Stuck in The Multiverse

Chapter 1 - Where the fuck am I?

It's a big, white room. In front of me, there is a flight of light wooden steps along the wall, which leads up to god knows where. At my right shiny metal lift doors. I turn around and see that I'm standing in front of an open-plan kitchen: there's an island that must be used as a dining table as I judge by the numerous chairs around it. In the dim light, I can see the dark grey units in the back and the glistening of a microwave. 4:30. I can see that the dawn is near as it's still dark outside, but a glimpse of the sun rising is tinting the horizon a dull yellow. I hear a faint sound at my left and turn quickly. Standing before the brown couch there's a man with a drawn bow in his hands. Could it be?  No, I must be hallucinating, this isn't possible.

"Who are you and how are you here," he asks frowning. I scan him. Short dark hair, muscular but not bulky, wearing all-black and a bow that gives him away...

"Agent Barton," I ask him, still not completely believing it.

"How do you...that doesn't matter," he mutters for himself, "what are you doing here?"

I don't know how, but I can sense he is upset. Before I can think of what happens to me, the words are falling from my mouth and I can't control them.

"It is not your fault, he knew what he was doing and he chose to save you and Costel anyway."

I come back to my senses. I don't know why I said that, but I can feel, somehow, that he needed to hear it. He looks troubled but it is so brief that I can't tell for sure I didn't imagine all of it.

"Wha– I– who are you, I am not gonna ask again", he demands frowning.

"I suggest you tell him if you don't want to take that arrow somewhere very unpleasant," says a woman behind me. I don't even need to turn around to know, by this cocky tone, that this is Natasha Romanoff.

"Agent Romanoff, an honour to meet you, even if I wished it would be under better circumstances," I reply not even turning my head.

"How do you know," she asks, groaning, but slightly taken aback, "I've never met you, I would've remembered."

"Well funny that you ask because...if I told you you'd never believe me," I chuckle. I turn to look at her, she is at the bottom of the stairs. I continue reassuringly, "I am not a threat or I don't think so...anyway, I'm not here with ill intentions, I promise you."

"Then what are you doing here?" a metallic voice says.

"Mr Stark, I suppose? Or at least your suit?" I ask. I don't recognize the voice but by the blueish light reflecting in the bay window behind Barton, I know it's him.

"As much as I would love to hear your sassy remarks all night I would more want to go back to bed. So now, young lady, tell us how you've come undetected by F.R.I.D.A.Y until here," he demands.

I can feel the tension in his voice and I don't know if it's due to the irritation of having been bypassed or of the early hour.

"Well, it's kinda complicated to explain, Mr Stark, so why don't we do that in the morning at a more...um...proper hour for questioning?" I ask with a wry smile. "You can put me in a cell I don't mind, I understand that you don't trust me," I add.

"Well, that's lucky because I wouldn't want you anywhere else." They are the first words I hear from Barton's mouth since the two others joined the living room, and to say the least he is quite grumpy.

Stark handcuff me and the three of them lead me trough corridors down the basement and the cells I suppose. Natasha is walking beside me and Barton and Stark are following. The facility is dead silent.