Luna "Joy" Sanders belongs to Flautist4Ever and I
Chapter 12
"Well, that solves the riddle." Jessica connected the dots. "Thanos must've been trying to bring back something dead for eons, but didn't know the Forge wasn't fully charged. Instead, he revived one of the dead Spartoi. However, once we charge it that won't be the case anymore."
"Then let us hurry to this shrine and empower it so I can be reunited with my family." The grey alien seemed happy for once. Somehow, that made Luna worry.
"Now's not the time or place, Drax." Gamora looked at him.
Rocket then looked up from where he was working. "I'm with the big guy. We've got a chance most people don't get. To bring back the ones who were taken from us. To throw this away is one of the most idiotic things I have heard."
"Debate later! Fix ships now!" Sir Raleigh yelled at everyone. "Our enemy is scouring the planet as we speak, and if we do not retreat while we can, no one will win. None of us will be able to revive the ones we lost, and Hala would get her hands on the artifact for her purposes."
His words did the trick, and everyone agreed to postpone discussing the fate of the Forge until they were off this planet. Unfortunately, the last parts that needed to be installed were huge, and therefore the others weren't able to help move them. "How much longer until repairs are finished?" The Keyblade bearer dared to ask the question.
"Not much longer, though for this next part it's all up to Eight." When he noticed the look his leader gave him, Lance held up his hands. "He insisted, I swear." While the technician of the Cassandra was speaking, the robot got to work. Several long cables extended from his arms and wrapped themselves around the ships, causing the raccoon to leap off with a few profanities. "Don't use up too much of your energy or your core will shut down," Lance warned as he took out his holo-device. "Hopefully the next destination won't be too far."
"Do you consider Drobino far?" Mantis asked him. "That is where the shrine is."
The technical expert of the Guardians looked over at that. "Drobino?"
"Have you heard of it?" The Earth teen looked at the furry Guardian.
"Nope. And I bet fifty units you haven't either."
Shaking her head, Joy turned to Jessica who merely shrugged. When Lance pulled up a holographic map of the galaxy, the bug lady pointed to a section. "That's going to be a problem. Not only is it about a few days travel even with jumps, it's in territory controlled by the Kree and now Forever America. We're going to have to be extra careful as we travel, and if Hala figures out where we're going-"
"Done." Eight said as all the cables unwound themselves from the ships and receded back into his arms. "I did a quick check and all systems are operational again for the Milano and the Cassandra. We can leave the planet now."
"Finally!" Luna said with relief just as a couple of Kree fighters flew overhead.
"Oh, flarg." Rocket pulled out one of his bazookas and began firing at the ships while Patrick also used his cannons to attack. While they covered the teams', everyone boarded their respective ships and activated the engines. The two then made it to their ships and readied the weapons against the Kree.
On the Milano, the raccoon took his seat and aimed the guns at one of the fighters. "You want some of this?" He asked before he pressed the button and began firing at the enemy ships, and blew one up. "Oh, yeah!" He smiled at the boom he made before turning the guns on another fighter.
"Here's today's special!" Patrick shouted over the comms before he fired a missile from the Cassandra at one of the Kree vessels. The ship took heavy damage on the engines, and ended up spiraling down to the surface where it exploded. "How do you like that?"
"Could use a little more flair," Rocket criticized while he continued to shoot at the Kree, who were now firing back on the two teams. Tilting the Milano to avoid enemy fire, Quill began navigating the Guardians through the increasing number of ships swarming in on their location. His co-pilot continued to blast their foes out of the sky while Patrick did the same for his team. The two of them were able to start creating a hole through the enemy forces that they could use to escape.
The leader of the Guardians had the Milano do a barrel roll to avoid some of the fire from the Kree, and Luna nearly fell out of her seat. "This is just like the Battle of Xandar all over again!" Quill laughed while Gamora let out a groan.
"No, it is not. The Ravagers helped us then, and we did not have Mantis or Joy with us." Drax corrected him while the green lady looked pale. Grabbing the first container she could, she pulled it up to her and vomited into it. "What's wrong with you?"
Waving her hand in dismissal, she said, "Nothing."
"Are you-" Quill started to check on her.
"Quill!" She snapped at him. "Focus on flying!" Her tone and reaction made everyone look at her with worry, but they didn't have time to dwell on it because another ship came into view, and it was huge. It was like a large rectangle that broke off at one end with three large engines. There was also a huge circular opening at the front that made Luna think of a cannon barrel, and there was a large triangular head over that like an arrowhead.
The teen's jaw dropped at the sight. "What is that?"
"It's the Revenant, Hala's warship." Lance's voice answered over the comms. "We have to get out of here now."
"But I was-"
"Patrick!" Jessica's voice made all of them flinch. The Guardians noticed the Cassandra turning and beginning to ascend through the atmosphere. The Milano turned and began to follow them up through the sky. More fighters came from the Revenant, but it was too late. Both ships put on more speed and escaped the planet's atmosphere, heading to the jump point where they were able to leave the planet behind them.
With a boisterous laugh, Drax cried out, "Yes! Victory is ours this day!"
"Next stop, Drobino." Rocket smiled too. He must've been thinking about using the Forge to bring someone back. Quill got out of his seat to check on Gamora, but she dismissed his efforts. The Keyblade bearer was sure she was hiding something, but she had no way of finding out what it was. She just hoped it wouldn't hinder the teams when they found out what.
Sometime later, the Guardians were checking on the repairs made to the Milano. Rocket was down in the engine room making sure they didn't suffer damage during the escape. Quill was working on charting a course to Drobino with Mantis while Drax prepared a meal to celebrate their victory. Groot was playing his game while Gamora was resting, so Luna found herself working out in the Titan training room.
Despite their success together, members of the Guardians like Drax and Rocket were getting suspicious of the Cassandra crew. They had taken custody of the Eternity Forge as a way to make sure the Guardians didn't leave without them. There had been some protesting, but Mantis had reminded them that Jessica and her team couldn't do anything with the Forge without the Celestial One. By staying on his ship, the leader of the Guardians assured that the Cassandra crew wouldn't try any funny business, and the archaeologist said the same about the Guardians.
Still, the grey alien hadn't been happy about leaving the tool that could bring his family back with people he didn't trust, so he spent some time sharpening and cleaning his knives while waiting for their food to finish cooking. Gamora had also agreed with the other team as letting them have the Forge would keep the Guardians from trying anything foolish for their gain. Rocket had complained about her sucking the joy out of everything, and so the mood was a little tense. The teen didn't understand because it wasn't like they could use the stupid thing right now. It could only bring back the recently deceased, and from what she understood Drax's family had been dead for years.
Which brought up the question, why did Rocket want to use it? From the way he spoke and acted around the Eternity Forge, he must've lost someone important to him years ago. She wasn't sure who as he claimed there was nothing like him except him, and something told her if she tried to ask, he'd threaten to blow a hole through her head. Still, it made sense as to why he wanted to use the relic.
As she performed a backflip for her training, the Earth teen found herself debating on the issue herself. Did she want to empower the thing? On the one hand, it would allow her to see her biological mother for the first time, and she could get some answers about her father. However, the one thing that held her in reservation was the price she'd have to pay. Joy wasn't sure Olivia would be okay with her daughter killing someone else to bring her back. And then there was the thought that her adoptive parents would be horrified if she resorted to that. Taking a break, she sat down and let out a sigh. "What to do, what to do…"
She began thinking about what Jessica had told her on the Spartoi ship. "I have this opportunity to revive her, but it would cost everything she taught me about the code of archaeology if I exchanged another life for hers. It would terrify her to see I'm no longer the little girl she knew before her demise."
"Jessica is right. It's not worth risking losing my family over." Luna admitted. Aside from the Guardians who wanted to bring back their loved ones, Yaiyo was the only one who wanted to use the Forge. Her reasons were to bring back fallen heroes to stop this Taichi, but was it worth it? Was this guy even more dangerous than the main antagonist of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Master Xehanort?
The thought made her shiver.
Still, it did give birth to a theory: What if she was chosen by a Keyblade so she could fight back against this fallen Keyblade master? If that was the case, how would she test it? It wasn't like her or anyone else could turn this upside down, either. She then looked at the Keyblade in her hand. "You came to me for a reason. What is it? What am I supposed to become?"
"Luna?" Gamora's words startled the teen as she turned to see her teacher had entered the room. She had known the teen had come in here to train, and seemed a little concerned that she was just sitting there.
"Oh, hey Gamora." Joy greeted the green lady as she got to her feet. "I was just… thinking about the Forge."
Her face fell at that. "Do you want to empower it too?"
"Not really, but I can't bring myself to blame the others who want to use it."
"If the Forge is empowered, it could spell disaster for the entire universe," Gamora insisted. "I understand the desire to see the ones we lost, but the risk is too great."
Looking down, Luna admitted, "I'm not sure the others will see it that way."
"No, but it all depends on Peter as Mantis says it's up to him to decide what becomes of the Forge." Frowning, Gamora continued, "I just hope he'll listen to common sense, and that Rocket won't try to sway Peter's choice by using his mother or Yondu."
"Yondu? Who's that?"
The green lady paused at that because she wasn't sure if she should answer, as it was a personal matter for Peter. In the end, she found a way around it. "Just… someone who helped us out before."
The teen noticed she seemed to be a little touchy about it, so she decided not to ask further. "Okay. Any idea how Groot feels about it? Recharging the Forge I mean. Do you think he's for it or against it?"
"Groot has a good heart. That's why he's so agreeable and cooperative." Gamora explained. "That's why I don't think he wants to charge the Forge."
Luna then thought of someone else. "What about Mantis? Do you think she'd be for charging the Forge?"
"I don't know. I think she's trying to remain neutral so Peter can decide what becomes of it."
"You think so?"
The green lady gave a nod before saying, "I can't help but wonder about Jessica and her crew. I don't know if they'd be for charging the Forge or against it."
"I have spoken with Jessica a few times," Luna admitted, "and every time the Forge has come up, she has made it clear that she agrees with you that the Forge is too dangerous. I know she would vote for destroying it."
"I see. Anything about her friends?"
"Well… Sir Raleigh didn't seem happy with the idea of using it. I remember him claiming it went against the balance of life and death. I don't know how Lance or Eight feel about it. Patrick… from what I heard, he's had a pretty rough life. He's lost people he's cared about, so using the Forge might be tempting for him."
That made Gamora look down. "That explains why he and Drax get angry at each other and fight so much. They have experienced similar tragedies."
Nodding in agreement, the teen continued, "Still, he doesn't seem eager and impatient when there's an opportunity to bring back his loved ones like Drax and Rocket are. As for Yaiyo… She wants to use it to fight this Tai guy by bringing back ancient heroes. I don't know about that, but it sounds like he's just as dangerous as your fath- I mean, as Thanos is. That's just this feeling I keep getting, and no matter what I can't shake it."
"I have never faced this Tai in battle, but anyone who allies themselves with my father can't be good." The Most Dangerous Woman in the Galaxy looked at her student. "You're afraid that one day you'll have to face him, aren't you?"
"Well, since Yaiyo wants to bring back ancient heroes to fight him, yeah." The teen did her best to not let her body shake in fear. "Aren't you scared of your father?"
"... He destroyed everything I cared about. My friends. My parents. He put my sister and me through hell to mold us into killing machines. I guess… I am afraid of him. I hate him for what he did to me, and fear what he can do to those I care about."
Luna noticed at that last statement, her teacher placed a hand on her stomach, which seemed odd. "I'm… I'm sorry that happened to you." She said. The teen assumed her teacher was feeling a little ill from the escape, but maybe reliving her memories was having an impact on her. "I can't imagine how horrible it must've been."
"And I intend to make sure you never do," Gamora promised. "What my father did to me, I won't let him do to you."
That surprised Luna. She knew the Guardians already made up their minds, but the teen didn't think they meant to risk their lives to protect her from Thanos. Tilting her head, she asked, "You guys barely know me though, so why?"
"Because we all know what Thanos is capable of. The pain he caused us… no one should have to experience that, so even though we fight and argue, we can agree that we will do what it takes to stop the Mad Titan."
"Is there a chance to defeat him one day if we all work together?" She didn't expect an answer, but she still had to ask.
"... I don't know."
That wasn't encouraging, so Luna sat in silence after that. However, both of them got a call on their comms. "Guys, we're coming up on Drobino." Quills' voice echoed in their ears.
"Roger, Quill. We're coming up to the bridge." Gamora responded. With that, the two of them left the training room and headed up to where everyone was gathering. Outside of the window, Luna saw a planet that for a moment reminded her of Mars. However, the similarities were just a trick of the sun and as they approached the surface, she realized the ground was actually a shade of brown.
Mantis guided the Milano down into a large hole that led to a massive underground cavern. Bioluminescent rocks decorated the cave walls, giving the place a sense of beauty for the Earth teen. Pointing to a carved opening in the cave, the bug lady identified it as the entrance to the shrine. Since it was too small for either ship to fly into, they had to land both vessels on the cave floor and disembark from there.
As they gazed up at the massive cave after leaving their ships, Luna gave a small whistle. "So we just have to go into the creepy looking cave, then?"
"Do not worry, chosen one. Sir Raleigh will be by your side guarding you with his life." The rodent claimed gently like a classic royal knight.
That caused the Keyblade bearer to smile. "Oh, so now I'm the chosen one?" She teased as the doors to the shrine opened at a snail's pace with a rumble like thunder to reveal a long dark passageway. As they moved along, the teen noticed the walls seemed to be lined with gold plating and blue lights.
After several moments of silence, Drax voiced his disdain. "This is a Kree temple."
"Yayyy another temple." Rocket's voice was full of sarcasm like he had had enough of temples.
"Stop complaining. We've come this far and now, we're going to end this potential disaster." Jessica's tone was strict. She was not going to take any crap from anyone right now.
The robot looked at her. "That's a shocker. Normally, you'd be giving a lecture on the archaeological significance of a place like this." Eight smiled until she sent a glare at him that made him shut up.
"So where does the Forge go?" The Earth teen asked Mantis, who pointed to an altar in the middle of the room they entered. As they approached it, the archaeologist handed the relic over to Quill with great reluctance. Placing the item on the altar everyone waited for something to happen, but nothing did.
Stepping up, the raccoon said, "Well, that was anti-clima-" His tease got cut off as the altar activated. Doing a slow spin, it settled down while the chamber shook and lit up revealing two giant Kree statues and what would've been a third, except all that remained were its feet. A light hit the lens of one of the statues and was reflected on the altar where the Eternity Forge now rested.
Once things settled down, Luna looked around with wide eyes. "Okay, I admit that was impressive." This was one of those moments where she wished she had a camera, but she used up her phone's battery on Korath's ship. She should've asked if there was any way she could charge it. She wasn't alone in being impressed, because she heard Patrick let out a whistle at the place.
Jessica, however, narrowed her eyes while she observed the room. After looking at the statues, she returned her gaze to the Forge. "Is that all? It seems like insufficient preparation for me."
"It's not working," Mantis said while holding her head. "I don't know why, but the shrine isn't working."
Raising an eyebrow, Quill began looking around. "What, is there some sort of button or lever to this?"
"I have no clue." The Earth teen folded her arms while looking around the room in confusion.
"I think I know. Take a look at the statues." Gesturing to the stone figures, Jessica continued, "Only one of them is pointed at the altar. We probably need all three lenses directing the light towards the Forge at the same time to get it to work."
With that, the raccoon growled, "Well, then, we've got a problem because one of the lenses is missing!"
Yaiyo quickly began looking around. "It must've fallen off as time did its worst."
"In the meantime, we can turn that lens so it's pointed at the altar." Gamora pointed at the other statue whose lens was pointing the light away from where it needed to be.
"On it." Quill activated his rocket-boots and flew up to the statue. Grabbing the lens, he began adjusting it so that the light was pointed at the altar. "There we go-" as soon as Quill let go of the huge disk, it tilted and fell out of position. "Oh, no." When he looked down at Groot, he got an idea. "Hey, Groot. I could use some help with the lens thingy."
"I am Groot." Groot did not look up from his game.
"What's with the attitude?"
"He says he won't do it unless you promise to destroy the Forge." Rocket looked at his friend. "Come on, Groot. We've been over this. This could be a chance for you to bring back your people."
"I am Groot."
"It doesn't have to be another civilization. Just all the krutackers who chop down trees across the galaxy."
"I am Groot."
"Fine, be that way."
Eight then approached the lens, and using the trick he used before to repair the ships, he adjusted the lens so the light was pointed at the altar. "That should do it." He smiled at everyone as he said that.
"Your friend is full of surprises. What is he? Technarchy?" Gamora asked the crew of the Cassandra.
"Um… not quite." Lance's voice suggested he was unsure about his answer. Did they not know much about Eight? This whole time they had been traveling with someone and never bothered to learn about him?
Thankfully Luna changed the subject. "Any idea where the last lens went?"
Taking out his time scanner, Quill activated it near the base of the statue. The device created an image of the stone figure as it crumbled and the lens rolled away to the other side of the room. However, the range must not have extended that far because about halfway across the image faded. "Well, now we know where it went." Walking across the room, he reactivated his device and created an image of the lens crashing against a pillar that was now collapsed.
"What now, Celestial One?" The raccoon asked as he folded his arms.
The leader of the Guardians answered by crouching down and attempting to lift up the pillar by activating his jet boots. For a moment it worked, but then the boots sparked and shorted out, causing Quill to drop the pillar. "Oh, come on. Stupid jet boots overheated." He said while looking at his team. "Drax, I need your muscles."
"You cannot have them. They are attached to me." The grey alien responded.
"No, I know they- I need your help. The last lens is stuck under this pillar and I can't lift it."
"Ah, I see. You are weak. I will help you." Approaching the pillar, the Destroyer lifted it up with ease. "Now the lens can be retrieved."
Luna looked at where it was with concern. "Except how can we get it without worrying the pillar will crush us."
"I won't… let this… fall."
"Allow me." Jessica was smiling as she walked up. "I always wanted to try this."
"Try what?" The teen raised an eyebrow as the archaeologist extended a hand towards the pillar. After a moment, a glowing sphere of blue light appeared around her hand making Luna's jaw drop. Then, a few tendrils extended from the light and wrapped themselves around the lens. With a sharp tug, she pulled it out from underneath the pillar and handed it to Quill. "Whoa!"
"Ta-da." Jessica smiled while Drax dropped the pillar.
Looking at the blonde with awe, the Keyblade bearer asked, "What was that?"
"Don't ask-"
"It's called Light Whip," Yaiyo answered her. "Usually, you can use it to wrap around something from above, like a branch, and swing over a dangerous pit to safety. You can also use it to trip up enemies."
With a sigh, the archaeologist mentioned, "I just wish it had a better name." The mystic just shrugged in response.
"I was going to get it." Rocket insisted while everyone approached the ruins of the last statue. "I was just workin' up to it."
Shaking her head, the green lady said, "Now what? We're short one statue in which to put the lens on."
The leader of the Guardians tried to fly up to where the item needed to go, but since his jet boots were still busted he couldn't. "Okay, I'm going to need everyone's help with this."
As the tips of her antenna lit up, Mantis told him, "I'm afraid Gamora cannot be part of your plan."
"Why not?"
"I'm fine," Gamora told her.
Shaking her head, the bug lady responded, "No, I must insist. You cannot do this."
The Most Dangerous Woman in the Galaxy frowned, but upon exchanging a look with Mantis, she let out a sigh. "Fine."
Their exchange made Luna raise an eyebrow again, but she turned to the others. "So… how exactly are we going to do this?"