"What the hell were you thinking?!" Jack shouted at his little sister, his face almost as red as a tomato and smoke practically fuming from his ears like one of those Saturday morning cartoon characters. "Were you even thinking?" He added, taking another jab at Danielle. And all she could do was sit still and take the beating. She deserved it.

Danielle was currently seated in a bed back in med-bay waiting for Dr. Cho to come and check in on her for any wounds she may have gotten while out on the field as both a precaution as well as protocol.

Immediately after the... incident, Jack had practically dragged Danielle away from the horrific scene, having to push her and Wanda through back alleys before they came upon the hidden Quinjet – coincidentally just down the street from where Danielle had stashed her duffel bag and clothes she had brought with her.

After Steve, Sam, and Nat helped with what they could in clean up, they eventually returned to the jet and raced back to the Compound before things got out of control. Danielle didn't catch much of their chatter from where they spoke in the cockpit of the jet, but she heard the words like 'indictment', 'arrest', and 'jail' being thrown around and knew none of those were a good sign.

And now she was here, getting chewed out by her older brother, the rest of the team getting their own wounds checked over while also briefing multiple other agents and people in charge of clean up as well as press and politics. Even from within the confines of her small med-bay room, Danielle could clearly hear bustle going on in the halls and throughout the rest of the Compound.

Jack had suddenly began to pace back and forth just beside the foot of her bed, reaching his hands to his hair, ash and soot coming out as he brushed through it with his fingers. He let out a heavy sigh before taking a seat in a chair just beside the bed, his head hanging in between his legs as he asked in a low tone, "How did you even end up in Lagos? How did you even know we would be there?"

Danielle wasn't sure what to say. Would she tell him about the USB? She could trust her brother, she knew that... but why did she feel as though keeping it from him would've been best? "I... uh... Rhodey and Vision told me when I got here," she explained. It hadn't been a complete lie, they had let it slip where the team was when she arrived, but it also wasn't the complete truth. "It was after you sent me that article about the Peru attack," she added.

Jack's eyes met hers as his jaw clenched. His head fell back in between his legs and his hands gripped tight on his black suit's knee pads. "I didn't... I didn't send you that as an invitation to come put your life in danger, Danielle!" Her brother exploded again, jumping from his seat and glaring at her. "Do you realize what could've gone wrong – aside from the explosion?" She just stared at him. "One of Rumlow's goons could've gotten to you! Rumlow could've gotten to you! Don't you get that just because you have these powers, it doesn't make you invincible, Danielle. Roźalia. Harper!"

Danielle flinched at the way he spat her full name. He hardly ever used her complete name 'Danielle', now it was all three names. First, middle, and last, like they were curse words. First Peter, now Jack.

The tension in the room was so thick, Danielle was sure she could cut it with her tiny fingernail. That was until it all dissipated the moment a small knock interrupted the two siblings. The pair turned to the door and found none other than Dr. Cho standing in the doorway. Her white lab coat already pulled on as she held a clipboard in her hand. The woman looked between the set of siblings cautiously as she asked timidly, "Am I interrupting something?"

Jack turned from Cho to Danielle as he answered dryly, "No. I was just on my way out." Danielle bowed her head in shame as her brother left the room without so much as a 'goodbye'.

Dr. Cho gave Danielle a pointed look following Jack's swift exit from the room. "He doesn't seem too happy," she remarked as she walked to the side of Danielle's bed to take out the blood pressure monitor from the small drawer beside it. Cho gestured for Danielle to move her arm out, the teenage girl obliged with her head hanging low. "I heard what happened," Cho continued to speak as she wrapped the cuff around Danielle's arm. She began to squeeze the small air device attached to it, making it tighten more and more around Danielle's, stopping once it gave her a direct reading. "It's not your fault, you know. You or Wanda."

Danielle shook her head as Dr. Cho removed the cuff and set it aside. "You weren't there... I shouldn't have..." Danielle trailed off. "I shouldn't have been there."

Cho had finished taking Danielle's blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and height, all while Danielle remained completely silent the rest of the check up. "Is there anything that hurts? Bruises? Cuts? Scars? A headache?" Dr. Cho asked before she left.

The brunette shrugged. "I'm kind of hungry..." she murmured.

Cho chuckled. "I'll see what I can find for you to eat before I release you back home." Danielle's head shot up at that. Sharon. She completely forgot about leaving Sharon to sneak off to Lagos. Oh, God, she was probably worried sick and she didn't even think twice about leaving her caretaker. Dr. Cho noticed the worried expression in Danielle's face and quickly assured her by adding, "Steve and Hill already called her and briefed her on the situation. She already knows everything."

Danielle nodded. "Thank you."

Dr. Cho smiled before making her exit from the room.

After the doctor had left, she returned several minutes later with a small tray of food consisting of a yogurt, some graham crackers, and a cup of hot chocolate she managed to snag from an agent in the lounge area a few floors below med-bay along with Danielle's infamous chicken she had snuck in from where Dani had left Quintin on her last trip to the Compound in Cho's lab. Danielle thanked her before she left once again.

To distract herself from the business and commotion outside, Danielle decided to play with her chicken, read some of her books that had been brought in by Cho, and click on the TV which was now showing the news.

The small jingle and introductions began to play as the WHIH Newsfront logo appeared and faded to show the blonde anchorwoman whose name was given at the bottom of the screen. "It's been several hours since the incident in Lagos, Nigeria; information is sparse and the full extent of the damage still unknown," she began. "Newsfront correspondent, Jackson Norris arrived in Lagos moments ago and he joins us now. Jackson?"

"Christine?" A static-y voice responded from an unseen source images of a city map of Lagos appeared on screen as well as a photo of the correspondent speaking. Danielle wondered how bad it was. How many people were hurt, all the damage she was responsible for. She stayed silent and listened intently as she stroked Quintin's feathers. "I'm a few yards away from where the conflict took place. It's still chaotic, several witnesses are confirming that members of the Avengers and unknown combatants were here at the time."

So – Danielle thought to herself – they had seen the team... meaning, they also saw her. This was the first time she'd ever been out as Eris in public, especially THIS public. Se was out in the open, the sun shining bright on her. Se wondered if anyone she knew would recognize her. Even the smallest glance at her short hair or even just her eyes that peeked out behind that golden mask might give her away to her friends at school or just normal everyday people she noticed on the streets. Jack was right... She hadn't been thinking about the consequences at all.

"Now, Jackson, which Avengers were there exactly? Tony Stark?" Christine – the news anchor lady – asked, bringing Danielle's attention back to the broadcast as the static-y voice of Jackson Norris returned.

"Captain Rogers' involvement has been mentioned and corroborated," he replied as news footage of Steve from the incident appeared on screen. Danielle stiffened at the sight. She could see him so clearly... What if they got images of her? "Some accounts indicate Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff along with Jackson Harper and the unidentified hero from Sokovia, otherwise known as Eris, have been spotted-" Dani sat up straight in her bed as many images appeared. One was of Sam, the other of Natasha, and the final of Jack. They all seemed to be older pictures, not of the exact incident, but thankfully none of her. Danielle let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.

Before Danielle had another heart attack, she quickly grabbed the remote to shut off the television. After the screen went black, she glanced down at her phone on the desk nearby. She hadn't touched the thing since she had first vanished from school after Decathlon practice that afternoon... Decathlon practice... Decathlon!

"Oh my God," Danielle gasped as she sprung from the bed – Quintin squawking in protest after being carelessly tossed aside on the bed – and quickly grabbing her phone charger to turn the device on. After a minute of quick charging, the phone finally turned on to reveal two missed calls from Michelle. "Crap..."

Danielle ignored the calls to check on her calendar. Sure enough, there it was: the Academic Decathlon State Competition, being held that Saturday. How was she supposed to make it? It was already Friday, coming up on Saturday due to the fact that it was almost midnight, and there was no way in hell that Steve, Wanda, or Jack would ever let her leave the Compound unless it was to remain on lockdown back at Sharon's apartment.

She couldn't just ditch the Competition all together. People were counting on her, her friends were counting on her. Liz, Peter, Michelle, Cindy, Sally, Ned – everyone on the team. And after everything that had happened these past few months between them? She didn't want what happened with soccer to happen with Decathlon, she didn't want this grief, fear, and anger to rule over her life like it had with Rumlow – and how great THAT turned out.

But now it was no longer a question of if she was going to make it, but how?

It was dark. The halls in med-bay were empty and the only light provided was from the windows where the sunlight was just beginning to seep through as it rose.

Danielle had been waiting for hours to get this chance, when most of the agents were either resting, preparing for work, or starting to get to their work stations. She wasn't quite sure where the rest of the team was, but she doubted any of the, would stay stuck in a room all day long, meaning they were most likely still somewhere in the Compound cleaning up the mess her and Wanda had made.

By the time seven o'clock came around, Dani slowly slipped out from her room wearing her navy blue hoodie, some dark jeans, and her red Converse tennis shoes. She had to leave Quintin behind in the room to make sure he didn't make any sounds and give her away, but she'd left him a bag of crushed pretzels she'd gotten another doctor to buy her from the vending machine and promised him she'd be back by that night.

After sneaking her way through med-bay and teleporting back to her room a floor above, she managed to quietly pack up her bags of the essentials: her notebook, a pen, her phone charger, her phone, some earbuds, and a few dollars – just in case. Just as Danielle had zipped up her things and was on her way out the door, she caught sight of the laptop sitting on her old barren desk in the corner of the room. Suddenly, the small USB drive stuffed in her back pocket felt like a hundred pounds and she realized that it might've been a good idea to bring it just in case.

But... why? Why was she so compelled to take it? She wasn't about to scroll through sensitive, classified, and valuable files on HYDRA operatives and operations in the middle of a High School Academic Decathlon Competition, so why bother bringing it? Then it hit her — to keep it from anyone else.

Ever since lying to Jack about ending up in Lagos, Danielle had this small voice in the back of her head that whispered each time the subject of the USB drive came up to hide it. It was odd and weird keeping something so valuable and important from her brother. Her brother that she'd known her whole life, and looked up to, and loved, and cared for. And now, what? She was supposed to lie to his face and keep something like this from him?

But, once again, that little voice – that sounded a lot more like her mother than Dani cared to admit – somehow convinced her that this USB was to be kept secret, and to not trust anyone.

Without hesitating any longer, Danielle quickly grabbed her laptop and shoved it into her backpack. She zipped it back up and paused at the door of her room, glancing back at it all like it would be the last time she'd visit despite the fact that she knew she would be back. She would be back...

Danielle took one last glance of the room before vanishing from the Compound completely, only to reappear back in the apartment her and Sharon shared.

When she arrived, it was quiet. Danielle set down her bag of things at the front door before slowly making her way down the hall. She was headed to her room to grab her uniform, when she stopped halfway there to catch a glimpse of Sharon sleeping in her own room.

With guilt driving her actions, Danielle went against her gut and entered the room. The blonde lying on the bed had her hair covering parts of her face, but Danielle could still clearly see the bags beneath her eyes from lack of sleep. Not to mention, the TV remote lying at her feet and her phone set just beside her pillow. She was worried... Because of Danielle.

The brunette closed her eyes and tried not to think of all the pain she'd caused everyone as she broke away from Sharon's room to head down to her own. She quickly scavenged through her closet and got out her short black skirt, her dark blue blouse, all-black Timbs boots, and her yellow Midtown Decathlon Team blazer Mr. Harrington had given to her all that time ago. Just as she was leaving, Danielle remembered to quickly grab the thick-rimmed glasses she always kept on her nightstand.

She took them in her hand and glanced down at them. They were her lucky charm, always had been since Steve had first given them to her before her first day at school. It felt like a lifetime ago, when it reality it was nearly a year ago. How time flew by...

She wondered what he would think, how he felt after what had happened in Lagos. She already knew he had hoped for her to get better with her powers, especially with her out on the streets every night, but now, after everything? She was a disappointment...

Danielle sniffled and wiped away a rogue tear from her cheek she hadn't even realized had fallen before shoving the glasses in her hoodie pocket and rushing out of the room with her stuff to grab her bag from the front door. Once again, stopping at the door to look around at the empty apartment that was slowly being lit up by the sun's light seeping in through the blinds. Sharon would be up soon, and so would the team getting ready to board the bus at Midtown High in a few minutes. It was time to go...

When Danielle finally arrived at the school, she was relieved to find that the bus parked out front hadn't left yet. In fact, the team was barely starting to board.

Mr. Harrington was standing beside the bus with a clipboard in hand. The rest of the team was standing to the side, talking amongst each other all dressed in their yellow blazers and semi-formal clothes with bags slung over their shoulders. As Danielle approached (already dressed in her proper attire after stopping by a public restroom in a corner store nearby), Michelle was the first to catch sight of her.

"Hey," the curly-haired girl called out to her, briefly glancing up from the book in her hand.

Mr. Harrington, along with other students, followed her gaze and caught sight f the approaching petite brunette. "Oh, hey, Miss West. Didn't expect to see you after yesterday's unexcused absence," he exclaimed.

Danielle shifted uncomfortably on the balms of her feet. She could feel all of her teams' eyes on her; Liz, Peter, Ned, Cindy, Sally... The teenage girl then reached into her pocket and pulled out the small slip Cho gave her (like she did ever other time she missed school for a medical emergency that required her clearance) and handed it to the teacher before her. "I, uh, got in a car accident," Danielle lied simply as Mr. Harrington read over the slip. "The doctors kept me over night just in case, but other than some cuts and bruises, I'm fine."

A few whispers began to erupt throughout the team as people shot her worried looks. "Oh my God," Sally was the first to speak up, much to Danielle's surprise. Last she checked, Sally, Cindy, and Liz all sort of hated her. "Thank goodness you're okay."

"Yeah," Cindy agreed. "I'm so sorry something like that happened to you."

"It's fine..." Danielle assured them in a soft tone as she awkwardly shuffled her feet, unsure how exactly to ready to her ex-friends worrying about her.

"A-are you sure you're okay, Danielle?" Liz asked, her eyes filled with genuine worry. "If you're not feeling good, it would be alright if you missed the State Competition."

Danielle gazed up into Liz's eyes and smiled softly before shaking her head. "I've missed a lot due to the complications in my life. I can't miss this one." Liz smiled back and Danielle felt her heart grow just a little more as the weight of the world was lifted oh-so-slightly from off her shoulders, knowing now that she had a chance at getting her friends back.

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Flash shouted, obnoxiously breaking up the heart-felt moment. "Let's go!"

Everyone cheered as Mr. Harrington spoke up, "Oh, yeah. Flash, you just reminded me: you're back to Alternate now that Danielle is back." Everyone on the team snickered as the large grin on Flash's face quickly dissolved into a look of utter disbelief. Danielle tried to hide her small smile, but failed the moment Mr. Harrington brushed it off like it was nothing and continued to take roll as the team boarded the bus.

As they all climbed aboard, Danielle found herself seated next to Michelle, just like old times– despite the fact that Regional Competition was a few months ago, it still felt like a year ago. The silent and over-analytic girl beside Danielle had already began to scan her every move the minute she sat down, unbeknownst to Danielle who was focused on something playing on the bus radio station.

"... Breaking News in from Washington. We now go live to the White House where President Ellis is speaking-" Danielle, along with Michelle and a few other students on the bus tuned into what was going on. Dani immediately recognized the voice on the radio station as the woman from WHiH Newsfront, the station she had been watching on TV when she first got back from Lagos a few days ago. The enhanced girl hadn't expected the situation t die down after a few days, but she hadn't expected it to get so big that the Commander and Chief of the country got involved.

"Hey, be quiet," Cindy shushed everyone else in the bus as she leaned forward in her sear to listen. "It's about the Avengers thing in Africa," she exclaimed.

"Hey, can you turn it up please?" Michelle asked the bus driver a few feet away from where her and Danielle sat. The bus driver obliged and Danielle was able to listen carefully to what the President had to say, but the real question was, did she really want to?

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I've just been briefed on the developing situation in Lagos, Nigeria," the President began. "Secretary Ross has contacted their President and assured him that we will do whatever it takes to support our friend and ally."

Secretary Ross? Why had that name sounded familiar to Danielle?

Michelle picked up on her friend's confused face and explained, "He's the Secretary of State. He's known for attempting to take down the Hulk a couple years ago. Apparently. He's an expert on handling 'the Enhanced'."

Danielle frowned at that, but tried not to linger on the label to much as the President continued. "It is crucial that we unite and stand together to ensure that peace and security prevail over chaos and fear. In the coming days, my Administration will work directly with the United Nations to find the people responsible for this catastrophe and hold them accountable to the full extent of the law."

Danielle unintentionally shuddered. Was that her? Wanda? Jack? Steve? Was she responsible for this? Partially, of course. But would she be prosecuted or extradited or put in jail – like Natasha had been saying on the jet ride back to the Compound? And all for what? A few milliseconds of satisfaction of being able to put her mother's killer in a grave... or – more accurately – a building.

"With courage and with compassion, the international community will help support Lagos during their time of need. Thank you, and may God bless," the President concluded and the static of the normal radio station returned.

Once the broadcast was finished, a murmur spread across the bus seats as everyone began to speak at once. "The Avengers should just be thrown in jail," Flash exclaimed. "My Dad says they're just making these messes so they can get more loans from the government to 'clean them up', when really they just use it to pimp out their secret base or Tony Stark's new car." He scoffed and puffed out his chest as he crossed his arms.

"Sure, let's throw the only protection we have from enhanced beings in jail," Cindy added, her voice dripping in sarcasm as she looked up at Flash from over the back of her and Liz's seat.

"Yeah," Abe chimed in. "Then, next time aliens attack, we can send Flash to save us!" The entire bus bellowed in laughter, but Flash just frowned.

"I think that the Avengers were just doing their job," Liz exclaimed as the voice of reason in the chaotic bus. "I mean, we don't know the whole story. Something went wrong, do you really think the people who vowed to save us would intentionally blow up a building full of people?"

"If they were that desperate for money – sure!" Flash shouted. Peter rolled his eyes from the seat behind him, mumbling something unheard under his breath. No one else seemed to hear it, but Flash had. His head sun around as he glared down at Peter and asked, "You got something to say, Penis Parker?"

Mr. Harrington looked up from the book in his hands as he scolded the teenage boy, "Thompson, language."

"Yes, sir..." Flash mumbled, his eyes still trained on Peter. "What? Say what you want to say, Parker."

Peter glanced around, noticing all eyes on him. He panicked momentarily before his eyes landed on Danielle's. She'd remained silent since the broadcast first begun, and Peter could tell by the way her hands were balled up in her lap and the way she tried to hide her face behind her bangs that something was wrong with her. He wanted so badly to ask what was bothering her just like he sued to when he saw her on the subway, or the library, or at school in the hall, or at lunch, or anywhere they saw each other really.

But... she couldn't have that with people apparently. She was too big of a mystery that Peter just couldn't help himself from trying to piece together. And each time her got closer, it was like ten hundred more pieces of the puzzle were added and he'd never get the full picture.

Low, here he was, staring face to face with her from cross the bus, all eyes on him, expecting him to say something on a topic he!: rather on not discuss n enhanced individuals. Ugh... But here went nothing.

Peter cleared his throat before speaking up for everyone in the bus to hear him. "If anyone should be held accountable for the explosion, it should be the person who pulled the trigger. Last I checked, that wasn't the Avengers." The rest of the team hummed in agreement.

But while the debate went along, there remained a single silent person seated in the front, her eyes still trained on the silent radio a few feet away, still stunned by the broadcast and everything that was happening all so fast.

Danielle probably shouldn't have left the Compound. Who knew what Steve and the res of the team was having to go through, and now her disappearance adding onto it? Then again, she doubted they trusted her after Lagos, they probably wouldn't even notice her missing from her 'cell'.

"Hey," Michelle's voice abruptly broke apart Danielle's inner turmoil as she snapped back to the present time in the bus. "Is that... ash?" Danielle felt her body tense as Michelle narrowed her eyes and began to pull a small piece of ash from out of Danielle's short locks of hair.

"Uh..." Danielle trailed off. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? She could've sworn she had washed out all the ash and soot from the explosion out of her hair while in the shower the day before. "I, um, it came from the car crash," she stammered. "I guess I didn't wash my hair as good as I thought."

Michelle raised an eyebrow. "Did the car you were in catch on fire, or something? If so, where are all your cuts and bruises you said you got?"

"Um, I- uh-" Danielle thought she was made until Michelle suddenly broke out into a small chuckle.

"I'm just screwing with you, West," she exclaimed as she turned her attention back to the book in her hand. "I don't actually care."

Danielle had to refrain from letting out a heavy sigh, afraid it would give away the fact that she was hiding something. "Oh," she said simply. "Okay."

The rest of the trip to Albany remained the same. Flash, Cindy, Sally, Abe, Liz, Charles, and occasionally Michelle, would start up a heated debate about politics, pop culture, or sometimes something as dumb as how many licks it actually took to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop (Ned was absolutely certain it took two hundred sixty five). Mr. Harrington sometimes chimed in when things got a little too heated or just to throw in a comment about his recent divorce, while Danielle and Peter remained silent on either side of the bus.

Danielle, too busy trying to distract herself by reciting the individual notes of Chopin's 'Funeral March' on her left hand then right hand while listening to Lana Del Rey on her earphones, didn't notice Peter a few seats behind her distracted himself. Only, her distraction and his distraction were both seperate things entirely. While she tried to forget about being the cause of dozens of deaths in Africa, Perer tried to distract himself on anything but Danielle.

He groaned slightly as he laid his head on the back of his seat and looked out the window at the passing forests of Northern New York. Everytime he thought Danielle would stop being a complicated and mysterious, she had to go and get herself into danger. He knew he saw her vanish from outside the soccer field, and he freaked out for days until she returned saying all it was was some 'car accident'. God, why didn't she just tell the truth? What was the truth? Did he fen really want to know?

All Peter knew was that he just wanted his old friend back... Safe and alive and not so secretive. He just wanted to help her. But, it wasn't like he could save everyone, as both Peter Parker or Spider-man.

With that thought, Peter absent mindedly pressed his fingers to his wrist underneath the cuff of his blazer and flannel button up where his web-shooters stay attached to him at all times. As if they were a reminder of who he was and what he stood for. And the Ine person he couldn't save, always only a few feet away and at the same time an entire world away.

When the team finally arrived in Albany, the bus took them all the way to a large hotel where they were hosting the Competition.

Mr. Harrington called roll as everyone climbed off the bus one by one. Michelle and Danielle stood side by side, paying little attention to their names being called as they took it all in. The Capital of the State of New York, a large expensive-looking hotel venue, all the other teams around them entering, and just the weight of it all finally dawning on them. This was it, this was the State Competiton.

Danielle took a deep breath, pushing everything to the side just for now. She knew the guilt of what had happened in Lagos a few days ago would always haunt her, but for the sake of her friends. She had to focus on this Competition. It was selfish, but it was what they deserved after all this time.

"Alright, guys," Liz began as everyone gathered around outside the hotel. "The Competition doesn't start for thirty minutes, which means start studying. We brought the drill books, the bells. We can run some practice rounds really quickly if anyone needs them..." Liz's voice turned into white noise as Danielle paid more attention to everyone around her. All these people from all the way around the state coming to compete against her team. She could do this. This was alright, this was okay. If she could go up against murderous robots, she could do this.

"Alright, Midtown, let's do this!" Mr. Harrington cheered, promptly ending a short speech he had given (to which Danielle paid no attention to) before leading everyone inside.

Ned, beside him, shouting out, "Yeah, let's go kick some ass!"

"Leeds, language," Harrington scolded as they entered.

"Sorry, Mr. Harrington," Ned apologized sheepishly.

It was like Danielle's first competition all over again. She stared out in awe at everything, feeling so underdressed in her skirt, Converse tennis shoes, and Lana Del Rey t-shirt. Her yellow blazer making her stick out like a sore thumb amongst the other teams who wore color-coordinated suits and ties. She felt so out of place, and to make matters worse, she was competing against all these clean-cut people.

And just like deja vu occurring, Liz walked over to the brunette and smiled down at her. "You're nervous." It wasn't a question. "Remember what I told you at Regionals?"

Danielle pursed her lips and nodded. "'Appearance isn't everything' and to just 'focus on the Competiton and you'll be alright'." She quoted with a smile. "That felt like such a long time ago."

"Mhmm," Liz hummed in agreement. "Back before everything got... complicated with you."

Danielle frowned and bowed her head. "I'm really sorry, Liz. I know that sometimes I can be hectic or... weird. I'm not the best friend someone can have, and I can't always promise to be there all the time..."

Liz nodded. "You disappeared for weeks a few months ago. Sometimes it's weeks, sometimes it's days. We just... We never heard anything from you," she exclaimed. "We didn't want you to always be at our beck and call, Ellie, we just wanted to make sure you were okay and not totally blowing us off."

Danielle's head spun around so quickly it neary flew off her body. "Liz, I'd never ignore you," she stated. "You're... You were like one of my first friends I ever really had. I'm so sorry if it seemed that way."

Liz shook her head. "It's okay. Now I know, sometimes you just can't pick up the phone," she replied. "I get your life is hectic, but I'm in the wrong too. I shouldn't have pushed you away for something you couldn't control. And I'm sorry I was a terrible friend. I should've been there for you-"

Danielle suddenly cut the older girl off with a hug. "No," she muttered. "I should've been there for you."

Liz gave a watery chuckle as tears filled her eyes. She hugged Danielle back and after a few heart-felt moments both girls pulled away, laughing at the years streaming down their cheeks. "Let's just agree: no more silent treatments and no more abandoning friends, no matter where they are."

Danielle smiled and nodded. "I can do my best."

"Your best is always enough, Ellie," Liz replied with a grin. "Now, like Ned said earlier, let's go kick some ass." The taller brunette held her elbow out for Danielle to loop her arm through before they both walked back to the rest of the team as the competition started.

Hours after hours, session of competition after another, team after team. Midtown was finally in the top two by the end of the day. Danielle had worked her brain to the core, answering as much as she could along side Liz, Michelle, Peter, Ned, Sally, and Abe while the Alternates and Mr. Harrington gave support from the sidelines. And now with her friends back, Liz, Sally, and Cindy, Danielle felt even more confident they could win this.

Throughout the rest of the day, it all came down to the one competition. It was against a team from Northwestern New York. They were wearing all royal blue colored blazers and black dress pants. They looked intimidating, but Danielle knew from Liz not to let them get to her. She had studied, practiced, been through hell and back, and gone through most things normal kids her age couldn't even comprehend. She could do this.

"Just breathe," she whispered underneath her breath as she took a seat at the table in front of an audience propped onto a stage. The other team sitting at a second tale beside them.

"We've got this, guys," Liz told her fellow teammates seated around her. "Just focus." Danielle, despite her nerves feeling like they were about to explode, smiled and nodded as best she could. Breathe, she remembered.

Just then, the main guy on the podium a few yards from the stage stood up before them with multiple index cards. Here went nothing, Danielle thought as he held up the first one. "Question One," he began, kicking off the most intense Competiton Danielle had attended yet.

There were fifty-five questions in total and Danielle managed to answer a good chunk. Most concerning history, classical music, old pop culture, slight chemistry, advanced geography, government and economics, linguistics, and – surprisingly – Philosophy. By the time the fifty-fifth question came around, her brain felt numb, and her body felt as though it was ready to give up on her.

The opposing team was in the lead by only a few points and if they answered this one question, Midtown would win without a doubt. It all rested on this question. The one question that determined the fate of Midtown's Decathlon Team. Could they do it? Could Danielle?

"Question Fifty-Five," the announcer began. It all came down to this. No pressure. "Approximately how many keys are there on a standard full size piano keyboard?" Danielle nearly gasped and jumped with joy, but before she could, she slammed he realm int the bell in front of her. All eyes were on her as the announcer turned to face her. "Midtown?"

"Eighty-eight," she answered with the most confidence she could ever muster in her voice.

There was silence as the man glanced down at the index card in his hand. He smiled, looked up, and announced, "That is correct. And the winner of the Academic Decathlon State Championship is Midtown School of Science and Technology! Congratulations-!" The announcer probably said some more things along the lines of congratulations, but Danielle couldn't hear it as the crowd roared with applause and her teammates beside her jumped up and cheered with joy while Dani could all but remain frozen.

"You did it!"

"We did it!"

"Holy fucking shit, we actually won!"

"Language, Thompson!"

"We won!"

Danielle finally caught up with everything when Liz, Sally, and Cindy pulled her from her seat and brought her into a group hug. "You did it! We did it!" Cindy cheered as the trio jumped up and down.

"Oh my God," Danielle breathed in complete shock as it all dawned on her. "We actually won."

The girls laughed before the rest of the team ran over to join int the group hug and for once, Danielle actually set aside her grief and baggage to just enjoy a nice moment with her team. It wasn't what she deserved, but her friends did. And to see them all this happy, it made her believe there might actually be hope for her.

Back in Newport, Rhode Island, a mysterious man on a mission stood outside of the large three story home in a suburban neighborhood overlooking a beautiful cliff-side view of the Atlantic Ocean out across the horizon. It was a lovely home, the man had to admit. His wife and son would've loved it here... He hated it.

The man scowled at the house. He knew all about it, he'd read about it from the files he'd gotten from beating it out of a moving man that had been hired to help fill the house with bookshelves, a large grand piano, and some sofas. It was disgusting. The thought if a HYDRA agent, assassin, and murderer trying to live a normal life as if the blood of dozens weren't soaking their hands.

One HYDRA agent in particular he had been watching for sometime now: Allison Harper, otherwise known as The Silencer. Though, she was to be silent forever now that she was dead. It was good riddance for the world, he thought.

The man looked out into the house form the front lawn before walking up the walkway and into the open front door. Red flag number one, someone had been here.

The man paid no mind to the empty rooms, he knew where to look. He walked from throughout the open house until he found it, the basement door.

The man made his way down the stairs and flicked on the light. He'd read up on the housing blueprints and where The Silencer might've planted the piece she'd been gathering information on for months since her escape from Brock Rumlow. Yes, this man sure did know a lot about some murderous woman with a vengeance to avenge her husband and protect her freakish children. But he wasn't here for them, or even her really, all he wanted was what she knew. And what she knew rested in a single USB drive.

The man scavenged the empty basement until his eyes fell onto a crooked board in the floor. Aha. He kneeled down and opened the hole in the floor... Only to find it empty. Someone had been here before him. Someone had known about the USB already. But who? And how?

He hadn't planned for this. Almost a year of planning, and he hadn't planned for this. But he had planned a back up just in case, thankfully.

The man on a mission swiftly left the house the way he came, not bothering to shut any of the doors behind him as he exited and headed back to his rental car waiting for him on the sidewalk. Once he got inside his car, he pulled up the GPS on the dashboard and typed in a new address in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a long drive, but it will have been worth it in the end. After all, Baron Zemo had a mission to complete, and a promise to uphold...

A/N: It is here: the last chapter of the year. 2018 was rough, but I love and appreciate all of you guys who have roughed it out with me. You are all part of the reason I didn't just lay down and give up and wait for my inevitable death. So, yes, thank you and hope you all have a good New Year's celebration.

Anyway, lets summarize this: Dani is in deep shit with Jack, Liz, Sally, and Cindy are back to being friends again with Dani, Peter is still slightly obsessing over what the hell is going on with Dani, Dani wins State Championship for the team, Flash has a cursing problem, and Baron Zemo knows about Alice and the USB. But does he know about Dani...? We shall find out in coming chapters.

Right, questions to be answered:

One, how was Dani able to sneak out from the Compound without being detected: she's a fucking ninja. Hop off her dick. Two, how is Dani not breaking down after Lagos? She will... Eventually. Three, how did Zemo know about the house and about Alice. The same way he planted Brock back in Lagos to get the explosion to happen, he had been watching her. And four, who killed Alice? ... No comment, but this chapter does give you a hint, sorta.

Chapter Songs: Dog Days Are Over by Florence + the Machines and We'll Never Make It by Nico Collins.

Incorrect Quote of the Chapter:

Dani: *loses Peter in a crowd* Welp, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Dani: Star Trek is better than Star Wars!

Ned and Peter: *in the distance* WHAT THE FRICKITY FRICK DID YOU JUST FRICKING SAY?!

Dani: There they are.

Michelle: I'm fucking done.

[Another, cause fuck it, it's New Year's and I'm drunk off German Peach-flavored Schnopps]

Tony: Hey, kid, whatcha working on?

Peter: Just some poetry.

Tony: Oh yeah? Let me hear it.

Peter: *clears throat*

Peter: Heckity heck, someone snap my neck.

Tony: ...

Peter: ...

Tony: I'm calling Aunt May.

Peter: wAIT. nO!