lady stardust.

21. watever it takes

Strange opened the portal to another place, and as they walked through it, Ziggy was joined by Drax and Mantis. She turns to them, a wide grin on her face. They entered the scene; a giant battlefield where everyone came together to fight Thanos, all of the Avengers and their allies. Peter swung by, landing on a rock a few feet in front of Ziggy.

As Ziggy glanced around, she assumed this was everyone who suffered to Thanos and had been faded, she scanned the crowd ahead, hoping to find the friends of hers who had survived. She saw Groot first - he was usually the easiest to see. Then Rocket, who sat on the shoulders of another Iron person. She couldn't see Nebula - assuming Nebula had joined their side in fighting Thanos.

Then she saw Peter. She smiled upon seeing him and his eyes widened as he saw Ziggy. He looked different, as if he had aged a million years in the time that had passed. His hair was thicker and curlier, and he scuffed a bit of a beard.

"Is that everyone?" Strange asked, glancing at his partner next to him.

He scoffed. "What, you wanted more?"

The man in the blue costume with the shield, whom Ziggy assumed was the Avengers leader, stopped and stared ahead. "Avengers!" He reached forward, and a hammer flew to him, landing in his palm, "Assemble."

Everyone charged forward, running at Thanos and his army, giving him everything they got. Ziggy turned directions and ran toward her Peter, ignoring the battle scene ahead. She tackled him, wrapping her arms around him and he did the same.

"Ziggy, oh my god, you're here!" He exclaimed, looking at her as if she wasn't real.

"Why wouldn't I be? You're acting like you haven't seen me in years." She laughed, standing back and looking at him.

"Because I haven't." Peter said, holding her face in his hands as he looked at her.

"What?" Ziggy asked, her face falling.

"Ziggy, it's been five years. You've been gone for five years, the world has been in shambles."

"No... No - it's been like twenty minutes for me." She stuttered, not sure how to comprehend the news.

Peter shook his head. "Come on, I'll explain more later. We've got bad guys' asses to kick."

Ziggy shook her head and he took her hand as they ran into the battle, taking on a smaller area to fight. Peter let go and shot at the bad guys, and Ziggy threw her beams as they worked back to back. A bolt from a weapon that neither of them had shot the last bad guy, and confused, they spun around to see who helped them.

Gamora stood ahead, and Ziggy blinked. "Gamora? But - you - you're dead?"

"We went back in time." Peter muttered to her.

"What?" Ziggy asked, glancing at him.

"I'll still explain all later."

Ziggy walked closer. "Is that really you?"

"Who are you?" Gamora scoffed, and Ziggy frowned. Nebula joined them, and glanced between Ziggy, Gamora, and Peter.

"What's wrong with her?" Ziggy asked, glancing between Peter and Nebula.

"When we went back in time, Gamora's past self somehow followed us back. This is her 2014 self." Nebula explained. "Pre joining the Guardians."

Ziggy shook her head. "I'm so confused."

—

Ziggy couldn't comprehend what was going on. It had been five years since she was last there, Gamora was alive but she didn't remember any of them, and they traveled back in time? What year was it then? What has happened since?