Press — Cardi B

The gathering crowd was frightening, to say the least. But when they only saw Lila emerge from the apartment building, and not Peter, the crowd lost interest. She still had some anonymity, though she didn't know how long that would last. She was mentally wondering about any social media accounts she had that weren't private, and remembered they all were anyway. But thoughts on privacy evaporated when she saw Ted Landry appear between two bystanders.

He saw her first, and marched over to her. She suddenly grew nauseous, even though Ted didn't look remotely angry. That didn't mean Lila could rest easy — he didn't express any particular emotion. It was Poker Face Ted, and that was something Lila never had to deal with. So, as the pair silently walked through the small lobby towards the elevators, Lila's heart raced with sheer nerves.

The elevator was smaller than the one she'd ridden down, she was sure of it. Either that or the silence was suffocating her. She'd give anything for a different reaction from her dad, but she also had no idea what to ask for. Anger? She'd avoid that if she could. Forgiveness? Thor knows she would need it, for all the lying that Ted was likely working through in his head.

"Dad—?"

Ted held up a hand, an unreadable mixture of emotions swirling around his eyes as he interrupted. "I just — let's talk about this inside, Lila."

Lila. Not Tulip, but not Delilah, either. It wasn't much to go by, given that her dad rarely used her full name, but at least he wasn't entirely detached from his emotions that he stuck to proper names. On the other hand, he made a concerted effort not to ever interrupt her, so this middle ground they found themselves on was completely foreign. And as the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival back to Peter's floor, Lila wished she could simply take the stairs back down and run out of Queens.

She led him down the hall and softly knocked at the door. She called out to Peter, letting him know it was her outside. She heard a slight scuffle, May calling out to someone before the door swung open to reveal Happy Hogan on the other side. He peered at Ted after seeing Lila, and nodded to the both of them to enter, double-checking behind them to fend off any invisible strangers that might have been there.

May greeted Ted first, standing up from the couch to invite him to sit. Ted obliged wordlessly, sitting on the edge of his seat, his posture upright but not rigid. Peter arrived from his room, thankfully with a pair of pants on to accompany his shirt, his hair combed and his expression nervous.

Nervous because as soon as he entered, Ted immediately appraised him. His eyes pierced through his very being, and Peter couldn't help but look like he wished to melt into the wall. Something in Ted's gaze softened, like he remembered Peter was only seventeen before he sighed heavily.

The television, which was muted but still showing the news, was what he gestured to. "They're saying you murdered somebody?"

"No, Dad, it's a lie—" One look over from Ted killed Lila's voice, the remnants of shame writhing in her throat.

Ted merely shook his head, "I'd like to hear from Peter, please, Lila."

"With all due respect, sir, it might be best if I started from the beginning," Peter answered, turning the television off and standing across from Ted. May had gone to the kitchen and returned with glasses of water, looking between them nervously. Happy was halfway through his glass of water before Lila was even handed one, apparently just as nervous as the rest of them. Peter continued, "And I'll need Lila's help to tell the whole thing."

A request, just a small one, but Ted nodded minutely. Lila pulled up a chair from the kitchen and shifted the other lounge chair in the living room to sit in front of Ted. She wished she could sit closer to Peter somehow, but she would just have to draw her strength from being next to him. Once they were both seated, Peter began to tell the truth.

The whole, unfiltered truth, starting from the very beginning fell past Peter's lips. He explained the spiders at Oscorp, and how he was only a freshman in high school when he got his powers. He dove into why he became Spider-Man in the first place, how Ben Parker pushed Peter to greatness, even in death.

That was the first time Ted showed any kind of emotion — a flicker of remembrance and grief flashed across his face at the mention of Ben. Ted knew Ben for several years through their volunteer work at F.E.A.S.T., and personally arranged the flowers for his funeral. Lila hadn't really heard Peter talk about Ben much after his death, but she knew he still carried it on his shoulders. Ted nodded in acknowledgement, and signaled for Peter to continue.

So he regaled the story of his first summer as Spider-Man. Dumpster diving for spare parts to build his first pair of web-shooters and the old goggles he'd specially crafted to help him see. A quick aside at Ted's confused expression explained some of Peter's powers, and how he saw so clearly it would sometimes be difficult to focus. He recalled sweating in his red and blue jumpsuit, and hiding scrapes and bruises from May that were the result of testing his swinging and strength.

Peter's smile grew fond when he got to Tony Stark. Sophomore year had started, and he arrived home to him and May conversing on the sofa. Tony had a black eye, fresh from fighting against Captain America. The memory of the two of them talking about his secret, the first time anyone confronted him about knowing what he tried so hard to keep to himself, was clear as day in Peter's story. And then they went to Berlin.

He kept those details brief, as they weren't really important, but he explained that his first upgraded suit arrived home with him from Germany. Stark technology was on his side, and that was when Peter's enemies started emerging from the shadows. All starting with Adrian Toomes.

As soon as Toomes was mentioned, Ted's interest piqued. And Peter started with Delmar's bodega, the first instance of Lila's involvement with Spider-Man. The armed robbery, the Chitauri-powered weaponry, and how they overlapped that evening and once more in Washington.

It was there that Peter's honesty really struck a chord with Lila. He spared absolutely zero details regarding his mistakes, didn't sugarcoat any of the story surrounding Lila hanging in the elevator shaft at the top of the Washington Monument. He owned up to every moment in front of his girlfriend's dad, displaying the character Lila found so endearing.

That was when Lila jumped into the story. "It was after that incident that I — I started piecing things together."

"You figured it out," Peter agreed.

Lila scoffed, "I didn't know you were Spider-Man. That took me completely by surprise."

"Wait," Peter looked over at her in confusion, "What did you think it was?"

"Your i-internship," She answered. "I th-thought you got hold of dangerous stuff at Stark Industries and were r-running around with it or something—"

"Okay," Ted silenced them both. "So, you found out after Washington? How—?"

"You went and got me soup," Lila explained. "And M-May had Peter drop off those cookies..." She was back on track, sharing how when Ted got back from getting her soup, they went to the greenhouse and studied the web solution's formula. Peter chimed in that Lila made amazing improvements, and she blushed furiously.

He continued along, explaining in short how he lost his suit after the Staten Island Ferry incident, how Tony went to visit Lila in the shop (Ted's eyes widened in surprise at this, and Lila scratched the back of her neck nervously), and explained how he took down Toomes in Coney Island.

He once again did not leave out how Toomes had sent someone after Lila, which was perhaps the first real reaction Ted gave. He let out a noise of disbelief, fear and confirmation all in his posture. Peter winced, swallowing harshly as Ted swiped a hand through his hair. He looked like he kept wanting to say something, but couldn't find the words.

So Lila asked Peter to carry on, which brought them all to the Blip. Peter's brief stint in space, fighting Thanos on an alien planet, then fighting him once more upstate was all touched on in about a minute. Peter also explained how he was present when Tony passed away, and how upon his return to the city, Lila was the first person besides his aunt to be there for him. She helped shoulder his grief all last year, rebuilding her greenhouse and establishing it as a safe house of sorts for him while he was out being Spider-Man.

This earned another noise from Ted. "So you're not alone there all the time."

"Well, I am most of the time. But if Peter needed extra webs or he got hurt and needed stitches, I was there—"

"Stitches?" Both Ted and Happy asked.

Lila's cheeks burned. "Um, y-yeah. Sometimes he can't reach the spots that n-need them, so..."

"Huh," Ted said, nodding along despite not looking like he quite believed it.

"Anyways, this last year was pretty quiet except — except for the Met Gala."

That was where Lila took over, she couldn't really stomach the thought of Peter having to explain what happened with Macendale almost two months ago. So she told the story, and she stayed honest, not leaving out many details. She told him about Doctor Strange, and the realm of N'Astirh, how a demon possessed Jason Macendale and fueled his violent rampage.

She even mentioned the library, and the diner where she was held. Ted blinked furiously, and Lila's stomach twisted seeing the tears start to fall down his face. But she kept going, explaining how both Peter and Strange took him down, and saved her life.

She left out the demon's spell and emotional torment from the story, there was absolutely no need to rub salt into the freshly open wound. And she figured Ted could put the pieces together. So she talked about her recovery, explaining that Macendale was the reason she'd been so much more anxious the past month or so, and that she'd been healing.

They paused when May handed Ted a tissue, who took it and wiped his eyes. He blew his nose, crumpling the tissue in his hands tightly, wringing them together out of stress or nerves or sadness, Lila wasn't sure. But then he drank his water, and nodded at Peter and Lila.

"So tell me about Europe, then, why this Mysterio is saying you attacked London."

The rest was over quickly, Quentin Beck posing as an inter-dimensional warrior, but was really a disgruntled Stark employee with an affinity for illusion technology. The drones were explained, as well as E.D.I.T.H. and Nick Fury. Venice, Prague, and finally London were all explained in heavier detail, the memories still fresh.

Which brought them back to about an hour ago, where the world was told of Peter Parker's secret and "misdeeds". Lila finished the story, for Peter still looked a little shocked and scared. She heavily emphasized his innocence, and how the clips of Peter's voice were cut and edited to say something that wasn't true. But E.D.I.T.H. could clear his name, the protocols and commands likely on a history log somewhere in her software.

A thick silence fell when the story was finished, and Ted sighed heavily. His eyes were alert, looking between the four others in the living room. His eyes finally settled on Lila.

"So, you're dating a vigilante." His voice was casual, but forced.

Lila sat back a little like the words slapped her. "I'm — I'm dating a hero, actually."

Ted just shook her head, "That's not how the law will see it."

"The law also wouldn't have let me open a bank account f-fifty years ago, so I'm open to different interpretations."

"A bank account won't put your life in danger, Delilah." Lila did wince that time, recognizing Ted's anger, but also knowing it was misplaced. "I mean, Jesus, what would your mother think?"

"Ted—" May tried, but Lila interrupted, standing up to sit next to her father.

When he looked at her, there was no anger in his eyes, just fear. And maybe exhaustion. She took his hand and was grateful he let her. Lila was so nervous, but she stared him dead in the eye and said, "If I knew about all of this a-and didn't do anything to help, then I can't help but think Mom would be really disappointed in me."

There was an unbearable silence that stuffed the room, and Ted slumped in resignation. He looked to his daughter, who stared back at him, and saw his wife staring back at him, too. Angelina was always braver than he was, but at that moment Ted understood that maybe their daughter was the bravest of them.

"I just..." He sighed again, looking around, his eyes finding Peter — who looked timid and nervous and a little sick, and Lila could tell her dad felt a little guilty making him feel any of those things. He looked over to May, and gestured to her. "There's no guidebook for when your daughter brings home a superhero. I mean — how are you okay with this?"

Lila got the feeling he needed to hear from another adult. And May was so damn sensible, Lila was eternally grateful she was on their side. May sighed, pushing her glasses further up her nose. "I'll be honest, at first I wasn't."

"What changed?"

May smiled, her warm brown eyes looking over at Lila. "Your daughter."

Lila recalled the brief and angry phone call where May berated her for allowing her nephew to do something entirely reckless. And when Lila raced over there and defended Peter to his aunt, well, the rest was history. May saw what Lila saw, and that was why she was on board. "I always told Peter to turn and run away from the things that were dangerous, especially after the first alien invasion all those years ago," May continued.

"And when I found out, I was so scared. I was just scared for my boy, but Lila reminded me that the Peter I raised fights for what's right. He fights for everyone. And knowing he had the ability to protect everyone and defend himself — what kind of parent would I be if I told him to turn and run anyway?"

Ted looked at Lila, and squeezed her hand tightly. He looked small, and Lila didn't know how to make him feel better. "I just can't lose you, too, Tulip. I can't — not like your mom, I won't survive." Lila gripped his hand even tighter than he did, like she was trying to remind him that she was still here, and she was strong.

"You're right, Ted," May added. "There is no guidebook on raising a superhero, or even what to do when your kid starts dating one, but..." She looked between Peter and Lila, a look in her eye that Lila couldn't quite read. "This is the part of parenting where you have to trust your kid to make their own decisions. You've got a fantastic daughter, Ted, and I'm so grateful someone like her chose Peter. She's got his back, and he has hers, isn't that all we want for them?"

Lila found herself looking at Peter, her heart squeezing at the kind words May spoke, and found Peter looking at her too. There was so much emotion still to work through, but Lila was ready for that work. It was like May said, she had Peter's back, and they faced too much to back down from this, too.

She just had to hope Ted would listen to May. It was more of a relief than Lila even expected to feel, knowing that she had nothing more to hide from her dad. The tiptoeing around the truth was a craft she'd begun to master, but she didn't like it. And she wouldn't ever have made Peter tell her dad just to appease her own conscience, either. So it was nice to at least have one positive outcome from all of this.

When she broke Peter's stare, she found that her dad had been looking at the both of them, too. He sighed one more time and stood, looking at Peter. Peter scrambled to his feet, ready to face whatever Ted was about to give him. He was not expecting Ted to hug him.

Ted wrapped Peter up in his arms and patted him on the back. He waited until Peter reciprocated, and pulled away after about fifteen seconds. Ted held him at arm's length and looked him in the eye. "Thank you, for protecting my daughter. For saving her life, and for prioritizing her safety."

Peter, to his credit, held his stare, and with equal seriousness replied, "Always."

Ted looked around at the group, the story having aged him beyond his years, and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not gonna pretend that I'm one-hundred percent understanding of this, but I trust Lila's judgment, so Tulip," He looked to Lika directly, and she straightened, "What's next?"

Lila's heart was soaring just watching her dad hug Peter. She had to blink a few times to bring her out of that cloud and back down to reality. The buzzing of the helicopters outside and people shouting were a great help in doing so. And luckily, what came next was something Lila had been chewing on at the same time this conversation had been occurring.

"That v-video will have to be turned — turned over to the authorities," Lila figured, and saw the others nod in agreement. "Peter's innocent of m-murder, but if Beck and whoever is still working for him got the jump on th-this, then..."

"Then they'll likely have sent over fake evidence to the authorities, too."

"Dad," Lila turned to Ted, and saw he was staring at her intently. "Did you call the guy whose — whose card I gave you? In Hell's Kitchen?"

Ted nodded in understanding, "Yeah. Do you think they'll take this on, Tulip?"

May and Peter and Happy looked confused as Lila continued, "Yes, their background is in p-public defense, I did a little research. We've got to fill him in on wh-what's going on and get their information for May."

"Public defense?" May asked, brows scrunched in confusion, "You think we'll need a lawyer for all of this?"

Lila had stood at this point and began to pace. Her mind was already past the point of the lawyer she'd met and was thinking about the actual case itself. "Peter's innocent," She pondered aloud, "But a lot of heavy h-hitters are involved when it c-comes to Spider-Man. Stark Industries, Nick Fury to name a — a couple.

"I think l-logistically, Peter's story holds up. And it's easily backed up by hard evidence, b-but you're going to need l-legal counsel on exactly what evidence will exonerate you."

"How much have you thought about this?" Peter asked, not really understanding how Lila could form a plan like this so quickly.

Lila shrugged, "Ever since I f-found out. I hoped this would never be a real — real scenario, but MJ always said to expect the worst. I guess it just rubbed off on me."

Peter nodded, "Right." Because he wasn't really sure what else to say.

"Peter signed the Sokovia Accords," Lila proceeded. "There are clauses that dissolved af-after Thanos that require direct g-government approval and process, so I think you're going to be just fine."

She paused, and Happy filled the silence she left behind. "But..."

"For everyone involved," Lila sighed, she knew she could handle what she was about to say. But she also knew that Peter had exceptional depth when it came to his guilt complex, and he might not feel the same as she did. "It's going to be a really long, grueling process."

"Everyone?" Peter asked her, his eyes looking worried. "Like — Like, everybody?"

"Everyone who kn-knew your secret before," she confirmed, loathing the way sorrow ate up his expression. "May, Happy, Ned, MJ... me."

"Lila—"

"Peter," She interrupted him, trying her best to convey with a look that there was nothing she regretted, nothing she felt he should be sorry for. She was entirely able to make her own choices — and sure, it wasn't ideal that these choices were now weaponized against her by some dead, wannabe magician — but she'd also never been more sure of herself. She would handle this, because like May said, she had Peter's back as much as he had hers. "We're innocent. This will all be handled urgently due to — to the scale of it, so we just need to be prepared. Dad," she turned to her father, whose stare she couldn't quite read. "Can MJ come over? I need to p-prep her as much as possible."

"Sure thing, Tulip," He said, and stood up like he was ready to leave. "May, thank you for having us over. Peter, thank you for telling me the full truth. Happy—" Ted paused, not sure what Happy did for the conversation except be present. "— good to see you. May, I'll send over Mr. Murdock's information. We'll be sure to fill him in before you talk with him."

"I'll draft an email on the way home," Lila patted her pockets, checking to make sure she had her phone, then paused. "Oh wait, he's blind. I'll have to give him a c-call."

"I'll pull the car around," Ted announced, walking with May towards her front door. He looked between Lila and Peter before saying to his daughter, "I'll give you two a minute."

Happy wandered over to the kitchen, realizing he was the last adult in their presence, and knew where he wasn't wanted. Peter grabbed Lila's hand and looped his fingers through hers. She took her other hand and ran it through his hair, smiling softly. "Thanks for combing your hair to g-greet my dad."

Peter couldn't even smile back, "That was so not how I wanted it to go, Lila, I'm so sorry—"

Lila kissed him, she couldn't help it. She'd wanted to since their date started, but circumstances changed things. She was glad he kissed her back, and she grabbed his other hand in hers when she pulled away. "I made my choice, too," She whispered. She wasn't sure why she was whispering, but it seemed to ground Peter to her, so she kept doing it. "We're innocent, it's going to — to work itself out."

"And after?"

After. When he wasn't charged for murder, but he was still New York's friendly, neighborhood Peter Parker. Everyone knew who he was, knew Spider-Man's identity. Peter wore the mask for a reason, he chose to remain anonymous for a reason, and those reasons were thrown away. He had no idea what to do after the fact, and Lila didn't either.

She nodded, making sure he was looking in her eyes. "We'll figure that out together, too, okay?"

He nodded, leaning in to kiss her, and her stomach swam with butterflies. He pulled away and squeezed her hands. "I really, really like you, Lila Landry."

"I really, really like you, Peter Parker. You know, you've said nothing about C-Coney Island since you brought it up, and I'm worried you'll forget you — you owe me a date."

Peter finally let out a breathy laugh, and kissed her again. He nodded in agreement and whispered something about walking her to the door. He held on tight to her hand until she was wrapped up in a hug with his aunt. Lila told Peter she'd see him soon, and headed for the elevator. She heard the door shut softly behind her just as the elevator reached her.

When the elevator doors closed and it gently started moving down, Lila let loose an enormous sigh that she'd held onto since she saw Peter's yearbook picture in Madison Square Garden. She placed her hands on her knees and inhaled deeply, her mind firing off in a thousand different directions. She tried to quiet them in the subsequent five deep breaths she drew in and then slowly out. Standing up straight, the buzzing fluorescent lights in the elevator accompanied the otherwise silent elevator, and Lila had a brief moment of panic.

She was in for the fight of her life, truly. And the inescapable fact of the matter was that everyone would be watching, too. Her peers were understanding her complicity in the matter, along with the rest of the world. And Lila, forever comfortable with her tiny circle of people and existence as a wallflower, now had no choice but to be seen.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared. And she wouldn't pretend, either, if anyone (Peter) asked. But as the elevator reached the fifth floor on its descent, Lila's breathing calmed, and so did the panic. She could work through her fear, and she would. She had people to protect now, and she'd be damned if she let the entire world take her circle.

Her dad was waiting for her in the lobby, and Lila's head tilted to the side. Ted saw her first, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, okay," He started, because Lila didn't say anything, but he blurted it out like he was the one who got caught. "The car's around the corner already, but I just — well, I just wanted you to get a moment with him."

It was like a swift punch to the gut, his words. After everything that he just found out, and was still likely processing, her dad still let her have a moment with Peter. He had every reason to say no to their relationship (whether that would stop Lila was a different matter), but what he just said to Lila made her think that he just wouldn't take that from her. And that made Lila feel like she had a dad she didn't deserve.

She fought the tears that sprung forth, sniffling a bit as she stated, "I think he's going to be really good for me."

His beard twitched, and he held out an arm to her. She stepped forward and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, walking her back to the car. "I see so much of that, Tulip. Come on, let's talk more in the car."

The two walked outside, the crowd no different in size. Her heart clenched at the sight of people checking their phones and talking about the fact that Spider-Man lived in the building behind her. She let her dad guide her away from the crowd and over to his car before she climbed in and fastened her seatbelt.

They turned the corner and ambled down the street before Lila said anything. "I know that this changes the trajectory o-of the summer, and that I'm probably grounded for life—"

Ted scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "You've never been grounded in your life."

"— I also know I'm not in a position to be asking for things, but please don't keep me away from Peter a-as punishment. He's — He's gonna need all the help and support he can get—"

"Tulip, slow down," Ted interrupted again, and looked over at Lila in concern. She didn't realize she had been crying until that moment, didn't realize that the tension she'd tried to talk herself down from in the elevator was now escaping. "You're not grounded, honey, and you're right. Peter needs you, he needs us."

When Lila didn't say anything, merely sniffled, Ted sighed. He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and continued. "I thought I was angry when Sophie called and told me about the news, I'll admit it. But then seeing you, and seeing you protect Peter back there... I don't want to punish you for protecting someone you care about. And I don't want to punish you for keeping secrets.

"I just want you to know, Tulip, that I'm on your team, I'm by your side, you don't have to keep secrets from me. I'll always support you."

Lila let out a shaky sigh, reaching for the tissues her dad kept in the center console. "I wanted to tell you s-so bad. I hated keeping this one, but it wasn't my secret to tell."

"And I get that," Ted said, scratching his chin as he focused on the road. "But now the secret's out. And going forward, I'd like to lay out a new rule between us."

"Okay," Lila said hesitantly. She believed her dad when he said he wasn't going to punish her, but she also didn't know what to expect.

"You're old enough that you can manage a lot of things independently, so it would be really counterproductive to make you ask for permission for anything Spider-Man related. I get that, you're seventeen. But you have to promise me this here and now: your safety is your number-one priority. From here on out, you look out for you first and foremost, do you understand?"

Lila did. She hated that she put Ted in such a difficult position that required him to let go of her in such a scary capacity, but it seems like May's words really struck a chord within him. He was letting her know he trusted her with this, and that had her readily nodding in agreement.

"Second thing: you tell me everything that has to do with Spider-Man, okay? If you're going to meet Peter at the greenhouse to make gadgets for his suit, I want to know. Anything comes up that involves you and Spider-Man, you tell me it in full. No more tiptoeing around the truth, okay? Now that I know, I want to know everything."

"I want that, too," Lila agreed.

Ted looked over at her, a glimmer of concern in his stare. "I want to know more about stuff that's already happened, too. Like the library and the diner, I know you didn't share everything." She swallowed tightly, blinking away a few tears, and Ted added, "When you're ready, we'll talk about it, but we will talk about it, okay? You don't need to protect me, Tulip, that's my job."

It was a testament to how he raised her, that he could still read her so openly. That's why she loved him, he was her best friend and her first champion. And he also knew her motives, and why she might want to hide things from him in the first place.

"You've just been through so much, Dad, I didn't — I didn't want to add to it."

They stopped at a light, and Ted turned to face her. "Lila, I've told you this for years but I need you to hear me. My grief is not for you to worry about. You and I have gone through hell, and watching you grow has healed so much of me. But at the end of the day, I'm your parent, not the other way around. You do not need to fill your mother's shoes when it comes to me and my needs and my grief. You are my responsibility."

The light turned green, and they continued along. "Look, think about it like this: everything about Peter, I want to know. Everything about Spider-Man, I have to know, okay? Them's the breaks."

Lila smiled a bit, her eyes feeling puffy, but her tears no longer falling. "Okay," she said. "I can do that."

They arrived back home within five minutes after they finished speaking, and Lila tiredly got out of the car. She pulled out her phone, now seeing Harry had joined in the barrage of incessant calling. She swiped past all of her notifications and shot a text over to MJ.

Hey, sorry I didn't get back. It's been hectic.

The text was read immediately, and MJ took no time to respond.

I'll say. What the hell is going on??

Lila sent back, Too much to say over the phone. My dad's starting dinner soon, wanna come over?

MJ answered with, I'll be there in thirty.

Ted headed for the kitchen, followed by Lila. While he searched the cabinets for ingredients (he had mumbled something about Avgolemono), Lila searched the junk drawers for the address book Ted insisted he keep. The old, leather-bound book was in the third drawer she tried, and on one of its first pages was the card she was looking for.

Lila wasted no time dialing the number, informing Ted of MJ's arrival time and sitting across from him on the kitchen island. She fidgeted with the card in hand while the line rang. It rang twice before she heard a click, followed by a pleasant female voice.

"Nelson and Murdock, LLC, this is Karen. How can I help you?"

"Hi, Karen," Lila responded, "My name is Lila, I w-was hoping I could speak to Mr. Murdock. It's — It's pretty urgent."

"Okay, we have some appointments available first thing tomorrow, if you want to come in—?"

"Unfortunately, t-time is not something I have a lot of at the moment. I know I'm asking a-a lot of you, but is there any way you can p-patch me through to Mr. Murdock? I r-really need his help. And my dad just put you — put you guys on retainer for his flower shop, so our info should be a-available..."

Lila heard hushed talking on the other end, and heard Karen's brief response. "It's okay, Lila, he's just in his office, I can patch you through. Give me one moment."

Her shoulders sagged a little in relief. She'd been fully ready to march over to Hell's Kitchen tomorrow if need be, but she had no idea when the authorities would show up at her door. She had to get as much done as possible before then. "Thank you so much, Karen, I really appreciate it."

"Sure thing, Lila."

There was a brief pause that followed the small click, and then a second click sounded before she heard another voice. "This is Matthew Murdock."

"Mr. Murdock, hi," Was probably a dumb way to greet someone she met once. She pinched the bridge of her nose and continued. "My name's Lila Landry, I-I met you a few weeks ago?"

"You walked me back to the office after I graciously — how did your friend say it — bulldozed into you, right?"

Lila winced. "Yes."

"Your dad reached out to put us on retainer, I'm really grateful you passed our info along. Is everything okay? Karen said you needed help."

"Not me, actually," Lila answered. "Well, maybe me, the jury's still out on that one. Ha! J-Jury's — Jury's still out..."

"... Right. What can I help you with?"

Lila started over. "Do y-you remember our conversation on the walk back — back to your office?"

"You pointed out a left-hook with surprising accuracy." He warmly responded. That's actually all he exuded this entire phone call, was warmth. Matthew Murdock was pretty damn good at making someone feel comfortable when speaking to him if he chose. At least, Lila noted, he did with her.

"R-Right," she agreed. "And I told you I could tell when cuts would need stitches?"

Matthew, on his part, played along. He didn't make her get to the point, which she was grateful for. She'd never had to plead her boyfriend's case to anyone, and she realized suddenly that she would have to be doing this a lot. "I remember."

"Right," Lila repeated. "Um — the reason I can — I've gotten so good at knowing what cuts need st-stitches is because I've seen cuts like that on my boyfriend, Peter Parker."

There was a significant pause, and the line was silent for just long enough to make Lila grow worried that she'd made a mistake. "... Ah."

"Look," Lila steeled her nerves, and put aside any doubts for Peter's sake. "I u-understand the news is saying one thing about him, Mr. Murdock, and it's very convincing. But you h-have to believe me, Peter's innocent. He's never murdered anybody, much less set a bunch of drones loose on an entire city."

"Well, Lila, I'll hand it to you: most people don't think to get legal counsel right away in situations like this."

Was that a good thing? Lila wasn't sure. "I have to assume that M-Mysterio is not just f-framing Peter in the wrong narrative on a news-level. I th-think he'll try and — and pin all of the Elemental attacks on him, too."

"Okay, Lila. If you can send me more information, or send me Peter's information, I'll see what I can do for him. And for you, if you're as involved as I think you are."

She blushed, but it's not like he would know that. Mostly, she was just grateful for the response he'd given. "I can't th-thank you enough, Mr. Murdock, really. He doesn't deserve this."

"I'll be honest, I wasn't really expecting Spider-Man to just be a teenager. But I suppose that was the point of the mask. I'm gonna transfer you back to Karen so she can gather all yours and Peter's info. I'll be sure to reach out to him before the day is done, okay?"

"Thank you again, Mr. Murdock," Was all Lila seemed to be able to say.

She heard him breathe out a small laugh. "Stay brave, Lila, we're in your corner."

True to his word, he put Karen back on the line, and they exchanged information. Lila had just hung up the phone when the smell of chicken reached her nose. Her dad was hard at work on dinner, plucking a few sprigs of herbs from the pots near the window when a pounding was heard on the door behind her.

MJ wouldn't have knocked so loudly, and Lila felt nerves rise in her stomach. She shared a look with her dad before sliding out of the barstool and padding over to the door. She took one look out the peephole and huffed in disbelief. She sent an apologetic look over to her dad, whose brows scrunched in confusion, before she swung the door open.

Harry Osborn stood on the other side expectantly. When the door opened, and he saw Lila on the other side, his eyes narrowed.

"You thought you could hang out on the top of the Queensborough Bridge to get out of talking to me, Sunflower? What the fuck?"