A/N: Aww it's Oddity's one week anniversary! ;)
Even though I planned on updating once a week, I've written a couple of chapters ahead and thought I'd post this one as a thank you to everyone that's reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Also because I'm impatient as fuck. But seriously, it means so much to me that this fic has gotten such good feedback in such a short amount of time.
It's a short chapter, but I promise that the next is much longer. Enjoy!
Chapter Three
Too Much Glass
Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy - and maybe I was - except for Steve and Bucky, both simply looking concerned. Despite the comfort I got from their nearness, I wished I could get up and move away so I could think through all this with a clear head.
Instead I just let out a huff, and managed to cross my arms over my chest. Hey, progress!
"Okay," I began, looking each and every person in the eye one by one. "When I explain how I got here from my perspective, maybe then you'll understand why I think I'm dreaming."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Well, go on then."
I took a deep breath, quickly deciding to summarize my day up until I got here. "Well, I was shopping with Ali - that's my best friend - and I got this wonderful hoodie." I shot a small smile at Steve. "Then I went home, had a shower, checked my emails, found yet another rejection letter waiting, and then I flopped back on my bed."
"What were you rejected from?" Thor asked, his brows furrowed.
"A new job. I lost my old one recently and every new place I apply to sends me rejection emails. Now shush, because the story's about to get interesting!" When there were no further interruptions, I continued, "So when I flopped back, I never actually landed on my bed. Instead I began falling in this obnoxiously white abyss of glowing horror, felt like my body was being squeezed through a hole the size of a pinprick, and then landed in here on my fucking face. Any questions?"
"Well, that explains why you almost vomited on my floor," Tony grinned, leaning against one of the many railings like Clint. "Which was recently polished, might I add."
I rolled my eyes at the man, while the two super soldiers flanking me leaned in closer, like they were trying to use their bodies to shield me from Stark's winning personality.
"That doesn't exactly explain why you think you're dreaming." Clint piped up, throwing an arm around Natasha. I took note of the move, filing it away to think about later.
"I agree. Were you tired at all when you fell back on your bed?" Natasha asked, cocking her head to the side as she observed me. I shook my head: I hadn't really felt tired at all, just hungry. "Okay, so where are you from? And don't just say Australia. It's obvious that you're surprised to see us, but you also act and talk like you know us personally. I want to know why."
Clint nodded. "And then there's the whole not knowing about soulmates thing."
"Oh, my God, none of you are gonna believe me." I muttered, letting out a sigh and just wanting to get it over with. "Where I'm from, all of you are characters in a series of movies in what they call the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU for short. These movies are based, quite loosely, on your characters from Marvel comics."
Words kept pouring out of my mouth before anyone could interrupt. "But the soulmate thing isn't in the damn movies! So that and the fact that in my world none of you are real can only mean that I'm dreaming! Or I'm going crazy. But I'd prefer dreaming."
My words were met with silence, nobody knowing what to say. I guess it's not every day some random girl appears in your living room, claims two of you as her soulmates, denies knowing soulmates exist, and then says you're all from movies. But, hey, these guys are used to weird. Honestly, I think aliens pouring out of a hole in the sky is stranger than little ol' me.
"You know what you're saying is batshit crazy, right?" Tony said.
"I know it is!" If my body would let me, I'd go over and hit Tony. Of course it was batshit crazy! Nothing about this made sense. "I have no way to prove it, but what I'm saying is true. To me, all of you are characters in the MCU movies."
A grin slowly spread across Clint's face. "I think I already know who your favorite character is." He pointed to my hoodie and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Steve's just one of my favorite characters." I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway, gladly accepting the change in topic. "The list also includes Bucky, Darcy, Wanda, Pietro, and Scott. I like Deadpool too, but even though he's a Marvel character, his movie isn't considered part of the MCU. Something about production company rights or whatever."
Bucky's grin when I mentioned him was cocky and proud, but there was a fondness in his eyes when he stared down at me. It was dazzling, to say the least, and I could feel myself getting flustered. I had to look away.
"I can see why you might favor Darcy, but why not Jane as well?" Thor asked. I simply shrugged, not wanting to say anything to insult his human lover. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't push the matter further.
"Deadpool?" Tony asked, pulling a face when he said the name.
"Uh-huh." I smirked. "Sarcastic son of a bitch. He was a mercenary that became a mutant thanks to some experiments… Wait, I think the MCU would call him enhanced or inhuman or something. Now he looks like Freddy Krueger's almost attractive son that has supernatural healing powers. Like, he can grow back a lost limb."
Natasha - wait for it - was still observing me closely. "Okay, but what about the other three. Wanda, Pietro, and Scott?"
I wondered if she was asking because she was curious, or because she didn't like not knowing something. Probably both, to be honest.
"Wait, what year is it?" I asked suddenly, glancing at my surrounds and company.
Clint raised an eyebrow. "2015."
That's the year Ultron took place. But was it before or after the movie? "Okay, I can work with that. I mean, Bucky's here, which means it's definitely after Winter Soldier… but Steve never found him until Civil War… But, no, Civil War can't have happened yet because that's supposed to be in 2016 and Bucky has his metal arm and…"
I trailed off when everyone looked at me like I was insane again.
"There's a movie about me?" Bucky asked, for some reason frowning at the thought.
"Yep, though technically it's a Captain America movie. The second one, to be exact. It's set when you were trying to kill everyone in DC and Hydra was found to be hiding in SHIELD the whole time. Great movie." At the raised eyebrows, I backtracked. "Or maybe not so great, seeing as it actually happened in this dream… universe… whatever."
There were a few rolled eyes, when Jarvis spoke. "Sir, I have located the source of the energy. It appears to be coming from the woman's sweatshirt. I would suggest running some tests as soon as possible. Mr Banner is ready for you to join him."
"Okay, thanks J. Tell Pepper to give the girl some clothes while we're in the lab." Tony clapped his hands together before pointing at me. "You. Can you move yet? Or is your body still useless?"
Mentally bracing myself for the pain, I managed to lift my torso up and leaned forward. "Almost useless, but better than before." My back and stomach muscles radiated pain from moving them, but I was beginning to feel a little more in control than before.
"Okay, lover boys can fight over who'll help carry you." Tony glanced between them. "She can have the last room in your apartment, Cap, but for now I need her in the med bay to get some blood samples."
"Shouldn't she just stay in one of their rooms?" Clint asked with a lazy grin.
As good as sharing a room with either Steve or Bucky (or both) sounded, it also freaked me out a little bit. Everything was still overwhelming me and I would definitely need my own space to hide when I needed a time out.
"I'm fine with my own room, thanks."
"Good, okay, everyone do what you were doing before this," Tony began, he himself heading off to his lab. "And we'll meet back here at seven for family dinner so our new addition can tell us everything she knows from these movies."
"The Avengers do family dinner?" I questioned, glancing around the room for an answer.
"It was Tony's idea." Natasha said, her lips quirked up in the ghost of a smile. "And he insists on it more than once a week. As long as nobody's off on a mission, we're having family dinner."
"Huh, cute."
"Very cute." Clint wiggled his eyebrows as he and Natasha walked off after Thor, leaving me with the super soldiers.
"Come on," Steve said, quickly standing and holding out a hand to help me up. Oh, my God, those muscles could not be real. They were beautiful. I took his hand gratefully, and noticed Bucky smirking when he caught me admiring Steve's holy arms.
I widened my eyes, trying to feign innocence. "What? Can't I admire what Dr Erskine gave him?"
The former assassin's smirk widened and I laughed when Steve looked away bashfully. I didn't think he'd still get shy around women after all these years in the modern world, but I guess the fact I was his soulmate might have changed that. Okay, soulmate, wow. That was weird to think about.
Even though Bucky was on my right, he still wound his metal arm around my waist when it seemed my legs were as wobbly as ever. Steve had is arm around my shoulders, and between the two of them I was better able to stumble towards the stairs they'd been coming up when they arrived.
"You know, this would be easier if one of us just carried you." Bucky pointed out, his arm around my waist tightening when my legs almost gave out from under me at the first step. The plates of his metal arm whirred under the sleeve of his dark Henley, and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to just stop right there and examine the piece of machinery.
Instead, I just shook my head and kept walking. "Nope. Everything hurts and all but I can't stand feeling useless. It freaks me out."
"If you say so…" He didn't look convinced, but didn't push it. Smart.
Once we were down a handful of stairs, we headed right back up some and appeared in front of a glass door. It opened up to the lab, and from there I could see what must've been the med bay on the other side of the room. It, too, was separated by a glass wall and door.
"This place has too much fucking glass." I muttered, fighting the urge to roll my eyes when Steve glanced down at me with faint amusement at my colourful language. I smiled sweetly up at him instead.
"Okay, blondie," Tony started, flicking some holograms around. I could see Bruce towards the back of the room, eying me warily. "Dr Cho's waiting for you in the bay and Pepper will be here any time now with some clothes. We need to study that hoodie ASAP."
"Yay," I deadpanned, letting Steve and Bucky carry me through the room to where the med bay entrance was. I didn't want to give up this hoodie to a mad genius when I'd only just gotten it, and I hated needles as well...
This was going to be so much fun!