I was in a daze for a while. I couldn't remember the last time I remembered eating or sleeping. It was like I was walking on ice, always wanting to fall but keeping my balance to make a good performance.

I got a lot of "It's just a divorce" from people at school. Sure, tons of kids had gone through it, but were they the actual cause? Were they infected like I was? Were they the failure that I was?

I didn't tell Pops I had stopped going to school. He'd figure it out by summer when I would fail the grade. And to be honest, I don't remember what I did those days that I didn't go to school.

Wade grew more and more concerned about me but I made him promise not to tell Pops.

On one of the days I actually attended class I sat in homeroom where Wade was diligently taking notes on some stupid triangle equation while I sketched out doodles of nothing.

He said I was a fuck up, right? That's technically what he'd said. I talked back. Did that mean I was a bad kid? That I talked back and got hit? I deserved it. I knew I did. I also knew and grasped the concept that Pops and Dad had gotten a divorce without telling me prior leaving me in complete and bliss silence, but Dad didn't even say…he didn't even say goodbye.

He made no contact to me or Pops within the last couple months and I didn't want to give up on him, but when Pops said that I was under his legal custody I knew that's what Dad had planned from the start. To leave me.

I wasn't worth his time.

Wade put a hand on my shoulder as class finally let out. I stuffed my stuff into my backpack and we walked down to the cafeteria together. I didn't say much these days so Wade filled them with random stories and gossip from around school. I nodded and said words when needed and then I sat down without my lunch. I'd been skipping out on that lately. I just…wasn't hungry much anymore.

"Peter, here, I got you sandwich," Wade said smiling handing me the small meal. I took it hesitantly looking at the contents. I could tell, even wrapped, that the meat was over processed and the cheese was made from byproduct. I didn't want it, but when Wade saw me try to put it down I began unwrapping it. He seemed satisfied with that and I began eating. He continued with another story and I said the appropriate things and soon the rest of the day was a blur.

I found myself sitting on my bed not remembering how the rest of the day had gone, but I had Neo on my lap and I was playing with the collar around his neck.

"Do you get jealous of Wade?" I asked Neo. He looked up at me and wagged his tail. "Of course you don't." I smiled knowing their love was shared. "Good boy." I scratched behind his ear and Pops knocked on my door.

"Dinner's ready," his voice had changed since Dad left. It wasn't that stern, confident tone, it was…lacking, dull, and careful. I walked down to a well balanced meal and sat next to my only father now. "You don't talk much anymore." It wasn't a comment, it was a statement.

"Sorry." I said quietly.

"Peter, you don't have to apologize from not talking, I'm just…worried." We were going to try and have this conversation again.

About a month ago Pops had tried the whole "I'm worried about you. Tell me why." Type thing and it didn't work out. I had run out to Wade's, he called the cops to pick me up, and I was grounded for a week.

"Pops, don't," I whispered into my meal.

"Peter…please. I…I don't want to be alone in this." He'd never said that before. I looked up and his eyes were glassy. "I've tried to be strong, but…" he trailed off covering his mouth just as his lips started to twitch. "I really need you right now, Pete." His gaze said it all. He was hurting like I was. Maybe not in the same ways, but I knew Dad was his love. He didn't want a divorce, Dad did. Dad wanted to run and start a new life without us. He had also been discharged from the Avengers, and I knew it hurt Pops so much. "I'm sorry the way our conversation had…had ended before, but-" he swallowed back a cry and I just got up. I walked over to him and hugged him in his chair. I had been oblivious. Selfish. Infected. I didn't even notice my own father's pain. I was worthless.

"You don't have to say anything, Pops. I'm here. What do you need?" I asked.

"You!" he cried into my arm.

We were like that for thirty or so minutes and he'd finally calmed down. "You've gotten skinny." He said, "Eat up." He motioned his fork towards my plate. I sat down and did as told. Neo licked my toes and I snuck him some meatloaf.

I fell asleep on the couch that night watching a rerun of Friends. Neo had fallen asleep down by my feet and I could feel his fur brush my toes even as I slept, but I woke up at around 3AM and sat for a moment trying to regain my balance. I got up to go to my bed and began upstairs. I tucked myself in bed letting Neo sleep next to me and felt myself drifting off, but just as I fell unconscious I was jolted awake by a loud crash. Neo began growling and I dashed down the stairs. "POPS?" I yelled through the house. I checked the doors and windows and none seemed to be broken in or cracked, so I ran to his bedroom and opened his door. He was gone. The window was broken and he was…gone. "Pops!" I yelled. "Pops!" I ran to the window feeling my heart tear. Where did he go? Was he kidnapped? No, he was Captain America, he wouldn't go that easily. I hadn't realized I'd started to cry until I go to the kitchen phone and dialed his cell. It went straight to the voicemail. "Okay! I get it! This is how you felt when I left that night! You can come back now!" I sobbed running into his room again. I stood there for minutes waiting, listening, smelling, and nothing. I heard Neo join me and I went over to the window accidentally placing my hands on broken glass. I paid no attention to this. "DON'T LEAVE ME!" I cried into the night.

I ran to the front door, threw it open like I had done so many nights ago, and ran down the street screaming for him.

The sun was rising when I returned home. Neo was sitting at the front door waiting for me and I called for Pops again. No answer. I wiped my eyes and went into his bedroom and lay on his bed. I curled up with his pillow and eventually fell asleep.

I woke up hours later with Pops next to me. I wanted to yell at him, but I had noticed how beaten up he was. His face was scratched and bruised and his shirt was torn and spotted with blood. I reached over to wake him up and noticed gauze around my wounded hands. Neo looked up at me and I wondered if he'd been fed. I shook Pops awake and he looked at me.

"Sorry…about last night." He said and I remember that glazed, dead look in his eye.

"Where did you go?" I asked refraining myself from crying and screaming at him.

"I had a little too much to drink and went out." He said. That's all he would say that day and I let him stay in bed. I didn't go to school and I made him breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We sat in silence in his room and I finally got one of those jumbo, body-sized garbage bags Dad had kept in the storage shed out in the backyard. I ripped it apart and nailed it to the window until Pops would call someone to fix it.

Wade called later that day to fill me in on a fight that broke out at lunch that he caught on his cell phone. I replied with my usual tone and he asked if he could come over that night.

It was Friday.

"Sure. Pops says it's fine," and Wade was over within ten minutes of our call. He brought his new Xbox games and a bag of cookies his mom had made.

"Hey, Mister Rogers, my mom made these." Wade said handing him the bag.

"That's very kind, tell her my thanks," Pops said with a bright smile. As he turned back to the living room he dug one out and began munching.

"Hey, Wade, do you remember when I talked about fighting crime?" I asked as we played an online shooter game.

"Mmhm." He was fixated in the battle.

"I think I'm actually going to start doing it. I mean, I don't know exactly how I'm going to do it, but I think if I-"

Wade paused the game and looked at me, "And what? Worry your Pops even more? I stared incredulous at him without words to say. "I'm asking you to promise me you won't fight crime."

It took a few minutes but I promised.

Promises were made to be broken, right?