Chapter Text
“BRUCE, I’M HERE… Can you hear me?” The girl says through her communication link—or as she likes to call it, her commlink. She tapped on her suit to let it transform to casual clothes before walking around the busy streets of New York.
“Loud and clear, Blue,” Bruce replied. “Tell me, what’s it look like over there?”
She eyed the phones and picked up on the ads plastered across Times Square. “It’s very similar to ours; the year looks to be 2007,” she said, noticing the date in the newspaper. “But the tech… It’s slightly outdated compared to ours… and it’s not just because of the year.”
She hears Bruce hum thoughtfully. “Do you think you can go somewhere familiar? Stark Tower, perhaps—if it exists.”
She shakes her head out of habit—forgetting that Bruce won't see the action. One of the articles on the magazine's front page catches her attention. “I don’t think so… but there is something that might help.”
“A FANTASTIC WEDDING: Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards and Susan Storm’s Fourth Wedding Attempt”
“You know, you don’t have to do this, Blue,” Bruce started, concern edging his voice. Camille rolled her eyes, a small, sharp motion. Here we go again…
“This dimension… It’s not your responsibility to save it,” he added.
“I have to,” she said simply, her tone quiet but firm.
Bruce exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Come on, Blue. How many close calls will it take for you to stop this? You’ve already saved your universe… and countless others. You don’t have to keep risking yourself.”
“And you don’t have to keep lecturing me,” she shot back, a little defensively. “I know what I’m doing.”
“I know, Blue,” he said, his voice softening. “I’m just worried. That’s all.”
She hesitated, letting the edge fade from her voice. “I know, Bruce. And I appreciate you helping me through this.”
She hears him sigh. “I promised Tony I would. He would’ve been so proud of you.”
Camille sucked in a breath, her chest tightening as she thought of the man they lost. The one who helped her stand on her feet during her first days as an Avenger. “I know…” she murmured, the words carrying a weight she couldn’t quite shake. Even as she focused on keeping worlds safe, part of her couldn’t escape the ache of all she had lost—and the distance she kept from the one person that continued to plague her thoughts.
SHE LOOKS UP at the tall building in front of her; Baxter Building. She double-checked with the newspaper in her hands to confirm that she was indeed in the right place. She walks up to a secluded alley, imagining the balcony of the building based on one of the paparazzi pictures in the paper she bought.
The blue portal bloomed beside her, light spilling over the balcony rail. Camille stepped through without hesitation, boots meeting concrete as the circle of light sealed shut behind her. She leaned against the edge, scanning the streets below, until the faint creak of a door pulled her around.
Her breath caught. For a moment, she thought she was staring at a ghost. Same build, same blue eyes, same playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Her heart lurches in her chest, as her emotions try to keep up with years worth of memories flashing before her. Early mornings in Brooklyn, long walks around the compound, gentle smiles and kisses. Her vision blurs, hands shaking as she clenched her fingers together.
“Well, hello there, beautiful,” the man drawled. His voice carried the same lazy confidence, and it hit her harder than she expected. She could almost imagine him back in their apartment, standing by their hallway as she just came home from work.
Her lips parted before she could stop herself. “Steve?” The name escaped in a soft whisper. Disbelief and confusion lacing her hopeful voice.
But the flash of confusion on his face snapped her back. She lets out a breath, jaw tightening while the illusion breaks. She straightened her posture as she forced her voice to steady. “Hi… Is this where the Fantastic Four live?”
“The one and only,” he answered, grin widening. Her heart skips a beat.
“Are they here?” she asked.
He cocked his head, teasing. “What, no introduction first? Seems rude.”
Heat flushed her cheeks, though she laughed it off. “Fair point.” She stepped closer, hand outstretched. “Camille Foster. Astrophysicist. I’m here to talk with the Fantastic Four about the cosmic anomalies.”
He slid his hand into hers, grip warm, lingering just a second too long. “Johnny Storm. Fantastic Four Incorporated,” he said with a wink. His flirting caught her off guard, and the way it came out so easily. No blush or bashful smile. The difference made her lips quirk up in a smile.
“You popped in out of nowhere,” Johnny added, eyes narrowing in curiosity. “How’d you do that?”
“Oh! Um… it’s something I can do,” she answered as she lifted her hand and curled her fingers—a small portal blooming in midair. She slid her arm through and tapped his shoulder from the portal behind him. Johnny jerked, then whipped around to gape at the trick.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he muttered, eyes lighting up like a kid at Christmas. He stuck his hand through, laughing out loud when it appeared on the other side. Pulling it back, he turned the hand over in amazement. Camille watches him with a smile, enjoying his reactions and the way his whole face lit up.
“That is—holy crap—that is cool.” His grin softened as his gaze landed on her again, an intrigued spark in his eyes. “How’d you get that? What are you, exactly?”
“I’ll tell you with the others. Like I said I’m an astrophysicist.” She folded her arms, smiling at his disbelief.
Johnny huffed a laugh, regaining his swagger as he leaned against the doorframe. “Well, Reed and the other won’t be back for a few hours. Which means…” He gave her a grin that was equal parts trouble and charm. “You and me have some time to kill. How about we do something fun while we wait?”
She quirked her eyebrow, unamused, yet her blush remained. He wasn't him. She knew that. But the fact remains that he has his face. Yet his confident and flirty demeanor, which was starkly different from him, endears him to her.
“Not interested,” she replied, once again dismissing the thoughts in her head before quickly opening a portal behind her, and stepping through it. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Without waiting for a reply, she closed the portal. Once he was out of sight, she breathed out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Bruce had already signed off for a bit to take a nap, so she had no one to vent to right now. She sighed, pressing her closed eyes on the heel of her palms in a sorry attempt to calm her nerves.
Johnny stood flabbergasted. Amazed at her powers and also in shock at her response to his charm. He breathed out a laugh, wondering if what just happened was real. He looked around, then down the ledge to try and find her, but she was gone. Like a ghost.
JOHNNY HAD SPRAWLED himself across the living room couch, a bowl of popcorn balanced on his stomach as some old comedy flick played on the screen. He laughed loudly at a ridiculous stunt before cutting himself off mid-chuckle—the familiar whoosh of a blue portal flickering open filled the room. Once again, he was in awe when Camille stepped through it.
“Still not here?” she asked, looking around at the empty living room.
“Nope,” said Johnny, popping out the ‘p’.
She settled herself down on the couch next to him. Surprising Johnny for a bit before offering her some popcorn. She takes some and pops them in her mouth. She makes a point of not looking at him as her eyes followed the screen, and before long, she was laughing softly at the same moment he was.
It took a few more minutes when the elevator opened, and the other three members of the Fantastic Four were finally home. Once they walked further into the living room, they saw Johnny and an unfamiliar girl.
“Johnny! I told you not on the couch!” Sue scolds, her voice ringing throughout the room. Camille arched an amused brow at Johnny, who only gave a helpless shrug like, See what I deal with?
She stood up, revealing that she was fully clothed as she turned to the three. “I assure you nothing of that sort happened,” she said as she walked closer to them. “You must be Susan Storm. Congrats on the upcoming wedding.”
Sue looked up at her, confused. “... Thank you.”
“And you must be Reed Richards and Ben Grimm,” she said, turning to the other two, who looked just as confused. “My name is Camille Foster.”
“Wh-why are you here?” Reed asked.
“She’s an astrophysicist!” Johnny called out lazily from the couch, earning an eye roll from Sue.
“I am here to talk to you about the anomalies happening around the Earth, Dr. Richards,” she replied, ignoring Johnny.
“O-okay… Why me?” he furrowed his brows in confusion.
“Why not?” she retorted, tilting her head to the side. “You have one of the most brilliant minds in the whole multiverse."
Reed faltered at the praise, uncharacteristically silent. Sue glanced between them before interjecting, “Multiverse?”
Ben let out a dry laugh. “That’s a little much, even for Reed.”
Camille only shook her head. “It’s true. I’ve seen it.”
This seemed to take Reed back into the conversation as he asked, “What do you mean?”
At this point, everyone’s attention was on the girl, even Johnny, who had paused the movie to listen.
Camille sighed. “My name is Camille Foster, an astrophysicist from Earth-199999.”
Reed’s eyes widened. “What?”
“The multiverse,” she said evenly, her tone controlled but deliberate—like she was gauging the room’s willingness to accept it. Some universes were already aware of it, and even travelled through it, but others don’t which takes a few convincing. “Surely you’ve heard of it.”
“I have,” he answered. “I just… didn’t think it was possible.”
Camille smiled, hopeful. “Well, you’re in for a wild ride, Doc.”
Ben folded his arms, glaring. “C’mon, Reed, You don’t actually believe this, right? Kid, I don’t know how you got in here, but take your stories elsewhere.” He jerked his thumb toward the elevator.
“I understand why you’re so skeptical, Mr. Grimm, but I assure you, what I tell you is the truth,” she tried to reason with him.
“Oh! Show him your portal trick!” Johnny says, kneeling on the couch as he watches.
“Portal trick? What are you talking about, Johnny?” Sue asked.
“Right, almost forgot.” Camille muttered under her breath, conjuring a portal beside her before putting her hand through and taking the bowl of popcorn from across the room. The others gaped at her as she closed the portal and took a piece of popcorn.
“Cool, right?” Johnny said, looking far too delighted.
Ben shook his head, still stubborn. “Neat party trick. Doesn’t prove a damn thing.”
“Right,” Camille said, conjuring a portal again to return the bowl of popcorn. “Let me be clearer then.” She tapped her clothes, and they watched in amazement as her casual clothes transformed into her suit.
“Nanotechnology?” Reed asked in disbelief.
Camille smirked and nodded. With a swipe of her hand, she conjured projections to fill the room—images of her universe. Mostly the Avengers, pictures of them standing amid the Battle of New York, against Ultron’s army, as well as Stark’s tower gleaming in the distance.
“This is my universe,” she began, “what we call Earth-199999. Yours is Earth-121698, at least according to the records from Earth-616. In my world, we have the Avengers—Earth’s Mightiest Heroes—our answer to your Fantastic Four. Years ago, we faced a cosmic threat named Thanos, a mad titan who succeeded in wiping out half the population of our universe.” With a flick of her wrist, the images shifted aside, replaced by a miniature projection of Thanos and his army. Even at a reduced scale, the overwhelming size and force of it were impossible to ignore.
“It took us five years to undo the damage. We managed to bring back everyone we lost, but not without a cost. Since then, we’ve made it our mission to keep watch for threats like these—and to lend a hand to any universe that might face them. So they don’t get to experience the loss we had.” Her gaze lingered on the image of the original six Avengers, pausing on Steve Rogers. The memory, which felt so distant before, became a forefront in her mind. With a faint breath, she let the projection fade, then turned back to the four.
“That’s why I’m here. To investigate the anomalies or cosmic influxes appearing in your world. I’m hoping they’re nothing more than natural disturbances… but we can’t afford to take chances.” The four remained quiet as Camille continued to speak. “I understand you may remain skeptical of my intentions, but I assure you I am only here to help.”
“Fascinating,” Reed said after a moment, “the multiverse… It’s real.”
“Indeed, Dr. Richards,” she replied.
“B-but how are you here? How are you able to withstand traveling from universe to universe?” He asked curiously.
“My powers,” she answered simply. “They originated from one of the Infinity Stones.”
Her eyes glowed as she summoned a new projection, six radiant gems appearing in the air before them.
“The Infinity Stones were born from a cosmic being that existed before the universe itself. Every universe has its own set, but their full power can only be wielded within their native reality. Each one embodies a fundamental force of existence.” As she spoke, each gem flared to life in turn: “The Power Stone. The Mind Stone. The Soul Stone. The Time Stone. The Space Stone. And the Reality Stone.”
The chamber shimmered with shifting colors as the stones illuminated one by one, their combined light casting an otherworldly glow across the room.
“A few years ago, my sister and I came into contact with the Reality Stone during an excursion in Norway. The stone bonded with us, and we were taken to Asgard to have it flushed out. But… traces of it remained in my DNA.” A projection of Asgard shimmered into view before fading at the wave of her hand.
“Since then, I’ve been able to bend reality in small ways. Portals—” she opened one behind her, stepping through only to reappear by the television, “—illusions—” a flick of her finger transformed the living room into Tony’s lab in Avengers Tower before snapping back to normal, “—and even altering matter itself.”
She plucked a piece of popcorn from the bowl, holding it up for the four to see. With a subtle twist of her hand, the kernel reshaped into a gleaming red cherry. Turning to Johnny, who sat closest, she extended it toward him with a sly smile.
“Go on. Try it.”
Johnny cautiously takes it, maintaining eye contact with Camille, and pops it into his mouth despite Sue’s protests. The sweetness bursts, and he couldn’t help but close his eyes at the flavour.
“It’s sweet!” he exclaims, opening his eyes to look at the others. Sue glared at him while Reed and Ben watched with wide eyes. Camille shoots him a smile, and he smirks.
“Because of the stone, I can move between realities without any side effects. As for getting back, we have a portal in my dimension… and I have this.” She raised her wrist, unclasping the sleek bracelet to reveal a compact, glowing core. “An arc reactor. It gives me the energy I need to make the return trip and also serves as an anchor to keep me connected to my own universe. A sustainable power source, designed by one of the most brilliant minds in my world.”
Reed suddenly makes his way to her, holding on to her arm to get a close look at the arc reactor. “Interesting, it harnesses the thermonuclear coalescence of hydrogen isotopes, initiating a high-energy fusion sequence that transmutes them into helium nuclei while liberating immense quantities of exothermic energy.”
“Huh?” said Ben.
“It utilizes the fusion of hydrogen isotopes to produce helium and energy.” Sue simplifies.
“Kinda like how stars generate power?” Johnny chimed in.
“Exactly.” Camille’s brows lifted in pleasant surprise as she gave him a small smile. “Guess you’re more than just a pretty face, then.”
Johnny smirked. “I can show you what else I’m made of.”
She rolled her eyes, amused but unimpressed, brushing off his flirting with a playful shake of her head.
“The core… what’s it made of? To be able to support this and keep it running…” Reed murmured, eyes glued to the glowing arc reactor as if it were the only thing in the room.
“It’s a new element created by the man who built it,” Camille explained evenly. “He didn’t get the chance to name it, but we call it Stark .” She clasped her hands behind her back, then added pointedly, “So, now that we have that out of the way… are you willing to help me investigate?”
Reed reluctantly tore himself away from the device. His gaze flicked to Sue, then back. “This may be intriguing…So complex and elegant …”
“Reed,” Sue scolds lightly.
“B-but I would have to decline,” he answered, turning to Sue, who gave him a relieved smile. “I have my wedding this Saturday and I would like to focus on that.”
“Oh…” Camille sighed disappointedly. “Okay.”
“Just like that?” Reed replied, baffled.
“Yeah,” she says simply, giving him a reassuring smile. “Can I use your lab, though? I need to build something real quick, then I’ll be out of your hair by tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
“You can do it alone?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve built a time machine once, Reed. I’m sure a compact cosmic energy monitoring device will be a piece of cake.”
“You’ve built a time machine?” Johnny asked incredulously.
“Besides, I get it. Even heroes need to take breaks. Especially when it's something as important as a wedding.” Camille says, nodding towards Sue, who smiles in appreciation. “I’ll contact you guys if I see anything serious.”
“Thank you, Camille,” Sue speaks up, walking towards her. “Come on, I’ll show you where the lab is.”