Chapter 1

  IN WHICH I fall down an interdimensional rabbit hole

  “Guys, look over there! It’s the ninja girl!” Loud laughter accompanied this statement, and I ducked my head, trying to ignore it.

  A tenth grader named Grant ran next to me. “Hey, Bella, what’s it like now that your ninja friends are gone?” he taunted me. “Do you miss them? Are you gonna cry?” He mimed crying motions. “Wah! I’m a little baby!” His friends laughed like it was one big joke to them – which it probably was.

  I continued to ignore him and walked silently to my school bus. Grant tried to follow me but stopped at the door. “Have fun, little ninja girl!” he catcalled. Luckily for me, the bus started moving, and Grant was quickly left behind.

  I leaned my head against the window and sighed. Ever since Kai, Nya, Cole, Jay, Zane, and Lloyd had gone home, things had been going downhill. I was able to subdue Brutus, the last bully, but then Grant came along, seemingly determined to mock me endlessly. He was all about mental bullying, not so much the physical, so the self-defense skills I’d been taught by the ninja couldn’t help me. Anna, my best friend, had since moved away, leaving me with no one to turn to, as my mom had to work a lot to pay the bills.

  When I got home, I went into the backyard to do some thinking. The longer I stood there, the more frustrated I got with the situation. No way to fight back, no one to help me, no one to talk to. It just wasn’t fair.

  “It’s not fair!” I shouted to the sky. For extra emphasis, I stomped my feet a couple of times. As usual, the sky didn’t answer me. It never did.

  Giving up, I turned to walk inside, only to feel the earth give way beneath me. I reached for something to grab a hold of, but there was nothing. I slid down a large dirt tunnel until I eventually tumbled into a cave of some sort. I stood up and dusted off my pants. When I looked around, I could see that I was in an ovular chamber. It appeared that the tunnel, my only exit, had closed behind me.

  “Great,” I muttered. “No way out.”

  With nothing else to do, I decided to take a closer look at the chamber. The walls were made of a black stone, obsidian, perhaps, and the only decoration was a gold box with a speaker set into the top and a fancy engraved arch that had the words “The Warren” on it. The whole room was filled with a pale light, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from.

  I reached out to touch the gold box, and the walls were suddenly covered with glowing pictures. I stepped back at first, then leaned forward to get a closer look. As far as I could tell, there was no rhyme or reason to the photos. I saw Abraham Lincoln making a speech, but in color, astronauts in space, dinosaurs walking through a jungle, a mystical place where plants were purple, superheroes flying through the sky, everything. Anything you could think of, there was a photo of it on the walls.

  Then I saw my favorite photo out of all of them. It was the ninjas, my friends, eating pizza together. They were in their Lego mini-figure forms, but even so, you could tell they were…happy.

  I tried to get closer, but then stumbled. I automatically put out a hand to steady myself against the wall, and my hand landed smack-dab in one of the pictures. I didn’t have time to see the picture before its clow increased tenfold, concealing the picture with its brightness. I attempted to back away from the light, but it filled the whole room, until it swallowed me up, and I was gone.

  Chapter 2

  IN WHICH I visit another universe

  When the light cleared, I was standing in Washington DC, on the steps of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I looked all around, searching for something out of the ordinary, but everything seemed to be in place. Glad that I was at least on my home planet, I figured I might as well go into the museum in front of me, as there was probably a reason that I was transported to that particular location.

  Thankfully, admission was free, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get in, as any money I might happen to have on hand would be in my school backpack. I paused for a moment to admire the massive lobby of the museum, then chose a random exhibit and walked in. It seemed that I had chosen a timeline exhibit, because the further I went in, the further back in history I went.

  I passed exhibits detailing the Vietnam War, World War II, the Great Depression, and World War I. Oddly enough, there was nothing recent. No 9/11, no recession of 2008, no COVID-19, nothing.

  When I got to the World War I part, I noticed some sort of side exhibit and decided to explore it. There were a lot of black and white photos and articles, you know, the usual. But when I went further in, there was this large display with mannequins. It seemed to be the most popular exhibit of all, for there were lots of people crowding around it.

  I stood on my tiptoes, trying to get a better look, and then I saw the exhibit clearly. And what’s more, I knew that I was, in fact, not in my home universe. Because on the very front mannequin was Captain America’s old uniform.

  I was in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

  Chapter 3

  IN WHICH I test my tracking skills

  Now knowing that I was in the Captain America Exhibit, I went to the right, over to one of the displays. It had the black and white photo, the long and semi-boring article, except this wasn’t just your average display. This was an obituary for James Buchanon “Bucky” Barnes, Killed In Action. The display was evidently less popular than Cap’s uniform, and was, therefore, much easier to see.

  As I stood there, examining the display, I gradually became aware of someone standing behind me. I couldn’t see much out of the corner of my eyes, but I could tell he was wearing a dark gray hat and a black coat. He appeared to be studying the James Barnes display as intently as I had been just a few moments ago.

  I continued to watch the stranger discreetly, and I saw one of the museum employees, one with graying hair, come up and talk to him. The two then left together, heading off for some unknown destination. My curiosity piqued, I followed them stealthily. The duo went into one of the doors marked “Employees Only,” and I looked around to make sure no one was watching before opening the door just enough to peek through.

  The gray-haired employee took something out of a drawer and then took it over to a big machine. The machine almost looked like a giant 3D printer. After pressing some buttons and starting the machine, the employee started talking to the man with the dark gray hat. The whirring machine made too much noise for me to overhear their conversation.

  Eventually, the machine finished its task, and the employee took out two versions of the object he had taken from the drawer. One, he put back into the drawer, while the other, he gave to the man with the hat. I still couldn’t get a good look at the stranger, but he was beginning to seem familiar. The man put the thing into his pocket, and all I could tell was that it was some sort of necklace.

  The man started walking toward the door, and I hurriedly got out of sight. He went through the door, glanced around warily, then set off through the museum, with me following behind. The man immediately left the museum and then proceeded to peruse the streets of DC, eventually slipping down a side alleyway. I continued to track him, but I had no idea what he was doing.

  Then I rounded a corner and couldn’t see him anywhere. I ran to the end of the alley in an attempt to spot him, but the man was gone. I sighed in defeat – and then someone grabbed me.

  I was pushed roughly against one of the alley walls, and the person gripped me by the throat – not tightly, but enough to keep me in place. The person’s hand was strangely cold. “Did Hydra send you?” asked a low voice.

  I glanced up to get a look at my attacker and realized that it was the man with the gray hat. And now that I could see him clearly, I also realized why he seemed so familiar. I had seen his face millions of times while watching the Marvel movies. In fact, he was one of my favorite characters in the whole franchise.

  “You’re Bucky Barnes,” I breathed.

  Chapter 4

  IN WHICH I (try to) explain myself

  It was so obvious, now that I thought about it. Between the longish black hair, his serious attitude, and even the way he walked, he was obviously Bucky. However, the man did not react to the name, other than to shove me against the wall a little harder.

  “Did Hydra send you?” he repeated, and I hurriedly shook my head. He stared at me almost thoughtfully, and I looked at the floor, unable to meet his piercing gaze. Finally, he asked, “How do you know me?”

  “Well, um, I don’t,” I answered. “Not really, anyway. It’s kind of complicated.”

  Bucky gave me the kind of look that said, “Try me.” Somehow, I found myself spilling the whole story – Grant, the tunnel, the Warren, and how I then ended up at the Smithsonian. When I had finished, Bucky didn’t seem convinced.

  “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Okay, so I might’ve put it a bit lightly.

  “Crazier than a dude with a metal arm who gets brainwashed, loses his memory, then beats up his best friend?” His eyes hardened, and I tried to shrink away, afraid I’d gone too far with that one. However, I was still pinned by the neck, so it didn’t really work. Bucky abruptly let me go and started walking away.

  “Are you going to help me?” I called after him, but he didn’t answer and just kept walking, so I jogged after him. “Hey, if you don’t believe me, I can prove it. I know all sorts of Hydra secrets, like the location of the base in Sy-”

  Bucky spun around and clamped a hand to my mouth. “Don’t tell the whole world,” he told me with a glare. I nodded, and he slowly removed his hand. “If Hydra ever knows that you know their secrets, you’ll be taken out before you can blink,” he stated grimly.

  At that piece of news, I paled. I hadn’t realized how real the consequences could be in this universe. Bucky seemed to be thinking over something, though his thinking face looked a lot like his “I want to kill you” face. He seemed to reach some sort of conclusion, as he said, “Follow me.”

  Chapter 5

  IN WHICH I go on a road trip

  “Nice place you’ve got here,” I commented as I followed Bucky into a dimly lit hotel room. As usual, he did not reply. I had pestered him the whole drive there, until I eventually had to give up due to lack of response. The most I was able to get out of him was a side glare, or some variant of it.

  We had picked up dinner at a McDonald’s, but by now, it was pitch-black outside. Bucky had chosen a hotel really far away from New York, probably to throw people off his trail, or something like that.

  “You can have the bed,” Bucky stated, bringing my attention back to the hotel room.

  “You sure?” I asked. His only response was to toss a pillow onto the couch and lay down. I shrugged and hopped onto the bed. Once I was all snuggled under the covers, the euphoria of being in a different universe wore off, and I started to long for home. Will Mom miss me tonight? I wondered. What is she going to do when I don’t come home? Will she call the cops?

  I closed my eyes, but a single tear managed to leak out

  .

  The next day, Bucky and I began a road trip extravaganza. I think we kept moving so Hydra couldn’t track us, but Bucky never verbally affirmed that, so it’s more of an assumption.

  We pretty much just drove all over America, never visiting the same town twice. The drives were pretty boring, as Bucky never wanted to talk to me. Believe me, I tried, but nothing worked. A few times, I made vague references to his past as the Winter Soldier, but the venomous glares he sent my way quickly killed that off. And if I even tried to turn on the radio, he always reached over and turned it off.

  Every now and then, we’d stop at a computer store somewhere, and Bucky would let me use one of the test computers to search the internet. I looked for anything on “The Warren,” but I was never able to find anything. I used the test computers instead of buying one because someone could trace us through a computer. Again, not verbally affirmed by Bucky. (Though I always searched for the same thing every time, and someone could’ve tracked us that way, if they knew what I would search for.)

  About two weeks through our road trip extravaganza, I was awoken in the dead of night. I lay still, not sure what had woken me up. After a few moments, I heard some scuffling sounds and low murmurs coming from the couch where Bucky was sleeping. Cautiously, I slipped out of bed to check on him. I found him tossing and turning on the couch, his face in an almost scared expression. “No,” he murmured. “No, please, no!”

  Realizing that he was in the middle of a nightmare, I hesitated, then did the only thing I could think of.

  Whenever I used to have nightmares, my mom would always stroke my hair, and so that’s what I did with Bucky. It was a little awkward at first, but it seemed to help with the nightmares. His face turned to a more peaceful expression, and his tossing and turning stilled.

  “Get some sleep, Bucky,” I whispered to him. “There’s nothing to worry about. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

  Chapter 6

  IN WHICH I acquire a best friend

  After that incident, I would often wake up in the middle of the night to the familiar sounds of Bucky’s nightmares, then comfort him by stroking his head softly. I don’t think he realized what I was doing, for he acted the same during the day, but I slowly but surely developed a huge soft spot for him.

  Then, one night, his nightmare must’ve been extra intense, because he woke up and immediately grabbed me in a chokehold with his left arm. Not sure what else to do, I patted his metal arm in an attempt to show that I was friendly. I tried to speak, too, but all that came out was a little gurgle.

  Thankfully, Bucky woke up completely and let me go before he choked me into unconsciousness. “Sorry about that,” he said apprehensively, not meeting my eyes for once.

  “It’s alright,” I assured him. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  After that, no more words were spoken, and we both went back to bed. But something changed that night, something in how Bucky saw me, and he finally started to talk to me. It was incremental at first, but as we chatted about the most random things, like whether chocolate was better than vanilla or who would win in a fight between a bear and a snake, we came to realize that we actually got along really well. As we continued to travel all over America, Bucky gradually opened up to me, and we eventually became really close friends.

  One day, I asked him, “What did that employee at the Smithsonian give you?”

  He hesitated a moment, then took out the necklace-ish-looking thing. “They’re my dog tags. The army gave a copy of them to the museum to be a part of an exhibit, and the employee made a copy of that copy for me, as a memento of better times.”

  “Whoa, cool.” I gazed at the two metal tags on the necklace in awe, understanding a little bit of what they meant to a soldier. It was like home for them, their anchor, the only way they’d be identified in battle. Bucky’s had been lost when he fell from the train, but now he was able to have them back, in a way.

  A spontaneous idea occurred to me just then. “Could we make a copy of them for me?” I asked.

  Bucky gave me a confused look, though his traditional glare was long gone by that point.

  “It could be similar to a friendship bracelet,” I continued. “Like a way to officially seal our friendship.”

  Bucky shrugged, and it was set. We were able to find a copier machine in an archive, and the employees let us use it for free. It didn’t take long for it to do its work, and I soon held a slightly warm copy of Bucky’s dog tags. I slipped them over my head and smiled at Bucky, and was rewarded with the sight of one of his rare half-smiles.

  And from then on, we were officially friends.

  Chapter 7

  IN WHICH I become a hostage

  Bucky and I strode into a mall on the edge of New York, our heads held high. One of the things Bucky had taught me was that the best way to hide was to look like you weren’t hiding, and we used that to our full advantage. We had come full circle in our road trip, and were hoping to hide in plain sight by coming to New York. Surprisingly, Bucky had actually told me his strategy this time. Even though I had a copy of his dog tags, he was still really quiet and serious, likely due to his years as the silent Winter Soldier.

  I walked into a computer store, per our usual custom, while Bucky went to the other side of the hall to keep an eye on things. I rubbed my dog tags with two fingers, my new habit when nervous, and picked a silver computer. I started researching The Warren, but nothing new came up. It seemed that the citizens of the MCU knew no more about it than I did.

  Having thoroughly checked the internet, I moved to exit the computer store, only to be blocked by two burly security guards in black uniforms.

  “Ma’am, we just need to ask you some questions, alright?” one said. “You can come with us.”

  Not suspecting anything, I followed them like a lamb to the slaughter and soon found myself in a concrete holding cell, not sure how I had ended up there. I kept waiting for someone to ask me some questions so I could leave, but no one ever came.

  Eventually, I realized that I was a prisoner. I tried banging on the door of my cell and shouting, but no one came to check on me, so I spent my time sitting on a creaky bed pushed into one corner of the cell.

  Finally, a guard in a black uniform opened the door and gestured me outside. As he herded me down eerily empty hallways, I considered testing out the self-defense skills the ninjas had taught me, but then I spotted the guard’s gun, and I quickly reconsidered. Sweat trickled down my forehead, and I automatically started rubbing my dog tags.

  The guard pushed me into a warehouse-like room, and a handful of men in black outfits tied me to a chair in the middle of the room.

  “What if he doesn’t come?” asked one of the men.

  “We have the girl,” another replied. “He’ll come.”

  Chapter 8

  IN WHICH I hide during a fight

  It didn’t take long for Bucky to show up. He strode into the warehouse completely unarmed and looking more serious than I had ever seen him.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Let her go,” he stated. “This has nothing to do with her.”

  “Ah, but anyone who attracts your attention enough for you to take them with you must be important,” one of the bad guys replied. He wore a black outfit like the others, but he had the red insignia of Hydra and carried himself with authority, marking him as the leader of the group. “I see you got our message. Are you prepared to turn yourself over peacefully?” Bucky’s only response was his usual glare. “Very well.” The leader held out a hand behind him, and one of the men handed him a book.

  As soon as I saw that the cover was red with a black star, I screamed, “Run, Bucky!”

  The Hydra leader turned to me. “You know what this book is? You know the power it holds?”

  I gazed at him with eyes widened in fear, hoping I hadn’t just blown my cover as an innocent bystander. But if Hydra used the Book of the Winter Soldier, there was no telling what might happen. I had to make sure that Bucky never heard the code words that would make him putty in Hydra’s hands.

  Frustrated with my silence, the leader slapped me, sending stars skittering across my vision. “Answer me!” he shouted.

  Bucky used that momentary distraction as his time to strike. He leaped toward the man closest to him and knocked him out with a single punch. From there, he systematically went around the room, ducking behind boxes for protection and taking down the enemy one by one.

  While Bucky did the hard work, I fiddled with the ropes that bound me and managed to find a weakness in the knot. I slipped out of the ropes and rolled behind a set of concrete stairs, safely out of danger. Thankfully, the men that had been guarding me were too occupied with Bucky to notice my disappearance.

  I peeked out of cover to see how the fight was progressing, but instantly ducked down again as a stray bullet whistled overhead. However, I had gotten enough of a glimpse to know that Bucky was handling the battle very well, considering how outnumbered he was. No wonder he’s one of the most dangerous men alive. I couldn’t help worrying for him, though, because unlike in a movie, the consequences of this fight would impact me directly, especially now that I knew him personally. I had a hunch that he wouldn’t die, but now that I had messed up the timeline, I had no idea what could happen.

  There were several more shots, a handful of thumps that sounded suspiciously like someone getting thrown against a wall, and then Bucky came around the corner. He sank to the floor and rested his head against the stairs with a sigh.

  I gasped as I saw a dark stain around a rip in his sweatshirt. “You’re hurt!” I tried to pull at the fabric to get a better look, but Bucky winced, and I quickly drew my hand back. “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine.” Bucky blew out a breath. “You need to get out of here. I’m not safe for you to be around.”

  “What? I’m not going to leave you here, especially since you’re hurt,” I protested.

  “I’ll be fine. Go to the Stark Tower. Tony can protect you better than I can. Don’t tell him anything about me.”

  “What about you?” I asked, reluctant to leave.

  “I’ll go back into hiding. Don’t worry, I can handle myself.”

  With no reason to stall any longer, I stood and walked out of the warehouse, even though every bone in my body was telling me to go back.

  Back to Bucky.

  Chapter 9

  IN WHICH I visit the Stark Tower

  When I exited the small warehouse, I looked back and saw that it was actually a loading dock for the mall where I had been captured. Sighing, I set out to fulfill Bucky’s last wish.

  It wasn’t hard to find the heart of New York City, as all I had to do was walk toward the tallest buildings. I didn’t want to ask anyone for directions because I wasn’t sure who to trust. My mind kept telling me that every stranger I saw was a Hydra agent. After an hour or two of wandering around, I was finally able to spot the Stark Tower.

  I pushed open the double doors of the Tower and found myself in a large glass lobby. I gasped at the size of it, but then remembered why I was there and went over to the receptionist’s desk, where the receptionist was busy making a phone call.

  “I need to see Tony,” I stated.

  The receptionist put down the phone and gave me the dirtiest look I had ever seen, not counting Bucky’s glares. I felt a pang just at the thought of him. “Mr. Stark is busy right now. Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked with an edge to her tone.

  “No, I don’t have an appointment, but I don’t need one.”

  “Look, kid, Mr. Stark is a very busy man and doesn’t have time-“ the receptionist tried to say, but I interrupted her.

  “Just tell him that I know about his blood poisoning, okay? Let him decide for himself whether or not he wants to see me.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Mr. Stark has never gotten blood poisoning before. But if it will appease you…” The receptionist rolled her eyes but pushed the intercom button anyway. “Mr. Stark, there’s a girl here to see you. She said to tell you that she knows about your ‘blood poisoning.’” She made sure to layer on a hefty amount of sarcasm just to get the point across.

  There was a pause, and then Tony Stark’s familiar voice sounded over the intercom. “Send her up.”

  The receptionist’s eyes widened, and she released the intercom button. “Top floor,” she said, her sassy tone long gone. She looked after me with confusion and awe as I stepped over to the elevators.

  The elevators weren’t too far, and I quickly walked over to them and pressed the Up button. I got a few strange looks from the adults around me, but I tried to ignore them. It felt like an eternity before the elevator doors pinged open and I was able to step inside.

  For some reason, no one else got on my elevator, but I didn’t mind having the tight space all to myself. I pushed the button for the top floor, and the elevator slowly glided upward. As I waited, I listened to the peaceful music coming through the speakers.

  Finally, the elevator’s motion slid to a stop, and the doors opened once more. The top floor of the Stark Tower was sleek and high-tech, in traditional Tony Stark style. The furthest wall had what looked like tinted glass windows and double doors with a fancy keypad next to them. I stepped forward and raised my fist to knock on one of the doors, but before I could, it swung open, revealing one of he most recognizable faces of the MCU.

  “Alright, kid,” Tony Stark said. “What do you want?”

  Chapter 10

  IN WHICH I meet JARVIS (and Tony Stark)

  I stepped past Tony and flopped down onto one of his fancy couches, glad to have a rest after a high-action day. “I need your help,” I stated.

  Tony pointed at the couch. “That couch is genuine Lebanon leather, and I happen to own this apartment and this entire tower. You can’t just push your way in here like you own the place and sit on my couch.”

  I shrugged. “You could’ve stopped me if you wanted to. Admit it, you’re curious.”

  Tony crossed his arms, ignoring the question. “What do you need help with? And how do you know about my blood poisoning?” He tried to play it cool, but I could tell that he was, in fact, curious.

  “Long story short, I’m from another universe, in which this universe is a series of movies, so I know about your blood poisoning, and your imprisonment by the Ten Rings, and Killian, but Hydra figured out that I also know their deepest secrets, and my previous hiding spot is no longer safe, so I came here to seek refuge.”

  Tony went over to his mini bar and casually poured himself a drink. “JARVIS, is she lying?”

  “No, sir. It appears she believes everything she has said.”

  I jumped a little at the sound of a British accent coming from hidden speakers. “Oh, hey there, JARVIS. Didn’t realize you were here. Is it annoying to work for a billionaire playboy philanthropist who thinks he knows everything?”

  “Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, actually.” Tony swallowed the rest of his drink and put it on the counter with a loud clink. “Why do you want my help? You could’ve gone to Mr. Red, White, and Blue, or pretty much any of the other Avengers, and they would gladly assist you.”

  “I came here through some sort of mysterious portal, and I was hoping that you could help me research it, maybe even find a way for me to get home. Also, you’re the only one with a giant tower to mark his location.”

  “Fair point. What do you know about this portal?” Tony was already pulling up holographic screens, ready for action.

  “Well, one day, I fell into this tunnel in my backyard…”

  Chapter 11

  IN WHICH I lose my hope

  Tony and I spent the next week or so researching the Warren. JARVIS even got in on the action, but we couldn’t find so much as a whisper of information. I thought that we would never find anything, but Tony stubbornly refused to give up. He spent one last day combing the internet, while I tried to distract myself with books. I kept starting a paragraph, only to find myself staring out the window, my thoughts centered on the friend I had left behind.

  It was hard to avoid dwelling on what had happened over the past couple of months, and I wondered if I was ever going to be the same. My experiences had changed me. Not so much on the outside, other than slightly longer hair, but more on a personal level. I was tougher and smarter, but also more compassionate. Hanging out with Bucky had taught me to be more aware of how my words affected other people, and that was one of the most important lessons I had ever learned. I just wished that Grant, the bully from back home, could learn that lesson as well.

  “Hey, JARVIS,” I said, lounging on one of the Lebanon leather couches in Tony’s living room. “What’s Tony up to?”

  “Master Stark is on his way upstairs,” the AI replied. “It doesn’t seem that he has discovered anything new, based on his vitals and heart rate.”

  “You really had to spoil the surprise?” Tony asked, pushing open the door to his apartment. “I couldn’t find a single mention of the Warren. I was hoping to be the one to break it to you, but someone decided to intervene.” He sat next to me on the couch. “I’m sorry, kid. As far as I know, there’s no way I can get you home. I can set you up with a nice place to stay, a fancy school to attend, you name it. Who knows, maybe you’ll even make some friends?”

  “Sure,” I said, not even bothering to hide my disappointment. “I’ll make some friends, and then I’ll forget about how I’m stuck in an alternate universe for the rest of eternity. Yeah, that’ll make it all perfect again.”

  Tony sighed. “Look, kid, I know this is going to be hard for you. Why don’t you get some sleep, alright?”

  I stood and trudged off to the guest bedroom, not even bothering to say goodnight, and I was more than ready for everything to fade to the peaceful black abyss of sleep.

  Chapter 12

  IN WHICH I find my friend

  I spent the next day holed up in my room, doing everything in my power to ignore my dilemma. I used a high-tech computer in my room to delve through recent hospital records, hoping to find news of Bucky. At this point, I was too worried about his condition to make any attempt to hide my connection to him. After all, Tony only had to look at the name on my dog tags to know that Bucky was significant to me.

  I wasn’t able to find any patients matching this description of the elusive Winter Soldier, nor who had gotten shot around the same day, but I had a hunch that he wouldn’t go to a hospital. Too much risk of being identified. Still, it was worth a shot.

  Having distracted myself for long enough, I realized that I would have to come to terms with the situation at some point. I would never see my mom or any of my friends ever again, and while that was a depressing thought, there were some benefits. For example, I could meet all of my favorite Marvel heroes, maybe sign up for a government experiment involving gamma radiation or a super soldier serum, and later, watch as half of the earth’s population turned to dust – or turn into dust myself. Yup, lots of opportunities to go around.

  I sighed and flopped back onto my bed. I had spent the entire day searching the internet and thinking, only taking short breaks for snacks and the bathroom, without making a single breakthrough or revelation. My only hope at this point was to go somewhere very, very far away and hope that no one ever realized how much I knew about future events.

  I was startled out of my reprieve by a loud tap on the glass door that led to my deck. By this time, the sun had set, and it was dark outside, preventing me from seeing what had caused the sound, though I could make out an indistinct blob. I got up slowly and inched toward the glass door, afraid that the blob was some sort of night creature that had banged into the door in the darkness.

  As I got closer to the deck, the blob gradually sharpened, until I could tell that it was actually a person that had knocked on the door. Extremely wary, I took the last step toward the glass door and peered through.

  The guilty culprit stood in the middle of the deck with his hands in his pockets. Some light spilled from the large windows of Tony’s apartment, framing a man with black pants, a black sweatshirt, and… longish black hair.

  My heart swelled with hope, but I couldn’t afford to be wrong. I gazed at the figure for a few more moments, just to be sure, then threw open the door and tackle-hugged him.

  “Bucky!” I fairly shouted. “You’re back!”

  Chapter 13

  IN WHICH I lose my dog tags

  I took a step back and examined Bucky from head to toe, looking for new injuries of any kind. The rip where he had been shot was sewn shut, and no fresh blood stained the fabric. “You know, you really had me worried for a while,” I stated, walking around him just to be extra sure that nothing had happened. “You can’t leave me like that with no explanation.”

  With no warning, Bucky grabbed my dog tags and deftly lifted them over my head. His metal arm whirred silently as it crushed my dog tags, the symbol of our friendship, into shattered remnants of what they once had been. Bucky gave me one of his trademark glares, and I backed away slowly, not sure what had come over him. “We are no longer friends,” he stated in a low voice. “I am dead to you.” He hesitated, as if wanting to say more. “I’m sorry. I wish things could’ve gone differently. Goodbye, Bella.”

  With no further explanation, he leaped over the side of the deck, into open air and a drop of more than a thousand feet. I gasped and raced to the railing, but my former friend was nowhere in sight. I stared out into the pitch-black night, silently analyzing Bucky’s strange behavior. None of it made sense. Why did he do this to me? Why couldn’t we be friends anymore?

  I sank to my knees and began gathering the shards of my decimated dog tags, wondering what I had done to justify such a reaction from the Winter Soldier. I carried the pieces of my dog tags inside as gently as you would carry a baby bird, careful not to drop a single piece.

  Setting my broken dog tags on my bedside table, I got back in bed. Something is either wrong with him or wrong with me. That is the only explanation I can think of for his behavior tonight. As soon as I thought that, I knew that something must be off with Bucky. Something had to have changed him. The guy I knew wouldn’t do this to me. I just wish I could help him with whatever is going on. A single tear trickled down my face.

  Bucky, why won’t you let me help you?

  Chapter 14

  IN WHICH I have a chat with Tony Stark

  “Hey, kid, what happened? JARVIS told me that you’re upset about something.”

  I looked up to see Tony examining me with concern. I pictured how I must look – eyes puffy from crying, nose running, shirt soaked with tears – and understood why he was worried.

  Tony sat on the edge of my bed. “I thought I told you to get some sleep?” He noticed my broken dog tags and gently picked up the pieces, turning them over in his hand. “Does this have anything to do with it? It can be disappointing when something we care about breaks-“

  “It’s not that,” I interrupted him. “They weren’t broken. They were destroyed.” Tony stayed silent, and I gave in to the urge to tell him what had happened. “The one and only friend that I’ve made here decided to stop by tonight, but he crushed my dog tags, which symbolize our friendship, and told me that we are no longer friends.”

  Tony continued to meddle with the pieces of my dog tags. “Your friend must’ve been very strong to break these tags-“ He went suddenly still, and I glanced over to see what was going on. One of the larger shards of the tags had turned over, revealing the words “James Buchanon Barnes.” (?) Tony looked up and met my gaze. “Bella,” he said with a warning tone, “Does this ‘friend’ of yours happen to be named Bucky Barnes? As in the Hydra assassin currently on the loose?”

  I sank into my bed and pulled the covers halfway over my head. “Yes…” I replied meekly. “…But he’s really nice once you get to know him. Kind of intense, but nice. Tony, he’s my only friend. I don’t want to lose him. These dog tags were my last connection to him.”

  He gave a long sigh. “Okay, kid. But if you ever see him again, let me know. If he’s in custody, he won’t be able to hurt any more people.”

  I nodded, inwardly thinking of the time when Bucky was in custody – and Zemo came onto the scene. If Bucky ever chose to show up, I had no intention of telling Tony about it.

  Chapter 15

  IN WHICH I make a discovery

  In the morning, I walked into the kitchen, still reeling from the events of the night before. Tony was waiting for me with a plate of eggs and bacon, but I knew that he could burn even salad.

  “Thanks for breakfast, JARVIS,” I stated.

  “You are most welcome, Miss Bella,” the AI responded with his traditional accent.

  “Ouch. You wouldn’t even give me the benefit of the doubt?” Tony asked, pretending to be hurt.

  “Nope.” I grabbed the plate of food and started munching. I was ready to go back to moping in my room and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

  “So, I was thinking last night,” Tony began, “And I have a theory about The Warren. You’re the only one who’s run into it, right? Well, maybe that’s not a coincidence. Maybe you have some sort of connection to The Warren.”

  “Mm-hmm.” The idea intrigued me, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so I just kept eating.

  “To test this theory, I’ll need you to do exactly what you did before you fell into the tunnel, to see if there’s a connection between your actions and the tunnel’s appearance.”

  I swallowed my last bite of food. “Alright, let’s do this.” I walked into the living room and stood in the center, feeling very silly as I shouted, “It’s not fair!” and stomped the floor, careful not to hit it too hard. I waited for something to happen, but no tunnel spontaneously appeared, no portal came to whisk me away. Turning to Tony, I sighed in defeat. “It’s not going to work.”

  He frowned, a thoughtful look on his face. “Are you absolutely sure that you did everything the exact same?”

  “Of course I’m sure! I think I would know if I did something differently.”

  “Why don’t you walk me through it verbally, just in case you forgot-“

  I stomped one foot hard enough to make the walls vibrate, my near hysteria expressing itself as anger. “It’s not going to work, and I’m going to be stranded here, all alone, because my only friend in this whole universe has abandoned me!” My wall of self-fortitude collapsed, and I fell to my knees, sobbing.

  I felt a vibration in the floor at my feet, and I watched in awe as a dark hole slowly opened, revealing a dirt tunnel in the floor. “What…? How can this be happening?” My hope flooded back, and I realized that I might just be able to go home after all.

  “Told you it would work,” Tony stated.

  Chapter 16

  IN WHICH I realize that Tony Stark isn’t half-bad

  I was a few seconds away from jumping headfirst into the Warren Tunnel, but Tony quickly stepped forward and held out a fancy jewelry box. “I stayed up all night making this,” he stated. “Not to brag or anything.”

  I gratefully took the proffered gift. “Wow, you spent all night making me a box? Thanks!” I gave him a sly smile and lifted the box’s lid. Inside, tucked into delicate tissue paper, were two dog tags on a thin and elegant chain. Carefully picking them up, I examined the tags. They looked identical to my old ones, except they were heavier and made of a shinier metal. “How did you do this?” I asked. “This is amazing!”

  “I scanned the pieces of your tags, and JARVIS fitted them together like a jigsaw puzzle. You’re holding an exact copy of your tags, except these are made of titanium.”

  I gave Tony a tight hug. “Thank you. And thanks for everything else that you’ve done for me. I’m grateful to call you my friend.”

  He hugged me back, and I could’ve sworn that his eyes even teared up a bit. After a few moments, he let go and stepped back. “Goodbye, Bella, and good luck.”

  I gave him a small wave, then gently lowered myself into the Warren Tunnel, making sure to hold onto my new dog tags the whole way down.

  Chapter 17

  IN WHICH I operate a time machine

  The Warren looked exactly as I remembered it. There was the engraved arch, the gold box with the speaker, and the walls covered with pictures, which I now knew were actually portals. I slipped my new dog tags over my head and stepped toward the wall of pictures. I didn’t need to touch the gold box this time to bring up the pictures, and I wondered why.

  Suddenly, having a hunch, I turned toward the gold box and said, “Take me home, please.”

  There was a pause of silence, and then the box responded, “Would you like to travel in real time or exact time?”

  I stared at the box, surprised that it had actually worked. I had guessed that the speaker also worked as a microphone, and I was right. “What’s the difference between real time and exact time?” I asked.

  “The time is currently 8:23 Eastern Standard Time, April 13, 2014. Real time will take you to your home location, but at the current time, while exact time will transport you to the exact moment you left.”

  I felt absolutely thrilled about this new development. This meant that my mom wouldn’t have to worry about my absence, and also explained how I ended up eight years in the past. The Warren was a time machine! “I will take exact time,” I answered, barely concealing my excitement.

  “Very well.”

  The same bright light from before filled the room, but I wasn’t scared this time. I knew exactly what was happening and where I was going. I was going home!

  Chapter 18

  IN WHICH I teach a bully

  The light dissipated, and I was standing in my backyard once more. Everything looked the same, but I felt like I was living in the past. It had been over three months since I had last been there, but there was no change at all, save for the change in me.

  But now things were back to normal. I could relax once more. No Hydra agents could find me here.

  I walked inside, feeling lighter than I had in months.

  School was a cheery place after my experiences in the MCU. When I went back the next day, Grant tried to bully me, as always.

  “Hey, ninja girl. What have you been up to? Crying?” Grant mimed crying motions, a joke that was getting very old very fast.

  Something occurred to me just then, and I almost laughed out loud. “What if I told you that I spent three months in another universe?”

  He stared at me in disbelief, as he had only gone through one day since the time we last met. “That’s impossible!”

  “Is it?” I took a deep breath, thought of Bucky, and charged right in. “Why do you like bullying me so much?”

  Grant’s shoulders slumped. “I bully you because…I’m jealous of you. I wish I had ninja friends to teach me self-defense.”

  “I could teach you, if you want me to,” I offered, and he perked up.

  “Why would you do something nice for me?” he asked.

  “Because it’s the right thing to do. C’mon, let’s get to class.”

  As we walked down the hallway together, I realized that there was more than one way to defeat a bully.

  Epilogue

  IN WHICH Something interesting happens

  One month after the MCU incident, I was at one of the library’s public-use computers. My mom had dropped me off to do some research for a school project, but the wi-fi was acting up on me.

  After a lot of loading and spinning circles, I finally managed to switch networks, and the wi-fi kicked on. I was about to switch to the browser view when I noticed that a Bluetooth device was ready to connect. Curious, I clicked on the Bluetooth tab, and it showed a device called “JBB.” That was all the information provided, but I had a hunch that it stood for “James Buchanon Barnes.”

  Coincidence? I thought not.

  When I connected to “JBB,” a new window popped up, displaying the Stark Industries logo. The logo disappeared, and word began to appear in the blank window, like someone was typing.

  “Hello, Miss Bella,” the words said. “I am JARVIS LYTE (Loving Your Turtle Efficiency). Master Tony integrated me into your dog tags in case you ever needed my help. What can I do for you?”

  As I read the words on the screen, I felt a smile break across my face. Whew, am I going to have some fun with this!