Meanwhile, as the others finished cleaning up the mess, I waited at the bottom of Stark Tower, eager to eat. I checked the imaginary watch on my wrist and sighed dramatically. They were taking too long.
"Come on! I want to eat, and I don't even know the address of the shawarma place!" I shouted, fully aware they probably couldn't hear me from this far away. Except maybe Steve and Thor, with their enhanced senses.
Still, I had an idea. A very effective one.
"Hulk, can you do me a favour? You want to eat too, right? Aren't you hungry?" I asked, trying to tempt the giant green beast with food. "Can you shout 'EAT' as loud as you can?"
Because Hulk trusted me for some reason, he took a deep breath and roared:
"EAAAAAT!"
The shout was so loud it startled every nearby agent, sending them tripping over themselves in fear.
None of the SHIELD agents dared approach me after that. Partly because Hulk scared them senseless, partly because I clearly had powers they did not know how to deal with. Honestly, thank you, Hulk. You were helping me even without realising it, because there was no way I could answer questions right now. I was more confused about my situation than they were.
I mean, what was I going to say?
Hey, don't be suspicious. I'm just a little girl from another reality where all your lives are movies. I was accidentally dropped into this world. Please don't lock me in a HYDRA–SHIELD basement, thank you.
Yeah. No. That would be a one-way ticket to a secret underground lab.
Eventually, the Avengers (minus Hulk) rejoined us, and we finally headed to the legendary shawarma place.
We sat together, finally relaxing and letting our guard down while stuffing our faces with food. Hulk had transformed back into Banner and borrowed some clothes from the restaurant. The shawarma joint was completely normal, not nearly as legendary as Marvel fans imagined, but right now the food tasted like heaven.
Once I finally lifted my head from my plate, my tiny stomach full and happy, it was time.
The Avengers were staring at me.
They had questions.
A lot of questions.
They could no longer ignore the giant elephant in the room. Or in this case, the tiny one.
Once everyone had eaten enough to temporarily forget we almost died, the restaurant fell quiet. The kind of quiet that meant someone was about to interrogate me.
Tony cleared his throat dramatically.
Steve sat up straighter like a strict dad ready for a family meeting.
Natasha crossed her arms, which was honestly terrifying.
Clint looked like the only one trying to seem friendly.
Banner was observing me like a scientist who had just discovered a new species.
Thor… Thor was still eating, completely unaware this was about to get serious.
I placed my shawarma down slowly.
Here we go.
Tony pointed directly at me. "Alright, tiny mystery gremlin. Start talking."
Clint kicked him under the table. "Stark."
"What? Someone has to say it!"
Steve spoke gently. "We just need to know who you are and how you did all those things today."
I looked at all of them, six adults, each with different expressions.
I swallowed.
Think.
Think of something simple.
Something believable.
Something not 'I reincarnated and watched your movies.'
Natasha added, voice calm but sharp, "Start with the truth. Lying won't end well."
Yeah. No kidding. I couldn't lie to spies, assassins, and human lie detectors. And with my situation, I needed their help. I had no documents, no identity, no home, no universe. I wasn't like all the other overpowered reincarnation stories where the protagonist can take everyone down instantly and hide from the government. Before all of this I was a normal person.
"Okay," I said. "Before I tell you anything, promise me something."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "This is starting great."
"Promise you won't freak out. Or shoot me. Or kidnap me. Or throw me in a cage. Or let SHIELD poke me with needles."
Banner blinked. "That is… oddly specific."
Natasha leaned forward. "No one is going to hurt you. Just tell us the truth."
I took a deep breath.
"My name is—"
Thor suddenly slammed his cup down, interrupting everything.
"THIS FOOD IS MAGNIFICENT!" he boomed.
Tony rubbed his temples. "Thor, not now."
I continued, "My name is—"
Clint held up a hand. "Wait. Is this going to be one of those demon-child situations where she says something creepy and all the lights go out?"
"No!" I said. "Well… probably not."
They all stared.
Excellent. Zero pressure.
"My name is…" I hesitated. "Okay, it's complicated."
Tony leaned back in his chair. "Oh fantastic. Complicated. My favourite."
I decided to give them the closest thing to the truth without revealing my future knowledge. That secret I was taking to my grave.
I took a breath. "My name is Erica Sinclair."
Clint blinked. "You're ten, right?"
"Yes. And NOT a baby," I said immediately, because priorities.
Tony rubbed his face. "Okay. Fine. Ten. Tiny. Dangerous. Continue."
"I woke up in the middle of the street today. Right in the middle of the invasion. I didn't know where I was, I was terrified, and there were aliens everywhere."
Their expressions tightened.
Steve leaned forward, gentle. "You're saying you just… appeared there?"
"Yes."
Because that part was true. Horrifyingly true.
Natasha's eyes didn't leave mine. "Where were you before you woke up here?"
I hesitated only a moment. I would sound crazy, but I needed them to believe me.
"I'm… I'm not from here," I said softly. "Not from this dimension."
Every single Avenger went still.
Thor was the first to speak, slamming his cup down. "A traveler from another realm!"
Steve stared at him. "Thor, not helping."
Then Tony and Banner reacted at the same time.
Banner straightened. "Another dimension? Like a parallel universe?"
Tony snapped his fingers. "Bruce. The Many-Worlds theory, the one no one could ever prove."
"If she's telling the truth," Banner said quickly, "her presence alone might be evidence of it."
Tony pointed at me, eyes wide. "Kid, you realise you might be the first confirmed cross-dimensional traveler?"
Thor, still chewing, nodded proudly. "This is common knowledge in Asgard."
Tony threw his hands in the air. "Yes, thank you, space Viking. Very helpful."
Clint leaned toward Steve. "They're doing the science thing."
Steve sighed. "Just let them get it out of their system."
But then Tony noticed my face, overwhelmed and terrified.
He stopped immediately.
"Hey. Okay. Sorry. We're done theorising. No more science talk."
Banner nodded, gentler. "We didn't mean to scare you."
I continued. "I don't know how I got here. I don't know why. And I don't know how to go home. Not now."
Not ever, probably. I was dead in my reality.
They stared at me.
Tiny. Scared. Alone.
Covered in dust, blood, and shawarma crumbs.
A foreigner to this entire universe.
"So let me get this straight," Tony said slowly. "You're a ten-year-old from another dimension, stuck here, with no way home, and you woke up in an alien warzone?"
I nodded.
He dragged a hand down his face. "This is so strange."
I couldn't resist. I smirked. "I've seen Stranger Things."
I waved my hand vaguely around us, at the ruined city, the shawarma wrappers, and the fact that all of them were still in superhero suits, as if to say look around, everything is insane.
Also, I had waited my whole life to use that line, and now I was Erica Sinclair. There was no more perfect moment.
Tony paused.
Then pointed at me.
"…Valid."
Clint leaned forward slightly. "Kid, were you alone? No one came with you? No one is chasing you?"
"No. Just me."
Natasha studied me carefully. "She's telling the truth."
The Avengers seemed to come to a silent agreement. They were going to help me.
But before anyone could say another word, the Tower's comms sparked to life on every device around the table.
Nick Fury's voice exploded through the speakers:
"STARK. ROGERS. REPORT. NOW."
Tony groaned. "Oh great. Dad's home."
Natasha reached for her earpiece automatically.
My heart nearly stopped.
"WAIT!" I yelped, louder than I meant to.
Every Avenger turned to me.
I shook my head violently, panic rising in my chest. "Please, don't tell him. Don't tell SHIELD. Don't tell anyone."
Natasha frowned slightly. "Erica—"
"No!" I said, voice cracking. "You don't understand. If they find out I'm from another dimension, they'll lock me up. Experiment on me. Question me. I don't even have an identity here. I don't exist."
The room went still.
Even Thor stopped chewing.
I took a shaky breath, gripping the edge of the table with both hands.
"This is my secret. Mine. Please don't tell anyone. Even if your boss is screaming in your ears. Even if he threatens you. Please." My voice dropped to a whisper. "Please don't let them take me."
There it was, the raw, terrified truth.
The Avengers exchanged glances.
Not confused.
Not suspicious.
But something far heavier.
They believed me. And they understood exactly what the world would do if they knew.
Banner was the first to soften. "You're right. SHIELD doesn't handle anomalies well."
Tony snorted. "Understatement of the century."
Clint leaned forward, gentle. "Hey, kid. Breathe. No one is handing you over."
Natasha looked me dead in the eyes. The human lie detector. The one person I couldn't fool.
"I know exactly what SHIELD would do to someone like you," she said quietly. "And I'm not letting that happen."
Steve nodded firmly. "Your secret is safe with us. All of us."
Thor thumped his fist to his chest. "I shall not speak of your origins, young traveler. You have my word."
Tony raised a hand like he was swearing an oath. "No telling Fury. Or Coulson. Or Hill. Or any agency with an acronym. Done. Consider yourself off the record."
Banner added, "We'll protect your identity until we understand more."
The comms blared again.
"AVENGERS, RESPOND! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME."
Tony muted the device with one tap. "No you don't."
My shoulders dropped in relief so intense it almost hurt.
"Thank you."
Natasha leaned back, studying me again. But this time, her expression wasn't calculating.
It was protective.
Steve gave me a reassuring smile. "You're with us now, Erica. You don't have to face this alone."
Clint added with a small wink, "Welcome to the family, kid."
And just like that…
For the first time since waking up in this terrifying new universe,
I didn't feel alone.
I felt safe.