IV. change of scenery

Start from the beginning
                                    

So I've entered my vigilante/friendly-neighborhood-widow era, as Tony called it after he found out. I meant well, I swear. It started with small things, like once I pulled a little kid away from a car, then I stopped a guy that took someone's purse, I caught a pickpocket on a bus. Small crimes, you know? But then I remembered Spider-Man (also, why am I just now learning that he and Tony's Peter he told me about some time ago, are one and the same?) and I thought that with him gone I could take up the mantle or something. I mean New York is like 200 miles away, so a different neighborhood, I have Albany instead and I can't swing off buildings, but I can run, climb, and fight and the goal is the same, right?

I've been always coming home late, so Tony and Pepper never suspected anything. Instead of doing it in the day, by accident, I found myself a mask, some dark clothes, took the widow bites I used in Wakanda, and I've been doing these little 'patrols' twice a day.

And a few days ago I was involved in a robbery (which I stopped, obviously), and someone caught up on this. There was an article in a newspaper, and some stuff on the internet, and obviously, Tony saw it. And Tony being Tony, connected the dots. He's mad, I think it's the first time ever he's been this seriously mad at me but that is not the main problem.

There are theories going around about who I am and some people think it's you, Mama. Probably because of the Bites, I even saw that someone did an analysis and compared our fighting styles. Anyway, they're starting to say that your death was fake, that you're in hiding, etc. And Tony made me realize it might snowball from there. If allegedly, you faked, how many other people? Was the Blip real? Was it staged? Was someone controlling it? Tony's exaggerating a bit but I see where he's coming from. And he said, I quote "That's your choice even though if something happens to you, it's gonna be on me. But if you have no regard for yourself and your safety, then at least have some respect for Natasha's memory.' And it hit me. Like hard. I'm sorry. I've never thought it could end like this.

But I just have enough of school, homework, books. All this everyday stuff. It's been my reality for three years and it still feels off. It wasn't because of the anniversary, I still feel out of place and it's getting worse. I want to matter, I want to do something useful, I just want to feel something and these little things helped me. The only thing I feel now is frustration and that this isn't my life. That I shouldn't be here.

June 12th, 2021

I've got an idea what to do with that feeling I have all the time recently. That I don't belong. I need a change of scenery. Like a big one. But my main problem is that a lot depends on other people, starting with the fact that Tony and Pepper have to agree first and I feel like it's gonna take some work.

"What's up, kid?" Tony asked, glancing at her when Katya came down the stairs and stopped near the couch where he was sitting. Pepper was on the opposite end, with Morgan in her lap.

"Could we talk?" she asked hesitantly.

Tony turned in his seat and took a longer look at Katya. "This question never means anything good, but shoot. What did you do?"

Pepper reached to him and swatted his arm. Morgan giggled.

"What was that for?" he asked, offended.

"For always assuming the worst." Potts explained, shifting her gaze back to Katya. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's not that." she shook her head and sat between them. "It's just... I've been thinking about some stuff, and I have this feeling like I'm constantly frustrated, anxious even, can't find a place for myself and I might have found a solution."

"Go on." Pepper nodded.

"I feel like I need a change of scenery. I need to get out of here for a while and with the school ending for summer..."

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