The monster in the walls

Unsettling finds

The mission had gone smoothly despite the routine assignment running longer than they'd expected. There were no casualties, and Fury was incredibly pleased with the amount of intel collected on the illegal trade of alien weapons. But now they were finally headed back home. 

"You glad to be goin' home?" Rhodey asked from the copilot seat. "I know I am."

"That reconnaissance mission took way too long," Natasha ground out, her glare set upon the city below them. She checked the quinjet's GPS before continuing. "But yes, it's a relief to be heading home. It's just irritating that we got delayed."

"Oh, don't be so negative, Nat," the Colonel jokingly chastised. "Japan was beautiful. And we got to stay at a hotel! That never happens when we're on missions. Usually we have to hunker down on a quinjet or are moving around too much to justify establishing a campsite."

She chuckled half-heartedly, knowing full well that he had a point. "That is true."

He shot the spy a reassuring smile. It was no secret how much she adored Peter. Having a past with HYDRA herself, Natasha had been pivotal to Peter's recovery. And they had grown very close in such a short period of time. Any outsider who saw them interact would think they were mother and son.

"Don't worry, Nat, you'll see your baby spider in no time."

A smile grew on her lips. "мой ребенок паук." (My baby spider.)

******

Bruce hummed quietly to himself as he checked Peter's vitals and replaced the fifth rally pack full of lactated ringers solution before reconnecting the new one back into the IV. The doctor wasn't one to make a lot of noise, even ones as quiet and steady as humming. But his nerves were shot, and it was all he could do to keep his mind busy so he wouldn't hulk out. Seeing his nephew sick and unconscious, laid out on a hospital bed, hurt like nothing else. The teen hadn't been in such a bad state since they rescued him.

He glanced down at Tony, who was passed out in a chair beside the bed with his head resting on both his arms with one wing draped over his son's body. Steve was sitting beside him, snoring lightly with his head on the mechanic's shoulder and one hand on Peter's leg.

"Thor and Valkyrie have just arrived," FRIDAY's voice cut through the steady beeping of the heart monitor. She spoke at a softer volume because of the sleeping heroes, and Bruce internally thanked her intuitiveness. Neither Steve nor Tony had gotten any sleep the previous night. "They are in the waiting room down the hall."

"Thank you, FRIDAY," Bruce said. He exited the room and walked down the short stretch of hallway. The medical wing was painted a calming grey color with light blue accents instead of the typical white most hospitals and medical facilities were.

"Banner! It is good to see you, my friend." Thor pulled the scientist into a tight hug, nearly lifting him off the ground. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances."

It had been a little over four months since Thor or any other Asgardian had come to visit. When Bruce had called - using a cellphone Tony had made specifically for long distances, and that reached the new Asgard easily - Thor had been ecstatic. But his joy quickly deflated when the entire situation had been explained.

Peter, in particular, loved when the gods paid them a visit. He was fascinated by the Norse culture and really enjoyed sparring with his uncle Thor. The god was one of the only other heroes who was physically stronger than him, which really helped the teen test and control his strength.

Both Thor and Valkyrie were equally upset by the arachnid's absence. The muscular, female warrior stepped forward, eager to find the remaining creatures that were causing the trouble. As a Valkyrie, she'd faced many challenges and dangerous beings. Not much scared her. She gripped the hilt of her long sword and said, "Where is this creature? I'd like to know what we're dealing with here."