e l e v e n / i never hated you

We're coming.

We're coming.

We're coming.

The words were a constant mantra in Cara's mind as she carefully, yet in a panic, leaned over the edge of the tower, reaching out to her cousin. Still unconscious, Peter couldn't help in any way. Which, in a way, she thought, is good. Because if he could move, he may just send himself plummeting to his death.

Her blood was an icy slush as she wrapped her hand around one of his wrists, and planted her feet to the ground, ready to pull him closer, so she could grab him with both hands and retrieve him from the thick webbing.

The second she moved his arm, his whole body slipped at least six inches downward, causing him to get that much closer to falling. Cara inhaled sharply, her grasp loosening for a second, before trying again.

But before she could try again, she heard footsteps, and people calling her name. They were coming to the roof.

When they arrived, she'd expected their reaction to be silently shocked, like her's had been, but it was anything but. All of a sudden, there were hands flying around, some flailing towards hers, coaxing her to let go of her cousin, while others made sure Peter didn't fall.

"What the fuck?" She shouted angrily. "Can't you see I'm helping him?"

Nat rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's gonna ensure his safety." Crossing her arms, she added, "why didn't you just call us up?"

Cara rolled her eyes this time. "My cousin is strung up in a web of God-knows-what, and you expect me to call you guys as a rescue team?" She scoffed, and turned back to face her unmoving cousin. "I think I'd rather figure this out on my own." She reached out to try another attempt at pulling Peter in, but then hands were there, pushing her away.

Clint held her wrists against her sides, despite her every effort to break free. "You can't risk him falling even more, Cara. Don't worry, we'll get him onto solid ground. Just let us deal with it."

"He's my cousin," she huffed.

Clint nodded, acknowledging her words. "But we're the professionals. And besides, we've got two people who can fly."

Lifting her head, Cara saw that Clint was right: Tony had called the suit to him, and was hovering in the air, working on releasing Peter's limbs from the web he'd been trapped in, while below, Sam was keeping watch, just in case Peter fell. Seeing their efforts, she allowed herself to relax. But only a little.

Through the whole rescue, Cara kept trying to get a look at Peter's face, as if it would tell her what had happened, but all she could see was his back; Tony was blocking her view. She'd have to wait until he was completely recovered.

When that happened, she inhaled a shaky breath at the sight of his bloodied face.

Having suffered an obvious head wound, Peter had a thick, dark line of crimson blood that ran down the side of his face, seemingly never-ending as it connected with the red of his suit.

His eyes were closed, and his head lolled to the side, but when she stepped closer to him, she could see the faint rise and fall of his chest, letting her know he was definitely alive. Which was the biggest relief she'd ever felt. Yes, she'd just met her cousin, but she couldn't lose him, especially not to an evil group of terrorists they knew close to nothing about.

She held his face in her hands, and looked straight at his eyelids, willing them to open, for him to act like the young high schooler he was.

But he remained dead to the world, causing Cara to worry even more.

"Peter," she urged, her voice rising to a high-pitched panicky tone, "Petey, you have to wake up, come on, we've got to get you cleaned up. Peter--"

Steve's hands were gentle on her shoulders as she tried to hold back the fat tears that ended up slipping through her every defense. She was surprised to be this torn up about the situation, but since she was nine, she hadn't had a family at all. And to possibly lose one of those cherished family members...it was unbearable.

"Cara," he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "we'll get him inside and we can help him. Just let us carry him."

She looked broken-heartedly at her cousin, and then nodded slowly, letting Steve take him from her arms. The group paraded down the stairs, back into the main levels of the tower, while Cara slowly made her way inside. Nat trailed along beside her.

"What?" She sniffed, trying to clear her voice and eyes of any trace of tears. "Aren't you gonna make a comment or something?"

Nat shook her head slightly, her movements smooth. "No," she said, "I'm not."

"Then what are you going to do?" Cara asked, confused at the way she was just standing there, not saying anything. It was so unlike Natasha.

The redhead shrugged. "I just thought I'd walk with you. I mean, you're pretty shaken up. And I think it's about time I set some things straight with you."

Cara raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like the fact that I don't not like you anymore." She gave her a look out of the side her eyes. "I never hated you, you know."

The teen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, o-kay."

"I'm not lying. You just got underneath my skin, is all. I mean, it's not everyday you come across a teenager with the attitude and personality of a full-grown adult." She peered at her. "And besides, I think I knew it then, I could tell that you had the same skills as me. And that's why I didn't like you. I don't usually like it when people are like me."

They turned a corner to make their way into the kitchen, where Bruce was grabbing cloths and several bags full of ice.

"Yeah, I think I guessed that," Cara teased good-heartedly.

"I just want you to know that, okay?" Nat paused, looked Cara right in the eye, and said, "I think it'll be okay to have you on the team. I don't completely detest the idea." A glimmer of a smirk floated on Nat's lips.

Cara grinned. "Well, that's good to know."