Unbroken

Chapter Three

I am immediately overwhelmed the second I walk off of the stage and stand in front of the interviewers. Different people reach in my direction, trying to get my attention as they point their microphones at me, and take pictures. Everyone is yelling over each other, and it is so loud that I can't hear myself speak.

"Okay, okay, uh one question at a time." I say, slightly backing up.

"Are you the head Avenger now?" I hear one lady yell, so I point to her and it gets quieter. "Are you the head Avenger now?"

"Uh... no, I'm not."

"If the aliens come back, what are you gonna do?" Everyone quiets down so she can repeat herself. "If the aliens come back, what are you gonna do?"

"Does anyone have any neighborhood questions?" I ask, looking around.

"Sean Winford, Queens Tribune. What it is like to take over from Tony Stark? Those are some big shoes to fill."

My heart drops, just like it does every time someone says his name. I watch as the interviewers surrounding me ask questions, but I can't hear them. The flashing lights of the cameras blind me and I feel lightheaded, like I might fall over. My mouth is dry and I'm not sure I'll be able to say anything without my voice trembling, but I know I need to get out of here.

"I'm, I'm gonna go. Thanks so much, everyone, for coming."

I jump up away from the crowd and then swing outside, to the top of the building. My mask disengages and I look down, trying to slow my breathing. I think back to what Gracee tells me every time I feel a panic attack coming.

In four, hold seven, out eight.

It doesn't work this time, because I don't have her hand to hold, her eyes to look into, or her voice telling me that she's right here, and that she's not going anywhere.

"Peter!" I hear her voice and wipe the tears off of my face, before looking around to see where it came from. "Peter, down here."

I look down and see her climbing through a window below me. "Gracee! What are you doing?"

"Coming up there with you." She stands on the outside of the window, gripping underneath the top of it as she looks down at the far away ground.

"What if you fall?"

"I'll be fine."

"Here." I reach down and grab her hand, pulling her up as she grabs the edge with her other hand.

"I got it." She pulls herself up and then rolls onto the roof, before crawling to me. "Are you okay?"

I take a shaky breath and look away from her, at a building beside us. Iron Man has been spray painted on it, and looking at it sends another pang through my chest. I try to ignore it and look back to Gracee, forcing a smile.

"I'm okay."

She looks back and forth between my eyes but doesn't say anything. I look back down at the ground as my eyes fill with tears. My shoulders shake and Gracee puts her arm around me, rubbing my back as she sits her chin on my shoulder, looking behind me.

I know she is doing this so I won't know how much seeing me like this hurts her, but I understand how it feels to look at her when she's crying, and it hurts more than anything.

I hate that I'm hurting her.

"I'm sorry." I say between sobs. "I'm trying to be strong for you but I... I can't."

"Peter, love, I don't need you to be strong for me."

"I know that but, I just- I don't know."

"I miss him too."