Variation - W.M.

Chapter 4 - October 24, 2016

Not too long after the excitement, everyone began clearing out of the kitchen, each having their own things to do. I decided to take my opportunity and navigated to the lab.

"Yes?" Stark asked as I walked in, an eyebrow raised. I cleared my throat, reminding myself that this was not the Tony Stark from my world.

"I was hoping you could look at this?" I asked, pulling the tablet from my pocket.

"I thought you hated me?"

I sighed and nodded. "I do"

"But you need my help?"

Again, I nodded. "Yeah, I do."

Stark hummed and stood from his stool, meandering over. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"You caused me a lot of pain back where I'm from" I said softly, my mind flashing to Ultron. "But I get that you're not the same guy so I'm trying."

He nodded understandingly, his eyes dropping to my hands. "What is it?"

"I don't really know. I thought it was a teleporter at first but somehow I ended up in another world" I sighed and handed it over. "It's broken now. Won't turn on."

Stark hummed thoughtfully, turning it over in his hands. "I'll take a look at it, but it doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before."

"Awfully upfront for a Stark" I commented and he smiled.

"Pep's working with me on it."

I smiled slightly, already starting to separate the two men in my mind. This man was nothing like the pompous prick I had known and that was already beginning to be shown.

"Well, thank you" I told him genuinely, biting my lip before adding "and I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Ghosty. I'll get you to like me."

"I'll hold you to that" I smiled politely, nodding once before exiting the lab.

The halls of the facility were a mess of twists and turns, and my brief year-long stint seven years ago did nothing to help me figure out where I was going, even if it was only two years for me.

"Left? No, two rights and then a left" I mumbled to myself as I stared at the ground, trying to mentally map out the way back to the room I started the day in.

"You lost?"

I blinked, looking up and meeting the eyes of the shorter, redheaded assassin. I smiled sheepishly and nodded a bit. "I only really spent time in the facility when Wanda lived there, and even then the only route I really knew was between her room and the kitchen."

"Well, what are you trying to find?" Natasha asked, thankfully avoiding the topic of Stark as she began to walk in front of me. I had no doubt she noticed how much I hated the man.

"The room I'm staying in. I was thinking of taking a nap."

Natasha stopped and turned, raising an eyebrow. "It's nine in the morning."

"I'm aware" I hummed, a childish grin on my face.

"No way. We can work on your training." She decided with a nod.

I furrowed my brows questioningly. "Training?"

"You said you hadn't helped us before, so that must mean you are lacking in training. Plus, we need to get an idea of what's going on with those powers of yours." Natasha spun, pointing a finger at me. "That reminds me, Bruce wants to do some tests."

"Lemme guess, blood and medical things?" I asked with a sigh. Natasha simply hummed, changing directions. I may not have known the exact layout of the facility, but I knew that this was not the way to my room. "Right now?"

"No, we'll do that after. I don't want you all loopy while I'm trying to teach you how to punch."

I groaned, desperately grappling for a way to get out of this. "Oh! I can't train in these" I shouted triumphantly and Natasha looked over her shoulder, eyeing my outfit before sighing.

"Alright, you can borrow some of my clothes."

I grumbled but allowed myself to be led in yet another direction. So much for that nap.