Chapter Text
It began with rain.
Torrents of water crashed upon the concrete architecture as New Yorkers trudged their way through the morning traffic. In avoidance from the rain, people huddled under the canopy of shops, backs pressed against the wall and hands glued on their phones. Albeit wetter than usual, it was simply another day in the bustling city where not even the apocalypse could stop the nine-to-fivers from reaching work.
Our main protagonist, though she was far from a hero in shining armour, stood in front of the Continental Hotel. A yellow umbrella kept her pink coat dry but did nothing to hide the strange splatters of red that could have easily been passed off as a trendy fashion statement. Although, at a closer inspection it was clear that the handle of the umbrella was dented and that her heels were perhaps too sharp to be considered legal. Nonetheless, she made no effort to blend in despite the eye-catching colour combination that was adorned.
Ani, as written on her name-tag (not Annie thank you very much), had finished work early this morning and was headed home with a happy paycheque. After she left the Continental, she made sure to pick up a bag of groceries, as per routine, and treated herself with a glazed doughnut. Upon the arrival of her modest apartment in Queens, she glanced at the neighbour's window where she waved at the lovely cat lady and reminded herself to invite the other for dinner one day. Leaving her too-sharp-shoes at the entrance, Ani was greeted by a sweet smell of pastry and coffee. Her roommate would often leave food for Ani to come home to before going to work herself.
"Honey, I'm home," Ani sang with a smile.
"About time," said The Ancient One, with emphasis on the 'the,' since she was quite important and it would be unbecoming if one didn't emphasise at least one word in her three names. "How long will you keep up with this charade?"
"I'm quite enjoying it," Ani replied. "This world has amazing coffee. You'd be surprised in the number of worlds where coffee doesn't even exist! Or where America only drinks Starbucks or black coffee. How terrible! No, I quite enjoy this world and I think I might just stay. Surely you're bored of me now."
Kaecilius, The Ancient One's most esteemed henchmen number one, curled his lips into an ugly frown at her answer. He had never liked her, but Ani found him very amusing and sexy, though that could be because he resembled one of her favourite celebrities in another world.
"Your presence has already created ripples," Karl Mordo, henchmen number two, stated with an ominous voice. Truth be told, Ani didn't care, there were other dimensions where the world was fucked up beyond repair. "You're an outlier that is not meant to exist."
The year was — actually, Ani didn't bother to look up the date. She arrived in this world's New York City on a sunny day in the back alley of Queens. Other than the scare she gave to the passed out drunk who had awoken due to the commotion, she didn't attract unwanted attention. The blood that covered Ani at her arrival was a bit suspicious, but nothing a few tricks here and there couldn't fix. Dimensional travel through the multiverse didn't exactly prepare you for what's to come on the other side.
Unfortunately, not long after she bought shawarma, the Masters of the Mystic Arts surrounded her. The subject of her arrival created much alarm because apparently, in this universe, a tear in space and time was not the norm. Nonetheless, Ani made sure to stitch the tear up before any interdimensional monsters managed to slither through. Yet, the Masters of the Mystic Arts didn't leave much room to allow for an explanation. It was strange considering that she didn't recall magicians to be this much of a pain in the neck.
Ani understood she was a beacon of otherworldly-ness, but she made sure to tone it down so that no one else would notice her presence. Other than The Ancient One, who had centuries of experience, no one was bothered by her existence. In all honesty, Ani found it quite rude, she rather liked this world and didn't exactly want to leave. On a positive note, she wasn't creating any form of havoc. She would go as far as to say that she was a law-abiding citizen and a wonderful inter-dimensional migrant who was contributing to society. The Masters of the Mystic Arts was just stiff on their positions, a bunch of pricks in her opinion.
"Boy," Ani began, biting into the croissant, almond and custard she noted, her favourite. "If you think this world is fucked up with me in it, wait a few years when a purple dinosaur comes, now that's some scary shit. Or maybe compare it to another world where a witch in red gets rid of like, majority of the universe. Yeah nah, I think this one is pretty quiet in comparison. Now can you all just leave me alone and stop being stalkers, please. Surely I'm not the first dimension traveller on this Earth."
"You are not," The Ancient One confirmed. "However, your presence is beyond those that have trifled with dimensions before. You have a mark of a terrible being that cannot be easily dismissed. Do not assume you can fool us by claiming to be a young magic-user who read the wrong spells. Tell us child, who are you running from?"
Ani drained her tea and watched the runes that covered the expanse of her arms, Mordo's doing. The binding spells were impressive and if it were any other person, Ani would have been brought to her knees. She blinked and starlight consumed her eyes, "I am not running and even if I was, I don't need your help."
"Then that is a shame, but everything happens for a reason," The Ancient One proclaimed and the way her hands glowed with mandalas was not a great sign. "Then as protectors of this universe, we must set everything to the correct path."
"It's a shame that we don't get along, in another universe we were great friends Tilda."
With that, the world twisted.
Our favourite inter-dimensional protagonist somehow managed to find another job in this economy. It was a bit of a surprise considering the global financial crisis came crashing and unemployment rates were skyrocketing worldwide. That, and being chased by murderous magicians (sorry, sorcerers) didn't exactly fall in her favour. Perhaps it was luck or the powers above that landed her this job. Although, from her past experiences the Powers That Be didn't give two shits about her.
Instead, it had been a kind lady named Renata who she bumped into at a coffee shop that told her of this job opportunity. Renata, who was on vacation, was a housekeeper to some cranky old politician in Washington. We, migrants, have to support each other, Renata had said, we have to work twice as hard, I am getting old but you are still young, use this opportunity to open more doors. Ani would be lying if she said that Renata's words didn't affect her and after being chased by sorcerers who were trying to kill her (and the traumatic occurrences from the previous dimension), the act of kindness was a welcomed anomaly.
Thus, her current position as a cleaner at Tony Stark's Malibu mansion. Two months in and Ani managed to stay low. It was a far cry from her job at the Continental, that job had given her many luxuries in comparison to her current circumstance where she could barely make ends meet. The money she made from the Continental covered the deposit and if she was careful, could stretch out for another few months. Since the cleaning job was paying her the minimum wage on the dot, $5.85 in 2007, Ani would have to find another job if she wanted to pay for rent. She didn't even want to think about utilities right now.
For a place that claimed it was the 'land of new opportunities', American society sure liked to rob its citizens of a decent standard of living. Maybe she should move to a socialist country where universal health care was a thing. As of right now, she wasn't too bothered. Sure, Ani preferred her job at the Continental but she also didn't like the idea of sorcerers kicking her seven ways to the Netherworld. That was an unpleasant thought. So, like any good migrant, Ani kept her mouth shut and continued to work at the cleaning company without complaint.
On the other hand, during her time working, Ani saw very little of the owner himself. It was commonly known that when he wasn't busy travelling, Tony Stark was often partying. Because Ani had the morning shifts today, she only saw a glimpse of him just as she left at noon and when he woke up. At first, it was like seeing a ghost because, in the previous dimension, Tony Stark died saving the universe. Here, he was younger and hungover, but eyes seldom of pain and tragedy. Sometimes Ani pretended that she couldn't see the blood on his chest or the arc-reactor that was currently non-existent. She also had to remind herself that this Tony Stark has brown eyes instead of blue, tan skin, unlike the grey hue that she parted with.
Tony Stark was a strange fixed-mark in her life because no matter which universe, he seemed to have an impact - even in the ones where he was dead. Majority of the Tony Starks in the multiverse possessed a level of brilliance that she gravitated towards. There were dimensions where he did affect her circle, the times he took the role of a brother, father or friend. Grief was a hefty thing and more often than not, Ani had a terrible habit of running away. Okay, so maybe she was actively avoiding him. At least it was working.
Unsurprisingly, the fates loved to hurl things at her and on a morning shift she was greeted by the sight of a passed out Tony Stark sleeping on his vomit. It wasn't a surprise, but it was quite pathetic to see a man she once viewed as the saviour of the universe to a drunkard. Ani didn't know what life would be like for this Tony Stark, but he sure wasn't helping his cause by drinking himself half to death.
Careful as to not dirty her clothes, Ani made sure he was breathing. She lightly tapped his cheek, "Mister Stark? Please wake up Mister Stark."
At his grumble, Ani frowned. Pretty sure this wasn't in her job description, but she couldn't afford to leave him lying on the ground, that would heighten the chances of her getting fired.
"I would suggest Miss Ani, to wait for Mister Hogan to carry sir to his room if you are unable to do so," came a posh British voice. Oh right, JARVIS. Ani had become acquainted with him after the first few shifts.
Ani contemplated for a few seconds before making up her mind. "We wouldn't want to bother Mister Hogan on his day off. I worked at a cafe before, we had to carry heavy crates, I should be fine. But thanks, for not leaving me on radio silence."
"It is always a pleasure to help. I will open sir's room for your convenience."
With her enhanced strength, carrying Tony wasn't an issue but making it look like she was struggling under the weight while trying to avoid getting vomit on her uniform was a bit of a problem. Eventually, Ani managed to settle Tony into bed and walked to the kitchen to place a glass of water and pain-killers by the table. Frowning, she glanced at the date: December 16. In understanding, Ani pulled the blanket over him and quietly walked towards the door before gently closing it.
Releasing a sigh, it was time to begin her day and there was much to clean judging by the bottles that were strewn carelessly across the bar. Firstly, she needed to clean the vomit and the broken glass on the floor. Ani looked at the window and watched as the sun peaked amongst the clouds, thinking of another lifetime.
"Have we met before?"
Ani blinked and glanced up to see Tony Stark strangely awake before noon. It had been months since she was greeted by her boss in his vomit. Life hadn't changed much and surprisingly, she still managed to avoid Tony's path despite cleaning his house nearly every day. Moreover, Ani fell into a routine that suited her current predicament of staying in the down-low. Other than befriending a kind elderly woman who owned the Asian Grocers and knitting the occasional jumper that was far too hot in the Californian sun, there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was successful, to say the least because there hadn't been sorcerers knocking on her door recently.
She leaned against the mop-again why the hell is she using a shitty manual mop when Stark Industries was a company that could make machines to clean floors. Wait, that was unless they were still primarily a weapons manufacturing company. Which would make sense? Ani glanced at Stark who was still staring at her. He looked better compared to the last time she saw him, dressed in what looked like a pair of track pants and shirt that's worth more than her entire apartment. In contrast, Ani's short bob was tightly held back by cheap neon hair clips and her tawny skin was washed out by the dull grey of the cleaning uniform. Overall, she must've been a sight, with her bleary gaze that lacked both sleep and ambition.
Truth be told, Ani hadn't contemplated having a conversation with Tony. She had expected things to go back to normal, him ignoring her existence as she trudged through life as an underpaid employee. Although, she had gotten used to the fact that no matter how much she tried to avoid certain people, no matter which universe, Ani would always encounter them. But to a certain extent, Tony has ignored her (that hurt a bit but this Tony didn't know her), and she didn't hold the slightest clue as to why he was talking to her now.
This Tony Stark was so young from the previous one that she became accustomed to. Brown eyes instead of blue, dark brown hair instead of silver. This wasn't the father figure that she loved while her biological father fucked off to who knows where. This wasn't the man who thought that he was responsible for the world. This was a younger Tony Stark, who was still a little bit naive and still built weapons that killed millions for the sake of 'America'. This wasn't family, she reminded herself: you get attached too much, stop it.
Thus, trying to hide her shuddering breath, Ani gave a salesperson-smile™. It was the one without the teeth because Ani was told that she looked too much like a shark. Instead, this one softened the sharp contours of Ani's already-too-thin face and it made her look younger, redirecting people's attention off of her horrible gaze. She wore the same smile at the job interview and it was sweet enough to swipe them off their feet.
"I've been working here for the past couple of months Mister Stark, I think that's the reason why," with that, Ani gripped her mop and continued to clean only to pause, looking up at Tony who was now standing in front of her with an inquisitive expression.
"I swear I've seen you somewhere before," Tony propped a hand on his chin. "Hey, you're that girl who carried me to bed. You look rather small to have done that. What do you do to pack those muscles?"
"It's called being in the working class Mister Stark, something I'm sure you'd never have the trouble experiencing," Ani sniped. For Hela's sake, all she wanted to do was continue working without any disturbance. She didn't need ghosts from the past reminding her how much of failure she was. Annoyed, she glanced up and noticed that Tony hadn't even bothered to move.
"You've got snark," Tony whistled.
She put the mop back into the bucket, "I'm sorry Mister Stark, do you have a problem with me? Because if you have any complaints please bring it up to the company. I'm going to mop on the second floor now. If you'll excuse me."
"Look kid," Tony held his hands up. "I didn't mean to offend you. Just pointing out a fact and wanted to have a little chat. You've been cleaning this place for how many months now? Don't answer that, it was rhetorical. What's your name?"
"My name is Ani, just like it says on the name tag but pronounced Ah-ni please."
"Tell me about yourself Ani, are you doing this job to pay off your student loans?" Tony quipped, heading to the bar and grabbed himself a packet of snacks.
"Not all of us have the luxuries of being billionaires Mister Stark. You know, if rich people had the incentive to distribute money for equity then we probably wouldn't have the problems we have today," Ani wanted to be mean and say something about conflict and monetizing on people's suffering but she might get fired and didn't want that to happen.
A careful brown brow was arched. "Were you a Political Science Major? I wouldn't be surprised."
"I didn't go to university Mister Stark," Ani admitted, "I didn't have that opportunity. It was taken, but that's life."
"Do you want to go back to school? Also, don't say Mister, that makes me feel old. Just call me Tony, you've been working here long enough I suppose."
"No, I don't want to go to university, I have other things I have to worry about," like sorcerers trying to kill me. Ani grabbed the bucket and mop."Now please excuse me, Mister Stark, there are many things I need to do and so little time. Have a good day sir."
Not waiting for a reply, Ani made her way up the stairs.
"I brought you some food, Mister Stark."
"Don't call me Mister Stark," said the man as he glanced up from his work. "Why are you bringing me food? You're just a cleaner."
"My neighbour cooked chiltomate, she gave me a lot but I already made food for the week. I didn't want to waste it so I brought some over," it wasn't exactly a lie. She did make food for today and tomorrow but not enough for the entire week, Ani just needed a reason. She noticed that Tony wasn't eating properly and what better remedy for hunger than Abuela's cooking?
Tony looked suspicious before turning back to the machine. "Just do your job kid."
The dismissal was prompt and reasonable considering she himself dismissed him the other day. Turning on her heel, Ani went to the kitchen and quickly placed the Tupperware into the fridge. She grabbed her cleaning supplies and continued to work.
Just as she left to finish her shift, she noticed the empty washed Tupperware on the kitchen island and smiled.
It became a routine. Of course, she couldn't rely on Abuela to make food so she used whatever money she had sparingly to cook. It wasn't Michelin standard nor was she able to feed Tony every day. But she made sure to at least bring food twice a week, it consisted mostly of nasi goreng and dahl with rice. He hasn't complained yet, so she took that as a sign to continue.
The only downside was her enhanced metabolism and Ani wasn't eating the amount of food that she needed. Her powers used up energy, alternatively, she could consume the surrounding energy but a hefty backlash was attached to that. Plus, there was nothing better than a home-cooked meal. Yet, at this rate she's on the verge of desperation and consuming raw energy was a bad idea. Both for her and whichever poor person was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Ani didn't want to pass out on the way home, vulnerable to sorcerers ready to incinerate her existence. She should find another job, the cleaning company was bleeding her dry and all she wanted was to eat.
One might ask, why the hell is she feeding Tony Stark when he's a billionaire in a world where the people should eat the rich? Ani spent the night staring at her ceiling thinking the same question. There were days where she didn't consider it, and then the next shift, she came back with a filled Tupperware. Sometimes, she would forget that he was a brunet instead of a silver-haired man, that he was family rather than some stranger. Hela, she nearly called him 'Dad' the other day. Ani was pathetic, couldn't pay her rent, nearly starving and stuck with a boss that struck too close to home.
The relationship she had with the previous dimension's Tony Stark was one built out of familial love. Tony had taken Ani during a low point in her life. He held her hand and told her; the world sucks but I'm here. At a moment where loneliness was prominent and everyone had left her, it mattered so much. Ani spent many years with Tony and he adopted the role of father figure even though she forgot what it was like to have one. He had been the best friend that took care of her, made sure she was fed and fixed broken things. Then, the world was in peril and because Tony fucking bleeding heart Stark felt like he owed the universe some responsibility, he went on and got himself killed.
So yes, the existence of Tony Stark struck too close to home. It was okay, she'll find a new job one day and move on, or maybe move states. Pretty sure Australia made a recession-proof strategy, maybe she should go there. Go soul searching and avoid murderous sorcerers.
"Woah there girl, what did the mop ever do to you?" Tony asked, looking at the mop she had just slammed on the marble floors.
"Nothing Mister Stark, just cleaning as per usual."
"You know," Tony began whilst taking a seat. "You don't have to cook for me."
"Doesn't matter Mister Stark, I had leftovers," she shrugged. "My Dad taught me to share, it's only nice."
"If you say so kid," there was a strange tilt in his voice that Ani recognised as contemplation. "I looked at your files by the way, and it doesn't say much. Are you alone in the States? Here for a better opportunity?"
"I don't know how it would interest you, Mister Stark. Also, if I were looking for a place of opportunity I would go to a country with universal healthcare and free education. Hel, this country monetises every single thing it's kind of gross. You should become President Mister Stark, revolutionise the system and make it socialist because for a country that advocates for equality and rights it sure doesn't have any of that," Ani rolled her eyes. "But I suppose in a place that was indoctrinated by the Cold War and feeding the public debauched examples of socialism, that would never happen. It was a nice thought though. What?"
"Huh, are you sure you're not doing a political science degree?" Tony then adopted a disturbed expression. "Also, a Stark for President? I think the CIA would rather have another Cold War."
"Can't even afford the loans, Mister Stark, again, I'll remind you I have other things to worry about," she paused. "And I don't think you'd be a bad president just stop making weapons."
Tony ignored the weapons comment. "You sure you don't want a Stark Scholarship to spontaneously show at your doorstep? You're a bright kid, hard-working too."
"Give it to some kid from a lower socioeconomic background," Ani restrained a frustrated groan. "A better idea, why don't you create programs that would uplift those in poverty. Spread the money in areas where it is needed, give a fish and teach how to fish, you get the gist of it."
There was a moment of silence before the man continued. "Kid, why are you still with the cleaning company? They're paying you $5.85 per hour."
"I don't have a choice Mister Stark, the world is in a recession and I'm lucky to have a job. It sucks a lot but beggars can't be choosers," Ani said. If there was one thing she knew is that sometimes the world is a bag of dicks and things didn't always go your way.
"Look Clips," from the hairclips, Ani snorted and Tony carried on. "You don't want a scholarship, some people don't want to go to tertiary education, which is perfectly fine. Now, hear me out, I'm offering you a job, a proper job with good pay and healthcare."
Ani narrowed her eyes, "I'm not some pity case you need to take care of to make yourself feel better, Mister Stark. Although I won't lie, I'm interested. What job are you offering me?"
"A proper housekeeper, you'll get paid leave as well. What do you say?"
Our main protagonist stared at the new contract in her hands. How ironic, this was exactly like the first time when she fell into the Marvel Universe, desperate and lost and it had been Tony Stark who gave her a job.
Ani exhaled, she was getting sick of the whole girl-falling-into-MCU trope. After so many dimensions, it gets tiring.
(In which, our main protagonist is from our world, having fallen into the MCU many dimensions ago. It gets repetitive after a while.)