Chapter 1: One Stormy Night

"Meteorologists have grown increasingly concerned about the storm hitting the entire western coast of the United States. The governor has already declared a state of emergency, who has not ruled out the possibility of evacuation for those living within ten to fifteen miles of the coastline," Nick watched the news feed about the situation happening a few hundred nautical miles away from their current position. However, the vast distance didn't seem to matter as the storm went beyond the coastline, moving across the entire Pacific Ocean, unlike anything scientists have ever seen. The kind of phenomenon that might draw the attention of organizations such as SHIELD. "For the time being, people are ordered to stay at home and stay off the road until new information can be made available."

Nick understood a lot of things about the world, especially the darkness hiding underneath the surface from prying eyes. Fortunately, the man could tell something was odd about the ever-growing storm detected by their sensors across North America. A storm originating over southern California was quite unusual, which meant it was probably a good idea to send some agents to check over the area. There was a small issue stopping an organization as powerful as SHIELD.

A certain egotistical billionaire armed with a high-tech suit of armor lived in the state. They knew if he caught wind of their movement, it wouldn't end for anyone involved.

"I can't do anything without Stark trying to stick his nose into my business," Nick was left shaking his head at the unfortunate reality of dealing with someone as unruly as Tony Stark. Hard to believe such a man with so many character issues could successfully run a company as enormous as Stark Industries, a tech conglomerate unmatched in the world. If that wasn't enough to scare anyone, Tony Stark was the public identity of the hero named Iron Man.

The one good thing about his recent behavior was helping to resurrect Avengers' Initiative and drum up some support from the oh-so-mighty world council.

There were still some concerns about bringing someone as unstable as Stark into the fray. In his youth, the Stark CEO never seemed capable of staying out of trouble for any lengthy period of time. Insulting members of the media, sleeping with different women on a regular basis, spending more money than a lot of people make in their lifetime, and living life as recklessly as possible. Everything about the man seemed like a giant red flag, a sign to avoid him at all cost.

As a result, the oh-so-mighty council believed Tony Stark should be placed under SHIELD surveillance for the possibility of going down a dark path. Nick – while not the biggest fan of Stark – knew it was a stupid decision to try and watch one of the smartest individuals in the world. It wouldn't take Stark or his AI long to discover any virus, listening bug, or form of surveillance. There was only one real way to keep an eye on the man without arousing any suspicion.

'Can't believe the easiest and oldest trick in the book is what's going to help us keep an eye on him,' He was somewhat relieved to know resources wouldn't have to be pulled away from their primary focus at the moment. 'Maybe she'll see it as some kind of vacation,' Nick smirked at the image in his head. 'Oh, she's not going to be happy in the slightest bit. I'll make it up to her later.'

The man's train of thought was broken by the roar of thunder in the nearby distance. It was followed by a streak of lightning dancing across the darkening skies. Thankfully, there was no need to be concerned about the danger associated with the storm as his crew members working inside the command bridge continued to perform their job as if nothing was wrong. SHIELD did allow only their very best to set a single foot on their organization's most prized asset.

To the average person, the helicarrier resembled most American aircraft carriers. There was – however – a single difference that separated the SHIELD carrier from anything else in the world. It was capable of taking flight. The use of four wind turbines was able to generate enough lift for the warship to be raised into the air with its deadly arsenal of first-generation Quinjets.

Nick never thought his career as a former Army colonel would lead to him becoming the director for an organization as secretive as SHIELD. His appearance reflected his attitude. The eyepatch, black trench coat, and stoic expression were enough to make even the most hardened of soldiers blink. Everyone was inclined to agree with the sentiment about Nick Fury being a scary man. The exception was the woman walking into the command bridge.

The sound of boots could be heard approaching from behind, causing Nick to turn his head around. He let a small smirk appear on his face, 'Just who I wanted to see tonight.'

Unlike the regularly trained agents, Natasha Romanoff was a very different breed from the rest. In the eyes of anyone, she was a beautiful woman with shoulder-length red hair, chocolate brown eyes, and a curvaceous figure hidden underneath a black combat suit. People might think she's nothing more than a pretty face but those same idiots would most likely be stabbed, shot, poisoned, or whatever method of execution she decides to use against them before they could even blink.

The most accurate description of Natasha Romanoff would be a single bloody rose covered in thorns, a warning to anyone foolish enough to go near her.

"Evening," Nick greeted the gorgeous redhead as casually as always. "I wasn't expecting to see you on the deck. I thought you were getting some rest after the job in Mexico City?"

Natasha leaned against the nearby railing before shrugging her shoulders, "Got more than enough sleep after that job. Besides, I wanted to see how we're doing on the…"

She glanced over at the window, noticing the storm getting increasingly worse, before looking back at her boss. "Storm chaser thing we got going right now. Any leads on what's causing the strange weather along the west coast."

"If I did, wouldn't you and Barton already know about it?"

"Touché. Anyway, what about the other situation on our radar?" Natasha asked him. "I still don't understand why we don't bring in the general and shake him down. We know what he and his pals were doing. It's not like that's a secret."

Sometimes, Nick liked to think about the past. His days as a colonel in the army seemed so much easier before Jim Greer – a field officer for the CIA – dragging him into the secretive side of the world, which helped create the mindset needed to do whatever was necessary to keep the peace. He couldn't help but remember the words from Jim about how the world worked.

"When you work behind a desk, your friends don't get killed. They don't get captured. They don't go down in helicopters. But it's the work, it's the real work that still needs to get done."

At times, Nick wondered if his mentor could've even fathomed everything that's happened. 'We have a billionaire running around in armor more advanced and more armed than some military forces around the world, acting as a superhero. Now, I have to deal with an experiment gone wrong because a general tried playing with stuff he didn't understand.'

Nobody could've predicted a perfectly normal man like Bruce Banner turning into a rage-filled monster with green skin. What was the cause of such a drastic transformation?

There was an experiment performed using gamma radiation under the supervision of the U.S Army. As anyone expected, everything went horribly wrong. The reason for the experiment even being approved was none other than trying to recreate a success they had during WW2 with Steven Rodgers. Instead of a new supersoldier to add to their ranks, the general and his men created a whole new headache for the world to deal with, and it was very angry with them.

SHIELD was forced to intervene and help the general track down Dr. Banner, understanding the danger he became to any population center should his rage be unleashed. Immediately, the scientist became the top search priority. They followed the trail of destruction left behind until it went cold. Soon, they were unable to find any shred of information about the man.

In the months following their last solid lead, SHIELD started keeping tabs on foreign news outlets for any reports about a large, muscular green creature.

"Absolutely nothing," Nick didn't bother to hide anything from Romanoff. Honesty was never the best option for someone in their line of work. Another 'no-no' was actually trusting someone. If push came to shove, Nick knew he could rely on Romanoff, Barton, and Hill in any situation. "We haven't heard a single peep about Dr. Banner ever since we lost his trail somewhere over Nicaragua. I have to say...I'm gonna have to give the man some credit. He certainly knows how to hide from us."

"He can't hide forever, can he?"

The director let out a humorless chuckle, "In my experience, the quietest men tend to be the ones you need to be careful around or they might show us why we need to stay away."

"Are you saying we need to leave Banner alone?"

"What I'm saying is to keep our distance," Nick thought the orders from the council to capture Banner were a terrible idea, especially if they were saying Thaddeus Ross was going to be involved. He stared into the stormy distance. "Why approach a man who doesn't seem intent of bringing harm to anyone? I think we can – for the moment – safely assume Banner isn't going to be attacking people."

Natasha raised a brow, "So we're going to trust Banner to keep a lid on his anger? A ticking time bomb that can result in the deaths of hundreds within the first thirty minutes if we're talking about any big cities across South America or Central America. I have to question if leaving Banner alone is the right call to make."

"As I said, I think provoking Banner is the wrong move to make. Everything we've gathered from his few remaining friends and his former lover seems to indicate a perfectly normal and quiet individual."

The sudden defense of the scientist seems to draw a reaction from Natasha. "Why so protective? I get he was turned into the creature because some idiots in the army wanted to create a super-soldier, but there is no ignoring what he can do. He's a danger to everyone around him. No matter how nice Banner is to people."

"If the correct response to someone like Banner is to capture him, I have no intentions of leading this organization," Nick may be willing to go against orders or do things his way. It was a big reason why the council made the decision to have him become the director. However, he wanted to make the world a better place so men like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner didn't have to be treated like a threat simply for either making a decision for themselves or screwed over by those above them. "We may be willing to stick our hands in the mud and try to make it better but the most important part is making sure we clean it off afterward."

"Forgot you always had a soft spot for people like Banner," the former KGB operative let a tiny smile appear on her face. "If that's how you want to handle the situation, who am I to judge? Anyway, I think Ross might still go after him."

Nick laughed at those words before giving an answer, "Of course, he's going to go after him. I can only hope the general keeps things from getting out of control."

"You better hope Stark stays out of it."

"If things go south – and they certainly will – I'm betting on Stark getting involved. Maybe it'll get him to change his mind about the Avengers' Initiative."

Natasha – from a professional view – didn't think Tony Stark was fit for the Avengers' Initiative. Words such as egotistical, stubborn, rash came to mind. She decided to make her view on him clear, "Sir, I've never disagreed with you on many of your decisions, officially. Is it even appropriate to assess a man as unstable as Stark? You already said he's not interested in the Avengers Initiative. He called it your little boy band project if I remember correctly."

"Romanoff, in all my years of working in the shadows, sometimes doing the right thing means making some uncomfortable and unorthodox choices. That's what allows SHIELD and everyone working on this bridge to do a better job than everyone out in the world," Nick was never one to mince his words, especially around one of his best agents in Natasha Romanoff. "So, I suggest you prepare yourself for a long-term assignment."

The female agent let out a sigh, "I'm not going to like this assignment, am I?"

Her only answer was a slight smirk on Nick Fury's face. Afterward, he turned away from her and gazed out into the distance, watching the storm continuing to slam into SHIELD's prized warship.

"I hope you like office work, Romanoff."

(X)

(Around the Same Time)

Pepper was beginning to regret her decision to attend the board member's birthday party as Tony's date for the evening. She knew the former billionaire playboy was going to do whatever he pleased, even if it might earn him some funny looks from people. 'I can't believe my boss can somehow go from saving the president of Somalia less than a few days ago to acting like a complete idiot in front of the people I work with on a regular basis,' She fought back the urge to smack her boss/crush in the back of his head after what he made her go through for the past few hours.

The only good thing was getting to leave the party early. Although, she saw many people sighing in relief as Tony announced his exit from the building. It was hard to believe someone so irresponsible could even fulfill the role of being the world's only superhero.

"How long until we get back, Happy?" The beautiful redhead asked. "I don't think I can take him being his typical idiot self for much longer."

Currently, Pepper and Tony were sitting in the back of a luxury vehicle as the latter's bodyguard drove them back to his private estate in Malibu. The party being in downtown Los Angeles ended up being a blessing in disguise. The drive back was going to be quite short. On the other hand, a big storm moved into the area and was making a real mess of things.

The bodyguard – named Happy Hogan – shrugged his shoulders, focusing on the road. "I don't know. I got to worry about the heavy rain coming down. Seriously, did the weather report not say a single damn thing about this?" He let his frustration seep into the question. "It's a giant pain in the ass for me."

"They said it supposed to be a clear night," Pepper stated, remembering the weather report from earlier in the day. "Not a single cloud in the sky."

A streak of lightning illuminated the sky as those words left her mouth. The violent roar of thunder was quick to follow, causing the beautiful redhead to jump slightly at the noise. 'Looks like we're going to be stuck at Tony's place. There's no way in hell I'm driving through this weather. I'm sure Happy isn't too thrilled to drive in these conditions back to his house.'

She was right to assume her friend felt the same way from the grimace on his face. As she glanced out the passenger window, Pepper saw how hard the rain was coming down on the area. Big storms were a rare thing in California. Disasters like wildfires and earthquakes were a lot more commonplace, and it drew the attention of the third occupant in the vehicle.

"Well, it's a good thing we left."

"Tony, can you please be somewhat serious about this?"

The answer to her question was less than ideal. "Lighten up, Pepper. I've dealt with extreme weather conditions in the past. Remember when I helped those people in the Amazon get to higher ground when their villages were swept away," Tony casually waved off her concern. "Besides, I don't think much is going to happen since we're driving."

Their boss certainly had a way with words. Some might say he was being arrogant, shrugging off such a major storm like it was nothing more than a nuisance to him. Pepper and Happy might've agreed with those people if it wasn't for their boss becoming a superhero. It was hard to believe the man sitting in the back of the car used to do nothing more than sleep with women, drink till he passed out, and had no problems with being an asshole. Yet, one single event changed his life.

A weapons demonstration in Afghanistan went wrong. His escort was attacked by a terrorist group by the name of the Ten Rings and was held hostage for a few months. Pepper and Happy remembered the sleepless nights, trying to keep the company from falling apart, and keep back the nightmares about their friend being tortured. Safe to say, they handled his disappearance poorly. Then, as quickly as he went missing, they were informed by the US government about locating their favorite billionaire.

Both of them thought the ordeal was over. Apparently, Tony had other ideas. The man surprised nearly the entire world with his decision to shut down the weapons manufacturing division, a controversial decision in the eyes of many people. That one choice caused a ripple effect, which led to the creation of the hero named Iron-Man.

"You know, not everyone has a suit strong enough to survive in these conditions," Pepper countered. "I think you should be taking the storm a bit more seriously."

"It's not like the storm is going to do serious damage," He revealed to his two friends. "I've had some of my satellites keep an eye on the storm's path, which was calculated by Jarvis since the state put out a warning."

Pepper stared at him, "...And you didn't bother to say anything because…?"

"I don't know," The world-famous superhero shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't feel like ruining the party for everyone. You know how much I dislike ruining peoples' fun. It's not in my nature. Plus, everything should be calming down in the next few hours. No need to make a giant fuss out of the situation."

"You could've said something earlier, Tony."

"And get people whipped up into a panic? Pepper, I'm not that stupid," The heroic billionaire disagreed with his assistant's concerns, dismissing them outright. "I already knew Happy would've said we had to leave, not a dumb idea looking back, but you get the point. Plus, you already know I've started working on the remote delivery system for my armor. Nothing was going to happen under my watch."

Both of his friends seemed unconvinced. Tony knew his behavior since becoming Iron-Man, especially in the last few weeks, hasn't exactly gotten any better. In some cases, an argument could be made he's a lot worse than before getting into the whole 'superhero' business. Whatever the reasoning, Tony wanted to reassure his friends (one of them being a woman he liked) everything is going to be fine.

"If you say so, sir." Happy said, catching the others off guard. "Besides, arguing with you always turns out to be a pointless endeavor. No offense to you, sir."

"I...I mean, you can try."

The feeble and rapid reply from Tony was met with Pepper shaking her head in amusement. Happy, on the other hand, kept his eyes focused on the road, not bothering to respond to his boss. However, it was at this moment when the bodyguard noticed something strange in the distance.

At first, Happy believed the terrible weather and lack of moonlight were playing tricks on his eyes. It's a pretty common occurrence for people claiming to have seen monsters or ghosts. He also chalked it up to being exhausted from the long hours at the party, forced to keep an eye on the guests wandering around the hall, especially anyone talking to his boss. Unfortunately, his most promising theory was thrown out the window just moments later.

'What the fuck?' Happy questioned what he was seeing down the road. What he believed to be a sign in desperate need of repair actually turned out to be a pair of individuals. From what the man could guess, they both appeared to be around the same height. The oddest thing was their outfits. 'I...I must be going crazy, right?'

He began to gently pull back on the gas, letting the car come to a stop as he drove onto the side of the relatively empty road before coming to a gentle stop, which was probably due to the governor's recent stay-at-home orders. His recent actions gained the attention of Pepper and Tony.

"Uh, buddy, you okay?" Tony reached forward and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "If you want me or Jarvis to drive, all you gotta do is ask me."

"Hey, do you see two...people in front of us?"

The question was unexpected, but the world-famous billionaire knew Happy was never one to pull any kind of joke in their situation. He looked towards the front windshield, squinting his eyes as he tried to see anything out in front of them. Then, Tony saw the two figures about a dozen meters away. He could tell they were exhausted if their haggard appearance was any indication.

"Guys, what's going on?"

Tony, ignoring his crush/assistant, continued observing the two individuals. He wondered if they knew they were approaching the vehicle. Whether they were aware or not, nobody in the car could answer that question. "My god, you're right," He muttered in disbelief. "Who the hell is dumb enough to be out in this weather?"

"Don't know. Maybe they're kids," Happy offered some sort of answer.

Before the billionaire had a chance to reply to the suggestion, he saw the two individuals collapse onto their knees. Or, more specifically, it appears one of them fell to their knees while the other was trying to keep their fallen friend on their feet. After his harrowing experience in Afghanistan, Tony never wanted innocent people to suffer because of mistakes made by his company or those believing they can harm others.

The final straw was seeing the person – already appearing to be on the verge of unconsciousness – fell flat on their back. It was quickly followed by their friend kneeling beside them and trying to wake them up in a frantic manner.

"I'm going to help them." Tony's sudden declaration surprised the other two in the car. "They look like they need some help, and I doubt any police are around here right now."

"This is a not good idea.

The rebuttal from his bodyguard earned a heated question from Tony, "Why not?"

"Because we have no idea if those people are dangerous," Happy stated. "They could be some assholes putting on a show for us. Or maybe someone's finally decided to grow a pair and go after you. No one has tried to come after you ever since what happened with Obadiah. Do you really want to risk your life for two people you don't know?"

"Yes."

Tony, without saying another word to either of them, quickly opened the passenger door on his side and stepped into the cold rain. He walked over to the two individuals. While his suit may be getting soaked, the last thing on his mind was clothing.

'Let's hope my plan doesn't backfire on me. The remote delivery system still has a few bugs in it,' Tony knew the probability of someone picking a fight with him was astronomically low. Thankfully, it seems like neither of them noticed his presence. As he got closer, Tony was able to make out some details. One of them appeared to be a young woman if the long dark hair was any hint. Their clothing was some sort of red costume with various holes throughout it, which was covered by a long cape.

He decided to slow down, keeping his distance to not spook them. Tony called out to them, "Hey, you two need help?"

It appeared to catch the young woman's attention. Immediately, Tony had to correct himself as it was a young girl. She was probably sixteen, maybe seventeen years old. He glanced down at the other person and saw the person wearing a beat-up mask with rabbit-like ears. In fact, 'beat-up' was the right word to describe their entire appearance.

The girl stared at him with anxiety-filled eyes. Tony noticed her slightly moving to protect the person on the ground. 'Probably someone close to her. Maybe a relative or friend? But likely a lover if their reaction is anything to go by,' He concluded.

"Not going to hurt you," Tony said in a friendly tone. "Just wanna help. The other person seems to be in serious need of medical attention."

"H-He just needs rest."

Tony took a step back as the girl spoke for the first time. For a moment, there appeared to be a slight accent to her words but it was hardly noticeable by the billionaire. "You guys shouldn't be on the road right now. The governor already said southern California is under stay-at-home orders."

Those words seem to catch the girl's interest. She stared at him like he was insane, "W-What? We're in California? I-I...don't understand. T-That's not possible...w-we...we were just in Japan."

Another violet roar of thunder shook the night sky. Tony frowned at her words, "Miss, are you two okay?"

She wasn't able to answer as the other person laying on the ground let out a groan of pain. It's followed by the person making a valiant attempt at getting up. The girl – momentarily forgetting about Tony and the horrible weather – tended to the person by keeping their head slightly up. "Izuku, y-you shouldn't be moving right now," she placed a hand on the person's cheek, speaking to him in a gentle voice. "I...I promise you, I'll get us out of this mess, okay?"

Tony realized she was speaking in Japanese, catching the name of the other person. He's been to the far east nation on a number of occasions throughout his tenure as the CEO for Stark Industries. The language was recognizable to him after hearing it for so many years.

"C-Can you help us? He...He needs to get out of this weather or he'll get sick," The girl sounded quite scared for the person, even speaking in English. "Please sir...I-I know we're just strangers."

"Of course, we'll help you."

Tony heard the familiar voice of his assistant standing behind him, answering the girl's question with a big smile on her face. He looked behind and saw Pepper standing with an umbrella covering her. Next to her, Happy was carrying an umbrella as well.

"Took you guys long enough," Tony snorted. "I thought I was the only heroic person around here."

His comment earned a smack on the shoulder by Pepper, annoyed at her boss being a dickhead at the worst possible time. "Not now," she whispered to him. "The last thing they need is you being a jerk as per usual, Tony."

The three adults focused back on the two teenagers if their appearance meant anything. Pepper, out of all of them, was far more experienced in dealing with people. She took the lead by using her umbrella to try to shield the two teenagers from the rain.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Pepper asked.

"M-My name is Momo, ma'am."

"That's a lovely name," The redhead assistant smiled at the dark-haired girl. "You can call me Pepper. There's no need to use ma'am around me. Do you mind if I call you by your name?"

The girl slowly nodded, unsure of what might happen if she didn't agree to do so.

"Okay, Momo, I need you to be honest with me. Does your friend need medical attention?"

"He...He has some bruises, a couple of cuts, and a concussion," Momo informed them. "I haven't been able to find any other injuries...or, more accurately, I haven't had much time to do so."

The information was certainly a relief for the three adults. None of them were sure if they could get to a hospital during such a heavy storm. Even Tony had reservations about flying in these conditions. Yet, it provided a dilemma for them. What were they going to do? It was the question gnawing at each person.

"Come on," Tony – never one to stay quiet – voiced his thoughts, which were shared by the others. "We all know these two aren't going to last the night out here. Plus, driving to any nearby shelter or, if we're super lucky, their home address isn't going to be possible until the morning. So this leaves my house as the most obvious choice. I'm assuming we're all in agreement."

Happy – despite being concerned for Tony's safety – couldn't live with himself if they left these kids to rot in this weather. "Yeah, no problems here." The bodyguard relented.

"I'm alright with it. Besides, you're not going to be alone with them. Happy and I weren't exactly keen on trying to get home in this weather." Pepper felt proud of how far Tony's come in recent months. His decision to become Iron-Man definitely drew some concern from her, but these kinds of moments beat back said concerns. "Now, we should get them out of this weather right now."

Momo – listening to their conversation – was shocked by their decision. "You're...You're perfectly fine with bringing us to your home, sir?" She asked them.

"What kind of superhero would I be if I turned away a pair of kids stuck outside in this weather?" Tony ignored his friends rolling their eyes at his ego starting to come through his words. He spoke to the bodyguard while walking over to the boy, "Happy, give me a hand with him. I don't want to move him too much while we carry him."

The dark-haired girl watched with anxiousness as the two men helped carry Izuku off the ground by grabbing each of his arms and placing them around their shoulders. They started walking over to the car and making sure to keep him awake. Meanwhile, Momo was helped off the ground by the red-haired woman named Pepper.

'He's a superhero? M-Maybe he can help us get back to Japan...God knows the situation over there is nothing short of hopeless,' Momo was beyond worried about her boyfriend. The last few months have proven to be a complete nightmare, unlike anything they could've imagined. To think the craziest thing in her first year of high school was supposed to be confessing to Izuku Midoriya, a meek but heroic person in a lot of ways no one could've ever expected. She watched as the two men gently loaded him into the car nearby. One thought came to mind, 'Please Izuku...just be okay...'

I was bored, okay? That's my explanation for this story being born.

I need to say a few things about the story. First, the basic idea is Izuku and Momo have woken up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I know the concept is generic as hell. But I really don't care. I need to address the next important section. Secondly, I won't be delving too much into how these two arrived in this universe for the time being. It has to do with keeping spoilers to a minimum as their disappearance happened during the recent events in the manga.

I will do my best to keep the spoilers to a minimum until I feel it is an appropriate time to reveal what happened to them.

The other important information is Izuku and Momo are already a couple if you couldn't tell. It makes things easier for me. Plus, I'm a sucker for this particular pairing as it's my favorite. So sue me. XD

The last thing is I'm not too sure if I'll continue this story. I will try to come up with some more stuff, but I am not going to make any promises. Out of all my stories, this is probably last on the list to worry about.