Jailbreak
Days later…
Since the realization that I knew a lot more about the world I was declared a valuable asset and was kept locked way on one of the residential wings of the building. With the exception of Hill and Fury I didn’t get to speak to anyone. The only other person I saw was guard that delivered my meals or new books to keep me entertained.
As it turns out honesty is not always the best policy.
Especially when it comes to fictional heads of secret spy organizations that are real in the world you fall into after trying to kill yourself.
I should have taken my chances in the looney bin.
I finished reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar for the fifth time this week before I threw it aside. The confinement was starting to drive me crazy. I was a bit of a homebody back home but there was a huge difference between choosing not to be out and being stuck inside against your will.
Elsewhere…
The Avengers with the exception of Thor who had returned to Asgard with Loki were sitting in Fury’s office waiting for the man himself to show up. He hadn’t answered any of their calls or given them any updates on their new friend from space.
“I don’t like this.” Steve said. “Keeping secrets.”
“He’s a spy, it’s part of the job description.” Tony said before turning to Natasha and Clint. “No offense.”
“I’m not actually a spy.” Clint said.
“Why would Fury hide her?” Bruce said. “You said she was just a kid.”
“She’s a kid that fell from the sky.” Natasha said.
“A kid that fell from a portal in the sky that led to outer space.” Tony corrected. “What are the chances Fury thinks she’s an alien and they’re dissecting her.”
“Are we sure she isn’t an alien?” Steve said.
“She looked human.” Clint said.
“So did Thor and Loki.” Natasha deadpanned.
“I thought I said I’d call you when there was anything that you needed to know.” Fury said walking in.
“It’s been a week.” Steve said.
“It’s been a week and there’s still nothing you need to know.” Fury said.
“But there is something.” Natasha said.
“Nothing you need to know.” Fury said again.
“Where is she then?” Clint asked.
“That’s classified.” Fury said.
“She’s a kid.” Tony said.
“She fell out of a portal in the middle of an alien invasion.” Fury said. “All you need to know is that she’s safe in SHIELD custody.”
“Can we see her?” Bruce asked.
“It’s better if you don’t.” Fury said. “When you need to know something. You’ll know it.”
“You know who she is to us. We have a right to see her.” Steve said.
“And you will. When the time is right.” Fury said.
“And when is that?” Tony asked.
“When I decide it’s in everyone’s best interest.” Fury said.
“Don’t take this the wrong way boss but your judgement lately hasn’t been the best.” Clint said before walking out. Natasha followed him out.
“She’s okay?” Steve asked.
“She is.” Fury reassured him. Steve nodded before they all left.
“You guys go ahead. I’m gonna take a walk. Clear my head.” Tony said.
No one said anything everyone was lost in thought. Worried and concerned about why Fury was being more cryptic than usual.
Tony slipped on an earpiece. After the elevator doors closed.
“Talk to me J.” Tony said.
“It seems that recently the New York SHIELD office has cleared out sublevel two.” Jarvis said.
“The basement?” Tony said. “He keeping her in the basement.”
“Under close watch.” Jarvis said bringing up a live feed of his soulmate reading a book in her room.
“Well that’s not creepy at all.” Tony said. “Can you put the live feed on a loop?”
“Already done sir. Take the next elevator.” Jarvis said as an elevator opened its door.
Tony got in and the doors closed.
“How many guards?” Tony asked.
“No guards. Not many people are aware she is located on this floor. Only Director Fury and Deputy Director Hill are allowed in her room.” Jarvis said.
“Not anymore.” Tony said hacking the system to give himself clearance just as the elevator opened. “Which way am I going?”
“Down the hall and take a right, it’ll be the third door on your left.” Jarvis said.
“Okay.” Tony said feeling surprisingly nervous. He was finally going to meet her and she wasn’t going to be unconscious this time.
Down the Hall, To the right and Three doors down…
Well this fucking sucks I thought to myself throwing Romeo and Juliet to the side with the rest of Shakespeare’s greatest works.
Whoever the hell is picking out my books lived to torture people. Then again maybe they did it on purpose. Maybe this is some form of psychological torture.
No, no Hanna don’t overthink, I have to keep it together if I wanted to make it out of here.
Of course once I made it out of here what was I supposed to do? I was in a comic book movie universe. I fell from a portal to outer space with Iron Man. I was in New York where I didn’t know anyone or where anything was.
There was a knock on my door before someone came in. It was around lunch time.
“Please tell me that’s a real cheeseburger and not that bland depressing thing the cafeteria calls a sandwich?” I said sitting up only it wasn’t Hill or the nurse that wasn’t really a nurse.
“Hi.” Tony said.
“Hi.” I said awkwardly. I looked behind him and saw that it was just him.
“I’m…” he started.
“Tony Stark.” I said glad I remembered not to call him Robert Downey Jr. “Or do you prefer Iron Man?”
“Tony. Tony’s fine.” He said. “We’ve actually met before. About a week ago. We were in outer space. Didn’t really catch your name though.”
“Hanna. Hanna Marin.” I said.
“Hanna.” He said smiling. “That’s a good name.”
“My parents thought so.” I said.
“Been here long?” Tony asked.
“About a week. This is better than the fake hospital room I woke up in.” I said.
“Fake hospital… you know what never mind. You want to get out of here?” He said.
“I don’t know, I just met you.” I said. “Stranger Danger is a real thing.”
“This is the second time we meet so we’re not really strangers anymore.” Tony retorted. “Come on, I’m trying to save you from that depressing bland sandwich that should be here any minute now.”
I thought about it and no matter how I looked at it my options weren’t great. But I did know Tony, More than Fury. If three solo movies, four avenger movies, spiderman and civil war had shown me anything it was that he didn’t do secrets and he wasn’t a serial killer. At least not on screen.
“You’re buying me lunch.” I said getting out of bed.
“Done.” Tony said looking at my outfit. “And some clothes while we’re at it.”
I looked down and saw the grey oversized sweats, black tank top and nurse clogs I was wearing.
“That’d be nice.” I said grabbing the hoodie I left on the desk chair before following Tony out.
For a secret spy organization. Security was surprisingly lax. We slipped out without any problems and made it to the garage where Tony’s Audi with personized plates awaited.
“Nice car.” I said.
“Thanks, I have three just like it.” He said.
“I know.” I said getting in.
We didn’t go too far, just a couple of blocks away to this diner with a fifties theme. There was a lot red and still too bright.
“Has the world always been this…” I started.
“What? Red?” He asked. “You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s just… really bright.” I said.
“I get it. The first time I saw the color blue was last week.” He said.
“Did you like never take off your shades or something?” I asked.
“Uh no just…. when did you start seeing red?” Tony asked abruptly changing the subject.
“Last week. Same time I started seeing all colors. It was actually when I woke up in the ‘hospital’.” I said. “I thought it was brain damage from the fall but brain damage wouldn’t fix a genetic mutation.”
“Genetic mutation?” Tony asked confused.
“Yeah. Colorblindness is caused by a faulty gene or in my case genes on the X-chromosome.” I said.
“Who told you that?” Tony asked.
“Every doctor and geneticist I’ve ever met. I even did one of those 23 and me tests because I was the only one in my family that was colorblind and I thought I was adopted. Turns out I’m not adopted just genetically defective.” I said.
“Were your parents part of a cult that hated soulmates or something?” Tony said.
“Soulmates?” I asked. “Soulmates aren’t real.”
“Yeah they are.” Tony said.
“No they’re not.” I said.
“Yes they are. It’s a scientifically proven fact they are.” Tony said.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I said.
“Soulmates, everyone has one. That’s why we can’t see all the colors of the spectrum until we our person.” Tony said. “Does any of this ring a bell?”
“That sounds completely made up.” I said.
“So did aliens being real and then last week they attacked New York.” Tony said.
“So you’re telling me that soulmates, like one person existing somewhere in the world that is completely perfect for you and you’re meant to be with are scientifically proven to be real and somehow seeing them affects your perception of the whole world.” I said.
“Exactly like that.” He said and I stared at him for a minute before I started laughing. “You don’t believe me.”
“Of course not.” I said. “But you’re a really good story teller. They did not show that in the movies.”
“Movies?” Tony asked.
“I’m thinking a bacon cheeseburger.” I said. “And an oreo shake. After the past week I think I deserve to treat myself.”
“Sounds good.” Tony said just giving me this weird look.
We had just finished eating and were finishing up our shakes when he finally brought it up again.
“You know I wanted to ask, how did you end up in space.” Tony asked.
“I didn’t.” I said. “Look Fury and Hill have been asking me that over and over again all week. All I remember was that I was at a rooftop bar in LA, I had one too many shots and I fell off the roof. When I wake up I’m in New York and everyone’s telling me I fell out of a hole in the sky with you. Add to that I couldn’t see any color before and now I see way too much color and the fact that it was 2022 when I fell and now its 2012.”
“What?” He asked.
“Yeah, it gets weirder.” I said.
“Weirder than time travel. I doubt it.” He said.
“Want to bet on it?” I said. “I mean you are the one that believes soulmates are real.”
“Because they are.” Tony said.
“No they’re not.” I said.
“A week ago you couldn’t see color and now you can. A week ago I couldn’t see green blue or purple and after I caught you in space I could.” He said.
“Are you trying to tell me we’re soulmates?” I asked and he just gave me a look. “Seriously.”
“I can prove it.” He said.
“How?” I asked.
“Give me a high five.” He said holding up his hand.
“What?” I said even more confused.
“Trust me.” He said.
“Okay.” I said giving him the high five.
“Put both your hands behind your back. Pinch the tip of any of your fingers. Don’t tell me which one.” Tony said.
“This is weird.” I said pinching my left middle finger.
“Left middle finger.” Tony said. “Pick another one.”
I did it again.
“Right pinky.” He said. “Go for three.”
I did and tried my left thumb.
“Left thumb.” He said.
“How?” I asked.
“When soulmates touch they can connect. Their pain receptors can mirror each other.” Tony said. “Believe me now?”
“Uh… okay this… This complicates things.” I said.
“What having six soulmates or the fact that they’re all super heroes?” he said.
“Come again?” I asked.
“I wasn’t the only one that started seeing new colors that day.” Tony said and I just stared at him in shock. “Hanna?”
“This isn’t real.” I said getting up.
“Hanna.” Tony said quickly dropping some cash on the table before following me out.
“Nope.” I said walking down the street.
“Hanna. Wait.” He said running after me.
“Tony I… I can’t.” I said. “I can’t do this.”
“Hey. Talk to me.” He grabbing my hand.
“This is not happening. This is… This is like… a coma dream… or my brain shutting down… and making me hallucinate me… in the last movie I saw …or something because…” I started choking feeling like I couldn’t breathe.
“Hanna. It’s okay. Just take a deep breath.” Tony said.
“I can’t..” I started.
“Yes you can.” He said before he took my hand and put it on his chest right over the arc reactor. “You feel that…”
“Reactor.” I said.
“Yeah. Does that feel real?” He asked and I nodded. “It’s real to me too. And I really feel it.”
“This shouldn’t be real.” I said falling to the ground in that back alley. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“What part?” Tony asked.
“All of it.” I said. “This world isn’t supposed to be real.”
“What do you mean?” He said confused.
“You weren’t alone in that cave in Kandahar.” I said staring at the spot on his chest where the reactor glowed through his shirt. “Yinsen had you hooked up to a car battery before he helped take apart 12 missiles to get the palladium you needed to make the reactor that saved you twice.”
“How do you know that? I’ve never told anyone that.” Tony said.
“I know. But they showed that in your movie.” I said.
“Someone makes a movie about me in the future?” Tony said.
“No. Where I’m from all of this is a series of really popular movies based on comic book characters.” I said. “You and everyone else aren’t real. Soulmates aren’t real. Aliens… that one’s still up for debate.”
“You’re trying to tell me you’re from another universe?” He said.
“I don’t know how but it makes sense.” I said. “The multiverse is real. Strange won’t tear it open for another 12 or 13 years give or take. The time jump really confused me.”
“You think you’re in a movie?” Tony said.
“No, in my universe this is all a movie. In this universe that movie is real life and apparently soulmates are real.” I said.
“Okay I get why you thought I was making it all up.” Tony said.
“So you believe me.” I said.
“After last week anything is possible and there’s no other way you can know what know about me.” He said.
“You’re taking this a lot better than I did.” I said.
“I’m good with weird.” He said. “How about we go get you some real clothes now?”
“You sure you’re okay?” I said.
“Never better.” He said getting me back on my feet and leading me back to the car.