⚔️certified unreliable narrator⚔️

Thoughts were pooling inside [Y/n]’s mind. So many thoughts, so many emotions, like an overflowing bucket of water- no, tar, hot, sticky, and burning, she was practically drowning in her own mind.

Every nightmare, every dream, every moment of her sixteen years of life, began to form into one enormous question mark, and suddenly, she realized, is anything real?

She felt as though she couldn’t move, yet simultaneously, everything around her was spinning like a top. Every bone in her body became painfully aware of her conditions, and confusion became the only recognizable emotion inside her overstimulated brain.

She willed herself to stay calm, to get some sort of idea of her situation, and so, recalling the information stored safely in the back of her mind, precisely for times like these, she forced herself to pick out five things in the room using just her eyes.

Walls. Dresser. Bed sheets. Door. Windows.

Her head was still spinning, and she felt as though she might pass out, but she pushed herself through the agony, repeating over and over in her mind to stay calm, to breathe.

Moving her hands shakily to grip the sheets around her, she acknowledged their silky fabric. Sheets.

She reached her other hand up to grip the soft material of her shirt, running her thumb along the hemming. Shirt.

She rested her palm on her chest for a moment, and carefully relished in the presence of the mattress beneath her. Bed.

Then, she gripped the material of her sweatpants, parts of the cloth balled from her continuous wear. A smile pricked the corners of her mouth, the material growing more soothing to the touch than anything else in the room. Sweatpants.

Hear. What can I hear?

Though the ringing in her ears was still present, she chose to push that reminder of her current situation deep down into the depths of her brain, and focused on the low buzzing that was occupying most of the room, courtesy of the industrial lighting. Lights.

She turned her head, ever so slightly, ignoring the pain that came with it, to glance out to the New York City streets. Down on the dim roads of New York, the faint sounds of cars honking below filling her ears. New York.

And then, she suddenly became aware of one of the other sounds in her room. It was filtering in from under the door. The sounds of some sort of heating unit. It was quiet, but noticeable enough that [Y/n] decided it should suffice.

Heater.

Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she took note of the air freshener that seemed to fill every crack and crevice of the room. It smelled faintly of lavender, and the notes of sterilizing wipes used to clean off the surfaces of the room. That counts for two, right?

And the only taste on her tongue was the lingering steely taste of blood from her fall earlier in the night. Tightening her lips into a straight line, she decided that her previous list of things would be enough to ground herself.

She could feel the spinning in her mind begin to grow less and less prominent, and she squeezed her eyes shut, sucking in a deep breath of air and holding it in her lungs for a few seconds, before opening her eyes back up and blinking away the rest of her anxiety.

With newfound confidence, she bit her lip and began to assess the situation. Okay. What are the chances of this actually being inter dimensional travel?

Low. Extremely. Extremely low.

But how, exactly, would any of this be explainable otherwise?

I mean…a lot of scientists believe in the existence of parallel universes but…

Subconsciously gnawing on the inside of her cheek in thought, she decided she would figure out how she got here at another time, right now, she needed to figure out how to get out.

It didn’t matter whether what she was experiencing was all in her head or not, she was not prepared to throw herself into an action packed environment of superheroes and crime fighting, no matter how lucky she was to be here. Getting home, getting away was the only viable option.

She threw the blankets off of her body, ignoring the screaming aches of cold from her body as she did so, and she slid herself off the edge of the bed, unprepared for the cool chill she got from placing her bare feet on the ground.

“Ah!” She squeaked, lifting her feet momentarily above the tiled floor, hovering her feet off the ground. “You would think he’d be able to afford heated floors…”

She placed her feet back down onto the tile, pushing the cool sensation down as she forced herself to lift up from the stiff, hospital-like bed. She nearly fell back onto the mattress as she felt all of her mass shift down to her feet, suddenly becoming dizzy with the new distribution of her weight.

[Y/n] gripped the edge of the mattress for support, before regaining most of her strength, and pushing forward, walking towards the door to, what she assumed to be, a hallway outside.

Brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, she placed her other hand on the door-handle, before glancing up at the ceiling.

“Hey, uh…” she paused. “JARVIS?”

The A.I was quick to respond. “Yes, Miss [Y/n]?”

That’s gonna take some getting used to. “Uh, do you know how to get out of here?”

“I’d advise you not to leave the tower unsupervised.” He responded.

Oh. He’s right. New York City at night is already risky business…but I’m really in a reality where super-crime and vengeful aliens exist, it’s probably not a good idea.

She frowned, lifting her hand off the door-handle and debating what her next move would be. She glanced around and let out a sigh. “Okay. Where’s Pepper at?”

“Miss Potts has asked me to call her down before you-“

[Y/n] shakes her head. “That’s okay. I can get her on my own. Just…tell me how to find her?”

JARVIS seems to want to say no, but instead, he responds; “She’s currently at Penthouse Level. You can access it from the elevator to your left just outside of the room.”

“Oh. Thank you.” [Y/n] said, pulling open the door and poking her head out through the doorway. Just as JARVIS has said, to her left was an elevator, and to the right, the hallway curved around to more branchingcorridors, which [Y/n] decided were not worth exploring.

“I suggest that you be quick, however. Miss Potts will be shutting down the power momentarily to test the functionality of the Arc Reactor.” JARVIS commented, his voice now filling the halls outside of the room.

[Y/n] was silent for a moment, soaking in the information. Arc Reactor? This must be around the time of the first Avengers film…

“Yeah…good uh…good idea.” The thought of being trapped between floors on the elevator suddenly souring her vision of escaping. Yeah. Better to not die via elevator malfunction.

She stepped completely out of the room, letting the heavy door swing shut behind her. She ventured down the hall towards the elevator, pressing a button as every nerve in her body began to flinch and twitch at the prolonged period of waiting.

Then, with a hollow ‘ding’ the doors of the elevator cracked open and the young girl let a small grin break onto her face. She stepped inside the elevator, glancing over the buttons inside and biting down lightly on the top of her tongue.

Her fingers drifted over the buttons lining the top row, unsure of which to press, as the doors to the elevator snapped shut.

“The penthouse is on the top floor.” JARVIS’ voice rang out, this time coming from the speakers she could only assume were placed deliberately in a discreet location within the confines of the elevator.

“Oh, okay,” She paused to press her finger against the button at the very left of the top row of brightly lit numbers. “You’re a life-saver.” She whispered.

She drummed her fingers against the side of her legs, watching as the numbers displayed in clean cut lettering rose with every floor, before the elevator came to a slow stop at the very top level. The penthouse.

[Y/n] stepped from the elevator as the doors opened, the lights above her flickering for a moment, before growing completely dark.

A shiver ran down her spine. Right on time, I guess.

This foyer was much wider, decorative plants and accents lining the walls. There were no doors, save for one at the end of the hallway, that [Y/n] could just barely make out in the suddenly dim light surrounding her.

Nothing but small lights that were indented in the floors of the hallway were lighting up the way, and, hesitantly, the young girl began to make her way towards the door. JARVIS’ comforting words of wisdom were nowhere to be found as the elevator doors sealed shut behind her, leaving her to her own devices.

This actually might be the stupidest decision I’ve ever made.

Shuffling along down the hallway, very suddenly intimidated by the impression of wealth and sophistication that this level of the tower was presenting to her, she hurriedly approached the door.

She placed a hand on the doorknob, turning it, and opening the door. The other side was just as dark, if not darker, as the hallway she had just occupied. The only thing serving as a light source for the dimly lit room was the hologram-like surface of some sort of desktop computer that was being projected above a dark, slightly cluttered desk.

Pepper, who seemed to be operating the device, glanced up from whatever was being displayed on the screen.

Her eyes found the source of the intrusion, and she furrowed her brows. She minimized the screen, pushing away from the desk with a curious expression.

“Hey, I thought I told you to ask JARVIS to call me in?” She said, stopping at a close distance to the desk, but giving her best effort to put her attention on [Y/n], who was mainly absorbed in taking in the sights around her.

Though it was dark, every inch of the room, she began to look over. Every crack, every crevice, she couldn’t even begin to describe. A catwalk, lit only by dim blue lights, connected to some sort of landing pad outside of the large room.

A sunken area with a couch and living quarters occupied a different corner, and she realized it would send her into a frenzy to try and process everything inside the room she was currently in.

It all seemed so familiar, parts of the room she had seen before, in the films, parts of it were completely new, things she never would have guessed would occupy that space.

“Woah.” That was all she could seem to muster up.

Pepper offered a smile, paired with a light laugh, which she hoped would be a gesture enough to make the young girl feel more comfortable in such an odd place.

[Y/n] forced herself to move closer to Pepper, trying to keep her eyes from exploring every inch of the room. “This is crazy…” She mumbled, eyes finally landing on the red-haired woman.

Pepper hummed.

“Sorry about…just, barging in.” [Y/n] said, hands moving to rub against the opposite arm.

Pepper rolled her shoulders back, sparing a glance back at the screen. “It’s alright.” She tapped something on a streamline keyboard, before looking back over at the teen.

“Are you ready to head home? We can have a car sent over whenever you’re ready.” Pepper said.

[Y/n]’s eyes went wide. “Oh. Uhm, I mean- I guess? I just…” The realization that, if this truly was another universe, her home was probably not like her home, began to sink in.

What if I don’t have a home to go to?

Pepper lifted a hand for a moment, turning her attention back to the screen, zooming into something before glancing back. “Sorry about that. Well, if you want, we can wait till Tony gets back. He shouldn’t be too long.” She paused, lifting her hand off the keyboard. “Is that okay?”

The young teenager said nothing, she only began bobbing her head up and down dumbly. Pepper offered one last smile, before returning to her work on the computer.

Every thought floating inside [Y/n]’s mind began to ask her to stay, as if part of her was like some little girl begging their mother to let them keep a lost puppy, and just like that, she gave in.

I guess…it wouldn’t hurt to stay and meet Tony Stark…right?

Letting curiosity, and her inner fangirl, get the best of her, she decided she could postpone her epic escape plan for just a few moments longer.

Pepper pressed a few buttons on the screen. “Alright, you’re connected.” She said, tapping away at the keyboard once again.

[Y/n] leaned over, trying to inconspicuously catch a glimpse at who she presumed was Tony Stark. None of this was in the movie…

“Alright. Going under.” Tony Stark’s voice echoed shallowly from the computer-like device, and [Y/n] could feel the world begin to spin again.

Pepper Potts was one thing, but Tony Stark actually existing? That’s a whole different level of insanity, one that [Y/n] was now painfully aware she was not prepared to face.

She swallowed hard. “Was…was that Ton-“ She stopped herself, “Uh…Mr. Stark?”

Pepper nodded absentmindedly, returning to whatever complex thing it was that she was doing on the computer. [Y/n] took the awkward head-nod as a yes, and buried the thought of meeting him down inside herself.

She took the opportunity to observe the sights from the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the entire wall of the spacious room. The Chrysler Building was towering at around the same level as Stark Tower, and she realized she had never seen it from this high up.

“That’s incredible…” She whispered, subconsciously approaching the window nearest to Pepper and the computer.

Every little light shining from down below on the streets of New York lit up the city, and [Y/n] could hardly believe how small everything looked from this high up in the air. She resisted the urge to press herself against the glass, realizing that it would probably leave behind a rather large [Y/n] shaped smudge that she could only imagine Tony wouldn’t take too kindly towards.

Instead, she admired from afar, watching every small movement, when something far off in the distance, seemingly floating mid-air caught her eye. It shimmered red in the flickering lights of the city that never sleeps, and she realized what- or who, that must be.

Tony’s voice, filtered slightly through the computer, filled [Y/n]’s ears, and she noticed the familiarity of his words. “Good to go on this end. The rest is up to you”

[Y/n] ever so slightly tilted her head to get a better look at the screen. “You disconnected the transmission lines? Are we off the grid?” She asked, pressing a button on the computer while she spoke.

“Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy.” Tony responded. [Y/n] began to chew at her lips, turning to face the computer, but making sure she was just out of sight.

Hah. We could really use some of that in my world.

Pepper nodded, and glanced over the display of Stark Tower that was projected on the screen. “Well, assuming the Arc Reactor takes over, and it actually works.”

[Y/n] couldn’t help the shit-eating grin that began to overtake her features. The moment was just too good to sit through and pretend she didn’t care. Because she did. Marvel was practically her entire lifeblood, and getting to experience this moment, in-person, sent a rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins.

“I assume.” Tony paused for a moment. “Light her up.”

Pepper pressed a button on the screen, then her fingers clacked away on the keyboard. [Y/n] turned her attention back outside, the all-too familiar suit of iron she had grown to love so much, now flying, in real time, directly towards them.

The lights overhead flickered a few times, before they turned on full-force, lighting the room up with soft, ambient light. [Y/n] gazed up at the lights, before glancing back down to the streets of New York.

“How does it look?”

“Like Christmas, but with more…me.” That same grin that had been plastered on the young girl’s face returned at Tony’s words, and a wave of nostalgia began to flood over her.

Man. It’s going to suck to leave this behind.

Pepper returned the comment with a smile, tapping another button. “We’ve got to go wider on the public awareness campaign, you need to do some press.” She said, “I’m in D.C tomorrow, working on the zoning for the next three buildings.”

“Pepper, you’re killing me. The moment, remember?” From outside, [Y/n] could see him disappear past the threshold of the building, the familiar shimmering suit lifting up towards the landing dock. “Enjoy the moment.”

“Get in here and I will.” Pepper finished, pressing one last button, and closing the line.

[Y/n] became aware of the situation almost immediately, and the smile that had been occupying her features not a moment before, was suddenly wiped from existence as she battled in her mind on what to do next.

She stepped a bit further away from Pepper, trying to train her eyes to anything but the screen, or Tony, who was rapidly approaching.

Pepper glanced over her shoulder, noticing the young girl’s nervous gaze. She offered her a smile. “Hey. He’s not that scary, I promise.” She said, turning her attention to the screen once more.

As much as she wanted to believe her, [Y/n] thought otherwise. Thoughts of doubt and embarrassment began to flood her mind, and the only thought she could cling to, was the fleeting hope that maybe, just maybe, Pepper was right.

Oh man. This is not nearly as fun as I thought it would be.

————

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Rain pattered down through the crisp autumn air of New York City, painting the already deep night a gloomy shade of charcoal.

Few people wandered the streets, but those who did kept their umbrellas popped open, and shuffled along down the normally busy streets of Manhattan.

However, despite the hustle and bustle of the midnight commuters, the New York residents failed to acknowledge the body of a young girl, clothes soaked with the tears leaking from the sky, and body splayed out on the concrete sidewalk.

Her head was throbbing, and a cut on her forehead allowed blood to begin draining out and staining the concrete below her a shimmery shade of red. It melted with the rain, diluting the color and pooling most of it down into a nearby sewage drain.

She let out a weary groan of pain, desperately trying to cling to any sort of reality, and trying to shift some of her weight off of her right side, which seemed to have its own heartbeat of agony.

Her brain seemed to be on lockdown, and not a single thought, besides pain, was ringing through her mind. She couldn’t think, let alone gather the strength to open her eyes and take in her surroundings.

One thing she noticed, however, was that from behind the shadow of her eyelids, all was dark. As if, possibly, she had skipped ahead in time, allowing night to overtake her.

She didn’t dare crack open her eyelids, for fear of what might be on the other side. The hollow ringing in her ears began to manifest itself in a much more aggressive demeanor, pushing the limits of [Y/n]’s hearing, and forcing her to give into the darkness that began to engulf her.

And only one thought remained in her brain as she began to fade back into the endless void.

What the hell happened?

———

Bright industrial lights attached to an equally bright ceiling buzzed louder than the ringing in [Y/n]’s head.

They were both positioned symmetrically on the ceiling of a sterile looking bedroom, where crisp blue bed sheets gave the impression of a hospital, or maybe even an assisted living home. The room was clean, cool, and smelled like air freshener.

And [Y/n]’s sensitive nose, aggravated by the harsh smell, scent a sneeze rumbling through her body, and waking her up.

She twisted and turned in the bed, senses barely catching onto the fact that she was not where she was supposed to be. She clenched her fist around the loose fabric of the sheets, and her brows furrowed.

Gathering the fading strength within her, she forced open her eyelids, and squinted at the bright light blinding her vision.

Blinking twice to drain some of the exposure from her eyes, she laid still, the realization that she was in fact, not in her bedroom only hitting her when the memories of waking on the mucky New York ground started to flow back.

Shooting her body upright, she sat in the bed, staring directly at the starkly painted silver wall in front of her, containing only a shut door, and an evenly placed piece of modern artwork.

To her left, large, floor length windows lined the wall, allowing the viewer to see a brightly lit night-time New York skyline. This, she realized, would mean she was in one of the tallest buildings in New York.

And one of the most expensive. Where the hell am I?

On the other side of her bed was a white wall, only a small, sharply designed dresser spaced in the center of it.

She had never seen this place before, and confusion began to grow rampant in her mind. Ticking through her memories, she tried to piece together what exactly happened.

Creepy doppelgänger.

Scary building.

Near-death experience.

Weird portal thing?

How am I still alive?

She stiffened. Oh my god. Am I dead?

She reached a hand to her face, patting around desperately, as if the feeling of her body could fade away at any moment.

Suddenly, two knocks sounded from the door, and the hairs on the back of [Y/n]’s neck began to spike up on end. She searched the room for some sort of escape, if necessary, and upon realizing the only way out would be to dive around the person on the other side, or James Bond it out the window, she settled on clutching to the sheets for dear life.

The door creaked open, and a woman on the other side peeked in, before opening the door completely, a small smile growing on her face.

“Oh, good. I’m glad you’re awake.” She paused, green eyes giving the young girl a once over. “You were out for a day, y’know. I’m sure your parents are worried sick.”

[Y/n] was stunned into silence. She sat, body near-trembling, watching as an actress she had always admired stood in her sights, talking directly to her.

What the fuck. That is Gweneth. Fucking. Paltrow.

The woman, or, Gweneth, continued to stand in the doorway, but the air around her changed, vibrating with concern, and a tad bit of awkwardness.

Realizing she should be speaking, [Y/n] parted her lips, but when she spoke, a small whine released itself from her throat, followed by a small cough. “U-uh. Oh.”

Why the fuck am I in Gweneth Paltrow’s house. Does she even live in New York? What is happening?

“Are you feeling okay?” She asked, stepping a foot into the door. [Y/n] could tell she wanted to approach her, but [Y/n]’s shaking body and wide eyes probably put her off.

Nodding her head, [Y/n]’s eyes drifted down to her shuddering hands, willing herself to stop jiggling like Christmas pudding. “Y-yes. I’m okay.” She went quiet, but lifted her gaze back upwards. “Could you tell me where I am?”

The Gweneth-look-alike, as [Y/n] determined the chances of this being the Gweneth Paltrow were very low, furrowed her brows at the young girl. She cocked her head. “You don’t know where you are?”

[Y/n] swallowed hard, stiffly shaking her head.

“Oh. Wow, you must have hit your head pretty hard.” She stated, scrunching her nose. She waved her hand with her eyes closed. “Well, anyway, you’re currently inside of Stark Tower, downtown Manhattan.”

[Y/n] sat in utter silence. Her bottom lip began to quiver, and she could feel a scream building in her chest. What. The. Fuck.

She pushed her urge to burst out into a fit of madness down deep into her stomach, saving her temper tantrum for later. “S-sorry- did you say Stark Tower?”

Gweneth’s look-alike nodded her head, confusion evident in her expression. She crossed her arms. “Mhm.”

[Y/n] nodded slowly, but her mind was racing faster than a Lambo down the Autobahn. So much information was passing through her mind, and right back out of it. She could feel her soul beginning to exit her body, and finally she bit her tongue, struggling to bring herself back down to earth.

Or, wherever the hell she was.

“Who, uhm...who are you?” She asked, voice raising in pitch.

“Oh! So sorry. My name is Pepper Potts.” Pepper responded, arms still crossed as she leaned against the doorframe.

[Y/n] mouth grew dry. “Oh, uhm, I’m [Y/n] [L/n].”

Pepper smiled. “Lovely to meet you.” She stood in the door for a moment, before sucking in a breath. “Well, why don’t you get yourself settled a bit, and then tell JARVIS to call me in so we can get you home, alright?”

Nodding her head mechanically, [Y/n] watched as ‘Pepper’ left the room, giving the young teenager one last comforting smile, before shutting the door behind her.

[Y/n] nearly fell off her perch, anxiety rising up her body, and forcing her to fall heavily backwards into the bed. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, mouth agape as she tried to process this information.

She called herself Pepper Potts. She said I was in Stark Tower. What the fuck is happening? How do I know this isn’t some elaborate prank?

But who would prank me? Is this a social experiment? Was I chosen at random?

Lifting her head off the stiff, and rather uncomfortable pillow she was resting on, she looked around the room.

“Uhm,” she paused. “JARVIS?” She called.

Immediately, the familiar voice of Paul Bettany rang through the room. “Yes, Miss [L/n]?”

[Y/n] let out a half-scream, not fully expecting a response out of the intelligent system. “Oh! Uh,” [Y/n] laughed dryly.

“What can I do for you?”

[Y/n] blinked, thinking over her options, debating the best way to find out where, or when she was. “Hm…”

JARVIS stayed silent, before piping up again. “Would you like me to call Miss Potts?”

[Y/n]’s eyes went wide. “No! No, no. That’s okay.” She bit her lower lip, digging her teeth into the soft skin. “Can you tell me something, though? It might seem a bit weird.”

“Of course.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping desperately her answer wouldn’t be what she was expecting. “Do you know the year?”

JARVIS seemed to hesitate before giving his answer. “The year is two-thousand and twelve.”

[Y/n]’s heart dropped to her stomach, and she began to feel the room spin around her.

Did I…did I just jump realities?

————

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