the strongest avenger (2)

eighty four

Yesterday, I had slept for the rest of the day after calming down regarding Peter declining my phone call. I'm currently trying to figure out what to wear today.

The four of us are going out to lunch at a cafe near Midtown. Part of me wants to find a turtleneck to wear and cover up my wounds.

The other part of me wants to wear something that will show them though. To make Peter feel like an asshole.

That side of me won.

I'm currently wearing a black long sleeve shirt, the October air too chilly for short sleeves. The neckline scoops down to show the start of the teeth marks, them angry and red. I paired the outfit with a dark wash jean pant and some brown boots. My hair's tied up in a low bun, a few strands escaping, and I threw on minimal makeup.

It's not everyday that I go out with friends.

My body is still sore, my back hurting the most and then my chest a close second. My spine definitely is not fully healed, but the majority is because I'm able to move. Although, my right calf is numb to the touch, but that could be caused by a few things.

I grin as I find a parking spot right in front of the cafe, perfect. Probably the only good thing to happen this week.

I get out, slinging my small black purse over my shoulder and parking the car. Making my way inside, I'm met with a few stares and the scent of coffee and baked bread.

I hear the familiar loud laugh of Ned and gravitate towards the back, finding my friends in a cute little booth.

"Tal!" Ned gets up and tackles me in a hug, myself wincing at the sharp pain, but hugging him back.

"Hi Ned. I missed you."

"Missed you too." He says while stepping back.

I turn to MJ who waves from her seat, a rare smile on her face and then to Peter who stands and nears me. His eyes flick down to the red marks on my chest, his brows furrowing.

"What happened?" He mumbles as he pulls me into a hug.

"If you had answered your phone last night, and not declined me, you would've known." I can't keep the bitterness out of my tone.

He looks down at me, a frown on his face.

"We'll talk about it later." I say and then slide into the booth.

Peter comes next to me, but keeps a few inches between us.

"So, catch me up on everything. I want to know details. Debate club, sports, people...all that."

"Well, Jackson didn't blip, so he's in college now." MJ starts to explain. "Unfortunately, Flash is still with us. Betty too. Brad Davis is now in our class..."

"Who?" I ask, leaning forward slightly.

"He's this kid that cried and got nosebleeds all the time." Peter speaks up.

"But now he's totally ripped and really nice." Ned adds which makes me laugh a little.

"Yeah, it's weird." MJ says, her eyes dip down to my chest and I self consciously lean back, away from her gaze. "What happened there?"

Pursing my lips, I ponder over what to say. They all know about Hydra...so...

"We broke into a Hydra base a few days ago." Peter's head whips over to me, but I keep my gaze trained on MJ and Ned across from me. "Uh, that's it. Got caught in the cross hairs."

"Did anyone die?" Ned asks, himself halfway across the table.

"Almost. We were banged up, cause we only had five minutes to get out of the place before it blew up. And...well, we weren't far enough."