"You're telling me that you got Captain America-the War Hero, Steve Rogers-to become best friends with a thirteen-year-old kid? What, is this supposed to slowly introduce him to how irritating Generation Z is? Project Training Wheels or something?"
...
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Mornings were never quiet in New York City. The rush-hour traffic alone (and the road rage that accompanied it) would set a tourist into cardiac arrest if they got caught in the crossfire. The city was a rip current―the wrong place, at the wrong time, and anyone could be drowned in a sea of strangers. Lizzie always loved the anonymity, but she never needed it. There was never a reason before...or that could have been her naivety. Maybe she was always hiding because of her last name. Only now, she was old enough to understand who she was hiding from. That morning, she blended in with all of the early-risers; but unlike them, it was not an early rise for her. Just a late night.
When Lizzie returned home with Peter Parker escorting (babysitting) her after that day, there was no conversation on if her parents would be informed of the events. Lizzie bit back the memory the same way she did the cool January wind, sniffling her red nose and trying to duck her head further into her drawn hoodie. Running in the winter sucked. Even more now. Unconsciously, her right shoulder rolled, and with that reflex came the strange reminder there wasn't much of the right shoulder that was hers anymore. Bits and pieces of vibranium tickled the nerves still alive.
"I won't say anything," Peter muttered, because breaking the silence meant breaking her temporary peace. Lizzie, to his surprise, didn't flinch when he rested his hand on her right shoulder. Always on her right. "I...Happy's the only person I called..."
Peter Parker gave her a hug goodbye and squeezed tighter when she shuddered back a sob. Lizzie never told her parents, and Peter never brought it up again. Just like Peter never brought up the news being spread around school the day after Halloween that she got into a fight at a party with one of Elijah's teammates. He didn't ask for context, even when Ned pestered her with questions at the cafeteria table because of the black eye she had for two weeks. Her excuse was in defense of Taylor, who didn't seem as convinced. Lizzie wished that meant Peter stopped noticing, but just because he didn't say things, didn't mean he didn't know about them.
