UNKNOWN GUEST

#124 Assemble!

James' POV-

The gust of wind that hit me was rough, a mix of dust and sand that stung my face and pricked my skin as I squinted through it. When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the sandy, orange-hued ground of Titan. Disoriented, I blinked, slowly registering the alien landscape, the quiet after the chaos. I took a shaky breath, struggling to process that I was actually here—alive. And not alone.

Sitting nearby, just as bewildered as me, was Peter Parker. He looked dazed, glancing around, his wide eyes reflecting the same confusion I felt. When he noticed me, his face lit up. "Oh, Jason," he gasped, relief flooding his voice.

"Peter," I managed, my own voice a whisper, thick with disbelief and overwhelming relief. I didn't think twice; we both moved forward, practically crashing into each other as we hugged, clinging to the one familiar face in this surreal moment. I felt the tension in my chest release a little, the reality sinking in. We were alive. We were really, actually alive.

Peter murmured into my shoulder, as if needing reassurance himself, "We're not in the afterlife, are we?"

Before I could answer, a calm, steady voice spoke from behind us. "No. You're very much alive."

We pulled away, startled, and turned to find Doctor Strange standing there, his usual composed expression tinged with something deeper—a sense of urgency. His cape billowed slightly, and he seemed different, more worn, as if he'd been carrying a heavy burden all this time.

Doctor Strange took a deep breath, a look of resolve in his eyes. "Come on," he said, gesturing for us to follow. "We've got a battle to win."

Peter and I exchanged a glance, the weight of those words settling in. Battle? Peter's brow furrowed, and he asked the question we were both thinking. "A battle?"

Strange nodded, his expression somber. "Yes. It's been building up for five long years."

Five years. The words echoed in my mind like a distant rumble of thunder. Five years since we were turned to dust, scattered like ashes across the wind. I felt a strange, hollow ache in my chest. Five years gone, like that. My mind struggled to catch up, to understand how much time had slipped away, how much we had lost in what felt like a mere blink.

Behind Strange, I noticed more figures beginning to gather—familiar faces I never thought I'd see again. Peter Quill, Mantis, Drax. They stood in the same dazed silence, all of us now reunited but changed by whatever we'd been through. Peter Parker's face was a mixture of shock and determination as he finally tore his eyes away from the group and looked at me.

A shiver of energy pulsed through me, replacing my shock with something stronger. I wasn't just going to stand here in disbelief. Five years may have passed, but we had a job to do, and that purpose gave me focus, grounded me.

I nodded, taking a long breath to steady myself. "Okay. Let's go win it."

Doctor Strange's eyes flashed with a similar resolve, and he gave a brief nod. Without another word, he raised his hand and swept his wrist in a practiced arc, a golden light flaring to life as he conjured a portal.

The familiar shimmering doorway expanded in front of us, swirling with bright, magical energy. The other side was hazy, the destination unclear, but it didn't matter. It was a path forward, a path to redemption, to victory. And I knew we had to take it.

I glanced at Peter, and he gave me a determined smile, his eyes fierce with a bravery I hadn't seen in him before. He clenched his fists, nodding back at me. Together, we stepped forward, the portal's energy crackling around us as we entered it, each step taking us closer to the final battle.