Chapter 26: Peter
Two Chitauri escape pods were preparing to take off as Peter dashed outside. As he watched, the hooded Chitauri stepped into the right-hand pod. Not good.
"We can't let Thanos get another Stone!" Nebula yelled. "Quill, take the right ship!" she ordered. "I've got the left."
"Who's in charge here?" Peter muttered as she ran off. He turned as Stark joined him. "Get the others to the Benatar." Then he closed his helmet and took off, using his rocket boots to fly toward the Other's pod.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nebula going to work on the other pod with her swords. Within seconds it exploded.
Then Peter reached his target. He flew through the doorway of the second pod and turned off his boots as he shot the Chitauri guard. Deactivating his helmet, he strode to the front of the pod.
The Other was waiting, the Stone's case in one hand, a Chitauri spear in the other. "If you shoot me, this will smash and the Aether will kill you," he warned.
Peter gripped his quad-blasters a little tighter. "If you fire at me, I swear that's the last thing I'll do," he replied. He thought it sounded pretty cool.
"Then we're at an impasse."
Peter smiled at the Other. "Nope." Then without pause he fired his right blaster past the Other at the pod's control panel.
The pod jerked violently and the Other lost his balance, thrown against the wall. The Aether slipped from his grasp and Peter dived forward. He caught it in his fingertips inches from hitting the floor.
Yes!
Then he scrambled to his feet and leapt back out the door before the Other could recover, activating his helmet once more as he flew for the Benatar.
Behind him, the pod began to rise into the air. Maybe he should have shot up the controls some more. It was too late now.
He flew into the Benatar and landed, doing a quick headcount. "Is everyone here?" he yelled.
"Waiting on you," Nebula replied.
"Then go!" he called to Rocket, who had the controls. He closed the door and felt the ship rise into the air as the Other's guns tore up the spot where they'd been sitting moments before. He staggered as Rocket swerved the ship to avoid more fire, the Aether held tight in his grip.
"I can't outrun him forever!" Rocket yelled. "He's way more maneuverable in here!"
Peter knew he was right. Inside Knowhere, there wasn't enough room for the Benatar to reach full speed. If only–
A blinding beam of light tore through the eyehole of the giant skull, bathing Knowhere in all the colors of a rainbow. Peter felt his stomach lurch at the sight of it. Had Thanos arrived with his Stones?
"Yes!" Stark yelled jubilantly, pointing at the beam of light. "Head for that!"
"It's not a jump point!" Nebula objected.
"Trust me on this," Stark insisted.
"No way!" Rocket yelled. "I have a life!"
"It's about to end anyway, you stupid skunk," Gamora snapped. "Do it!"
"Never!" Rocket gripped the controls and began to turn the ship away from the light.
"No!" Stark leapt forward and shoved Rocket aside, grabbing the controls. The ship swerved back towards the beam of light and Peter crashed to the floor, cradling the Aether in his arms. Rocket's desperate wailing filled his ears as the raccoon fought to take back the controls, but Stark wouldn't let go.
The beam of light drew closer and closer–
And then they were in it.