Alternate "You"Niverse *Bucky Barnes x Reader*

Twelve

THREE DAYS EARLIER

Tony sat staring at the portal, the floor hard and cold as he narrowed his brown eyes at the contraption, never in all his life had been so stumped before. Even with Bruce Banner and Visions help they couldn't get this thing to work for them, he was about to have a mental breakdown over it.

He sighed gently, running a greasy hand through his thick, brunette hair. His shoulder ached with tension, his whole body was hurting, he hadn't had a shower in days and his head was pounding with a million thoughts. Tony pulled himself up and together, walking over to where Bruce had been working, glancing over the calculations briefly and groaning.

They weren't getting anywhere close to a breakthrough, making Tony feel worse. He knew the actors had lives and families of their own to go back to, adding pressure to getting this done faster for them but he just couldn't seem to get it working, nothing seemed to be working on the portal or inside his brain.

"Friday, run a quick scan on the portal, I gotta be missing something" he calls out to his newest AI, turning around to some screens where the latest scans displayed, his eyes narrowed as he stared at them. Nothing coming to mind, he sighed gently and swiped the newer scans away to old ones, hoping some kind of difference would show.

It's silent as he stares at the screens, a frown etching onto his face, he leans in closer and squints his eyes at a peculiar sum and almost chuckled at how idiotic he was. Rushing back to the portal, he began to work on it again, typing in on the control pad the old equation that got it to work.

The portal began to make a slight buzzing, the table shuddering again, it opened with a bright light and remained open and Tony grinned with satisfaction. He glanced over his shoulder briefly, stepping towards the portal; he took a deep breath and put a leg through it; his left leg getting a small breeze before his entire body is through.

OTHER SIDE

Tony glanced around a massive opening, frowning he turned his back to a trailer door, this must be the prop trailer the actors were talking about. A few other trailers on the set were dotted around, he walked down the few steps and took in the place, this wasn't New York... Atlanta it seemed.

"Robert?" Tony glanced up at a man walking towards him, a slight beard and sandy hair, he was only a few inches taller than Steve, "you okay? It's me Chris, Pratt? Remember?" he chuckled at him.

"Ugh, yeah, I am fine," Tony responded and looked at Chris Pratt, who the hell was this guy? And why are there so many of Chris's playing 'Marvel' characters?

"What the hell happened? You went like missing, actually, half the cast has, well not half but you get me most of your guys!" He frowned at Tony, who he thinks is Robert.

"Oh! About that," Tony thought for a moment "we went out and all got sick, it's been a nightmare but I promise everyone will be back, food poisoning and stuff!" he patted his belly slightly and Pratt raised his eyebrows at Tony.

"Okay, anyway, we need to all get together to do a script reading. I'll go tell the Russo's you are here, one second." Pratt smiled and walked around the corner of the trailer, quicker than a flash; Tony ran up the stairs of the trailer and flung the door open.

THROUGH THE DOOR AGAIN

The door was acting as the portal, he pulled himself back through and shut off the portal, breathing heavily he leant against a workbench. His heart hammering inside his chest, he wiped away the sweat that has accumulated on his forehead.

"Tony?" Steve called walking down the stairs to the lab, pushing the door open he glanced at Stark, frowning but pushing away another thought "I gotta ask something."