It had been less than half an hour since Gamora had left on a small space vessel for Xander. Apophis was busy adjusting the Dark Aster weaponry, as Ronan requested before leaving the meeting with Korath. Some part of him was still feeling bad for Nebula getting a chance to prove herself on the mission, but he knew it was best to let her be. Through a unknown feeling inside of his chest was saying otherwise.
His red eyes drifted over Nebula farther down on his right, working quietly on something on her left arm. She hadn't said much since she entered the room where he was working. She seemed to be deep in thought as she stared at her arm intensely. However, it looks as if she felt Apophis eyes on her as her eyes flicked up from her arm and over at him meeting his gaze.
"What!?" Nebula snapped.
"It's nothing. You just seemed like you had something on your mind," Aopophis muttered as he pulled out a wrench from his tools, fixing a loose part with the laser weapon system so the laser would release correctly when used next time.
"What on my mind is none of your busy!" Nebula snapped as her expression hardened."Don't try to get into my personal busy Apophis. I do not need your concern, you do it again, and I will kill you."
"Calm down, Nebula. No need for threats," Apophis said, noticing stiff her jaw was. He didn't care how much she was threatening him, but Nebula was definitely bothered by something and seemed more worse than when Gamora was given the mission instead of her. His only guess was something had happened before they left for Xander since he did notice her follow Gamora to where the small space vessels were kept.
"Well, that all go to go," Apophis said, gathering his tools once he was done fixing the laser system and started leaving the room with the weapon functions and saw Nebula getting ready to leave as well.
"Meet me at the training area," Nebula said, walking past him."Don't make me regret asking to spare with you to keep busy until Gamora returns," She threatened and held her electric baton near his face.
"Hey, no need to be violent suddenly," He said, holding a hand up in defense."I won't do anything to upset you or make you regret asking me to spare with you."
"You better not," Nebula said without wasting a second ad she glared at Apophis before leaving the room.
'That woman is a lot of work but got to admit that's what makes it fun being around her.' He smiled as she left the room to find Krobb to talk with him quickly before joining her to spare.
Apophis was walking toward Krobb's room to discuss an essential matter before meeting up with Nebula.
"Hey boy, what are you doing?" The familiar voice of Krobb asked.
Apophis turned around to see Krobb coming his way. Apparently, he was down on the ship's lower deck instead of the slumber deck in his room. He must have gone back down after he went up after he left, after giving Ronan's weapon to somebody else to hold earlier.
"I haven't been a boy for a while now," Apophis stated."Also was looking for you, actually."
"You are younger than me, so you are still a bit in my eyes," Krobb said."There is a reason you need me?" He asked while walking towards his room.
"There is something I was hoping you could help me with," Apophis replied, walking alongside Kronb as he glanced at the ground finding it to be interesting, then looking at Krobb.
"Whatever it is you need help with, don't be so nervous," Krobb said.
"I don't know how to explain it," Apophis started."I have been getting a crushing feeling in my chest, which is not the first time."
"You mean like a painful feeling, a bit hard to breathe at a times, yes," He said."Through it only seems to happen when around Nebula, especially when she seems upset," He explained.
"Oh, that kind of crushing feeling in your chest," Krobb said, realizing what was happening now.
"So you know what this feeling is caused by?" Apophis asked, hoping to know why he had been getting this feeling in his chest.
"Yeah, boy, it seems to me you care about Nebula. Seeing her upset pains you," Krobb replied with a smile.
"Yeah, of course, I do. She is my friend, even if she doesn't feel the same way," Apophis said, smiling back at Krobb.
"Boy, that's not the kind of care I'm talking about," Krobb laughed. See that the Nagain didn't understand what he meant by care for Nebula.
"Then what kind of care do you mean?" Apophis asked, even more confused than before.
"I believe that this is something you will figure out," Krobb said, patting Apophis head."Here is a hint there is more than one type of caring for someone, not just friendship or family. You figure it out soon. Trust me, boy," He said, opening the door."Now I have some business to take care of before checking in and sending communications to Gamora on the journey's progress to Xander, ensuring everything goes well."
"I'm even more confused than before, but you clearly believe I have to figure out on my own what do you mean by another type of care," Apophis sighed."Im going to take my tools to my room and then meet Nebula for a spare."
"Sorry, boy, but sometimes you got to figure things out on your own, but just remember what I said, and you eventually figure out what the feeling is," Krobb stated."I had the feeling once a long time ago, but things happened, and now I spend time helping my older brother."
Apophis shrugged, deciding that asking about it wouldn't help him be any less confused, and just headed off to his room to puts his tools away.
"Sorry for keeping you are waiting had to do something first," Apohis said as he entered the training area that changed into less of an outdoor theme over the years.
"I don't about care what you are doing!" Nebula snapped."I just want a spare, so get ready."
"Alright, let's get this spare on," Apophis said, lowering a hand to the chain mac he kept wrapped slightly around his red jumpsuit pants.
"Finally," Nebula said, grabbing her baton and pulling it apart into two electric staffs as she charged forward.
"That won't do anything against me easily," Apophis mocked, swinging his chain mace and hiring her feet, causing her to slip onto the ground.
Nebula gritted her teeth and got up, running toward and jumping onto him, knocking away the mace as she shocked him with her baton. He pushed her back with one arm as the other reached for the mace.
"Oh no, you don't," Nebula muttered, pushing his arm back as he tried to push her off of him.
"Yes, I will," Apophis smirked as he finally got her off and grabbed the mace."Nice try, but it seems my strength beat your strength," He said, swinging his mace as he saw her recover from the push and charge toward him with both staff batons releasing electricity.
His mace immediately connected with her stomach as she got close, knocking her back and hitting the ground roughly. Apophis immediately wrapped his mace back to his pants as he listened to the sound of her body making cringing and painful noises as she stood up as her body twisted in place for her impact with the ground.
"That was a fantastic spar skilled as ever," He said holding out a hand.
"Shut up, don't pretend you didn't beat me," She snapped roughly, smacking his hand away.
"Yeah, I won, but you put up a good fight, seriously," He said, smiling, not bothered by her smacking his hand away.
Nebula just stared at him silently as he smiled kindly at her. She didn't know why he wasn't saying anything about how badly she had lost him, just like how she was constantly losing to Gamora.
"Apophis! Nebula, come now, we have a critical matter!" Krobb called out for the entrance exit of the training area.
"Well, it seems we should get going something clearly with wrong," Apophis said."Maybe Gamora messed up for once."
"I doubt it," Nebula said, not believing that to be likely as they both left the training area.
Hey readers!
Nebula and Apophis had a fun moment of sparring with each other to keep busy while waiting for Gamora to return. There was an interaction between Apophis and Krobb, as well as trying to get information on the feeling he was getting inside of his chest. I guess this was more like a filler chapter, but the next chapter will continue with the movie plot and find out what was so important that are needed.
Thank you to everyone who has been reading and supporting this story!
Word Count: 1514