𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 [𝖙•𝖘] [𝖎𝖒 - 𝖊𝖓𝖌]

⁵⁸. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡ℎ

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

The phone line beeped again, signaling another unsuccessful call. (Y/N) moved the phone away from her ear and let out a curse under her breath, the anxiety inside her chest tightening every single time the phone line rang for countless second with no answer. Her unoccupied hand was stuffed inside the pocket of her jacket, trying to contain herself from playing with her ring because it added more fuel to the fire.

(Y/N) called all the numbers that were registered in her phone, the ones that she had absolutely no clue if they were still alive or not. The Rambeau residence, Pepper, Happy, Maria Hill, Fury, and even her brother Charlie. None answered. It felt like a sick joke from the universe's part.

She also tried to reach Carol with the communicator she'd programmed almost 20 years ago, since this marked as an emergency. But when she did so, it beeped and detected an error in the system and said that the line was occupied. This obviously frustrated her even further and amplified her emotions, which led to almost throwing the phone against the wall for its uselessness.

(Y/N) felt her head pounding profoundly as time went by. She had no way to know where Tony was or what state he was in, and that terrified her. After she saw the Time Stone in Thanos's gauntlet and heard his name leave his lips, (Y/N) had this horrifying feeling that she wouldn't be able to see Tony again. But she had to keep a positive mindset, even if it was impossible.

She was about to continue her spiral of thoughts until someone knocked on the door of the empty room she was in. When (Y/N) flickered her attention to the door, she saw Rhodey waiting on the threshold with a tense look on his face.

"What?" (Y/N) asked, not liking the look in his eyes.

"We found something."

(Y/N) stuffed the phone back in her pocket, eager to know more and hopefully prepared to hear some good news. Rhodey gestured for her to follow after him and she did so without a word. She trailed behind him through the large halls and floors of the compound, the place where all the survivors found themselves back in after not being together for 3 years.

"Is it Tony? Is it Fury?"

Rhodey shook his head. "Not exactly."

"Then what did you find?"

"That."

(Y/N) turned to the side where Rhodey was pointing at, having not realized that he had guided her to the lab in the midst of all the countless possibilities in her mind. There, in the examination table, held up in place by a large metal tweezer, stood the communicator from all those years ago. It was turned on with the blue and red colors in the small screen, indicating that a signal was being received and that's why (Y/N) couldn't dial it herself.