All My Life

22| Confessions and Confrontations

"Sir, my sensors are detecting a heat signature on the roof." I frown at the information and subconsciously look up at the ceiling.

This is the second time this week, do people forget I have front entrances too?

"What's the time, J?" I ask, confused but sure it isn't exactly early, the dark sky visible from the windows speaking for itself. It was indeed a bad decision to procrastinate installing cameras on the roof, especially with the current track record.

"It's currently 12:15 am sir." I sigh, abandoning the instruments that I was previously using. "Remind me to install cameras on the roof."

"I will make sure to inform you for the 11th time this week, sir," Jarvis says with sarcasm dripping from his artificial voice. I think I am regretting making him so damn sarcastic. I trudge out of the lab and make it to the living room only to be greeted by silence instead of the usual yells and chatters.

"Any guesses on who it might be, up there?" I quip, trying to ignore the heavy silence. The A.I. responds after a few moments as I enter the elevator. "According to my sources, I am about 97.3% sure that it is Master Parker on the roof." My eyes snap upon the response.

What?

"Peter? Is he okay?" I question, almost worriedly as my heart skips a beat. It's a school night, he is supposed to at home, asleep. "I am afraid you haven't installed the necessary sensors for me to answer that question, sir." I facepalm at the statement, gosh, I am an idiot.

"Make sure to add that to my priority list," I order him, still kicking myself for not getting it done. "Task appended." I tap my feet impatiently, never did I ever regret having so many floors in the tower as each passing second resulted into the formation of a bad scenario in my head.

Please be okay, kid...

The elevator doors open up and my eyes focus upon the figure standing near the edge of the roof, his back turned to me. I step out through the metal doors, my eyes still assessing the person frantically, the city lights making his red vigilante outfit visible. My brain remains static, not able to fathom why the kid would show up as his alter-ego at 12 on my freaking roof.

"Pete?" I ask softly, making him turn towards me hurriedly as a confused look covers his feature as if he was having an internal monologue. I take small steps in his direction, the cuts littered on his face making concern bubble inside me. My heart drops as I see tears shining in his doe-eyes.

The kid stares at me with an almost broken look in his eyes, every cell in my body screaming for me to fix anything and everything that went wrong. My eyes run over him, searching for more injuries and freeze upon the bleeding gash on his arm. I try to keep my extreme worry at bay before looking back at his face.

"Are you okay, buddy?" It comes out almost like a whisper as if making sure he won't break like a glass vase. In no time the kid launches himself at me and I stumble but regain my balance, making sure I held him tightly.

What happened out there?

"What's wrong, Pete?" I say, running my hands through his tangled curls.

"I messed up." An almost child-like whisper comes as a response and I find myself unsure of what to say, what to say without making him feel any worse than I am sure he already is feeling. But the most important question remained the same, what happened out there?

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"How about you get changed and then come to the living room, then we'll deal with...everything, okay?" He simply nods and walks towards his room and I watch him go before running my hands through my hair.