Friendly Faces

- - - - -

"Oops, sorry, ma'am..."

Ana sent an sheepish smile towards an elderly woman who was too busy with her tiny puppy to notice the younger woman had almost tripped over the dog's leash. When it finally clicked, the woman melted into an amused smile, and waved it off, before continuing down the steep roads of San Francisco. Ana hadn't spent much time in California, so the place was foreign to her, and she couldn't find her way around the town. She had a folded up piece of paper with Scott's address scribbled incoherently on it in blue ink. She would've used her phone but she had forgotten to charge it after FaceTiming with Peter. Ana glanced down at her watch and sighed. It was going to get dark soon, and if she couldn't find Scott's house in time, she would be forced to find a place to stay.

Ana figured the best way to get to where she wanted to go faster was to ask a local for directions. As she strolled down the street, she scoped out her options. There were a couple of teens typing away at their phone, chewing their gum with their mouths open. A woman had her hands full trying to calm her young child down from screaming. A lot of other bystanders looked like the were hurrying to get from one place to the next. Ana pursed her lips, slowly coming to a stop in front of a small convenience store.

She did a quick check of the street signs up and down the road, coming up short. Ana placed a hand to her forehead, groaning softly. If only I picked up another Sling Ring back in New York, she thought to herself. Stephen and the Kalkartho kept her preoccupied though, and that thought slipped her mind before she could go back on it.

The doors to the convenience store opened and Ana hadn't realised how close she was standing to the entrance, and quickly shuffled back before the glass could smack her right in the face. The man who had pushed them open noticed her, and winced, moving the doors back behind him. The beige hoodie he wore was rolled up to his elbows and Ana could see a series of tattoos up his left arm. Despite the rugged exterior, his face was kind. His eyebrows softly rose as a little smile grew on his face.

"Sorry, almost hit ya." He apologised, letting out a short laugh.

Ana smiled at him. "No, it's my fault. I was trying to read the signs and didn't realise how close I was."

He gestured to the paper with the address on it. "You need any help?"

Ana paused for a second. "Sure. I'm looking for this place. Know it?" She handed him the paper and waited for him to read it.

The man nodded, looking up at her. "That's actually just a few blocks down from my place. You're not from around here, are you?"

"New Yorker." Ana shrugged, causing him to nod. "Queens native. Not used to anything other than Manhattan."

"That makes sense." He hummed. He handed Ana the paper back and dropped his hand that carried a grocery bag down to his side. "I can show you the way. It's close by."

Ana knew it wasn't exactly a good idea to follow a complete stranger in a strange town. But she could handle herself pretty well, and if the man did anything out of the ordinary, she would deal with it. The man could sense her hesitation and immediately extended his hand out.

"I promise I won't eat you. How 'bout we become acquainted? I'm Eddie Brock. I'm a reporter." He introduced himself, giving her a kind smile.

Ana took his hand and shook it firmly. "Hi, Eddie, I'm Ana Michaels. It's nice to meet you." She smiled.

Eddie grinned. "Nice to meet you too."

Eddie's eyes widened a significant amount before he laughed it off and smiled at Ana. The voice in his head had been quiet for a few minutes and for a while, he thought the Symbiote's mind was elsewhere. Eddie was still getting used to the new addition to himself — Venom. Eddie clapped his hands and motioned for her to walk with him as they began their trek down the street. "So, you're visiting a friend?" He asked, settling into a small conversation.

"Yes. I've got some free time and I wanted to drop by and check up on him." Ana replied.

"That's nice of you." Eddie said.

Venom pointed out.

Eddie's eyes trailed down to the denim jacket where a small eight-pointed star was pinned on the collar. He couldn't make anything of it and frowned. To him, it was just a pin. To Venom, a symbol he came across in the stars.

"That's a lovely pin you've got there. Really catches the light." Eddie commented.

Ana peered down at the pin. "Oh, thanks. It was my father's."

"What kind of things do you report on, Eddie?" Ana asked.

Eddie shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm an investigative reporter, so I tend to poke my nose in where it's not wanted. I've got a show too, the Brock Report. I'm guessing you haven't seen it." He chuckled.

Ana shook her head as they crossed the street. "No, sorry. I've been caught up in a lot of things and I haven't really had any time to do anything mundane."

"Busy working?" Eddie questioned.

"Busy taking care of another friend." Ana smiled fondly, thinking about Bucky.

Eddie slipped up and responded to Venom in a hushed tone. "Two is a normal amount."

Ana squinted at him, not quite getting what he was saying. "Pardon?"

"What I meant was..." Eddie scrambled around in his grocery bag, picking out chocolate bars. "Two chocolates is a normal amount to have. I'm trying to cut back on sugar, so..."

Ana smirked. "For me, there's no stopping at one. It's impossible."

Eddie laughed.

- - -

"Here we are."

Ana glanced at the two storey house Eddie had led her to and let out a relieved sigh. It only took about ten minutes from the convenience store and she was glad Eddie had actually helped her. The sun was still in the sky, and her journey had come to an end. She turned to face Eddie and gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Eddie. I appreciate the help." She told him.

"Hey, no problem." Eddie replied. "I know if I were in your shoes, I would want someone to do the same for me."

"If you're ever in New York and can't find your way around, I hope I almost hit you with a door and see you again." Ana told him.

"I'm looking forward to it." Eddie smirked lightly, earning a laugh from her.

"Later, Eddie." Ana said.

"Night, Ana." Eddie waved.

"She can't hear you." Eddie whispered to himself.

Ana watched as Eddie turned on his heels and made his was up to his apartment building that was two streets over. She frowned to herself, he did seem a little off. She noticed during their conversation over, he would pause and have a serious thinking face. She even noticed how he would widen his eyes as if he saw a ghost. Ana waved it off and looked up at Scott's house.

"Anyone home?"

Ana grinned lopsidedly as she tapped on the front door of Scott's house. It had been open a touch and she could hear the sound of a ball being bounced against surfaces. When the sounds stopped, she listened to the way footsteps hurriedly approached the front. Scott came into view when he descended the stairs, and once his eyes registered who stood outside his home, they doubled in size.

"Ana?" He called, pulling the door open.

"Hiya, Scott." Ana chuckled, taking in his outfit consisting of a robe over his pjs. She accepted the embrace Scott pulled her in for and patted his back gently.

"Come on in." Scott ushered her inside, and she smiled in thanks. "You've got a lovely home." She said, looking around at the furnished space.

"Thanks. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?" Scott directed her into the living room, and they both sat down on the couch. Ana dropped her bag at her feet and clasped her hands on her knees, raising a brow. He all of a sudden turned pale and swallowed thickly. "Cap doesn't need me to fight super-people again, does he?" He asked, voice wavering.

"No." She shook her head. Scott sighed out in relief. "I heard from Agent Ross that you and Clint have been put into house arrest. I came by to check on you." Ana sent him a small smile, trying to hide the guilt she felt for his current situation. If they hadn't reeled Scott in to help them out at the airport in Germany, none of what went down after he was arrested would have happened. He would be free to spend time with Cassie and live a normal life setting up a business with his three friends, Luis, Dave and Kurt.

"Thank you, that really means a lot to me, Ana." Scott smiled appreciatively. When her eyes dropped to the device strapped to his ankle, Scott watched as her eyebrows furrowed and a frown settled on her face. He lifted the left side of his pants up his leg and showed her the ankle monitor the FBI had supplied him with. "Fancy right? The feds hooked me up with one, saying it's gonna stay on for two years. The farthest I can go... well I can't leave my house. Otherwise agents flood through the doors, turning this place over trying to find something that could keep me on lockdown for another twenty years."

"Twenty years of jail time?" Ana gaped. She felt sick to her stomach at the possibility.

Scott nodded. "I know. Not an option. So I've stuck to the rules and tried to stay entertained within these walls."

Ana placed her arm on the back of the couch and propped her head up on her closed fist. "How's that going for you? And your daughter?"

Scott seemed to brighten up at the mention of his daughter, something Ana found very sweet. "Oh, Cassie's great! We have scheduled play dates and usually she comes over with her mother, Maggie, and Maggie's husband Paxton — you remember him, right? From our first gig together."

"The cop, yeah." Ana recalled the police officer she met with Hank. "Look, Scott... I'm so sorry this is how it's ended up for you. I wish I could go back and leave you be so you wouldn't be in this mess." She told him, averting her gaze.

Scott lightly nudged her to look at him, "Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. I don't regret helping Captain America, or you and Sam. I regret getting caught." He pointed out.

Ana smiled at that. She then asked, "Have you spoken with Hope? Or Hank? I can't seem to get ahold of them."

On her flight over to California, Ana spent a few hours trying to get in touch with Hank and Hope. She even Skyped Fury and asked him to look into them. She was worried they had been caught up in the Accords and somehow were on the run or jailed. Nick had no luck in retrieving a working phone number and suggested for Ana to ask Scott when they met up. During their conversation over video, Ana noticed that Nick was behaving out of the ordinary. She could tell he was holding back on something. She wanted to ask and possibly pry until he told her, but she knew it would only make it worse, and left it alone. Nick would tell her when the time was right. She only hoped it was soon.

Ana was brought back to reality when Scott crossed his ankles on the coffee table in front of them with a slight thud, making the bowl of fruit rattle. "Nope, not since I left without telling them about Germany. Since I used Hank's tech, the Sokovia Accords state that the person responsible for the unauthorised methods used in unsanctioned missions are to be held accountable. Feds came at his house asking for him to sign over the Pym Particles, but he's still adamant that Stark doesn't gets his hands on the tech, so he refused. Last I heard they're both on the run." Scott explained.

Ana leaned forward with her elbows on her thighs, and shoved her head in her hands. She let out a long groan. "Oh, shit, shit, shit. That's horrible." She mumbled.

Scott tilted his head and pulled a sympathetic face, and released a sigh. "I know." He placed his feet on the floor and stood up then, "Hey, wanna help me build the inside of an anthill?"

Ana straightened up and sent Scott a look of confusion. "A what?" She echoed.

Scott didn't want the visit to be all gloomy and depressing. He wanted a more relaxed and cheery vibe to go around. "Cassie's coming over this afternoon and she's going on about wanting to fight beside me one day and that she should practise." He went on to explain, placing his hands on his hips.

Ana let out a little laugh. "That's adorable. And of course I'll help." She nodded, thankful for the distraction.

Ana went to stand, but stopped when she heard rapid footsteps come down the stairs that lead to the upper level of the house. Luis jumped into view and Ana got to her feet, offering him a wave.

"Hey, Luis. How are you?" She asked.

Luis joined them and bumped his fist against her own in greeting. His grin was wide, making his eyes twinkle and his cheeks turn rosy. "Ana, hey! I'm good, I'm good. I heard you two talking and I came down as quickly as I could." Luis sent Scott a hard stare behind the ear-to-ear grin. "Scotty, why didn't you tell me we had Avenger company?"

"I'm not-" Ana began to say, before Scott interjected.

"I thought you were busy working on the presentation." Scott shrugged.

Luis swatted his hand at the statement. "I was. Now I'm taking a break. So, girl, whatchu been up to?" He looked to Ana, waiting for her reply. Scott also switched his attention to the Warrior in the room.

"Nothing much. Travelled space. Fought in space. Oh, did I mention that I went to space?" Ana lifted a shoulder casually, shooting Scott a smile when he began laughing at Luis' shocked expression.

"Oh, you're kidding!" Luis exclaimed, wiping his fingers across his upper lip as he changed up his stance into a more laidback fashion. "Space travel? How's that like? Did you see any aliens?"

"It's dangerous." Ana answered, stuffing her hands in her hoodie pockets. "Scary too. And yes, we are not alone, though I'm sure you already knew that by now after the Battle of New York. I don't know why I went up there in the first place."

"To save the universe." Scott replied, before scoffing playfully. "Of course."

Ana chuckled. "Right."

- - -

Ana cringed at the sound of duct tape being extended from the roll, and glanced over her shoulder at Scott as he taped two cardboard boxes together. After getting them all food from a corner deli not to far from Scott's house, Ana rolled up her sleeves and helped the retired Ant-Man create a maze for his daughter to play in.

"Man, I wish I had something this cool to play with when I was Cassie's age." Ana smiled, looking over the plan for a makeshift slide that went out all the way from the door that lead to a series of steps to the backyard to the side of the house. It was going to take a lot of cardboard and tape which they had plenty of.

"What did you play with?" Scott asked.

"Nothing this awesome." Ana forced a smile.

"Ana, how come you're not under house arrest?" Dave asked, swivelling around in his chair. He lifted his hand to remove the cap he wore and set it down on the table beside him.

Ana sat back on her heels and glanced at him. "I said I wasn't going to use my abilities and Tony thought that was good enough to let me go. He's my friend, and he knew I wasn't being genuine, but I could see he didn't want anymore of his friends locked up in cells."

"You were released though you still put your abilities to use?" Kurt asked as he looked away from his laptop to face her.

"I'm nothing without my abilities. It's all I know. It's who I am. That simple." Ana answered. "I see trouble, I do my best to help. I'm not gonna let innocent people get hurt in front of me when I can do something about it. Anyway, how's your business coming along?" Ana asked, changing the subject. "X-Con, right?"

"Slow, but every company has it's dormant periods." Scott said.

"Say, Ana, you wouldn't happen to need security surveillance set up at your house now, would you?" Luis asked, squinting at her.

"Sorry, buddy, don't got a stable home yet. Although, I'll make sure to give you guys a call when I need alarms installed." Ana grinned.

Dave clicked his fingers. "You can get the friend discount."

"It's ten percent off." Kurt added.

"Cool." Ana laughed.

"Have you looked for a place?" Scott asked. He stood up from one end of the maze to pick up a few more materials to add for the game. "I noticed a few properties that were on sale in the neighbourhood. If you want, we could give you a tour. Well, the guys can give you a tour since I'm stuck inside." He offered. The three guys nodded along.

Ana sent them all a thankful smile, and brushed a piece of her short hair behind her ear. "That's very kind of you, but I'm hoping to find a place in Brooklyn. I was brought up in Queens mostly and I've got close friends who live around the area." She informed.

"Why Brooklyn?" Scott questioned.

"The guy that I'm with... he's from there originally and I thought it'd be nice if he goes back to his roots. When he can, that is. We're still not sure when it will be safe." Ana told him.

"The metal armed guy? Cap's friend?" Scott gave her a small smile.

"Bucky. Yeah..." Ana returned it halfheartedly.

"How is he?" Scott asked, genuinely curious to know how Bucky was since the airport mishap.

"He's healed. Mostly, anyway." Ana answered softly.

Scott nodded once. He reached behind him and raised his can of soda, and made a small toast. "Here's to finding a place in Brooklyn and living out the rest of your days with the metal armed dude." Luis, Dave, Kurt and Ana followed, lifting their drinks.

"Here, here!" The guys cheered.

"Here, here." Ana smiled, and took a sip of her cool soda.

"Dad?"

Cassie Lang clambered up the stairs that lead to the attic, barreling through the door still with her school backpack on her shoulders. She stopped at the threshold, eyes wide when she realised who else was in the room. Ana finished off the last of the maze and caught her eye, before sending the star-struck kid a charming smile.

"You're one of Dad's Avenger friends." Cassie stated, moving forward. "The Warrior."

Scott glanced at Ana. "She's a bit of a fan of the Avengers. And you."

Ana was surprised by that, and stood up, reaching down to brush the dust from her knees. "Hey, Cassie. My name's Ana, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Ana knelt in front of Cassie and smiled warmly at the young girl, extending her hand out for her to take. Cassie took it and shook their hands slowly.

"It's nice to meet you too." Cassie beamed up at her. "Are you here to save my Dad from the men in suits?" She then asked, putting Ana in a difficult position. She looked back at Scott who raised his hands dismissively.