The Shadow~ Peter Parker

Chapter 5

Steve and I had been staying with Tony for a while, we weren't the only ones who did though Thor and Bruce stayed here as well, Natasha occasionally dropped in as well I was glad about that, because I like Natasha.

They'd gone on a mission earlier and after what happened last time Steve didn't let me go, not that I blamed him I didn't even want to go, I liked staying here, there was lots to do, I'd been training and practicing with my powers my healing had become a bit weak after the whole coma thing and so it was hard to practice that power but I made do.

It was a bit boring waiting for them to return, it was sad to say but they were my only friends they were the only people I spoke to. When they finally arrived I saw that Clint was injured I followed everyone else into the medical room where the doctor was fixing him up, "are you ok?" I ask him worried as I take a seat beside Nat, "I'll be fine kiddo." He grins making me nod. Natasha was talking to me about things I had missed out on since the 40s, Tony and Nat liked to educate me on the modern world and I loved hearing about all these new things.

"I could heal you." I offer Nat who has a small scratch on her head, she shakes her head. "Sorry kid but after last time we don't wanna risk it." I understood that they were worried about me but it was just a scratch I could handle it. "But I've been practicing, I can do it just fine, I've healed way worse than this." I tell her, "practicing? How have you been practicing?" I shrug "just small things." I tell her and hop of my stool ready to leave but she quickly grabbed onto my arm to stop me. I look down at my arm tightly in her grip, I couldn't teleport away if someone was holding me otherwise I'd just take them with me. I still had to learn how to teleport without taking the person.

"Practicing how?" She repeats as Tony walks into the room, "what's going on?" He questions, reading the room, "don't tell Steve." I beg knowing that I wouldn't be able to keep it from Nat. She looks into my eyes and then pulls my sleeve up to reveal the scars from my practice sessions, I hear the gasps as she drops my arm. "Please don't tell Steve." I beg again, pulling my sleeve back down, not having received a response.

"Tell me what?" Steve asks walking into the room and noticing us all in our rigid stances. Nobody answers everyone avoiding his and my eye. "What's going on." I look down there was no point in hiding it now. "Don't get mad." I start of, "why would I get mad?" He questions with a confused smile, I take a breath and pull my sleeves up. He doesn't say anything at first instead only stepping forward and taking my scarred arms into his hands. "They're not all from me." I try and defend myself, "why would you do this Lillian?" He asks me beyond confused, "I was practicing my healing and I got it back to normal , it's actually better than before, these scars are only from when I first started but it's ok they'll go." I tell him in a light tone to try and make it less serious, "it's not ok, how long have you been doing this?" He asks dropping my arms, "months, I don't know ever since I came out the hospital." I shrug watching him shake his head.

"It's not a big deal Steve, most of the scars aren't even from me, they're from before." I try and downplay it, but he storms out of the room and goes in the direction of mine my eyes widen knowing he would not be happy if he found what I'd been hiding in there. "Wait Steve." I run after him but it's futile because if I teleport there he'll just know that I was hiding something.

The rest of the team sans Clint join me waiting for him to come back, "you've been shooting yourself?" Steve asks me in disbelief bringing the weapons I had hidden in my room, "only three times." I tell him quietly watching his eyes widen, "only three?" I look down at his tone, "I'm sorry Steve but-"

"No buts Lillian you shouldn't be injuring yourself on purpose what if one day you hit something important, what if you ended up killing yourself?" I don't know what to say, I knew that I shouldn't have done it but I couldn't help it, being weak was not ok at Hydra they would've done worse to me.

"I'm sorry I was just scared." His eyebrows furrow, "scared of what?" He asks crouching in front of me, "it's just a bad habit, at hydra they would do worse to me to make my powers stronger, being weak there it- it wasn't good." He sighs, "Lily you're not at hydra anymore ok? You're here with me and you're safe, you have no need to be scared ok, you shouldn't have to worry about such things you're a kid and you have plenty of time to improve your powers, no more practicing on yourself ok?" I nod, and he pulls me into a hug, "I'm sorry." I whisper not liking that he was mad at me, "I'm not mad at you Lils I'm just worried, I love you so much and I don't want to lose you again." He tells me kissing my head to reassure me.