Maya Stark

Chapter 114: Happy is a life saver

I got away. I got away the second Beck turned his attention away from me and back on the drones. I ditched any items that he could track and just flew. It was the fastest I had ever gone. I needed to come clean. I need Happy. 

I don't know where I was when I stumbled to the ground, vision blurry with tears. My head wasn't right. I didn't know how long it had been. I don't know if Peter was alive. I don't know where I was. I don't have a phone. I look around, frantically. I had landed in a random grass area, and I see buildings in the distance. I quickly fly over and land in the middle of a crowd. People stumble away from me.

'Can I borrow anyone's phone?' I ask loudly. I cringe at how stupid that sounded. A random girl comes over to me and hands me her phone. I smile at her and type in Happy's number. He picks up quickly. 'Happy?' My voice cracks.

'Maya?' His voice was urgent. 'What happened?'

'A lot,' I said. 'I need you to come pick me up. I have a lot to tell you. Please, don't be mad when I do. He just kept saying things and he—he got to me. I don't—'

'Slow down,' Happy said. 'Where are you?'

'Uh...' I turn to the lady who had given me her phone. 'Where are we?' She said something I didn't even try to comprehend. 'Right. Can you please say that again into the phone?' She nods, happy to help. I hand her the phone and she says the same weird words into the phone handing it back to me right after. 'Did you get that?'

'I'll be there as fast as I can,' he said. 'I can track your suit.'

Shit. 'Happy, can anyone else track my suit?'

'No,' he said quickly. 'You have to have a special password to get into your suit. Tony made sure of that.'

I let out a breath of relief until everything hits me again. 'Hurry. Please.' My voice sounds feeble, and I hated it. I hated myself. How could I have screwed everything up so much? I was doing so well. Sam would be disappointed in me. They all would. Nat would be disappointed in me.

A couple hours later, Happy showed up. I spent another hour crying, pacing, and telling him everything I did. Starting from agreeing to do this with Beck, to immediately regretting it, to scared he was going to hurt Morgan, to lying to everyone, to potentially getting the only people I have left killed, to the stupid pained look I saw in Peter's eyes before he got hit by a train. I tell him my mind wasn't in the right place. I tell him I'm an idiot. I tell him it should have been me that got hit by the train. I tell him I should have thrown Beck in front of the train instead. I shouldn't have dissociated. I couldn't help it. I should have sucked it up and done something. I had a couple panic attacks. I just stood there while he got hit by a train. What kind of asshole just stands there?

'Hey, kid,' Happy said, stepping up to me as I pace the Quinjet. 'Maya, hey, Maya stop pacing for a second.'

I stop abruptly in front of him, hyperventilating and shaking. 'I'm stupid. Vulnerable and stupid. And because I'm stupid I'm pretty sure I just lost the last person I ever actually loved. And May. Oh my god! What the hell is May going to think. How is she going to deal with this? Happy, I ruined everything. It's all my fault. I did this to myself.'

Happy puts his hands on my shoulder. 'Everything is going to be just fine. We don't know if Peter is even dead. He could very much be alive.'

I scoff. 'He got hit by a train! I... I should've stayed with Sam. None of this would have happened if I had just stayed with Sam. I was no good for Peter, Happy. I never was. How could I be so stupid?!'

'Maya, he got in your head,' Happy said. 'So did Walker. So, did Karlee. So, did so many other people. Trust me, Maya, you've made plenty of mistakes. But they aren't your fault. You were manipulated. It's not your fault this person came to manipulate you when your anger was down, and your vulnerability was showing. Most of the time it isn't your fault. You're just a kid.'

'I could have said no,' I whispered. 'He—He threatened them, Happy. Pepper and Morgan. What was I supposed to do?'

'He just wanted you off his enemies list,' Happy said. 'You are still a kid. I'm going to fix this.'

'How?' I ask, my voice cracking. 'The only way you could possibly fix this is if you could bring Peter back to life.'

As if on cue, Happy's phone starts to ring. He motions for me to wait, and I sit down. I zone out as he's on the phone. Just stare forward, mind blank. I was numb. Completely and utterly numb. Without Peter... nothing really seems to matter all that much.

'So,' Happy says, making me jump, 'if I tell you Peter's alive then something's at least a bit better? Because that was him. And we have to go pick him up.'

My hear hammers in my chest as I think about seeing him again. The look of pure betrayal won't leave my head. I shake my head slightly. He's going to kill me. He's going to hate me. Oh my god. Peter Parker is going to hate me. I don't think I can handle that. No, nope. Definitely can't. I did this to myself. He should hate me. I messed everything up. I closed my eyes tightly.

'Get some sleep,' Happy said, softly. 'Stop worrying for a couple hours. I'll wake you up in a couple minutes before we get to him. Give you some time to breath.'

I nod and lay back on the couch in the jet. My eyes close and I'm asleep in an instant, much to my surprise.