Apologies for this chapter's lateness, I've had a busy weekend. Chapter three should hopefully be posted on schedule this coming Friday.
"Kind people are kind because they know firsthand that life isn't."
-Nae (wistfulfern)
All of Ego's children were young when they arrived on his planet, save one. "Tomorrow, my daughter Xeyla will arrive," he told Mantis one day. "She's around your age. I wondered if the ability to manipulate the light might come with age, so I'm using her as an experiment."
Mantis nodded and accepted the explanation, but privately she wondered about it. Ego had brought other young children to the planet and killed them after the usual five days. If he thought age might be the key to manipulating the light, wouldn't he have spared them until he finished his experiment? It didn't add up, and Mantis wondered if perhaps, somehow, this Xeyla had evaded Ego's grasp for years.
When Xeyla showed up the next day, Mantis had the same thought again. Xeyla was an Easik and looked like she could handle herself. She wore tight leather that was molded to her body, and she had a sword strapped to her back and a gun at her hip. As usual, Mantis went with Ego to greet her, but Xeyla didn't seem particularly upset, so she wouldn't require Mantis's help at calming down.
"Father," she said, bowing in Ego's direction.
"Xeyla," Ego said, smiling. "I'm so happy to finally meet you."
"Is this my sister?" Xeyla asked, her eyes on Mantis. For some reason, the gaze made Mantis's cheeks grow warm.
"No," Ego replied, "this is my assistant, Mantis."
"Well, in that case, hello, Mantis," Xeyla said, smiling at Mantis and bowing slightly at her. Her eyes stayed fixed on Mantis's the whole time, and Mantis's cheeks grew even warmer.
Ego looked from Xeyla to Mantis, a calculating expression on his face, then he smiled. "Xeyla, would you like a tour of the planet?"
"I would love a tour," Xeyla replied. "Perhaps Mantis could show me. I'm sure you have things to do, Father. Mother always told me my father was a very busy man."
Ego blinked, looking wrong-footed for a moment, but he quickly hid it. "Of course Mantis can show you," he replied. "Mantis, you don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not," Mantis replied, bowing at Ego.
"Excellent," Xeyla said, smiling.
"And after, we can talk, Xeyla," Ego added. "I've been waiting to meet you for a very long time."
"Of course, Father," Xeyla said, although she didn't sound like she cared very much either way.
Ego looked from Xeyla to Mantis again, then left. Xeyla let out a long breath and smiled at Mantis.
"He seems to think a lot of himself," she remarked. "Mother always said my father was busy and that's why he never visited, but even busy men can visit if they want to. If he's been waiting for so long to meet me, why didn't he reach out to me before?"
"I- I do not know," Mantis stammered.
"Well, enough about him," Xeyla declared. "Come on, give me a tour."
Mantis had never given anyone a tour of the planet before, but she did her best, taking Xeyla around to her favorite spots. Every time she looked at Xeyla, though, she seemed to be looking at Mantis.
"The sunsets here are particularly lovely," Mantis remarked as they reached the top of one ridge.
"It is lovely," Xeyla replied, but she was looking at Mantis, not at the setting sun. She reached out a hand, but Mantis yanked hers away before Xeyla could touch her.
"Oh." Xeyla blinked. "Have I been misreading this entirely?"
"No, it's-" Mantis folded her hands in front of her. "I am an empath. If my skin touches yours, I will be able to read all of your emotions."
"Is that it?" Xeyla asked. She held out a hand. "I don't have anything to hide."
"Are you sure?" Mantis asked, lifting a hand and holding it a few inches above Xeyla's.
"I'm sure," Xeyla replied, her eyes still fixed on Mantis's.
Mantis slowly lowered her hand until it touched Xeyla's. The rush of emotions was immediate, but she focused on one.
"You are… attracted to me," she said slowly. "Romantically."
"I am," Xeyla agreed. "Are you attracted to me?"
Mantis looked at Xeyla. She thought about the way Xeyla's attraction had felt, and compared it to her own feelings. "I think I am."
Xeyla smiled. She took Mantis's hand in her own and brought it up to her lips, brushing a gentle kiss across Mantis's knuckles that sent sparks of arousal through Mantis's body, some of them hers and some Xeyla's.
"Then I'm very glad my father suddenly wanted to meet me," Xeyla said, and Mantis's stomach dropped. She'd almost been able to forget that Xeyla was one of Ego's children, that Xeyla had five days to learn how to control the light or Ego would kill her. Mantis was under no illusions that Ego would spare her otherwise.
She just had to hope that age was the key, like Ego had said, and Xeyla would be able to control the light. If she couldn't… Well, it didn't bear thinking about.
Gamora is worried.
Mantis hasn't touched her, but she's gotten better at reading people's emotions on their faces, and she can tell that Gamora is worried about something. She doesn't know what's worrying her, but she assumes everyone will find out soon.
They do, and Mantis is suddenly just as worried as Gamora looks.
"Who's got your sister?" Peter asks, looking stunned.
"A group of some sort of space pirates," Gamora replies. "They're Kree."
"How the hell did they get her?" Rocket asks. "Your sister is scary."
"They were able to disable her cybernetic enhancements," Gamora says. "Or that's what they said in their message."
Peter frowns. "But disabling cybernetic enhancements…"
"I know."
"I do not understand," Mantis says, considering no one seems likely to explain more. "If they have disabled her enhancements, can we not just turn them back on?"
Gamora sighs. "Disabling Nebula's enhancements probably means overloading them with sensory input. It's the easiest way, but it's also the most painful. The reason she hasn't escaped is because she's in too much pain to think."
Mantis swallows. "Will she be alright?"
"Once we undo it, she'll be fine," Peter says. "But this means we can't count on Nebula to help us get her out."
"So we make a plan that doesn't rely on her," Rocket says. "I mean, we gotta factor in that she'll be basically useless, but we're the Guardians of the goddamn Galaxy. We can rescue one crazy lady from a bunch of Kree assholes."
"We just need to be careful," Peter says. "And a plan probably wouldn't hurt either."
"Can I help?" Mantis asks.
All eyes turn to her.
"I…" Mantis shrinks a little under the stares. "I wish to help rescue Nebula. I am fond of her."
"Look, Mantis…" Peter looks at Gamora, then back at Mantis. "You can keep the ship running. And keep an eye on Groot, he shouldn't come with us."
"I can do more than that," Mantis protests. "I am very good with a gun."
"There will be great violence," Drax says. "You are not suited to violence."
"I can help!"
"And you will help," Gamora says. "We'll need to make a quick exit. If you keep the ship running, we'll be able to do so."
They think she's too innocent for the rescue mission. A part of Mantis wants to scream at them that she's not. She has been complicit in the deaths of hundreds of children, she has their blood on her hands, and she is not too innocent for a bit of violence.
But they won't believe her, and she shouldn't scream at the people who are giving her a place to stay. "I will keep the ship running," she says.
Peter looks a little conflicted, but Gamora plows forward, starting to come up with a plan, and everyone gets swept up in it. After, though, Peter comes over to Mantis instead of going to the bridge.
"Uh, hey, Mantis, you know we're not trying to order you around, right?" he says. "We just don't want you to get hurt."
"I understand," Mantis says, nodding. "I am not yet tested in combat, so I am not prepared to go on this mission."
"You get it?" Peter says, looking relieved. "Cause, it's not like you have to do what we say or anything, we're just trying to protect you."
Mantis nods again. "I understand."
"Well." Peter nods once. "That's good. I'm glad you understand. Uh… let's go rescue Nebula, then."
Mantis offers Peter a little smile, then he heads to the cockpit and leaves Mantis alone with the worry crawling under her skin.
On Xeyla's first night on Ego's planet, she found Mantis sitting on the steps outside of Ego's home. Mantis looked at her in surprise when she heard the quiet footsteps behind her. Ego always dined with his children when they were on the planet, and Mantis was never invited to the dinners. Xeyla ought to have been inside with Ego, not outside with Mantis.
"Father wanted to have dinner, but he's boring," Xeyla announced, sitting next to Mantis on the stoop. "You're much more interesting."
"Your father is a great man," Mantis said, knowing it was what Ego would want her to say.
Xeyla scoffed. "Doesn't seem like it to me. I definitely like you better."
Xeyla laid her hand on the stoop, bare inches from Mantis's. Mantis moved her hand a little closer, and Xeyla closed the distance between them. Her emotions sparked through Mantis's veins, attraction and arousal all mixed up in one.
"You're beautiful," Xeyla said, taking Mantis's hand in both of hers. Xeyla's hands had the calluses of an adventurer, while Mantis's were smooth. "You look almost delicate. But I'm guessing you're not as fragile as you look."
"Why do you think that?" Mantis asked. She knew she was supposed to act a certain way around Ego's children, supposed to act naive and guileless so they didn't suspect anything of Ego, but she couldn't bring herself to do it this time.
"You have a strength in you," Xeyla said. She lifted one hand to Mantis's chest and laid it flat over Mantis's heart. "A strength here. I think you've seen more than you'd like, and you know more than you'd admit."
"And if I have?" Mantis asked, leaning forward a little. Xeyla had a sort of strange gravity around her; Mantis had gotten caught in it, and now she was stuck.
"Then you're even more beautiful," Xeyla replied, then she laid a gentle kiss on Mantis's lips.
Mantis didn't know exactly what to do, but Xeyla did, so Mantis did too. Xeyla angled her head slightly to deepen the kiss, and Mantis raised her free hand to the back of Xeyla's head. She had never kissed before - she had never had anyone to kiss before - but she liked it. She wanted to keep it, to keep Xeyla, more than she had ever wanted anything before.
She wanted Xeyla to control the light and live.
Mantis's own fear and sorrow burst through the dam that Xeyla's emotions had created, and she broke off the kiss with a little gasp. "Are you alright?" Xeyla asked, concern in her eyes.
"I-" What could she do? She couldn't tell Xeyla. She couldn't help her control the light. She couldn't convince Ego not to kill her if she failed.
She couldn't do anything.
"I am alright," Mantis said. "Will you kiss me again?"
Xeyla's lips curved into a smile. "You liked it, then?"
"Very much," Mantis replied. "I have never kissed anyone else before, but it is very enjoyable."
"You've never kissed anyone?" Xeyla asked.
Mantis shook her head.
"That's a tragedy," Xeyla said. She leaned forward, her lips so close to Mantis's that Mantis could feel her breath on them. "I think we should make up for lost time."
With Xeyla's lips on hers, and Xeyla's emotions crashing through her mind, Mantis could almost forget about Ego and the light and the unknown threat hanging over Xeyla's head.
Almost.
The mission, as far as Mantis can tell, goes according to plan. She waits in the ship with Groot while the others charge in, get Nebula, and charge back out. She pilots away as quickly as she can, then she goes to find the others.
They're still by the airlock, Nebula lying on the floor and thrashing against Gamora and Drax's hold as she screams. "Rocket, hurry up!" Peter yells.
"I'm hurrying as fast as I can!" Rocket retorts. "I can't just whip this up in a second, Quill!"
"She's hurting!" Gamora snaps. "Fix it!"
"What is happening?" Mantis asks worriedly.
"Mantis!" Peter says, whirling around. "You shouldn't-"
"Her cybernetic enhancements are still overloaded," Gamora says. "They're still hurting her."
"I can make her sleep," Mantis offers immediately.
Peter's eyes go wide. "Mantis, no, you-"
"I can do it," Mantis repeats. "I want to help her."
"Mantis-"
"It is my choice," Mantis says, her voice sharper than she means for it to be, and Peter's mouth closes with a snap.
"You can make it stop hurting?" Gamora asks.
Mantis nods. "I can put her to sleep. She will not feel anything."
Gamora sets her jaw. "Do it."
"Gamora!" Peter cries.
"My sister is hurting," Gamora snaps. "We need to stop it."
"If Mantis does this, she'll hurt just as much," Peter retorts. "Mantis, you can't-"
"It is my choice," Mantis repeats, and she puts a hand on either side of Nebula's head.
Pain pain pain crashes into her, waves of agony so strong she can hardly breathe. Beneath it is anger (pain) betrayal (pain) sorrow (PAIN) and beneath that, just barely-
PAIN-
"Mantis!" someone calls, and Mantis gasps for air as she surfaces from Nebula's emotions the best she can. She's barely treading water, but it's all she needs for now.
Sleep, she commands, but the command is too weak against the endless pain battering against it. "Sleep," she says aloud, her brow furrowing. Still, it doesn't take.
"Sleep!"
Nebula's eyes close and her body goes limp. The agony recedes as her emotions dampen under Mantis's blanket of slumber, but there are still threads and sparks and she knows that this is how Nebula lives every day and it hurts-
Someone grabs Mantis and pulls her away, and she realizes she's panting like she's just run for miles. She blinks until Peter's concerned face comes into focus in front of her.
"Mantis, Mantis, are you okay?"
"I…" She gasps, her lungs unable to hold air for long enough that she can form words. "I am alright."
"You don't look alright," Peter counters.
"I will be fine," Mantis says. "I just need a few minutes."
"Okay." Peter nods to himself, then helps Mantis to the common area and onto the sofa. "Stay here. I'll be back in a minute."
"I am fine," Mantis protests, but Peter's already gone.
She closes her eyes and leans against the wall of the ship. She can still feel the echoes of Nebula's pain sparking in her nerves. She knows she's not injured, but for a second she thinks she must be. Why else would she feel like this?
Someone puts a hand on her leg, and Mantis looks down to see Groot staring up at her, worry in his big dark eyes. "I am Groot?" he asks tentatively.
"I am alright," Mantis says. She offers a hand to Groot, who takes it to pull himself onto the sofa. His emotions are pure and uncomplicated. He is worried, but he is not hurt. Mantis bathes herself in it.
"I am Groot?" Groot asks, clambering up onto her shoulder to sit.
"You are helping very much," Mantis replies. "Thank you, Groot."
A few minutes later, Peter returns. "How is Nebula?" Mantis asks immediately.
"She'll be fine," Peter replies. "Rocket made something to fix her enhancements, so they're not hurting her anymore. How hard did you hit her with your sleep thing?"
"I do not think it will last more than an hour," Mantis replies. "But I could wake her now, if you prefer."
"She could probably use the sleep," Peter replies. "Gamora's with her right now, but she wanted me to thank you. You really helped Nebula."
"I am fond of her," Mantis says again. "I wanted to help. And it was not that difficult."
"It hurt you," Peter protests.
"Only for a moment," Mantis replies. "I am alright, Peter."
Peter sighs. "You might even get a thank you from Nebula when she wakes up. Or she'll try to kill you for messing with her head."
"She is safe, and no longer in pain," Mantis replies. "That matters more than a thank you."
Peter looks at her for a moment, then shakes his head fondly. "You're pretty great, Mantis, do you know that?"
Mantis smiles. "Thank you."
Peter leans down and lays a quick kiss on the top of her head, between her antennae, then he straightens up again. "I should go make sure Rocket doesn't crash the ship or something. If you need anything, find me, okay?"
"I'm fine, really," Mantis protests, but Peter's already gone.
She is fine, and Nebula will be fine, and that's all that matters. Mantis has lost too many people to stomach losing another.
"You should be spending time with your father."
Xeyla shrugged as she sprawled out next to Mantis. "He's boring. I like you better."
"He will be missing you," Mantis warned, but she shifted closer to Xeyla anyway.
"Let him miss me," Xeyla replied. "All he wants to talk about is his 'light' and my connection to this planet. I'd rather be with you."
"Have you been able to sense the light?" Mantis asked, hoping against hope that the answer would finally be yes.
"No, not really," Xeyla replied. Mantis's heart sank. "But why are we talking about Ego when we could be doing something much more fun?"
Xeyla's fingers walked up Mantis's stomach slowly. Mantis swallowed.
"Can you feel my emotions?" Xeyla asked.
"No," Mantis replied, feeling Xeyla's fingers travel further up her chest. "I can only feel your emotions if your skin touches mine."
"Well," Xeyla said, leaning in, "then we should fix that."
Her lips were tender against Mantis's, so unbelievably tender. Her feelings crashed over Mantis like a wave, completely burying any worry about Ego. Mantis gasped against Xeyla's lips and felt it when Xeyla huffed out a small laugh against hers.
"Can you feel me now?" Xeyla asked, pulling her lips away but pressing her forehead to Mantis's.
"I can."
"Then you'll know that I'm completely honest when I say you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
Her honesty was so complete that Mantis could almost taste it.
"You cannot feel it, but I am being honest when I say you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," she replied.
"I believe you," Xeyla replied. She took Mantis's hand and intertwined their fingers together. "When I leave here, will you come with me?"
"When you leave?" Mantis repeated.
"I can't stay here forever," Xeyla replied. "I have a life, out there in the galaxy. But I don't want to leave you."
Mantis felt her stomach twist. Xeyla would never be able to leave. If she couldn't control the light, Ego would kill her, and if she could, Ego would never let her go.
"Yes," she whispered anyway. "When you leave, I will come with you."
Xeyla smiled. "You'll love it. Have you ever traveled in space before?"
"Once," Mantis replied. "When I was still a larva. Ego found me orphaned on my planet and brought me here. But I have not left since."
"Being in space is the most amazing thing you can imagine," Xeyla said. "The stars look close enough to touch, and you're alone but also more connected with the universe than you've ever been before." She sighed and closed her eyes. "I can't wait to show you."
"I would love to see it," Mantis replied. Her heart ached and she leaned against Xeyla's shoulder, burying her face in the crook of Xeyla's neck.
"Are you okay?" Xeyla asked, her concern flowing into Mantis's veins.
"I do not want to think right now," Mantis mumbled.
She felt the warmth of Xeyla's smile. "I think I can help with that."
"Gamora said you put me to sleep."
Mantis jumps, whirling around. Nebula is standing in the doorway to her room, looking at the floor.
"I did not know you were awake!" Mantis cries, jumping to her feet. "Are you in any pain?"
"No," Nebula replies. "I…" She looks uncomfortable. "I was, and then something was there, and the pain went away. Gamora said that was you."
"I used my powers to put you to sleep," Mantis explains. "I apologize for reading your emotions without permission, but you were in so much pain, and-"
"I'm not angry," Nebula says. "I'm…" Her mouth twists a little. "I'm grateful."
Mantis blinks. "Oh."
"Don't do it again," Nebula adds quickly.
Mantis shakes her head. "I will not."
Nebula nods once. "I… I'll be staying here for a while. I don't have a ship, and Gamora says you're not heading anywhere where I can get one."
Mantis didn't know they were necessarily heading anywhere, but she keeps her mouth shut. If Gamora is lying to Nebula to keep her here, Mantis understands why.
"Do you need anything?" Mantis asks. "I can help you find things."
Nebula scowls. "Why do you act like their servant?"
"What?"
"The Guardians." Nebula speaks the word with derision. "You act like their servant. Why?"
"I wish to be useful," Mantis replies. "The others all can do things to help, so I like to do whatever I can to help as well."
Nebula frowns. "Ego was your father," she says. It's not a question.
"He was my master," Mantis corrects.
Nebula's mouth twists. "Is there a difference?"
"I do not understand."
"These Guardians… They aren't like your old master. They're not like my old master either. They're foolish and naive and their bleeding hearts will be the death of them someday, but they won't throw you out because you're not useful."
"They have said so," Mantis says. "But…"
Nebula looks at her, her dark eyes unreadable. "You're not as innocent as they think you are."
"And you are not as cruel," Mantis counters.
Nebula scowls. "You're as foolish as the rest of them."
"You have never hurt me," Mantis says. "You have had many opportunities, but you never have."
"You've never given me reason."
"Someone truly cruel wouldn't need a reason."
"Gamora said that you said you were… fond of me," Nebula says hesitantly. "And I-"
She stops, making a face like she's pained. Mantis frowns a little. "Are you alright?"
"You're not as bad as the others," Nebula blurts out, then she turns on her heel and leaves the room.
Mantis blinks. She's not quite sure what just happened, but she thinks she'd like to find out.
She's glad that Nebula is staying on the ship for a while longer. She'd like to spend more time with her, and she thinks Nebula, even though she won't admit it, might like to spend time with her too.
On the fourth day that Xeyla spent on Ego's planet, she and Mantis had a picnic lunch, at Xeyla's insistence. "It'll be fun!" she'd said, and Mantis, too focused on the fact that Xeyla only had one more day to learn how to control the light, had agreed without any more convincing.
It was fairly fun, or it would have been if the looming threat of Ego weren't hanging over Xeyla's neck, unbeknownst to her. Mantis could only drown herself in Xeyla's emotions so much. She'd gotten too good at separating her emotions from the emotions of others, and she could still feel her own anxiety thrumming in time with her heartbeat.
"What's bothering you?" Xeyla asked as they sat next to each other on the picnic blanket.
"Nothing is bothering me," Mantis replied, too quickly.
Xeyla made a disbelieving noise. "I might not be able to read emotions by touch, but I can tell when someone's worried about something. What are you worried about?"
"Nothing that can be changed."
Xeyla frowned, taking Mantis's hands in her own. "I don't believe that. Nothing is set in stone."
"This is."
"Tell me what it is," Xeyla offered. "I'll help you figure it out."
"I'm not allowed to tell you," Mantis whispered.
Xeyla's frown darkened. "Is this something about my father? Did he do something to you?"
"No!" Mantis said quickly. "Ego is very good to me. He-"
The words stuck in her throat. Ego was good to her, for a given value of good, but unless Xeyla learned to control the light within the next day, he would not be good to her.
"Have you learned to control the light?" Mantis asked.
Xeyla shook her head. "Honestly, I can't even feel it. What does that have to do with anything, Mantis? Tell me. I want to help."
Mantis remembered what she'd thought when she first saw Xeyla. She could take care of herself, and it was possible that she had evaded Ego's grasp for years. If she'd done it before, perhaps she could do it again.
"Ego has had many children," Mantis blurted out. She kept her voice hushed, even though Ego was nowhere near them; she had no idea how much he could hear. "He has brought them all here, to try to control the light."
"Where are they?" Xeyla asked.
Mantis shook her head. "They… Xeyla, he…"
"He kills them," Xeyla said flatly. "Is that what you're trying to say? He kills his children?"
"Every one of them," Mantis whispered. "He gives them five days to control the light, then he…"
"Five days?" Xeyla said. "So…"
"You have one day left," Mantis said. "Xeyla, I should have told you before, I'm so sorry-"
"We're getting out of here," Xeyla interrupted. "Both of us. We're leaving, now." She stood, holding a hand out to Mantis. "We're getting away from here, and then we'll report my father to the authorities, and they'll stop him. He will never hurt another child again."
"Xeyla…" Mantis hesitated. "No one can stop him."
"Nothing is set in stone," Xeyla said again. "We'll leave, and we'll stop him."
Slowly, Mantis took Xeyla's hand.
"Come on," Xeyla said, turning, and then before she had a chance to take a single step, a blue spear of light flew out of the ground and pierced Xeyla's chest.
Mantis screamed as Xeyla collapsed, her eyes going dull. "Xeyla, Xeyla, Xeyla," she sobbed, falling to her knees, but when she touched Xeyla's face, it was already growing cold, and she couldn't feel anything at all.
"You gave me no choice," Ego said, and Mantis whirled around to find him standing behind her, looking at Xeyla with what looked almost like real grief on his face. "She was going to leave."
"You would have killed her anyway," Mantis accused.
"She had one more day," Ego replied. "And then I was considering letting her live and giving her to you. But now…" Ego shook his head. "You did this, Mantis."
"No," Mantis whispered, bending over Xeyla. "No, no, no-"
"I know everything that happens on this planet," Ego added. "If you ever tell anyone else… Well, let me show you where you'll go."
The ground disappeared out from underneath Mantis, and she screamed as she fell.
Nebula avoids Mantis at first.
Mantis does her best not to take it personally. At first, she doesn't even notice it. She rarely sees Nebula, but the others all say that they rarely see her either. She seems to be avoiding everyone.
Except Nebula flees every time Mantis catches sight of her, and apparently she's not doing that with everyone else.
"Is Nebula angry that I looked in her mind?" Mantis asks Gamora over breakfast.
"She's not angry with you," Gamora replies. "She just doesn't like being with other people on a small ship like this."
Mantis accepts the explanation, although she thinks there must be more to it than that. She tries to give Nebula some space, staying away from the few spots where she's seen her more than once. If Nebula doesn't like being around so many other people, Mantis will try to make things easier for her.
She's practicing the combat drills Gamora gave her in the training room when Nebula finally seeks her out. "Your elbow is sticking out too much," she calls, startling Mantis enough that she almost falls over.
"Nebula! Do you wish to train? I could leave."
Nebula scowls. "You need training more than I do. Tuck your elbow in. And keep your stance more balanced."
"Like this?" Mantis asks, holding her elbow closer to her body and trying to distribute her weight better between her legs.
"Better," Nebula replies. "Did Gamora teach you these drills?"
"She said they were good for a beginner."
Nebula scoffs. "They won't do you much good in a real fight. Try this." In a whirlwind of motion, Nebula advances on the punching bag, kicks it hard, grabs it from behind, and wraps her arm around neck-height. "Then you snap their neck."
"I do not wish to kill people," Mantis replies quickly. "I just wish to touch them, so I can put them to sleep."
"And if you don't have that option? Some people will hold out against you."
Mantis feels her antennae droop. "I do not want to kill." She's complicit in so many deaths, and she refuses to be the reason for anyone else to lose their life.
Nebula softens, just a little. "You can make someone pass out like this too. Choke them until they lose consciousness, then let them go. They don't die."
"I could try that," Mantis replies, a bit dubiously. "But I cannot move as fast as you do."
"You'll get there," Nebula replies. "Try this."
She demonstrates a high kick, this time much more slowly. Mantis tries to do the same thing and almost falls over.
"You're not balanced," Nebula tells her. "You need to have weight behind the kick, but not so much that you fall over."
Mantis tries to shift her weight a little. She's not sure she's doing it right, but she tries again anyway.
This time, she really does fall. "Oh!" she cries as she loses her balance and tumbles to the ground. Nebula watches her clamber back to her feet, her arms crossed across her chest.
"Try again."
Obediently, Mantis stands and gets into a ready position. Before she can kick, though, Nebula comes up to her and puts her hands on Mantis's hips.
"Not like that. Like this."
Mantis allows Nebula to manhandle her into the right position, hoping that the flush on her cheeks will be mistaken for exertion. When Nebula finally takes her hands away, Mantis doesn't allow herself to crave the return of the touch. She just tries the kick again, and this time, she keeps her balance.
"Good," Nebula says. She comes around to stand in front of Mantis. "Let's spar."
Mantis's eyes go wide. "You will beat me very quickly."
"I'm teaching you," Nebula replies. "I'll go easy."
"You will still beat me very quickly."
"We'll see."
Before Mantis has a chance to think, Nebula lunges for her. It's only pure instinct that allows Mantis to get out of the way in time. Nebula swings and Mantis drops under the flying fist. Her heart is pounding, and for the first time, she thinks she might understand the enjoyment that the others find in a good fight.
"You're just avoiding me," Nebula calls after Mantis ducks a few more blows. "Are you just waiting for someone else to save you?"
The Guardians aren't the type to leave someone behind, but Mantis knows better than to rely on someone else to save her. "No," she replies, and when Nebula next swings at her, she drops down and tries to sweep her feet out from under her like Gamora taught Mantis to do last week.
Nebula's lips split into a grin. "That's more like it," she says as she jumps out of the way of Mantis's swinging leg. "Fight me, don't just let me fight you."
Hesitantly, Mantis takes a more aggressive stance. She doesn't land a single blow, but Nebula's smile grows through the fight. Nebula's not landing any blows either, although Mantis is certain she could. For now, Nebula is letting them be almost evenly matched.
When Nebula next swings at Mantis with her real fist, Mantis grabs her arm. If she can lay her skin against Nebula's, then she can put her to sleep, and the fight will be over. She's trying to slide her hand under Nebula's sleeve when Nebula grabs her arm and throws her to the ground, pinning both of her arms above her head.
"If you want to touch me and put me to sleep, you need to do it in one motion," she says, not even breathing hard. Mantis is panting beneath her, looking up into her dark eyes. "If you need to do more than that, it won't work."
"I understand," Mantis replies, and in one motion, she surges upward and presses her lips against Nebula's.
Her intention is to use Nebula's shock to put her to sleep, even if just for a moment, and thus win their spar. What she's not expecting is the wave of Nebula's arousal that crashes over her, the battery of Nebula's attraction, the way Nebula barely feels her unending pain because she's too busy feeling the press of Mantis's body against hers.
Mantis pulls away, her eyes going wide. "You are… attracted to me?"
Nebula is frozen for a long moment, and then she lets go of Mantis and leaves the room at a sprint. Mantis stays on the floor, one hand drifting down to touch her tingling lips.
Neither the pounding of her heart nor the flush in her cheeks are from exertion, and she doesn't think she'd be able to pretend they were.
Mantis spent a full week in the cavern beneath the surface of the planet. It was, she quickly discovered, where Ego sent the bodies of his murdered children. It was full of skeletons, far more than would account for the children Mantis had known. How long had Ego been doing this?
She dug Xeyla a grave with her bare hands and laid her body in it. It wasn't much, but Xeyla deserved more than to be left in a cavern full of bones. All of the children deserved better, but there was only so much Mantis could do.
When Ego finally descended into the cave, Mantis almost sobbed with relief. Even being with Ego was preferable to waiting in the dark with the bodies of the dead.
"Oh, Mantis," Ego sighed, holding a hand out to help her up. "Do you see how foolish you were now?"
"I'm sorry," Mantis begged. "I'm so sorry, Master."
"I know you are," Ego replied, brushing her hair out of her face with one hand. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."
Mantis blinked against the bright sunlight when Ego led her out of the cavern, shrinking against his side. Ego put a gentle arm around her shoulders. "You'll get used to the sun again," he promised. "You just need time."
When they reached Ego's estate, Ego led her into one of his own rooms, one that Mantis had never dared enter. "Come in here," he told her, taking her into a room with a bathtub larger than Mantis's entire room, already filled with water. "Wash yourself up. I'll make you some new clothes to replace those ones."
"Thank you," Mantis said, her voice shaky.
Ego tucked a finger under her jaw to lift her face. "You've learned your lesson, haven't you?" he asked, his voice steely under the gentle mask.
"I have, Master."
"You will never tell another child, will you?"
"Never, Master."
"If you do, I won't come back to get you," Ego warned. "I'll leave you in that cavern. You don't want that, do you, Mantis?"
"No, please," Mantis begged. She couldn't go back to the cavern, she couldn't-
"Good," Ego said, letting go of Mantis's face. "Bathe. Relax. You're safe now."
Mantis nodded, stepping towards the bathtub. "Yes, Master."
Ego left the room, and Mantis slowly peeled off her clothes. They were covered in dirt and grime from the past week, and all Mantis wanted was to get rid of them. She left them on the floor as she stepped into the tub. The water was the perfect temperature, and she submerged herself entirely, feeling for the first time that maybe she could be clean again.
She didn't dare let herself think about why Ego was being so uncharacteristically kind. She was too desperate for any scraps of kindness to analyze them too much.
"Mantis?" Ego called after a while. "Are you alright in there? I have some clothes."
"I am still bathing," Mantis replied.
Ego laughed. "Still bathing? Alright. I'll leave the clothes outside."
Mantis finished bathing and left the tub, wrapping herself up in a towel. Outside the door, like Ego had promised, were clothes. Mantis ducked back into the bathroom and dressed in the green and black skintight clothes, tugging the strange detached sleeves into place. She looked at herself in the mirror, then she left the room and sought out Ego.
It turned out she didn't need to look for him; Ego was waiting for her. "Mantis," he said as she stepped out of his rooms. "You look lovely. Those clothes suit you well. I knew they would."
"Thank you, Master," Mantis said, bowing.
"Now, Mantis," Ego said, "I have another child arriving in a few days."
"Are you not going to fetch them?" Mantis asked.
"No," Ego replied. "I've found a pirate who'll bring them to me. A man named Yondu Udonta. So I won't have to leave you alone on the planet anymore."
"I am glad," Mantis replied, hoping Ego wouldn't be able to tell that she was lying through her teeth.
"And everything will be back to normal when the child arrives, yes?" Ego asked.
Mantis nodded. "Yes, of course, Master."
Ego smiled. "Good. I'd hate to have any further… unpleasantness."
Mantis bowed her head. "May I rest, Master?"
Ego smiled. "Of course, Mantis. Go rest."
Mantis was able to keep her composure until she reached her room, but the second the door closed behind her, she began to cry.
Mantis tries to find Nebula after the sparring session, but Nebula is very good at hiding, and she puts those skills to work. Mantis can't find her anywhere.
It's late, as least as much as it can be "late" on a spaceship with no real way to tell time, so after some searching, Mantis decides to go to bed and find Nebula in the morning. She just wants to apologize, and if Nebula will let her, to understand. It's not as if Nebula's attraction is unrequited, although without Mantis's empathic powers, Nebula might not have been able to tell. Either way, all Mantis really wants is to talk.
But she can't talk if she can't find Nebula, so Mantis goes to sleep and plans to talk to Nebula when she wakes. It's not a bad plan, but considering she wakes to the ship landing, it might need some tweaking.
"Where are we landing?" Mantis asks as she goes to the bridge.
"Nebula demanded that we drop her off somewhere where she could get a new ship," Peter replies. "Pretty rudely, to be honest. Gamora is seeing her off right now."
"Are they at the airlock?" Mantis asks, already leaving the bridge.
"Yeah," Peter replies, "but I don't think they- And you're already gone."
Mantis barely hears the last part, already halfway to the airlock. She needs to speak to Nebula before she leaves, before she has the chance to run. If Nebula goes now, Mantis doesn't think she'll come back for a long time.
She runs into the room right as Nebula is about to step off the ship. "Wait!" she cries, reaching a hand out. "Nebula, wait!"
"Mantis?" Gamora asks, looking confused, but Mantis only has eyes for Nebula. She needs to tell her-
Nebula hunches her shoulders and walks off the ship, but Mantis isn't going to let her leave this easily. She runs after her this time, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around.
"I am attracted to you as well," she says in a burst. "I did not mean to read you last night, I did not mean to find out your secrets, but I feel the same way about you as you feel for me."
Nebula stares at her with wide, dark eyes. "You're attracted to me?"
"You are beautiful," Mantis replies. "And you are brave and strong. If I could show you my emotions the way I read yours, I would let you. They are real, I promise."
"Why would you be attracted to me?" Nebula demands. "You're… You're kind, and I'm not. I'm-"
"You are not as cruel as you think," Mantis replies. "Please do not go, Nebula."
Nebula takes a step backwards. "I should."
"Please, Nebula. Not yet."
"This doesn't make sense," Nebula protests. "You shouldn't be attracted to me."
"I am," Mantis replies simply. "It makes sense to me. If you give me the chance, I will try to explain it to you."
"I-"
"Please," Mantis says again. She remembers the emotions she felt from Nebula when she put her to sleep, the pain and anger and sorrow and betrayal, and beneath all that, the fear that she would never be anything more than the weapon Thanos shaped her into. "You are beautiful to me, Nebula. I wish to show you how."
Nebula's jaw works and she avoids Mantis's eyes. "I… I need to find a new ship."
"Can I come with you?" Mantis asks desperately. If Nebula won't stay, then maybe she can go.
"It'll be too dangerous," Nebula replies.
"I am not an innocent," Mantis snaps, her voice harsher than she means for it to be. "I can fight."
"I…" Nebula looks up at her for an instant, then her eyes flicker away again. "I need time to think. On my own."
"Will you come back?" Mantis asks.
"I will," Nebula promises.
Mantis holds a hand out. Nebula takes it with her prosthetic hand. Mantis is pretty sure it's a sign that she's not allowed to read her emotions anymore, then Nebula leans forward and drops a very quick kiss on Mantis's lips. Mantis only catches a flash of emotion, but it's enough to feel Nebula's shocked pleasure.
"I will look forward to your return," Mantis says.
Nebula squeezes Mantis's hand, her prosthetic using a bit too much force, then she lets go and turns away. Mantis lets her go this time and turns back to the ship.
"Are you dating my sister?" Gamora asks, sounding shocked.
Mantis thinks about it a moment. They didn't say anything yet, but she thinks…
"I believe so," she replies. "Is that alright?"
"Will you be good to her?" Gamora demands.
Mantis nods. "I will be."
"Then it's alright." Gamora's lips almost twitch into a smile. "Welcome to the family, I suppose."
Mantis smiles. "I am glad to be part of it."