Chapter Four
Thanks to Llwydyn and Myth Queen for helping me get this chapter written.
Peter stared out of the ship's window as Knowhere came into view, stunned. He'd read about Celestials, of course, and in theory knew of their supposed colossal size, but nothing could have prepared him for actually seeing how vast it was. I hope I never see one of these things alive! Gamora hadn't spoken to him since she'd explained where they were going, but she did glance his way when he gasped.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"Yeah..." Peter smirked. "Wonder how a thing with a brain that size was dumb enough to get itself killed?"
Gamora turned her face away quickly, but not fast enough for Peter to miss her suppressing a smile. He tried to seize the moment, hoping her change of mood would work in his favour. "So are you gonna tell me who your buyer is now? So I don't say anything embarassing when we meet him?"
"No, because we aren't going to. You're staying here so you can't mess anything up. I'll come back and let you leave when I have my reward."
Peter's heart pounded. If he wasn't there, he'd have no way of stopping Eros and whoever accompanied him from attacking Gamora. He had to talk her out of this. "Gamora, if this goes wrong, if your buyer turns on you-"
"Then he will regret it."
"I could help if that did happen, persuade him to see things your way."
Gamora hesitated, unsure. He had a point, but... "How do I know you won't end up manipulating me?"
He tried his most engaging grin. "We made a deal, didn't we? I let you sell the Orb, you leave, then I call someone to confront your buyer and get the Orb back. Do you really think I'd go back on my word?" No need to mention that my backup is already on its way.
No, she reflected, she didn't, but that was the most worrying part. She knew better than to trust people. Why did Quill always seem to get past her defences? "Why did you agree to do things my way?" Maybe if she could figure that out, she would know for sure if he could be trusted.
"Maybe it was your good looks?" Peter winked roguishly, then faltered when she narrowed her eyes at him. "Ok. I don't want you to disappear again, if I'm honest, but I want you to be happy. If that means letting you take this money so you never see me again, then I guess that's that." Just saying the words while keeping his voice and face neutral hurt. He wanted her to be happy, but he also wanted to know she was safe, and, selfishly, wanted her near him.
Gamora took a step back, mind whirling, looking away. Happy? The word had almost no meaning for her. The only time she'd grasped what it meant was all those years ago, when she'd gotten to know Peter, before everything had gotten worse. "What if I don't deserve to have happiness?" The words came out almost without her realising. The mad notion of telling him everything came into her mind. Maybe then he'd finally see she wasn't worth his caring about her.
His eyes focused on her, she could feel that, even though she wasn't facing him. "I'll say this a thousand times if I have to: Whatever's happened to you is not your fault." He was beginning to think, though, that whatever Gamora was hiding was worse than what had happened on Tartoonia when they'd first met. "I can't help if you won't talk to me."
Her eyes met his, shining with tears she refused to let fall. She fought to keep her hands from shaking. "You won't want to help if you know just what I've become."
Peter's voice softened. "Let me decide that." Since nothing you say will stop me caring.
She took a deep shaky breath. "I-"
The ship's alarms began blaring, breaking the moment. Gamora rushed back to the pilot's seat to check the scanners, using the time to regain her composure. Why had she almost come out with it? Peter wouldn't understand! And yet, she still wanted to tell him... She turned back to the computer to distract herself. "There's something in our way." Knowhere was only a few minutes away now, and nothing was visible. She continued studying the monitors, and bit back a curse.
Peter tensed. If Father and his companions somehow beat me here, she'll accuse me of tricking her. "What? Where?"
Gamora leapt back to her feet, seizing the Orb and moving to where Peter was still bound. In one swift movement, she unsheathed a dagger and cut his bonds. He got to his feet haltingly, rubbing his numb wrists, concerned by her reaction. "Gamora?"
"Imperial Kree warship, cloaked." The words came from her mouth automatically, hopefully betraying none of her fear. "The Dark Aster. Ronan has traced me here. We need to leave."
"What? Wait. There's no way they could've gotten here before us, even if they knew where we were headed." He refused to even consider that this was a trap on Gamora's part- she was frightened, despite her efforts to hide it.
"The Dark Aster can warp through space. They must have discovered the deal. We have to change course."
"Can't we get past?" Peter was uneasy. If they went elsewhere, how would he explain all this to Eros when they met up?
"Not without being detected. And the two of us aren't enough to take on Ronan and his forces. One of my sisters is there too. They cannot get the Orb. We have to get out of here, now." Gamora just prayed that their presence hadn't been discovered already. She typed in a few commands on the ship's navigation before Peter could argue, sending them in the opposite direction that they had been going. She still hoped to be able to sell the Orb, but they had to evade Ronan first. If it were just Ronan, she would probably succeed, but with Nebula there...
"Uh, Gamora? I think we have a problem." Peter's eyes were fixed on a different part of the computer, trying not to sound worried. She registered a faint beeping before turning to him.
"What is it?"
"Not sure... some kind of cyber system is scanning us. Normally the sort of thing that's done if someone's being checked for bombs or illegal energy sources..." Peter realised at the same time as Gamora, and they both cursed.
"The Orb. It will be giving off huge amounts of energy." Gamora shook her head. "Nebula must be searching for it."
"Nebula? The Luphomoid girl with anger issues? That's the sister you meant?!" Peter groaned, remembering all too clearly the vicious girl's bitterness and jealousy, even all those years ago. "Can we get out of range?"
Gamora was already in the pilot's seat. "Maybe. Hold on!" She handed Peter the Orb to free her hands, then started maneuvering the ship in seemingly random ways, trying to make them harder to track or hit. Peter nearly lost his footing as they sped off.
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Nebula bared her teeth in outrage as the vessel containing her traitorous sister and the Orb passed out of her 'sight'. Korath had already barked orders to the Sakaarans piloting the Dark Aster before going to report to Ronan. Nebula didn't mind- she was glad to have been left alone. The Aster was too large and cumbersome to follow the smaller craft with any sort of speed, but she had no intention of letting Gamora escape. This time her 'sister' would get what she deserved!
She ran to one of the smaller fighters and boarded, taking off before anyone had the chance to stop her. It was a simple matter of following the other ship- she knew all Gamora's diversionary tactics. As for the other life form she'd detected on board? Whoever it was would just be a casualty of war. She couldn't care less. Speeding towards the ship, she grinned when she got weapons lock, and, ignoring Ronan's shouts of warning via her implanted comms device, she opened fire. Gamora and her companion would die, and good riddance. She would retrieve the Orb afterwards. The enemy vessel dodged the first few blasts, but finally, one connected. Nebula watched with glee as it was torn apart, and Gamora and her ally were dragged into space.
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Peter had only just gotten back to his feet when the ship lurched again. This time he hit his head, and it took a minute for the ringing in his ears to subside before he realised that they were under fire. Instinctively, he checked to make sure the Orb was secure, zipped in his coat pocket, before stumbling to Gamora's side.
"Who's doing this?"
"A lone fighter from Ronan's fleet." Gamora gritted her teeth as she barely avoided another missile. "It must be Nebula."
"I thought Ronan's orders from Thanos were 'Get the Orb' not 'Kill us'!"
"They are. Nebula must be acting independently. She's still jealous, for some reason..." Gamora's hands tightened on the controls, the only sign of her inner turmoil. I have nothing she should envy. "She's disobeying. There's no way she would be given permission to-"
A deafening explosion cut her off. The ship seemed to disintegrate, and the screaming noise as the cold vacuum of space rushed in was the next thing either of them were aware of as the surface they had been standing on disappeared.
Peter ignored his panic, and instinctively focused on the cosmic energies he could summon, forming a sphere around himself to ensure he had air. He could feel the cold, but he could bear it for a while- Gamora! He glanced around wildly. She was floating, unconscious, some distance from him. He concentrated as hard as he could, propelling himself through the airless space towards her. After what felt like forever, he had his arms round her. Come on, think! He couldn't expand his shield to cover them both and make it last indefinitely, but Gamora needed to breathe. The mask.
He still had his oxygen filtering mask, in miniaturised form, in his ear. He deftly removed it, placing it in Gamora's ear, praying this worked. The mask had been designed to clean air, not provide it when it was absent, but it was the only option he had. He sagged with relief when he heard her inhale. He cradled her closer, feeling the Orb still safely in his coat, and watched Nebula's vessel sending searchlights through the wreckage. We need to find somewhere to go. They couldn't float through space indefinitely. He kept a firm grip on Gamora, and flew them both towards a large asteroid- a smaller fuel outpost for people who didn't care what quality fuel they got, from the look of it, but it was shelter, so it would do.
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Nebula nearly screamed when the Orb was not among the remains of the ship. What had Gamora done with it?! If she couldn't provide the Orb, her actions here would never be excused. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes. It must be in Gamora or her friend's possession. She would just search the bodies and... This time, she did screech. They had vanished! How?!
'NEBULA!' Ronan's bellow caught her off guard. 'I have no idea what you think you are doing, but STOP. Return to Knowhere and await me. I will deal with your insubordination privately.'
Nebula shuddered. If he didn't want her to return to the Dark Aster, he might mean for her to meet with an 'accident', yet she dared not disobey now, with no bargaining chips. She seethed as she did as he had asked. This is all Gamora's fault!
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Eros stared broodingly at Knowhere as he and Mahr-Vehl approached. There had been no word from Peter since his vague talk with A'lars, and he hadn't responded to any calls to his ship. Eros was determinedly not worrying- his son was an adult now, after all, and just because he hadn't made contact didn't mean he was hurt, or in some sort of trouble, or- alright. He was worrying.
Mahr-Vehl glanced at him. I know that look. "Eros, Peter is fine."
"I wish I shared your confidence." Eros frowned.
"You should. Look, if he's anything like you once were, he's probably found a young woman who's caught his eye and has just lost track of things."
"With something as dangerous as an Infinity Stone at risk?! I seriously hope you're joking, my friend."
Mahr-Vehl shrugged. "Once, you would have been no different."
"Yes, so Peter should know better than to- oh." Eros managed a grin. "Nice try at distracting me."
"Whatever works, I say. Come, we'll be there soon, so you can stop panicking-" Mahr-Vehl stopped speaking abruptly.
Eros tensed. "What is it?" They'd just entered Knowhere, but Mahr-Vehl was looking back into space, at a cluster of ships. Eros followed his gaze. "Those are Kree vessels, aren't they?" What brings them so far from Hala?
Mahr-Vehl's tone was grim. "Yes. This fleet belongs to Ronan the Accuser."
Eros paled. "Ronan? As in the lunatic who periodically works with Thanos?"
"Do you know of any other?" Mahr-Vehl grimaced. "This is almost certainly going to get ugly."
"We need to find my son now." Eros would give his own life before seeing Peter fall into Thanos' hands again.
"Wait, slow down. Peter said someone came here to sell the orb, didn't he? So how does Ronan fit into this?" Mahr-Vehl tried to think rationally- one of them had to!
Eros shook his head. "Does it matter?"
"It does if we don't want to risk making a potentially bad situation worse."
Eros' fists clenched, but he nodded, ceding the point. "Best guess, Ronan found out about the sale and came here on Thanos' orders to stop it."
"So, he may be here for the same reasons we are, which means he may approach Tivan. Our best bet is to go to his 'museum' and see what 'The Collector' can tell us."
Eros nodded, though he didn't like it. He knew he needed to accompany Mahr-Vehl, in case his powers of persuasion were needed, but all he wanted to do was find Peter...
Forcing himself to focus, he followed his friend when the ship docked. If nothing else, The Collector might have news of Peter, or he might even still be there. Let's just hope we can avoid Ronan and his servants if at all possible. Unsurprisingly, they weren't that lucky. They hadn't been inside Knowhere for five minutes before they were surrounded by Sakaarans. They braced to fight, but the soldiers merely held them where they were.
"Genheris Halason Mahr-Vehl," a deep voice sneered. "Traitor to his own kind and ally to weaklings."
Mahr-Vehl stared at Ronan's taller figure unblinkingly, head held high. "Ronan. Mass murderer and ally of genocidal warlords. What a fine example of honour you are." He glanced pointedly at the blue-skinned cyborg girl just behind Ronan, who appeared to have taken a beating.
"Weakness must be punished. Or have you forgotten even that, associating with beings such as these?" Ronan sneered at Eros.
Eros bit his tongue to keep from retorting, but the girl was staring at him, as if trying to work out who he was. If she were another of Thanos' 'children', and recognised him, this could get a lot more dangerous for him and Mahr-Vehl.
Ronan looked back at Mahr-Vehl. "So, I assume you are here for the Orb. I will end this fairly. Tell me who has it, and I will release you both."
Mahr-Vehl and Eros exchanged looks. Did the Collector already have the Orb? If not... where was it?
"Answer me, Mahr-Vehl, or your companion dies."
The girl jerked as if she had been electrocuted, recognition dawning in her eyes. Eros groaned silently. Don't let her have worked it out.
Nebula's eyes gleamed. Maybe she could salvage something from this mess after all... "Perhaps his companion can tell us more." She turned to face the Eternal, grinning maliciously. "Isn't that right, Eros?"
Ronan was stunned. "You're Thanos' brother?!"
"Unfortunately." Eros supposed Ronan's disbelief made sense- he hardly resembled Thanos! And being able to deny kinship to him was always useful.
Nebula moved forward, speaking to Ronan. "The last time Gamora defected, it was due to him," she sneered at Eros, "And his half-breed son."
Ronan's face darkened. "It seems an odd coincidence that you resurface now, after something similar has occurred."
"She could well have been working with them all this time." Nebula hissed. The Kree warrior nodded.
Eros blinked rapidly before shooting a glance at Mahr-Vehl. Gamora was involved in this? But if that were true, why hadn't Peter said anything? What was really going on here?
Ronan hefted his warhammer, his eyes fixed on Eros. "This turn of events leads me to believe your son has the Orb. So you can save Mahr-Vehl here a lot of suffering and tell me where your son and Gamora are, or you can watch me punish this traitor who calls himself Kree until you decide to speak. Your choice, Eternal. Which will it be?"
Eros' heart pounded. Now what? He had no idea where Peter, Gamora or the Orb might be, but he couldn't let his closest friend be beaten to death! Mahr-Vehl's gaze was locked on him, but he couldn't discern what he was trying to tell him to do. There were too many people around for his persuasive powers to work on them all at once... How could he talk them out of this?
Ronan tightened his grip on the hammer, waiting for Eros' reply.
To be continued...