"Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me."

-Al Capone

Yondu Udonta was a Centaurian with blue skin and a red prosthetic fin on the top of his head. He brought Ego's next child to the planet, a little Vanir boy. "Held up my end," he said when he landed with the child. "It's your turn."

"You will have the money you want," Ego replied. "Mantis, take the child."

Mantis stepped forward and knelt in front of the little boy, who looked terrified. "Come with me," she said gently, holding out a hand. When the boy took it, she began sifting through the child's emotions, suppressing his terror and sorrow the way she knew Ego wanted her to.

"This another one of your kids?" Yondu asked.

"This is my assistant, Mantis," Ego replied. Assistant, Mantis thought, was a rather generous term for it, but she didn't dare contradict Ego, especially not in front of someone else. She focused on calming the child, doing her best to ignore Ego and Yondu.

"What exactly does she assist you with?" Yondu asked, eyeing Mantis and the child suspiciously.

"I believe the payment I'm giving you is more than sufficient to buy your silence," Ego said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I do not appreciate questions." Ego pulled a small contraption out of his pocket and pressed a button on it. "500,000 units, as agreed."

"Pleasure doing business with you," Yondu replied, turning back to his ship. Mantis lifted the child onto her hip as Yondu's ship took off, sending rocks and dust flying everywhere.

"I should do something about that," Ego said, leaning down. He put one hand against the ground and closed his eyes. Slowly, the ground changed from dirt to solid stone.

The Vanir child watched with wide eyes. "How did you do that?" he asked, looking at Ego in shock.

"Come with me and I'll explain," Ego replied. "Mantis, put him down."

Mantis set the child down on the ground and watched as he took Ego's hand. Together, they started towards Ego's mansion, Mantis trailing a few steps behind. When Ego brought the child into the great hall with the dioramas that changed with each child, Mantis slipped away to her room. Ego wouldn't need her now, and she didn't want to be there while Ego trapped the child in his web of lies. There was nothing she could do to stop it, but she didn't want to see more of it than she had to. She would avoid the child the best she could and hope that would make his inevitable death hurt less.

The plan only worked for a few hours. A while after night fell, right before she was going to sleep, Mantis heard a soft knock on her door. Ego never knocked, so the only option was…

She opened the door to see the Vanir child standing on the other side, awkwardly shifting his weight from leg to leg. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh! Nothing's wrong, Lady Mantis," the child replied.

"I am not a lady," Mantis replied, kneeling to match the child's height. "You can call me Mantis. What is your name?"

"Gunnar."

"Do you need something, Gunnar?"

Gunnar looked up at Mantis shyly. "I can't sleep," he admitted in a whisper. "I… I miss my mother. And I'm scared."

Mantis opened her mouth to tell Gunnar he had nothing to be afraid of, but the lie stuck in her throat. "Your father is here," she said instead.

"He's not like Mother," Gunnar replied. "But…" He looked at the ground, then peeked up at Mantis through his lashes. "You made me feel safe earlier. Could… Could you do that again?"

"Of course," Mantis replied. "We will go back to your room, and I will help you sleep."

They returned to Gunnar's room hand in hand, and Gunnar crawled into his bed. Mantis put her hand on his and slowly coaxed him into sleep, leeching away his fear and sorrow as she did so. By the time he was asleep, he was entirely calm.

She'd failed in her plan to avoid the child. That much was obvious. But when Gunnar asked for help, she couldn't say no. And if other children asked, she knew she wouldn't say no to them either. She couldn't abandon the children to Ego for the last few days of their lives. There was nothing she could do to save them, but that didn't mean she couldn't try to make things as good as possible at the end.

It would hurt, she was sure, but it would also let her help, and that was far more important.

"So wait, you and Nebula are what?"

"Dating," Mantis says.

Peter looks at Gamora, who's been taking this surprisingly well, then back at Mantis. "You're dating."

"Yes."

"You're dating Nebula."

"Yes."

Peter shakes his head, looking stunned. "I'm not even sure where to start."

Mantis blinks. She's not quite sure what that means. "Nebula wants me to meet her," she says instead. "On Contraxia."

"Contraxia?" Peter repeats, looking stunned. "She wants to go to Contraxia? What sort of place is that for a date?"

"There's still a bounty on her head from Xandar," Gamora says. "She can't go anywhere too deep in the Nova Empire."

"Yeah, if that's supposed to make me feel more comfortable with Mantis dating her, it didn't work."

"She doesn't need your permission," Gamora says, her voice heavy with disdain. "She just needs a ride."

Peter looks at Mantis helplessly, then looks back at Gamora. "Look," he hisses, "how are you okay with this? You know how dangerous your sister is. And Mantis-"

"Nebula has had many chances to hurt me," Mantis says. "She has never done it. I do not think she will."

"Yeah, but you don't know that!" Peter cries. "Nebula is dangerous. Even if she hasn't hurt you yet, she could."

Being treated like a child rankles. The words are on the tip of her tongue - I am not an infant for you to keep from the world, I have lived longer than you and seen things you could never dream of, if you wanted to protect me you missed your chance decades ago - but she swallows them. Peter is already angry with her. She shouldn't make it worse, and she knows that arguing always makes it worse.

"I wish to meet with her, please," she says instead, as calmly as she can. "Will you fly me to Contraxia?"

Peter doesn't answer for a long moment, then he huffs. "Okay, but you're taking a gun with you. And you should practice some hand-to-hand with Gamora on our way there."

"Thank you," Mantis says, too grateful for the acquiescence to protest the terms. "How long will it take to get there?"

Peter shrugs. "Two hours? Maybe a little more, maybe a little less."

"I will tell Nebula," Mantis replies.

"And tell her that I'll kick her ass if she hurts you," Peter adds.

"You'll kick Nebula's ass?" Gamora says, sounding amused.

Peter flounders. "I'll try!"

"She will not hurt me," Mantis assures him.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Peter grumbles.

Gamora rolls her eyes. "Come on, Mantis," she says. "You shouldn't need to do any fighting today, but some practice isn't a bad idea anyway."

Mantis follows Gamora to the training room. It's been over a week since Nebula left, so of course she's gone in since the kiss, but it still overwhelms every other memory once she steps through the doorway.

"Okay," Gamora says. "Come at me."

Mantis blinks. "Come at you?"

"Fight me," Gamora explains. "Let's spar."

Mantis hasn't sparred with anyone since Nebula, but she drops into a ready stance anyway. Gamora eyes her for a few moments, then she moves.

She's gentler than Nebula. Nebula never tried to hurt Mantis, and she was holding back, but she was still fighting. Gamora hardly is. Mantis hadn't realized how much it was stifling her progress until she sparred with someone else and realized what she could be doing instead.

Mantis goes through the motions of the fight as usual, swinging at Gamora as Gamora slowly swings back. It's not until Mantis goes up into a kick that Gamora starts to look interested.

"Where'd you learn that?"

"Nebula taught me," Mantis replies. "We sparred together while she was on the ship."

"You sparred with her?" Gamora asks, looking surprised. "How did it go?"

"She went easy on me," Mantis says. "But she still won. But then I kissed her and she ran off."

Gamora stares at Mantis with wide eyes. "You kissed her while sparring?"

"Is something wrong with that?" Mantis asks, suddenly worried.

"No," Gamora replies, but she doesn't sound very convincing. "It's just… I've never seen Nebula go easy on anyone when she spars. And she would never let someone kiss her."

"She was very surprised," Mantis confides.

Gamora's lips twitch into a slight smile. "Yeah, I bet."

"And she was a good teacher," Mantis adds. "She did not go too easy on me. I was still able to learn a lot from her."

"Well, your kick looks good," Gamora says. "Nebula was always good at those."

"Thank you," Mantis says, smiling. "She taught me well."

"You care for her," Gamora says.

"I do."

Gamora just barely smiles. "Good. She deserves someone who cares for her."

"She has you."

Gamora's smile widens. "Two people who care for her, then."

"I agree," Mantis says. She smiles back at Gamora. She's getting the hang of smiles now. "I will care for her for as long as she allows me."

Gamora's eyes twinkle. "Well, like I said, welcome to the family."

Yondu continued to bring Ego's children to his planet. Mantis continued to calm them when they arrived. Ego continued to kill them when they failed to control the light. It was a terrible cycle, but not one that Mantis felt she could ever break free from.

Then, one day, she found Ego pacing up and down outside the doors, rage written all over his face.

"Master? Has something happened?"

"Udonta was supposed to bring me a child today," Ego said, his words clipped and angry. "He hasn't done it."

"Could he be delayed?" Mantis asked, not daring to believe that someone else had finally stood up to Ego.

"He has betrayed me," Ego snapped. "He stole my child."

You were going to kill the child anyway, Mantis didn't allow herself to say. "Do you have other children?"

"Of course I do," Ego retorted. "But I wanted this one."

"Why?"

Ego glared at her. "It is not your place to question me, Mantis."

"I apologize, Master," Mantis replied quickly, inclining her head. "I did not mean to."

"I will find someone else to collect my children," Ego said, his brow furrowed. "And I will hire someone to bring Udonta and my son to me."

"You could collect your children yourself," Mantis suggested. "So no one will be able to steal them again."

Ego's frown deepened. "Perhaps I will," he replied. "You will come with me."

Mantis felt her eyes go wide. "I will?"

"I'll need you to put me to sleep," Ego replied. "You'll stay on the ship, of course, but you'll be able to calm the children immediately instead of waiting until we reach home."

"Yes, Master," Mantis replied, bowing her head as she mourned the opportunity for a hint of freedom. If Ego left, she would have at least some time alone, as she had once had. But if he took her with him, she wouldn't have any.

"I will find someone to fetch Udonta first," Ego declared. He held out a hand. "Come with me, Mantis."

"Now?" Mantis asked. "But-"

"Come, Mantis," Ego repeated, his voice sharpening.

Mantis swallowed and followed Ego. He led her to a ship that he'd left untouched for years, while he'd had Yondu to fetch his children. Before that, Mantis would watch Ego board and leave whenever he went to collect a child, and she would breathe a sigh of relief once he was gone. Now, she would leave with him.

"Come, Mantis," Ego called again as he stepped onto the ship. "We'll have to find someone to go after Udonta. I won't trust this mission to just any bounty hunter."

"Are you certain he betrayed you?" Mantis dared to ask.

Ego turned around, fire in his eyes. "You. Do. Not. Question. Me."

Mantis bowed immediately, hoping to escape as much of Ego's wrath as she could. The ship had already taken off, and Mantis wasn't sure what exactly Ego's powers were when he was separated from his planet, but she didn't want to test him.

"I am sorry. I am merely confused. Why would he betray you?"

"Because he's a sentimental fool," Ego snapped. "I should have seen it before. He asked about the other children. He thought he could provide for them better than I could. I'm their father. How dare he?"

Anyone could provide for those children better than you, Mantis thought traitorously, but she didn't dare let herself speak the words aloud.

"He was wrong," she said instead.

"He was," Ego replied, sounding like he relished the words. "And I'll show him how wrong he was. I'll hire someone to show him what happens to people who cross me."

"Are you sure the child will not get hurt in the crossfire?" Mantis asked, jumping on the opportunity to protect Yondu. She hadn't ever liked him that much, but he was trying to protect a child from Ego, and for that, he deserved Mantis's respect.

"Anyone who hurts my child will face my wrath," Ego snarled, apparently unaware of the irony of the statement. "No one will touch Peter."

"Peter?" Mantis asked.

Ego scowled. "My child is named Peter. He's from Terra."

Ego tended not to repeat species in his attempts to create a child who could control the light, so Mantis wasn't sure what a Terran would look like, but she just nodded. "Do you think he will be able to control the light?"

"I will give him the chance," Ego replied. "And we will find out."

"Should you try to find Yondu yourself?" Mantis suggested tentatively. "So you can be sure Peter is safe?"

Ego's brow furrowed. "Hmm. Perhaps. I'll think on it while we fly."

"Do you wish for me to put you to sleep?"

"Not yet." Ego waved a distracted hand at nothing in particular. "Keep yourself busy. I'll call for you if I need you."

Mantis bowed and stepped away. The ship was large, and she had never been on it before. She would have the chance to explore.

And perhaps, while she did, she could think about what she could do to keep Ego off Yondu and Peter's trail. She hadn't been able to save any of the other children, and she hadn't been the one to save this child either, but now that he had been saved, she wanted to keep him that way.

"Okay," Peter says when they reach Contraxia. "Be careful, Mantis. Here's a gun, here's a comm, here's your gloves, call us if you need anything-"

"She's not a child, Peter," Gamora interrupts. "Have a nice date, Mantis."

"Thank you," Mantis replies with a little bow. "And thank you, Peter."

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to go with you?" Peter asks worriedly.

"Peter," Gamora scolds.

"I do not need a chaperone," Mantis replies as she tucks the gun and comm away and pulls on her gloves. "I do not think Nebula will do anything untoward."

"Okay," Peter says, although he still sounds a little concerned. "Where is Nebula meeting you?"

"There," Mantis replies, pointing at the edge of the landing field. Nebula is waiting there, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"How long will your date be?" Gamora asks. "When should we come pick you up?"

"I do not know," Mantis replies. "I have never been on a date like this before."

"Comm us when you're ready for us to get you," Peter says. "We'll stay in the area."

"Thank you," Mantis says again, and then she steps off the ship and goes to Nebula.

"You came," Nebula says when she approaches.

"I told you I would," Mantis replies. "Peter was not sure that it would be safe, but Gamora convinced him."

"Contraxia is not the… nicest place," Nebula warns. "You should stick with me."

"I was planning on doing that anyway," Mantis replies. She tentatively holds out one hand. "Could we hold hands? I believe that is what you do on dates."

"I… I've never dated anyone," Nebula says, looking warily at Mantis's hand. Slowly, she takes it with her prosthetic, holding Mantis's hand very gently. "Have you?"

"Only once, and only for a few days," Mantis replies. "It was one of Ego's children. He brought most of them to his planet as children, but she was older. Her name was Xeyla."

"What happened to her?" Nebula asks.

Mantis looks down at their intertwined hands. "Ego killed her."

"Ego reminds me of my father," Nebula says, also looking down at their hands. "Thanos also killed things that we loved."

Mantis may not be touching Nebula's skin, but she can still tell that she's uneasy. "You are free of him," she says. "Just as I am free of Ego."

Nebula scoffs. "We'll never be free of them."

Mantis thinks of her recurring nightmares where Ego finds her again and traps her in the cave of skeletons under the surface of his planet. "Perhaps not," she admits, "but we do not need to let them control us anymore."

"Ego is dead," Nebula says, looking up and off into the distance. "Thanos is not."

"Then we will kill him," Mantis says. "We killed Ego, we can kill Thanos."

Nebula scoffs. "It won't be that simple."

"Ego was a living planet, and we killed him," Mantis says. "We are the Guardians of the Galaxy. We can defeat Thanos."

Nebula looks sideways at Mantis. There's no smile on her mouth, but there's a bit of one in her eyes. "The others still think you're so innocent. And here you are, planning my father's death."

"Your father deserves it," Mantis replies. "And just because the others think me innocent does not mean that I am."

"You felt what I feel and you didn't run," Nebula replies. "I know you're not innocent."

"You are not as cruel as you think," Mantis says. "I would not run."

Even though Nebula began the conversation, she looks a little flustered at where Mantis is taking it. "Where do you want to go?" she asks instead.

"I have never been to this planet before," Mantis replies, looking around. She visited some planets with Ego, but not this one. She would remember it. "What is here?"

"Bars," Nebula replies. "Fight clubs. Brothels."

"What is a brothel?" Mantis asks.

Nebula looks a little embarrassed. "Let's go to a bar."

"Very well," Mantis agrees easily. "I have never been to a bar before."

Nebula frowns. "Don't those idiots ever let you off the ship?"

"I do not often leave," Mantis replies. "My powers can make crowds unpleasant."

Nebula pauses. "We don't have to go to a bar."

"I have gloves now," Mantis says brightly, holding up one hand. "They should prevent me from accidentally feeling other people's emotions."

"Are you sure?"

"I am sure." Mantis squeezes Nebula's hand a bit, only belatedly remembering that it's a prosthetic that may or may not be able to feel the difference in pressure. "I am excited to be here with you, and I wish to explore."

"Okay," Nebula replies. "Come with me."

They're still holding hands, so that's easy enough. Mantis follows Nebula towards a large, brightly-lit building. It looks somewhat nicer than the other buildings around it, and the music playing inside is pleasant. Nebula pushes the door open and lets Mantis pass through first.

"Is this a bar?" Mantis asks as she takes in the building. "It is very loud."

"Bars are loud," Nebula replies. "Let's get something to drink."

Mantis allows Nebula to pull her to a table, then peruses the menu she shoves into her hands for a few moments before telling Nebula to pick for her. Nebula disappears for a minute, then returns with two glasses in her hands. One is a dark, murky brown, and the other is a pale pink.

"Here," Nebula says, giving Mantis the pink drink. "I don't know if you've ever had alcohol before, so this isn't too strong."

"Thank you," Mantis says, taking a tiny sip. The drink is shockingly sweet, with a sour aftertaste to it. She takes another sip, trying to figure out whether or not she likes it.

"Is it good?" Nebula asks, looking a little concerned as she swirls her own drink in its glass. "I've never had it before."

"It is very interesting," Mantis replies, taking another sip. "I have never tasted anything like it."

"It's a good thing I didn't get you anything stronger, then," Nebula replies. She downs her glass in one sip. Mantis watches the line of her throat as she gulps it down.

"You are beautiful," Mantis blurts out.

Nebula's dark eyes go wide. For a moment, Mantis worries that she's crossed some line, but then Nebula relaxes, just a little. She ducks her head, but not quite fast enough to keep Mantis from seeing the flush on her cheeks.

"So are you," Nebula mutters, and Mantis beams.

Ego didn't allow Mantis to explore the planets he visited. He didn't even allow her to leave the ship. "These are dangerous places," he told her every time they landed. "I don't want to see you hurt."

It was a lie and she knew it, but the answer never changed, so she stopped asking.

It gave her time to herself, at least, which was something she hadn't had for years. She explored the ship, finding all of its little hiding places. She never entered Ego's quarters, but she saw everywhere else until the ship was almost as familiar to her as Ego's planet.

When the children arrived, her job was similar to what it had been before she traveled with Ego; she calmed them, coaxed them towards relaxation, won their trust. After that, she put them to sleep, then she did the same to Ego, and then she would sit, almost alone, and wait for the ship to return so she could wake them again.

Five days would pass, the child would die, and the cycle would repeat.

Sometimes, Ego wouldn't pick up children on his trips. He would go to visit women, or he would search for Yondu and Peter. He would still bring Mantis with him, though, dragging her through space so she could put him to sleep whenever he wished. She knew he only took her because he didn't trust her alone anymore. She wished she could stay home, but at the same time… Well, it had never been a home to her. Not really. And it was too full of ghosts to truly be restful. It was better than being with Ego, of course, but the time alone on the ship wasn't bad either.

"Mantis!" Ego yelled, and Mantis jumped. She was sitting in the main room of the ship, a singular person in its large expanse. She wondered sometimes why Ego's ship was so large, when there were only ever two or three people on it at once.

"Master," she replied, standing and bowing. "Do you need something of me?"

"We are returning home," Ego replied. "Put me to sleep."

Mantis nodded. "Yes, Master." She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Have you found any leads on Yondu and Peter?"

"No," Ego replied, scowling. "But they won't evade me for long."

"Of course not, Master," Mantis replied. Her heart lifted every time Ego failed to find Yondu and Peter, but she was always careful not to show it. She followed Ego to his room, put him to sleep, then returned to the main room.

The ship wasn't perfectly quiet. There was a faint hum from the engines, low enough that it was barely audible but loud enough that it was heard. Ego's planet wasn't quiet either. The only place Mantis had ever visited that was silent was the cave under the surface. She didn't ever want to think about that place again.

"Someday," Mantis whispered, barely daring to say it even when her voice was almost silent, "I will leave Ego, and I will never need to think about the cave again."

She didn't know if it would be that easy. She didn't know if it was possible at all. Perhaps, she would live the rest of her life with Ego. Perhaps, she would stay with him until she died.

But if she ever had a chance to escape him, she would take it. Yondu had managed to evade his reach for years. Surely Mantis could do the same. Surely she could live her own life if she tried hard enough.

If it was a matter of willpower… Well, she had learned the importance of willpower in her years with Ego, and she thought she had enough of it to do whatever she put her mind to. She would escape someday, and she would never think about the cave again.

She would escape.

She would live.

Mantis and Nebula are enjoying a small, sweet cake - the menu called it a chocolate cupcake, and though neither Mantis nor Nebula have ever tasted one before, Mantis knows they're both glad they took the risk - when Mantis's comm starts beeping frantically. Mantis reaches for it, frowning, and accepts the message.

"Mantis," Gamora says, looking harried. Her eyes are wide, and she has a blaster in her hand. Mantis's heart sinks into her stomach. "Mantis, are you there?"

"I am here," Mantis says immediately. "Gamora, what is happening?"

"Stay away," Gamora says sharply. "We're being attacked. Don't come after us. We'll figure it out ourselves. Stay with Nebula, alright? Is she there with you?"

"I am," Nebula says, shifting slightly so she's in the frame. "Gamora-"

"Stay with Mantis," Gamora says. "Keep her safe."

"I can help!" Mantis protests. "Gamora-"

There's a loud crash. Mantis faintly hears Peter yell that he could use some help. Gamora looks off at something the camera can't see, then she turns back to Mantis and Nebula.

"Stay away," she repeats. "We'll comm you once we're safe again. Be careful, Mantis. You too, Nebula."

"Gamora, I can-"

But the screen goes black before Mantis can tell Gamora what she can do.

"You can stay with me," Nebula says after a moment. She's still staring at the spot where Gamora's picture was a moment before, but she tears her gaze away to look at Mantis. "My ship is big enough for two."

"I am going after them," Mantis says.

Nebula frowns. "Gamora just told us to stay away."

"Gamora thinks I am a child. She's wrong. I can handle myself."

"Rescuing them won't be easy."

"I don't care."

Nebula looks at Mantis and sighs. "We'll go after them, then. But you're taking the blame if Gamora gets mad at us."

"You're coming with me?"

"I can't let you run off into this much trouble on your own. Anyway, Gamora asked me to protect you."

"Thank you," Mantis says earnestly.

"She's my sister too," Nebula says. "Let's go find them and kick some ass."

Mantis nods seriously, standing up. Nebula tosses some credits onto the table, enough to cover their drinks and their chocolate cupcake, and starts striding towards the door. Mantis follows her, her heart pounding so loudly she's surprised the people around her can't hear it. She's scared, but she's also angry, angrier than she's been in a long time. She's only just found a new family, and if she needs to fight to keep it, she's going to fight.

Nebula's ship is big enough for two, but just barely. "Give me your comm," Nebula says when they climb onboard.

Mantis hands over the comm without argument. "Why do you need it?"

"You're linked to Gamora's comm," Nebula says. "I can use yours to track hers."

Mantis silently allows Nebula to do so. It takes a few minutes, and Mantis hears Nebula let out a few muttered curses, but then she jerks her head up triumphantly. "Found her."

"Where is she?" Mantis asks, peering over Nebula's shoulder.

"They're moving," Nebula says, frowning at the screen. "But we can follow them." She looks around at Mantis. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure," Mantis says firmly.

Nebula nods, turning back around. "Alright. Get strapped in."

Mantis obediently straps herself into the seat, then Nebula takes off. Her ship doesn't move as smoothly as the Milano, but it's faster. They rocket off the planet, heading straight up into the atmosphere. Nebula pilots it with the expertise of someone who's been doing this for years, and although Mantis knows Nebula is dangerous, she's not sure she's ever felt safer.

The feeling won't last, she knows, but even knowing that she's about to get into her first big fight doesn't scare her as much as it should. She's more capable than people think she is, and she has Nebula by her side, who's more capable than any single person really has the right to be. She'll be fine.

And she'll rescue the rest of the Guardians, and they'll be fine too.

Only once did someone come onto Ego's ship uninvited. Ego himself was off collecting or creating a child, Mantis wasn't sure which, and Mantis was left puttering around the ship, aimlessly wandering and wondering how long Ego would take this time. She didn't expect him to take too long, but when she heard footsteps on the floor, she immediately knew they weren't his. She'd spent most of her life listening for Ego's footsteps, so she would never be caught unawares when he approached. She would recognize them in her sleep, and these footsteps… These footsteps weren't his.

There were no weapons onboard the ship; or, if there were, Mantis didn't know about them. She wouldn't be surprised if Ego did have a blaster or two, but she had never seen them. The only thing she had to defend herself with was her power. She'd need to touch whoever was here to use that, but at least it was something.

If the intruder was still here when Ego got back, she was sure they would regret their break-in, but maybe she could deal with it before he returned. She'd rather not watch someone die today.

The intruder burst into the main room where Mantis stood, holding a blaster. They jerked it up when they saw Mantis standing there, training it on her chest. "Hands up."

Mantis put her hands up immediately. "What are you doing here?" she asked, putting on the same mask of childlike innocence that she wore around everyone who wasn't Ego. "Are you a friend of my master's?"

"Your master?" the intruder said, their blaster lowering a little. Their face was entirely covered by a mask, but Mantis guessed that their expression would probably show the same hesitation that had just entered into their voice. "Are you a slave?"

Yes, absolutely, but Mantis knew Ego would be furious if she said it out loud. "I am my master's assistant," she said, bowing a little. The blaster jerked back up at her movement, and she froze.

"Don't move," the intruder said, but their voice wasn't as sharp as it had been before. "Look, I don't want to hurt you."

"Unfortunately for you," a new voice said, a voice that Mantis recognized and hated, "I do want to hurt you."

"Master-!" Mantis cried, but Ego had already ducked away from the blaster that swung around to point at him. He grabbed the intruder's arm and snapped it with a sound that would echo in Mantis's nightmares, then he grabbed the blaster out of their hand and shot them in the head.

Mantis bit down on her horrified cry, not letting it past her gritted teeth. She swallowed hard, shoving the sound back down into her stomach, and forced herself to appear composed when Ego looked up at her.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, Master."

Ego nodded once, then he turned and left the room. Mantis looked down at the body on the floor, then she followed him.

"We're leaving," Ego said sharply.

"Have you finished your business on this planet?" Mantis asked. Her voice sounded perfectly even.

"It's finished," Ego said. Abruptly, he stopped and turned around, reaching one hand out and brushing it against Mantis's cheek. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I wasn't hurt," Mantis said. She didn't think the intruder would have hurt her at all.

"No one can ever touch you, not while I'm here," Ego promised.

Mantis wondered if he meant for it to sound like a threat as much as it did.

"I know, Master."

The ship took off smoothly, rising into the air at Ego's silent command. Mantis wondered, not for the first time, if the ship even had manual controls. Ego certainly didn't need them.

"Wake me when we get home," Ego said as he and Mantis entered his room. He lay down and closed his eyes.

Mantis rested a hand on his forehead. "Yes, Master," she said, then she pushed sleep into Ego's veins, and only when she was certain he had drifted off did she pull her hand away. She left the room and closed the door behind her, then headed to her own room. Normally, she would pass through main room to get there, but today…

Today, Mantis took the long way around.

Only when she got to her room did she let out the breath that she'd been holding in since Ego had shot their intruder in the head. Only when the door was closed did she let her knees buckle with the weight of what she'd seen. Only when she was sure she was alone did she let out a sob for the intruder who, she was fairly certain, wouldn't have hurt her unless Mantis had done something to prompt it.

Only when Ego was sleeping did she allow herself to feel furious, knowing that, when he woke up, she'd have to bury it deep in her bones once again.

"They've stopped," Nebula says after they've been chasing the ship that took the Guardians for nearly an hour. Nebula's ship is small and fast, but it wasn't fast enough to catch up. They had to wait for the other ship to stop to be able to reach it.

And now it's stopped, and Mantis is ready to fight.

"How far away are we?" she asks, looking over Nebula's shoulder.

"We're about ten minutes out," Nebula says. "Are you ready for this?"

"I'm ready," Mantis says. She reaches for the gun that's holstered on her hip. Peter taught her how to shoot, but she perfected the skill herself, aiming at a target and shooting over and over again until she could hit the center more often than not, and then continuing to shoot until her misses were rare events. She's never shot at something moving before, but she knows how to handle a gun well enough that she thinks she'll be able to learn quickly.

Nebula's ship approaches the other ship quickly, with a whine coming from the engine that Mantis knows means Nebula is pushing her ship past its usual limits. "How are we going to get onboard?" Mantis asks when the ship comes into view.

"Leave that to me," Nebula says, pressing buttons on the control panel. Mantis doesn't ask what she's doing, despite her curiosity. She can ask questions later, when the others are safe. She's not going to distract Nebula now.

Somehow, the ship doesn't seem to notice them as they fly closer, coming up underneath. It's a massive vessel, easily dwarfing Nebula's little ship. Mantis just hopes they can find the Guardians on a ship that size.

"Alright," Nebula says as they approach one of the airlocks. "I've hidden us from their sensors, but they'll know we're here once we dock, so we need to move fast. The first thing we need to do is figure out where they're keeping Gamora and the others. I should be able to figure that out with one of the computers, but if I can't, we'll need to interrogate someone." She looks at Mantis speculatively. "You might be able to help with that. Can you use your power to make someone talk?"

"I can use my powers to make someone trust us," Mantis says. "I cannot specifically force them to talk, but I can make it more likely that they will."

"Close enough," Nebula says. "Once we figure out where everyone is, it's just a matter of getting to them."

"They're probably already planning their own escape," Mantis says. Honestly, the more she thinks about it, the more she wonders if this rescue is even necessary. The Guardians have proven themselves adept at getting out of worse situations than this one. It's possible that they would be able to get away without Mantis and Nebula's help.

But Mantis is part of this family, and so is Nebula, and neither of them are going to let anyone touch the people they love.

"Then we'll help them with it," Nebula says. "It'll probably be a stupid plan anyway."

A stupid plan is probably better than no plan, which is what Mantis and Nebula are currently going with, but Mantis doesn't bring that up.

"Are you ready?" Nebula asks, looking over her shoulder at Mantis. "We can still leave."

They can, it's true, but Mantis won't.

"I'm ready," Mantis says. "Let's go."

Nebula nods and docks the ship to the airlock. "Stay down," she says as she powers it off. "They might shoot into the cockpit."

Mantis obediently ducks down behind the seat. Her gun is in her hand, a semi-familiar weight. If anyone shoots at her, she's prepared to shoot back. She doesn't want to, but she'll do what she has to do.

"Okay," Nebula says, "I'm opening the door in three, two, one-"

The second the door opens, shots blast into the ship. Mantis stays down as she was told, but she does peek around the chair and shoot in the direction of the door. She sees Nebula doing the same thing beside her, and within a minute or so, the shooting stops.

"Alright," Nebula says, getting out of the seat and heading towards the door. "We should move quickly. It won't be long until reinforcements come."

Mantis nods and scurries after Nebula. She forces herself not to think about the fact that she's stepping over corpses. She's never killed anyone before, not with her own hands, but she may have killed some of these people. She can't be sure which blasts were from Nebula and which blasts were from her.

"Follow me," Nebula says, heading down the hallway. Mantis follows obediently, keeping a tight grip on her gun.

She's never killed before, and she didn't enjoy doing it, but if it's a choice between these people and her family, her family will win every time.

Years passed. Ego fetched child after child, bringing them back to his planet and testing them. Mantis calmed them and watched over them the best she could. She was never able to save them, but at least she did her best to make sure they weren't afraid when they died.

And of course, every single one died. Ego speared them with his light, buried them under the planet, and left to create another child to kill in turn.

Between making and killing children, Ego searched for Peter, and somehow, Yondu managed to keep evading him. Mantis hoped that would continue. Part of her wanted to see Yondu again, to thank him for what he'd done and commend him for his bravery. Part of her wanted to meet this child that Ego was so desperate to find, this child Ego was so certain would be the key. The rest of her hoped she never would see either of them. If she saw Yondu, if she met Peter, it would be because Ego had caught up to them, and if he did, they would both die. Yondu would die quickly - Ego would not suffer him to live longer than he had to - and Peter would die after five days of fear. Even if he were the key, like Ego thought he was, Mantis was certain he would die anyway. None of Ego's children ever survived.

For a while, Mantis hoped that time and distance would erase Peter from Ego's mind, but she soon found out it never would. The longer Peter was missing, the angrier Ego grew, until the mere mention of his name or Yondu's was enough to send him spiraling into fury. Mantis quickly learned to never bring either one up. She still dreamed of the cave sometimes, and she never wanted to make Ego angry enough to send her there again.

And so, the years cycled on, and things stayed the same. Mantis grew older, although the years didn't show themselves on her face. Still, she looked almost the same as she had when she first emerged from her cocoon. Her face looked young and innocent, and it was a fact Ego exploited whenever he could. The children were more at ease with someone who looked gentle than they were with him. He could change his appearance at will to look like whatever he wanted, of course, but there was always something that wasn't quite right. Mantis wasn't sure what it was, and she didn't think any of the children knew either, but he frightened all of them.

Still, Mantis had never seen Ego's true form. Still, she wasn't quite certain exactly what manner of creature he was.

Still, Mantis didn't know exactly why Ego needed the children, but she knew it was something bad.

The children flickered by, and Mantis remembered all their names. She wondered if Ego did. He learned their names, certainly, and he called the children by them while they were there, but once they died, did he forget? Did he erase the children from his thoughts as easily as he erased their remains from his rooms?

Mantis never allowed herself to forget. She could name all the children, from the first she'd seen to the last. She could remember their faces. She knew their species. She knew how frightened they'd all been when they arrived.

She knew she was the one who had taken that fear away, and led them like lambs to the slaughter.

She knew that was blood that would never wash off her hands.

And she knew, in the moments she allowed herself to know it, that she would never, ever forgive Ego for making her do it.

It's fairly easy for Nebula to use the ship's computer to figure out where the Guardians are being held, so she and Mantis don't waste any time heading there. They run into a few more members of the ship's crew on the way, but Mantis figures out how to change her gun to stun bolts and stuns them. Nebula shoots a few too, but her gun isn't set on stun. Mantis knows it might be better to shoot them, so they don't have to run the risk of fighting the same people on the way out, but she doesn't want to kill anyone if she can help it. She keeps her gun set on stun.

And then, finally, they reach the Guardians' cell.

Nebula opens it with the pass she stole from the last crew member they faced, and the door slides open. Immediately, a blur of motion throws itself at Nebula, but even as Mantis flinches away, Nebula keeps calm and hurls the blur back into the cell.

"It's us, Gamora."

Gamora picks herself up, looking at Nebula and Mantis in shock. The others are scattered around the cell, and they all look equally surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Peter demands, rocketing upright. He's got a bruise over one eye, but otherwise, he looks unharmed. Groot is sitting on his shoulder, and thankfully, he looks to be untouched. If any of them had hurt Groot, Mantis thinks she might be tempted to turn her gun off of stun. "I thought Gamora told you to stay away! Nebula, weren't you supposed to protect Mantis?"

"Mantis was the one who wanted to come," Nebula retorts.

Peter turns on Mantis. "You should-"

"I was not going to wait in safety with Nebula while you were captured," Mantis says hotly. "I am just as capable of a rescue as the rest of you."

"How about we argue later and get out of here now?" Gamora suggests, stepping forward. "Do you two have a plan?"

"We know where the Milano is," Nebula replies. She shrugs. "Best plan is fight our way there and get out of here as fast as we can."

The Guardians look at each other. "Better plan that anything we ever come up with," Rocket says, and he heads out of the cell. The others follow him.

"What about your ship?" Mantis asks Nebula quietly as they head out of the cell. "It's in the opposite direction of the Milano."

"It's shot to hell anyway," Nebula says. "I'll stay with you for a bit and get a new one."

"You could stay with us for as long as you like," Mantis says. She doesn't dare suggest that Nebula stay with them permanently. She doesn't think Nebula will take the offer, and she doesn't want to hope for it and be disappointed.

Nebula doesn't respond to that, but Mantis didn't really expect her to. She's made the offer, at least, and that's what's important. Whether Nebula accepts it or not is up to her.

"Which way to the ship?" Gamora asks from the front of the group.

"And did they do anything to it?" Peter adds.

Nebula ignores Peter and pushes her way to the front, next to Gamora. "I'll show you where it is."

"You shouldn't have come after us," Peter says to Mantis as they walk. "We would have escaped soon enough, and now you're in danger too."

"I was not going to leave you," Mantis says.

"Yeah, but-"

A member of the crew tries to sneak up behind them, and without blinking, Mantis shoots him. He drops immediately.

"I am not a child," Mantis says firmly, because she's more than proved her strength and she's sick of the others pretending she hasn't. "If I had been the one taken, you would have come for me. I would do nothing less for you."

Peter stares at Mantis, eyes a little wider than usual. "Oh."

"That was a good shot," Drax compliments. "Did Quill teach you to shoot?"

"I taught her a bit, but not that much," Peter says.

"I taught myself," Mantis says. "We should move faster."

Drax and Peter obediently speed up. Mantis walks faster until she's next to Nebula. "Are we close to the ship?"

"Almost there," Nebula says. "Anyone else have the feeling this is too easy?"

"They'll be waiting at the ship," Gamora says. "It's the best place to catch us."

"They better not hurt my ship," Peter mutters.

Nebula pulls a knife out of her boot and hands it to Gamora. "What about the rest of us?" Rocket demands.

"I only have one knife," Nebula replies, utterly unapologetic.

Gamora hands the knife over to Peter. "I can fight with my hands," she says. "The rest of you, stay behind us. Rocket, take Groot."

Peter hands Groot over to Rocket, then he adjusts his grip on the knife until he's ready to fight. Mantis tightens her grip on her gun.

"Alright," Nebula says. "The ship is around this corner. Are all of you ready?"

"Oh, we're ready," Peter says.

Nebula looks at Mantis. Mantis gives her a sharp nod.

"Okay," Nebula says, "here we go."

"I found him," Ego said one day, a mix of triumph and what was almost reverence on his face, and Mantis's blood went cold, because there was only one him Ego would refer to like that.

"Peter?" she asked anyway, because until she heard the name, she would keep hoping.

"Peter," Ego repeated with relish. "There's stories of a Terran who held an Infinity Stone without dying. Only my Peter could do that."

"Where is he?" Mantis asked.

Ego frowned. "I'm not sure exactly where he is, but I know how to find him. He's part of a group that calls itself the Guardians of the Galaxy. I imagine he won't be hard to find."

Mantis inclined her head. "When will we leave?"

"Now," Ego said, heading out to the ship. "Come, Mantis."

Mantis followed Ego obediently. "Shall I put you to sleep once we board, Master?"

"No," Ego said. "I need to be awake to track down Peter."

Mantis bowed the best she could while also walking. "Yes, Master."

They boarded the ship and Ego immediately headed to the main room. "You can go, Mantis," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "I'll call for you when I need you."

"Yes, Master," Mantis repeated with another bow. She turned and headed to her room as the ship took off, silently thanking the stars that Ego had decided to give her this little freedom. It was hardly anything, but even little things meant a lot to her.

A few days passed before Ego called for her. Mantis spent most of the time in her room, except when she snuck into the kitchen to get food. Every time she left her room, she held her breath, but Ego never said a word.

Not until he burst into her room, eyes alight, and declared, "I found him. We're on our way there now."

Mantis jerked to her feet. "You found him?"

"He's on Sovereign," Ego said. "I'm piloting the ship there now."

Mantis wasn't sure where that was, but she nodded. "How long will it take us to get there?"

"Not long," Ego dismissed. "When we meet him and his friends, I want you to try to befriend them."

"Befriend them?" Mantis repeated. "How do you wish me to do that?"

Ego waved a hand. "Figure it out. But be sure to act innocent. And don't let them know how long you've been with me. I don't want them to suspect anything."

"Yes, Master," Mantis said. She opened her mouth to say something else, then the ship shuddered to the side. Ego frowned, and Mantis spared a moment to wish luck to whoever was about to face Ego's rage.

"I'll go deal with this," Ego said. "Then we'll find Peter. Remember, befriend him and the others, and make sure they don't suspect anything."

"Of course," Mantis said, bowing. Internally, though, her mind was racing. If this Peter and his friends were really called the Guardians of the Galaxy, perhaps they would be able to do what no one else could and destroy Ego. She still didn't know what exactly Ego was planning, but she was sure he was a threat to the galaxy, even beyond being a threat to all his children. Perhaps Mantis could tell them the truth and finally, finally watch Ego die.

But she couldn't have another Xeyla on her conscience.

She would figure it out later. She would wait until she met these Guardians to make a decision. If they seemed capable, if they seemed like they could do what she couldn't…

If they truly wanted to guard the galaxy, then Ego was perhaps one of the biggest threats they would ever face. She could only hope they'd be up for it. And if they were…

If they were, Mantis would finally be free.

"I think we've lost them," Peter says, slumping back against the pilot's chair. "Remind me to never tangle with those guys again."

"I think we can all agree with that," Gamora says.

"Don't get yourselves captured next time, then," Nebula mutters.

Mantis knows that's rude, and she should probably scold Nebula for saying it, but she's still annoyed with the Guardians for the way they dismissed her, the way they underestimated her even when she broke their cell open with a gun in hand, so she keeps her mouth shut.

"Thank you for the rescue," Gamora says, turning to face Nebula and Mantis. "But you shouldn't have come. You shouldn't have put yourselves in danger like that. We could have gotten out on our own."

"We're not children," Nebula spits. "Don't treat us like we are."

"I know you're not a child, Nebula," Gamora sighs.

"And what about Mantis?"

"Mantis isn't a child either," Gamora says, refusing to rise to Nebula's bait. "But that doesn't change the fact that the two of you put yourself into danger."

"What would you have done, if we were the ones taken?" Mantis asks.

Gamora looks at her in shock. "Mantis-"

"You would have come for us," Mantis answers, completely confident that she's right. That's what they did for Nebula before, after all. "You would never have left us behind. And we would never leave you behind either."

"We can take care of ourselves," Gamora says gently.

"And so can we," Mantis replies.

This is dangerous territory, she knows. The Guardians aren't like Ego, they won't kill her for speaking her mind, but they might ask her to leave. Before, that idea terrified her, but now she has Nebula. She'd still rather stay with the Guardians, but if she can't, she has somewhere to go. Nebula sees the jagged edges under Mantis's soft facade, and she loves her even more for it. Mantis doesn't have to worry about her leaving because Mantis is too sharp. With Nebula, Mantis can be herself more than with anyone else, and it's part of why she loves her so much.

"Look," Peter says after a moment. "You did save us. I mean, I saw you save us, and it was pretty badass. But we don't want you putting yourself in danger when you don't need to."

"You do not control me," Mantis says, because she knows Peter is talking to her more than he's talking to Nebula. "Is that not what you have been saying to me all along? That I can make my own choices? I can choose when I need to put myself in danger." She folds her hands over her lap. "I am not a child. I do not need you to make my choices for me."

Peter and Gamora share a look. "You're right," Gamora finally says. "You're not a child, and you can make your own choices. I'm sorry we treated you like you couldn't."

Mantis feels her eyes go wide. No one has ever apologized to her before. "Thank you for apologizing," she says, because she can't think of anything else to say. "Next time you rescue someone, will you let me come with you?"

"If you want to come," Gamora says, "you can come."

They still don't understand everything. Mantis knows that. They don't understand the depth of what she's seen, what she's done. They don't know that the violence they think she's been shielded from is violence that she's lived with her whole life.

But to be fair, Mantis hasn't told them about it either. She's kept her mouth shut and let them believe their assumptions. She hasn't wanted to talk about Ego, and so they don't know what he did. That's not their fault. If they don't know what she's experienced, it's because she's never told them.

If they're going to fix that, both sides need to do their part.

She doesn't want to talk about it. She doesn't want to forget it - the children deserve better than that - but talking about it… She's not ready yet. And she doesn't want to talk to Peter about it, about all the siblings he never had a chance to know. But maybe… Maybe she can talk to Nebula about it. And maybe Gamora. And maybe someday, she can tell the others. Maybe someday, they can finally know her truth. She's not ready to tell them yet, but she thinks she will be someday.

"Look," Rocket says after a moment, "this has been a real nice heart-to-heart, but I'm friggin' starving. Can we go get some food?"

"We have food in the kitchen," Gamora counters.

"After I get kidnapped, I think I deserve real food," Rocket retorts. "Come on, Quill, fly this rig somewhere with a decent burger joint."

Peter shrugs. "Sure, why the hell not."

"We didn't have a chance to finish our date," Mantis says to Nebula quietly.

"Do you want to finish it now?" Nebula asks.

Mantis smiles and turns to Peter. "Could you drop Nebula and me off on Contraxia?"

Peter looks at the two of them, and for a second, Mantis thinks he's going to refuse. Gamora, apparently thinking the same thing, hits the back of his head before he can open his mouth.

"Ow!" Peter yelps. Gamora glares at him, and he makes a face at her, then turns back to Mantis. "Sure, but keep your gun on you. And that's not me treating you like a kid, it's what I'd say to anyone I was dropping off on Contraxia."

Mantis isn't entirely sure she believes him, and the look that Gamora is giving him seems to imply she feels the same way, but it's good enough. Mantis almost bows in response, but… She doesn't need to bow to anyone anymore. "Thank you," she says instead, and then she goes back over to Nebula.

"Maybe I can get a new ship on Contraxia," Nebula says. "One that's big enough for both of us, so you can visit me when these idiots are driving you insane."

Mantis reaches for Nebula's hand. "I would like that," she says quietly. She doesn't want to leave the other Guardians, but the thought of being able to spend some time alone with Nebula is a welcome one.

Nebula looks out the window at the stars, and Mantis tentatively leans her head on Nebula's shoulder. Her cheek touches Nebula's bare skin, and beneath the layer of constant pain that Mantis is growing more and more adept at dismissing, Mantis can feel Nebula's contentment.

"I love you," she says quietly.

Nebula doesn't say it back, but Mantis can feel it anyway.

Ego was dead.

Mantis had waited so long for this moment, and now it was finally here. Ego was dead, and Mantis was onboard a ship with his son Peter - his son who could control the light like Ego had so desperately craved and then used that power to stop Ego instead of help him - and Peter's friends, the Guardians of the Galaxy. They'd lived up to the name, and they'd stopped Ego.

And Mantis was finally free.

Ego was gone, and so Mantis took all of her anger and hatred towards him and left it behind in the spot where his planet used to be. She would not forget, and she would not forgive, but she would not let bitterness and anger define her either. Ego was dead. He no longer had any control over Mantis. But if she let her anger at him direct her life, he would be controlling her once more, from beyond the grave. She would not let that happen. She would not let Ego touch her life ever again.

She looked out at the stars, and she saw their beauty and their potential, the glorious potential of exploring a universe where she could be free, and for the first time in a very, very long time, Mantis felt like she might someday be at peace.