Chapter 10
“How sure are you this is the place?” Tony asked as he as well as Natasha, Steve, and Fury broke into the former Camp Leigh.
“This place has been abandoned since the late seventies. It was closed down after the Triskelion was built.” Fury said. He had insisted on tagging along because while he believed I was from another universe he didn’t wasn’t completely convinced SHIELD was Hydra because apparently that was less believable. “I’m sure SHIELD covered it’s tracks.”
“SHIELD did, Hydra not so much.” I said. “Steve keep an eye out for anything that seems… out of place.”
“Besides the Nazi’s?” Clint asked as he kept an eye on any alerts SHIELD received. I had warned them it was very likely that a missile strike could be ordered once they found what they were looking for.
“You’ll see.” I said.
“Hm.” Clint said just staring at me while Bruce did his best not to look at me.
“You can ask.” I said.
“What?” Clint said.
“You’ve been staring at me the whole time we’ve been here.” I said. “So I either have something on my face or you want to ask me something.”
“Okay… you’re from another world and you know everything about us.” Clint said.
“I’m from another world where major parts of your life are in a movie or TV show all based in the same universe.” I said.
“So you know exactly what’s about to happen?” he asked.
“I knew a version of what’s supposed to happen next. Steve and Natasha aren’t supposed to be in Jersey for at least another two years or so and it’s only supposed to be the two of them.” I said before muting the comms. “But in the movie Steve is like an encyclopedia of army regulations and there’s an ammunitions storage building that’s too close to some barracks. It was a cover for the old SHIELD office, there’s a hidden elevator, then Natasha quotes the movie Wargames. Though with Tony there he might say it. And Steve still probably hasn’t seen it yet so he won’t get it.”
“But you remember all of those details?” Clint said.
“They were really popular movies and I have a really good memory. It also helps that my nephew made me watch every movie at least ten times.” I said reactivating the comms.
“This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio.” Natasha said.
“I guess you were wrong about this one Dorothy.” Tony said.
“Wait.” Steve said. “Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place.”
“That’s one.” I whispered before they broke into the building.
“This is SHIELD.” Natasha said as they walked in.
“Where it started.” Fury said as they moved through the office.
“There's my old man.” Tony said.
“Howard.” Steve confirmed.
“Who's the girl?” Natasha asked.
“Peggy Carter.” I answered. Steve hummed an affirmative before he said something.
“If you're already working in a secret office...” Steve said pushing the bookshelf aside to reveal the elevator. “Why do you need to hide the elevator?”
“Yahtzee.” Tony said.
“Two.” I said before I remembered something. “Whatever happens next just make sure to keep the elevator door forced open. You don’t want to get trapped in there.”
“You mean in case they order a missile strike on us?” Tony said. “You know I flew a nuke through a wormhole.”
“We know.” Everyone said.
“This can't be it, this technology is ancient.” Natasha said.
“By today’s standards but for the early seventies this was ahead of its time.” Tony said. “At least ten or fifteen years.”
“Let’s see what we’ve got.” Natasha said turning on the computer. “Initiate system? Y-E-S, spells yes. "Shall we play a game?"”
“And three.” I said and Clint just looked a bit freaked out not expecting it to happen exactly like that.
“It's from a movie, WarGames. Early eighties. Super computers… you probably missed it.” Tony said.
“Probably.” Steve confirmed before a robotic voice was heard through the comms.
“Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984. Stark, Anthony Edward 1970. Fury, Nicholas Joseph 1950.”
“It's some kind of a recording.” Natasha said.
“I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am.
“You know this thing?” Tony asked.
“Zola. German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years.” Steve said.
“First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.”
“So it’s true.” Tony said.
“No HYDRA died with the Red Skull.” Steve said not wanting to believe it.
“Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.” Zola said.
“Prove it.” Fury said.
“Accessing archive. HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed.” The computer explained.
“That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you.” Fury said.
“Accidents will happen. HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your Life; a zero sum.” Zola taunted angering Steve who threw his shield at the computer.
“That enough proof for everyone?” Tony asked.
At that moment the alert on the other computer sounded the alarm.
“Right on time too, you’ve got company coming your way.” Clint said.
“Missile?” Natasha asked.
“STRIKE.” Clint said.
“We need to move.” Steve said.
“No. We need to destroy it.” Fury said.
“Hanna?” Tony asked.
“The technology is old, He can’t upload his consciousness into the cloud so you take him out he can’t help Hydra anymore.” I said.
“And he can’t come up with the algorithm.” Bruce said.
“Not a hundred percent sure on that one. The movie doesn’t specify when Zola came up with it so they may already have it but either way with him gone its one less thing to worry about.” I said.
“Good enough for me.” Natasha said.
“They’re about ten minutes out.” Clint said. “So whatever you’re going to do you’ve got to move.”
“I’ve got just the thing for this.” Tony said.
Sure enough the four of them were long gone before the HYDRA STRIKE team that had been set out got there. All they found were scraps of what used to be Zola’s computer consciousness.
They were back at the tower about an hour later, Fury had gone off to do whatever heads of infiltrated spy organizations do when they find out everything they thought they knew was a lie.
“It’s all true.” Steve said as everyone gathered in the common room.
“Don’t take this the wrong way but I was really hoping you were wrong about this.” Tony said.
“I kind of was too.” I admitted. “When it happens in the movie its great plot but real life, that’s terrifying.”
“What, spies and aliens aren’t real in your world?” Natasha asked.
“Spies yes, Aliens that’s still a maybe.” I said before I let out a yawn. “You know I think I’m going to call it a night. There’s not really much we can do right now.”
“Probably a good idea.” Bruce said.
“Night.” I said excusing myself back to the room I was currently using.
Meanwhile…
Once Hanna had left the team on their own they finally brought up the elephant in the room.
“I have to ask, does anyone else think this is all.. weird?” Bruce asked.
“Which part? The fact that our soulmate is from another universe where we’re all comic book characters, that she’s from the future, or the fact that she knows everything about us?” Natasha said.
“Yeah… that takes some getting used to.” Tony said. “but she’s good.”
“She feel through a wormhole and into a movie and she’s good?” Steve said not entirely convinced.
“She seems to be taking it pretty good.” Clint said.
“She’s well adjusted that’s for sure.” Bruce said.
“She really fell off a roof?” Natasha asked.
“Tequila and rooftop bars are a bad combo.” Tony said.
“And we’re completely sure she’s telling the truth?” Steve said.
“I thought she was lying until she told me exactly what you guys were going to do in Jersey.” Clint said. “She even predicted your WarGames quote.”
“I wonder what else she knows.” Bruce said.
“Either way she knows more than she’s supposed to know.” Natasha said. “If the wrong people find out…”
“She’d have a target on her back.” Steve said.
“She already does because of who she is to us.” Clint said.
“So we keep her safe. We saved the world from an alien invasion, keeping one person out of trouble can’t be that hard.” Tony said.
“Depends on the person.” Bruce said.
The Next Morning…
I spent the night staring at the ceiling over my bed. I was never a good sleeper. My therapists and psychiatrists said it was might have been a contributing factor to my depression. Of course insomnia also happened to be one of the side effects of the medication they gave me to treat my depression.
I slept a few hours then just laid in bed until it was early to be up but not too early to bother anyone or raise concern.
I headed over to the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker before turning on the TV to see the news. It was only a week after the Battle of New York so the majority of the news was about post battle clean up efforts. It was still weird to see a serious news report about aliens invading New York. I kept waiting for them to end with a disclaimer that this was all fake or a spoof but it wasn’t. This was the world I lived in now.
Speaking of the world that I was now in and all the impossibilities that were now entirely possible Steve walked into the kitchen and looked like a deer caught in the headlights when he saw me.
“Morning.” I said.
“M-morning.” Steve said. “I didn’t know anyone else was up this early.”
“I decided to start the day early.” I said. “There’s coffee if you drink that. I know Bruce only does tea.”
“No coffee’s good.” Steve said before going to pour himself a cup. Of course he couldn’t find a mug.
“Top left cabinet.” I answered without him asking.
He looked at me before opening the cabinet and finding the mug. He poured himself a mug.
“Did they uh.. show that in the movies?” he asked.
I couldn’t help the incredulous look on my face as I looked at him before I tapped a finger on my mug.
“It’d be a pretty long and boring movie if they took the time to open and close all the prop cabinets.” I said.
“Yeah, I haven’t really seen a lot of movies lately.” Steve said.
“You’re not really missing much. It’s mostly the same as it was in the 40’s except there aren’t any newsreels before the movie, and the special effects are way better.” I said.
“I’m sure they are.” Steve said. “I thought it was amazing when I saw Snow White and it wasn’t in black and white.”
“I’ve only seen Snow White in black and white.” I said before I realized I had never seen a movie in color. “I’ve only seen movies in black in white. I wonder what Star Wars looks like in color.”
“There was a war in space?” Steve asked.
“No… at least not in my world. Star Wars is a series of movies. Six total, the original three came out in the late 70’s but they’re still really popular. You should watch them.” I said.
“I’ve been getting a lot of suggestions. I really need to start making a list.” He said.
“You will.” I said smirking as I took a sip of my coffee.
“So what’s your… world like?” Steve asked almost sounding like he didn’t know how to say it.
“It’s pretty much the same.” I said. “With the exception of HYDRA, super soldiers, mild mannered scientists that turn into giant green super men, high tech suits of armor, demigods that are actually aliens, oh and the whole soulmate thing. That didn’t happen in the movies either.”
“They don’t have soulmates where you’re from?” he asked surprised.
“Nope. Soulmates were just a made up thing by the same greeting card industry people that turned Valentine’s Day into a bigger holiday than it should be.” I said.
“Didn’t people find it strange that they couldn’t see color and then later on could when they met their person?” Steve said.
“Colorblindness in my world is sort of rare and it’s caused by a genetic problem.” I said. “It doesn’t go away because you meet someone.”
“But yours did?” He said.
“Yeah, not sure what freaked me out more, finding out I was in a movie or seeing color.” I said. “The world is almost too bright now.”
“And you’re okay with… this?” He asked.
“I don’t really have a choice do I?” I said. “I’m here, it happened and there’s no going back. Not to mention personally there’s not really much to go back to.”
“What about your family?” Steve asked.
“We’re not that close.” I said just as the elevator dinged and Tony walked in.
“Morning… or is it still night?” Tony said.
“Were you up all night?” I asked.
“No… maybe. I was just working on the suit and lost track of time.” Tony said. I knew that was a total load of crap but I also knew that confronting him right now would just put him on the defensive or he’d pull a me and just get better at covering things up. “I got this idea to make the suit able to carry more weight…”
“Sounds cool.” I said.
“Want to see it?” Tony asked.
“Only if I can play with the holograms again.” I said.
“You’re the only person I know that isn’t impressed with the suit.” He said.
“I never said I wasn’t impressed I just think that the suit isn’t the most amazing thing you’ve ever invented.” I said.
“Then what is?” Tony asked.
“Jarvis, obviously.” I said. “Though the holograms are a close second.”
“Even if you can’t make a single shot?” he teased.
“I already said basketball is not my game, beer pong is.” I said.
“Beer pong?” Steve asked.
“Drinking game.” Tony and I said at the same time as he poured himself some coffee.
“That sounds fun.” Steve said sounding unsure.
“I don’t think you’d like it too much.” Tony said and I elbowed him giving him the be nice look.
“It might not be as fun for you since you can’t get drunk unless Thor brings over some Asgardian booze.” I said.
“Wait he gets drunk in the movies?” Tony said.
“No, they’re family movies of course they’re not going to show him getting drunk.” I said.
“Yet they showed me have a one night stand?” Tony retorted.
“That was the first movie, when it was a hit they made more movies. The audience was mostly aimed at people who read the comics and they were all… older.” I said before I remembered how old I was when I saw it. “Mostly.”
“So millions of people have seen me…” he started.
“It was like one short scene. Barely even counted as a sex scene.” I said.
“Disappointed you didn’t get to see more?” Tony teased.
“Did you really want to flash a 13 year old me?” I said and Tony choked on his coffee.
“You were 13?” He said.
“Technically 12 and a half.” I said.
“Forget I said anything.” Tony said.
“I’m going to make breakfast.” Steve announced opening the fridge door and seeing a half empty refrigerator. “or not.”
“Yeah I don’t really do a lot of cooking.” Tony said.
“Maybe we should do a grocery run?” I said. “If we’re all going to be staying here maybe we should eat something other than take out and cold pizza.”
“You’re probably right.” Tony said. “Jarvis order groceries.”
“Do you require more imported coffee, sir?” Jarvis asked.
“No I mean food.” Tony said.
“What ingredients do you require sir?” Jarvis asked.
“Uh..” Tony started but not knowing obviously never having done this part for himself.
“Milk.” I offered.
“Eggs?” Steve offered.
“Bacon.” I said.
“Bread?” Steve said.
“You know what why don’t you two just tell Jarvis what you need and he’ll get it here.” Tony said.
“Cheese, avocado, spinach, chicken for dinner…” I started. “Any allergies?”
“There are no dietary restrictions on file.” Jarvis answered.
“Okay mushrooms, strawberries, OJ, Pasta noodles, marinera sauce.” I continued.
“Cheese, sausages, apples, bananas…” Steve continued.
This went on for a while until we probably ordered half a grocery store. In less than an hour everything was delivered and between Steve and I we had made everyone breakfast. I stopped Tony before he could help. If the half burnt, half raw omelet he made Pepper that one time was any indication of what he could do in the kitchen, it was better for everyone if he was on standby at least until I got a chance to teach him some of the basics.
“On your left.” I said moving a pan of scrambled eggs off the stove and closer so everyone else could serve themselves.
“Right.” Steve said moving aside as I past him.
“Morning…” Natasha Bruce and Clint said walking in.
“Just in time.” Tony said. “Apparently Hanna and Cap know how to cook.”
“It’s a basic life skill.” I said.
“If you say so.” Tony said.
“Has anyone heard anything from Fury?” Steve asked.
“Nothing since last night.” Natasha said.
“He’ll call when he has a plan.” Clint said before turning to me. “Unless, you got anything?”
Everyone then turned to me.
“Sorry this is all new territory.” I said. “In the movies Tony helps SHIELD develop new higher tech helicarriers with guns that identify targets by their DNA. No Helicarriers no plan, just one giant compromised spy organization.”
“So still nothing.” Natasha said. “Guess we should talk about us then.”
“Team Training?” I said. “Cause the teamwork is a little shaky.”
“I think she the us she’s talking about is you and us as in all of us.” Tony said.
“Oh.” I said. “Well guess now’s a good time as any to ask what’s going to happen to me?”
“What do you mean?” Clint asked.
“Well I’m from another universe with no way of getting back so I’m obviously staying and I don’t have an ID or anything?” I said. “That might be a problem at some point.”
“SHIELD could…” Natasha started before remembering. “but SHIELD is Hydra.”
“We could get you a fake ID while we figure things out.” Clint said. “We know some people.”
“You don’t have to worry about cash.” Tony said. “With SHIELD out of the picture I’ll bankroll this whole operation. Guess it’s a good thing I have to remodel. Shame, I had just gotten this place the way I liked it.”
“You would have remodeled anyway.” I said.
“Maybe.” Tony said before Natasha and Clint’s phone’s dinged.
They both took out their phones.
“It’s Fury.” Natasha said.
“Said he’s going to make some moves and we need to lay low for a while.” Clint said.
“What’s that mean?” Bruce asked.
“We need to be out of sight and out of reach until he calls us in.” Natasha said.
“Which is when?” Steve asked.
“Whenever he calls.” Natasha said.
“Well the construction crew is going to start later this week and I for one don’t want to be here when they start tearing down walls so who wants to vacation in Malibu?” Tony asked.