"It doesn't. And believe me, it only gets worse." On impulse, Natasha catches Pepper gently by the elbow and tugs her toward a nearby cafe. Finding a place to sit can't be a bad idea. It also gives Pepper a moment to process what's going on. It won't be nearly enough time, but it's a start.

Natasha's hand is unnaturally cold, but she moves surely through the crowd and does her best to project confidence.

"What you remember isn't wrong. Neither is what I've said. We're not on earth, or in our own time, and the forces that bring us here bring us from different points in the timeline."

She says it like it can make perfect sense, a rational explanation, even though the whole situation makes her skin crawl.