A/N: Hm. I was supposed to stay away from this fandom after that incredible movie.
Warning: SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE and OC centric
Perspective wasn't going to save her this time. Whenever something on screen frightened her, she would pull back and remind herself that what she was watching was confined to the screen alone and could not reach her.
For instance, just the week before, her friends had invited her out to catch a late showing of the most recent slasher movie at the theater. To cope with the rapid beating of her heart, she'd leaned back in her seat and forced her gaze to the curtains draped all along the sides of the screen. Perspective put her mind at ease, calmed her heart, and enabled her to watch the rest of the movie without jumping out of her seat screaming.
This instant there was no calming her heart or settling her tightly wound nerves.
Everyone on the airliner was tense. No words were spoken, no sudden movements given. Her eyes could no more tear away from the news broadcast than her lungs could breathe deeply, correctly, sufficiently.
Because, on this particular screen, they were watching a desperate battle for New York City. Desperate for them. For the humans. Because as far as she could tell, only six were fighting in the name of humanity. Six. Against an entire army of large, menacing extraterrestrial beings with terrible fire power and increasing numbers fed from a portal in the sky.
When she had woken that morning, she'd never imagined this would be something that terrified her that day. Because she was terrified; and not for herself or any of the civilians caught in the crossfire. Only two people mattered at all to Jillian Demaris.
One, sat beside her. Her back ramrod straight and her eyes intently fixated on the live broadcast of Manhattan. The temperature in the airliner dropped and time came to a still as the second flashed onto screen.
A strangled gasp emitted from the woman beside her. Feeling her chest constrict, Jillian reached for her hand and clasped tightly. Neither dared to even blink.
Perspective would not save her because this wasn't a movie. There was no certainty for returning back to reality once the screen went black. There was only her, holding the hand of Pepper Potts her beloved boss, as they watched Tony Stark, the man Pepper loved, disappear into the portal with the nuclear missile.