"I think, for your own protection, you should pack your belongings and check out of this hotel."
"My own protection mentally or physically?"
Unsurprisingly, Agent Coulson didn't give a committal response. Ignoring him, I quickly gathered my belongings. Since I hadn't wanted to loose anything, I had been abnormally well organized. As we left the hotel, I tried to look carefree, but not smug-please don't anyone think I looked smug- so they didn't think I was being carted off to jail or something by the agent in front of me. Not that they necessarily knew he was an agent, but he had that look about him. When we neared the lobby, I careful navigated myself around him and toward the front desk. He kept walking toward the front, glass doors, then looked out like he was waiting for someone. Keeping me from leaving was more like it. After praising the name of Coulson, I started to realize that what I had told him so far was no way near enough to convince him I actually knew what I was talking about.
"I'm sorry, but something has come up and I need to cancel the rest of my reservation."
"That's alright," the girl, Jessica the badge said, at the counter gave me a small smile. "We have canceled reservations all the time. What's your name?"
"Rachel Christenson."
"Ah, here you are." After a short pause she spoke again, "All done. Just sign here to confirm the amount withdrawn from your account to make the cancellation." Even knowing it was cheaper to cancel than leave the rooms empty still caused me to sigh at the lost money.
Walking out of the hotel, I followed Agent Coulson to a small, black car. The black was a huge surprise-sarcasm. What was surprising was the fact that he was sitting in the driver's seat. In the movies, didn't he always exit from the backseat? I walked around to the other side of the car, then began debating which door to open. The window on the front door rolled open.
"Is there a problem?"he asked.
"Do you want me in the front seat, or the back?"
"Whichever makes you more comfortable." That was considerate of him. Having gotten enough of sitting in back with the taxis the last couple days, I felt brave enough to open the front door and sit down. I automatically did my seat belt, but the agent obviously waited for me to be secured before starting to back up. It was probably refreshing to not have to tell me to buckle-up, but even if it hadn't been a habit all my life, I still would have made it a priority.
"Right now you are still under SHIELD's radar. I and one other person are the only people who know you know too much. I thought it might all just be a coincidence, and you had me convinced until the phone call." I couldn't tell if I was happy I had freaked out at the moment, or angry at myself. If I hadn't freaked out I would think I was crazy, but would have a normal life. Having freaked out, I now had the attention of a secret agent who was willing to help me.
"Denial is always easier, and I had been taking everything very well up to that point. Therefore, it wasn't surprising I had a break down." There was silence in the car for a little while. "You know, a part of me is super excited to meet everyone. I mean, heroes are cool whoever they are. But I also am aware that they are dangerous, real people who won't like the fact that I know so much about them. Not that I would tell them that I do."
"That is a mature way to look at it. Especially since most teenagers girls would just wish to look at them and squeal loudly." I blushed at the complement.
"I am twenty, technically not a teenager anymore." He looked over at me, and the look said- that doesn't make that much of a difference. I agreed. "You are right, most girls my age would only think about how handsome they are. I actually don't generally get along very well with those my own age. True adults and young people, I'm great with them. My own peer group, not nearly as well." I started to say more, then suddenly realized exactly who I was speaking to. Why was I spilling the truth of my pitiful social life to a stranger? He really didn't need to know this, for any reason. I decided to get back to the real matter at hand. "So, is this car secure?"
"What do you mean?" he replied with a critiquing look.
"You seem to be heading into the city, and going anywhere there in a car is going to be a while, so I might as well start convincing you as we go. I'm not convinced you won't drop me off at a mental institution." He was silent for a while, repeatedly looking back at me.
"And why do you think I would do that?" I gave a shaky laugh.
"First, I know I have not given you nearly enough information for you to believe me. Second, the only things making me think that all this is true despite all logic is a...superhero look-alike, a tower that isn't supposed to be there, a flying flash of red and gold, information that is not on the internet, and a comment about Santa. Not a lot to base your mental stability on."
"So you think you are mentally unstable?" What a loaded question. Yes, yes I did. I had two clashing realities in my head, but telling him that I was mentally unstable meant he wouldn't believe another word I said and I would never figure out what was going on. Then I heard a non-humorous chuckle come from Agent Coulson. "That was a rhetorical question." I could tell he wanted the answer though. My mind turned over the idea of the definition of insanity. Then I remembered something a friend of mine had told me.
"My friend has this argument. Basically the definition of insanity is believing in an alternative reality, right?" There was an awkward pause before Agent Coulson realized I actually wanted an answer.
"Yes."
"So then everyone is insane." A smile quirked at the corner of my mouth as I watched Agent Coulson's stoic face remain stoic. "Everyone has believed in the alternative reality of a book or movie at least for a little while. Even using your imagination as a child is believing in another reality." My thoughts continued even when my words didn't. Those who were labeled as insane simply believed in their reality too much and too long. I pulled out my phone and checked the time. It was little over two hours since I had left the Stardust Diner, about the same amount of time as a long movie. Not long at all to believe in something that should be fiction. However, if I woke up tomorrow and everything was still weird, I would be insane. Even if the Avengers were now 'real,' I would be insane with two realities clashing in my head.
"The answer to your earlier question is yes." Agent Coulson's voice after the long silence startled me and it took me a minute to realize what he meant.
"So the car is secure?"
"That's what I said, yes." Was that a slight, slight amused tone used by Agent Coulson? Instead of dwelling on it, I thought about what I wanted to say.
"So the man who was on the bench in Central Park was Captain America?" A brilliant smile light up him face, and I thought he looked ten times better with it.
"Yes." The reality of the situation crashed onto me.
"I actually met Captain America?" Agent Coulson's smile stayed on his face.
"Yep. Living legend in the flesh. I have vintage trading cards."
"I know." My brain processed my words and then desperately wished to shove those words back into my mouth. I was definitely not going to mention how cute Agent Coulson looked while fan-girling, though.
"How exactly?" At least I didn't have say something like I stalked him. Just watched a couple movies with him as a reoccurring character.
"There is a movie called Iron Man showing Tony Stark's life from when he showed off his last big weapon to being captured in Afghanistan to revealing he is the Iron Man." That was a safe movie to describe; which other ones were as well? Thor was undefined at the moment. However... "Captain America follows Steve Rodgers from kid in Brooklyn to super-soldier crashing into the ice with a nice little snippet at the end of his waking up in the 21st century. There are a couple other movies, but you get the idea." I looked at Agent Coulson and this time instead of looking stoic, his face looked more blank. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around it, so I let him have a moment to process.
"How many other movies?" Information seeking agent was back online.
"There was another one about Iron Man when..." I knew Stark Tower hadn't been built in the second movie, so I assumed this was safe to say, "Mr Stark almost died because of poisoning from the arc reactor and had the Stark expo and everything. Mr Stark's ego just needed another movie." I actually got a soft chuckle from the agent! "There is another one named after someone, but I don't know if they are on your radar yet. And another one that definitely is in the future."
"And how do you know that?" I couldn't just say, 'you're alive.'
"I do. Also, if I remember right, near the beginning of the movie, Mr Stark gets Stark Tower turned on using arc reactor technology."
"And why would they show that in the movie?"
"Well, it shows Iron man messing with some pipes outside the city then going back to going back to Pepper and having a cute moment...twelve percent," I chuckled, "and then you come in asking for Mr Stark."
"I thought you said he only had two movies?"
"The future movie is a group," I really, really hoped I wasn't giving away too much information with that simple statement, "but I really can't say more. However, has anything happened in New Mexico recently?"
"I'm sure a lot of things have happened." I simply looked at him. Humor again? "Something unusual happened there about a year ago."
"Involving a hammer?" He nodded. I began reviewing everything I knew.
"If Thor has made his appearance, and its been a year..." I heard somewhere that Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor had all happened in the same week. In the movie Doctor Banner has mentioned something about not being Hulked out for a year..."So that means everything is set in motion for the last movie to begin." The car came to a stop in an underground parking lot.
"My private office is upstairs; how about you finish explaining up there." Mutely I nodded at Agent Coulson and followed him through the parking lot.