Been a long while since I've done anything having to do with Guardians of the Galaxy. But I figured with the new movie out (which I might add was awesome) I should try to do at least a couple things. Not to mention that end was a punch right in the feels.
Enjoy.
"You shot me."
"I did." Rocket didn't even try to deny it, but his voice lacked all of his usual biting sarcasm. It had become flat, almost monotone.
As the cobwebs cleared from Gamora's mind, her short-term memory returned. Rocket had shot her in the back with a stun round just as she was about to leave the ship to…
Peter!
Gamora's eyes shot every which direction searching for the missing terran. Not only was Peter missing, Yondu was nowhere to be found either. Everyone else was present, Nebula and Kraglin included.
"Where is Peter?" Gamora knew something happened when no one was willing to meet her eyes, save Nebula but her black orbs betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Groot had obviously been crying but was trying to hide it.
"He and the cap'n… they didn't make it." It was Kraglin of all people who answered. The ravager sounded like he was on the verge of tears himself.
Gamora's mind came to a screeching halt.
Peter wasn't dead, he couldn't be dead. Any second now he would come out from around the corner with that stupid dopey grin on his face and say it was all a joke. Then she would kick his ass for scaring her and maybe embrace him for being alive.
The way everyone avoided Gamora's eye… this was no joke.
Peter was dead.
Gamora recalled something else. Rocket had shot her in the back just as she was going back for their wayward leader. Nebula had yet to move from her spot and it was doubtful anyone would obey her, Kraglin wouldn't have left without Yondu if he knew he wasn't on board, and Drax had just said earlier they leave no one behind. All of this led to one conclusion.
"You left him behind." Gamora leveled a glare at Rocket that could have smothered suns in its coldness.
"I did." Rocket repeated. He made no attempt to hide what he'd done. Unlike his usual demeanor, he didn't do it with an I-don't-care-what-you-think smirk gracing his muzzle. Right now, Gamora didn't care what he had to say or do.
"YOU LEFT PETER BEHIND!" Something deep within Gamora snapped. She made a dash toward Rocket, murderous intent clear as a roaring fire. She made two steps toward Rocket before she was intercepted by the large bulk of Drax.
"This is not something you wish to do." Drax's words reached Gamora's ears, but didn't go much further than that. "Please, cease this struggle." Just as Drax started to lose his hold on the assassin, Groot wrapped his small vines around her waist in an attempt to stop her but that wasn't enough either. Even Kraglin, oddly enough, joined in on the attempt to restrain the berserk guardian.
With all three of them they were barely able to hold her back. This only succeeded because she wasn't turning her fury on any of them. Gamora could easily cripple the three long enough to reach her target but her mind didn't have enough rational thought left. All she could think about was reaching Rocket, and slaying the furry vermin in the most brutal way she could envision.
"I am Groot!" The miniature flora colossus begged the woman to stop but Gamora couldn't hear. She flailed and snarled like some wild beast, her normally rational and logical mind consumed by pure rage.
"YOU LEFT PETER BEHIND!" Gamora screamed the only words her mind would allow her to form.
It was inevitable, even with the combined strength of Drax, Groot, and Kraglin, Gamora was too strong physically to be restrained for long. First, she broke Groot's vines and knocked the small plant being knocked aside, followed shortly by an elbow to Kraglin's face leading to a possibly broken nose and the man being pushed away. Left alone, Drax was muscled to the floor with a rough shove.
At last, all obstructions were away from Gamora's target. None of them would be able to recover fast enough to try again. Seeing Rocket not even trying to escape only brought a sadistic smile to Gamora's lips.
One step, that was as far as Gamora got before she was seized from behind yet again. This time, a pair of lithe arms pinned her own behind her back and a second around her neck. Try as she might, Gamora couldn't break this hold no matter how much she thrashed about.
Gamora had enough, the assassin moved to flip her new assailant over her shoulder but she was stopped when their leg swept beneath her and took her to the ground.
Now flat on her back, Gamora continued to struggle. Being so close to her target then being denied only fueling the burning fury within her.
Before Gamora could make any form of counter-attack, Nebula had her arms pinned to the floor and both her knees to Gamora's middle. Try as she might, Nebula had Gamora completely pinned.
"Sister, that's enough." Nebula's voice was barely registered by Gamora, but words managed to reach her brain this time.
"He…"
"Made the hard call none of you were willing to make." Nebula's countenance shifted into an annoyed scowl. "Accept that."
Gamora didn't want to, she wanted to scream and beat Rocket to death with her bare hands. But the more logical side of Gamora's brain was regaining control, and she realized Nebula spoke nothing but the truth.
Peter was gone, and nothing was going to bring him back.
Nebula had gotten off of Gamora and returned to her seat, but Gamora barely noticed. She just stayed right there on the cold steel of the ship's floor. The fire of her rage replaced with a numbing chill.
For so many years Gamora had trained herself to not form attachments. Not only could these be exploited, but losing the person you were attached to could have horrendous consequences. And what did it take to throw that mindset right out the airlock?
Two months with Peter Quill. Peter, with all his stupid grins, habit of breaking into song and dance at random times, and his unending pursuit of her affections. The man with his quirky habits and strange references had smashed down every wall Gamora threw up against him.
This was the exact reason why she was trained to resist emotional attachment. She didn't want to be vulnerable, but here she was, on the floor in front of everyone and feeling completely hollow and dead inside.
Maybe there really was something to this 'unspoken thing' Peter had mentioned back on Ego's Planet…
Beeping from a nearby console attracted everyone's attention. Kraglin fumbled his way over to it, a bloody rag held up to his nose.
"YES!" Kraglin squealed and dashed up the stairs back to the cockpit, leaving a confused crew behind him.
"Hey Krag!" Rocket called after him. "What's goin' on'?"
"Got a signal from nearby." Kraglin yelled over his shoulder, already out of sight. "Ravager frequency!"
The assembled crew had just enough time for the words to sink in before the ship lurched in movement nearing throwing those still standing off their feet.
Gamora allowed herself a few selfish moments to hope that after all they went through it wouldn't end like this. Peter could still have made it, hopefully he and Yondu both.
The moment Peter and Yondu were back onboard, Gamora knew something was wrong.
It was ironic in a way, the two men were pulled into the ship by the same tractor beam that Peter and Gamora used two months ago. Only this time, things did not go to whatever plan Peter had come up with.
Gamora was first in the line that rushed to the airlock to Peter, so she was first to find him clutching the lapels of Yondu's coat for dear life. His eyes staring blankly at the unmoving Ravager captain.
It didn't take much observation to recognize a cause of death from space exposure, or the small device attached to Peter's shoulder.
No one needed to say a word to explain what happened.
"Peter?" Gamora dropped to her knees beside Peter, resting a single hand on his shoulder.
No answer.
Drax said nothing, merely took a seat on Peter's opposite side and copied Gamora's gesture with his head bowed in respect for a fallen warrior.
Rocket merely stood off to the side, stiff and unsure what to do.
"I am Groot…" Groot's voice was barely heard, even with Gamora's enhanced ears. The miniature flora colossus climbing into Gamora's lap so he could give Peter a small hug with his vine arms.
Kraglin was last to arrive. Taking slow steps, he kneeled beside Yondu. The Ravager was sobbing quietly, but no one was going to dare draw attention to it.
"Even if the others won't, I'll do it cap'n." Kraglin's voice was low, even more than Groot's a moment ago. He brought his fist to his chest in what Gamora assumed was some kind of Ravager salute and said something else, but Gamora was deliberately not paying attention to him.
There were bigger concerns.
"Peter?" Gamora tried again, but still received no answer. Having had enough, the emerald skinned assassin forcefully, but gently, turned Peter's head with a hand on his cheek. "Peter, look at me."
A part of Gamora almost regretted making Peter look at her. Tears were welling up in his blue orbs but had yet to actually fall. So much raw sorrow and pain were held in that gaze it was like a punch right to Gamora's heart. She hadn't meant to leave her hand on his cheek, but so stunned she was, the thought of removing it never occurred to her.
Peter was never meant to be sad or anything of the sort. He was supposed to always be jovial and happy, always dancing about with a song on his lips. Seeing Peter this way filled Gamora with a profound urge to prevent him from looking like this ever again.
"He…" Peter choked out, tears starting to fall now. "He…"
"I know." Gamora whispered, moving her hand from his cheek to the back of his head. Peter didn't even seem to have the will to resist when she pulled his head to rest on her shoulder.
Being forced to kill your murderous father then having to watch your surrogate father, who actually cared, die one after the other? Peter was hurting so badly… and Gamora could do next to nothing to help him.
Comforting someone was still sometimes alien to Gamora, but Peter had chosen her to latch onto, both physically and literally with his arms around her.
Gamora, not knowing what else to do, held Peter in her embrace as he sobbed into her hair. Maybe stroking his hair would help just a little, so she did that too. These were things you did when offering comfort weren't they?
"It's going to be alright." Gamora used what she truly hopped was her softest voice. "We're here, and it's all going to be alright."
"We are here." Drax finally spoke giving Peter's shoulder a light squeeze.
"I am Groot." Groot had yet to move from Gamora's lap.
"What they said." Rocket stood behind Peter, a paw on his back.
Gamora smiled slightly. So what if she was no good at offering comfort? As with all things, the Guardians of the Galaxy did better when all working together.
What Drax had said earlier came back to Gamora just then. Five simple words that held a surprising amount of meaning Gamora hadn't grasped at the time.
We're not friends, we're family.
Looking at the four of them, all gathered around Peter, Gamora understood just how right their fellow guardian had been. Perhaps this was what real family actually felt like?
Eh, not very good, took me way too long to come up with a title but I still don't like it. I'm trying to get back into the Guardians of the Galaxy fandom and this was my foot in the door, doesn't help I did it all in a single rushed afternoon (after rewriting it twice).
I hope to do more, but haven't quite figured out what yet. Who knows, I might even try to continue Learning to be Lovers.
Let me know what you all think.