Chapter VI:

"Did we just mug a twelve-year-old?"

Yelena's lips formed a grimace as they sat back in their seats, "The less we think about it, the better it'll be."

Percy desperately hoped she was right. He could not imagine how he would have reacted at that age if two time travelers and a shape-shifting, magic-absorbing, dimension-traveling alligator appeared from nowhere to ruin his day. Probably the same as the boy did, or quite possibly even worse. At least there had been a half-decent scuffle before they knocked him unconscious.

Moby, now in an adorable penguin form, was asleep in the second row. Presumably recharging his batteries after having teleported twice between the time of their magical heist. His little collar still hung around his neck, the nameplate reflecting the light of the stars they passed.

"I wonder how Moby knows where to even go." Percy said, staring at the wand laying in his lap.

Yelena crossed her face. "Flerkens are interesting creatures, nobody really knows how they work. I'm just glad that this one is friendly… ish."

"He knew that we were going after the Infinity Stones too."

Yelena nodded her head. "I know."

"The Mind Stone," said Percy as he gazed upon their collection. He could feel the energy and emotions that radiated from each and every one of them. Temptations that, if presented to the wrong soul, could cause irreparable damage to the universe.

"Don't look at them too closely." Yelena warned. "These stones, they mess with the mind."

Percy looked at her curiously, "Have you used any of them before?"

"No."

"So the first time you're gonna use any of them, is when they're all together on the gauntlet?"

Yelena blew out a long drawn out breath. "I'm not going to think about it right now."

Percy took that as permission to put a pin on that conversation for later. Based on Yelena's tight expression, she clearly did not appreciate facing the stakes until it was absolutely necessary. He could sympathize with that, and also found himself increasingly growing in uncertainty as he became more acclimated with the new world he had fallen into.

Enjoying the rest of the rare down time they had, Knowhere soon appeared on the horizon. Every bit as loony and zany as he remembered it. Percy could not imagine how big of a shit the Celestial must have been laying down if his head had been that big. At least a foot long, he reckoned.

Percy scratched his chin. "Yelena, how big do you th—"

"I don't care, Percy." Yelena grunted.

"You didn't even know what I was going to ask."

"What if I told you right now that I've still been able to read your mind this entire time?" Yelena swiveled her seat to stare at him demonically. "Hmm?"

"I'd tell you that you're a dirty rotten liar."

The ends of Yelena's hair found themselves entangled in her fingers. "You'd be surprised how readable you are sometimes."

Percy snorted. At the same time a temporary bout of self consciousness struck him.

After landing, they shortly found themselves at the doors of the Collector's museum, again opening automatically. Yelena stepped through first, followed by Percy with Moby bringing up the rear. They had all agreed beforehand that the Collector did not need to know they found another Infinity Stone, only the wand was necessary. As for the stones, they were unceremoniously swallowed by Moby for safe keeping. It was insane in every definition of the word, but the flerken promised them that it would be alright.

"Well, well, well…" the Collector's voice sang as they entered his hodgepodge of a den. "What a tremendous surprise!"

Percy was attracted not to the Collector first, but rather Carina standing nearby, her eyes looking like they were trying to say something.

"I must say," the Collector continued, "I haven't been able to get a wink of sleep since you left. Magic! It's so exciting to think about!"

"Where's the gauntlet?" Yelena demanded, looking around the mess.

"Wow, so in a rush!" The Collector laughed as he clapped his untrustworthy hands. "Don't worry, it's just around the corner."

Carina was standing just behind the Collector now, her reddened eyes still glued to Percy's face like her life depended on it. Yelena seemed to notice as well, and Percy's instincts told him that it was probably not the worst idea to keep Riptide on stand-by.

The Collector beckoned them forward,

"Come closer! Yes, come closer. Let's see what you've brought me."

Percy met Yelena's gaze with an 'I-Don't-Like-The-Feeling-Of-This' kind of look, which she reflected with equal vigor.

Uneasily, their trio inched forward, the smell of treachery thick in the air. Carina's face was nearly erupting with silent emotions now; undoubtedly a warning. Heeding the Collector's request however, they continued. It was only when they crossed half the distance, that Percy was proven right.

The sharp clank of something falling alerted them first. With a massive slam, a shiny metal box disappeared Moby from view, leaving Percy and Yelena dumbfounded as from the shadows, two more joined the conversation.

"What do we have here?' The larger newcomer asked, an ugly smile crossing his blue face. A glowing red fin sat atop his bald head, completely his alien look. "Make sure they don't move Quill, keep an eye out on the girl especially."

The second one was definitely human, a metal mask covering his face. Not much older than the boy they mugged for the wand, he raised a pair of guns at their chests.

"I knew it." Percy cursed, Riptide coming to life in his hands.

The trap containing Moby rattled viciously, the flerken undoubtedly trying to escape.

"Hand over the stones, or the flerken dies." Blue man said with a grin. "He ain't getting out of that trap, it's made out of vibranium."

"Is this what you do to all your customers?" Yelena spat at the Collector. "Backstab them?"

The edges of the Collector's robe crinkled as he stood up,

"No no, my dear friend. Only the special ones."

"We had a deal." Yelena growled.

"We had a deal." The Collector emphasized, his face more punchable than ever. "But we can make a new one! You hand over the Infinity Stones, and in exchange I let you walk out of here with your lives!"

"That's a terrible deal," Percy said.

The Collector smiled. "But a deal, nonetheless."

Moby's box rattled again, then stilled.

Percy readied himself to attack, but Yelena moved first, pouncing at the seemingly defenseless blue man. What came next, came as a surprise. From the Blue man's smile blew a sharp whistle, resulting in a sparkling red arrow that zipped out of nowhere, coming within an inch of her face. Percy had quite frankly never seen anything like it.

"Where's the stones?" Repeated the Blue man. "Trust me sweetie, you don't want to find out what my little friend here can do."

Yelena's face remained unchanged, undeterred. "We lost them."

"Bullshit."

"She's telling the truth." Added Percy.

The Blue man pointed his arrow at Percy. "Shut up. Nobody's listening to you."

Percy's face burned with anger. Only Yelena was allowed to say that. Eyeing the Blue man's lackey and Carina, still quivering in the back corner, he devised a plan of action.

"We're gonna ask you one more time." The Blue man said. "The Stones, for—"

An ungodly rumble shook the room.

All eyes turned to the box between Yelena and Percy. The surface was steaming, bubbling even, melting at the seams. Whatever vibranium was, it was not looking so tough anymore. The Collector's mouth opened in fear, but whatever he was gonna say, Percy never got the chance to hear it. Another tremor came, louder this time, followed by a brilliant display of sheer, unmitigated destruction.

In a flash, the vibranium melted away to reveal Moby, back in cat form, his mouth wide open to reveal a collection of the most ungodly octopus tentacles known to man. From the spaces between the tentacles spouted multiple heads, each complete with vicious snapping teeth that made Greek monsters look like chumps in comparison.

Quickly, efficiently, and ruthlessly, Moby's flerken appendages attacked, flailing around the room as Percy and Yelena sprung into action. The Blue man and Quill were knocked out instantly, the Blue man's arrow falling to the ground dead. In the case of the Collector, he cowardly tried to run away, desperately throwing whatever he could grasp back at them.

"It was just a misunderstanding!" The Collector tried to cry as tripped over air. "How about we revisit the original deal!"

Percy was almost willing to hear him out. Moby, however, refused to oblige.

As Yelena went to work freeing as many as she could from the Collector's hold, Carina found Percy near the front, a special package clutched in her trembling hands.

"Take it," the servant said, thrusting the gauntlet towards him.

Percy awkwardly accepted the deceptively heavy piece of metal. "Thank you."

"Get out of here," He then said. "As far away as you can from this place."

Carina did not need to be told twice. "Thank you." She said, only two words, but their meaning being so much more as she bolted through the mayhem towards the burning exit.

With a satisfying slurp, Moby's heads finally retracted, the flerken returning back into a normal cat, casually licking his paws like he had not just incited a massacre. All around various lifeforms screamed their freedom, destroying anything they could get their hands on. It was a scene filled with glorious purpose.

"You found the gauntlet." A surprised Yelena greeted once they finally found each other.

"Carina gave it to me."

"Did she leave?"

"Oh yeah, she booked it."

Yelena massaged her knuckles. "Good, let's get the hell out of here too."

Taking one last look at the spectacle, Percy did the respectful thing and flipped the Collector the middle finger, before following his compatriots out the door.

-Ω-

"You good Moby?" Percy asked the flerken.

They were now far and away from the disaster zone that was the Collector's museum, eyeing the wreckage with copious amounts of glee and satisfaction.

Moby meowed, rubbing up against Percy's leg.

"You wanna hold this for us too?" He asked the flerken, hefting the gauntlet.

Moby nodded.

"Just make sure it doesn't touch the Infinity Stones." Yelena cautioned, as the gauntlet was dropped into the void that was the flerken's mouth.

"That'll keep him full for a little bit," Percy guessed, scratching his neck.

Yelena gave Percy a once-over. "You still have the wand?"

"Uh, no. Must've gotten lost in the chaos back there." A tepid gurgle rumbled above Percy's waistline. "Speaking of which, all this death is making me hungry."

Yelena showed a sly smile, making his heart jump just that little bit,

"I'm starting to like the way you think."

-Ω-

Tickle Percy silly, Knowhere had the best burgers and fries he had ever tasted.

He figured nothing would have been able to beat the food from Camp Half-Blood, but lo and behold, there came the burger currently in his hands. Who knew that adding a third patty to a double-bacon-cheeseburger would be so revolutionary? So brave and heroic? The very definition of pioneerdom. The incredible antithesis of playing it safe in the kitchen.

Percy was not alone in his infatuation either, Penguin Moby had already demolished five of them, with another on the way. Apparently the gauntlet was little more than a drop of water in the flerken's stomach.

"It's like that thing's your firstborn son or something," Yelena griped from across the table.

Percy elicited a wondrous sigh as he sank his teeth into the gooey goodness. "It's… incredible."

"I'm sure it is."

Her eyes were already on him, and did not move away when his found hers. Up close, a thin white line on her forehead seemed to be the only blemish on her quietly defiant complexion. The sharpness at the corner of each eye complemented her straight nose and the point of her chin. She was, without a single doubt in Percy's mind, gorgeous. Her lips were not full like some people preferred, and when he looked closer, the signs of a bad habit were there, marked pinkish-red, probably from where she had bitten into and torn the skin. If she caught or cared about his undoubtedly roving eyes, she did not say. Instead, she hummed and took a sip from her glass of unsweetened ice tea, making a movement with her mouth that gave Percy the impression she was chewing on the inner part of her bottom lip.

Percy stared, food forgotten.

"So… where are we going next?" He drawled.

"Get another Infinity Stone." Yelena answered, characteristically blunt, eyes drifting away towards the window beside them. "Tesseracts up next."

Percy nodded in accordance, also turning towards the wondrous view of Knowhere's internals,

"You know where to go?"

Yelena shook her head, "No, but I'm sure Moby does."

Moby gave each of them a knowing look, and what they guessed was the penguin equivalent of a thumbs up. There was seriously something really bizarre about the flerken, and Percy loved it.

"And after the Tesseract?" Percy said, his eyes meeting Yelena's again.

"The Time Stone. Then the Soul Stone."

"You know how to get those ones?

Using a fork, Yelena went to work ravaging the remains of her club sandwich,

"The Time Stone, I know we have to go to this place back on Earth called Kamar-Taj. As for the Soul Stone, I know close to nothing. Only that it needs to be the last one."

"Strange didn't tell you anything more?" Percy asked.

Yelena shook her head. "Nobody ever considered using the Infinity Stones, we were all trying to use different methods to fight Dormammu. I'd never even heard of them until that last moment, when Strange sent me away to find them, with the message to return once I'd gotten them all.

Her words sat over them like a weighted blanket for a dreary minute, before Percy grew evermore curious.

"Who else was with you when Dormmamu attacked? Like, Avengers wise?"

Yelena's focus was now on picking her thumbnail. "Well, there was Strange, me of course, Wanda, Bucky, Falcon, Hawkeye, Shang-Chi—Shang-Chi was really cool. He had these ten rings which could destroy just about anything."

"But not as cool as me though, right?"

Yelena's eyes rolled, evoking a smile on Percy.

"There's nobody you love more than yourself, huh?"

Percy stared down the last bite on his plate. "I don't know Yelena, this burger is really rising up the ranks in my heart right now."

Yelena went to say something, but their waitress slid over to their table just in time, setting down Moby's sixth triple-decker-bacon-cheeseburger. Moby, delighted, immediately went to work, cannibalizing the burger from the top down.

"How much does it usually eat?" The waitress asked in a mixture of horror and wonder.

"Oh, him?" Percy said, pointing to Moby. "This is just an appetizer."

With googly eyes and a curt bow, the waitress zipped away, squeezing a little laugh out of both Yelena and Percy. It certainly felt like something in Percy's chest.

Fiddling with his napkin now, he built up the courage to ask,

"So when we finally do get all these stones, because we're gonna get all of these, trust me. And put them into the Gauntlet, what happens then?"

For the first time, Yelena did not seem to have an answer.

"Six infinity stones," Percy continued. "That's bound to do some damage. Could probably turn Dormammu into swiss cheese with that."

"Yeah," Yelena agreed, her voice noticeably trailing off. "Yeah, probably."


Author's Note:

:)