Carol decided to hang around. Her addition was strange, but I didn't let that deter me from trying to understand her better. For one thing, I wanted to know what kind of powers she had. I mean, nobody had even known she had gotten into the facility before she found us thanks to Fury's pager.

Time in the facility dragged. The loss continued to weigh heavy over what was left of our team. As of now, we didn't see a way for us to reverse what Thanos had done. Yeah, we were keeping an eye out across the galaxy to see if he used the Stones again, but that wasn't coming back with anything.

I was slowly getting accustomed to the new quiet of the world. Less wildlife. Less chatter. Less people walking around. Less...of everything.

"Just doesn't feel like home anymore, does it?" I sighed heavily. I'd somehow gravitated back towards the room where all the displays of the Dusted were held. Lots of faces and names were unfamiliar. Every now and again one or two would crop up that I'd know.

If my parents survived...we wouldn't know. This is only on Earth. In the time they would've had to settle onto here somewhere, gain a new identity...there's no way we'd know. I had never had to fear for my parents' lives. On Asgard, I knew they would be fine. But, if they survived, they were now on my home territory, a planet they had never set foot on before. They were newcomers without proper guidance.

If only I could be there to help them.

But I can't just start a search when it may not get me anywhere. That would be like going after Tony, or Loki...

It was hard to swallow, that Loki was truly gone this time around. That no amount of tricking someone could will him back into my life. If only I had seen a glimpse of the man Thor had told me about...it would've brought me some peace, some closure. Although, I would admit seeing him in person would make things complicated. For one thing, the last time we were physically in the other's presence, he was shipped up to Asgard to be held in prison.

To this day, I still wondered how often he thought about me, and to what capacity. I still remembered his parting words, the bits that stuck with me, anyhow. Some part of me would always love him, too. How come he hadn't shouted a warning to me? Or did he and our connection is too weak because of time? But would that have made any difference if he had gotten through to me?

"Not sure what you're hoping to find," said Todd, beside me. "This doesn't show us anything good."

"I know. Maybe if I see enough faces, I'll desensitize myself from the guilt." I rubbed my forehead. "Is your family...?"

"Unsure. It's a lot of names and faces on this list. Going through them would be mind-numbing."

"Don't you have a way to contact them, like a phone?"

"Phones are dead."

I swallowed. "I see."

"God, this is the worst party I've ever seen," commented Natasha. "And you didn't think to even invite me."

"Don't feel so offended, Tash," said Todd. "We didn't invite the others, either. What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to make sure everyone's still...existing." She shuddered. "It's a weird mentality to have, I know."

I nodded solemnly.

Some sort of beeping came to our ears. Footage came up of outside the gates. At first, I couldn't tell who it was.

"Oh Gods," I stammered, focused on the familiar face of Pepper Potts. "Let her in!" I took off before anyone could stop me. Steve, Pepper is alive. She's here. Oh Gods, Tony doesn't look like he's with her. Tell anyone that's willing to hear. She may have insight that we don't.

I felt like I couldn't get to Pepper quick enough, I wanted to be sure that the footage was real and not from another time where she had tried to come in.

I didn't have to meet her at the gates, she had already made her way inside by the time I found her. She broke into tears when she saw me running towards her. Though she was a stick, she carried some weight when she collided with me for a hug.

"I should've checked in with you," I sputtered. "Someone should have!"

"It's okay, Kia, really. I just...I didn't know where else to go. Who else to turn to. Have you...have you heard from Tony?"

I shook my head gravely. "I wish, Pep. I really wish." I took note of a flashy ring on her left hand, but I decided to not get into that. I feared I'd only make her cry harder at discussing wedding details.

"Who else is here?"

"Some familiar faces, some new. I asked Steve to do some recon while I came to find you."

We spoke few words as I led her back to the previous room I was in. Thankfully, someone had the sense to turn off the holograms that projected the count, the faces of the lost. Those Pepper knew hugged her gently. Carol lingered in the background, obviously wary.

"I'm glad you're okay," Pepper said gratefully. "It's been...rough, to say the least." Her eyes found Carol.

"This is Carol, she's the newest addition," said Todd, picking up on the cue. "She's, uh, a pretty closed book."

"I just met you guys, sorry if I'm not open," Carol retorted.

"I'm really sorry to ask this of you, Pepper, but...we were hoping you may have some information that we don't," I told her carefully.

"I wish that I did. Tony's been missing since the start of this...I was really hoping you had found him and that he was here all this time."

"When did you last talk to him?"

"Just after the attack on New York. He went on the ship that docked itself into the sky. I...I haven't heard anything for a time...until recently."

"What do you mean?" asked Nat.

"I've been getting messages from him, he's been using the Iron Man helmet to transmit them to me. I'd hoped maybe he had tried to contact one of you here. He's out there, somewhere, just not on Earth. I can't even begin to tell you where..."

"Have you kept the messages?" asked Carol.

"Of course."

"Well...It may take me some time, but I can go and look for him," said Carol. "If we can pinpoint where his messages are coming from, I'll use that as a trail."

"But you didn't come in a ship," said Todd.

"Who said that I didn't?"

"You really didn't say how you got here to begin with," commented Rhodey.

"Well, to answer that then, no, I didn't come in a ship. But it doesn't mean I can't travel to other planets." She smirked.

Carol pulled Pepper aside, while the rest of us listened. Some of the things discussed I couldn't understand. But picking up certain things from Carol made me even more curious about her.

"You know," Todd said, "sometimes I remember just how human I am when I'm around you guys. Seriously. Carol can travel through space, Kiara has her powers, there's a freaking talking raccoon with us, then there's Thor, and...and everyone else that's not here anymore."

"Just because we've got powers doesn't mean you're less important than us," I told him. "We value every team member. How could you forget that?"

"Yeah, sure, but superheroes are held to a higher standard. Sorry, superheroes with powers are. Nat's nowhere in the same league as you and Cap."

"I'm right here," said Natasha sourly. "I'm an Avenger. Someone forgot that detail."

"You might want to watch where you step, Todd," I warned my best friend. "Best not to get on her bad side."

"If he does, I'll just kick his ass in training," said Nat.

"Oh, you mean like every time we've trained together?" Todd retorted to her. "Just once I'd like to win."

"When you can best me, you will."

"Don't want to go easy on me?"

Nat snorted. "If your enemies don't, why should I?"

"Because we're friends."

"Pft, I shouldn't give you a pass just because you asked. No one else does."