Chapter Text
"Jarvis, you here?", Tony asked as he entered his lab after he came back from Marion delusional Ivan vanko.
"For you sir, always", Jarvis's answer rang in lab which lightening up with Tony's snap. "Your blood toxicity level has increased again, sir. I would recommend telling Miss Pot... "
"Not now Jarvis", Tony cut him off. "Has any combination bore results"
"Nothing that can be used to switch the core".
"Looks like this will be my last birthday with you Jarvis", Tony answered as he sat down on the stool rubbing his hand on his face.
"We still have time, sir", Jarvis said.
"Is that worry for your old man?"
"I will always care for you", Jarvis replied and for the first time he sounded somber.
Dum-E whirled towards Tony with one of his rare motor oil free kale smoothie with a beep and shoved it in his hand and beeping encouragingly to its creator at which he softened.
"Let's oil you up big boy and then we will play", Tony said as he gulped down the disgusting drink.
"Jarvis we have five days till my birthday. So keep palladium on stand by and hit me with the craziest ideas you can think off, public should remember this forever", Tony said as he oiled Dum-E and butterfingers and U.
"You forget sir, but crazy is your department".
"Hush, don't sass me"
"I would never"
"You know what? I forgive you. Load an arc reactor and see how much power can it withstand, I have to make sure that honey-bear would have no problem after I am gone"
Jarvis didn't reply but started the process as the chest plate of a silver metallic suit lit up and the readings of the the suit and all its function were being projected as the holograms when Dum-E passed him a tennis ball to play.
"I promised didn't i", and threw in the opposite direction and Dum-E rushed to fetch.
Dum-E was twirling happily as he knocked over the bottle of motor oil and some exposed wire short-circuited and arc reactor of silver suit overloaded.
"I have exposed wire in my lab! Ugh! Jarvis take care of the blasphemy that has occurr...."
Just then the overloaded arc reactor exploded throwing him back.
When the smoke subsided he got up see check his bots and suits. Thankfully everything was more or less undamaged.
"Jarvis talk to me. What happened?"
"The short circuit in the wires connected to armour overloaded and the arc reactor blew up exactly how Miss Potts blew up the one in stark building".
As Tony neared the blast area he saw a figure huddled near the feet of the armour, it looked like a she and her clothes seemed torn or burnt her brown skin was covered in soot and her hair was matted.
"Jarvis are you seeing what I am seeing?"
"If you mean a young adult female is in your lab than yes I am seeing what I am seeing"
"Weren't we in blackout protocol", Tony asked as the girl started noticing her surrounding and started getting confused.
"Affirmative sir. There has been no breach in the house or in my codes and judging by her confused state, she too doesn't have any idea", Jarvis concluded as she got up while supporting herself on her one leg, other probably injured.
"Who are you?", the girl asked backing away.
"You don't know who I am? Forget it. You are in my house lady who are you?"
"How I am alive? I died"
"Sorry did you say you died?"
"Uh yes. But who are you"
"I am Tony stark", she blinked a few times and waited before bursting out in a loud laugh.
"Oh you're serious"
"I am sorry but I do not understand what's so funny", Jarvis's voice rang in the lab.
"Oh and is that supposed to be Jarvis. Dude I get you really look like RDJ but being Tony stark pfft", the girl then looked at him like he was bonkers before her eyes lit up in realisation. " Oh I get it, it's like some personalised heaven but I haven't been particularly spiritual in my life".
"I am sorry but this definitely is not heaven and I think you should tell me who are you and how you got here", Tony asked again, his agitation visible as the poisoning became more visible on his neck.
"Or I think this is some personalized hell and I have to watch my favorite characters die again and again", the girl thought to herself. "I see you still got palladium poisoning".
Tony took a defensive position at once and even Jarvis pointed the claw hands at her.
"How do you know about my palladium poisoning?"
"I know everything about you if you are Tony stark", she replied.
"That doesn't sound stalkerish at all"
"If you pose a threat to sir. I will be forced to eliminate you", Jarvis threatened.
"Pfft I am already dead, it doesn't matter. You all are illusion", She said.
"You most definitely are not dead and I am surely not", Tony said as his watch immediately transferring into a gauntlet pointed in her direction. "You are in the Malibu stark mansion, so tell me how you got here or shall I blast you out of the wall".
"With all due respect but Tony stark is just a comic book character, so either I am dead, in a coma or on heavy drugs".
"You are in flesh standing in Tony stark's lab who is also very real and very much alive and is waiting for an explanation and who ate you", Tony folded his hands waiting for an explanation.
"This is too good to be hell, you are in pain so no heaven and now I have to confirm that this is not a dream or hallucination", just as she said this she took a wrench from the bench and whacked herself with it.
"Jarvis did she just hit herself with a wrench?", Tony asked as his jaw hit the floor.
"Acute observation sir".
"Oh my God! This hurts like a bitch. Ow ow, I am dying", she said as she rubbed her forehead furiously.
"Are you going to tell me who are you or am I going to have to use force?", Tony asked once again his repulsors charging
"No, I meant yeah....yeah I am Riva Agarwal and from what I believe I am from an alternate universe or dimension because in my world you are comic book and movie character", the girl said as she extended her hand and then hugged him suddenly. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's real. Tony stark is real. I am meeting Tony stark is real"
"I don't believe you", he said separating himself from her
"Completely understandable", she moved back. "Sorry I got excited but you are like my favorite character"-sees his glare-"Yeah proof. Because everything has proof. Right proof to convince a genuine scientist about the existence of separate parallel universe. Uh um I know personal details about you that nobody knows"
"You are just a delusional person who I should be sending to police"
"No, please I can prove it. When you attended the first charity ball after your captivity in Afghanistan you accidentally left Pepper on the roof waiting for a dirty martini with at least three olives", she pleaded "if it's really mcu only you can help me survive".
When he still looked suspicious she continued, "Obadiah stane ordered the hit on you and he is the one who ripped your arc reactor out to power his iron monger suit.... no shield knows about that....something's nobody knows... Yes. Yinsen", and Tony stopped short his hands falling to his side as he sagged in horrible memories.
"He was another captive with you who placed an electromagnet in your chest to keep you alive and when he died, he said 'don't waste your life'", her voice softened as she went on giving details of the incident placing a hand on his shoulder for comfort.
"Let's say I believe you. But now what?", Tony asked to no one in particular.
"I can help you, I know what will happen if this is MCU"
"You mean to say I don't die because of metal poisoning", he asked finally a glimmer of hope was visible.
"Obviously, MCU without you is hard to imagine", She said as took a sniff of her body. "Ugh I smell"
"I believe a shower and some food would be the first order of business", Jarvis adviced.
"Yeah, ah yes I am sorry but you have to admit its not something that is believable", Tony said, still trying to wrap his head around this new development.
"Dude it's your universe where drugs makes you hero instead of stonner, and don't forget hulk"
"Point taken", he sighed as he sat down.
"You have no idea what future have in store for you super soldiers, gods and aliens", she said as she inspected her pockets and took out a phone and photograph. "You met Vanko"
"Yes, quite enlightening encounter on how much of asshole my dad is"
" I know right. But he also told you that if you make a God bleed, people will stop believing in them and you Mr stark will make several God believe"
"Noted. Now how about a shower"
"But first your problem, poisoning", she said as she sat down beside him. " It's more important as
I know that you are in pain. Shower can wait. I'll give you the clue because ultimately you were the one who solved this problem so I am going to just point out what you need".
"You mean I don't die"
"You are really hard to kill and believe me many have tried", she lightly touched his hand as sign of comfort. "I will go to shower since I am covered in soot but I can't be seen just about now. We will discuss that later but first you need to look really carefully at your dad's old stark expo model."
"Jarvis can you please keep this photograph and my phone safe for sometime by the time I shower"
"Of course and If Miss Agarwal doesn't mind may I ask why the need to observe Howard Stark's expo model?", Jarvis asked.
"Because... Sometimes old things help us discover something new"