"Lexi!... Lexi!" Her name drifted through the fog clouding her mind. The sound was muffled, but persistent, like someone calling from a distance.

Gradually, Lexi opened her eyes, blinking against the blurry darkness. Shadows surrounded her, walls coated in a dark, soft pink. She shifted, feeling a sharp sting in her arm and a dull, throbbing ache in her head. She tried to move, but her wrist was bound tightly to the bed frame with rough, scratchy rope.

A small girl was staring at her, wide-eyed, following her every movement. Lexi squinted, trying to make sense of her surroundings and this stranger. "Ultron's got an enemy," she heard someone say, voice clipped and professional. "That's not the same thing," the voice continued.

"Still," the voice continued, "I'd pay folding money to know who it is."

"I might need to visit Oslo. Find our unknown," someone else replied. The conversation was barely registering, fragmented snippets slipping in and out of her focus. She could barely make sense of what they were saying, but it was enough to add to her confusion.

Lexi pushed herself up a bit, taking in her surroundings with bleary eyes. Her head felt like it was splitting open, and the light was too dim for her to make out much. The little girl standing by the door suddenly smiled at her, then ran off, yelling, "She's awake!" The sharp sound made Lexi flinch, her headache intensifying.

"Le...xi, ca...he...ar m...e?". She could pick up pieces of a conversation, drifting in and out like a half-remembered dream. "The human form is inefficient... biologically speaking, we're outmoded." She could barely piece together what was happening, her mind too clouded.

Voices drew nearer, and then a group filed in, the Avengers. Lexi's eyes fluttered closed again, but she could feel them staring, practically boring holes into her.

"Who are you?" Banner's voice cut through, and she opened her eyes to meet his serious gaze, arms crossed as he watched her. "I remember you," he said, a hint of recognition in his eyes. "You were on that ship. You work with Ultron."

Lexi let out a soft, dry chuckle. "I don't work with Ultron," she replied firmly, her voice carrying a gentle resolve. "Not with him, and certainly not for him." Steve's voice cut in, sharper, demanding. "Then what were you doing there?" Lexi sighed, her head pounding. "Can I get something for this headache, please? It's killing me."

Tony stepped in, pushing through the others with a familiar concerned look. He handed her a glass of water with a pain pill, and she took it with a mumbled "Thanks." Before she could fully process what was happening, her father's hands were already working to free her. He threw a look at Clint, muttering, "You didn't have to go this far." "Why does Ultron want to make a body?" Banner asked, his tone wary. She glanced at him, half amused. "How should I know? It's not like he shares his secrets with me."

"So why does he need Vibranium for?" Thor's voice rumbled, intense and steady. She ignored him, but the Avengers kept watching like they expected answers she didn't have. "I already told you," she said quietly. "I don't know anything."

Banner turned away, frustrated, murmuring to the others about their best guesses on Ultron's plans. "I think..." Lexi started, voice low but enough to draw their attention back. "I think he's planning to merge it into his new body."

Lexi glanced away, the weight of their hard looks exhausting her. "Look, I know you don't trust me," she said, voice tense. "But I'm not going to just sit here when Ultron's ready to tear the world apart." She took a shaky breath. "I'm your best option to stop him."

"And how do we know you're telling the truth?" Clint pressed, arms crossed, still glaring. "That the Maximoff girl is not going to control your mind?". "You don't," she replied, her gaze steady. "Either you trust me, or you don't.". "How did you get powers?". The room fell silent as the brunette stared at the Russian spy. Their eyes locked, and sarcastic comments flooded the younger girl's mind, but she couldn't bring herself to say them to the woman.

Most of the Avengers trickled out, leaving just Tony and Nat. Nat shot her a gentle, probing look. "Why can't Wanda control you?" Nat asked, knowing she wouldn't answer her question. Lexi shrugged, thoughtful. "I just block her out. I don't know how, but it works."

Nat nodded, a small smile touching her lips before she left. Lexi swung her legs over the side of the bed, walking to the mirror to look at her reflection, taking in the tired, worried face staring back at her.

"Lexi!" Wanda's voice rang in her mind, desperate. Lexi rolled her eyes and shut her out, annoyed, the effort only making her headache worse. She sighed and made her way to the bathroom.

Tony's face appeared in the mirror's reflection, carved with worry as he looked at Lexi. She caught his gaze, feeling the weight of his concern like a tangible thing. His eyes flickered over her, studying every inch of her face as if he needed to memorize it before letting her out of his sight.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, voice low but threaded with an unmistakable urgency. He stepped closer, resting both hands on her shoulders as he met her gaze in the mirror.

Lexi nodded, determined, though the weight of his hands grounded her. "It's dangerous, yeah," she admitted, her tone softening. "But it's my call to make, Dad." She tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Besides, I care about the twins. I can't just leave them there."

Tony's fingers tightened slightly as if he could anchor her to him with just that small gesture. His gaze dropped, and he exhaled deeply, reluctant to release her. "I just got you back, Star... and I'm not ready to lose you again." He shook his head, his expression torn between pride in her bravery and fear for her safety. "I can't go through that a second time."

Lexi felt her heart tug, seeing the raw emotion in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug, leaning her head against his chest where she could feel his heartbeat, steady and grounding. "You won't, Dad. I promise," she whispered, the words a reassurance not just to him but to herself.

He held her close, his arms wrapping around her like he could shield her from anything in the world. The hug lingered, Tony's hand rubbing her back as if he didn't want to let go. "I'm serious, Lex," he murmured against her hair. "You've been through enough. If anything goes sideways, you get out of there. You understand me? No hesitation."

She looked up, giving him a small smirk to lighten the tension. "You still owe me that drink for my 21st birthday, you know?" A chuckle escaped him, some of the tension melting from his face as he squeezed her shoulders. "If Pepper knew..." he muttered, a flicker of relief in his eyes.

She laughed, and he softened, his hand lingering on her cheek as he studied her one more time, like he couldn't quite believe she was really there, all grown up, determined, and yet still his little girl.