Nothing But Grey

A While Later…

“Want to see it?” Tony asked after giving me a walkthrough of everything in the lab.

“Holograms? Because those are awesome.” I said.

“No but… really?” He said not expecting me to want to see that instead of the suit.

“We only have holograms in movies.” I said.

“Well…” Tony said bringing up a holographic basketball hoop.

“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” I said.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re easily impressed?” Tony said.

“Dude this is like something straight out of Star Wars.” I said. “What can I throw at it?”

And that’s how I spent most of the afternoon.

“Okay I think I’ve almost got it.” I said holding another holographic ball in my hand.

“Just like the last twenty times.” Tony said. “You know I can just set it up to catch whatever you throw at it.”

“I already told you that takes the fun out of it.” I said throwing one and finally making it in. “Score!”

“Way to go Lebron.” Tony said sarcastically.

“Okay so I can’t shoot hoops but you should see me play beer pong. I never miss. I think I’m like the one person who has better aim when drunk.” I said.

“Yet you fell off a roof into another universe.” He said.

“I never said I was coordinated.” I said. “Also you’ve never walked in heels. At least…”

I walked around the table and looked at his shoes. No lifts or modified soles.

“What are you doing?” Tony asked confused.

“Oh yeah so the actor that plays you in the movies in my universe looks just like you except he’s a lot shorter and he wears lifts.” I said.

“He does?” He asked in horror.

“Yeah they have to use a lot of camera angles, and the other actors and actresses are either barefoot or sitting.” I said.

“Well I’m not. I’m this tall without any help or camera angles.” He insisted.

“Sir Doctor Banner is requesting your assistance in the common room.” Jarvis said.

“Be right back. Why don’t you order dinner?” He asked. “Jarvis can get anything delivered.”

“Is New York pizza like a really big thing here? It was in my world. The whole Chicago vs. New York style.” I asked.

“It is a thing and no contest New York wins.” Tony said heading to the elevator. “Just tell Jarvis what you want. He’ll do the rest.”

“Okay so can I get a ham and pineapple pizza…” I started. “And whatever everyone else likes?”

Meanwhile…

Bruce was alone in the common room making himself some tea trying not to panic at the fact that Tony had broken his apparent soulmate out of SHIELD confinement and that the two of them were not the least bit concerned about it. In fact those two were like two peas in a pod. Two very witty and sarcastic peas in a pod. If he didn’t know any better he would have thought those two had known each other for years instead of a few hours.

He was steeping the tea when Natasha, Steve, and Clint walked in arguing.

“She’s just a kid, she could not have gone that far.” Steve said.

“If she got to the metro she could be in Jersey or even farther.” Clint said.

“Where would Stark even take her?” Natasha said.

“Are we sure it was even him that did it?” Steve said.

“Who else do we know that likes to hack SHIELD just because he can?” Natasha said.

“Uh… Hey.” Bruce said. “What’s going on?”

“The girl went missing.” Natasha said.

“The one that fell from outer space.” Clint continued.

“uh..” Bruce started. “Guys?”

“And Stark won’t answer the phone. You’d think that a billionaire would have at least have one phone in his home.” Steve said and everyone turned to look at him. “Cell phones, right?”

“Yeah…” Bruce said. “About that.”

They all turned to look at him.

“Tony did a thing…” He started.

Back in the lab…

“Okay now I know for sure you’re from another universe.” Tony said.

“Why?” I asked taking a bite of my pizza.

“Because only in another universe is putting pineapple on a pizza a good idea.” He said. “Who even does that?”

“A lot of people.” I asked. “Who like balancing the saltiness of the ham with the sweetness and tartness of pineapple.”

“Fruit doesn’t go on pizza.” Tony said.

“Tomato is a fruit and you can’t have pizza without tomato sauce.” I said as the elevator dinged.

“Stark!” Someone yelled as they marched in.

“Aw party’s over.” Tony said.

“You have to be nicer to him. Not everyone can handle sarcasm.” I said.

“Sta…” Steve started staring at me before turning to Tony. “What did you do?”

“Hanna, meet Capsicle, Annie and Legolas.” Tony said. “You guys remember Hanna?”

“Hi.” I said biting into my pizza. “You guys hungry? New York pizza totally lives up to the hype.”

“Uh…” Clint just stared at me. “They have pizza where you’re from?”

“California isn’t another planet.” I said.

“California? That’s still a state right?” Steve said.

“She’s from LA.” Tony said.

“You are?” Natasha said not totally convinced.

“Yeah, no idea how I ended up here though.” I said. “I mean not here here cause that parts pretty obvious. I just meant in general.”

“Might be time for that talk.” Tony said.

“Actually there’s someone else that should be here for this.” I said.

So that is how I ended up having the weirdest pizza dinner party ever.

No one was saying anything they all just stared at me. Though in Fury’s case it was more of a glare.

“Okay so I guess I should start at the beginning, Fury and Tony know this.” I said. “I’m from another… universe.”

“Universe like another world like this?” Bruce asked.

“More or less. Most things are the same with the exception of the fact that soulmates are real here. And that everything here is a movie in my world and you’re all the main characters.” I said.

“You really expect us to believe you?” Natasha said still on guard.

“I’ll prove it. The movies showed a lot about your lives. Things that maybe no one else should know. Bruce.” I said. “You woke up naked in a warehouse somewhere after the hulk jumped off the Helicarrier, the guard gave you pants and said the other guy aimed to land as far away from people as he could.”

“That did happen.” Bruce asked.

“Steve… Your mom’s name was Sarah, you used to wear newspaper in your shoes and the night before Bucky left to Europe he said not to do anything stupid and you answered how can I you’re taking all the…” I started.

“Stupid with you.” Steve finished with me.

“Clint. You see better from a distance, when Thor broke into the Shield camp that was set up around his hammer you told Coulson to make the call because you were starting to root for him, and not too sure this applies yet but Ronin.” I said and he didn’t answer just nodded.

“Natasha, You didn’t want to leave Ohio and…” I started before I did the whistle Yelena used to do with her when they were kids. Her eyes went wide and for a second I could have sworn she started tearing up but she immediately composed herself. “Anyone need more proof?”

“So maybe you’re telling the truth but that doesn’t explain how you’re here?” Natasha said.

“I don’t know how I got here. I was at a rooftop bar in LA. I fell off the roof and somehow ended up falling through a wormhole and landed in New York at the end of one of the most popular movies of the past ten years.” I said.

“Past ten years?” Clint asked.

“It was 2022 when I fell. This movie came out in 2012 which is the same year it is here.” I said.

“You know what’s going to happen to us for the next ten years?” Bruce said.

“I know the major events but the gaps in between I don’t know a lot about. There are passing mentions in the movies but I didn’t read the comics that cover those gaps.” I said.

“There are comicbooks?” Natasha asked.

“The movies are based on comics.” I said.

“Do you now understand why she needed to be kept on a need to know basis?” Fury said. “The information she has makes her extremely valuable. In the wrong hands…”

“And SHIELD is the right hands?” Tony said.

“She would be kept safe.” Fury said.

“No she wouldn’t.” I said interrupting before the argument got even bigger. “SHIELD isn’t safe.”

“I understand you’re not happy about being locked in the basement, that was only a temporary arrangement until something better could be set up.” He said.

“You really don’t get it. There is no place SHIELD can put me in that’s safe because SHIELD is compromised.” I said.

‘What?” Fury, Natasha, and Clint say at the same time.

“Compromised by what?” Fury demanded.

“HYDRA.” I said.

“What?!” Steve said standing up. “That’s not possible. HYDRA was taken out when I…”

“Cut off one head, another takes it’s place. They don’t just say that for fun.” I said. “They’re not out in the open yet but they will be in a few years. They’ve been in SHIELD since the beginning. Started when Zola was recruited to SHIELD…”

“ZOLA! SHIELD recruited ZOLA!?” Steve shouted at Fury.

“A lot of Nazi scientists with strategic intel were recruited after World War II.” Natasha said.

“They’ve been working in the shadows for the past 70 or so years.” I said. “And uh they took out some key players, Like JFK, his brother… and uh Howard and Maria Stark.”

“What?” Tony said. “My parents died in a car accident.”

“They were in a car accident caused by a Hydra Assassin called the Winter Soldier.” I said. “Your dad was delivering a serum similar to the one that turned Steve into a super soldier, Hydra got wind of it and they sent him to take them out and steal it. I’m sorry.”

“That’s… are you sure this isn’t one of those things that’s different?” Tony asked.

“I don’t think so. And the Winter Soldier… he’s Bucky.” I said.

“Who’s Bucky?” Clint asked.

“Bucky died.” Steve insisted. “He couldn’t have survived the fall.”

“Did Zola Experiment on him in Azzano?” I asked and then that’s when he realized what I meant.

“They gave him the serum.” He said.

“A version of it. He survived and they found him at the bottom of the ravine. Zola gave him a metal arm. He was tortured and brainwashed into becoming their assassin. They freeze him in between missions which is how he’s been around for so long.” I said.

“Where is he?” Steve said.

“I don’t know.” I said. “I know they have him and  I know he was in Siberia in 1992 and he’s going to be in DC in 2014, Then he disappears and you find him in Bucharest two years after that.”

“This is all my fault. I should have looked for him. I didn’t even go back for his body.” Steve said.

“No shit.” Tony said. “If you had my mom and dad would still be alive.”

“Tony.” I said. “It wasn’t his fault. Bucky was as much a victim as your parents and even if Steve had gone back for him, Hydra would have just sent someone else.”

“Do you know that for sure?” Tony said.

“In this universe it was Hydra, in another comic book it was faulty brake lines and in another one of your dad’s competitors has him taken out.” I said. “It could have gone a hundred different ways but it always ended the same way.”

“How sure are you about this?” Fury asked.

“Did Alexander Pierce turn down the Nobel Peace prize because peace wasn’t an achievement but an obligation?” I said. “That’s a quote from the movie where he tries to have you and everyone else here killed. Speaking of, don’t make any suggestions on how to make better helicarriers.”

“Noted.” Tony said.

“Maybe there’s a way to take out just Hydra and save SHIELD.” Fury said.

“Hydra has members of congress including Tony’s favorite senator, the house, at least one member of the world security council, Sitwell and the majority of STRIKE on their payroll.” I said. “And those are just the ones that I remember they showed.”

“This is bad.” Natasha said.

“Hill?” Fury asked.

“She’s clean.” I said.

“It all needs to go.” Steve said.

“And you need to get Loki’s scepter back.” I said. “At least before Strucker starts using it to experiment on people.”

“Or Hydra uses it to brainwash people.” Clint said.

“Or that.” Natasha said. “How do we take them out in your world?”

“You don’t. At least not yet.” I said. “Hydra comes up with a program to identify people that are a threat to them using an algorithm. I guess that would be the place to start.”

“Where does that happen?” Steve asked.

“New Jersey.”