Universal Headaches

Chapter 20

Sutton and Tony flailed and stumbled forward as their level of elevation suddenly changed. It was like they'd missed that one last step in the staircase and almost killed themselves trying to recover. Her stomach clenched as she toppled forward, her ankle almost rolling, before she regained her footing. Lucky for her she wasn't wearing heels. After a moment of letting herself just breath, she looked behind her to find the hazard. The platform was completely gone as if it hadn't even been there. And that was the only difference she could see so far. A woman in a lab coat stepped forward and cocked her head as she stared at them.

"Mr. Stark?"

Sutton gazed in wonder at the familiar room before her. It unquestionably differed only in the varying degrees of advanced technology that her world could only drool over. Steve, Natasha, and Clint suddenly all practically fell into the room at once. It looked like they had just stepped out of thin air about a foot off the ground.

"About time," Natasha grumbled.

Sutton was relieved to find they'd all made it through safely and without too much interference, when a black, gear clad police officer dropped into the room as well.

"What the-"

Clint didn't hesitate to grab the man's shoulder and roughly fling him back toward the empty space he'd emerged from.

"Oh no you don't. There's only room for one universe altering stowaway here."

The man pushed went fumbling back into nothing and disappeared. Then Sutton saw the air inexplicably shift in the spot the portal had opened to. Something glimmered, stiffened like glass, and then appeared to shatter. Sutton felt her heart respond in kind.

"The portal broke," she whispered. "It's done."

Once again she was washed over with an odd sort of numbness.

She hadn't even gotten to see anyone one last time.

The clipboard clutching scientist took a tentative step forward and peered at Tony through narrow eyes.

"How are you here? We were just watching you on the news in New York. With the alien invasion?"

Mentioning New York, the woman's eyes darted over to the aliens present and Bruce, and Sutton watched as the lights dawned in her eyes. Despite her melancholy mood, Sutton sighed and counted down in her head.

Three...two...one...

"Oh my gosh! It's him!"

The scientists and lab assistants burst into a panic and distanced themselves from the group. Tony groaned.

"Loki the Invader has been detained. Now, it's been long day. Month? Look, I could just really use a day off. Someone give me their phone. Now."

Loki grinned sinisterly at the trembling group before him, obviously pleased that he could still induce fear despite his defeat. Sutton kept a good distance from him herself just in case he tried anything sketchy. Clint nodded at her tactical placement and muttered in her ear.

"Keep your distance, kid. Nows when he'd be the most reckless."

One brave scientist stepped forward and handed his smartphone over as demanded. At first, she wasn't entirely sure who Tony would be calling, but it was revealed quickly when his face lit up after a few seconds of holding the phone to his ear.

"Pepper! Oh, now you answer your phone."

Sutton could actually quite literally hear the response explode from the other end of the phone.