From the Shadows | PETER PARKER [2]

| 33 |

"Breaking News: Shadow, with the help of Spider-Man and Iron Man, have finally taken down the villain who is responsible for many attacks this year. We hear from sources that the Dark Menace is dead, Zagan is being detained, and the identities of Dark Menace, Spider-Man, and Shadow were revealed. We join Kate Gonzales at the scene where the battle went down."

Eloise watches the screen in Peter's hospital room with anxiety and uncertainty of the future. She's still in her black suit, but minus the mask since her identity is no longer a secret. It's a wonder how fast the news of what happened just an hour ago has spread like wildfire. Every news station Eloise flips through is talking about the altercation. On the small screen, a woman in a neutral-colored suit and shimmering eyelids motions to the destroyed street where Eloise lost control of her powers and caused a building to collapse. The woman describes the fight, a smile on her face that gets under Eloise's skin. She's sitting there, bruises, cuts, scrapes, and dirt littering her skin, watching the news reporter talk about the events as if they were a piece of entertainment for viewers. For those who didn't live in New York and feel the real impact of the events, then this news coverage probably is just a source of entertainment. Even if they post a selfie with a the hashtag #NewYorkIsSaved, #ThankYouSpider-Man, #PrayForTheVictims, or something of the like, it's all just for show. They don't feel the affects of the day like Eloise does. Her friend's murderer, who was also the boy who took her to her first high school dance, was impaled and killed right in front of her. Peter, the boy she has professed her love to, almost died.

Eloise runs a hand down her face and closes her eyes. If Peter died and was in a morgue instead of the hospital bed a foot from Eloise's stiff chair, she doesn't know what she would do. The boy next to her is more important than she ever thought someone could be to her. Eloise glances over at Peter and holds back tears that pool in her eyes. He's sleeping still, and he'll probably be out for a while because of  the sleep medicine the doctors gave him. He has so much more color in his face, but he isn't unscathed in the slightest. The darkest, purple and green bruises cover Peter's neck like a thick necklace. It's painful to look at. Eloise blinks back the tears and looks down at the ground.

There's a short knock on the door. She looks up and watches Bucky emerge from behind the door and close it softly behind him. As soon as the door clicks shut and his eyes find Eloise's, the girl shoots up from the chair and launches herself into Bucky's chest. Her arms wrap around his body and clutch onto the back of his leather jacket for dear life.

Bucky stumbles back from the impact but doesn't hesitate to reciprocate the hug, one hand rubbing her back comfortingly as his chin rests upon her head.

"Hey, kiddo," he murmurs and presses a kiss to the top of her head. He doesn't ask her how she is, but he doesn't have to. Holding her is the best he can do for her in that moment as she tries to hold herself together.

Eloise buries her face into Bucky's chest. "How's Tony?" She asks, voice cracking. She isn't sure if it's from screaming and crying earlier or from not talking for a while.

"Awake and annoying," Bucky replies, lightening the mood. "He wants to see you and Peter make sure you're alright, even though I told him you two are okay."

A small smile makes its way into Eloise's lips. Bucky retracts his arms from around her as she does the same, both turning to look at Peter lying in his hospital bed. For a moment, the only sound is true steady beep of the heart rate monitor.

Bucky's eyes flicker to the news report on the TV. His brow furrows at the image of Peter, Mason, and Eloise's school pictures up on the screen next to their full names and superhero/villain aliases.