That saturday the whole decathlon team was waiting to get on the bus. Because I was new, and I never had participated in a competition and it were the Nationals I was made an alternate. But I was still excited I got to go and I got to wear one of those cool yellow jackets.
Ned, Abe and I were talking about the history assignment I had to hand in the next week when Peter finally showed up.
" Hey, it's Peter." Liz said making the rest look in his direction.
" Guys." he greeted everyone.
" Peter?" Ned couldn't believe he actually came
" Hey, buddy." he said to his best friend. It was a big deal that he had decided to leave Queens, he always wanted to be ready if something happened.
" I was hoping I could rejoin the team." Peter said.
" No, no way. You can't quit on us" Flash started " then stroll up and be welcomed back by everyone."
At that moment Mr. Harrington came out of the bus and was delighted to see Peter again " Hey, welcome back! Flash, you're back to first alternate."
" What?" Flash asked confused.
" He's taking your place." Harrington explained. His face was priceless.
Michelle spoke up " Excuse me, can we go already? I was hoping to get in some protesting in front of an embassy before dinner." She was a peculiar girl.
" Protesting is patriotic. Let's get on the bus." Mr Harrington said.
While getting on the bus I whispered to Ned and Peter " Thank god, now I don't have to eat my shoe." which made them snicker.
The whole way to DC Liz made us quiz. There were all kinds of topics, the moons of Saturn, The second law of thermodynamics.
" Strontium, barium, vibranium." Peter answered a question.
"Very good, Peter. Glad to have you back." she glanced at him.
"Glad to be back." he smiled. Wait, did he like her? I felt a small pit form in my stomach. Why would I care? I didn't like him, did I? I mean, he was nice, and funny, and handsome. Oh god, I had a crush on Peter Parker.
" What is the current standard unit of-- ? " Peter's phone went off. He went to sit down to the side of me and Ned and picked up.
" Hello... Tracker. Yeah, it's just a school trip. It's nothing. I gotta say, tracking me without my permission... Look, it's just the Academic Decathlon. It's no big deal... And besides, Odette is here as well... Bye." He whispered the bit about me, making sure Ned couldn't hear it.
I had to make sure my watch wasn't being tracked by Happy as well. That's the first thing I did when we arrived in the hotel and I got into my room. I locked my door, put on the suit and started checking my system. Nothing.
When some time had past I decided to go to Ned and Peter's room.
" Who is it?" I heard Ned ask from the other side of the door.
" Odette, can I come in?" I asked him.
" Euhm, we're kinda..." he began but Peter said something and he changed his mind " come in." He opened the door for me
" Thank you." I said walking in.
" How does she know?" he asked Peter confused. Which made me smile.
" She's euhm..." Peter struggled trying to explain. So I decided to help him out " Odette Stark, nice to meet you." I said holding out my hand to Ned.
He looked at it, then at me, and then it hit him. " Stark? As in Tony Stark? Iron-Man?" he asked excited. I nodded and he shook my hand " I can't believe I'm friends with Tony Stark's daughter." he smiled " That means, oh god, you know all the Avengers? You know Captain America and The Flashlight?" I saw Peter smile from behind him.
" Oh yeah Flashlight and I are really close." I told him.
" So you know who she is? You actually know what she looks like?"
I smiled " Sure do."
" How old is she? Is she like our age?" he went on.
" She's a year older than you guys." I told him. Maybe he would catch on.
" No way, that so cool. What is she like?"
Peter was holding in his laughter. " Euh she's pretty cool." I told him " She likes Star-Wars, Harry Potter, drawing, building things." He still didn't get it. Peter couldn't keep in his laughter anymore.
" What's wrong?" Ned asked him.
" It's her Ned," he said " She's The Flashlight!"
He turned around at me in shock. " No way! This is the best day ever. Flashlight and Spider-Man, in one room. My room." I know I probably shouldn't have told Ned, but he was my friend, I couldn't keep lying to him. And I was a 100 percent sure he wouldn't tell anyone.
We were waiting around looking at where the bad guys were driving. Ned was checking out Peter's suit. " There's a ton of other subsystems in here...but they're all disabled by the Training Wheels Protocol." he told Peter.
" What? 'Training Wheels Protocol'? Turn it off." Peter said looking at the screen.
" I don't think that's a good idea. They're blocked for a reason." Ned disagreed with Pete's choice.
" Come on, man, I don't need training wheels. I'm sick of him treating me like a kid all the time. it's not cool." he whined jumping on one of the beds. Which actually made him look like a kid.
" But you are a kid." Ned argued.
" A kid who can stop a bus with his bare hands." Peter argued back.
" Peter, I just don't think this is a great idea. I mean, what if this is illegal?" Ned tried.
But I interrupted him " Oh believe me, it's not. He tried to do it to me once. I just enabled everything." Ned looked like he was considering it.
" Look, please. This is my chance to prove myself. I can handle it. Ned, come on. -"
" -I don't think this is a good idea."
" The guy in the chair." Peter tried to persuade him.
" Don't do that." he said.
" Come on." was the last Peter said, and he enabled it.
When we thought everyone would be asleep Peter was ready to sneak out.
" The glowy thing, it's evidence. Keep it safe." he told the both of us "All right?"
" Okay." we both said.
" Okay." he nodded putting on a hoodie over his suit.
" They're moving." Ned told him.
" Be careful." I said before he walked out. Now we just had to wait for Peter to come back.
Ned and I decided to watch some television, Liz came to ask if we wanted to go for a swim, but we declined, we hadn't brought a swimsuit.
While we were watching Masterchef Ned spoke up " We learned about the Sokovia Accords this week." he told me not getting his eyes of the screen.
" What did you think?" I asked him also still watching Gordon Ramsay criticize a dish.
" It's pretty complicated. I get why you would sign it, but also why you wouldn't." I smiled a sad smile thinking back to the day Ross had made us decide.
" Yeah, it was pretty clear for me though." I told him.
" What side were you on?" Ned asked.
" Captain America." I told him.
He looked at me " You fought Peter??" he asked confused.
" He broke my arm." I said showing him my cast.
" No way." was his answer.
" Yes way."
" Wait, aren't you supposed to be a criminal then?" he then asked.
" Yeah." I confirmed his thought.
" So you are?" he was still confused.
"Yes."
" But you aren't in jail?" he asked me.
" I was on house arrest for two months." I told him " And I have to go for check-ups every week."
" That's so bad-ass... Do you know where Captain America is?" he then asked.
" Unfortunately, I don't." I told him "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." He smiled understanding.
We talked about the deserts the contestants were making. " Oh c'mon that moelleux looks ten times better than that crème brûlée." Ned criticized the judges choice.
" Are you serious? That Panna cotta looks mouthwatering." I couldn't believe how they hadn't chosen that one.
" What was the Battle of New York like?" he asked half an hour later.
" Mostly traumatic." I told him " But also, interesting."
" Interesting?" he asked.
" Yeah, I got my powers that day."
He looked confused " I thought your suit was your power."
I shook my head, that was what most people thought. " Loki used an infinity stone on me, so I can blast energy. But I prefer to use the suit, my powers tire me."
He nodded. " And what about Sokovia? The Winter Soldier, Lagos?" he asked. And for the rest of the night I told him stories about our battles. But I never spoke a word about my visions. I didn't want him to worry.