A/N: Thank you so much, Animation Imagination, Jotunchick11, and Gunslinger21 for reading and reviewing :)
Natasha groaned and opened her eyes. Her vision was a bit hazy at best so she blinked a couple times to clear it.
"Ugh. What the hell?" she hissed as she untangled herself from the seatbelt. She looked around at the wreckage of the jet, which was completely totaled. An entire wing was missing and the whole front end was buried in the ground. It was a miracle they'd survived at all. Wait. Where was Clint?
Natasha jumped up, staggering a bit from the uneven surface. Her eyes scanned the wreckage but there was no sign of her friend.
"Clint?" she called hoarsely. She waited a minute, but there was no answer. Cold grasping fear oozed its way into her bloodstream. "Clint!' she screamed. "Where are you, you son of a bitch you'd better come out where I can see you!"
There was a muffled yelp from under the belly of the jet. Nat jumped out of the vehicle and crouched down in the dirt to peer under the jet.
"Clint...?" she called softly. How had he gotten under there? Was he alright?
Another whimper, then out of the darkness a scrubby teacup poodle appeared from under the jet. It wagged its stubby tail and barked up at her.
Natasha stood up, disgusted. "Ugh. No way pup. I don't associate with mutts," she said halfheartedly. The tiny dog was prancing circles around her, jumping up and whimpering. Natasha's heart softened, just a little bit.
"Alright dog." She crossed her arms and glared down at the animal. "Tell ya what. You help me find my partner and then maybe I'll let you follow me, or whatever."
The dog cocked his head as though listening intently. When she finished speaking it yapped up at her again. The poodle frisked about her legs, vainly trying to get her attention.
"Well?! I need my partner and you're not helping!" She stalked about the wreckage of the plane, looking all over for her friend. The dog kept following her, yapping its head off and annoying the hell out of her.
When she came around to the front again, Natasha could just see someone's legs sticking out from under the nose of the jet. She bent down to get a better look, taking in the sight of the blood oozing from whoever's body it was. Thankfully it wasn't Clint. That much she could see. The person was wearing emerald green leggings and brown mud-caked boots. An awful smell, like burning plastic, emanated from the corpse. Natasha wrinkled her nose in distaste and stood up again.
Then she began taking notice of her surroundings. There were rolling hills in either dircetion, covered in soft purple heather. The atmosphere had a strange quality to it, almost as though the air was too clean. It looked to be night in this place, the sky hued in soft shades of grey and violet-blue.
"Welcome to the Dark Dimension," a voice said behind her.
Natasha jumped and uttered a curse in Russian. In a flash her pistol was out and she was pointing it at the odd figure who had spoken. She hated herself for allowing her fear to show. Her nerves were rattled. Too much had gone on in too little time. And where was Clint?
The person, she thought it was a man, smiled at her. "We thank you so much for freeing us." He spread his arms to encapsulate the great empty plain that they stood in. Then Natasha noticed other people, bright luminous people with silvery blue hair, that were seemingly appearing out of nowhere. She saw women, and children, old men and young. They were all chattering excitedly, pointing at her and at the jet.
"Saving you?" Natasha asked, mouth gone dry. Where in the hell had they ended up?
The dude in silver robes nodded his shaggy head. "Yes! You have slain our long-time tormentor, the Baron Mordo."
Natasha could only listen and stare in complete and utter confusion. What had she eaten last night?
"You are our savior!" he said jubilantly. "The Baron Mordo has long taken his vengeance out on my people, killing the innocents and taking whatever he wants. For years we have lived under his shadow. But now he is gone!" the man continued speaking excitedly. "When we saw your flying machine up in the sky we were certain that this was another of Mordo's wicked spells. Then the evil sorcerer appeared just as your aircraft crashed into him. Thank you, thank you so much for delivering our people." The guy came up and shook Natasha's hand, pumping her arm up and down vigorously.
"Uh... You're welcome," she said flatly, more than a little embarrassed at all this attention. Especially since it'd been completely by accident that this Mordo guy was killed. Must have been a pretty stupid sorcerer for leaping in front of a plane like that. Natasha chuckled darkly at the thought.
"Look! Our queen, she comes! Surely she will reward you for your valiant deeds this day." The silvery man said, pointing up towards a beautiful woman that was floating towards them. She had luscious silvery-white curls, deep blue eyes, and wore a silver and purple gown. An air of regality hung about her.
The woman descended and stepped lightly onto the pale grass at her feet.
"I am Clea," she said in a melodic voice. "And you are Natasha Romanova, a woman of Earth, yes?"
Natasha nodded, nervously picking up the little dog and holding it to her bosom. It squirmed around for a bit then settled comfortably in her arms.
"Um... Where am I exactly?" Natasha asked, raising a dubious brow.
"You are in the realm of the Dark Dimension, where I am ruler of my people. As for how you ended up in my realm, there is a simple explanation for that. The wicked Mordo had cast a spell to link my realm to Earth. A portal opened, which you had the misfortune to enter," the woman smiled in sympathy. "However, it is thanks to your unexpected entry that our nemesis is vanquished at last."
"Well, I didn't really, um, mean to. But I'm glad I helped," Natasha said hurriedly. She looked around at all the happy faces and felt genuinely glad for helping. "Listen, I seem to have lost my partner around here somewhere. His name's Clint Barton, he's kinda short but has a mouth big enough to make up for it-"
"Your friend is nearby," Clea smiled mysteriously.
"Well can you tell me where he is? I need to be getting back to earth soon and I'm not leaving without Clint!" She didn't mean to snap but she was getting tired of all the games. Could someone just give her a straight answer? The tiny poodle whimpered and licked the tip of her chin, its stubby tail wagging furiously.
"Your Clinton Barton is safe and sound, in your arms."
Natasha glanced sharply at the woman. Clea was dead serious. Looking down at the dog in her embrace, Nat nearly dropped him when he yipped playfully at her.
"...Clint?"
The dog barked again. Natasha shook her head. "This is impossible. It's one thing for me to believe that we were mysteriously transported through a portal to another dimension, but quite another to think that Clint has been turned into a dog."
Clea sighed and looked down at the ground, pinching the bridge of her nose wearily. "My dear, it's obvious that you have many questions which I do not have all the answers to. If you wish to get home, then there is only one known way."
"Yes?" Natasha asked, still eyeing the dog warily.
"You must travel to the Ancient City and speak to my husband, the Sorcerer Supreme. Your journey will not be easy, for the road is lined with perils. There is something else you should know: Though Mordo is dead, his mistress lives on. Once Amora the Enchantress realises that her most faithful servant is dead, she will not hesitate to kill you."
"Well that's good to know," Natasha said with a smirk. It would have been nice to know about this "Enchantress" before any of this happened. "Any tips on how to get to this Ancient City of yours? Do I get a map?"
Clea shook her head, silvery curls bobbing with the motion. "No, there is no map for you, but there are simple instructions that, if you follow them exactly, then you shall have no trouble finding the Ancient City. First, you must always be wary of the Enchantress's spies, for they are everywhere seen and unseen. Follow the Rainbow Bridge, keep on its path, and you shall arrive at the gates to the Ancient City safe and sound. Once there, inform the gatekeeper that Clea, Queen of the Dark Realm, has sent you to speak with the Sorcerer Supreme." she smiled, a hint of wistfulness in her eyes. "Please, give my regards to my husband," she said softly.
Natasha nodded slowly. "...Okay. Um, follow the Rainbow Bridge? Avoid creepy strangers... I think I've got it." In truth Natasha wasn't quite sure she fully understood the rules to this place, but she figured she might as well trust this lady and hope for the best. "Can you tell me where to find the Rainbow Bridge? And, is this..." she hefted the poodle, which yelped in response," is this really my friend..?" Everything was so weird. Natasha couldn't be sure if she was just dreaming or if everything was really as crazy as it seemed.
"Yes, that is your friend Clinton. Due to the..unusual properties of the vortex, your ally was transformed into a dog by his usage of such foul language."
"You mean to say, he turned himself into a dog?" The idea was actually quite comical. Maybe it would teach Clint not to swear so much.
Clea nodded again. "That is exactly what I mean to say. Now my dear, if you would but turn around then you would find the Rainbow Bridge is just beyond that hill. It's quite easy to see."
Natasha peered over her shoulder in the direction that Clea had indicated. Just over the ridge was a faint glow of what appeared to be a road with hues of all the colors of the rainbow. Hence the name, Rainbow Bridge. Very clever, Natasha thought drily.
"Well, thanks for the help. Um, I guess I'll be going then." She gave a little wave and turned about, then walked up the hill towards the Bridge. Natasha had just crested the hill, the dog still held safely in her arms, when Clea's lovely voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Wait!" The woman ran up, her purple and silver skirts swishing about her ankles. "I almost forgot," she brushed a silver lock out of her eyes, then held up a pair of red knee-high boots. They hadn't been there a moment before, but Natasha decided not to question her about it. "The Enchantress has many minions that she will send to kill you. While Amora herself can not access the Rainbow Bridge, her wicked followers may do so of their own free will. You must take these Ruby Boots to protect you."
Ruby Boots? Seriously? Where was she, in the Land of Oz?
"Don't worry," Natasha gestured at her pistols. "I think I'm covered. These guns will do a lot more protecting than those boots of yours. Thanks for the offer though."
Clea pursed her lips in a frown. "I am familiar with your mortal weapons, but I assure you that they mean nothing to the supernatural forces. These Ruby Boots have a spell of protection woven into them. They will shield you from malign forces."
Natasha shrugged and took the boots. "Can't hurt I guess." She set the poodle down and traded her worn shoes for the vibrant red ones. They were a nice fit, not hindering her in any way. Pretty comfortable too.
"Like 'em?" she wiggled her foot in front of "Barton's" face. The dog barked once. Nat rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm talking to a dog now. Something must have happened to my brain."
"Thanks again for the, um, comfy boots. I'm sure they will be very helpful in my journey." Natasha wasn't trying to be rude, it just came out that way. And she knew it, but seriously this was all too strange for her to be comfortable with. Rainbow Bridge? Enchantress? Sorcerers? Very, very odd indeed.
Tucking Clint under her arm again, Natasha began her trek on the Rainbow Bridge.
A/N: Please please pleaaase I'm begging you, leave reviews :)