Typical Parker Luck - A Peter Parker Love Story

XLIV - Bottom Desk Drawer

The meeting dispersed.

"Wakanda?" I repeated. "But, why are we going there?" I asked Doctor Banner. He was already packing a suitcase.

"Their tech is far more advanced than ours," Bruce replied. "If they can get this Stone out of Vision's head without him, you know—"

"Am I supposed to come?" I said.

Bruce paused his packing. "Look, this thing we're up against, it's... big. Way bigger than Loki's army New York. I sincerely think we're going to need all hands on deck."

I paused, looking down at the simmering suit scales over my arms. "You think they'll attack us again? In Wakanda?" I said softly.

Banner sighed. "They might," he said after a moment. "But they will attack eventually. And we need to stop them whenever they do, wherever they do."

I folded my arms and hummed in response. He was right.

"And with Tony and Peter being... in space," I began.

"Two big players are off the table," Bruce replied.

"Alright," I said at last. "I'll come with."

I quickly packed a bag and followed Bruce out to the landing strip where Sam, Rhodey, Steve, Natasha, Wanda, and Vision were boarding the Quinjet.

I gripped the shoulder strap of my bag. The last time I had been in a Quinjet was for Cairo, Apocalypse. I had flatlined in the Quin, I remembered.

"Stay with us, Eve," commanded a voice within my memory. It was Doctor Banner.

"Jesus, kid," Stark breathed.

I could remember how my limbs felt as if they each weighed one hundred pounds, the plastic of the oxygen mask on my face, the various heart monitors and IV lines attached to me.

"We're taking her into emergency surgery," said Doctor Banner. "We're going to try our best."

"Eve, if you can hear me, this is Warren," my brother had said, taking my limp hand in his. "You're gonna be fine, you hear me?"

"Evie... I love you, okay... come back to us, Evelyn.. just hold on a little longer," a familiar voice pleaded.

Charles. I needed to say goodbye to Charles.

"Eve?" Doctor Banner's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I was still standing on the tarmac outside of the Avengers Facility, staring at the Quinjet being loaded.

"I... know what happened the last time," Doctor Banner began softly. "I understand your hesitation."

"I'm okay," I said, shifting my bag on my shoulder. "I just have to make a quick phone call."

Bruce nodded, stepping onto the ramp of the Quin. "We can wait just a moment."

I pulled my cell from my bag and dialed Charles' number. With a long sigh, I brought the phone to my ear.

"Evelyn?" Charles picked up almost immediately. "What's going on, are you alright? The news—"

"I'm fine," I replied, a slight smile on my lips. "I'm about to go to Wakanda."

"Wakanda? Like Africa?" Charles repeated.

"Yeah," I mumbled. "Unfortunately," I sighed, "I have to go save the world, again. But I wanted to say that... I love you, before I go, this time. Just in case I... Tell Warren what I said too."

"Evie..." Charles breathed.

I tried not to get emotional. "And in my bottom desk drawer, back at the house, I've written a will—"

"Stop that," said Charles firmly. "You will be fine, you hear me? You'll come back to us."

"It's the aliens again," I forced a short laugh through tears threatening to fall. "The ones from Loki, in New York City. It's all hands on deck."

"And you'll kick their arses a second time," Charles said.

I laughed. "Okay," I sniffed. "Alright. You're right."

"I love you, Evelyn," said Charles, but I could hear the worry in his voice. "And you'll come back. I know you will. Be safe."

"I love you too," I said. Then, "Bottom desk drawer," I repeated.

I hung up.

Turning back to the Quinjet, I sighed.

"Ready to go?" Steve said, a soft smile on his face.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Besides, I don't get to leave the country very often."

"That's the spirit," Steve replied, offering to take my bag.

We were up in the air in a matter of seconds.

I sat down and buckled in, my eyes briefly flitting to the stretcher stored on the wall. The same one where I had—

"How's school?" Steve began.

Damn him for asking questions like that at a time like this.

I shrugged. "Alright," I replied, thinking of the videos I had to watch of the Captain in gym class.

"I see you've got a new suit," Natasha started.

Why were they talking to me so much?

"Yeah," I said, looking down. "Just got it today."

"Looks nice," said Nat. "Black suits you."

I picked my head up slightly, smiling tiredly.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"You ready?" Steve said.

I only shrugged. It has been a loaded question after all.

"You need a motivational speech?" Natasha spoke up. "They're Cap's specialty."

My smile grew to be a little more genuine.

"I just wanted to go to MoMA," I said quietly, looking at my backpack that had been emptied of its school work and instead filled with essentials.

"Completely overrated," Nat crossed her arms, sinking back in her seat. "You're not missing a thing."

But I am, I wanted to protest.

I was missing out on being a normal teenager—I had written my will at age sixteen. I was missing out on going on field trips with my friends, classes and homework, parties and get-togethers.

And I was saving the world instead.