The dim light of dawn crept through the cracks in the boarded-up windows, casting thin beams of gold across the dusty floor. Adrian stirred from his place against the wall, his back aching from the uncomfortable position he had been sleeping in. His mind had barely rested, still buzzing with a thousand unanswered questions. But as he blinked his eyes open and looked around at the small, empty room they had taken refuge in, the reality of their situation crashed down on him again.

They were still here. In this world. In the Marvel Universe.

Emily was already awake, sitting cross-legged beside Ava, who was still sleeping peacefully. Emily’s hair was tied back, her face calm but alert. Even in these quiet moments, her instincts never dulled. She was always ready, always on guard. Adrian admired that about her, but he also worried. They had been through tough times before, but nothing like this. Nothing that stretched the limits of their courage and resourcefulness like being trapped in a world that was both familiar and entirely foreign.

“Morning,” Adrian muttered, rubbing a hand over his face as he sat up.

Emily gave him a small smile, though the exhaustion was clear in her eyes. “Morning. How did you sleep?”

“Barely,” he admitted, leaning back against the wall as he stretched out his stiff muscles. “Too much to think about.”

Emily nodded. She understood. They had both been trying to process what had happened, how they had been ripped from their reality and thrown into the middle of one of the most dangerous universes imaginable. But there were still so many unanswered questions. How had it happened? Why? And most importantly, could they ever get back?

“What do we do next?” Emily asked, her voice quiet but steady. She was always the practical one, always thinking ahead. She needed a plan, just like Adrian did. They couldn’t stay in this abandoned building forever. It was a temporary solution, a place to rest for the night, but they needed something more concrete—a real strategy.

Adrian stared out through the cracks in the boards, watching as the early morning light slowly began to illuminate the city streets outside. “We need to figure out where we are in the timeline,” he said, his voice thoughtful. “We know the Battle of New York just happened, but we need more details. Are we just after the first Avengers movie, or have other things already started to happen? If we can figure out where we are, we’ll have a better idea of what’s coming next.”

Emily nodded. “Information is key. But how do we get it without drawing attention to ourselves? We’re strangers here. The last thing we need is to get noticed by S.H.I.E.L.D. or worse, one of the Avengers.”

Adrian frowned, considering her words. She was right. The last thing they wanted was to attract the attention of any of the major players in this world—whether that was S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, or even the government. They were already anomalies, and if anyone realized they didn’t belong here, it could lead to all kinds of trouble. He could only imagine what someone like Nick Fury would do if he found out about them.

But they needed information. They couldn’t stay hidden forever.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

“I think I know where we can start,” Adrian said slowly, an idea forming in his mind. “We’re in New York, right? This city is full of media outlets, news stations… If we can get access to a TV, radio, or even a newspaper, we can figure out where we are in the timeline. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.”

Emily raised an eyebrow. “And how do you suggest we get access to any of that without sticking out like sore thumbs?”

Adrian smiled, though it was more a grim determination than anything else. “We’ll blend in. We just need to look like regular people going about their day. In a city like New York, no one pays much attention to strangers—especially after what just happened with the Chitauri invasion. People will be more focused on cleaning up the mess and getting their lives back to normal.”

Emily considered his words, her eyes scanning the small room they had taken refuge in. It wasn’t much—just an old, abandoned building on the outskirts of the city. But it had provided them with a safe place to rest for the night, and that was all they could ask for at the moment.

“Alright,” she said after a moment. “We’ll head out once Ava wakes up. But we need to be careful, Adrian. This isn’t our world. The rules are different here.”

Adrian nodded, understanding the weight behind her words. They were outsiders in a universe where ordinary people were caught in the crossfire of extraordinary events. They had to be smart. They had to stay out of sight.

Because if there was one thing Adrian knew for sure, it was that in a world like this, they were vulnerable.

---

A few hours later, the city was already bustling with life. The streets were crowded with people going about their business, stepping over rubble and debris from the recent attack as if it were just another day in New York. The city was resilient like that—always bouncing back, no matter what came its way. But even so, there was an undercurrent of tension, a feeling of unease that lingered in the air like a storm cloud that had yet to break.

Adrian, Emily, and Ava moved carefully through the streets, trying to blend in with the crowds. They had cleaned themselves up as best they could, hoping to look like just another family trying to navigate the aftermath of the invasion. Adrian had even found an old jacket to cover the worn, tattered clothes he had been wearing since they arrived in this world. Emily kept her martial stance more relaxed, making sure she looked casual but still on guard.

Ava held tightly to her stuffed bunny, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the sights and sounds of the city. To her, this was still a grand adventure. She didn’t fully understand the gravity of their situation, and Adrian was grateful for that. He wanted to keep her safe, to shield her from the dangers lurking in the shadows of this world.

As they made their way toward one of the newsstands on the corner of the street, Adrian kept his gaze low, scanning the area for anything unusual. They couldn’t afford to attract attention. Not now. Not when they were so close to getting the information they needed.

They reached the newsstand, and Adrian pretended to casually browse through the newspapers and magazines on display. The headlines were all about the invasion, about how the Avengers had saved the city from certain destruction. There were pictures of the battle, images of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the rest of the team in action. But Adrian wasn’t interested in the heroics. He was looking for a date, for something that could tell him exactly where they were in the timeline.

There it was. The date on the front page of the New York Times.

June 2012.

Adrian’s stomach dropped as the realization hit him. They were just after the events of the first Avengers movie, which meant they were on the precipice of a whole new era of chaos. The world might have been saved from Loki’s invasion, but it was far from safe.

Emily leaned in slightly, her voice low as she whispered, “What does it say?”

“June 2012,” Adrian replied quietly, his mind already spinning. “We’re right after the Battle of New York. This is just the beginning.”

Emily’s expression darkened. She knew what that meant. The Battle of New York had been the first major event, but there was so much more to come. The rise of Hydra, Ultron, Sokovia… And that was before they even got to the cosmic-level threats like Thanos.

“We need to get out of here,” Emily said, her voice firm.

Adrian nodded in agreement. “Yeah. We need to figure out our next move.”

They slipped away from the newsstand, making their way through the crowds once again. But even as they walked, Adrian’s mind was racing. They were on borrowed time, and he knew it. The timeline was moving forward, and with every passing day, the dangers would only grow more severe.

But they couldn’t hide forever. If they were going to survive in this world, they needed more than just information. They needed power.

Adrian’s thoughts turned to the technology of this universe. Tony Stark’s advanced suits, Wakanda’s vibranium, the endless potential of the mystical arts. It was all here, waiting to be harnessed. But how could someone like him—just a regular engineer—access it?

He didn’t know yet. But he was determined to find out.

Because in this world, knowledge wasn’t enough. If Adrian wanted to protect his family, he needed to be more than just an observer. He needed to act.