Stuck in The Multiverse

Chapter 14 - Dreams and Im Di

I shuffle in bed, trying to find a comfortable position under the covers but it's no easy feat with the pain and the IV. How much more time do these stupid ribs need to be healed at last! I resort to a somewhat lying position, my head and shoulders propped up on many cushions to alleviate the pressure on my back.

How did I come here? I may have thought about it a bazillion times, but I still have no idea how a thing like that happened to me. The only way I can think of is the Tesseract, but we already established when I arrived that it's still on Asgard. From what I can recall nothing can compare to it, except the Bifröst, which also leaves a mark that there wasn't. And Rogers who wants to put me back in a cell. That's a whole other problem in itself. I completely understand that he doesn't trust me, any of them for that matter, but at least they could have the guts to tell me what they think openly, like Natasha. I can't stand pretences any more.

❋❋❋

I slowly get my bearings, and once again, I don't know where I am. Great. Is it gonna become a running gag? Where am I now, Hogwarts? I can see that I'm wearing the same clothes that I went to bed in, so that's that. The space I'm in is golden, but not blinding gold like I imagine Asgard, more like glowing from within.

"What a feeble creature, I shall never have thought Them to make such a decision."

"Don't question Their will", snaps a booming voice.

I try to see where it's coming from but it looks like it's reverberating from everywhere all at once.

"Um hello? Anyone?"

"You're here Human. Very well", the same responds.

"Excuse me but, who am I speaking to", I ask, still looking around.

"Turn around." As I do and tilt my head I notice that what I thought were walls are actually giant torsos and heads of what looks like stone with gem-like eyes. "I am Kerith the Advisor, and we have called upon you."

"Pleased to meet you, I guess," I respond uncertainly, "but may you tell me what I'm doing here? Or even where 'here' is?"

"It is of no importance at this instant." Oh, that's the other voice. "You are here because we summoned you here."

"We insisted on seeing for ourselves who had faced Im Di, now it is done." The first one, Kerith, speaks my way. "It seemed you thought you weighted the matter," he addresses his companion. The other emits what resembles a scoff.

"Faced Im Di? What does that mean? What are you talking about" I interject.

"Trial of Soul, obviously", answers Kerith. "Well now that you have seen for yourself, Vorah, we will send them back."

At that, he waved his hand and dizziness overcame me again, what? Is this going to be regular now? I feel my throat constrict like something is gripping me, scratchy but only uncomfortable. I feel myself falling, that same fall you experience when you're trying to fall asleep, and then I'm back in my bed, panting.

"What the fuck was that?"

"May I help, miss?"

"No thanks F.R.I.D.A.Y., I'm actually just gonna get a glass of water." I get up and waddle with my drip stand to the kitchen. It's where all this shit started. I can't believe it's not even been a month since my life became this shitshow.

I forage quietly in the cabinets to find a glass and go to the tap. My granddad always said that a good glass of cold water either makes your head clearer or your bladder smaller. I don't know why that's the thing I chose to remember now, but I guess my brain just shut off after this weird, like, dream?

I was so concentrated on stopping the shaking of my hand holding the glass that I jump at hearing a gruff voice.

"What're you doing here?"

The only thing I see in the darkness is the glint of the moon by the window reflecting on dark metal. And suddenly a glimpse of gold. Oh shit, that's Bucky Barnes in front of me. Shit, shit, shit.

"Hi! I uh, I was just grabbing water." Stop stuttering you dumbass! How fucking stupid do you need to be! "Sorry, uhhh, I'm gonna go back to bed now." I was ready to leave when his voice rang.

"Wandering alone around the compound in the middle of the night isn't what I would call inconspicuous, you know? You come here bypassing security, tell some far-fetched story to Natasha and expect us to abide by it? Please!", he scoffs, "I find it hard to believe in your sincerity. So what is it?"

"What is what?"

"What is it that you're looking for here? What information? On who?", he snarls.

"I'm not looking for anything on anybody. As I already said to Natasha, and Mr. Stark, and Dr. Banner, and to pretty much everyone who asked, I don't know how I arrived here. The only thing I know is that, where I'm from, you're characters. Characters I really loved watching grow, and evolve, and characters who are somehow like you but also not, at the same time."

He levels me with a glare and I maintain his gaze. I know that if I back down now, he'll see it as a sign of insincerity, or doubt, and right now the last thing I need is to show a weakness. There's a reason he's dubbed "White Wolf"; like them he doesn't chase mindlessly, he strikes when the prey falls.

"If you don't have any more questions to which I don't have the answers, I'm going to go back to bed. Goodnight Mr. Barnes."

As I go to pass by him, he grabs my wrist. Suddenly it feels as if I'm drowning on air, images flashing before my eyes; of a dark room and tangled sheets, of firing at people, a glass box and restraints, more deaths, death all around, a metal chair, searing pain in my skull and then cold, so much cold, being embraced by the dark and when I think it's the end, a burning in my shoulder. I snap back to reality when I feel my knees collide with the floor. I open my eyes and I can't see anything, my vision completely blurry. I'm short of breath and when I blink back what I realize to be tears, I see we've been joined in the kitchen by Avengers in diverse states of sleepiness and disarray.

"What happened", I manage to croak out. I catch Bucky's eye as Scott helps me up. Bucky's forehead is beaded with sweat and there's a barely perceptible tremor in his voice when he asks, "what've you done?"

Immediately, Rogers jumps on the occasion. "Buck, are you alright? What did she do? Is everything fine?" When he sees that Barnes doesn't respond to him but simply continues to stare back at me, he spins around and narrows his eyes at me. "What did you do to him? Why is he like this?"

"I– I didn't do anything! I was going to go back to bed and then he grabbed my wrist and..." I stop myself. I just realized something. This chair, this glass box, they seemed familiar. But I'm sure I've never been in this position. "Was that yours?", I barely whisper, shocked.

"His what? Bucky what is she talking about?"

"Yes I'd quite like to know too why I'm awake in the middle of the night, again", asks Stark annoyedly.

"What made you cry Ness", Natasha cups my cheeks and makes me look at her. I look away from Bucky to her.

"Cry? What are you–", I bring my hand to my cheek and I feel them. Tears. Strange considering I'm not easily moved to tears.