Chapter 6
While James filled in the team on what they found, Natasha watched them, wanting to see the thoughts and emotions that flickered across their faces. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them, she was just following what she was taught. Until Wanda’s eyes met with hers, clear fear radiating from them.
“Wanda? What is it?”
“You talked to Friday when you found the first letter right? She told you Peter wasn’t in danger, well he very clearly is! So how did he get past Friday?”
That was when Tony flicked around to stare at both her and Wanda and the amount of confusion and fear bouncing around the room was enough to give her a headache.
“Fri? Baby girl, when Peter told you he wasn’t in danger did you detect any sense of him lying? Any at all?”
“No Sir, my footage of him coming in isn’t completely accessible. I have him coming in but after about a minute the footage cuts Sir, both audio and visual has been removed. He somehow accessed my code to leave that message.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this earlier?” Tony demanded at his ceiling.
“I’ve only just been able to see that footage was removed, the coding he replaced with the original actually contains conversations of what I previously stated. It wasn’t until Miss Romanoff looked at the threats on Peter’s phone that I realised there was something off.” Friday informed.
Natasha once again made eye contact with Wanda who whispered hoarsely, “He hacked Friday.”
“I’m going to the lab to figure this out.” Tony got out while walking away, to which Bruce quickly followed after him knowing leaving him on his own was not an option right now.
While the group dispersed, each member not knowing what to do but watching as Natasha just slumped down next to Wanda who was seated in the corner of the sofa, knowing there’s nothing they can do for the two women but also desperately wishing for anything. Bucky taking the phone down to the lab to see if Tony can do anything with that.
When the others had all left Natasha grabbed her phone from her pocket and went to the number she had texted earlier. Still no response. Despite that she still sent another one, hoping that he was going to get them, she had no way of knowing unless he responded.
We read the messages Pete; we know you hacked Friday. I know you said that I shouldn’t worry. That none of us, should worry but it’s too late for that. Please just let me know you’re okay, I know you don’t want to come back but none of us completely understand why. If you’re scared of getting hurt, we can help you honey. Please let me know you’re okay.
It wasn’t until Natasha had sent the message and placed down her phone that Wanda acknowledged her.
“I can’t lose him Natasha. I can’t lose my brother again.” The crack in her voice tore at Natasha’s already shattering heart, turning to face her fully she knew there wasn’t anything she could do to truly comfort the younger woman.
“We aren’t going to lose him.”
“How do you even know that though? He could be anywhere he could already be – “
“No. He’s fine. I’m sorry Wanda but I’m not going to even think of anything else unless I’m given concrete evidence to believe otherwise. He’s young and vulnerable yes but he’s aware of what he’s doing.” Natasha snapped.
The two women fell into silence as Wanda simply rested her head against Natasha’s shoulder as they both watched out the window, wondering if he was out there somewhere. Wondering if it was possible for him to see the tower from where he was or if he’s already gotten so far away that they weren’t even in his midst.
Neither women were sure how long they were sat in that silence before Wanda finally spoke up once again.
“I know we’re already aware that he’s not doing great from the fact that he ran, the letters and the messages but Nat I don’t think he’s been okay for a while. I mean if he was, he would have said something about all of this. He would have told us about May, about graduating, about getting threatened! I always felt pain around him, but I thought he would have eventually said something, why didn’t he say anything? Did he not trust us?” She cries to which Natasha pulls her into a hug.
“I think he trusted us. I honestly do. But maybe he thought we didn’t trust him? Or maybe, maybe he was so used to life he had, that we thought he still had, that it was easier to pretend. But at the end of it all the only person who can tell us is Peter himself and sitting here trying to figure it out isn’t going to do either of us any good so I think we should just go and try to sleep and hope something is figured out in the morning.” Natasha whispered to her.
Wanda simply sighed and nodded, both women knew there wasn’t anything they could do now except wait and so they went their separate ways to their rooms.
As Natasha got to her floor, she once again was hit with how hollow everything felt, today was Saturday, every Saturday that Peter was here he slept in the bedroom opposite hers. Tony really did have too much money, seeing as he was able to give everyone plenty of space, not that she was complaining. Peter did have his own room somewhere on Starks floor but every Saturday that he stayed over he stayed with her. In the few weeks before he left he started coming over more often, which she now knows is because of May, he always chose to stay with her, now that she thinks about it if he wasn’t living with May then where was he sleeping?
She wasn’t really surprised at the anger she felt burning in her body, anybody abandoning a child, yes Peter was a child whether he hated it or not, angered Natasha, especially when it was her kid they were hurting, but she never thought May would be the reason for that anger. Every time she had met the woman she seemed to love and care for Peter, how could she have missed the change, but what had happened to create that change?
She was doing the exact thing she told Wanda was pointless, wondering and questioning. Placing the phone next to her bed she waited, it wasn’t until she had fallen asleep that a notification came through.
A message from Peter.
I’m fine. I’m not in danger. I can fix this Tasha, but it’s safer on my own. I’m sorry. - Маленький паук
Debating sending her that message, Peter finally built up the courage to send it, it wasn’t until he had already put the phone away that his senses flared with danger.
“Well, hello Itsy Bitsy.”