If They Knew All About You

On The Edge

It wasn't quite dark yet by the time Pete stepped out on the rooftop. Maybe he should have waited a little longer, maybe he should have waited for the cover of the night, but he just couldn't bring himself to sit still for another minute.

Ever since Pete had left the courthouse, there had been a low frequency buzzing right underneath his skin that was driving him up the walls. He just couldn't ignore it. His limbs kept twitching, his hands shaking, and his mind... His mind just wouldn't stop turning. From Mr. Stark to Ben. From Ben to May. From May to fucking Clarke and back to Mr. Stark. And then it would start all over again.

Or it had, until their fight. His fight with Mr. Stark had been bad. Pete couldn't feel his body by the time he had stormed back into his room and slammed the door shut. His back pressed against it, he slowly slid down along its surface until he came to sit on the ground. He just couldn't deal with it anymore. Any of it. How was he ever even supposed to be able to look at May again? Things had been so bad before. Worse than Pete could have ever imagined, but now...

His knees pulled up to his chest, Pete had buried his face in the fabric of his pants, arms clasping his legs tightly. He had sat there for a while, not sure for how long. He had just sat there, lost, so completely out of options. The room behind him had been quiet except for Mr. Stark's pacing, his low curses, mumbling to himself like Pete couldn't hear him through the door.

Once the door to Mr. Stark and Pepper's bedroom clicked shut, Pete tried to focus. He couldn't have everyone make decisions for him anymore, couldn't have them control him, never giving him the option to think and decide for himself.

His legs were still shaking as he got back to his feet. One thing was clear, Mr. Stark surely locked him in once again. He shouldn't even have said anything, should have just left. Checking with FRIDAY would be a bad idea, just in case that might trigger an alarm or something. No, once he had heard the door to Mr. Stark's bedroom close he waited, basking in the silence until his eyes flickered up to the ceiling.

"Hey FRIDAY? I'm kinda hungry." His heart was beating in his throat, hoping this would work. "Can you ask Pepper if it's... if it's okay for me to get some food from the common room kitchen?"

"Yes, Pete, I can ask her right away."

There was another moment of silence that Pete spent focussing on any noise that might echo from outside his room but the quarters remained silent.

"Miss Potts confirmed that you are of course welcome to eat as much food whenever you like. She offered to order something for you or--"

"That's fine," Pete hastily pressed out. "I just want something small. Something from the fridge. Tell her..." He pressed his eyes shut. "Tell her not to worry."

He would be fine. It would just be better this way. They wouldn't need to worry about him anymore and he could go back to who he truly was, back to helping people and feel useful. It was a win-win for everyone.

There wasn't much that he took with him. His phone would have been good to sell but Mr. Stark would likely track it before Pete even had the chance to. He packed some clothes, the rest of his Poker money, and the two screwdrivers he had brought to the courthouse. He would have to build new web-shooters but that was okay. He'd done that before.

It was how Pete found himself on the Compound's rooftop, backpack flung over his shoulder looking out over the grounds that led towards the river. The riverbank might be the most promising escape route. Maybe it was the adrenaline buzzing through his veins. Maybe it was the numbness that he had felt ever since he and Pepper had made it out of that courtroom, but it had made Pete sloppy.