With her heart pounding in her chest, Peggy tossed the revolver aside and sprinted toward Ian. She collapsed onto the ground beside him, her eyes fixated on his mangled body and disfigured face. Overwhelmed with emotion, her tears streamed down her cheeks like a raging river breaking through a dam.

With a delicate touch, she cupped his face with both hands and leaned in, her voice shaking with concern as she asked, "What happened to you?" Her gaze was fixed on his face, studying every detail, searching for any clues as to what could have caused such brutal injuries.

Tears streamed down her face as she carefully observed his disfigured features, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and anger. With a quivering voice, she asked, "Who did this to you?"

Ian's attempt at a smile was met with horror as his disfigured face twisted into a grotesque expression. Peggy couldn't help but cry at the sight of him, her close friend, forever changed by this gruesome event. Ian, despite his suffering, reached out to console her, his voice weak but filled with reassurance. "I am alright. I am still alive."

Peggy's emotions surged, a mixture of anger and despair taking hold of her. "Alright?" she exclaimed, her voice rising in frustration. "How the hell are you alright? Look at your face and body, they're severely burnt and disfigured. It's a miracle you're still alive."

Ian tried to hold back his pain, knowing that Peggy needed to vent her emotions and express her feelings. He offered a weak smile but didn't say a word, sensing her need to release her frustrations. As he lay there, his throat dry, he mustered the strength to ask for some water. "Can I get water? My throat's dry," he managed to say.

Without hesitation, Peggy sprang into action. "On it," she said, determined to provide Ian with the comfort and care he needed. She rushed to the kitchen, quickly filled a glass with water, and made her way back to his side. With a gentle touch, she raised his head and brought the glass to his lips, carefully helping him drink the refreshing water.

Ian savored every drop of water, feeling the parched dryness in his throat slowly subsiding. As he finished drinking, Peggy sprang into action once again, helping him to lie back down on the couch. With her professional and caring touch, she ensured that he was comfortable and well-cared for, despite the horrific injuries that he had sustained. Ian couldn't help but feel grateful for Peggy's unwavering support and devotion, even in the darkest of moments.

With a determined look on her face, Peggy asked Ian the question that had been weighing heavily on her mind. "What happened to you?" Her tone was stern and professional, yet filled with concern and compassion for the man lying before her.

Ian let out a deep sigh, his eyes fixed on Peggy's face as he began to recount his harrowing ordeal. "So, I was in Poland with the Soviets, pushing toward Berlin. I needed to retrieve something from a location far from the camp, so I slipped away unnoticed," he explained.

Ian flinched as he caught sight of Peggy's eyebrows twitching, bracing himself for a potential reprimand for disregarding protocol. However, to his surprise, Peggy remained calm and composed, her expression one of intense focus and concern.

Taking a deep breath, Ian continued his account of what had happened to him. "So, I traveled for days, across fields and other obstacles, until I finally reached my destination." His voice trailed off for a moment, and he looked at Peggy with a sense of unease before finally speaking the name of the place that had forever changed him. "Auschwitz."

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Peggy's words cut through the air like a knife, and Ian braced himself for her inevitable outburst. Steeling himself, he looked up at Peggy and prepared to face the consequences of his actions.

"Why did you go to Auschwitz alone?" Peggy demanded, her voice filled with a mixture of anger and concern. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? How many Soviet soldiers it took to liberate that place?"

Ian remained silent, knowing that Peggy was right to be angry. After a few moments of intense silence, Peggy spoke again, her tone cold and professional.

"Continue," she ordered, her eyes fixed on Ian's face. Despite the harshness of her words, he could sense the underlying concern and care in Peggy's voice.

Ian's hands shook as he held the satchel tightly, his fingers white with tension.

"What's inside?" Peggy asked, her voice laced with curiosity. Ian hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and answering.

"I went there to get this," he said, holding up the satchel. "But you're not going to like it."

Peggy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she leaned in closer to get a better look. When Ian finally opened the satchel, she recoiled in confusion at the sight of the numerous vials filled with blood inside.

"Whose blood is that?" she demanded, her voice rising in anger and disbelief.

Ian's eyes flickered with a mixture of guilt and fear, and he knew that he had to be careful with his words. "I'll tell you later," he said softly, hoping to placate her for the time being. "But right now, there's something else I need to explain."

Peggy let out a sigh and Ian proceeded to tell her the rest of his story. "Long story short," he said, "I got what I came for, and as I was escaping, there was an explosion that threw me out of the facility. The last thing I remember was feeling the cold snow on my face as I lay outside."

Peggy frowned as she asked, "Then how do you explain your disappearance? How did you even get here?"

Ian took a deep breath and replied, "I honestly don't know. The last thing I remember was the explosion at Auschwitz, and then everything went black. I woke up in an unfamiliar place, disoriented and confused. All I heard were whispers but when I heard your voice, it was like a beacon of hope. I followed the sound and found you."

Peggy's eyes widened in surprise, "But that's impossible, Ian. You've been missing for months, presumed dead. No one has been able to find any trace of you."

Ian looked down, lost in thought, and then he slowly lifted his head, his gaze meeting Peggy's, "I know it sounds crazy, but that's what happened. I swear I'm not lying to you."

Ian grasped Peggy's hand tightly and looked at her with a deep sense of urgency. "Peggy, you have to keep this a secret. If anyone finds out where I am, it could put me in grave danger," he pleaded.

Peggy hesitated, her mind racing with questions and concerns. After a moment of contemplation, she let out a heavy sigh and gave a solemn nod.

Ian searched her eyes for a moment before asking, "Do you promise to keep my whereabouts hidden?"

Peggy's expression softened as she placed a comforting hand on Ian's head. "I promise," she said firmly.

Amidst the vast expanse of the cosmos, a verdant-haired woman sat regally on a throne of wood, adorned with branches and leaves that seemed to grow from her very form. As she looked down, her face broke into a warm smile at the sight of a man kneeling before her.

Tenderly, she inquired, "Have you gleaned the knowledge I imparted unto you?"

The one before her was none other than Odin, the mighty god of Norse mythology, with flowing white hair, a full beard, and resplendent armor with a red cape flowing behind him. He kept his eyes lowered and responded with the utmost respect, "Yes, Læraðr."

Yggdrasil, the great cosmic tree, rustled her leaves in approval as she spoke, "He is the key, the one who can break the cycle of birth and death and bring about the end of the never-ending cycle."

Odin knelt before the great tree, and asked, "Forgive me for my question Mímameiðr, but I don't understand the need to help the Midgardian while exposing ourselves. Is it worth the risk?"

The tree rustled its branches and leaves as if contemplating Odin's question. Finally, it spoke in a low, rumbling voice, "The fate of the Nine Realms is intertwined. To break the endless cycle of birth and death, we must work together. And he," the tree paused for a moment, "is the key to achieving that."

Yggdrasil's voice resonated throughout the cosmos as she spoke with a hint of mystery, "You will soon realize that some risks must be taken, Odin. Your perception of events is limited to what others allow you to see."

Odin listened intently, his eyes fixed on the feet of the being atop her wooden throne. "Based on the knowledge you shared with me, he is involved in the important battles of the universe," Odin asked, "but wouldn't interfering in the past alter the future?"

Yggdrasil, responded with wisdom, "I am the bridge that connects the past, present, and future. Though my actions are limited, they do not change anything." She then turned her gaze to Ian and said, "The strands of fate are tangled and complex. His role is pivotal, and his fate is intertwined with the fate of the universe. That is why I have helped him, despite the dangers."