.ೃ࿔*:･𝐱𝐥𝐢𝐢. ...assemble

𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 that had brought her to this moment. Though one thing was undeniable-her entire body was on fire. Every nerve was alight with a fire that both tormented and comforted her, a burning that stood in stark contrast to the eerie calm she had felt just moments-or was it seconds?-before. That numb, unsettling peace was gone, replaced by a pain that, strangely, felt almost welcome.

It was the most excruciating comfort Ingrid had ever known.

Her muscles were stiff, every movement sending sharp, burning sensations rippling through her limbs. Yet, amidst this torment, there was a grounding force-someone's hands, warm and gentle, shaking her shoulders, urging her back to the surface. But Ingrid resisted. Her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, and she kept them firmly shut, clinging to the pain as if it were an anchor. It was better than the nothingness that had enveloped her before.

The pain reminded her she was alive.

But as the world around her grew louder, more insistent, she knew she couldn't stay in this limbo forever. With a deep breath, she forced her eyes open, the blinding light and colors swirling into a blurry mess. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, and gradually, the world sharpened into focus.

Peter's face was the first thing she saw, his expression a mix of relief, fear, and something else- something raw and desperate. Without a word, he reached out, pulling her up swiftly. Before she could even register the movement, his lips crashed against hers, a kiss so sudden and fervent that it stole the breath from her lungs.

For a moment, Ingrid was too stunned to react. The world narrowed down to the feeling of his lips against hers, the warmth of his touch seeping into her very soul. But just as quickly as it began, it ended. Peter pulled away, his breath ragged, and without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her in a fierce embrace.

"Y-You're back," Peter muttered, his voice thick with emotion. The words were barely a whisper, as though he was speaking to himself as much as to her, needing to say them out loud to believe they were true. His body trembled against hers, and Ingrid could feel the tension in his muscles, the fear that hadn't yet fully released its grip on him.

"What the hell...?" Quill's voice cut through the thick fog of confusion, his groggy tone reflecting the disorientation everyone was feeling. He glanced around, blinking rapidly as he tried to make sense of the scene before him. "Weren't we just...?"

Ingrid pulled away from Peter, her heart pounding as she took in their surroundings. Titan. The desolate landscape was unmistakable, exactly as she remembered it. A sigh of relief escaped her, the familiarity of the planet grounding her, but a deep unease still gnawed at her insides.

Drax sat up nearby, his eyes wide with bewilderment. "Is this another trick?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

Before anyone could answer, Stephen's voice broke through, firm yet tempered with a subtle urgency. "We don't have time to dwell on what's happened," he said, his gaze sweeping over the group. His voice was steady, carefully measured, as if he was trying not to set off a panic, but there was no mistaking the urgency that lingered beneath his words. "We've been gone for five years."

Five years.

The words echoed in Ingrid's mind, reverberating through her like a shockwave. Her breath caught in her throat, her pulse quickening as the weight of what Stephen said began to sink in. Five years-how could she have been gone for five years? The realization hit her like a freight train, and she felt a cold, sinking feeling in her chest.

She had left Earth thinking she'd be gone for only a few hours. Just enough time to help Peter, to fight alongside him and the others. But five years? Her mind raced, frantically trying to piece together what that meant. Natasha- her last conversation with her felt like it was just days ago, not half a decade. And her dad... Her thoughts snapped to him, the image of his face flashing in her mind. She had followed Peter so blindly, so sure she would be back in no time. But now, if he had survived the snap, five years had passed without her. Five years of him alone, possibly thinking she was lost forever. The thought was unbearable.

"Five years?" Peter's voice shattered her spiraling thoughts, bringing her back to the present. He looked around, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "But... what happened? What about everyone else?"

Stephen turned to face the group, his expression grave, his voice steady yet urgent. "The others are fighting. Thanos is back on Earth. We're the reinforcements, and we need to move-now."

"Wait, so we're just supposed to jump back into a fight after being gone for five years?" Quill asked, his voice tinged with confusion rather than defiance. He wasn't protesting so much as trying to wrap his head around the absurdity of the situation. Five years, gone in the blink of an eye, and now they were expected to dive headfirst into battle as if nothing had changed.

Stephen nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Exactly. There's no time to waste. The fate of the universe is being decided as we speak."

Ingrid's heart hammered in her chest, the weight of his words pressing down on her. Her eyes narrowed, a storm of emotions brewing inside her- determination, fear, desperation. "So we're just supposed to forget everything that happened here?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to stay composed. The question wasn't just about their immediate situation, but about everything they had lost. Her mind raced with possibilities, each one darker than the last, and she swallowed hard, her throat dry. "What if we're too late?"

Stephen's stern demeanor softened just a fraction as he met her gaze. "It's not about forgetting," he said gently, his voice carrying a note of empathy that hadn't been there before. "It's about making the time we have now count. The others need us. They're counting on us."

Strange opened a portal, its swirling orange sparks casting an otherworldly glow over the dim, desolate landscape of Titan. The soft hum of the portal seemed to resonate in the quiet, the sound both a promise and a warning.

Peter glanced at Ingrid, his eyes searching hers for reassurance, his lips curling into a faint, almost hesitant smile. It was the kind of smile that tried to mask the fear and uncertainty gnawing at him. "You okay?" he asked softly, his voice tinged with concern.

Ingrid met his gaze, her own emotions a tangled mess of fear, determination, and something unnameable that churned in the pit of her stomach. She nodded, forcing a small smile. "I will be," she replied, the words a promise to herself as much as to him.

With a shared, fleeting look, they stepped through the portal.

The moment they emerged on the other side, Ingrid's breath caught in her throat. The scene before her was both achingly familiar and heartbreakingly altered. The Avengers compound, or the fuins of it, stood before them. Despite its state, it was unmistakable. This place-this was her home.

Ingrid's eyes darted around, taking in the devastation, the smoldering wreckage. But there was no time to dwell on the loss. As she turned, she saw others arriving-heroes from every corner of the universe, rallying to their side. Black Panther, flanked by his Wakandan army, their vibranium weapons gleaming in the sunlight. Valkyrie leading the Asgardians, their armor gleaming. Wong with the Masters of the Mystic Arts, their mystical shields ready to defend. Even several Ravager ships descended from the sky.

The sheer number of allies that had answered the call was staggering, each bringing their own forces. It was a sight that filled Ingrid with a renewed sense of purpose, a flicker of hope amidst the chaos.

"Is that everyone?" Stephen's voice cut through the air, calm and commanding, but with an edge of urgency that drew everyone's attention.

Ingrid couldn't help but roll her eyes, a small smirk tugging at her lips despite the gravity of the situation.

"What, you wanted more?" Wong retorted.

But the moment of levity was fleeting. The air grew tense as the Avengers, Guardians, Wakandans, Asgardians, and Ravagers all took up their battle positions, forming a formidable line across from Thanos' army. Thd atmosphere charged with anticipation and the grim reality of the fight that lay ahead.

Ingrid's pulse quickened, her heart pounding in rhythm with the collective breath of every hero gathered. She looked across the battlefield, her gaze locking onto the looming figure of Thanos, surrounded by his relentless forces.

"Avengers!" Steve's voice rang out, clear and powerful, cutting through the tension like a knife. In his hand, Mjolnir crackled with electricity.

"Assemble."