Another 'Brilliant' Idea

All three girls grabbed the Infinity Stone at once, but they didn't explode. They didn't burn in a fiery death, and they didn't die at all. Instead they picked it up and then looked at the Guardians who were staring at them open mouthed. "What?" Alexi asked. The Guardians couldn't believe it. They could hold it. They could hold the Reality Stone.

Just as Peter was about to make this exclamation out loud the Infinity Stone lit up red in the girls' hand's. Harmony screamed as the stone sent bright red vibrations and rivets up through their skin. Courtney tried to yank her hand away but the stone held all three in it's grasp. Alexi brought her other hand up and hit the stone with it. Sparks shot out and the Guardians jumped to the ground.

Gamora remembered the containment center that Courtney was holding. "Courtney!" She shouted. "Put the containment cube around it!" Courtney looked at the silver orb in her hand and started struggling to move her arm towards the stone.

"She won't get it on in time!" Rocket hollered as a wind kicked up and the girls eyes turned a light red color as the stone completely absorbed them. Just then the stone threw all three girls backwards and to the ground. The stone hovered in midair briefly before a red light came emitting out of it. Three figures floated out of the stone, no not figures, entities. One was twisting and churning, completely made of flames. Another was just hovering, made of flowing water. The last one was swirling around and around, made of swirling wind.

The three entities floated over as the Reality Stone started chanting the prophecy. There shall be three, born from Earthen flesh, one with the spirit of a wildfire, the fire entity flung itself forward and entered into Alexi. She screamed as her whole body lit on fire. Courtney and Harmony lay paralyzed on the grass.

"Woah!" Peter yelled. He grabbed his element gun and fired a stream of water at Alexi. The water washed over the fire and steam rose but the fire didn't disappear. If anything, Alexi screamed louder.

"Quill I don't think that's helpin!" Rocket shouted.

"Isn't water supposed to destroy fire?" Quill shouted back over the rising wind.

"No duh genius!" Rocket hollered back. "But as ya can see, it didn't do nothin!"

Reality spoke again. One as docile as the water, the water entity swooped down and enveloped Courtney. She didn't scream or writhe in pain, instead she closed her eyes and the sound of rushing water filled everyone's ears. On instinct, Peter fired a stream of fire straight at her. It turned to steam on contact.

"Idiot!" Rocket yelled. "When did you ever learn that fire beat water?" Peter whirled around to face Rocket and was about to say something smart back when Reality finished the prophecy all the Guardians realized it had been speaking.

Another as sharp as the wind, a harsh wind cut across and all the Guardians were thrown down, Peter's gun being flung out of his grasp. The wind entity shrieked through the air and dove at Harmony. A shrill cry as sharp as a knife on a blackboard cut through the air as Harmony was turned into a form of rushing, well, air.

All three girls, Alexi and Harmony shaking and screaming in pain while Courtney just hovered, were yanked up into the air. They shall possess the elements that have brought them unto your presence and shall save the known realms from a disaster more then universal. All three girls were suddenly aglow with the bright red light of the Reality stone. So speaks the elemental prophecy! Reality fell from the sky and into the open containment unit that lay on the ground. All three girls also collapsed onto the ground.

The Guardians pulled themselves to their feet and ran over to them. "They look dead." Drax observed when the Guardians stood over the three.

"I bet we looked dead too after we held an Infinity Stone." Gamora reached down and closed the container that held Reality. Slowly the fire dispersed off of Alexi, Courtney was no longer made of water, and Harmony stopped the shrill shriek that the Guardians realized had been the force of the wind, not Harmony. The three girls sat up slightly and looked around like they were utterly confused.

"What in the name of Marvel just happened?" Harmony asked.

"Someone please tell me this is all just a weird dream that I'm having from eating too much pizza last night." Courtney whispered as she shakily got up. She stumbled briefly and Gamora quick steadied her. Courtney's skin was cold and clammy, like a fish out of water. Alexi and Harmony also struggled to their feet. Alexi actually jumped up like nothing had happened and then yanked Harmony up by her arm.

"Well, I guess we don't have to figure out what Reality meant by elemental possession anymore." Peter said. Gamora brought up her hand to cover his mouth but it was too late, the girls had heard him.

"Wait. You knew what would happen if we touched the stone!" Harmony yelled. Technically she just raised her voice up another octave but that seemed like yelling to the Guardians seeing how her normal voice was so deep.

"We did not exactly know specifics but yes, we kind of did have assumptions." Drax stated despite Peter's frantic hand motions for him to shut up. "The Reality Stone told us that we would meet three powerful elements. You three are supposed to save the universe." Drax continued. Peter had given up trying to keep Drax quiet. Rocket let his head fall into his paws with exasperation.

"Now I'm all for aliens and that stuff coming out of the sky and into my backyard." Courtney started, "But I draw the line at me and my crazy headed friends saving the universe all because we touched some glowey stone thing." Alexi and Harmony nodded in agreement.

"I'll gladly destroy the universe but I won't willingly save it." Alexi mumbled. Harmony rolled her eyes.

"Before anyone gets mad and starts destroying stuff let's first figure out what the heck happened when you touched that stone!" Peter's voice rose. "Does no one remember the fact that Alexi was on fire? Or that Courtney turned into some sort of water sprite! Or that Harmony was a freaking cyclone of wind?" Am I the only one that remembers that?" Peter turned to look at the others who stared at him in marvel at his sudden outburst.

Gamora nodded in agreement with Peter. "He's right. What exactly happened to you three?" Gamora asked the girls. They shrugged. That wasn't helpful.

"I don't know." Alexi started. "One moment were grabbing the red stone the next all I could see was-" Alexi didn't get to finish her sentence as a beat up old red truck pulled up in front of the house. The Guardians and the three girls all ducked behind what was left of the Milano. Except Alexi. Her body spazzed and lit up. Orange flames reaching for the sky.

"FIRE!" Courtney screamed.

Alexi stepped backwards behind the Milano in a panic. Her whole body was ablaze! Except nothing hurt. She didn't even feel the fire. Everyone was staring at her as she held up her hands in front of her face and examined them. Her skin was glowing a dull yellowish orange color, the outline of her body was sparks that threw hot flashes out, and her hair was a twisting mass of red fire. Her eyes glowed yellow and her pupils were swallowed up by the light. She was too bright to look directly at and you couldn't stand near her due to all the heat coming from the fire.

"Krutack!" Rocket shouted. "What the heck happened!" All the Guardians shushed him. A man had gotten out of the red truck and was plodding toward the house.

Alexi watched the man and then looked down. The grass around her had smoldered away. She looked back at the Guardians. "You idiots!" She whisper shouted. "I just turned into an inferno!"

"Yeah we noticed!" Peter hissed. He shied away from Alexi as her flames sputtered and sparked like hot coals. Her burning hair made crackling sounds like wood being burned in a fireplace.

"Why did she even spark up?" Rocket asked. Gamora glared at him.

"That pun wasn't necessary." She said. Rocket just snickered.

Courtney snapped her fingers. "I know why!" She exclaimed then quickly lowered her voice. She pointed at the truck. "Alexi's emotions made her spark up. I think her fire is a defensive maneuver!" Harmony nodded as well, her eyes lighting up as she realized what Courtney was talking about. The Guardians looked purely confused.

"Wait, why a defense maneuver? Who is that?" Peter asked. Alexi was glaring at Courtney and Harmony as they opened their mouths to speak. They closed them instantly.

"It's none of your business." Alexi growled. She took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes. After a few seconds the fire fizzled out and Alexi returned to normal. She shook herself and her hair flung around wildly. "That's better."

"How did you do THAT!?" Peter asked in shock.

Alexi shrugged. "Emotions fuel this odd fire thing so I have to stay emotionless."

Harmony snickered. "Yeah, like that's hard for you to do." Alexi glared at her and a strand of her hair started turning into a flame. Harmony held up her hands in surrender. Alexi's hair turned normal again.

"C'mon." Courtney pointed up to the side door. "Let's get back inside, we'll figure this out later." The guy was pacing around the porch and it sounded like he was swearing under his breath. The Guardians followed the three girls as the slipped inside the side door and shut it silently.

"I am still confused on how she managed to control her fire so quickly." Drax said. The Guardians shrugged.

"Okay we need to first figure out what to do with them." Harmony pointed at the Guardians. "Court do you have any room in you basement?"

Courtney thought for a second. "Probably, but only two of them could stay down there."

"I can't take any of them." Harmony said. Alexi and Courtney looked at her.

"It's more dangerous for me to take any of them!" Alexi whisper shouted. "Poor Courtney can't keep all of these things here!" The Guardians winced at her harsh words.

"Look, I'll take one." Harmony said slowly. She pointed at Drax. "You can stay with me, Alexi you can take the tree and woodland animal." Rocket glanced up from where he was fiddling with a scrap of metal from the Milano.

"What'd you call me?" He growled. Harmony stepped back as Rocket bared his fangs.

"No time for this!" Alexi grabbed Groot and put him in a black and silver backpack she grabbed off the ground. Then she grabbed Rocket by his scruff and dropped him in the bag.

"Hey!" Rocket shouted as she zipped up the backpack, leaving just enough air to breathe. Alexi left the pack hang off her shoulder and walked towards the door. She held her one hand in a fist at her side, her nails digging into her skin. Rocket could be heard shuffling around in the bag.

"If you don't stop moving and making noise you'll end up dead!" Alexi hissed at him. Rocket stopped. Courtney opened the door and the man stood there. Without a word to either of the other two girls he grabbed Alexi roughly by the arm and dragged her out of the house, him plodding forward and her rushing to catch up, his grip still on her arm.

As Courtney shut the door Gamora turned to Peter. "I'm hoping that us splitting up isn't gonna turn into another one of your 'brilliant' ideas."