Chapter 27.
This is the twenty-seventh and final chapter (for now). Hope you enjoy it.
Sometime later…
Mark stood among the other Guardians, his upper paws holding each other's by his chest, along with everyone else who had known Stark over the years, for his funeral. Mark wore a black long-sleeved shirt. He had insisted that Drax wear something over his chest for the event, and after a while, and due to Mark's stubbornness, he complied. Mark also had tied a bit of black fabric around Groot's forehead and forearms. Mark stared and watched in silence as Stark's wife, Pepper, and their young daughter Morgan walk out of the house and down the stairs, Pepper holding a wreath of flowers in her left hand, with a small old device surround by a strip of metal which said: "PROOF THAT TONY STARK HAD A HEART". They walked out onto the jetty, followed by some of their friends, placed the wreath down and let it bobble down on the water. Mark now stood on Rocket's right, bowing his head down in respect.
After that, they went with Thor to New Asgard, in Norway, with the Benatar. Thor had decided to move on from being a leader of Asgard and be who he was is rather than who he's supposed to be. Rocket was currently outside with Thor, while Mark (back in his red shirt and bandanna), standing on the right-hand side of the table, saw that Quill was looking at a screen which had a picture of Gamora on it, with the word "SEARCHING" above it. "You're looking for her, aren't you?" He asked, though he already knew the answer. "Yeah." Quill answered, still looking at the screen. Mark then signed. "I'm sorry to say this, Quill, but she's not the Gamora you know and love. And you know how smart she is. She knows how to hide." Mark spoke. He then turned his head leftwards and then rightwards, seeing the other Guardians, before he looked forwards and signed again. "Guys… I'm glad your back. I found out during these 5 years that my parents on Earth died. It made me feel empty, and during that time I realised I realised just how much I needed you lot and how much you mean to me. You're my family. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I really missed you guys." Mark spoke solemnly. "Aw, that was beautiful." He heard Mantis spoke. "It was." He heard Drax say, but he saw Quill just shrugged.
He then heard Thor's footsteps coming up the ramp, so he turned his head round to look over his right shoulder saw him come in. "Well, here we are. The Asgardians of the Galaxy are back together again." Thor spoke, placing his large green bag on the table, and took off his sunglasses, Mark looking forwards again as Thor stepped up to Quill's left, noticing the screen about Gamora was moved. He also hoped that after today they didn't officially use that joke name Thor had said, because to him, it didn't sound right. "So, where to first?" He asked, before swiping the map of space on the screen. Quill then moved the map back to where it had been, before looking at Thor. "Just so you know, this is my ship, still. I'm in charge." Quill said to him, and in his head, Mark agreed with him. "I know, I know. Of course you are. Of course." Thor said back at him, before swiping the map again, which made Quill look at him again. "So you say "of course", but then you touch the map, it makes you think that maybe you didn't realise I was in charge." Quill said back at him. In his gut, Mark was hoping this situation didn't intensify. "You should fight one another for the honour of leadership." Drax then said. "Sounds fair." Nebula agreed. "It's not necessary." Quill replied. "It's not." Thor added. "Okay?" Quill added. "Yeah, Quill's my captain, and he's always been our leader, so, uh, let's keep the status quo." Mark said, unsure what else to say, hoping that it would go down to a fight. "I got some blasters unless you guys wanna use knives." Rocket offered, and though he didn't want to say for fear of encouraging them, Mark felt that knives would be a lot better than blasters, otherwise they might have to do an old-fashioned gun duel. "Oh, yes, please! Use knives." Mantis said eagerly. "Yes, knives." Drax agreed. "I am Groot." Groot spoke, saying he agreed with knives. Thor and Quill then started laughing. "No." They both said in unison. "There shall be no knifing one another. Everybody knows who's in charge." Thor said, though that made Mark feel more easier but also a bit unsure. "Me. Right?" Quill asked, as is to make the point. Thor then looked at him. "Yes, you. Of course. Of course. Of course." Thor said back to him.
Soon after that, the Benatar left Earth. That night, just before Mark went to sleep, he was deep in thought. He now had back some of what he had lost during the past few years (his Earth parents and the Guardians). And maybe he couldn't get everything he's lost back (his Earth parents), but at least he had some of those things back. And he also wondered what might happen to them in the future, but he knew one thing: He was never going to lose his family, the Guardians, so easily ever again.
That's the twenty-seventh chapter done, and it's the finale and the end of this story! I hope you enjoyed it.
As for the future of Mark Wulfson and the Guardians of the Galaxy, I'll wait for "Thor: Love and Thunder", in 2022 to come out, and "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" in December 2022, and after that "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in 2023. I also have a though about a "What if?..." thing but I'll wait and see about doing that after the next few episodes are out. I've considered simple updating or adding more chapters this story, or starting a second story, a part 2. Until then, this story is complete.