A F T E R G L O W - N W H「3」

N I N E

- NINE YEARS -

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

     Crying was like the last straw and knocking somebody out cold to an already exhausted person, Liz's tears driving her to pass out on her couch. She was drained in more ways than one, and the couple of hours she must've gotten did wonders.

She woke up to her phone buzzing on the coffee table beside her, the light from the screen making her eyes burn having been awake for no more than five seconds.

Noticing it was Peter, Liz picked it up and sat up straighter, the movement making her aware of the soreness in her back as she held the phone to her ear. "Peter, hey...Are you okay?" She asked through a yawn.

     "I'm doing as good as I can, I guess. But hey, I kind of have a favor to ask."

     She'd just woken up, this being the third or fourth time he's called her for help in the span of two days, and quite frankly, she was over it. However, she knew he wouldn't do it unless it was important, and knowing there were five bad guys roaming the streets of New York, she couldn't not help.

"Sure, what's up?" She sighed, standing up and looking out her window, the sun hadn't even come up yet, but at least it stopped raining.

     "I need a device from Stark Industries. It's gonna help me fix Max's drainer and you're my best bet at getting into that building undetected."

    And that's where he lost her..."You can't be serious."

     "I am very serious. Don't I sound serious?"

     "Peter, I was fired. I can't just waltz in there and take whatever I want like I own the place or something. Are you crazy?" She scolded.

     "Probably. I just really need this right now. I'll owe you for life. And I mean, like, forever."

     She closed her eyes and shook her head in dismay, the woman couldn't believe she was actually considering it. "Peter..."

    "Please. I can't do this without you." He insisted, and just like that, she was sold.

     "Fine. You owe me a years worth of chocolate ice cream, and I won't accept anything less."

    "That's fair." He chuckled. "Thank you so much."

     "Yeah, yeah, anytime." She brushed it off, throwing a sweatshirt over her shoulders and going to the sink in her kitchen to splash water on her face, the woman still in desperate need of a wake up.

    "I'll see you at the high school in an hour?"

     "Come on, I'm doing something really illegal right now. Give me at least two."

     He huffed, knowing he needed this and it would rightfully take a bit of time. "All right, two hours. I'll see you then."

❏❐❑❒

It was four o'clock in the morning and Elizabeth Pierce, known as miss Goody Two-Shoes, was sneaking into her old place of employment.