From the Shadows | PETER PARKER [2]

| 19 |

In the absence of training every day after school, Eloise, Alev, Elena, and Lucy get meet up at the 24/7 library about every other evening to study. There's only a month left of their Junior year, so they need to be prepared for second semester finals. Sometimes when Peter's on patrol as Spider-Man he spots Eloise walking by herself and walks her home. She assures him every time that she has powers that would protect her, but he brushes it off and says that it's a slow night anyways, and besides, he enjoys her company.

Studying with her friends is, in short, uncomfortable. After Eloise's little outburst the other day about the new hero, Lucy has been treading lightly around her. Lucy doesn't say anything to Eloise unless it's something about the study material. Eloise is kind of glad, though—she doesn't think she could handle Lucy saying anything about superheroes again. Elena and Alev notice the tension but they don't push it.

The tension in the friend group doesn't help with the personal issues that each of the girls seem to be facing. Eloise is dealing with the super hero stuff, Elena is trying to stay as sane as a teenage girl can while living in a house full of rowdy siblings, Lucy has her struggles with keeping a job while keeping up her grades, and  Alev's mother has fallen ill once again. Through it all, the girls study and forget about their problems for the short period of time they share in the library.

Eloise's wound is healing nicely. She's due for a check with Bruce, so after school one day Bucky comes to pick her up and bring her to the facility. She has been to the facility so many times that she has the route memorized. It takes about an hour to get there, and once they arrive, Eloise practically jumps out of the truck. Bucky laughs at her excitement.

Eloise glances at him behind her as she walks up to the front doors. "Do you think Bruce will clear me to start training again?"

"Maybe," Bucky replies. When he catches up to Eloise waiting at the locked doors, he presses his thumb into the fingerprint lock and the doors make a click.

Eloise leads the way to the medical wing of the building. She finds Bruce in his lab and knocks on the open door. He jumps, turning around and smiling when he sees the girl.

"Hey, how've you been?" He asks casually as he closes something on the holographic computer in front of him and turns.

Bucky comes up behind Eloise as she answers, "Better than ever."

Bruce has Eloise sit on a lab table and asks her questions as he examines the wound. It still hurts when she twists her torso or bends over, but other than that, there are no other issues. Thanks to the Avengers' technology, she is almost completely healed. She doesn't even need to bandage it up any more.

"So . . ." Eloise starts, her eyes hopeful. "Can I start training again?"

Bruce pulls a face, and Eloise's hope flatlines. He turns and tosses her old bandage in the trash and takes off his glasses. "I mean, you're not one-hundred-percent healed yet, so I would advise against doing much physical activity."

"What if I take it easy?" She suggests.

Bruce struggles for an answer before sighing. "I'm sure that'd be fine." He glances up at Bucky. "Don't let her go overboard."

"I won't." Bucky gives Eloise a look. She rolls her eyes playfully. Bucky smiles and looks back at Bruce, asking, "So when do you think she'll be completely healed?"