Chapter 4: It Starts

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(Wow...my first few chapters were really short.)

"We have it on record that I believed Giggles here from the beginning right?" Tony said, pointing a finger at you and raising his eyebrows to the rest of the gang, "Cuz I knew from the start that this girl was telling the truth, the rest of you just can't ever be open to new things though," he turned to address you, "I try to tell them to ease up a bit, but you know how it is with stick-in-the muds, they never---"

"Tony," Nat sighed disappointingly, "not now."

"What, so she proves she's some mind-reading stalker and we're just supposed to believe the whole 'other reality superhero movie' story?" Sam questioned.

"Why would I lie? I've shown I am not shy about withholding what I know, so what's the point in lying about how I know it?"

"Dropping down randomly in our front yard and throwing creepy facts in our face doesn't exactly breed trust," Nat said.

"How could I possibly even know about what each of you saw in Wanda's mind tricks? Hmm? It's because I saw it. I've watched the movies. The whole audience saw your individual hallucinations."

"She also knows specific moments from seventy years ago," Cap said, "I don't see how even an expert stalker could find that out."

"Thank you! I know so much more too. I told you, it's 2021 in my world. I don't just know what has happened up until Ultron. I know what is going to happen. Like with Bruce. For two years the audience had no idea what had happened either, until the third Thor movie."

"Thor got three movies? How many did I get?" Tony asked.

"Three," you said. He seemed to be relieved that at least he had gotten the same amount. "But 2 and 3 sucked." He gave you an incredulous look as the others laughed. "To be honest, I haven't even watched them cuz they're not important to literally anything else that happens."

"Now hang on, what exactly in my life wasn't worth your time?" he responded rather intently.

"Um, the thing with the electric whip guy, and the story with the mandarin and fire burning dudes."

"And how are my struggles any less thrilling?"

"Because we all know you win, the villains aren't that entertaining, and the most important thing to come out of your last two movies is the introduction of Natasha."

"Introduction?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's your first appearance. Though I hadn't even seen the second Iron Man before watching the Avengers, which is where you all come together to fight Loki. Great movie, first one I really watched. I had seen Captain America with my friend, but didn't know it was part of a Universe. There were only like three or four movies out at that time, and I didn't understand that they all connected, but that's not important right now."

There was another awkward pause before Cap spoke up again, "So you say you're from 2021. Then why are you here in 2015? And better yet, how did you actually get here?"

"Well..."

How do I gently explain that people in this room die? Oh well, I'll try by best. Maybe just saying it will be better, like pulling a band-aid off real fast.

"There are events that happen in future movies that I always thought up different, happier endings to."

They didn't seem to understand what you were getting at.

Well, here comes the Band-aid.

"Some of you die."

Looks of concern were passed around the room, and you looked sheepishly down at your hands, which you were tapping nervously against the table.

"Who?" Tony asked.

You felt a lump form in your throat. Something about admitting who died when looking right at them was weird, almost sadder than watching it happen. Like telling your friend "Hey, you die tomorrow." But you knew you had to.

"Nat...Vision...and you Tony."

The air seemed to be sucked out of the room while they took in what you said. You didn't speak, not knowing what to say even if you wanted to.

Suddenly, Tony laughed, "Of course. Was it epic? A real tearjerker?"

You knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but looking at him in the flesh made his death even more unbearable. The thought of it was no longer that of a fictitious character, but rather a living being right in front of you. You looked at him, but all you could see was the shot of his lifeless eyes and burnt face as Pepper leans in to kiss him goodbye.

You felt tears pricking at your eyes.

"Yeah," you said softly, forcing a smile, "not a dry eye left in the theater."

He tried to return your smile, but you saw the solemn look in his eyes.

"You died saving the universe," you explained, still speaking softly, as if that made the news any easier to bear. You turned to Nat and Vision, "And you guys too. I cried both times."

At this point you felt a tear roll down your cheek and quickly wiped it away.

Why the heck am I crying? you thought. There was just something so strange about what was happening. You couldn't let them die.

"But that's why I'm here," you said, clearing your throat and straightening up, trying to change the tone that had set on the room. "I, like many other fans, have thought about different, happier endings. I wanted to come here at a certain time to prevent what I know happens. I was joking around in my kitchen, wishing hard for the ability to come here and help, when a portal appeared in my backyard. It took a lot of debate to decide to jump through a glowing blue circle, but if there was even the chance that the Marvel Universe was real and that I could help, well then I had to do it."

The Avengers took in what you had said for a moment.

You looked around the room, with almost pleading eyes, frantically hoping that they would trust you.

"Well," Cap said, "Where do we start?"

You smiled so wide you thought your head was going to split. This question was one you could answer, one you had actually thought about.

Your initial joyful grin turned to a slightly mischievous one as you responded with one word: "Loki."

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