Chapter 9

Storming the Gates

Utterly surrounded, Iron Gamora starts to work with a heavy chest blast. It obliterated everyone of the devours in the near vicinity, giving the others time to rally outside of their ships. The chest blast had left Gamora weak for a moment. As she was trying to regain her energy she was swarmed again. Veratta fired a ripper bolt from her long range rifle. One...two...three shots in succession driving back the devourers that were trying to corner Gamora.

Once Gamora was up, she charged off into the fray once again. Leading the charge with an array of short ranged missiles. Veratta, her little guardian angel laying down cover fire for her. Drax threw open the cockpit hatch of the Milano and launched himself down into the battlefield, barely able to contain his excitement. Blades whipping through the air, slicing and dicing everything that got near to him, his ears filled with the thumping of his own heart, and the maniacal laughter bursting from his chest.

Quill jumped out of the cockpit and went air born with his rocket boots. He twirled slowly in the air raining down hot blaster fire from above. Watching as the devourers skittered and died at his whim. Sabine was throwing out flash grenades by the handfuls, hoping that it would distract the devourers. Periodically she switched from her grenades to heavy photon blaster. Leveling the devourers she'd left stunned and disorganized.

Rocket stood by to open the hatch. "Dr. Adams, are you guys okay up there?"

"Certainly." Dr. Adams spoke as he set the override security protocol, sending the Mulan Rouge on a crash course. "How about you?"

"We're good, what's the next order of business?" Rocket listened in, waiting to hear the good news.

Dr. Adams urged them on. "Alexandra is your main target. I predict she would be on the top floor in Artemis's main chambers. Once she is defeated, set the bomb and get out of there. It's a high powered Nuclear Fusion Bomb, even in space the shock wave, and radiation could be catastrophic."

"Okay good, sounds simple at least. Any last words of wisdom before we go?" Rocket nodded and smirked while looking back at the group behind him.

Alastair was ready to charge, his twin batons in hand. Anders had a blaster rifle slung onto his back, and another in his hands. He pulled his lucky ball cap down to square his vision. Aisha had her Ripper pistol locked and loaded, another mag clutched in her hand. Alicia was checking her pump action kinetic thump-gun one final time, before she looked at Rocket. Groot smiled and punched his palm with a fist. Everyone was ready, there was no turning back now.

"Well, I have do have one more thing." Dr. Adams cleared his throat as he stepped away from the main console and headed for the hallway. "Don't die."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." With that Rocket slammed his fist down on the button for the hatch and waited.

Once it was open, the group poured out into the carnage. Rocket sweeping right, with Alicia and Aisha in tow. Alastair, Anders, and Groot going left. Mayhem would be a perfect way to describe this situation. Alastair was swinging his batons wildly, finding it refreshing that the devourers skin and bones were so frail against his powerful hits. Anders was at his back, opening up his blaster with quick bursts.

Groot had joined Drax in the middle of the battlefield, stomping and slashing every dark creatures into goo. Alicia used her shots sparingly, instead she would send the devourers scattering with a swing of her razor sharp dagger. Rocket laid down precision fire with his Atomizers. He had to be certain none of his family members were around to be hurt or thrown off balance by the mini shock waves. When Alicia heard Rocket click empty, she would move to defend him so he could reload. Once she was empty and needed to reload. Aisha would step in sending a flurry of Ripper darts bouncing around. They moved through the room like a well oiled machine.

"There's too many of them!" Veratta shouted, as she fired her last Ripper dart from her long range rifle.

"We just have to clear a path to the elevator, Rocket's team will do the rest." Quill yelled back as he planted his foot down on a devourer, before lighting it on fire with his rocket boots.

"Then by gods let's get it done." Veratta hit a switch on the console of her Peacemaker, before jumping down into the fray.

"Form to me!" She yelled and drew her necroblasters, the hatch to the Peacemaker opened and thirty well armed peacekeepers filed out forming two lines behind her.

"Rocket, when we pass you take refuge inside my group of peacekeepers. They will keep your team safe." Veratted ordered, starting to march in a slow pace, firing only at those devourers that came close.

"Sound good to me." Rocket responded, stomping the head of one of the nearby devourers.

"Drax, Groot follow behind us. You will be in charge of guarding the elevator door." Veratte could see the destroyer leveling several of the creatures easily.

"I am Groot." The large tree agreed, as he kicked his leg out sending a large patch of devourers flying.

"Quill and the rest of you will be vulnerable for the time being. Once Rocket's team is at the elevator, we will be back to assist you." Veratte managed to level a Devourer that was jumping directly at her face.

"Well don't be gone too long, or I'll start to miss you." Quill dodged out of the way, as Iron Gamora leveled several of the beast with a palm burst.

A few of the peacekeepers fell, but were replaced instantly, with more rushing to take their place. When the group passed Rocket, Alicia, and Aisha, they darted into the safety of their living shield, firing at whatever devourers thought to sneak up the rear. Soon Groot and Drax joined at the back of the lines, protecting the rest of the peacekeepers as best they could. Rocket could barely believe that this plan was working. The large group climbed a small flight of stairs and continued on to the dead end corridor.

Alicia pushed through the group, slapping a piece of equipment to the wall that she'd gotten out of her back pouch. When the screen lit up, it caused the invisible console it was attached to, to lit up as well. Aisha and Rocket watched closely. A single word flashed on the screen. 'Override', and they could hear the elevator starting to descend. The peacekeepers had already dispersed back into the fray.

Groot and Drax stopped at the foot of the staircase. "You guys go ahead, we'll make sure nothing gets through.

"I am Groot!" The tree creature stomped and kicked the small creatures as they come.

"Are you good?" Veratta asked, as she watched Quill starting to get overrun.

"Yeah, get back out there and help them." Rocket shouted, just then he saw two devourers pull Quill down.

Rocket darted forward and felt a heavy hand on his collar pulling him back. "No, you have to stay with them. I'll take care of your friends."

"Alright! After this is over, if everyone is still alive, I'll double what I promised you." Rocket said, his face was dead serious.

"Keep your money. I'm do this, because they're my friends too." She turned on her heels and started back, firing precisely into the crowd.

The elevator dinged behind them and the door opened. Rocket, Aisha, and Alicia stepped inside, pushing the button. As the doors started closing all three of them watched helplessly as their family struggled to keep from being overrun. The doors closed them inside and the elevator started to ascend. Taking them to their final battle.

Iron Gamora was on her way to rescue Quill, when the floor under her split, a fresh wave of devourers poured through the open hole, flooding over her. Throwing her onto her back. The suit was heavy and hard to maneuver to get back on her feet. The additional weight of the devourers making it impossible. Quill saw what happened and scrambled to get back on his feet, but another two more devourers would fall on him. A long beak piercing his leg, trying to drain him of his life force.

The other devourer rose up preparing to drive his beak down into Quill's face. "Quill, Gamora!" Veratta screamed as she tried to wade through the bodies of the devourers, some living, some dead.

A glowing red and gold item plunged through the beast's chest, causing it to topple down on Quills chest. Moving at rapid pace, it tore through everything dark creature in it's path. Devourer fell lifelessly into heaps of dead bodies. It plunged into the group of the dark creatures that had Iron Gamora pinned, before it burst free again sending down a shower of blood and gore. The object was heading straight for Veratta's face, when a bloodied blue humanoid hand closed around it, stopping it abruptly.

"I got this?" The familiar raspy voice was soon joined by the smug grinning face of Yondu.

Quill looked up, he was so stunned he couldn't even speak at first. "Yondu?" He asked, as if he were dreaming or dead.

"Yeah so, get up boy. You're makin' a damn fool of yourself, there's fighting to be done." Yondu locked arms with Quill, pulling up from underneath the dead bodies. "So what's the plan sport."

"Back to back, sounds good." Quill nodded and turned around, opening fire.

Yondu's powerful whistle could be heard ever over the carnage, his arrow tearing around the room spreading destruction in it's wake. Veratta turned and opened fire, making sure to stay close to her friends. Iron Gamora thrust forth from a mountain of dead bodies. Her iron feet landed heavily on the floor, squashing everything underneath her. She turned and put her back to her family blazing hoards of dark creatures with her palm blasters.

"Come on little bro!" Alastair turned and looked at his brother motion towards the rest of the group who had rallied to one point. "We're being called to action."

"Just like old times huh?" Anders smiled warmly.

Suddenly Anders smiled faded as blood ruptured from his chest, spraying blood and flesh bits all over Alastair. A devourer's beak snapping off inside of him. The weight of it's dead body pushing him down on his face. Alastair dropped his batons and waded through the mountain of dead devourers to his brother's side, pulling him close. His lucky had tumbling down onto the pile. Ander's breathing was shallow, he could feel his lungs filling with blood. Weakly he gripped Alastair's jumpsuit, pulling on it tightly. Trying to hold on as best he could. Alastair picked up his little brother's lucky hat and thrust it on his own head, ignoring the pain of it being too small for him to wear. There was no way he would leave Anders' favorite hat for these bastards to have. The thought alone shot a pain into his heart. What if his little brother wanted to wear his hat again? Alastair shook his head, he knew Anders wasn't gone, but it was only a matter of time.

"Brother!" Blood bubbled up from Anders' mouth. "Hold me close, I don't want to die alone."

"Shut up, you're not going to die." Alastair was dragging him back towards the group, retreating from the approaching devourers.

"Well if you say so, I feel like shit though man." Anders chocked out, a wicked smile on his face.

"I do say so! Now hold on god damn it. I'm not going to let die and leave me here all alone." Alastair didn't want to look at his brother, he knew it was already too late.

"Ali, tell mom I love her very much okay?" Anders whispered softly, his fingers growing weaker.

Alastair choked back the tears. "No, you can tell her yourself. Just ho...hold on, please." His voice was pleading.

"I love you man, I always...wanted to be just like you, man." A smiles came to his Anders' lips.

When Alastair looked at him. All he could see through the blood and the death, was the face of his baby brother trying so hard to be a big boy. Off playing war games, just Alastair had. Pushing himself to do good in school, just like his big brother. Trying not to cry, just like Alastair would.

"I love you, baby boy." Alastair toppled back onto his knees, clutching Anders closely.

"Hey, I don't want to die like...a...bitch." Anders' whispered, his eyes closing. "Let's go down fighting, gimme my gun."

Alastair nodded sharply, biting his bottom lip. He grabbed the blaster rifle from around his brother's neck, pressed the grip into his hand. He worked his little brother's fingers around the grip, before tightening his own hand around Anders' fingers. Taking aim at the devourers that were on the move towards them.

"Good...let's get them Ali." Anders flexed, trying to pull the trigger, but there was no strength left in him, but he could feel Alastair pull the trigger, the blaster rifle jumping to life in their hands.

Alastair screamed wildly, the burst fire tearing through anything that got in the way of it. Everything went so fast. The bullets tearing through the demonic bastards, sending them back to hell. When the energy mag was empty, it kept clicking from the desperate dry fire from Alastair, trying to hold on to his brother just a little bit longer. His screams had died out, but his mouth still hung open. Quill came up and gripped Alastair by the collar and tried pulling him away.

Alastair flailed and fought and pulled against Quill's grip. "No! no...no that's m, my...that's my god damn brother...no please!" His pleading voice cracked.

Quill wrapped his arm around Alastair waist, pulling his small Ar'leirian back tightly against his own chest, holding him close. Veratta ordered the remaining peacekeepers made a lose circle around the group for extra protection. Quill slipped one of his blasters into Alastair's hand. The weight seemed like a million pound right now, but he could hear Quill's warm words in his rounded ear.

"For Anders." Then they both opened fire.

Orange hot rain fell down bringing it's vengeance upon the devourers. Neither of them spoke. In fact no one in the family spoke at all. They knew what their task was now. Their task was to give Rocket, Alicia, and Aisha enough time to rig the bomb. Whatever happened after that, didn't matter much at all.