Maya Stark

Chapter 23: A moderate concussion

The first thing that comes over me when I wake up, was pain. A lot of pain. Mostly in my head. The headache felt like it was trying to rip apart my skull. The next thing I register is Parker kicking at my foot, like that's how he decided to see if I was dead. I groan and raise my hand to take off my mask, slightly hoping I'd feel magically better after. I did not. I force my eyes open and instantly regret it, dizziness already overcoming me. I shut my eyes tight again before opening them and looking at Parker. He seemed perfectly fine.

'We fell into the truck and got knocked out,' Parker supplied. I glare at him. 'Suit lady says you have a moderate concussion.'

'I'm so glad,' I mumble sarcastically. I try to sit up, but my vision swims with black dots and dizziness overwhelms me. I quickly lay back down, gripping at my head and closing my eyes. Okay, so concussions hurt. Noted.

'Suit lady doesn't know where we are,' Parker said. I felt like telling him to shut up but instead, I bit my tongue. 'They must have hijacked the truck and taken us to their evil lair. We're gonna have to fight our way out of this one.'

I scoff as I put my arm over my eyes to block out the light. Yeah, I'm going to be so much help. I hear him smash through the doors of the truck and don't hear anything else. I have a half a mind to open my eyes, but the thought alone makes my head hurt more.

'Apparently we are in the most secure facility on the Easter seaboard,' Parker said, climbing back into the truck. 'A damage control deep storage thing. I'm gonna look around some. You going to be okay?'

'Me? Oh, I'm great. Peachy, even,' I grumble slightly. I could see the smirk he most definitely had on his face. 'Go. See if we can get out of here.'

I stay, laid out in the truck. The thought of movement makes me want to throw up. Or that could just be the headache. I don't remember hitting my head on the way down, but I guess that's the whole point of a concussion. I don't really know. Is it possible to ramble in your own head? I don't know how long I laid there being a total drama queen, which was fair seeing as I had a concussion, before Parker came back into the truck. He taps my side with his foot.

'Wake up, concussed,' Parker said.

I groan again but finally open my eyes and sit up, blinking away the dots. Parker was going through the bird guy's bag. I shivered and was cold. Do fevers come with concussions? I'm sure I'm overreacting. Parker pulls out an Ultron head and I turn my head to not look at it. If he noticed, he didn't say anything. Instead, he threw me my jacket from the bag, it hitting me in the face. I glare at him but pull on the jacket. He then picks up another glowy thing.

'Ah, hey, it's like the glowy thing,' he said, holding it up. He suddenly dropped it. 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You mean, we've been carrying around a bomb?'

'What?' I ask quickly, my throat hoarse. I wince at the sound.

'It's apparently an explosive Chitauri energy core! It'll explode if it gets too hot,' he said, trying to call Ned. No reception.

Parker quickly leaves the truck, probably to go to the doors of this place. I groaned to myself and slowly stumbled up to my feet. My head spun and I took a deep breath. I swallowed harshly, trying not to throw up, and I hold onto the crates behind me to stop from falling. I have got to get it together. After a second, I wasn't as dizzy, though my head hurt like hell. I stumble out of the truck, trying to keep my balance, and walk slowly to the huge doors. This place made my already spinning head, spin even more. Parker was at the lock at the door when I walked over.

'What are you doing?' I ask.

'We have to override this lock,' he said. 'We have to try every sequence.'

Yeah, he very quickly realized I wasn't going to be much help. I wrapped my jacket tighter around my body, which I had realized was originally my dad's, and laid down on the cold floor. Parker didn't dare disturb me, which I silently appreciated. I have been through things worse than a stupid concussion, but it hurt.

After a really long time of him trying different things, I got up and walked over to help. The first sequence I tried was right, but who's keeping score? Parker swings through the doors and I take a deep breath, the pounding in my head adamant. I slide my mask on, almost forgetting, and then follow him, shakily, up on top of a trailer of a departing truck.

Parker tries to get into contact with Ned and he tells his UI, Karen apparently, where to go for the decathlon. I try to ignore the concussion as we switch cars. After we get onto a bus, Parker finally gets into contact with Ned. He puts it on speaker phone, and it was probably loud on Ned's end.

'Oh, Ned, you're alive,' Parker said.

'Are you guys okay?' Ned asked in a whisper.

'Ned, Ned,' I said calmly, 'Where's the glowy thing?'

'Don't worry,' Ned said. 'It's safe in my pocket.'

'Ned, Ned, listen!' Parker said. 'No, no, Ned, the glowy thing is dangerous.'

'You missed the Decathlon,' Ned said. 'I covered for both of you.'

'Ned listen,' I groan.

'We're at the Washington Monument now,' said Ned. 'You gotta—'

'Peter is that you?' came Liz's voice.

'Of course,' I mumble, pinching the bridge of my nose.

'Oh, hey, Liz,' Parker said. We jump from the bus and both tumble, my head still swarming with dizziness, and start running towards the monument. 'Please put Ned back on the phone.'

'You freak!' Liz said. 'You are so lucky we won. You know, Stark disappeared also. I want to be mad, but I'm more worried. Like, what is going on with you?'

The Washington Monument comes into view and Parker runs faster. 'Liz, I have to talk to Ned. It's really important! Liz, there's something in Ned's backpack! It's really dangerous. Don't let it go through an X-ray. Liz? Liz! Damn it.'