The Iron Woman

Secrecy Will Rip You To Shreads

I woke up the next morning ready for work. I got up and got dressed. Then did what I needed before going to getting on the plane. I had planned to get up early the next morning to go see Peter. It didn't work out that way. I'd have to visit after work. I stared out the window thinking. I though about what Rhodey said. Then I started to worry. It's been peaceful lately... too peaceful. I felt like something, anything should be happening. But nothing did.

(Timeskip)
When I got there, it looked much different than it had just two days ago. It was covered in fog and snow. The ground was iced over. There were more guards there to escort me. They were bigger, and had bigger guns. I was extremely alarmed. They took me inside where Darren was sitting at a desk hunched over some blueprints. I went over to him. The table was covered in designs. The blueprint in front of him however was completely different. It looked like an arc reactor, yet different. I stood next to him.

"What's all this for?"

He didn't hear me. It was only then that I noticed that his hands were shaking really bad and he was pressing his pencil down really hard. He went through three pencils in one piece of the blueprint. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Darren?"

Faster than I could blink the hand he was writing with dropped the pencil and grabbed by hand so hard I heard a small crack. I winced in pain.

"Darren! It's me!"

He looked up at me and I was horrified at what I saw. He was extremely pale and his nails looked like they'd all been chewed off. His veins were purple. He looked terrifyingly skinny and his eyes were purple and sunken. He let go of his grip on my arm and I let it fall to my side. He must of fractured a part of it because it was already swelling and red.

"Darren, you look horrible! What happened?"

"I'm fine." His voice was cold and firm, yet the slightest tinge of fear trailing behind. Like a small cry for help.

"Clearly you're not!"

"I said I'm fine!" He shouted.

I stumbled backwards and my heels got stuck in a crack in the floor. I fell backwards and hit my head on the side of the metal cart. I looked up at the ceiling. Darren scrambled over just before I fell unconscious.

(Timeskip)
When I woke up I was in a dark room. It was an odd room. Black walls. No windows. I looked around and saw a door. I sat up and my head began to throb. I put a hand to the back of my head. I felt a wound that'd been stitched up. I must have cut my head when I fell. I stood up and went into a small corridor that led back to where I was, where Darren was. He was sitting in the chair working on the blueprint. One of his guards approached him.

"Mr. Hammer would like to talk to you."

Mr. Hammer? Where had I heard that name before? I coughed and the guard looked my way. I moved quickly before he could see me. I heard indistinct yelling and then a single gunshot. I didn't wait after that. I ran out the fire exit at the opposite end of the corridor. I tripped on the way out and fell on my face. I heard a crack and saw drops of blood staring to hit the snow. I took off my heels and ran faster. Small and sharp pieces of ice began to cut my feet. I kept running. I was about ten blocks away from Aunt May's apartment. My whole body hurt. My feet left bloody footprints in the snow and my body throbbed in agonizing pain. I ran all the way to the apartment before collapsing. I slowly crawled on my knees up the stairs and to the door.

"May!" I screamed.

I waited a moment before yelling again.

"Peter!" I yelled.

The door opened. My vision was a bit blurry but I saw May. She looked at the thin trail of blood I left on the stairs.

"Oh my god Maya! What happened?! Peter!" She yelled in a frantic manner.

She knelt down next to me and took off her over sweater. She put it under my head then held my hand. I winced in pain. It had turned purple from how hard Darren had gripped it. Peter and Ned ran to us. As soon as Peter saw me he ran over and sat next to me.

"Maya! What the hell happened?!"

"Darren... something's wrong. He's... different."

"Did he do this to you?"

"No."

"Maya."

"Just the hand. On accident. Peter he's scared. He needs help!"

Anger began to force tears out of Peters eyes. He held my good hand as Ned dialed 911.