A.J. woke up groggily, her head pounding. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings, only to find that she had no idea where she was. The feeling of panic catching in her throat multiplied tenfold when she saw her right arm handcuffed to something at the top of the bed. She pulled on it, hoping it would just come off, before realizing how ridiculous that was. Suddenly the door opened, and an all too familiar man walked in – the dark skin, the eye patch, the long black coat: she knew this man. As he sat down, she started to recognize the compartment she was in.

This is impossible.

A gruff voice drew her focus back. "How did you get on board this ship?" Director Nicholas J. Fury demanded.

"I honestly have no idea," she offered with a sheepish smile. Needless to say, he wasn't amused.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It doesn't matter, anyway, it's not like it's unusual."

"It's not unusual for you to wake up and not know how you got there?"

"Well, no, not in a dream. It's actually a defining feature."

"A dream?" he sighed, sitting down, examining her closely. "What makes you think this is a dream?"

"Because, no offense, but you're not real. You're a movie character."

"Ok. Let's try something else. When we first found you, we couldn't get close – the five foot radius around you was 100 degrees Fahrenheit over room temperature. Any ideas why this would be?"

"Funky dream stuff?"

"You're completely convinced this is a dream?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, waking up on what I guess would be a SHIELD helicarrier, random heat around me, you showing up from a movie I was just watching – it can't be real. And I'm not that crazy. It could be a massive prank, but I don't know anybody who could get Samuel L. Jackson."

"The guy from Star Wars?"

"Mace Windu, yeah. He also plays you in the movies." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You're a very good liar."

"No, I'm really not. I'm horrible at it, trust me. I just happen to be telling the truth."

"Then let's test that theory. If you're really dreaming, then you won't feel pain."

"Go for it," she shrugged, and he pinched her arm, hard.

"Ow!" she exclaimed; then her eyes widened in shock. "No, no, no, no. This is impossible. This is completely impossible." She leaned back and ran her hand over her face. "Ok, look, I swear, I have no idea how I got here. You have to believe me. It doesn't make any sense – unless – no way."

"What? You got sucked into the movie?"

"I wouldn't put it like that," she snapped before taking a breath. "But, in a world of aliens and Bifrosts and geniuses in flying suits, is it really very difficult to believe in interdimensional travel?"

"I suppose not. You do seem to be telling the truth." He considered for a moment before leaning over and unlocking the handcuffs. "But if you're lying, you will regret it."

"Understood. Hang on," she said, realizing something she'd missed. "Didn't you burn your eyepatch?"

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Because you faked-" she quickly clamped her mouth shut. "What year is it?"

"2012."

"2012! That's the first Avengers movie! Wait! What month?"

"May. What is it in your dimension?"

"January. 2016. So I'm from a future dimension. Weird."

"How many Avengers movies are there in four years?

"Technically just two, but there's also Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America 2. So I know the future?"

"It would seem so. What's your name?"

"A.J. Keller. And I know who you are, Director Fury."

"Good. With me."

He stood up and opened the compartment door. She hopped off the bed, following him. The cool hallways of the helicarrier were familiar to her, but they'd never been this real. SHEILD personnel walked and jogged past her to fulfill their duties as she hurried to keep up with Fury's long stride.

"So, what's been happening so far? Fill me in," she requested.

"Loki arrived and grabbed the Tesseract around 0200 hours last night. We're bringing in Rogers and Banner, and hopefully Stark," he glanced at A.J. and she nodded.

"He'll come, on his own time. You know how he is," she answered his unspoken question as they stepped onto the bridge. Natasha and Hill immediately ceased their conversation. Both of their expressions were distrustful, but Natasha's was petrifying. A.J. glanced to the side uncomfortably and spotted the agent playing Galaga. She smiled slightly to herself, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Something funny, Keller?" Fury asked.

"No, sir, sorry," she replied quickly, and he raised an eyebrow.

"I'd like you to meet Agents-"

"Romanoff and Hill," she finished for him. "Sorry."

"How do you know us?" Natasha asked distrustfully, but she looked to Fury.

"Miss Keller's from an alternate dimension, which apparently has movies about us."

"Really?" Hill asked. "How'd you get here?"

"No idea. But it means I know your future, so I'm guessing I'm sticking around."

"That's enough for now. Romanoff, I need to meet Rogers' quinjet. He's just landed. Hill, loan Keller your tablet so she can get her questioned answered. Jot down some of the next upcoming events while you're at it," Fury ordered, and the three women were quick to obey. A.J. flipped through the Internet and SHIELD records, looking up various things, as well as becoming accustomed to the higher technology. She got distracted, however, when she felt the four engines starting up. She hurried front to the big window and watched the ocean fall away. After a few minutes, she was called back to the bridge by Fury's order to Hill to vanish.

"This is awesome," she observed out loud to no one in particular.

"You can say that again," a voice agreed a few feet from her.

"Captain Rogers! Hi, I'm A.J. Keller," she introduce herself.

"Nice to meet you. You're not a SHIELD agent, are you?" he asked, shaking her hand.

"Not remotely, no," she smiled.

"Rogers! Keller!" Fury called, and the two headed back to him, Steve handing him a $10.

"Captain Rogers, Dr. Banner, this is A.J. Keller. She's – our secret weapon."

"Which means what exactly?" Dr. Banner asked. Fury nodded to her.

"Basically, I'm from an alternate universe a few years in the future where you don't exist but movies about you do."

"An alternate universe? How did you get here?" She could see the scientist in him working hard.

"From the heat signature around me when I landed, a lot of energy. I'm afraid that's all I know. My interdimensional travel wasn't exactly on purpose. One moment I'm at home, watching the Avengers, the next I'm living it."

"Fascinating. Have you-"

"I'm afraid we have more pressing matters, Dr. Banner," Fury interrupted him. "Unless Keller already knows where the Tesseract is."

"I know where Loki is, not the Tesseract. Or where he will be."

"Will telling us drastically change the course of the future?" Fury asked.

"I don't think so. You were going to catch him anyway. No, it's ok. He'll be in Stuttgart, Germany, at an event tonight. String quartet, lots of marble, opens out onto a square. He's after a scientist who works with iridium – to stabilize the Tesseract so he won't have a repeat of the last site. But Loki won't have it with him. Dr. Banner should still work on getting a scanner up."

"Good. Hill, show Dr. Banner to his lab. Captain, you're up. Keller, you're with him."

"Wait, what?" she was dumbstruck. "I'm going to Stuttgart?"

"Yes. Problem?"

"Uh, kinda. Loki's cool on screen and everything, but in person? No way. I was really hoping to avoid him."

"Sorry, Keller, but I need your expertise on the ground. Tell Rogers everything you know and anything that comes up last minute, then stay out of the way."

"What about Nat? I mean, Agent Romanoff?" she glanced over at her apologetically.

"Hey, you can call me Nat if I can call you A.J.," she smiled.

"Really? Awesome," A.J. smiled back.

"Romanoff will be going with you. On the way, she'll show you the ropes."

"Come on, kid, this is gonna be good. Captain, we'll meet you in the hangar bay."