"You're vulnerable, you're vulnerable
You are not a robot
You're lovable, so lovable
But you're just troubled."
-I Am Not a Robot, Marina and the Diamonds

Nebula
(Right after Infinity War)

It wasn't too difficult to locate the Benatar, but one look told Nebula the ship would not be going anywhere without some serious work.

She returned to where she had left the human. He was stacking little bits of debris into a monument of some kind.

"That will not bring them back."

The human spared her a glance before continuing his project.

"I know."

"Then why are you wasting time?"

He sighed, staring down at the slab of rock in his hand. "Do you have funerals where you're from?"

"I do not know. Thanos took me from my planet when I was an infant. I have never been back."

This time the human gave her his full attention. She did not like the pity on his face.

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged. He pursed his lips and carefully placed the rock on top of the pile, wincing as he did so.

"You are injured." Nebula jerked her head toward the Benatar. "There are likely medical supplies onboard."

"Might be kinder to just let me bleed out."

"I have never been kind," Nebula said matter-of-factly, crouching to help the human stand up. She had no intention of letting him die, but she would never admit that part of the reason was she didn't want to be alone out here.

The human leaned against her. "I'm Tony, by the way. Tony Stark."

She did not take his proffered hand, instead slinging his arm around her shoulders and beginning the slow trek back to the ship.

But after a moment, she said quietly, "Nebula."

:

"Whatcha doing?"

Only Nebula's training prevented her from jumping at the interruption. After she'd treated Stark with the ship's rather pathetic first aid kit, the human had dropped off to sleep. She'd left him lying in the cockpit and started working on the ship, confident he would be out for several hours, at least. Apparently she was mistaken.

"I am attempting to repair the fuel cells."

"Oh. Can I help?" Stark stepped a little closer, blocking the light, and Nebula gritted her teeth.

"You can help by staying out of the way," she hissed.

Stark didn't retreat. "I'm pretty good at fixing things," he offered. "A friend back on Earth calls me 'The Mechanic.'"

Nebula shook her head. "You will further aggravate your injuries. And we do not have adequate supplies to treat you as it is."

"I'm fine."

For the first time, Nebula actually looked up at the human. His face was a chalky white and he was swaying slightly. Swearing, she dropped the wrench she was holding and lurched to her feet.

:

Stark kept talking as she cleaned his wound.

"I've had worse than this," he said conversationally.

Nebula raised an eyebrow. Was she supposed to be impressed?

"I was in Afghanistan, at a demonstration. There was a bomb. It exploded and I got caught in the blast." He blinked up at the ceiling. "Some terrorists pretty much performed open-heart surgery and hooked me up to a car battery so the shrapnel wouldn't kill me."

Nebula began to pack up the medical supplies. "My father sent my sister and I on a mission to look for the Power Stone on Praxius IX. I fell into a trap, and my father made me save myself. To escape, I was forced to amputate my own arm."

Stark looked sickened. "Okay, you win."

She turned away so he wouldn't see the pained expression on her face.

:

Nebula sat in the pilot's chair, spinning a knife between her fingers and thinking about Gamora. She hoped her sister's death had been quick.

"I was supposed to get married."

She looked up in surprise. She thought Stark had fallen asleep in his seat, but apparently not. He wasn't looking at her. His gaze was far away.

"She's probably better off without me," he slurred.

:

They worked side by side. Stark hadn't been lying when he said he was good at fixing things. Even though the technology was completely foreign, he had a good eye and an intuitive touch.

"Want to hear something funny?" Stark grinned.

"Not particularly."

Predictably, he ignored her. "Where would an astronaut park his spaceship? A parking meteor!" He chortled at his own joke. Then he frowned down at the mass of wires he was inspecting. "I think I left the snippers by the pantry. Be right back."

He staggered off, and Nebula watched him go, bemused.

Stark was odd. He had a frustratingly fragile body and he talked too much.

But there was something about him she couldn't help liking.