aftermath

It seems interminable, the time she is trapped in this place. She wouldn't call it a place even, more like a dimension, or in limbo, as some of the others would call it, a dimension shrouded by a mysterious mist. It contains nothing, a space stripped of life and existence, apart from the millions of souls it had captured into it, like a wormhole. Everything feels real, heck, she feels real herself, but at the same time, it seems like an illusion, dancing in front of her. The flow of time is warped, almost inexistent, and she doesn't know how long she's been here, which is so frustrating, it surprises her that she hasn't resort to pulling her hair out.


Hope remembers the shock pulsing through her torso, as she stiffens in bewilderment, completely perplexed when she watches her parents fade into dust. She stumbles forward, trying to grasp whatever that's left of her mother's hand and yet Janet disappears into ashes that settles to the ground. An impending sense of death looms over her and she spins around quickly, reaching for the walkie talkie, hoping to contact Scott, but she finds herself crumbling away too, her fingertips first and it spreads, and she falls onto the ground. It almost seems painless, but it's terrifying to see herself turn into black specks of dust, and yet feel helpless to prevent it from happening.


She wakes up, whole again, into this place, lying on the ground, her mind struggling to grapple with the reality of it all. Where is she? Is this a dream? Did she die? A million pressing questions runs through her mind although she senses she will never get her answers, at least not for now. She sees her parents beside her, holding on to each other, both equally as puzzled as her. Immediately, she snaps back to her senses, her eyes darting to and fro, near and far, anxiously raking in her surroundings, searching for his familiar face.


Her face falls and it hits her like a tidal wave as it dawns on her that he's still in the Quantum Realm, because she had left him there, unintentionally. A stabbing pain fills her chest as she imagines Scott all alone in the Quantum Realm (it melts your mind, she remembers him saying), unable to return and unable to figure out what had just happened. Fear fogs her brain as she couldn't bear the thought of him thinking that she had abandoned him, how helpless and afraid and lonely he must feel, or maybe even hurt and betrayed. She wants nothing but to see his face right now, to tell him that she didn't leave him, to touch him and to hug him again.


Hope tries hard to keep it all together, but she breaks down one day, sitting on the ground, drowning in horrible thoughts, and endless memories flashes by. At first, she chokes up a little, her green eyes welling up with tears then she reduces to weeping uncontrollably, tears falling off like raindrops, staining her cheeks, her breathing becoming shallow and unsteady. She pulls her knees closer to her chest, wrapping herself with her arms and hides her face while she sobs, visibly shaken. After a while, Hope feels a firm grip on her shoulder and she flinches, looking up only to see her mother standing in front of her. Janet stoops down to Hope's level and sits beside her, reaching out an arm to her shoulder and pulling her close, letting her daughter lean on her. Her mother doesn't utter a word because she understands, the feeling of being separated from the family or the man you love. Her grip tightens on Hope and she seeks comfort in her mother's embrace, and for once, she's not embarrassed in letting her vulnerability show.


One day, she meets a doctor with a red cloak with a mind of its own and he tells her that there's a one in a million chance that this would be reversible and they would return to wherever they came from. He speaks of the Quantum Realm and how it would play a role in their victory against Thanos and she is reminded of Scott again. He asks her to be patient and the time will come when they will be reunited with their loved ones. Patience is never her strong suit but she waits, and a tiny new hope grows within her and she desperately clings onto it, determination surging in her again as she prepares to embrace and fight whatever that may come. The war comes eventually and they fight with all they have, shedding sweat, tears, blood and even unwanted sacrifices.


When Hope sees Scott for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, his face peeping through the helmet, all bruised and battered, she runs to him, her legs taking off like the wind, and she nearly crashes into him, if not for him catching her with his arms. She jumps onto him, almost knocking him off balance, her soft hands cupping his stubbled cheeks, his strong arms supporting her. She catches his lips with hers, and they kiss with such fervour and passion, taking in each other's familiar warmth and touch, deprived of their love for each other so long. They hold on to each other tight, both thinking they're never letting go of each other again.

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