"So sorry I'm late, Milo, ugh."

Becca looks exhausted as she all but collapses into the seat across from me. I set my menu down, equally tired.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I just got here myself. You okay?"

She nods wearily.

I take a moment to wonder what's up with her. I myself just finished a vicious battle with my nemesis, Electra. Yes, I, local dumbass Milo, am actually the hero Frostbite. Shocking, I know.

Becca picks up the fast food menu. So do I. "What held you up?" I inquire.

"Oh, y’know, stupid people, not important," she says quickly. "Ooh, they got chimkin strips."

I brush it off. We have our date, laughing and joking over cheap food, then I walk her home. I wince as my rib suddenly throbs horribly. Electra could punch.

"You okay?" Becca asks, concern lacing her features.

"Yep," I lie. "I'm fine."

She doesn't buy it. "Lemme see-"

"NO!!"

I clear my throat. "Uh, no, I'm fine, really."

I hadn’t had time to change, so I had thrown civilian clothes over my costume. I couldn't let her see.

But she was already stepping forward, hand on my shirt.

"Wait, you can't-"

Too late.

She pulls the hem of my shirt up to expose my hand-sewn costume. She freezes, her expression unreadable.

" . . . So funny story," I start, but she shushes me. To my surprise, she pulls off her own shirt to reveal . . .

" . . . You gotta be kidding me."

Electra hadn’t changed either. Becca looks at me.

Suddenly I'm biting back a grin. The whole thing is so unexpected.

" . . . Sorry about your ribs," she offers uncertainly.

I laugh. And laugh. And keep laughing, because the whole thing is so ridiculous. She laughs too. We both put our shirts back on and I walk her home, wondering if I should offer to team up against Thunderbolt, an even bigger villain from another state.

Right now though, I'm thinking I should apologize for the presumably aching bruises I left between her shoulder blades. Ice hurts.