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Chain Keeps Us Together

Chapter 1: Mr. Blue Sky

...

Star-Lord opened his eyes, seeing nothing but broken chunks of gravel and stone. The smell of burning everything enveloped him, turning the slight ache in his head to a full out migraine that churned his empty stomach.

"Dammit, Quill" he hissed into the smoke and dust.

He was out of his depth.

Not that he'd never been out of his depth before, it happened every once in a while he could admit, but now... like right right now he was reeeeeally out of his depth.

Quill tried to move his fingers and then his hand, closing his fist around the sharp debris under his palm.

Maybe he should have thought this plan through before jumping in to a fight he wasn't ready for. He usually wouldn't describe himself as foolhardy, even at his worst times, but the second that freak had laid eyes on Gamora... dammit Quill felt an anger spike through him he hadn't felt since Ego; A power in him that he thought had died with his monster-planet of a father bubbled up like a shaken root beer.

It had been a split-second decision. Quill jumped in to help his new giant green friend, joining the beast's plight to destroy Thanos. He had hoped that his new simple-minded friend's strength would've been enough to pound Thanos into mush,

But that had NOT been the case.

"Peter!"

The two fought the mad titan viciously; One half terran- ...terran, and one strong-af broccoli man against the all-powerful Douche King. They took turns delivering blows, but none of their hits seemed to have any effect. Eventually, Thanos had tired of them, taking Hulk in one arm and Quill in the other and hurling them 20 feet into the same crumbling wall.

The Hulk had taken the majority of the impact, grabbing Peter at the last moment and pulling him into his chest.

It didn't stop the debris from crashing down on him though and GOOD LORD it had hurt.

"PETER!"

It felt (and probably looked) like blood was everywhere. He could feel it dripping from his mouth, mingling with sweat as it slid down his chin and onto the gravel. Absolutely everything hurt. Everything. The fall he'd taken had short-circuited his boots, he could already feel the sparks burning his ankles, and Quill's blaster was nowhere to be found either. "Jeeez-" When he reached down to make the burning stop, he found that his lower legs were caught under the fallen wall. He was pinned- Pinned!

"shit shit shit" Peter Quill closed his eyes and swallowed.

Only an hour before he had been safe on his ship. He and the other guardians had traveled to answer a distress call from Asgardian refuges. By the time they'd reached them, Thanos had already laid waste to most of the innocent refugees on board. They had made quick friends with a (frankly too muscular) man named Thor and an odd green creature that was called Hulk.

Thor was no match for the mad titan. His weapon was literally turned to dust and his head was nearly crushed by the titan's hand. Then it had been the Hulk's turn. Quill jumped in to help while Gamora and the others battled Thanos' lackeys.

Quill had been so sure Thanos had met his match... so sure the large, crazy, green thing would be able to win...

Maybe Rocket was right,

Maybe they should've stayed on the ship.

"Peter, move!"

Gamora's voice reached his ears like a call from heaven itself. She sounded desperate, scared- He needed to get up! He HAD to get up! For her, for Gamora!

get up get up get up get up get up get up get up get up Get UP.

"Come on."

He bit his lip and pushed his bloodied hands into the ground. With all his might, he lifted the wall up, leaving just enough room for the guardian to free his legs from the stone's weight

By the time he'd finally had his bearings again it was too late, the titan was barreling towards his crumpled self.

Quill gasped and scrambled back, bumping into a large fleshy mound of green. "Hulk!" The living tank was lying in a heap behind him, heaving and wheezing, eyes squeezed shut like he was in a considerable amount of pain. "Hulk, you gotta get up, buddy. He's coming."

The creature didn't stir.

"Hulk!"

"The beast has had enough."

Thanos' voice was calm... you know, like he HADN'T just annihilated a planet-worth of people.

Quill did his best not to show fear, but it was practically a lose-lose for him in this situation. He was tired. He was hurt. All he could do was spit a mess of blood and saliva on the stones, blinking and blinking- "get up, quill. Get up. Come on."

The titan's foot stepped over the dark smudge of blood. The tips of his large boots brushed threateningly against the terran's knees.

"And what about you, boy? Finished?"

Quill slowly lifted his head to look at the titan's face. Surprisingly, there was no mocking smile or haughty expression. Thanos was simply regarding him, studying him like a curious child would study a frightened rabbit.

It sickened him.

"You are a brave one, I'll give you that." Thanos spoke, head tilted and hand lowering to grasp Quill by the back of his neck. He gulped and shook, the sensation making his blood run cold.

Thanos' fat fingers ran up the back of the terran's head to card through his sweaty hair with deceitful delicacy. He didn't like this guy, not one bit. This was the piece of shit who killed Gamora's mother, this was the blueberry that was running around destroying worlds like it was his job... like it was his right. It disgusted him. Well, if he was going to die at least he'll die while trying to rid the universe of this off brand oompa loompa... At least he would die trying to help the woman he loved kill the creature that haunts her every waking nightmare.

"No- STOP!" Gamora cried out louder this time. Quill could see her over the titan's shoulder, panicked face running to his aid. "THANOS!"

Thanos' hand dropped back to Quill's neck and tightened, forcing Peter to choke and claw fruitlessly at the titan's large fingers. "Ack! Ga-ACK!"

This wasn't cool. This wasn't cool at all! They were all going to die!

Gamora paused at her lover's distress. Her heels slid to a halt, standing mere feet from the monster's back. She took a quick but steady breath and the very universe around them seemed to shush... or maybe Quill was just on the verge of blacking out,

Both?

"Thanos, release him."

It was a simple demand, calm yet stern. Quill thought it sounded pretty silly, actually. Daughter of Thanos or not, why would he ever listen to the girl that betrayed him? This guy was a destroyer of worlds, a sadist, a monster, a-

"AhUhck!" The guardian let out an embarrassing noise as Thanos lifted him to his feet by his neck. Clumsy legs struggled to find their footing. When he'd manged to stand, the purple fist loosened just enough to let air fill the smaller man's lungs. His abused chest shuttered and jumped painfully, coughs being subdued by Thanos' firm grip.

"Father," Gamora's voice softened, face switching into something more open and earnest. "Haven't you taken enough lives today?" She gestured to the destruction around her, to the dead littering the ground, to Thor's deathly still form sprawled out and soaking in his own brother's blood. "Look around you! "

Thanos did. He looked around himself at the fire and ruin, breathing deeply into the scent of carnage.

"Yes, but it was not for nothing, Little One." the deep voice rumbled. "I must admit though, your willingness to beg surprises me. Is it for him, Gamora?" The villain turned and looked Quill over again, eyes widening with sudden realization

"Ah, I see." He smiled. "The boyfriend."

The hand that held him relaxed and Quill fell back onto the unforgiving stones, breathing in air like his next inhale might be his last.

"We'll deal with him later. For now, I have something more important to discuss with you, daughter."

"What could there possibly be to discuss? You assume I-"

"No." Her father overrode her. Gamora swallowed, holding her ground as Thanos stepped closer. "Don't act coy, Gamora. We both know what I seek."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mmm. I think you do." Peter couldn't see the jerk's face, but he could tell her was smiling. Man, if he only had his blaster. "Where is the stone?"

"I don't have any stone, and certainly wouldn't know where to find one."

"Ah." The titan tsked and walked backwards until he was once again in Quill's space. "You think I don't know you, Gamora? I know you better than you know yourself."

"You know NOTHING!" The woman screamed, patience breaking. A large red handled dagger unlatched from her belt as her body spun, legs carrying her forward. Her green arms thrust out with lightening speed, any other opponent would have been sliced clean through... any other opponent.

But this opponent was Thanos.

His large hand caught hers with ease. He ripped the dagger from her and pushed the woman back. Dark eyes met Peter's, a silent apology on her lips.

"I taught you everything you know, daughter. I taught you how to fight, how to be the fiercest woman in the galaxy... but i never taught you to lie."

Thanos dropped his arm down and extended the blade, the very point rested inches from Quill's chest. Gamora jerked forward, mouth hanging open, jaw working to form something ANYTHING that would still the dagger in his hand.

"Tell me," He demanded "or the boy dies."

The terran shook his head, hoping that his friend would understand. He knew that look on Gamora's face. Whatever information Thanos was after, Gamora had. She was a lot of things, but the dick-face was right... she wasn't a liar.

There was no use fighting him an there was no use lying. She was going to have to make a decision.

"An instant is all it takes, Little one." Her father sighed. Gamora blinked hard, eyes staring at the unforgiving silver resting over Peter's heart. "It would disappoint me too, i think."

Thanos turned back to look at his daughter's injured lover. His genuine pity made Peter bristle, fear draining just enough to turn his expression to stone.

"Pshh yeah, bet it would." he rasped.

His enemy hummed, sounding amused. "See? See how he rebels still? A pet ready to die for their master. He must really love you, Gamora."

Well, that was a backhanded compliment if he'd ever heard one.

Gamora looked ruined. He'd never seen her so miserable... so defeated. Quill wished he could comfort her, wished he had told her one last time how much she meant to him. After all he had been through, all the hardships and woes, all the dancing and jokes, all the friends he'd made when he finally realized being the hero was his true calling in the universe...

It all had led up to this moment.

"Father, please"

"The stone, Gamora."

And it was okay, right? He didn't want to die, but if he had to right now he was okay. It was okay. It was okay.

God, he wished he could tell her.

The emerald girl licked her dry lips. She was out of lies and out of time. "The stone..."

A flicker of light caught Peter's eye.

"...it is not easy to reach. You'll f- find it on-"

Not just his, but Gamora's too. Her mouth instantly stilled, eyes staring down at the other guardian's crotch like she'd never seen it before (not gonna go there). Quill looked up at her and back down and then up.

"I don't even know what to say right now." It was a heavy quip, one that grabbed the attention of Thanos. The titan whipped around, teeth clenched and dagger falling to the side.

The light under his ass was no longer a flicker, but an extending great circle of runes. It pulsed like a heartbeat, flowing outwards towards the Hulk who was still half awake behind his back.

"What's happening?" Thanos shoved Gamora to the side and stormed away from the glow. Quill could see him shouting at the Asgardian bodies at his feet.

What the hell?

The ground beneath him quickly began to sink as the light grew brighter. At his back, the Hulk let out a monstrous roar, using the last remnants of his conscious mind to instinctively claw at the disintegrating stones around him. Peter joined him, extending his hand out to grab for Gamora who was trying her hardest to lean over the edge of the circle. His exhausted mind was screaming "Reach! Move! Move!" but his boy was too shocked to properly obey!

His hand slipped from Gamora's grasp. So fast... Too fast... Too bright... screaming... roaring...

And then falling.

...

...

Quill braced for impact. The fall couldn't have lasted more than a couple of minutes, but it was the fact that it was a TERRIFYING couple of minutes that made it seem like an eternity. He felt his vocal cords vibrate, trying to scream over the roar of wind and crackling universe filling up the endless tunnel of "maybe" death.

"OH GOD!" went unheard as the Hulk's massive body disappeared somewhere ahead of him. "Whoa! shit- HELP!"

A bright white light blinded him. The tunnel gave an unexpected jolt.

"N- n-n-n- arahh! "

His body sped up. A queasiness settled in the pit of his stomach that promised an excruciating and untimely end.

Falling- Falling - FALLING -

"YEEEEHHHH!"

and CAUGHT.

Quill cursed as his world was brought to a painless halt. A gentle, but steady force of energy pushed back onto his skin. The sound of whipping and wailing ceased. The sensation was an odd one, not unlike the weightless feeling of open space. His senses didn't come back immediately and, in the back of his mind, he could slowly feel himself begin to panic.