Chapter 50
"So," Tony cleared his throat as Rhodey joined them with a cup of coffee and sat across from him. Peter felt the tension between them all grow and the atmosphere thicken. His stomach twisted at the realization of what he would have to tell them. He didn't want to do it at all, but he knew it would be necessary. "I think there are individuals among us who only know shards of it all. So I suggest it's best to discuss everything we know so far."
Natasha smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "It will be a very short conversation. Here is what we know: she's a woman. She was alone in that forest, at least I think she was. Besides the man, she could have more reinforcements somewhere. But in that case, I don't understand why they didn't attack, because there were only three of us, and only two of us had a gun."
"They must have realized that they wouldn't have much of a chance against Black Widow and Winter Soldier," Rhodey said, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little. "They probably just decided to wait for a better opportunity."
"This was a pretty good opportunity," Natasha snapped. She hated it when she didn't have an overview and enough information. Because she always found out everything.
"Stop barking at yourself," Tony advised dryly, rolling his eyes over them. "Well, I guess this is all Nat and Barnes know. Does anyone else want to contribute? Do we already know at least some more information about her? Who does she do, who the hell she is, who does she work with?"
"From what Ross told me on the phone, the woman is quite dangerous. Apparently, she worked with Hammer, or rather, he worked for her because they caught him and, according to Ross, he's scared of her. Maybe he was supplying her with weapons or something. And her name is Teresa," Rhodey remembered, and Peter's stomach tightened as he heard her name. He felt like vomiting, staring at the still surface of tea in his mug. The adult conversation seemed to reach him from a big distance.
"Teresa," Tony growled, frowning, perhaps as if trying to remember if he had ever known a Teresa. They didn't know her last name, which made the situation a little complicated, because Tony couldn't find anything about her like that. They didn't even know her face, for God's sake.
"If Hammer worked with her, he apparently had to do something in Ross's labs because otherwise, I don't know why Everett Ross would have caught him, Beck was there too, and I suppose she was there. She was probably his superior or something. And since the events of the autumn are still unresolved, the attacker disappeared and left no trace, it is quite possible that it was her. If she killed the guy in the woods who was most likely on her side, I'd say she wouldn't have a problem killing Beck back then. The question is why," Natasha suggested a possible theory that seemed pretty real to everyone. Peter was the only one who knew, now he did, what the truth was, and he could interrupt all their deductions and assumptions, but he didn't. Because he couldn't, something told him not to. Something was holding back and he wasn't sure what it was.
If I gave you a loaded pistol, you wouldn't kill me. Do you know how I know? Because I'm your sister.
Yes, he had the gun, he held it imaginarily in his hand. And he couldn't pull the trigger. He couldn't tell them the truth about who the woman was. Because he knew they wouldn't leave her alive. And how could he do that?
He felt someone stare at him, so he raised his head. Bucky, sitting across from him, watched him frowning. Maybe he was beginning to realize from his reaction that Peter knew...
"That makes sense. But we are not sure. Or are we?" Tony asked, turning his head to his son." One of us who has met the bitch at least once hasn't said a word yet. Pete? Do you have anything new for us?"
As Peter stared at him at the table, Peter felt like throwing up. Not this. He knew this moment would come one day, but he wasn't ready for it. Although you probably can't prepare for it. He hated having to make his choice. Protect his sister, and put others at risk? Tell them everything, and they'll find her and kill her? He put his face in his hands and took a deep breath to calm himself. It is easy to hate someone until you have their face in front of you and you know their name. How could he hate his sister?
"Peter?" Tony urged a little anxiously. Natasha frowned at him and motionlessly motioned for him to wait. She already knew in the woods that it was hard for Peter to talk about it. Was it just out of shock? Out of fear? Tony lightly threw up his hands, but then shook his head and drank from his coffee mug.
"Teresa," Peter breathed, barely audible, knowing he couldn't wait any longer, "she's my sister."
Everyone at the table froze, and Tony, who was drinking, spilled coffee and coughed. Bucky, sitting next to him, punched him in the back several times. "Thanks," Tony hissed, apparently unaware that he was thanking Bucky for immediately turning to his son and staring at him. "What?!"
"She's my sister," Peter moaned. "She's older than me and... and she looks just like Mary. She was... she was in those labs. She talked to me there. But I... I thought that I just made it up, that I just imagined it because I was drugged. Or that it was Beck's illusion. Because she didn't exist. I didn't find anything about her. I convinced myself that there was simply no such thing. But then she showed up here."
"Mary," Tony chuckled gloomily, "should it surprise me that she has another child? The woman is dead and still won't leave me alone!"
"Tones, calm down," Natasha shouted at him, knowing full well the need to approach this with a cold head. Tony was angry and raised his voice and could take some recklessness. It was important to think about the next steps.
"It complicates the situation a little," Rhodey muttered, earning Tony's angry look.
"No, it's not complicated!" He snapped at him. "We'll just find her and end it once and for all—"
"No!" Exclaimed Peter, who began to panic and began to doubt whether he had done well. That's not exactly what he wanted. Tony didn't understand. He saw an enemy in her, not a family.
"Tell me the only reasonable reason why not," he said to his son. He didn't mean it badly, he was just worried about him. "You saw her. You saw what she was capable of. Do you think that you will change her? You are her brother, and yet she continued what her mother began. She accepted her role and continues to play. Wake up! She's trying to kill you!"
"Excuse me? What are you talking about here?”
Could this have been worse? Probably yes. Pepper stood at their table, staring at them in fright.