Waylaying on the Sidelines

When summer is near, everything goes fast. From his own point of view, when school is over everything that happened for that whole year it felt like it just happened yesterday. Talking about this is kinda bullshit, since he only attended one semester and he is feeling nostalgic or emotional over this.

"Avery, have you heard about AC/DC's concert?" Henry asked while they were both eating their snacks. Mashed potato tastes good in this school, though its appearance is not appetizing. "I never bought the tickets 'cause it's so expensive..." He said with the gloomy tone.

While Henry is babbling how he missed the concert, Avery is munching his favorite bread and not minding what he was saying "... and you know they have one of the best music of all times! One day I want to learn an instrument so I can play one of their songs! Hey are you listening?!" Henry babbled about the concert until he noticed Avery was not listening.

"Oh, AC/DC..." Avery remarked still eating his snacks. "Remember, you went at the tournament?"

"Yeah."

"One of my cousin invited me to go at the concert with him," he told Henry, who was now mouthed agape with surprise. "He had three tickets, and the last one is an extra. I was going to invite you but you went at the tournament, so I just gave the last ticket to one of my cousin who liked classical music. And you should have seen his face! It was funny, it's like his ear exploded because of the noise!" Avery shared his story while it still surprised Henry.

"... my cousin appreciated it and all, but I think when he went back home he played one of his classics very loud," he continued, "anyways, congratulations on winning your tournament..." Avery grabbed something inside his bag, "here, a signed poster, plus a key chain."

"Really! You'll give it to me!" Henry squealed in delight. "Oh my God, thank you!" he almost hugged Avery in delight, but stopped himself.

"Well, the first one is the payment for that computer stuff you did, and the last one is being my friend," Avery commented, "What are you going to do this summer?"

"Help Jack at the bakery like I always do, why?" he asked.

"Nothing, I have nothing to do this summer..." Avery stated with a hint of a sad tone, "Both of my parents have work, and I am all alone inside my house."

"Oh, maybe sometimes we could hang-out, you can go at the bakery but I'll ask Jack about this first..."

"Thanks!" he said with a cheerful voice, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that I saw the son of the Howard Stark at the concert."

Tony Stark? Really Avery? You don't know that genius name? They covered him in a lot magazines for being a fucking prodigy, heck he even made a circuit when he was a child.

"I wouldn't peg that guy for music," Avery commented nonchalantly. "Anyways, I think we should go back now. You have history for later, right?"

"Yeah, Mr. Stacatto hates me the most! Please help me escape that class!"

"Just because you got the passing grade doesn't mean he hates you. Maybe... you just suck at it?"

"Right... thanks for that," he deadpanned.

"I wonder what score did Red and his company get... are you sure that you put in the correct files?" Avery asked out of nowhere

"Eighty percent sure? Or something less than that," Henry said without assurance. "Don't bother about their scores, your future matters more than theirs. Karma would hit them hard in the face."

Avery said nothing, but he showed a small genuine smile. And Henry felt like he has a friend. A real friend.

Both of them went back to their classes and talked about their exam scores. In which Henry forgot his problems momentarily.

"Good job, Henry! You aced all of your exams." Jack praised proudly. "Don't you want to speed up a grade level?" he asked.

"Sure, I even want to go at college already," Henry agreed almost immediately, "I think it's easy..."

It surprised Jack when he answered that, "Really? I thought you'll disagree with me 'cause you don't want to go to school."

"I know," he remarked with a smug tone. "I'll be able to get away from school if I attended college already."

He really wants to finish off high school. Henry stopped at college remember, because, you know, he died. Achieving a PhD or just a college's diploma is fine, no, it's more than fine. It would be fantastic. He achieved something he'll never get back in his old life.

Jack ruffled Henry's hair just because he thinks that Henry said earlier was funny. "If you want to, I'll ask the school if you could skip at least two grades... you showed them how smart you are Henry."

"Oh gee, Thanks Jack!" Henry delightfully said to Jack.

Jack smiled fondly at him, "Though, someone has to teach you some important lessons of all grade levels," he started, "you'll be taking the Regents Exam so you can technically apply for college."

"I forgot that you need a diploma to apply at college," Henry laughed awkwardly in response. "Okay, I'll take the tutoring. Who's gonna teach me?"

Jack smirked at Henry. "A friend from my work."

Immediately, Henry became more excited than he was before.

Henry doesn't know the whole Marvel cinematic universe.

He isn't a die-hard fan of Marvel. He just liked the story and the fighting scenes. But Henry knows there are series that have been made after some movies. He is more of a movie person guy.

Information about the whole universe is impossible to know and remember until you die. Yeah, he remembered that he watched Marvel movies that are mostly about Avengers. HYDRA and SHIELD is the thought that comes through his mind ever since Jack said somebody from his work will tutor him. What if the tutor is HYDRA? It would be scary to meet one in person! Hearing 'Hail Hydra' gives him a chill on his spine.

He definitely remembers about the Project thing about eliminating millions and millions of people. Took him days to remember that, he totally remembers it.

Of course he trusts Jack, he is not HYDRA! If he's HYDRA in the first place, why would he adopt him? And Henry isn't some future test subject for them to experiment. So no, Jack is not HYDRA unless he shows signs that he is bad.

Always follow your guts.

"Avery, your father seems suspicious..." Henry bluntly said as soon as Avery's father left the house.

"What?" he laughed awkwardly. "My dad is not suspicious..." slightly glaring at him.

"Sure," it was probably not the best to insult his father. But his guts seemed to tell him to get the away from that man. He is getting nervous whenever that man is here.

"Anyways, I called you here because of a surprise!" Avery cheerfully said, quickly changing his mood. "I'm gonna be a big brother now!"

"That's great!" Henry smiled, "Boy or girl?"

"Girl," Avery answered with a broad smile.

New life starts a new journey, what a philosophical way for him to say that. The thought of 'Is this person in the story?' crosses his mind almost every day. Is Avery important like Tony Stark? Or his sister would be important as same as Black Widow? He doesn't know. Handling lives isn't his thing; he doesn't control life and death unlike some other Gods.

"Are you planning to change schools?" Avery excitingly asked. "My dad told me last week that I was supposed to go at the Preparatory Academy near the mountains!"

"Near the mountains? What kind of school is that? A magical one?" Henry referenced the last one, and he meant it as a joke.

"Kind of a military kind," he answered seriously. "I always wanted to work for something..." he vaguely said.

Henry had a disbelieving look on his face. "Uhm, surprisingly, I was going to apply for college." He felt bragging at that time. He can't believe Avery, a nerdy person, will go to a military school! "Oh and also, it would be more fun than your military school," he joked.

"But Dad will get me a cute dog," Avery bragged as well. "He trusted me to keep this thing! And Dad hates dogs..." he added.

"Really?! What breed?!" Henry cheerfully asked.

"A Retriever," he answered with a smile on his face.

"Ooh name it Orion if it is a boy or name it Vela if it is a girl," Henry suggested enthusiastically.

"After stars? Sure it sounds cool."

"Good thing you'll have a dog, don't let it die! I want to see it, okay?" Henry told him, "Damn, I wish I could have a dog..."

He forgot that Jack borrowed books.

Henry started reading it today, and it is... weird? He knows that history isn't weird, but they filled everything with new people. Like the thing that happened at Quiz Bowl! The books that Jack borrowed was almost about Captain America or Steve Rogers. You know the usual stuff Steve Rogers before and after. The only thing that is missing is his encounter with Red Skull and all the things that happened during that year. It only said that Captain America defeated Red Skull, someone will find no good details if another man from his Universe went here.

Well, he read all five books with knitted brows. God! History in his old life is more easier, no added organizations and no superhero's biography.

"Whoever up there is watching me, please give me a library!" he pleaded, getting tired of seeing Captain America's insignia. He should have borrowed the books from the Public Library, at least not all books is about Captain America.

Lying flat on bed for minutes, he felt tired, even though he wasn't supposed to get tired by lying down. 'Something interesting should happen to me... I'm a special person, aren't I?'

Henry stood up and decided to get the books again at his desks after lying down for minutes, he stretched his arms and yawned to at least wake up his body. But before he can walk towards his desk, an orange fiery portal appeared on his floor,

and guess what happened.

He fell through it.

HE WAS FALLING FROM A HIGH GROUND AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE!

Henry screamed loudly. The place is just black, or he can't see because he had his eyes closed! You don't want to see the ground when you're falling!

"AAAaaahhh... aah?" Henry screamed, but it died out immediately when he felt his legs on the hard floor again. He looked down and saw the floor was not wooden like his room, but it was a stone polished floor. "I don't like to fall..." he looked at the person who was in front of him with fear displayed on his face.

"Henry Skeeter, I expected you to come yesterday, but I guess it's a different reality." The person who stood in front of him was the Ancient One.

"W-what?" he staggered with anger in his voice.

"It is self-explanatory Henry," the Ancient One cryptically told him.

"... I'm a reincarnated person. Is that what you are implying to me?!"

"Precisely, I may as well speculate that you are brought by the Dark Dimension," the Ancient One answered.

"Are you thinking me as a... threat to this Universe?" Henry asked with a ridiculous tone. "Excuse me! I'm not planning to do anything here in this Universe."

"I know you will not do any harm, but I have foreseen future," the Ancient One explained.

"Oh yeah? Me too! You think you're the only one," Henry said walking towards her, to express his anger and annoyance.

"It would be a good benefit, both to you and the Universe if you learned Mystic Arts," she explained unfazed by his reaction. "You have potential in Dimensional Magic. It would be a waste if you don't harness it, you could defend yourself."

"Yeah, better give it to Strange. That man is more of a genius than I am," he spat with frustration. "You said it yourself in the future anyways that he's gonna be a great sorcerer. Don't waste your time on me. I am better alone by myself since the beginning!"

The Ancient One still remained unfazed for all his actions, but Henry can feel her frowning or disappointment inside. As Henry was about to turn back away from her. The Ancient One grabbed his arm and quickly palming his body, forcibly pushing his soul out.

Note that the Ancient One did it quickly; he can't even react to it.

Henry saw his body motionless on the floor, it was unnerving, somebody could kill him as fast as that. He just sat there like something defeated him and sobbed like a loser he is. "Return... me... me back to my body," he said with tears pooling in his eyes. God, if you're just a soul, you're like a ghost. It was so so uncomfortable.

"You still grieve over your death in your own universe," the Ancient One told him straightforwardly. "You kept denying it."

"Well, I have a right to grieve over it!" Henry angrily said with tears falling from his eyes. "I LOST everything!"

"What exactly did you lose?" Ancient One asked with a commanding tone.

Henry was trying to stop his tears. "My life..." he whispered.

"You don't have someone to mourn over your death and you realized that when you got here. You are alone in both of your lives."

"Please, return me back to my body," Henry repeated but now with a quiet voice. He wiped the tears off his face.

The Ancient One agreed after Henry stopped crying about it. It was nice to release something that holds you back. Henry stood up and rubbed his eyes to remove the tears.

"Do you agree?" She asked again. "Do you realize it already?"

"What? About magic stuff and also my whole life back then?" she nodded. "Why do you want to teach me?"

"When you arrived here at this Universe, everything changed." Ancient One answered with little explanation to satisfy him.

But Henry has no qualms about that, he stayed quiet. He knows that if he existed here everything already changed. Was putting back everything the same is his job?

"Fine, but just because I don't want to die," Henry finally said with a small frown. "You can't let anyone know this, I know reincarnating is a huge bs to me but it is a secret and you being immortal is a supposed secret too. Let's keep it that way."

"Are you threatening me?" Ancient One accused calmly.

"No, just extra precautions," he defended. "Good bye. Please transport me back to my home."

The Ancient One just raised her brow, and without warning she conjured the orange fiery portal right below his feet.

Henry fell down again, but this time it was short. He landed on his bed with a small 'thud'. He looked at his clock and he realized thirty minutes have passed. It felt like it was three hours when the Ancient One transported him. He felt like he suffered for a long time.

Magic is scary.

A/N: Not really my best chapter in my opinion. I just edited all of my previous chapter, idk if it changed something. My grammar still sucks. Anyways, thank you for over 100 followers and 80 favorites! Special thanks to Amir and his friend! And thank you for the reviews!

I'll edit this later.

Hope you enjoyed it!

I don't own Avengers.