Training Day

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marvel Comics. Also, this fic is set a couple of weeks after Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, but you don't need to see that movie to read this. I'll try to avoid spoilers as much as possible.

The alien woman looked around nervously at the large room. She then glanced down at the floor, at the soft blue material under her feet. Her solid black eyes blinked in curiosity at the material, and her antennae from her forehead twitched and glowed as she felt another presence in the room.

"It's a mat, Mantis." A female voice told her. Mantis looked up and saw a green woman with black hair that had dark red tips tied into a ponytail, clad in a gray t-shirt and black shorts. Gamora. The Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe. "Trust me, you'd rather be thrown down on this than on the floor. Metal hurts the back."

"Forgive me, Gamora, but I am uncertain that this is a good idea." Mantis said.

"It's a good idea for you to learn some of this, just in case. Never know what you'd encounter out there." Gamora told Mantis. "It's a big, dangerous universe, and it would only be helpful for you to learn how to protect yourself."

"My emotional powers have served me well so far." Mantis countered.

"True, but there are things out there that your powers won't do you a damn bit of good against." Gamora explained. "Trust me on this, Mantis. I have seen some things." A sigh left her lips.

"I can sense you have some apprehension about this." Mantis noted.

"...well...let's just say my training wasn't quite like this." Gamora explained. "It wasn't a teacher lecturing me in a nice room like this."

"It wasn't?"

"No..." Gamora sighed. She found her mind flashing back to her past...darker times. Mantis cocked her head and her antennae glowed. She slowly approached the green woman and took her hand. Mantis gasped at the emotions she was getting from the Zen Whoberi. Fear, anger, regret, loneliness...she quickly drew her hand away.

"Wow..."

"Sorry, I should have warned you." Gamora waved it off. "My mind is not a pleasant place to be in. Especially when I start thinking about the past."

"You were...you were broken..."

"Yeah, I was given cybernetic enhancements." Gamora nodded. "It was part of Thanos's little...attempts to make us into perfect soldiers." She sighed. "Nebula got it worse than I did." I had to win...I had to win so I would not lose any more of my organics...The green woman shook her head. "But that's not for today. Time to train." The green woman took a martial stance. "I want to to try and punch me."

"...punch you?"

"Yes." Gamora said. "Try and punch me. As hard as you can."

"Very...very well." Mantis nervously balled her right hand into a fist. She then threw the fist like Gamora instructed. With speed that shocked the empath, the warrior grabbed her fist and twisted her arm behind her back, making Mantis cry out. Gamora then wrapped her free arm around Mantis's neck, choking the alien for a brief moment before she felt Gamora shove her away. "Ack!"

"I figured this would be more in your comfort level." Gamora explained. "It's a redirection from Arcturan martial arts."

"Nngh..." Mantis winced, rubbing her arm and shoulder.

"It's meant to create an opening for an attack. Arcturans are known for being rather...aggressive with their fighting styles."

"I don't think that's for me."

"True." Gamora nodded in agreement. "But I do think that's a good move for you to learn in case anyone comes at you."

"I see."

"I'm done some looking into it, and I think some Centaurian Judo may be more your style." Gamora explained.

Mantis blinked at this. "Really?"

"Yup." Gamora nodded. "It emphasizes redirecting violent energy away from the user. It's an effective art and it's simple to learn."

"Oh."

"Yup." Gamora nodded with a smile. "I'll take you through the basic katas first. Once you master those, then we can go into proper moves."

"Oh, okay." Mantis nodded. "These...katas sound complicated."

"No, not that bad. I promise." Gamora reassured. "Let's get started." For the next couple of hours, the Zen Whoberian guided the empathic alien through the katas, adjusting her position, and the like. It was stopped when rumbling could be heard.

"I take it that's you?" An amused Gamora chuckled. A blushing Mantis nodded and put her hand on her stomach.

"Yes, I am afraid."

"Don't worry about it. We'll take a break for some food." Gamora told Mantis understandingly. The alien empath left the room. Gamora followed her, a short time later, only to run into an Earthman clad in a gray t-shirt and black pants. "Hello, Peter."

"Hey, Gamora." Peter responded. "Training one of the newbies?"

"Yeah, I figured it would be helpful for Mantis to learn how to fight." Gamora explained. "Her powers aren't going to be able to get her out of every situation."

"She put a planet to sleep." Peter reminded. "Isn't this a bit overkill?"

"She did, but that doesn't mean she can be overly dependent on that trick." Gamora countered. "What if she encounters something that her empathic powers don't work on? Or goes up against something that can disable her powers? She's going to need something to fall back on."

Peter put his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Okay, okay. Point made, point made. I just hope you don't decide to suddenly take her to the shooting range."

"One thing at a time, Quill." Gamora snarked. "...how have you been?"

"Fine."

"Peter, don't lie." Gamora told him. "That whole thing put us all through the ringer." She sympathetically put her hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to go through this alone."

"I know." Peter sighed. "I know." He looked at Gamora. "How're you doing?"

"Dealing as best I can." Gamora sighed. "Got a lot of regrets in this head."

"Nebula?"

"Yeah..." Gamora sighed. "She was right about something."

"About what?"

"She said I always had to win." Gamora told Peter. "And you know...she was right. I always did."

"Gamora..."

"Let me continue." The Zen Whoberi said. "I...I saw things during my time as one of Thanos's children. Nebula and I are not the only ones. Thanos...he hated failure. And...cybernetics were how he'd be punishing it." She sighed. "He would push me and Nebula hard. Make us fight. His way of strengthening us." The warrior looked down at the floor. "I...I saw what he did to those who failed him...and...I was terrified. I did not want that to happen to me." She shuddered. "I was determined to not let Thanos turn me into a robot. I was so scared and selfish." She looked down at the ground. "And I let Nebula suffer for it."

"...I am sorry, Gamora."

"At least she and I are on better terms now." Gamora sighed. "If you can call it that. I was hoping she'd stay with us."

"She's going to do what she wants to do, Gamora. Nothing you can do about that."

"Yeah." Gamora nodded. "I just hope she's alright."

"Ah, if she's anything like you, I'm sure she's fine." Peter snickered. "She may be the Second Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe, but that's still pretty badass."

"Don't ever say that around her, if you value living." Gamora warned.

"Yeah, sure."

"Looks like you're not quite as dumb as you act." Gamora smirked.

"Ah, there's the old Gamora we know and love back. We missed you." Peter snarked.

Gamora rolled her eyes. "Funny. Funny. Glad to see that you're still with us in some way."

"Yeah. It's what Yondu would want, I guess."

"I think so."

Peter looked up at nothing in particular. "Yondu said that he was proud I was his boy."

"Yondu loved you, Peter. Wish I could say the same for my father."

"From what I heard about Thanos, I think we should be glad that you weren't completely screwed up."

Gamora suddenly remembered something. "...remember that orb?"

"The one with that stone thing inside?" Peter answered. "Yeah. How can I forget the thing that we used to fry Ronan...and nearly fried us along the way."

"Thanos is still going to be after that stone." Gamora reminded.

"That's something that's been bothering me." Peter admitted. "Why is he after this stone? I know that it's powerful, but..."

"It's one of six." Gamora explained. "From what I understand...Thanos wants them because each of the stones affect an aspect of reality. The one we encountered? It was Power personified."

"Power?" Peter blinked.

"Yes." Gamora nodded. "That stone we encountered was Power. It makes you the strongest being in the universe. It can make someone omnipotent. That's why only the strongest beings in the universe can handle it."

"And since I'm...or was half-Celestial..." Peter deduced. "Guess being Ego's kid had a perk."

"You won't be able to handle that stone again, Peter." Gamora warned. "And as I said, it's one of six. There's one that can grant ultimate power over the Mind. A second allows mastery of Space. Third, master of Reality. Fourth, power over the Soul. And fifth, the power over Time itself. And if all six are brought together..."

"You can become God." Peter's face paled.

"Essentially, yeah." Gamora nodded. "That's why Thanos is after them. Ultimate power over the Universe."

"Oh, man..." Peter held his head. "That must've been why you wanted to get the stone to Tivan. He could have kept it safe among his collection of various trinkets."

"Basically, yeah." Gamora confirmed. "And he offered a lot of units. Could get a fresh start anywhere in the known universe."

"...where'd you plan to go?"

"Somewhere I could lie low." Gamora explained. "...I didn't think that far ahead. Maybe I just...just wanted to get away."

"Still want to do that?"

Gamora looked at Peter. "Surprisingly...no." The two then heard screaming.

"MY NECK!" They heard the voice of Drax roar.

"Not again..." Peter groaned as he walked off, a chuckling Gamora behind him.

"It's always Drax that thing hits, huh?"

Peter sighed. "Yup. At least he hasn't figured out how to set it ablaze yet."

Thanks for reading!