The next next day, I woke up inside a guest room in Tony Stark's house. He let me stay with him because he was the only Avenger who could actually take me in. It is the 'next next day' because, after we finally arrived, I literally crashed on the bed from exhaustion and slept a full twenty-four hours. As someone wise once said, 'With great power comes a great need to take a nap.'
After that enormous nap, I woke up starving. A delicious smell was drifting through the house, practically crawling into my room and shaking me awake. I dragged my tired body toward the source of the smell, still struggling to fully wake up.
Inside the kitchen, I saw a kind-looking woman preparing lunch. She noticed me right away and introduced herself warmly.
"I am Anna Ameyama. Nice to meet you, Miss…?" Anna greeted with a gentle smile.
"Erica" I mumble, trying to steal a bite of food.
She then proceeds to silently shoosh me out of the kitchen.
I sat at the living room table with no other choice. By the time she starts setting up the table, I see Pepper Potts dragging Tony Stark, to eat lunch. Their relationship, sums up in despite being a couple, she is essentially his babysitter.
When they sit, Pepper gives Tony a pointed stare.
"Oh, yes! Erica, meet Pepper. Pepper, Erica," Tony says quickly, trying to pretend he didn't forget basic introductions.
Pepper's expression softened the moment she turned to me.
"Hello, Erica," she said warmly. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard… well, actually, Tony hasn't told me anything useful yet."
"Hey!" Tony protested. "I've been busy saving the world. And eating. And supervising… whatever this is."
Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Supervising? Really? You couldn't even introduce us."
Tony opened his mouth, closed it, then pointed at me. "In my defense, we need to recuperate our energies after the fight.."
Pepper sighed, the kind of resigned sigh that came from years of coexisting with Stark.
"Hi. I appreciate the help. I won't bother you for long. I've already found a solution to my problem."
Tony froze. "Wait, wait — you found a solution?"
Pepper narrowed her eyes. "What kind of solution?"
Tony leaned forward. "Hold on. How did you manage to fake an identity by yourself? Your fake identity needs to be special. The government will investigate, they probably already did. Actually, it's better if you use the documents I already prepared for you. After our talk, I immediately asked JARVIS to forge your records and insert them into the system. But you still can't live out there by yourself; People will catch you because of your abilities."
"I didn't prepare an identity," I corrected calmly. "I found a way to go home."
Tony choked on air.
"What do you mean you found a way to go home?! That's dimension travel! How did you figure out how to get back to your home universe?!"
"Stark," I said sharply, flicking my eyes toward Pepper in warning.
Tony winced. "Right. Sorry. What I meant was…"
"I won't tell anyone," Pepper reassured me gently. Then she shot Tony a look sharp enough to cut steel. "And make sure you control that loose mouth so this doesn't happen again."
Tony threw his hands up. "I was just surprised she found a SOLUTION to DIMENSION TRAVEL!"
"Thanks," I muttered under my breath, rubbing my forehead.
Pepper mouthed to herself, another dimension, still trying to wrap her head around it. Honestly, fair.
"Anyway," I continued, "last night, when I finally calmed down enough to sleep, I had a dream. And in that dream, I instinctively understood the truth — and what I had to do next. Actually, nothing and no one brought me here. I was the one who brought myself here. An accident, sure, but it means I can replicate it… and go back."
It was a lie, of course. But they didn't need to know that.
The important thing was that I had found a way to hide in Hawkins as Erica Sinclair.
What actually happened last night was that the System contacted me.
A piercing sound echoed through my mind, awakening me.
[ DING! ]
[ Restarting System… Restarting System… ]
Then the familiar mechanical voice returned.
[ Hello, Erica Sinclair. The response from Headquarters confirms that your hypothesis is correct. You did not arrive in your assigned designation. My parameters now indicate that you are in the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE. ]
I groaned into my pillow. "That I already knew! Now how do I get out of here?"
There was a pause, followed by another line of calm, emotionless text.
[ The energy required for dimension travel is enormous. This is why ROB handles the transfer of individuals across time and space. Our System department does not have sufficient processing power to perform such transport effortlessly. ]
"So you're telling me I'm stuck?" I hissed quietly, gripping the blanket.
[Negative]
The calm response stopped my breath cold.
[ We were able to create a strategy to reallocate you to the STRANGER THINGS UNIVERSE. We will grant the power to travel between MCU and STRANGER THINGS. However, due to the challenges, this will come at a significant price. ]
I hesitate for a moment. "What is the cost? Nothing comes free in life.'
[ Your connection with me will shut down permanently, as I will need to use all my energy stores to stabilise the dimensional pathway. ]
"And if I choose not to do this?"
[ Then you remain here, in the MCU. A universe with a 98.7% probability of catastrophic events that exceed your current capabilities. Your chance of surviving past adulthood is statistically negligible, with less than a 1% probability. ]
"So, either I lose my goldfinger… or I die?" I muttered. "How am I supposed to survive all the threats on my own?"
[ If you accept the transition, you will have free movement between the MCU and the STRANGER THINGS universe. ]
My heart skipped a beat.
"So I go back… but I can return here?"
"Meaning I can like the other reincarnators and exploit the resources of both worlds to increase my survival chance. Plus, I already have telekinesis to defend myself."
I harden my resolve.
"Do it."
[ Warning! This process will be unpleasant the first time due to temporary molecular instability during dimensional travel. However, our calculations show that it is survivable. Once your dimensional signature stabilises, you will be able to shift between the two universes effortlessly. ]
[Shall we proceed? ]
"No. I need to say goodbye beforehand since I'll need the Avengers' help when I come back."
Back in the present, this was why I was still here, sitting at Tony Stark's table instead of disappearing back to Hawkins.
Despite having found a solution, I couldn't leave yet.
Pepper exhaled slowly, studying me with that sharp, assessing gaze that she probably usually saved for Tony's worst ideas.
"So," she said carefully, "you're telling us you found a way home… in a dream."
"It wasn't just a dream," I replied. "But yes. That's the short version."
Tony dragged both hands down his face.
Tony snapped his fingers. "See? SEE? This is why kids shouldn't have interdimensional Wi-Fi access. Their solutions always involve dreams, naps, or glitter."
Pepper pinched his arm under the table.
Hard.
Tony winced. "Ow. Abuse."
"Tony," she said through clenched teeth, "focus."
Tony muttered something about calling HR.
She turned back to me, calmer. "Erica… going home is a big decision. Are you sure it's stable? Safe?"
"As safe as anything involving dimensions can be," I said honestly.
Tony snapped upright. "Define safe. On a scale from one to yesterday's events."
Pepper shot him a glare.
He raised both hands. "What? It's a valid question."
I shrugged. "Safe enough that I won't explode."
Tony blinked. "Okay, well, I didn't love that phrasing."
Pepper sighed. "Tony."
"I'm just saying," he insisted, pointing at me, "that when someone says 'I won't explode,' that usually means they might explode. And explosions are bad. Especially inside my house."
I snorted despite myself.
"I won't explode," I repeated, a little more firmly.
Pepper leaned forward, voice softer now. "Erica… are you planning to leave today?"
"Right now, actually. I just wanted to say goodbye. And… thank you for helping me. Can you give my regards and thanks to the others too?"
Pepper froze.
Tony's head snapped up so fast I thought he'd pull a muscle.
"…Right now?" Pepper repeated slowly, as if testing whether she heard correctly.
Tony pointed at me. "Goodbye? What do you mean goodbye? No—no, no, no. We don't do sudden dramatic exits in this house. That's a rule now."
Pepper shot him a look. "Tony, not helping."
He ignored her entirely.
"Kid, people don't just announce a goodbye and then disappear. That's shady. That's villain-level shady. You're ten."
Pepper reached across the table slightly, voice softening. "Erica… why right now? You don't have to rush."
I swallowed, forcing myself to meet her eyes.
"I do," I said gently. "It has to be now. And I didn't want to leave without saying it properly."
Pepper's expression crumbled into concern.
Tony stood up abruptly, chair scraping. "Okay—hold on. Are you in danger? Did someone threaten you? Is something chasing you from another dimension? Because if it is, I swear I will—"
Pepper placed a calm hand on his arm. "Tony."
He stopped talking, but his jaw clenched.
I shook my head. "No one's chasing me. No one's hurting me. It's just… I have a family. My parents are probably freaking out right now."
I explained lying, as I have yet to meet them personally, but I cannot let him prevent me from going to Hawkins in the name of my safety.
Pepper's voice lowered. "Are you coming back?"
My throat tightened, but I nodded, convincing them in my story. "Yes. I'm coming back. If I came here and can go back, theoretically I can visit whenever I want. So you are not getting rid of me that easily."
Tony crossed his arms. "How long?"
I hesitated. "I don't know."
He stared at me for a long moment, worry, and frustration all mixing on his face.
Then Tony exhaled and ruffled his hair in frustration.
"I am not letting you just try this," he said firmly. "I have medical machines in my lab. We can monitor your vitals the entire time while you're… experimenting with realities. That way, we can at least ensure your safety to some degree."
"I don't want any machines connected to me," I replied immediately. "I don't know if they could interfere with the process, and I'm not risking that."
Tony nodded. "No wires, no contact. We'll stick to scans only."
He guided us to his lab.
"Wow!" I breathed out when I saw it. It was incredible, inventions everywhere, cars, robots, holograms flickering with blue light. It looked even cooler than through a screen.
We followed Tony to a particular medical scanner. With a tap on a touchscreen, the robot whirred to life.
Before stepping into the scanning field, I turned to them both.
I hugged Pepper first, despite knowing her only for a few minutes, I could feel her concern and kindness. Then I hugged Tony. He froze, arms stiff at his sides, before slowly, awkwardly patting the top of my head.
"Okay, okay," he muttered. "Unhand me."
I laughed softly and let go.
The medical robot began scanning me, sensors humming as Tony and Pepper stood close, trying to look calm. They failed.
I closed my eyes and reached inward, calling to the System.
[ Shall we begin? ]
Yes. Goodbye, System. Wish me luck, I answered silently as I focused every ounce of concentration on Hawkins, Indiana, the Stranger Things universe.
My body began to tingle, then burn, then twist.
And then—
I disappeared.
The journey was brutal: crushing pressure, blinding light, the sensation of being stretched across infinity.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, it was over.
I staggered forward, gasping.
I wasn't in the lab.
I wasn't in the Marvel universe anymore.
After a harsh, disorienting transition…
I finally arrived in the Stranger Things Universe.