, right?"
Natasha laughed. "Of course not. My lips are sealed." She winked.
MJ sat up with a sigh. "I should get home before my folks send out a search party." She leaned in to kiss Penny. "See you tomorrow?"
"Can't wait." Penny returned the kiss happily.
After MJ had left, Penny curled up on the couch next to Natasha, pleasantly worn out. Natasha stroked her still-damp hair back gently.
"Did you have fun today, маленький паук?"
Penny nodded, yawning. "Yeah, it was really nice just getting to be dumb kids for a day instead of heroes. We don't get to do that a lot."
"No, we don't," Natasha agreed, a faraway look in her eyes. She blinked it away and smiled down at her daughter. "I'm glad you got the chance."
Penny snuggled closer, laying her head on Natasha's shoulder. Sleepiness tugged at her but she stubbornly fought it off, not wanting this quiet moment with her mom to end.
"Thanks for being on our side today," she mumbled. "You totally could've stopped us from drenching the team, but you let us have our fun. You're the coolest mom."
Natasha laughed softly. "Don't tell the others. I have a reputation to maintain." She smoothed Penny's hair gently. "But anything for my best girl."
Penny grinned, eyes drifting closed. She felt safe and content here with her mother's familiar presence surrounding her.
As she hovered on the edge of sleep, unwanted images rose in her mind. Hands grabbing her away from Natasha. Faceless villains looming out of the shadows. Red Room soldiers dragging her back to a cold, empty cell.
Penny jerked awake with a gasp, heart pounding. Natasha's hand on her back grounded her.
"Shh маленький паук, just a dream," her mother soothed. But Penny could hear the catch of old pain in her voice. Natasha knew the nightmares all too well.
Penny bit her lip as frightened tears welled up despite herself. She thought she was past this. "I'm sorry," she sniffled.
"Oh Penny, no." Natasha turned her daughter's face gently toward her. "You have nothing to apologize for, baby."
Penny's lower lip wobbled. "I shouldn't still be scared. I know I'm safe now. But sometimes the memories just come back and it feels so real again."
Natasha cupped Penny's face in her hands, green eyes intent. "The Red Room took so much from us. We lived constantly on guard, in survival mode. That changes a person. Recovery takes time, sweetheart." She brushed a tear from Penny's cheek with her thumb. "You are so strong, маленький паук. But never feel ashamed for needing help. I'm here."
Penny's vision blurred as she threw her arms around Natasha's neck. Her mother's embrace was the one place she'd always felt protected.
Natasha held her close, one hand gently stroking her hair. "I've got you, little spider," she murmured. "You're safe."
They stayed like that for a long moment before Penny pulled back, scrubbing at her eyes. "Ugh, sorry. I didn't mean to get all mushy."
Natasha cupped her face gently. "You have nothing to apologize for," she repeated firmly. "We're family. We look out for each other." Her mouth quirked up. "Lord knows I've woken you up with my own nightmares plenty of times."
Penny managed a watery chuckle at that. She knew it was true. Comforting each other after bad dreams had become a routine part of their life together.
Natasha brushed back a lock of Penny's hair, sympathy in her eyes. "What did you see in your dream, little spider?"
Penny bit her lip. Just thinking about it made her chest tighten with remembered fear. "They came to take me away," she whispered. "The Red Room soldiers. I tried to fight but there were too many. You tried to stop them but they just..." Her breath hitched.
Natasha made a soft, pained sound and pulled Penny close again. "I'm so sorry, маленький паук. I wish I could take those memories away completely."
Penny clung to her mother, drawing comfort from her steady presence. "It's okay. I know it wasn't real. We got away from them. You saved me." She offered Natasha a tremulous smile. "My hero."
Natasha cupped her cheek gently. "We saved each other, baby." She took a shaky breath, green eyes distant. "I never knew I was capable of feeling so fiercely protective until I held you for the first time. My tiny little miracle." A single tear escaped down Natasha's cheek.
Penny's heart ached at the rare open emotion on her mother's face. On impulse, she wrapped her arms around Natasha in a fierce hug.
"I love you, Mama," she whispered into fiery red hair so like her own.
Natasha held her just as tightly. "I love you too, my brave girl. Always."
They stayed like that for a long moment, drawing strength from each other. Finally Penny pulled back, scrubbing the last tears away with the heel of her hand.
Natasha smiled tenderly at her. "Why don't I make us some cocoa, hmm? We could watch a movie, just the two of us."
Penny managed a small smile back. "Yeah, that sounds really nice." Some quality time with her mom was exactly what she needed right now.
Natasha stroked her hair once more before heading to the kitchen. Penny tucked herself into the corner of the couch, pulling a blanket around herself. She took deep, steadying breaths as she waited.
Soon Natasha returned with two steaming mugs. She handed one to Penny before settling on the couch and drawing her daughter close to her side. Penny cuddled into her warmth, sipping her cocoa.
Natasha clicked on an old Disney movie, one of Penny's favorites. The familiar songs and colors soothed Penny's lingering anxiety.
Halfway through the movie, Penny sighed and rested her head on Natasha's shoulder. "Thanks, Mama," she said softly. "I really needed this tonight."
Natasha pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Of course, маленький паук. We'll always be there for each other." She gently stroked Penny's hair. "The Red Room is far behind us now. All that matters is our family, and keeping each other safe."
Penny nodded, eyes drifting closed again. "Love you," she mumbled sleepily.
Natasha's voice was impossibly tender. "I love you too. More than anything in this world."
Cradled in her mother's arms, Penny finally slipped into peaceful, dreamless sleep. The Red Room seemed lifetimes away. She was home.