#A completely different version of Gamora was brought back

[canonicallysoulmates]

Here are my thoughts and opinions on the first season of Loki.

First of all, if you have not re-watched this season I highly recommend it. It’s only 6hrs, pick a day, get some snacks, binge the whole thing especially if you weren’t a big fan of it the first time around because re-watching it I noticed some things that I hadn’t before but I also found myself liking some things that I hadn’t the first time around. Which is why I recommend re-watching it, cause maybe it’ll be the same for y’all and you’ll find some new things to love, and end up enjoying some things you hadn’t before. It’s really a different experience to watch the whole thing together than when you watch week to week which makes sense cause MCU shows are meant to be movie-esque.

Now, I’ve spoken pretty positively about this show almost on the daily so let’s switch it up and start with the negatives aka the things that I personally didn’t like because while I enjoyed a lot of this show there are things I wasn’t a fan of and things that did irk me a lot; the first thing is very much a pet peeve: the title sequence, I’ve mentioned it before in passing but it reminds me too much of Gravity Falls and Bill Cipher, I gave it 6 episodes, 12 if you count the re-watches, and I just don’t like it at all, I get what they were going for but I don’t think it fits the show and I’m hoping they change it for s2.

But that’s a small thing, I can deal with that, the two (technically three) big things I didn’t like - and I think this is why episode 1 is my least favorite and to me the weakest of the season - is the way the show completely ignores Odin’s abuse and the effect that had on Loki, and the way he’s written in the first three episodes. I will go into detail.

I have no shame in admitting that I am pretty forgiving when it comes to this show and its flaws but the one thing I cannot forgive is how it not only ignores Odin’s abusive behavior but tries to paint him as a loving father and like Loki was the one in the wrong using the most insulting way possible which is that scene in Ragnarok where Odin tells his sons he loves them as if an ‘I love you’ undid years of abuse and bad parenting; it shouldn’t surprise me that they did this because the mcu does have a history and a pattern of being abuse apologists like portraying Thanos killing Gamora to get the soul stone as him loving her, or completely ignoring the horrible father that Howard Stark was. But it still really pisses me off that this show in which a big theme is exploring Loki psychologically and emotionally doesn’t even make mention of what a horrible father Odin was! And it tries to make it seem that just because Loki heard his father say a version of him that he loves him, that Loki suddenly thinks of him as a loving parent (referring to that line in episode 5 where he’s talking to Sylvie and says he has betrayed everyone who has loved him and mentions his asshole of a father instead of his mother!). I didn’t need them to go into details about this, but I did want them to call abuse abuse, and acknowledge Odin was a bad father. To me this is the biggest sin so far of this series. It doesn’t surprise me but it does disappoint me.

Connected to this, and in episode 1 we stay, is the “psychological exploration” of this character. I know after episode 1 a lot of fans were all “omg Loki finally got some therapy 😭” and then there’s me in the corner, shaking my head and saying no he didn’t, not at all, not even close. There was no therapy. And there was zero character exploration. I like Mobius but he is no Linda Martin.

All that happened was Loki being shown the consequences of his actions and being directly asked multiple times if he likes hurting people which of course he doesn’t, that’s not therapy at no point did Loki’s trauma get addressed, at no point did Loki get walked through that stuff or asked why he is how he is or what happened to change him from someone who was just mischievous to someone who caused harm.

Sorry to burst y’alls bubble but Loki did not get therapy in episode 1. Change Mobius lines about how Loki is just meant to cause pain and suffering and death for “imagined slights” and you’d have pretty much the same as every other MCU movie. At most what he got was an intervention to help him realize he didn’t want to be a bad person. Intervention and therapy are not the same thing.

And again, not surprised. If the mcu doesn’t properly explore their main, multiple movie having characters trauma and issues why were we expecting them to do it with Loki? Gotta keep those expectations in check. And in part I understand that the writers had a limited amount of time and they wanted to jump right into things but if they were gonna have only one episode with an emphasis on this they could have done a much better job while still jumping into the main story and moving on to character growth. To me this is the second biggest sin. And why episode 1 is ultimately my least favorite.

Last but not least, and something I can be more lenient and forgiving about but I still don’t like is the way Loki was written in the first three episodes. The way he was written was more comical to the point of borderline clown-ish sometimes which doesn’t match his personality at all, and don’t get me wrong there are times when it works but for the most part it just comes across as weird, like the writers were trying too hard to be funny and lighthearted at some points and it just doesn’t work, it ends up with him being a joke.

I’ll use a scene that I absolutely adore as a small example: Loki singing in episode 3. It’s one of my favorite scenes of the season, absolutely live for it, it lives in my head rent free in the VIP section but it’s a very flawed scene because Loki would never. Getting drunk on a mission is what Thor would do, not Loki, that is Thor through and through so as much as I love that scene, it is a flawed, ooc Loki scene.

The good thing is the show does improve in how it writes him in the last three eps, they stop trying so hard with the comedy, he’s more serious, more badass, he still has funny moments for example his reaction to Alligator Loki was hilarious but it’s more natural and fitting. So hopefully, in season 2 it will be the same writing team, and there will be more consistency and he’ll be written less comically and more badass.

Moving on to the positives, there are a lot of things I thoroughly enjoyed, starting with having Loki back on my screen and the center of attention- my baby, my darling, my love 💚 I’m so glad that he (and Tom!) is finally getting the attention, and love, and praise, and recognition that he has been deserving of all these years!

It gave me some of my favorite Loki scenes like I mentioned Loki singing it may be a flawed scene but I loved it nonetheless, it had some really cool fight scenes especially towards the end, it gave Loki a friend! A real friend! My baby is all grown up! 😭💚

The cinematography was beautiful, like you can say a lot about this show but you cannot deny that visually it is stunning and the directing was amazing. The soundtrack was pretty good too, I mean c’mon, ‘I need a Hero’? Iconic.

This show gave us Alligator Loki! How can one not love that! It kick started what looks to be the coolest aspect of Phase 4, it gave us bi, genderfluid Loki (which also brought out some of the ugliest sides of this fandom but this ain’t the time or place for that conversation 🙃), it gave me a new favorite character in Sylvie absolutely love her 💛

It gave me hope that the sun will shine again on Thor and Loki! That they’ll cross paths once again at some point and be reunited! And when they are, we better get that hug!

It gave me my new OTP in the form of Loki x Sylvie, they have great chemistry, and they’re super cute together, and they’re so good for one another and I just love them so much; I know it’s a “controversial” ship but I hope they stick to it and we get more of them in s2 because they are the best couple Marvel has ever given us they are passionate and cute and angsty, and they have the foundation for the most epic love story.

In conclusion, was Loki season 1 perfect? Was it everything I wanted? Nope. But ultimately, it gave me more that I enjoyed than not- also, I can tell this was something that was done with a lot of love and joy and effort put into it which as someone who has loved a show where the writer’s room noticeably didn’t give a rat’s ass, I can appreciate a lot.

Overall I’m very happy with the first season; I love this show, flaws and all, and I can’t wait for s2!

#loki #loki series #loki s1 #loki on disney+ #loki series critical #anti odin #my opinion #mine #non spn

[shewhohangsoutincemeteries]

the simple things

Guardians x Reader

Summary: a purely self-indulgent reader-insert version of (most of) the guardians’ first encounter. (some dialogue lifted straight from gotg).

Characters/Pairings: reader, rocket raccoon, peter quill, groot, gamora

Warnings: minor language, violence.

Word Count: 2,160

marvel masterlist or check out my fanfic dedicated blog

“Xandarians. What a bunch of losers.” Rocket declared, eyes on the monitor in his paws. “All of them in a big hurry to get from somethin’ stupid, to nothin’ at all. Pathetic.”

You rolled your eyes good-naturedly, leaning back on your hands comfortably. You were sitting on the edge of the fountain in the city square, face turned upwards to catch the day’s warmth on your skin. After two weeks in that shitty commuter ship the three of you had hitched a ride on a few planets over, you were completely content to relax and enjoy the sunlight, but Rocket had these crazy notions about getting paid. He’d spent the entire journey talking about making a score, and you’d spent just as much time wishing for the iPod you’d left on Terra those years back. You liked a payday just as much as he did, but you were really sick of hearing about it

“While you’ve got nothing but important, life-or-death plans, right?” you said snidely, a hand raised. With a practiced flick of your fingers a small bubble of psychokinetic energy appeared above you, shining in the sunlight. You guided it higher with a few gentle movements of your hand, letting it float away like a bubble. When it got too high, you’d let it disappear, and start all over again.

“Would you stop showin’ off?” he replied, pointing the tablet at a blonde-haired man walking by, shopping bag in hand.  “Look at this guy! Can you believe they call us criminal, when he’s assaulting us with that haircut?” Without waiting for an answer, he turned it toward a small child, dawdling along the sidewalk with its father. “What is this thing?”

You released your latest bubble with a sigh and followed his gaze, raising your hand to shield your face. You shook your head in exasperation. “It’s a baby, Rocket.”

“Look how it thinks it’s so cool. It’s not cool to get help! Walk by yourself, you little gargoyle.”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes again. You returned to sunning yourself pointedly, kicking a boot up along the fountain’s edge in front of you. The other was planted on the sidewalk. You dipped a hand in the water, enjoying the coolness of it on your fingertips. “Again, it’s a baby. They tend to need a hand every now and then… say, like you after too many drinks?”

“Stop spoilin’ the fun, Y/N,” he said, turning his head so you could catch the edge of his smile. You grinned lazily back. “I mean, look at this. Look at Mr. Smiles over here.” You followed where he was pointing; an old man was cozying up to a much younger woman against a railing, his hand around her waist. “Where’s your wife, old man? What a class-A pre-vert.”

You smirked despite yourself as Rocket burst into laughter.

“Right, Groot? …Groot?” he turned towards the two of you when he got no answer. He gestured in exasperation as he did. “Don’t drink the fountain water, you idiot! That’s disgustin’!”

You coughed a laugh as Groot turned, mouth and hand still dripping, shaking his head.

“Yes, you did! I just saw you doin’ it! Why are you lyin’?” he rounded on you. “Why didn’t you stop him?”

“He’s a plant, Rocket.” you pointed out, leaning forward briefly to pat Groot’s hand reassuringly. He smiled widely at you. “I don’t think it’s gonna hurt him.”

“It’s unsanitary,” Rocket griped petulantly. His ears perked up as his tablet sounded, and he dropped the issue immediately, distracted. You arched your neck to see the read-out over his shoulder. He held it up as it flashed, trying to find a focus. “Look’s like we got one.”

“That was fast.”

He pointed it toward a man on one of the upper streets and you straightened to get a look at him. Good-looking, and talking to a woman. “Okay, humie.” Rocket said, and you paused, eyebrow raised. “How bad does someone want to find you…? Forty thousand units? Groot, Y/N… we’re gonna be rich!”

He sighed as he turned to face the two of you – Groot had his face buried in the fountain again. You barely noticed – your eyes were still on the man, now headed toward a few smaller businesses down the way. “Groot, damn it…”

“Did you say he was Terran?” you asked, curiously. You hadn’t seen someone else from Terra in… you weren’t sure how long. People like you didn’t tend to end up off planet, let alone out of the milky way.

“Yeah, you can swap childhood stories once we got him sedated and on a ship,” Rocket said sarcastically. “Now, would you two focus up. We got a bounty to collect.”

*******************************************************************************************

You watched carefully as the target – Peter Quill (also known to go by the moniker ‘Star-Lord’, according to his wanted listing) – stumbled backwards out of a small pawn brokerage, the ball he’d been throwing around earlier still in hand. You were sitting on a wall further down the way, close enough to keep an eye on him, far enough away to be inconspicuous. An attractive  Zehoberei woman lingered by the doorway – and had been since he’d gone inside – and he stopped to speak to her. You couldn’t hear their conversation, but your fingers twitched as your eyes tracked her body language.

It had changed as soon as he’d stepped outside; she was alluring, and she was laying it on thick. Either she was a hooker, or he was a mark of a different kind. He was just too stupid to see it.

“Rocket, eyes up. I don’t trust this chick.” you muttered into the communicator on your jacket collar, feigning a languid stretch of your arms above your head.

“Keep your shirt on, woman.” he grumbled back. You weren’t entirely sure where he and Groot were, but you knew they were nearby. None of you were willing to let that many units slip away. “We got it.”

“This chick has him marked.” you shot back. “How am I supposed to distract him if he’s already got eyes on her?”

“Oh, c’mon, Y/N—”

“Shit! Move in, NOW!” you ordered, uncaring about your volume. You jumped to your feet, flinging yourself away from the wall. The Zehnobereian had just snatched that thing out of his hand and kicked him in the chest, sending him stumbling back with a grunt. She’d taken off impressively fast through the crowd, and equally impressive, Quill had thrown a magnetic rope after her and followed.

You chased after them, pushing your way through shocked pedestrians as the woman struggled to free her legs where the rope had caught. Quill launched himself at her as she succeeded and she kicked, landing two boots to the stomach for his effort. The two of them fell into a brawl on the pavement, and you were still about fifteen feet away when he reached for the gun on his belt. She trapped his hand with her boot, trapping him beneath her, a knife suddenly in her hand.

“This wasn’t the plan.” she told him, raising the blade above her head. You shoved a gawking woman out of your way, swinging your hands up in front of you to force them apart.

“Rocket!”

He caught the woman from the side, knocking her to the ground. He struggled on top of her as Groot approached, a sack in hand. “Put him in the bag! Put him in the bag!”

You had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes, momentarily distracted, as Groot’s roots began to wind themselves around the woman. Quill was still on his back, eyes wide with confusion.

“No! Not her, him! Learn genders, man!” Rocket shouted, struggling to hold her back as she stood. His claws were in her hair, dangerously close to her eyes, scratching up her face as Groot tightened his hold around her middle. You were trying to find an opening to subdue her, but with her entangled in Groot’s roots, there wasn’t much you could do. While your abilities were an asset, they meant you’d never really needed to be competent in hand-to-hand altercations. “Y/N, a little hel—Ah!” he withdrew a paw. “Biting? That’s not fair!”

“Goddamn it! Groot, let her go, I got it!”

Quill’s eyes flew to you at the sound of your voice,  his forehead creasing for a second before he shook himself and took off, orb in hand.

“Shit!” you cursed again, taking off after him. You wove your way through the throng of people between you, pushing people out of the way with two hands. You just needed a clear line of sight—

“Y/N!” Rocket’s voice brought you skidding to a stop, and you turned to see him thrown from the balcony. The woman had broken free from Groot and had flung him off of herself, and you caught him with a shield moments before he hit glass. It softened his landing slightly, but it would still hurt. She was leaping off the wall to the square below, a sword in hand, and you turned to find Quill at a standstill, orb gone from his hand.

“I guess she’s not in it for the bounty,” you muttered as he launched himself off the upper-street as well, a rocket-pack from his boot in his hand. Groot was gone, and you rolled your eyes, cracking your neck as you ran for the nearest stairs. “Why is nothing ever easy?”

You’d made it to the lower-street just as Groot managed to throw his sack over Quill’s head, and you wiped a hand over your forehead. You panted, catching your breath as you fell into step beside Rocket. “So, what’d I miss?”

“You still got those quick reflexes, doll,” he said, giving you a quick smirk before turning to head down the stairs. He turned to speak to Groot as he went. “Quit smilin’, ya idiot. You’re supposed to be a professional.”

He stopped in his tracks, sobering, as he turned to find the Zehobereian in front of him, soaking wet and sword still clutched in her fist. “You gotta be kidding me.”

She pushed him to the ground without a glance, eyes on Groot. He dropped the sack, backing up a few steps. You flung up your hand as she raised her blade, a forcefield appearing between them and throwing her back a few feet.

Putting you in the middle.

Fury in her eyes, she turned her attention on you, and you grimaced, stepping between her and Groot in the hope she’d be distracted long enough for him to get the payload out of there. Or at least away from her crazy self. “Uh… whoops?”

The woman spun, so quick you didn’t have time to react, her kick catching you in the stomach. The wind left you in a heaving exhale, and your feet left the ground as you were thrown backwards. You landed in a heap on top of Quill – still trapped in the sack – and heard him grunt in surprise.

“Sorry,” you wheezed, hand clutching at your stomach as you struggled to catch your breath.

The woman hadn’t paused, and she cut off both of Groot’s arms and buried the blade in his stomach in a matter of moments. Satisfied he was no longer a threat, she turned and bent down in front of you, opening the sack. She was flung back, body shaking with electricity and suddenly unconscious. You were jostled to the ground as Quill stood, and you coughed a breathless laugh as he shot you a wink and what could have been a flirty smirk before taking off at a sprint.

Rocket pulled the blaster from his back. He spoke to you over his shoulder where you sat painfully on the pavement. “You wanna do the honors?”

“’s all yours,” you replied with some difficulty, waving a hand towards Quill’s retreating back. Rocket grinned, taking aim and setting it to ‘stun’.

“I live for the simple things. Like how much this is gonna hurt.” He fired, and a ball of electricity was launched across the square and straight into Quill’s back. Rocket snickered as he fell to the ground with a shout. “Yeah. Writhe, little man.”

He turned to you with a grin. “Only thing that comes close to that satisfyin’ is when you have ‘em run right into one of those walls of yours.” He laughed loudly, high on success. He stopped short as Groot whimpered, toeing pitifully at his fallen arm. Rocket rolled his eyes. “It’ll grow back, you d’ast idiot. Quit whining.”

You gasped as you were suddenly lifted from the ground, held weightless a few feet from the pavement by suppression beams. You looked up, sighing heavily as you were met with the sight of five Nova Corps ships hovering above you. “Looks like we’re not getting paid.”

“Subject Eight-Nine-P-One-Three, drop your weapon.”

Rocket dropped his gun reluctantly, ears drooping in defeat. “Oh, crap.”

.

.

.

.

tags: @lovely-dreamer19​ @spacesuitsforemergency​ @wittyforachange​ @wefracturedmotivation​ @january-echoes​ @glossyloner​ @dragon-chica​

#peter quill #rocket raccoon #gamora #groot #peter quill x reader #peter quill x you #peter quill & reader #peter quill & you #peter quill imagine #peter quill reader insert #peter quill fanfic #peter quill fanfiction #rocket raccoon x you #rocket raccoon x reader #rocket raccoon & reader #rocket raccoon & you #rocket raccoon imagine #rocket raccoon reader insert #rocket raccoon fanfic #rocket raccoon fanfiction #star lord x reader #star lord x you #star lord & reader #star lord & you #star lord imagine #star lord reader insert #star lord fanfic #star lord fanfiction #marvel #marvel fanfic

[trashpandaorigins]

The Body Keeps the Score Ch. 21

"You said it yourself bitch, we're the Guardians of the Galaxy." Gamora is finally a part of something. But the past always follows you, eats at you and she must come to grips with her deeds as she tries to build a future. Meanwhile Rocket has never cared much for anyone or anything. Together the two of them discover they are more alike than different and try to heal themselves by befriending the other.

*Content Warnings: Mentions of child/animal abuse, trauma, character death, physical torture/pain. This chapter contains torture, medical/surgical torture/shooting/guns being shot. I want to be super sensitive to folks who might be triggered by these subjects. Please take care while reading*

Title of this fic is taken from the book of the same title "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma," by Bessel van der Kolk

There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me

I'll shake this world off my shoulders

Come on..., this laugh's on me

You can't start a fire

You can't start a fire without a spark

This gun's for hire

Even if we're just dancin' in the dark

Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen

“Peter. Get Drax and Groot...get them back to the ship. Now.” Gamora breathed through clenched teeth. Rocket barely heard her, eyes fixed on Groot who whined and scurried back to Quill. The mechanical thing in his heart hammered away, making his chest cinch with pain. His muscles tensed, claws tight against the trigger of Quill’s blaster.

“Gamora,” Quill pleaded, “I’m not leaving you here with these….these,” he turned to the Halfworlder’s, “what exactly are you? Because I picture you like mad scientists but you’re also clearly aliens so….mad scientist aliens?”

“Peter!” Gamora’s eyes stared unbroken at the two figures in the doorway. “Get them back to the ship, NOW!”

Rocket glanced down at Drax, still clutching his side and moaning on the floor.

“Do you trust me?” She hissed, the human man swallowed.

“I could kiss you right now.”

“Not now Peter! GO!”

The man nodded, moving over to Drax and helping the man off his feet. Groot hauled himself up on Quill’s jacket, looking over his shoulder at Rocket. The raccoonoid held his breath, watching the little flora’s eyes wide with confusion.

“Rocket…” Quill turned to him, mouth open trying to find the right words.

“Get out of here!” The raccoonoid sighed, reaching for the gun, and tossed  it to him with a heavy hand.

The man caught it. “Go!”

“What about you?!”

“Yah heard Gams, get outta here! Take Groot and go!”

For once in his life, StarDork listened to him.

“I’ll see you later.”

He watched Quill take one last look at Gamora and moved quickly past the Halfworlder’s, daring them to make any move in protest.

“We aren’t here for them,” the female reprimanded her colleague, the male, who leered towards Quill as he snuck past. “You heard her orders. We are to get Subject 89P13 only.”

Something wet and warm trickled down the raccoonoid’s leg. If he’d been anywhere else, he’d be ashamed. But this place….it stripped all shame all confidence of you. Revealing only your deepest fears and insecurities to the point where you no longer cared about your dignity. Only your survival. The two, Rocket had learned long ago...were easily severed.

The female alien grinned, turning back to him, Gamora and Nebula.

“You really thought you escaped, didn’t you?” They rushed forward, revealing those all too familiar electric prongs.

Rocket panicked, scrambling for anything in sight.

“Quick try this!”

The ringtail swiped the device that the Halfworlder’s gave Gamora from her belt.

“Rocket no! Don’t!”

He charged ahead, pressing the center button on the device, aiming at their chests.

He dropped the device instantly. His back arching, scalding pain alit his small nervous system, sending off pain receptors everywhere, snapping and popping. He swallowed the animalistic whimper building in his throat, curling himself in a ball. His hair stood on end, white electricity snapping and crackling. Every hard stood on end even as he fell to the ground, body twitching.

Gamora ran forward, sword out, beating them back as best she could.

“Nebula get him….aaarrrghhhh!!!!”

The raccoonoid blinked slowly. Through his blurry vision he could barely make out  the male alien, sticking one of the pokers in Gamora’s side, taking advantage of her momentary distraction. She crumpled beside him, her own cybernetics in her face glowing and sparking. If he hadn’t been in so much pain...and so furious...he may have felt a twinge of sympathy. Maybe.

“H...how...l..long have y...you b...ben holding on to ...t..th...that?” He panted through the burning in his belly.

Gamora twisted her neck around, glaring daggers at him from under a messy tangle of her hair.

“About as long as you were spying on me.”

Rocket snarled, teeth bared a nasty reply formed but never delivered. Rough hands grabbed him by the scruff, jerking him up with an agonizing pinch in the back of his neck.

“What are you going to do with them?” Nebula’s rough voice cut through the sound static sparking through the bolts in his back.

Rocket tried to swipe back at them, legs and tail thrashing madly, every move met with flaring stinging agony.

“That is no concern of yours.”

Nebula’s gaze found him, Rocket struggled to keep his eyes open.

“It’s a pity,” the alien woman holding him continued. “Thanos never sold us any of his projects. Even a defective one.” She ran her oily eyes over Nebula with a dehumanizing appraisal Rocket knew all too well. Nebula winced. The alien woman turned back to him, tightening her grip on his fur. “But alas, vermin were free and expendable, so vermin is what we worked with. Luckily Terra had vermin to spare.”

Someone grunted, Rocket clenched his teeth, twisting to see Gamora drag herself up once more, clutching her side. The cybernetics in her face glowing with electricity. She tensed, adjusting her grip on her sword and moving forward. Nebula grabbed her shoulders, steadying her, whispering something he could not hear.

“Come, she will be waiting for him.”

This time, he could not stifle the whimper coming from his throat.

---

“P….please,” he tried, vision swimming.

Where the flark are we?

His mind was sluggish, limbs and tail heavy. He’d been stripped down. Someone was inserting tubes into his back, his ears twitched at the click as it locked into place. Arms hung suspended, head low.

This isn’t a lab...a ship? No. We’re not on a ship. Where’s my fucking gun? Where’s...Gamora? Groot? GROOT?

Rocket tried to struggle, only to stumble and sag with the weight of the tubes fixated to his back and into the front of the bolts of the cybernetics in his clavicle. Thick fluid syrupy and cold made its way from the machine and into his body. He could feel it moving through him, doing who knew what. For all his genius and awareness, for all his sentience, they’d made sure he knew very little about his own making. Rocket, who knew every type of gun on every planet, who could replicate a resecian bomb and could pilot even the most ancient of Esselian crafts….knew nothing of his own biology.

“Please,” he whispered the shadow of the alien Halfworld woman falling over him. She crouched down to him, slit pupiled eyes staring into him. 

“Please...d...don’t take me apart again. I...d..don’t want to be put back together.” The very thought of enduring that again made his body tremble, tubes and wires rattling with his movement. They pulled on him, tearing his skin.

“Oh you won’t be,” she smirked, revealing yellow fangs. “Not this time.”  The raccoonoid’s belly sunk with icy dread.

No….stop it… claw her eyes out! Too tired….can’t move freely...what are they putting inside me? Whymy….dizzy?

“Your creator has no interest in her failed experiment.”

Failed.  

Failed Gamora

Failed Groot

Failed the new version of Groot

Hurt Gamora

Betrayed Gamora

Hurt Groot

Failed

He couldn’t make the words right, thoughts came slow and jumbled and when they did come to him...he couldn’t...couldn’t make his mouth move to form the words.

“F...faile...faild?”

Through blurry vision, he could see the Halfworlder nod.

“You are a cruel and tempestuous wretch. Your existence to an affront to all who breathe. You were given life by the hands of your creator because she wanted to make something beautiful.” The alien continued, words reaching his ears in slow motion. Rocket swayed, closing his eyes. The chemicals coming through those tubes...they were putting things into his blood, but somehow….sucking him dry of any awareness. His mind tried to go through the rolodex of toxins, poisons but couldn’t name any.

A monster….

A monster who betrays their friends

A monster who hit Groot

He tried to flex his paws but the movement was clumsy.

“We will be getting on our way soon enough. By the time we get back your cerebral deprograming will be complete and hopefully she will be able to harvest what’s left.”

What’s left?

GET A GUN YOU IDIOT! FIGHT, CLAW THIS BITCH TO PIECES! TEAR THESE FUCKING TUBES! RUN! RUN! RUN!

Rocket tried to move, to swipe weakly at the woman before him. She only smirked, standing. Eyes looking over his vulnerable twitching form for a moment, making him want to claw her insides out. But his chest only sunk with an invisible weight. She sniffed, and departed. His eyes closed to black before she left the room.

Gamora...she was  asleep during her enhancements...no. Not asleep. Gone. Gone during her enhancements and brought back after. Where did she go? Where was he going? His brain liquidating in his skull, his body pumped with unknown substances. 

How did Gamora do it? 

How did she stand it? What did she cling to when she was falling away?

Failed.

A failed subject. A failed friend.

Rocket hung suspended from the wires and tubes that created and would now destroy him. The worst thing was….he didn’t mind. The ringtail smiled to himself, letting his eyes close again. Chemicals rushing through him in a tumult of nausea and spinning. The dark behind his eyes was different from that of sleep...somehow even that blackness was unnatural.

It’s better...like this. ...G...Gamora will...what are they doing to me? Gamora will...get the others back to the….to the...the thing that will let them get away. RUN! CLAW! TEAR! TEAR OUT THESE THINGS AND GO! She’ll get em to safety...Why’d you come here? Didn’t I escape Halfworld? No. Never left. Groot...Groot where’s Groot? Did I….GET OUT!

Rocket’s mind drifted from one fractured thought to another

Earthen smells…other smells. Gamora….repairing her arm.

Her words.

What did she say?

GET OUT OF HERE! KICK, CLAW, SCREAM! SHOOT! SHOOT THE GUN!

He was drowning….drowning from the inside out. The buzzing and clicking around the room now sounded funny. His tongue tasted salty in his mouth,

Flecks of wood chips from the blast on Xandar.

Groot. Dead.

His own claws tearing through wood...scratching the new Baby Groot.

“Cerebral deprogramming 55% complete.” Voices...far away...like they were muffled underwater.

Rocket clenched his fists, trying to concentrate on the reality of his surroundings. Claws digging into the sensitive pads of his paws. He sniffed, trying to recall what was around him. Chemicals, metal, blood.

GET A G….

What was that word?

The thing that fired bullets that stopped people in their tracks.

The woman with the green skin. The woman he hurt. The tree creature, small and crying for him. Him. What was him? A cruel tempestuous creature.

He tried to move, but only flung his head backward in a coordinated effort. Sending more shocks of anguish through his own skeleton.

I’m sorry…..

I’m sorry….

I never shoulda….

IThing went too far…

I’m sorry…

I’m….

I’m…

I…..I...I...

You, you, you…

You ...the tree thing….you, the green woman

The green woman who hurt as much as he did.

G...m...Gmora

S...ry...Gaamo..r...a

Friend.

Rocket’s mind lost words….vision long since having gone black. He was slipping. Falling… dimly aware of the throbbing in his neck and throughout his cybernetics. He went stiff, straining against whatever the aliens had injected into him. But that battle was lost the moment they’d hooked him to the tubes. Still the raccoonoid went rigid against it. Until he couldn’t. All that bravado and zeal for nothing.

“Deprograming is at 63%.”

“Good. Come, we’ll prepare the ship to leave. By the time we get back it’ll be done.”

“Hang on, these outputs are outrageous! It actually bonded with Subject FC616! Oh look it’s crying! You gotta see these images! 89P13 certainly tried to make a life for itself.”

“Good. She’ll want to see it all upon our return.”

“Regret...sorrow...grief...joy...music…? It makes no sense.”

“It was responding to stimulus from the outside environment. It’s programming filled in the gaps for what it believed it should “feel.” It was designed to do that.”

“Huh. Alright, let’s go.”

The doors slid closed, Rocket’s consciousness ebbed. Sinking away. So heavy.

Gmra...Grot…

---

“Rocket!”

“Rocket!”

Something warm and rough cupped around him...around his...shoulders?

The ringtail fought back the darkness as soon as he became aware of it. Being dragged up from wherever he’d been. An endless void of  black nothing.

A voice.

He blinked, slowly, colors of green and pink?

“Rocket look at me,” the thing before him spoke fast. “I know you're scared, I know you’re in pain. I know how that feels. You know I do.”

Focus….

Can’t….tired...

FOCUS!

“I know this is the most horrifying place in the galaxy for you.” Rocket swayed from side to side, trying to rock himself awake. But the dark void place he’d been beckoned. Pulled at him. So nice, so blank...so devoid of everything.

“I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. That’s why we need to get out of here but I need your gun. Where is it? Can you point?”

Rocket gestured vaguely. The woman...he could tell it was a woman now. But who? She looked in the direction he indicated. Only to return her gaze to him, her eyes. Her eyes were somehow soft and hard at the same time.

….Gmmmm….m...or...ra?

Ga..mora?

Gamora?!

“Rocket….I need you to tell me where they put your gun.”

“...G...mora?”

His chest tingled, his limbs and tail still lead weight. He could barely move. Trying to clear his head of the dense fog inside his skull.

She shook him, his cybernetics fizzing painfully. The fire in his nerves jolted at him.

“Ga...Gamora?!”

“Yes! Good! Now, where is your gun?!”

Something behind her crashed. Screamed.

The ringtail roved his eyes over the room, to the right, then the left. Counters, buttons, monitors.

“Rocket!” She hissed urgently. “Look at me! Do you trust me?”

Rocket blinked in momentary recognition, then nodded.

Gamora leapt upward, grunting as she collided with the figure who’d barged into the room. He watched them wrestle, each grappling for the other. The green woman’s sword came down, again and again, trying to strike, stumbling back, striking again. She twisted, running the butt of her sword into the other woman’s head. The Halfworlder grunted, curling into a ball. Gamora ran forward, yanking the wires and tubes from him. They released with an agonizing twist, the liquid chemicals leaking out clear and congealing. Rocket’s legs flooded, tail trying to find balance but failed.

“Where’s your gun?!”

“G...gun?”

A second figure tore into the room, this one larger. The rushed for Gamora who lifted her sword just in time to fend him off. They sprung apart and she grabbed a handful of tubing in her fists, swinging it towards him. He cursed, stumbling back,wiping the liquid from his face.

Rocket let out an involuntary squeak, the alien woman regained her footing now aimed at him, clawed hands ready to seize him. He tried to spring out of the way, but his body wouldn’t follow direction and he flopped to the ground, only to be caught up in her iron grip. He kicked, clawing.

“Rocket!”

He turned, Gamora backed away from the alien man, eyes searching for anything she could use as a weapon.

“Th...there!” Rocket managed to nod towards where he spotted his jumpsuit any other items, tucked away by one of the monitors. Gamora crouched just before the Halfoworlder punched. She slid on the ground running to the counter, madly rifling through his belongings.

“How does this work?” She screamed, letting out a cry of anger and lifting her blade over her head with her spare arm, she brought it down on the male Halfworlder. He screeched, stumbling back clutching his arm.

“Sh...shoot...e..em w...with the...not handle part!”

“I know that much!”

The alien who held him tightened her grip, Rocket’s vision spun. His mind and body had not fully returned to him.

“You insufferable animal!”

Claws dug into his back, around the tender skin grafted around his cybernetic paneling. Digging into his flesh and yanking at him. The wiring beneath the skin pulled at the veins and tissue

“Rocket hold still!”

Gamora shouted, holding the gun with ready arms, she peered through the scope, trying to get the accurate aim.

“Gamora!”

The male alien lunged for her, knife out and ready to tear the gun from her hands. She turned, instantly and shot.

Rocket watched with wide eyed shock as the alien’s head jerked back and his body collapsed, twitching and went still.

The sharp tear in his skin, raw and stinging brought him back to the face of the Halfworld alien. She sneered, tugging at the panel in his back. The ringtail panicked, this time his body obeyed, more or less. He lashed out with his claws, ears pinned to his skull, mouth foamed with blood and saliva. He buckled and wriggled, ignoring the fiery shock ravaging through his body.

“Hold still!”

“C...can’t!”

Rocket strained to shout, throat rasping.

The alien pulled again, this time eliciting the ringtail to vomit in pain. He pinched his eyes shut against the wrenching in his spine as she tugged at the panel again.

No...no...no...no!

BAM!

Rocket dropped to the floor with a hard thunk, his insides quivering with the impact. His tail twitched, electricity around the panel in his back fritzed out. He reached one arm up slowly, trying to message the area around the damaged panel.

Gamora stormed ahead, past him, to where the alien woman crouched, one hand to her shoulder. Black blood bubbled up from the surface of her wound.

“L….Lady...G...Gamora, pl..please. W...we can compensate you for it. How much...d..do you want? Units? Esken gold?”

Rocket tried to heave himself up, swallowing the blood  in his mouth. His whole body ached. Vision still blurred around the edges. He faded in and out of awareness, recurring shocks of stinging pain waved over him every few seconds, bringing him back to consciousness.

Gamora bared her teeth, looming over the Halfworlder, gun at her head.

“Ga….Gams,” he tried.

“N…..n….name your price….D...daughter of T...Thanos.”

“Shut up!” She hefted the gun, squeezing the trigger.

“Go on…” the Halfworlder grinned. “I’m hardly the first person you’ve killed….y...you enj...enjoy it...don’t y...you? He...he raised you well.”

Rocket stood on shaking legs,

“G...Gamora!”

The woman ignored him, leering at the injured alien woman. Her whole body shaking.

“W...what's it worth to you? We’ll double it. N...name your price.”

She turned over her shoulder, looking at him. Rocket froze, staring at her. Gamora adjusted her grip on the gun but did not look away, her eyes boring into him. The ringtail steadied himself under the crushing weight of her gaze.

She wouldn’t….she said she wouldn’t before...even when she was angry…

“I’m not like you.”

“Go on...d..daughter of Thanos...what will you trade for it? We’ll give you anything you want.”

Gamora looked at him, eyes narrow with contempt. He watched her bite the inside of her cheek. His own stomach turning.

“....well?”

She took a breath, held it. Still staring at him unblinking. He watched her turn her stance, pointing the barrel of the gun squarely between his eyes.

Rocket’s guts squirmed, tail sticking up, hairs prickling.

...Gamora….

She glared at him from above the gun, barely breathing.

“G...gams...I…”

Her brows narrowed,

Do. You. Trust. Me?

Yes.

Her wrist flicked, he flinched, going on all fours instantly. Then blinked, her fingers no longer held the trigger, but rotated the weapon around handing it to him.

It dawned on him too late.

The Halfoworld alien screeched in rage, making her move, leaping upward. Gamora spun, gun still in hand,

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The alien dropped instantly going still, blood pooling under her.

“We have to go,” Gamora ordered, monotone.

The ringtail opened his mouth but the words were still slow.

“Put this on,” she ordered, throwing his jumpsuit at him. “Can you walk?”

“Tsch...of course I …”

She didn’t wait for him. Dropping the gun, turning on her heel, and out of the lab room a limp in her step.

“Gams! W...wait!”

He tripped up, not expecting her to stop. She looked down at him, skeptical.

Flark me,

Rocket reached out, shaking paws grabbing at her boot. He hoisted himself up, crawling his way up her back and purchasing on her shoulder. She shifted her shoulders, glancing at him, waiting for him to secure himself.

He only nodded and held on as she took off, down the dark halls, up the stairs, through the halls. Surprisingly light on her feet, sword in hand, body tense and ready to fight at anything that might leap from the shadows. From his hand on her head, Rocket could feel the nerve tremors beneath her skin, hot to the touch. Her own cybernetics were damaged, the lines of facial enhancements in her cheek no longer seamless but broken and cut between flesh and metal.

Gamora rounded the corner, through another set of doors and out into the open.

Wh...where’s the...Benatar?

“HALT! By order of the Nova Corps, Subject 89P13, Gamora Daughter of Thanos you are under arrest for murdering an officer, lying under oath, and gross endangerment of your crew.”

Gamora let out a cough, chest heaving. She sheathed her sword. She reached up to him, Rocket expected her to throw him off, but she only pulled her hair back from her face.

“Gamora!”

Quill ran down the ramp of the Benatar,

“You got him! C’mon we gotta…..Nova’s here we have to…!”

Rocket couldn’t help but smirk, a pain twinging in his side as he laughed.

“Th...thank you..c...captain obvious.”

“Wow really?! The ONE time you acknowledge I’M  the captain you…”

“B...bigger problems here Quill!”

From his place on Gamora’s shoulder, he thought he heard her huff in satisfied agreement.

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

#the body keeps the score fic #my writing #gotg #gotgfanfic #groot #baby groot #gamora #rocket raccoon #peter quill #starlord #drax #drax the destroyer #halfworld #rocket origins

[tielan]

the other side of infinity (director‘s commentary)

For the handful of readers who like seeing my process.

Just after Infinity War showed, I was on tumblr skimming through, and someone had linked to the theory: What If The Infinity Stones Are Like The Elder Wand?

And my brain went: OOOH!

I’m always up for a version of a story that involves the background characters taking frontline positions - after all, I write Maria Hill, who’s the most background of backgrounds for even fans who like the female characters - and this idea was perfect. The characters who were Masters of the infinity stones were all dead, the comics had already done the ‘trapped in the soulstone’ storyline for Infinity War, and it gave me the chance to tie in the relationship connections that must exist behind the scenes if we’re to believe the characterisation of the people who aren’t in the foreground, as well as the way the scenes play out in canon.

The result was the other side of infinity.

The first theory really influenced me in terms of the story, where it was going, what everyone was doing. I am absolutely indebted to this theory for the final solution to this story, the question was always how I was going to get it there. Putting Maria in instead of Gamora allowed me to tie in themes of parental figures, what love actually looks like (even if it's not something that we'd name 'love' in English), as well as bringing in the echoes of willing sacrifice and self-sacrifice to achieve goals. And I couldn't resist giving Nebula the chance to kill Thanos in one timeline, even if Gamora got the kill in the end.

The theory about Jane and Peter Quill being siblings (Jane Foster: Ego’s Daughter) is an interesting one, and I didn't actually get introduced to it until after I'd finished the fic. (Thank you @salazarastark!) I referenced it, but left that one up in the air, because I didn't know if I wanted to add another five hundred words about Ego and earth women.

Yes, I killed Nick Fury. I have an allergy to stories where everything turns out fine and nobody is dead. People die, and it stings to all buggery, but everyone dies. More important to me is that characters have a meaningful death - that it changes something, has significance. So I didn't have an issue with Phil dying in the original Avengers, because he got Loki and he united the Avengers in his death. I wasn't exactly delighted that they brought him back in Agents of SHIELD.

Nick dies with a purpose in mind - he absolutely dies for the very reason that he's been living all these years: to keep Earth safe and defend it from anything that would fuck it up. And yeah, he's not a nice person or a good person, but purity culture has really messed us up - I'm a firm believer that sometimes you just need someone to be on your side for the moment, and you can go back to being enemies when the time comes. (cf. Loki.)

Maria. What can I say about her that I haven't already said in 200+ fics? IMO she's gotten the shortest, sharpest, shittiest end of the deal from the moviemakers, the moviegoers, and fandom (and, some would say, in getting stuck with me as a passionate defender) and even the people who like her mostly wouldn't notice if she vanished from canon next week. (Oh, wait, she has vanished from canon with Far From Home.)

One knows not to expect 'further, faster, higher' in outwards-facing storytelling from Americans - the instant it goes international, they're almost universally completely lost, and don't even think about what a universe might look like beyond Earth's horizons, let alone a polity in which Earth might be able to stand on its own two feet instead of becoming enslaved or destroyed. (There was an interesting article on why our storytelling had such an obsession with aliens coming in and either enslaving us, destroying us down to the last bit, or corrupting our geneset. Although, really, it all comes down to the root of what created white colonialism.)

In many ways, this story is my id on display: from a non-white saviour who sacrifices his life for the many, to the literal and figurative idea that sometimes saving the world isn't nice and shiny bright, but involves literal and figurative blood on your hands. I suspect I haven't quite managed to express this as clearly as I'd have liked. Them's the breaks.

Overall, I am so relieved that this got written - it was all in question for a while, but a serious push during Feburary and beyond made a huge difference, and discovering 4thewords as a writing tool also changed the game for me.

Many thanks to the early readers who kept commenting with “this is intriguing” and “i can’t wait to read this” - it really really helped to know that there was someone (other than me) who wanted to read the finished product! And so many thanks to the people who’ve actively encouraged me with comments and kudos in the last couple of years as my fanfic drifted further and further from canon.

#director's commentary #the other side of infinity

[trashcanmarvelfan]

Best. Job. Ever 4/12

So oops, I updated this like a week ago on AO3 but forgot to update here, so you’re getting 2 chapters again, lovelies! 

Btw, this IS completely written, I’m just editing and posting as time allows.

Summary: Reader gets a job on the set of Spider-Man: Far from Home for the 3 weeks they are shooting in New York City as what she thinks is a production assistant, but a twist of fate has her reassigned as Tom Holland’s personal assistant. As she & Tom grow close during filming, will their budding friendship turn to more or will they go their separate ways after filming concludes?

Warnings: Language, but that’s pretty much it? This is basically a PG-13 rom-com.

Word Count: 2571 for chapter 4.

Author’s Note: As this was written WAY before Spider-Man: Far from Home was released (actually before Avengers: Endgame was as well) I’ve kept plot details and which scene was being shot on what day extremely vague. Also, I’m American but tried to write Tom as British as possible, although I do think he’d try to stay(ish) in character and use as much American slang as he could while he’s still playing Peter.

Chapter-Specific Author’s Note: Ik Rent went off Broadway in like 2008 or something but I do what I want, lol.

Requests are always open!

Cross-posted at AO3.

The rest of the week continued much like the first day: Y/N would show up at Tom’s hotel room at 7:15 with coffee (fortunately-- or unfortunately, Y/N honestly wasn’t sure which-- the rest of the week Tom had always been dressed by the time Y/N knocked on his door), they would ride to set, Tom would film a few scenes, they would eat lunch, Tom would get back to filming, and then they would head back to their hotel, eating dinner together in one of their rooms (usually something Y/N would run out and pick up or have delivered to her room) and hanging out for a while before parting for the night.

Saturday night had Y/N and Tom hanging out in Y/N’s hotel room eating Chinese takeout while watching Infinity War on the hotel TV’s cable.

“DAMN IT, QUILL!” Y/N yelled at the TV as he started beating Thanos in the head with his gun, causing Mantis to lose her balance and let go of her control of Thanos’ mind. “Ugh, every freaking time.”

Tom laughed. “Yeah, that’s basically everyone’s reaction.”

Y/N blushed. “Sorry about that. I just always want to punch Quill in the face right there. They had Thanos, and he comes traipsing along and ruins their chances of getting the Gauntlet off. I mean, I get that he was upset about Gamora, and rightly so, but dang, he just single handedly caused the destruction of half the universe!”

Y/N’s and Tom’s phones chimed simultaneously.

“Looks like the shooting schedule for next week is here,” Y/N said, pulling it up on her phone. “Your call times are different for each day, and it also looks like Friday will be a long one, but hey, you at least have Saturday and Sunday off before the final week of shooting.”

They worked out times to meet up to head to the set the next week and when Y/N turned her attention back to the TV Thanos had snapped his fingers and people were already starting to turn to ash. Y/N brought her hand to her chest as Peter clung to Tony. I don’t want to go. “I can’t believe you improvised that scene, but I should’ve figured that you’d quote The Doctor.”

Tom glanced over at her. “You watch Doctor Who?”

Y/N nodded. “Just New Who, starting with Eccleston, but yeah.”

“Who’s your favorite Doctor?”

“Ten, hands down,” Y/N said with zero hesitation.

“No wonder you recognized that line.”

YN nodded. “It just kills me every time, whether it’s you or David Tennant that says it.”

They talked about Doctor Who until it started to get late. “So, what are you planning to do with your day of freedom?” Tom asked as they cleaned up from dinner.

“Oh, I’m just planning on taking it easy tomorrow,” Y/N replied. “What about you?”

“I need to study my lines for next week.”

Y/N bit her lip. “Maybe I could help you run your lines? I mean, if you want, no big deal.”

Tom grinned. “I’d like that a lot, actually.”

“Great. I’ll text you when I get up?”

“Sounds good.”

“Ok, well, I’m gonna head out. It’s getting pretty late.”

Tom walked Y/N over to the door. “‘Night, Y/N.”

“‘Night, Tom.”

The next morning Y/N texted Tom as soon as she woke up and got dressed.

Hey, I’m up and can help you go over your lines whenever you’re ready.

Tom texted back almost immediately. Give me like 5 minutes, yeah?

Ok, sure. I’ll run downstairs to pick you up something from the coffee shop then.

The three bubbles that indicated that Tom was typing popped up. Actually I’m downstairs right now getting something, so no need!

Oh! Lol Ok then.

A few minutes later Tom texted back. Ok, I’m back upstairs. Come on over.

Y/N grabbed her stuff and walked down to Tom’s room.

Tom answered the door with a grin. “Morning, Y/N,” he said, ushering her in. Y/N paused mid-way into the room when she saw coffee and pastries set out for both of them.

“I figured since you’ve been fetching breakfast for me all week and since I was getting myself something anyway the least I could do is return the favor,” Tom said.

“Aww, that’s so sweet,” Y/N replied. “Thank you.”

They sat and ate then Y/N helped Tom run his lines until he was comfortable with them.  “Wow, it’s four already. I’m sure you want to relax the rest of the afternoon,” Y/N said, getting up from the couch where they had been sitting, “so I guess I’m gonna get out of your hair so you can chill.”  She turned toward the door. “Wait!” Tom exclaimed.

Y/N turned back to Tom.

Tom rubbed the back of his neck. “I, err, I have a surprise for you.”

He walked over to his dresser and pulled an envelope out of the top drawer, handing it to Y/N.

Y/N looked at him curiously as she opened it, finally pulling out the contents. Her jaw dropped. “Front row seats to Rent!?”

“You can’t come to New York and not see a Broadway play. I was hoping you’d accompany me tonight,” Tom said.

Y/N was still staring at the tickets. “How did you even know I liked Rent?”

“I, err… I overheard you singing ‘Out Tonight’ on Wednesday while you were waiting for me after the set was cleared,” Tom explained.

Y/N was still shocked. “But how did you even get these? It’s been sold out for months!”

Tom winked. “You’re not the only Rent-head around here, you know.”

“And are you sure you want me to come with you? You wouldn’t rather Z or someone else from the cast go with you?”

Tom shook his head. “I figured you’d appreciate the show as much as I do. So is that a yes?”

“Oh my gosh, YES!”  Y/N threw her arms around Tom in a massive hug. “This is so amazing! I’ve been wanting to see that play for years but never thought I’d have the chance to see it live!”

“Brilliant.” Tom beamed. “I’ll be ‘round in, say, a hour so we can have dinner beforehand? I know a great sushi restaurant in Times Square.”

“Sounds great.” Y/N turned to Tom again and gave him another hug. “You are just the absolute best, you know that? I can’t believe this -- I have to go get ready!”

Y/N ran back to her room and flew through getting ready.  She put on the nicest outfit she had brought (thank goodness she was a packrat and thought to bring a decent dress!) and hurried to do her hair and makeup.

She was applying her eyeliner in the bathroom mirror when there was a knock on her door. “Come in!” she called.  She and Tom had each gotten an extra room key and had swapped them in case of emergency, so she didn’t have to go answer the door.

Tom stuck his head in the door. “Y/N?”

“Almost ready!”

Y/N finished her makeup and stepped out of the bathroom. Tom was standing in front of Y/N’s full-length mirror and caught her reflection. A broad grin spread over his face and he turned toward her. “Y/N, you look stunning,” he breathed.

Y/N blushed. “Thank you. You look great too.”

Tom had worn a similar outfit to the one he had worn the night they went to dinner after the first day of filming, except this time he had paired an open-collar button-down shirt with his sports coat, jeans, and sneaker combo. He extended his arm. “Shall we?”

Y/N linked her arm with his. “Lead the way, Mr. Holland.”

“Viva, la vie, Bohemme!”

Y/N and Tom laughed as they stepped off the elevator.

“Oh my gosh, that was so much fun. Never in a million years did I ever think I’d be able to see Rent live and in person.” Y/N couldn’t keep the grin off of her face.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

They stopped in front of Tom’s door.  “You want to come in and watch the film version on Netflix?” he asked.

“Sure! I love the movie version. Gimmie like 5 minutes though to go change into something more comfortable?”

Tom nodded. “Ok. I’ve got snacks, so I’ll get everything set up while you change.”

“See you in a few.”

Y/N ran to her room and changed into some comfortable pants and a t-shirt, and pulled on a pair of fuzzy socks to walk down the hall in instead of putting her sneakers on.

She grabbed her keycard and headed back to Tom’s. The door had been held open by the privacy lock, so she just knocked gently and went in, disengaging the lock so the door could shut.

Tom was sitting on his bed, scrolling through Netflix. A bowl of popcorn and various movie theater-type candy was spread out next to him. His hair was wet-- he had obviously grabbed a quick shower while Y/N had been gone-- and he had changed into flannel pajamas pants and a plain white t-shirt. He looked up and grinned.

Y/N walked past him to the other side of the bed and climbed in, careful not to disturb the snacks in between them. “I see you got comfortable as well.”

Tom grinned. “Ready?”

“Let’s do it.”

As the opening credits rolled, Y/N said, “I think it's so great that most of the original Broadway cast reprised their roles for the movie.”

“Me too,” Tom agreed, grabbing a handful of popcorn.  

They watched the movie mostly in silence, occasionally grabbing some popcorn or a handful of candy, until the opening notes to Light My Candle came on. Tom turned to Y/N. What you’d forget? he mouthed.

Y/N grinned. Got a light? she responded.

Tom reached for her. I know you, you’re… you’re shivering.

It’s nothing, they turned off my heat, and I’m just a little weak on my feet… Y/N pretended to swoon towards Tom and winked.

They kept going, both really getting into character. When they arrived at the line, They say I have the best ass below 14th Street, is it true? You’re staring again! Tom blushed and was flustered when he lip-synched Roger’s line, Oh no… I mean, you do… have a nice-- Y/N thought his flustered reaction seemed actually kind of genuine but quickly chalked it up to the darkness of the room and Tom’s really good acting skills and pushed it out of her mind as she kept going.

They continued their back & forth throughout the song. They call me, they call me Mimi...Y/N lip-synched, dangling a gummy worm in front of Tom before taking a bite with a grin as the song ended.

They both burst into laughter. “Oh my gosh, that was so fun,” Tom said in between fits of laughter, leaning back against the headboard.

Y/N fell over on Tom’s shoulder, she was laughing so hard. “That. Was. AWESOME.” She wiped a few stray tears of laughter away as she straightened.

Today 4 U was just starting. Y/N nodded toward the TV. “Think you’d be able to do that?”

“Definitely not in heels, at least not without loads of practice.” Tom answered. “I’m good, but I’m not that good.”

The rest of the movie was spent lip-syncing along to a majority of the soundtrack -- during “Out Tonight” Y/N grabbed the remote and used it as a makeshift microphone while she danced around the room, much to Tom’s amusement -- and watching in somber silence during “Without You”.

Y/N did a fist pump when the opening notes of “What You Own” started playing. “This is one of my favorite songs on the entire soundtrack,” she said. “It’s so powerful, and the bro-hug at the end just melts my heart.”

Tom nodded. “It’s definitely a turning point in the film.”

As the movie wound down, the popcorn and snacks dwindled as well. Tom placed the empty popcorn bowl on the nightstand next to him as the finale started.

“My one complaint is that I really wish the alternate ending would’ve been used in the film.”

“Me too!” Y/N exclaimed. “I mean I get why it wasn’t used, but I like the play’s version of the ending where it ends just like it begins. And speaking of… I’m so embarrassed I cried when Angel came running on stage during the finale.”

Tom chuckled. “I think it’s cute-- err, I mean nice. It’s nice that you’re reactive like that. Makes an actor feel like they’re giving a believable performance.”  

“Speaking of acting…” Y/N checked her phone for the time. “It’s getting late. You better get some rest since your call time for tomorrow is early and you’re doing a lot of stunts.”

They stood and Tom walked Y/N to the door.

Y/N gave Tom a hug, and without thinking, also gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Oh, shit, I'm so sorry about that--” she stammered, taking a step back.

“What?” Tom looked confused.

“Just now-- I really didn’t mean to kiss you. I wasn’t thinking, and I understand if you’d be upset about it--”

Tom shook his head. “Why on earth would I be upset with you?” he tried to interrupt.

“--and it was completely unprofessional, so I’d also get it if you’d want to request a different assistant--”

“Wait, wait, Y/N!” Tom cried. He took Y/N's arms in a firm but gentle grip, steadying her. “I'm sorry to keep interrupting you, but I’m not upset at all.” He let go & studied her. “Have I given you the impression at any point this week that I've been anything less than pleased with you?”

Y/N blushed. “Well, no, not really…” she mumbled. “But I thought maybe you’d think I was hitting on you or something…”

“First off, it was just a kiss on the cheek, it’s not like you threw yourself at me.  And secondly…” Tom paused. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but I kind of already consider you a friend. You’re incredibly easy to talk to, we have loads in common, and at the risk of sounding completely pompous you don’t seem to just be friendly to me because of my celebrity status or because Sony is paying you to be. I mean come on, you’ve insisted on rotating who was paying for dinner all week. You’re a genuinely nice person and I like being around you. There’s absolutely no reason to fret, okay?”

Y/N nodded. “Ok.”

Tom stood. “Now that’s settled then, yeah?”

Y/N nodded. “Yeah.”

Tom reached out and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then pulled her in for a hug. “Goodnight, Y/N.” He kissed her on the cheek, then gave her a wink.

Y/N laughed. “Goodnight, Tom. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She went in and got ready for bed. As she lay there in the darkness replaying the night in her head she suddenly realized that her feelings for Tom definitely weren’t going anywhere-- in fact they had blossomed into a full-scale crush. I am so screwed.

Tagging: @thoughstofaredhead & @greenarrowhead

#tom holland fanfiction #tom holland x reader #tom holland fanfic #tom holland rpf #tom holland x you #marvel fanfiction #avengers fanfiction

[sizequeen1]

Marvel Movies from Worst to Best

Thor: The Dark World: Pure garbage. I honestly can’t remember anything about except how pissed I was that i wasted money on two tickets. Just an absolute waste of time.

Iron Man 2: This one seemed rushed, as if they had churn out a sequel as quickly as possible. Some inadvertent hilarity with Poor Mickey Rourke’s accent and costuming.

Captain Marvel : Terrible. Just the epitome of paint-by-the numbers-Marvel factory junk. Destroyed Nick Fury’s characterization. A poor story in which Carol’s secret is already revealed the audience before she knows it leaves the film devoid of suspense. Carol herself is just incredibly dull.  Her character makes no sense and her lack of connection to the other members of her group leave the betrayal she discovers at their hands limp and unemotional. Finally, at this point the anti-SJW crowd is being blatantly used to market films starring minorities and women and to encourage those who support films starring marginalized groups by tickets in groves to fight sexism and racism. The film industry knows that we think that we’re doing politics through buying movie tickets. And all we do is further enrich a bunch of wealthy white men.

 Ant-Man and Wasp: Every singe moment of possible pain or suspense is wrecked by the worst imitation Whedonesque humor.  The only saving grace is how nice everyone is.

Ant-Man: Luis is the only reason to rewatch this. It wastes every scrap of the inventiveness inherent in the premise.

Avengers: Age of Ultron: Honestly, not the worst film in the world but the plot and characterization of Tony Stark and the bland jaw droppingly bad romance between Bruce and Natasha is hard to recover from and the lack of consequences for Wanda beyond the death of her brother is a head scratcher. I did like Ultron though. He was appropriately creepy villain, and I got his motivation: Peace can only be achieved if humans are gone.

Thor: Meh. I think I rewatched this once. Thor’s wig is bad, the story is basic, and Natalie Portman is embarrassed to be there. Also, the Loki cult was born here, and I never got the appeal.

Doctor Strange: Who cares?  I just got nothing out of this. It’s not a bad movie at all and has lovely visuals but I have no interest in a sequel.

The Incredible Hulk: This movie was...fine? It was fine, It was decent. It was like a cafeteria pizza. Okay.

Spider-Man: Homecoming: Great casting can’t defeat the fact that this is the third go-round on this character in a decade. Despite this, the fact that destroyed the soul of the character by taking away his guilt over the death of his uncle, making the franchise a non-starter for me. Spider-Man isn’t Spider-Man without his pain. He also isn’t Spider-Man in a high-tech robot suit.  

Guardians of the Galaxy: I saw that the film was quality, but almost nothing made me laugh. I thought Gamora was such a boring warrior chick stereotype and Peter was just an unbearable man child. Drax made me alternately laugh with his literalness and wince at his sexism. The only characters I liked completely were Rocket and Groot. Rocket is a tragic figure. This is the only Bradley Cooper movie I could sit through. 

Iron Man 3 2013: I liked this one surprisingly well. The plot twists were great and we got to see who Tony is without the suit, and he is more than a philanthropist billionaire. I liked that Pepper got to fight and save Tony for once. The banter with Rhodey was also good. 

Captain America: The First Avenger: The end drags a bit, and the villain is disposable, but this is the Steve Rogers that I originally fell in love with. The first half creates a character that is indelible and moving as Christopher Reeve’  Superman.

Iron Man 2008: Some of this hasn’t aged well but I guess Tony was supposed to be a repulsive scumbag, but RDJ knocked the character out of the park.  Tony’s losses, his suffering, his betrayals, shaped him into a better man.  

Avengers: Infinity War: The film is solid, emotional, and the end packs a wallop. The only problem is that it is incomplete. 

 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: I didn’t bother seeing this in the theater since I was underwhelmed by the first one, but when I did see it, I was surprised by how moved I was by the story of fathers and sons and sisterhood, and surviving abuse.  They managed to take some pretty shallow characters, like Yondu, and create people whose lives and feelings I cared about. I got to know Gamora and Nebula, a seed that really comes to fruition in Endgame. In this film Gamora began to be a character for me beyond “reluctant love interest” and I came to understand the source of Peter’s childishness. The sexism and racism in the film are still jarring, and those aspects won’t age well.

Captain America: Civil War: Woo. Where do I start with this one. I actually thought they did a great job of expressing Tony and Steve’s philosophical differences although I know that these people are too smart to ever let it come to blows. There were real emotional stakes and consequences here to Rhodey’s health, Bucky’s freedom, and Tony and Steve’s friendship.The originl of Black Panther was entertaining and perfectly integrated into the film. The break up at the end felt genuinely heart breaking. It also had one of the best fights (Steve and Bucky vs. Tony) since the elevator fight in CATWS.

Marvel's The Avengers: Joss had a hell of a challenge in making this, the first real superhero team up, and he did an amazing job. He had to have costumed (no in all black leather) heroes on the screen and have the audience take this seriously. He had to make Loki scary enough to warrant the assembly of super heroes. He had to quickly get the audience up to speed on the characters.  The end battle goes long as these movies tend to, but all of the action told a story, was exciting to watch, and illuminated character.  Yes, Cap’s characterization is a little wonky, but this is the first version of Black Widow that felt three dimensional and the best, most accurate Bruce I have ever seen.

Black Panther: Great sets, costumes, characters and a unique story put this one high on the list, but the politics are wonky (they made the CIA the good guys WTF and portrayed Erik’s desire for revolution as sheer psychotic violence). In addition, the political mobilization around the film was disturbing to me. It scares me that black people think we’re doing politics by buying movie tickets that will just make a lot of rich white men even richer.The film also suffers from having an uninteresting protagonist.  I’m also concerned about the fact that it eliminates two out of three of BPs major antagonists (Klaue and Killmonger) and makes an ally out of the third.

Avengers Endgame:  I’m putting this third but honestly, I enjoyed every part of this movie from beginning to end. The Stony shippers, the Stucky people’s complaints, the time travel arguments? All of that shit perplexes me. I honestly thought the entire film made sense emotionally. The deaths made sense. Those who were brought back made sense. I don’t watch these films for scientific accuracy or to have my slash itch scratched. It was straight up fan service. I left the theater was a scratch in my throat from all my joyful shouting.

Thor: Ragnarok: Just spectacular. I found the first two Thor movies forgettable and didn’t bother watching this one in the theaters. Waititi took certain aspects of the character teased them out more fully and let Chris be Chris.  The visuals are gorgeous. I laughed. I cried.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Yeah, this is still the best Marvel Movie, probably because it feels least like a Marvel movie. It’s a tight spy thriller from start to finish. The last James Bond movie attempted a similar plot about government surveillance, and frankly crashes and burns. The plot, characterization, dialogue, and action in CAWTS in addition to being utterly fantastic, all work together to show how Steve is and is not getting along in the present. It shows me who Steve really is always will be the guy who fights for what’s right no matter what. This film brings Steve into the 21st century and he’s the same guy but somehow more so, and his old fashioned morality turns out to be exactly what we need. Finally: elevator fight.

#marvel #avengers #avengers endgame #movie list #movie review

[bevioletskies]

everybody wants to rule the world [5/8]

characters: peter/gamora, guardians-centric

summary: peter is the one and only heir to the celestial throne. gamora is expected to successfully lead the titans to conquer the galaxy. a political alliance is in the works, and there may or may not be wedding bells in the air.

alternately: peter and gamora find themselves in an arranged marriage and want nothing to do with it, but might need each other more than they think if they want to escape their genocidal fathers forever.

word count: 11.2k

a/n: warning for creepy/abusive behavior from both thanos and ego towards their respective children throughout the entire fic. also note that this AU is very heavily based on the MCU versions of themselves, where things are basically only different because yondu took peter to ego after all.

fic title is from the song everybody wants to rule the world by tears for fears.

help me to decide...help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure...

ao3 | tag

To Gamora’s surprise (and relief), Ego had, for once, not been exaggerating when he proclaimed she had become something of a hero. Word spread quickly across the galaxy of the new Celestial princess and how she had saved everyone’s lives - especially that of her new husband’s. Leaders and common folk alike were practically singing her praises for how she handled the Kree invasion, not that she remembered much. The rest of the wedding night was a blur - even with her accelerated healing, blood loss was still blood loss - and she spent the next few days on bedrest, letting her body modifications do most of the work.

Unfortunately, the gash in her leg wasn’t the only injury she’d sustained, also having a sprained ankle, a couple cracked ribs, and bruises that made every muscle twitch and every cough burn like wildfire, but it was hardly the worst she’d ever experienced. In fact, she would almost consider them a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, if not for the other consequences of her injuries, such as -

“I’m perfectly capable of getting my own meals, Quill, it’s only a limp,” Gamora groaned as her bedroom doors swung open to reveal, for the fourth time that week, Peter, whistling cheerfully as he brought in a serving tray laden with food. The guard standing by looked like he was trying not to laugh at her plight.

“Morning to you, too,” Peter chirped, sitting by her feet. Rolling her eyes, she still turned over so he could place the tray on her lap. “Look, you said you wanted to stick to your super healthy diet, but that doesn’t mean I have to, so they have to prepare this separately. Really, this is just me bringing the chef’s personalized meals so they don’t have to come to you, and you don’t have to go to them. I’m doing you both a favor.”

“And gracing me with your presence at the same time,” she drawled.

He grinned. “Exactly! Wait, are you being sarcastic again? Because I can’t tell sometimes.”

She swatted at him with her book before picking up her fork. “What’s on the agenda today? Were you at breakfast with the others?” Peter looked at her, suspiciously doe-eyed, before she got the message. She let out an annoyed huff, pushing the tray towards him. “For someone who claims to not want to eat the same food as me, you’re very insistent on stealing it.”

“Food tastes better when it belongs to someone else,” he said defensively through a mouthful of grits. He began coughing. “Oh, never mind, what is this, soy? Ew.” Wrinkling her nose, Gamora leaned forward to slowly push his jaw closed. The sight of Peter chewing did wonders for killing her appetite. “Nah, nothing’s going on today. Dad’s doing his usual thing, which is who knows what, and Mantis is at that school-opening ceremony in the capital. You got any ideas?”

“I’m still confined to this bed for another couple days,” she said forlornly. “I’d get up and walk out right now if it wasn’t for your doctors. I swear I’m fine, but they’re acting like I’ll keel over the second I’m on my feet.”

“You wanna hang out with me, then? I could keep you company.” Peter tilted his head sideways in what she supposed was meant to look endearing. Personally, she thought he looked like he had a neck injury. “I could bring you more books. Or we could talk strategy, not that there’s really anything left to plan, I mean, you were super thorough in those meetings we had. Or maybe a holoscreen! We can watch a movie, I found a bunch of Terran videotapes at one of the Nova trading posts…” He trailed off when he noticed she wasn’t responding, looking at her expectantly.

Oddly enough, the incident at the wedding had brought them closer, despite the confusing conversation - or more accurately, confrontation - they had moments beforehand. After she had woken from her medical treatment, Peter remained by her bedside, both to apologize profusely for his childish behavior and to proclaim her status as the “kingdom’s resident badass”. Gamora, of course, had accepted, knowing he only meant well, and apologized in return for being evasive - he had a point; she couldn’t expect him to trust her if she wasn’t going to be straightforward herself. Ever since then, things were surprisingly smooth. No confrontations, no accusations, no secrets. She had even told him about Thanos’s order for her to seduce him.

“Seriously? What is this, a movie?” Peter had chuckled. “And, what, it ends with you having fallen in love with me for real, but me thinking you’re lying when you say so because you were lying the whole time, and I don’t know if I love you or just the fake you, and it’s all a bi-i-ig misunderstanding - yeah, I’ve seen this before.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about, but I also find the idea of me being in love with you laughable,” Gamora had retorted.

“I’ll have you know that I’m super lovable. Just ask anyone. Literally, you could fly into any city on this planet, ask some random stranger - ” If Gamora hadn’t been so comfortable under her bedsheets at the time, she would’ve been tempted to sit up just so she could smack him on the shoulder.

Now, she stared back, wondering how she could possibly pass the time. Peter was right - everything they needed for the inevitable “pseudo-revolution”, as he liked to call it, was ready to go at moment’s notice. She also couldn’t exactly get up and walk out, what with the guards following the doctor’s orders to keep her confined. “If you spend all day in my room,” she said slowly, “do you think your father will interpret it as your newfound devotion to me, and mention it to my father? Keep him placated?”

“Well, when you put it that way, it sounds like we’re a bunch of schoolkids passin’ notes,” Peter laughed. “So is that a yes?”

“Oh, sure,” she relented, cracking a gentle smile. “I’ll go stir-crazy in here otherwise. But if you make so much as one bad joke, I’m sending for Nebula to keep me company instead.”

“No bad jokes here.” He exaggeratedly puffed out his chest, chin held high. “I’m hilarious.”

“You’ve already done it. Get out,” she deadpanned, taking a long sip of her drink.

“Too late! I’ve claimed a pillow.” He threw himself down on top of the duvet, staring up at the underside of the canopy hanging over them. “Y’know, this bed’s never been used for sleeping.”

“What else would it - oh, Quill,” Gamora groaned, recoiling. “You’re disgusting. And your actual bedroom is just one door away, why didn’t you use that instead?”

“Privacy reasons,” Peter said defensively. “No one gets to be in there but me and my family. And oh man, if you think that’s gross - and it’s not, it’s totally normal - never use a blacklight on the Milano. Looks like a Jackson Pollock painting in there.” She blinked. “He’s like an artist...guy. I, uh - yeah.”

“Is it too late for me to move back into the guest quarters?” she sighed.

Despite herself, Gamora spent most of her recovery in Peter’s company, with occasional visits from her people (Peter was always mysteriously absent whenever Nebula was around). Though she was much more used to them, they were rather macabre in comparison to Peter’s cheerfulness. She didn’t exactly want to deal with Nebula’s attitude or Drax and Rocket’s squabbling when she was so lethargic from being stuck in bed. Peter was quite adept at entertaining her, telling her stories about his Terran childhood or creating random objects out of thin air for fun. It was a good distraction for an otherwise droll recovery.

Once the doctors finally let her go, she was back to her training regimen, pleasantly surprised to find Peter hadn’t slacked in her absence. Apparently, he had gone to Drax and requested his help (“Big mistake - I can’t count all the times he accidentally dislocated my shoulder”), and trained with him for at least an hour per day.

“Discipline,” Gamora echoed, smiling. “Good to see that we’re making progress in more ways than one.”

He managed to disarm her a few times on their first day back, practically knocking the wind out of her as he slammed her down into the mat. He was sharper, quicker, more precise than before - though admittedly, the one that had gotten her the most was where he was up to his usual tricks.

“Shit - I think you broke my nose - ”

“Hold still, let me see - ow - ” Gamora was flat on her back, Peter straddling her with a triumphant grin on his face, his nose completely untouched. She stared up at him, unimpressed. “Are you trying to crack my ribs again?”

“I’m sorry, I thought this was supposed to be serious, disciplined, combat pra - OW!” Now he was bleeding. A couple drops ended up on Gamora’s shirt, but as far as she was concerned? Worth it. “Okay, I deserved that one.”

As glad as she was to be back on her feet, they soon settled into something a bit too routine even for her liking. Gamora would wake early, have breakfast alone in her room, then train with Drax and Nebula before being joined by Peter. After their one-on-one session, she would shower and spend the rest of her day either reading, studying up on the kingdom’s history and policies (Yondu had been a great help in that regard), or in the company of her people. Dinner was always in the dining hall, where she and Peter mostly chatted with each other about nonsensical topics in order to satiate Ego’s little domestic fantasy. Evenings, once again, were either spent alone, or, increasingly more often, with Peter.

He had taken to sprawling himself across her bed after dinner, sleepily satisfied from the food and looking for a peaceful way to close out the night before eventually returning to his own room. Gamora wasn’t sure what to make of it at first - was this what friends did? - but after the first post-wedding month had passed, she came to expect him on a regular basis, even finding herself disappointed whenever he was absent.

One particular evening, Gamora walked into her bedroom to find Peter already there, looking more downtrodden than usual, clutching his Walkman over his chest. She could hear faint strains of a song playing through his headphones.

Everybody plays the fool sometime...there's no exception to the rule...listen, baby, it may be factual, may be cruel...I ain't lyin', everybody plays the fool...

“Something wrong?” she asked, disappearing into the wardrobe to change.

“I had a fight with Mantis,” Peter grumbled, pushing his headphones away from his ears.

Gamora paused before quickly changing into her sleepclothes and walking back out, staring at him in disbelief. “What? When? You seemed fine at dinner.”

“Yeah, only for Dad’s sake,” he sighed, settling into the pillows. “She’s just been actin’ real weird lately, so this morning after breakfast, I asked her what was up. I dunno, I thought she was stressing out over the plans or something. Changing her mind.”

“And she didn’t tell you anything, did she,” Gamora guessed, joining him on the bed.

“Not a word,” he replied. “I pushed a little harder, and maybe I shouldn’t have, but...I worry about her sometimes. I try not to baby her, but it’s hard when Dad still does it, y’know? And she doesn’t really have friends, other than the local kids. Sometimes I do weekend trips off-planet to have some fun, and whenever I invite her, she always says Dad’s got stuff for her to do. Don’t make any sense, considering he never has stuff for us to do. Ever.”

Gamora pursed her lips in consideration. “Have you ever looked into it? Maybe it’s related to that thing she wouldn’t tell us about at the wedding.”

He shook his head. “She’s always gone and done her own thing, and I usually leave it alone, but it’s like...it’s like ever since we started this whole plan, she’s got more to hide from me. We grew up together...spent so much time together. But now it’s like she isn’t around anymore. And I don’t know what I did wrong.” He lifted his head to meet her gaze, half-expecting her to make a crack about how he was always wrong. Instead, there was a sense of sadness reflected in her dark eyes.

Falling in love is such an easy thing to do...and there's no guarantee that the one you love...is gonna love you….

“Well, if I’ve learned anything recently, it’s that keeping secrets only makes it worse in the end,” Gamora said softly. “She’ll come around to you, Quill. You’re much too close to let this get in the way of your relationship.”

Peter smiled. “Thanks. And I hope you’re right.” Clearing his throat, he straightened up. “Hey, so, I was gonna ask you for a favor - ”

“That doesn’t sound good,” she said, eyeing him suspiciously.

“It is, I promise. I was thinking, we’ve been sitting on our asses for almost two months now, waiting for Thanos to show. Meanwhile, he keeps insisting - ”

“ - not until your father starts showing signs of desperation, I know, I was there for all of those awful weekly calls,” Gamora shuddered. “What’s your point?”

“Maybe we gotta get it going ourselves, and get you some good publicity at the same time,” he suggested. “You’re stressed out about what might happen after we - y’know - if you’re just gonna get shoved into jail forever and never be free again. I say, we go pay Xandar a visit, show off a little and do an event or something. Maybe hang around the Nova Corps so Nova Prime keeps you in her good books. It’ll boost your reputation and make Dad all stressed out.”

“That’s...actually a pretty decent idea. And much better than sulking around here forever,” Gamora agreed, nodding slowly.

“See? I’m totally a genius.” Peter pumped his fist in the air triumphantly.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she shot back. “But let’s do it. Are we bringing the others?”

“Might get me and Mantis back on the same page. So, yeah. Let Dad stew all alone for a few days. It’ll be fun!” ______

Once the Milano had settled in, cruising along smoothly through space like they had all the time in the world, Peter shooed Rocket and Yondu away, telling them he would join them and the others in a few minutes for breakfast. It was an early Sunday morning, and they were en route to Xandar to meet with Nova Prime. Their public personas would have to be on display for the entire trip, but Peter was confident by now that the others would be able to handle the pressure.

He leaned back in his seat, staring out into the cosmos in an almost dream-like state as he thought about what had transpired over the last little while, ever since the wedding. Some good, some bad - Mantis becoming increasingly distant, definitely bad. He liked the camaraderie of his new friendships (okay, friendship, singular, with Gamora), but he also missed the old days of just him and his sister. They were such opposites in so many ways, but it was what made their bond so strong. Now, she barely talked to him for more than five minutes before excusing herself to go do something else. And Ego, he was a tough one to crack as well, not that that was anything new. Peter considered confronting him about Korath, but what he could he possibly say? Gamora was almost certain Korath had been hired by Ego to go after Peter as a publicity stunt, but Peter wasn’t so sure himself - in what world did Ego think he could trust the Kree to not actually hurt him, especially one that worked for Thanos? He was lucky Gamora had been there to save him, to fight back in ways that no one else would.

Gamora. Peter smiled to himself, almost giddy. He couldn’t help it. Thinking about her made him happy. She’d been coming out of her shell very slowly, allowing herself to laugh more often, to sleep in longer and take bigger portions of food, to tease him and talk with him for hours at a time. She wasn’t quite the harsh, militant, no-nonsense girl he had met two months ago. Sure, she was every bit as confident and disciplined as ever, but the tension in her shoulders had all but vanished, the formality of her vocabulary loosened. She was still confused by his Terran references and became easily irritated by his antics, but there was a gentleness to her that hadn’t been there before. Or maybe it had been all along, and she was only letting it show now.

“Quill, are you daydreaming up here?” He nearly fell out of his seat at the sound of her voice. “Breakfast was ready ten minutes ago, your food’s going to go cold if you don’t come down.”

“I know, I was just...looking.” He gestured towards the glass. “It’s real nice, getting to see space like this. And not to be a big Terran cliche, but I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. And now, here I am. Peter Quill, next-level astronaut.”

“I’ve only seen glimpses of it, if I ever cared to look out the window.” Gamora took measured steps forward, her hands coming to rest on the back of his chair. “I didn’t exactly take the time to stop and observe. I had a job to do.”

“Do you want to someday?” he asked. “Get out there and explore?”

“It’s a nice thought, I suppose,” she agreed. “Where I lived, on Sanctuary, it wasn’t exactly a haven. And everywhere else I’ve been for more than a day was either a safehouse or a jail cell.”

“What if...what if that’s what we did, after all this?” Peter lifted his head to look at her. Her gaze was firmly cast outwards, among the stars. “Go on an epic adventure.”

She looked back at him. “Where?”

“Everywhere. Wherever you want.” He gestured wildly, arms spread wide. “I’ve only ever gone to planets that I can reach within a couple days, but imagine where we could go if we had our whole lives ahead of us!”

Gamora smiled sadly. “It’s a nice thought,” she repeated, turning and walking away. “Breakfast, Quill. Come on.”

They touched down in Xandar by the late afternoon. It was already getting dark, but still, Gamora found herself silently admiring her surroundings as she made her way down the landing ramp. Xandar was the complete opposite of Ego’s planet; modern, slick - stylish, even. There was something strange about being in a new place without having to immediately hide or establish a cover, and it left her feeling somewhat exposed. The rest of her people looked just as uncomfortable as she felt, especially as Nova Prime approached the landing pad in her usual brisk stride, flanked by two Nova officers.

“Good to see you again, your highnesses,” she said, shaking their hands firmly. “I hope you had a comfortable flight. You have a very...unique-looking ship there, Prince Peter.”

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Peter beamed, turning to admire the Milano briefly before looking back to Nova Prime. “I’d love to hear what you have in store for us, ma’am.”

“Why don’t we get you all settled in first?” she suggested. “Denarian Dey and Denarian Saal will escort you to your rooms. We’ll have dinner in my suite at eight and discuss everything then.”

The Nova officers led them into an elevator and then through a series of winding hallways, providing them with specialized access passes that would allow them into the common area of Nova Prime’s private floor, but keep them away from the work floors. Denarian Saal eyed Rocket pointedly as he mentioned the weapon laboratories (clearly, there was a story there that Peter was itching to know more about). Gamora was dismayed to find out that she and Peter would be sharing a room.

“At least it’s two beds,” Peter pointed out as he lugged his bag onto one of them. “There, we’ve avoided another cliche.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Quill,” Gamora sighed. She debated whether to unpack at all, considering they were only here for a few days. If something went wrong, if she needed to make a quick getaway, having to throw everything back into her bag would only slow her down. She then dropped her bag unceremoniously on the floor, by the nightstand. “Did you see the way Denarian Saal was eyeing me and my people? And he thinks we’re uncivilized.”

“What do you mean?” He flopped onto the bed with a satisfied exhale.

“You may be innocent at the moment, Quill, but we’re already criminals, remember? And now, here we are, with access to Nova Prime’s private rooms. He probably suspects we’re here to make an attempt on her life, or at least, commit some sort of petty crime. He’ll sweep our rooms when we’re not here to make sure we haven’t stolen anything. Scan hours of security footage to ensure we never went anywhere we weren’t supposed to be.” She shrugged. “It’s how everyone acts around us.”

“Well, hopefully, after this week, he’ll change his mind. Hopefully everyone changes their minds.” Peter sat up, his back against the headboard. “That’s the whole point of this trip! And you saved my life, that wasn’t nothing. People believe you’re one of the good guys. Now they just have to like you as a person, too.”

“Being likable is such an overrated quality,” she complained, sitting at the foot of her own bed. “It’s only ever people who are already liked who think it’s important, because they already have it. But if you’re unloved, unwanted...the desire to be liked can turn into desperation very quickly.”

He gave her a rueful smile. “You said once that my people look at me like I’m a hero, instead of some all-knowing master. You’d rather be the master?”

She shook her head, staring intently at the floor. “I’d rather not be anything to anyone at all if it means I’ll finally be left alone.”

Peter fell silent, mulling it over. “Y’know, if...if I was being too pushy earlier, about going on, like, adventures together after this, I didn’t mean to. You don’t have to stick around. It’s your life. It’d be fun, but...I understand if you just wanna leave. Even I annoy myself sometimes,” he added jokingly.

“Now you know why I don’t bother with friendships, or even alliances. It creates obligations,” Gamora chuckled softly. “I don’t like loose ends, unanswered questions. And relying on intuition...it’s just not me.” At his frustrated expression, she quirked an eyebrow. “What?”

“Nah, it’s nothing,” he said, waving her off.

“Quill, you can’t lecture me about keeping secrets and then - ”

“It’s not a secret, I just - I don’t think you wanna hear it.” He relented once she glared him into submission. “Fine, fine. I just wish you’d gotten your childhood back somehow. Then maybe, you’d have dreams like the rest of us, instead of thinking about worst-case scenarios all the time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good that you do that stuff, but...I dunno.”

“So I was forced to grow up fast. That’s not exactly unique. You had to do the same thing,” Gamora pointed out.

“Yeah, but I live in a big fancy palace with tons of people lookin’ after me. You had to deal with so much crap, Gamora, all on your own sometimes, and I don’t know how you did it and still came out...normal. Sane.” He shuffled a bit closer, his knees swinging around the side of his bed so he could properly face her.

“Sanity is subjective,” she reminded him. Peter laughed, the corners of his mouth turning upwards in something of a half-smile. She found she liked the sound of it - his real laugh, not that odd, forced sound that escaped him whenever he was with his father or in the company of people who knew nothing about him. She wanted to make him laugh more. “I dream of being able to choose my own future, I guess. Do more than just survive. Beyond that, I have no real big ambitions.”

Before Peter could reply, a harsh knock-knock-knock cut through, followed by “Hey, idiots! Do ya check your messages or what? Nova Prime’s callin’ us up to her place, like, right now!” Gamora glanced briefly at her communication device, startled to realize it was already 7:45.

“Give us a minute to change, Rocket,” she called back, yanking out clothes from her bag at random before slipping into the bathroom without a second glance. Still, Peter smiled to himself before reaching for his own. ______

Gamora was grateful to find that Nova Prime, for the most part, steered clear of addressing her alone, considering they were yet to have a conversation in which Gamora didn’t run off. Rocket was a little ruder than Gamora would have liked, and Drax’s blunt nature made the Nova guards twitch, but at least Nebula stuck to her promise to be seen and not heard for the entire meal.

“I was surprised when you reached out to me, Prince Peter,” Nova Prime admitted by the time dessert came around. “Especially so soon after the wedding. I figured your sister would have come alone, since she’s been handling all of your interplanetary affairs lately.”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Peter said, glancing over at Mantis. She seemed very invested in her pudding all of a sudden. “What affairs?”

“The...outreach center,” Nova Prime replied slowly, furrowing her brow. “Have you not been...you haven’t, have you?”

“I was going to surprise Peter with the news today, Nova Prime, do not worry that you have overstepped,” Mantis said reassuringly, finally lifting her head so she could address Peter. “We have been talking for a while now about setting up an outreach center that will help reformed criminals prepare for rehabilitation on our planet. Most are still unaware of what we do, but Xandar has one of the biggest holding centers in the galaxy. If we partner with the Nova Corps to provide them with a second chance - food, shelter, healthcare, education - they will be prepared to join us on Ego and expand our population.”

“I wasn’t aware we were lookin’ to expand,” Peter frowned. “Does Dad know about this?”

“Of course he does!” Mantis exclaimed. “He provided the funding and set one of his advisors to task in assisting me. But this is mostly my project.” She was practically glowing with pride. Still, both Peter and Gamora couldn’t help but be a little wary. Where was this coming from?

“And why wasn’t I in on this?” Peter demanded, leaning across the table. Nova Prime glanced briefly between the siblings in worry.

“The opening ceremony is tomorrow morning, your highnesses,” she interrupted a little louder than necessary. “I was originally expecting Princess Mantis by herself, but now that you’re all here, well, we might as well proceed with everyone. You can give a few speeches, explain the rehabilitation program and its relation to your planet’s social work system. Of course, you’re free to do whatever you would like afterward, but if you’re interested in good publicity, I’d recommend spending your time here volunteering to help.”

“And by all of us, that includes my subjects as well,” Gamora said. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Peter, who looked significantly more irritated than he had been five minutes ago. Sometimes, it seemed like his temper was worse than hers. “My people are non-negotiable.”

“Yes, of course,” Nova Prime promised. Groot looked pleased at being included. The others were scowling at Gamora as if she committed a great offense. “You are all distinguished guests of mine, Princess. We’ll have extra security for everyone’s protection, given what happened at your last public event.”

The moment dinner ended, Mantis practically flew right out the door in a hurry. Peter ran after her before Gamora could intervene, grabbing Mantis by the arm and pulling her aside, next to the elevator. “Really? An outreach center. When you know that we’re...you know, what’s about to happen,” he said quickly, furiously, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What’s this all about?”

“I just wanted to be of use for once,” Mantis replied evenly, her eyes darting sideways as the others entered the hallway. “Prove that I am not just a sleeping pill for Father, or a playmate for the brave, powerful prince.”

Peter blanched like he’d been hit. “What’s that s’posed to mean? And where is this coming from, Mantis? Did Dad say something to you?”

They were interrupted by the quiet ding of the elevator, its doors sliding open to invite them back to their rooms. Everyone filed in, Mantis immediately retreating into the furthest corner. Gamora slid neatly between the Celestial siblings, glaring at Peter in warning. To her surprise, it seemed to have no effect. “This was not his idea, if that is what you are thinking. Why have you been so suspicious of me lately?”

“Because you’re actin’ suspicious!” Peter exclaimed. He took another step forward, but Yondu reached over to clap him on the shoulder firmly, yanking him back.

“Quill, c’mon. Don’t fight now,” Yondu warned. “You been drinkin’ too much tonight, ain’t you?”

“And you, you know somethin’ I don’t, don’t you?” Peter snapped, shoving Yondu away. Yondu’s shoulder banged into the elevator wall with an unceremonious echo, causing the entire carriage to rattle precariously. Mantis let out a quiet gasp of surprise.

Yondu straightened his coat lapels, his eyes harder than they had been before. “You’re gettin’ paranoid, boy. I suggest you keep your hands to yourself,” he said cooly, jabbing a finger into Peter’s chest. “And you show your sister some respect. Don’t make me ask again.”

Before Peter could retaliate, Gamora grabbed Peter’s arm, pulling him away. “Quill.” He turned to look at her, his eyes colder than she’d ever seen. “Let’s go to the roof. You need air.” The others exchanged dubious looks before silently stepping out onto the guest floor, leaving Peter and Gamora behind.

“What if Mantis is turning her back on us?” Peter demanded once the doors had closed. “She could’ve been feedin’ Dad information on everything we’ve been doing this whole damn time, settin’ up this ‘outreach center’ so he can have his own personal army of criminals.”

“Get some air, Quill,” Gamora repeated, sighing. “You’ve had too much to drink.”

Upon reaching the rooftop level, they found a quiet spot away from the hum of the generators, settling down onto the gravel and staring out into the pitch black of the Xandarian night sky. Despite the fury that was practically radiating off Peter, he leaned into Gamora somewhat, their knees and shoulders brushing. Though she could smell the alcohol on his breath, his eyes were focused, his speech clear. No, he wasn’t exactly drunk. It was something else. “Look, Quill, you and I, we’ve had our fair share of fights. And from what I can tell, you like people, but you have trouble trusting them sometimes. Don’t let your anger towards your father become anger towards everyone else. I know what that’s like, and it doesn’t get you anywhere.”

“So, what, you don’t think Mantis is being weird?” Peter’s voice was quieter than before, almost sobering. “Even you think I’m crazy.”

“No, actually, I think you’re onto something,” Gamora replied. “And I want to question her, badly, same as you. But it’s late. We’re tired, and stressed. You think yelling at her in front of everyone else will get the job done? It’ll be direct, sure, but it won’t be effective.”

“And you’re all about results,” he snarked, though he seemed to regret it the second it left his mouth. He hugged his knees into his chest, blinking slowly into the darkness. Gamora’s clothes and hair were so dark, he could barely see her, save for the slight silvery glint of the metal in her skin. He had never asked her about it, but he hoped he would be able to someday. “What do we do?”

“If it’ll ease your mind - and your temper - I’ll keep a closer eye on her,” she promised. “Maybe she’s been conning us the whole time. Or maybe she’s just withholding information out of ignorance, and not contempt. We’ll figure it out. In the meantime, maybe try to not be so hostile?”

“Gotta say, never thought I’d hear you of all people give me that advice,” he laughed. “And thanks. For helping me outta there tonight. I owe you, again.”

“A working relationship isn’t a business deal, Quill.” Gamora gave him a reassuring smile. “We owe each other nothing.”

“Friendship,” Peter corrected, grinning. “And right, no obligations, got it. Can we head back now? It’s so freaking cold up here.” ______

After an unceremoniously brief breakfast in their own rooms - Peter spent most of it pestering Gamora on how to speak to the media, to which she retorted that he didn’t exactly have that much experience, either - they all piled into one of the Nova-issued secured vehicles, with two more boxing them in for safety. The short drive to the outreach center was filled with mundane conversation, mostly prompted by Nova Prime, while Peter and Mantis seemed to be trying their best not to make eye contact. Everyone felt horribly uncomfortable by the time they stepped outside.

“And I thought I looked ready to kill,” Gamora murmured as she looped her arm with Peter’s. There was a steady crowd of photographers and media already forming by the entrance, especially eager to catch photos or get quotes from the newlyweds who hadn’t been seen or heard from since the wedding. “I also thought our talk last night would’ve taught you something. Seems like I was wrong.”

“Prince Peter! Princess Gamora!” One of the reporters squeezed their way through to the front, sticking his recording device right under Gamora’s nose. She blanched before straightening, trying her best not to look so disappointed. “How have you been, your highnesses? Are you well, princess? We heard you were on bedrest - are you already pregnant?”

“I was stabbed - ” “Hey, hey, no one’s pregnant - oh god, are people saying she’s pregnant? - ”

“But there are plans for children in the future, yes?” another reporter prompted.

“Guys, guys, c’mon, our visit today is about the outreach center. It’s not about me and Gamora,” Peter laughed somewhat uncomfortably. “We’re lookin’ at how we can improve our policies and resource allocation, rehabilitate people who deserve a second chance. We’re not thinkin’ about babies.”

“But if you don’t continue the family line, the Celestial legacy dies with you, your highness,” the second one said snidely.

Gamora scowled. “And that’s none of our concern right now, thank you,” she shot back cooly. “Now will you let us pass? We have a job to do.” Peter wasn’t sure whether to wince or laugh as Gamora practically dragged him to the doors and nearly knocked the reporters over in the process, where everyone else was standing, watching them bemusedly.

In many ways, the opening ceremony was reminiscent of all the things Gamora had hated most about their wedding - the pomp and circumstance, the empty words, the stiff, insincere smiles that left her cheeks aching for relief. But there was a genuine happiness that positively radiated off Mantis once she began addressing the crowd. She had clearly found her calling, her passion. Once more, there was an explosion of sound and movement as everyone clapped and cheered at the very end, Peter reaching around Gamora so he could squeeze Mantis’s shoulder in congratulations. She smiled tightly at him before turning back to the cameras.

Afterward, they did an open tour of the facility, guided mostly by Mantis and Nova Prime. Gamora found herself genuinely interested in what they had to say. She had seen her fair share of criminals who had been led astray through no fault of their own, herself included, and a place like this could very well work miracles for them.

“Hey, I could give you a tour of the city if you’d like.” Gamora turned, not realizing Peter was right behind her, his fingers ever-so-slightly brushing her waist in an attempt to stay nearby. The event was over, and everyone was filing out of the building neatly, chatting to themselves and bowing as they passed the royal family members. “Not like we’ve got anything else to do today.” Raising an eyebrow, Gamora gestured wordlessly to Mantis nearby, who looked unsure of what to do next. “Oh, right - hey, Mantis! You, me, Gamora, the city? You wanna come?”

“I suppose,” Mantis said quietly. “I will have to check with Yondu.” Peter looked at Gamora pleadingly as his sister began walking away. Gamora rolled her eyes in disbelief - really, this was the extent of his effort? - before jogging after the other girl.

“I could use another tour guide. Your brother isn’t very observant, after all,” Gamora added, looking over at Peter with a smirk. He seemed half-offended, half-agreeable. “Either that, or you’ll be returning to Nova headquarters, where you’ll likely spend the rest of your day in the company of my people. I’m sure they would love to have you.”

Mantis looked disturbed by the prospect. “A tour sounds like a great idea!” Mantis said quickly. “Where shall we start, Peter? What do you think Gamora would like?”

He hummed thoughtfully, reaching for Gamora’s hand when he realized the nearby photographers were still snapping away, watching them, waiting for them to do something interesting. “Why don’t we start with a bookstore?” ______

“You and Peter get along much better than I would have expected,” Mantis admitted several hours later. The three of them were sat in a quaint homestyle restaurant, watched closely by Yondu, who was sat by himself a few tables away. Peter had disappeared to the bathroom after they had finished eating, leaving the girls by themselves. “I do not need my powers to see that you enjoy each other’s company.”

“Is this what we’re going to talk about while he’s gone? How gauche.” Gamora sipped her water. “He worries about you, Mantis. I doubt that’s news to you, but he does. You’ve been acting strange lately, and the fact that I can tell when I hardly know you is a testament to your odd behavior. He may have been rash last night, but he wasn’t entirely wrong.”

“He no longer trusts me. He thinks I mean to turn against him because I have been spending time with Father,” Mantis whispered. “It...it hurts. Knowing that after everything we have done together, he would still think so little of me.”

“Quill thinks the world of you,” Gamora insisted. “That’s why this weighs so heavily on him. And it’s no secret that Quill and I only get along about half of the time. But we know we can trust each other. And you both think you’ve lost that. All we ask is that you tell the truth.”

Mantis couldn’t help but grin, something rather awkward, yet endearing. “You and Peter have become a ‘we’, haven’t you?” she said slyly. “Are you not a little curious about what he thinks when you are around?”

“He’s almost too easy to read, so no, I don’t. And don’t change the subject,” Gamora said sternly.

“I am not, I just know he will be coming back soon, and - do you really not want to know?” Mantis blinked innocently.

“We are not having this discussion, not now, not ever - ”

“Discussion? What’d I miss?” Peter seemingly popped up out of nowhere, leaning against the back of Gamora’s chair with an easy smile.

“Mantis wanted to tell me stories of your shared adolescence, but I think it’s time we address some of our interpersonal issues instead,” Gamora lied easily, gesturing for him to take a seat. Peter obeyed, though he looked very much like he was regretting having returned to the table. “Your relationship with each other really isn’t my business. But clearly, you have unresolved issues, and I have no interest in letting anyone’s emotions get in the way of our plans. So either deal with it like adults and drop the issue, or talk it out like adults and solve it. We are not leaving until this is behind us, and there are no other choices.”

“Of course you’re giving an ultimatum,” Peter muttered under his breath, ignoring the dirty look Gamora sent his way. “Right, um, Mantis. Do you feel like...like you wanna back out?”

“No, not at all!” Mantis exclaimed. “You see how Father treats me. I mean so little to him compared to you. I had...I had absolutely no one until Yondu brought you home. You remember what I was like.”

“You were scared, like, all the time. You didn’t know how to read or write, ‘cause Dad didn’t think it was important.” Peter shook his head, disgusted at the memory. “And you were confused the first time I tried to hug you.”

“I thought you were going to strangle me.” Mantis let out a tiny, awful laugh. “I thought I had started to trust someone who wanted to hurt me instead. That I was stupid for thinking I could.” She glanced at Gamora, whose eyes were suspiciously glossy. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest. “This was probably not what you wanted us to talk about, was it?”

“No, this is...it’s good.” Gamora swallowed, clearing her throat harshly. “I just wasn’t expecting it. Maybe you and I aren’t as different as I first thought.”

Mantis smiled weakly in return. “I know what everyone thinks of me,” she replied. “Quiet, sweet, naive Mantis. She feels feelings, she helps people sleep. She is not very clever, or brave, or interesting. She just...is.”

“Mantis - ” Peter protested.

“I’m guilty of thinking those exact things when I first arrived,” Gamora interrupted. “And I also worried about what your powers would mean for my privacy. I trust you now. At least, enough to get this done. But that trust won’t last if you continue to evade us.”

“I would not betray your privacy,” Mantis frowned. “And I would not go out of my way to hurt you. Either of you.”

“Then where do you go when you say Dad’s got a job for you?” Peter asked, beginning to grow impatient. “All those times where I ask you if you wanna hang out, and you’re busy. Sometimes you’re both gone for days, Mantis. Where do you go?”

Mantis remained silent for a moment, staring into the candle flickering in the middle of the table. The warm yellow light cast an eerie, almost sickly glow over her face, illuminating her enormous, dark eyes. “The only secret I can tell you,” she said quietly, “is that there is a secret that Father and I share. And it is something you must never know about, or it will kill you.”

“Wait, literally?” Peter leaned towards her in concern. “Mantis...what has he got you doing?”

“Please,” Mantis pleaded, trembling. “I can see that it is frustrating you. And I hate not being able to tell you what it is. But if you still trust me at all, you will not ask me about it again.” She smiled weakly. “You are such a good brother to me, Peter. And you have always been so protective. So let me protect you for once.”

Peter looked over at Gamora then, who was watching Mantis carefully, her brow furrowed in contemplation. She was still so new to the Celestial siblings’ dynamic, knew far more about Peter than she did about Mantis, and there was still so much left to learn about them both. And yet, for someone who had been raised in such a barbaric, animalistic environment, she did indeed seem far more “sane” than Peter would have ever guessed her to be. He still remembered when she first arrived - practically stomping into the throne room, decked out in full armor, her mere presence demanding to be seen and heard. Her reputation preceded her, making him almost certain his future wife was going to be, at best, cold, calculating, devoid of feeling. And maybe she had started that way, or at least, appeared that way. But now?

“I believe her, Quill,” Gamora murmured quietly, leaning back in her seat. “What she said sounds ominous, but it also sounds true. Your father seems like the kind of man who would coerce his own child into carrying out his immoral deeds. This isn’t Mantis’s choice. This is his doing.” She turned to the other girl. “If we follow through with the plan...will it free you from his secret? Will you tell us everything that he’s done, so we can undo it and make things right?”

“Undoing what we have done will be impossible,” Mantis murmured. “But yes. It will, and I will.”

Gamora nodded sharply, a smirk beginning to form. “Good. Not that we needed another reason to take him out, but I suppose we’ll all sleep better at night, knowing you’ll be okay.”

Mantis smiled brightly in return. “Thank you, Gamora. I am very glad you are on our side. We would be forever stuck in our old ways, if not for your bravery.”

“That’s an exaggeration,” Gamora scoffed, though she looked pleased.

“I mean it,” Mantis said firmly, patting Gamora briefly on the arm. It was a testament to Gamora’s newfound comfort that she didn’t immediately pull away. “I was uneasy about the idea at first. And I did not know what to think of you, either. But it is something we must do, not just for us, but for everyone in the entire galaxy. Neither of us would have ever thought to do so, but you did.” Gamora faltered a little, glancing off to the side. Before Peter could ask her about it, Mantis spoke again. “Also, I think Peter is very glad to have you around.”

Peter let out an undignified squawk. “What’re you tryna say?”

“Just that you are friends.” Mantis blinked innocently once more. “What did you think I was talking about?”

“Hah,” Peter said weakly. “Right.”

“So are all settled then? No more secrets, no more anger. We let nothing get in the way,” Gamora said, glancing between them.

“Yeah. And sorry that I lost my temper, Mantis,” Peter said gently. “For yellin’, for grabbin’ you...that wasn’t cool. I won’t do it again, I promise. I never wanna hurt you, ever.”

“And I am sorry for being so secretive.” Mantis reached across the table to grab Peter’s hands. “I want to tell you absolutely everything, but it is not safe. I should have just said that the first time you asked, instead of pushing you away. I could feel your distress, your anger, your sadness. I like you best when you are happy, Peter.”

“So do I,” he replied quietly.

They smiled at each other, relieved. Gamora couldn’t help but smile herself. “Are we ready to pay the bill?”

“Pay the - Gamora, we haven’t had dessert yet!” Peter exclaimed. Mantis squealed in delight, volunteering to flag down a waiter for the menu.

Sighing, Gamora slouched in her seat, unsure if she had the energy to keep up with their double act for the rest of the night. “Here we go.” ______

Mantis said something kinda weird to me before she left,” Peter said as he and Gamora returned to their hotel room. It was nearing midnight, and he was pleasantly tired, though there was an underlying fuzziness in his brain that he hadn’t quite been able to untangle since Mantis had spoken to him.

“What’s that?” Gamora kicked off her shoes, stretching luxuriously.

“That she thought you were one thing before today, and now she thinks you’re something else entirely.” Peter paused. “Then again, she’s been acting real cryptic all night. Maybe she just drank too much - ”

“She was having carbonated water, I highly doubt that affected her cognition,” Gamora snorted, though she couldn’t help but be curious as well. “Was that it?”

Peter flushed. “Yes,” he said quickly.

“Really?” Gamora deadpanned. “Your face says otherwise.”

Peter crossed the room quickly to stand by his bed, his back to her, heart pounding as he began undoing his tie. She thinks I like you. “C’mon, Gamora, Mantis and I might be back on track, but it don’t mean I understand everything she says and does.” She thinks I wish this was for real. “She hasn’t been around other people much, so getting to spend time with another girl - woman - is a good thing. And now she knows you're a friend. That’s probably what she meant.” She thinks I want you to stay. “She’s glad you’re here.”

I think she’s right. ______

Peter was sprawled across his bed, staring intently at the high ceiling with long, dangling lights that formed a geometric pattern his brain couldn’t comprehend at eight in the morning (or really, ever). He screwed his eyes shut in frustration. It was the last day of their Xandar trip, before they would have to return to a different kind of reality - one where his father ambled about, lurking like some affable, old-school Bond villain, where Gamora’s father sat comfortably in a stone throne millions of miles away, contemplating destruction like he was deciding what to have for breakfast, and where he and Gamora were friends with a marriage certificate and an expiry date.

“You seem very fascinated with the ceiling. Should I even ask?” His eyes flew open to see a fully-dressed Gamora standing over him, looking mildly amused. “Come on, Quill, we’ll miss the car if you don’t get ready right now.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting up.” He sat up slowly, watching her as she took a couple steps backward to give him space. “Hey, uh, thanks.”

“For what?”

“For dealing with all that stuff with me and Mantis. And all the other times you’ve, I dunno, helped me out.” Peter smiled at her, something soft, a little crooked, but entirely endearing. Gamora bit her lip to stop herself from smiling back. “Uh, not that it’s your job or anything, but...I’m glad you’re here. For me. With me? You know, like…” He trailed off awkwardly.

She paused before shaking her head and walking away. “Now who’s being cryptic? Get dressed. We’re leaving in ten.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted half-heartedly at her retreating back.

All things considered, their days at the outreach center were going quite smoothly. Gamora worked in the back with her people, where they carried out odd jobs here and there, chatting amicably. It was busy work, but it was better than the kind of jobs they were usually given. Peter and Mantis were out at the very front of the building, greeting and subsequently charming everyone that walked through the door. It was what they were good at - the sunny smiles, the friendly small talk, things Gamora could only muster on her best day. She couldn’t help but eye the group of young women who swept into the building first thing every morning since they had opened, who insisted on practically swarming Peter, asking if she really existed. It made Gamora itch, though she wasn’t sure why.

“She’s real shy sometimes. Not really a people person,” Peter would say with a wry chuckle. “But she’s great! I’m glad I married her.” Gamora would then feel silly for eavesdropping in the first place, retreating quietly before Peter could notice.

Today, however, was a different story. Nova Prime briefed them on the press’s perception of Gamora, how they had seen so little of her that they were starting to suspect she was as cold as her reputation implied. It resulted in Gamora and Mantis switching places, much to her dismay.

“This can’t be good,” Gamora murmured. She and Peter were stood side-by-side in the lobby, near the reception area. “Quill, these are ex-criminals we’re dealing with. Someone’s going to recognize me from what was likely their worst memory, and it won’t end well.”

“There won’t be that many people. First day was super busy, but now? Nah,” Peter said, waving it off. “Besides, I’m here. I’ll fend ‘em off if you want me to.”

“Yes, because a few training sessions makes you an expert at combat all of a sudden,” Gamora said dryly.

“I mean if they start acting like assholes. They’re not dumb enough to start a fight,” Peter corrected. “And hey, gimme some credit. I’ve been doing pretty awesome lately, you said it yourself!”

“You throwing me on the mat every now and then doesn’t mean you can actually beat me,” she teased, relaxing.

“Give it a few more rounds and I just might,” he grinned, gently nudging her with his shoulder. Gamora smiled back, shaking her head with a soft huff of quiet laughter.

“Hey, Quill! Quit flirtin’ with your wife and help me move these boxes ‘fore everyone gets here!” Yondu hollered from down the hallway.

“I’m not - oh god,” Peter groaned. “I’ll be right back, ignore him - ”

“I always do,” Gamora called as he jogged away.

Once the facility had opened for the day, Gamora found herself keeping her guard up, smiling tightly at everyone who came through. Peter did most of the talking, shaking hands and explaining what the outreach center was for. To her surprise, many of the visitors weren’t ex-convicts, but rather, affluent society members looking to provide donations or sponsorship. “You look confused,” Peter whispered after yet another sweet, older couple dropped by to hand over a stack of blank cheques.

“Sometimes I forget...some people are just inherently good.” Gamora looked at him with a rueful smile. “Maybe these people have ulterior motives, maybe they’re seeking a monument in their name. Or a way to cover their sins. But maybe they just want to help.”

Peter paused. “You projecting a little?”

“Maybe,” Gamora repeated, shaking her head. “It’s things like this that make me wonder if...if going after your father will do more harm than good. This could be your and Mantis’s legacy - well, hers, mostly - and I’m just ruining the potential of it by asking you to help me kill my father.”

“Our legacy,” Peter corrected, “will be stopping him, once and for all. Don’t mean this place will be going anywhere. Don’t mean any of us have to go anywhere. I really like doing this, this helping people thing. Makes me feel useful. And hey, you’re welcome to join me.”

“You really want me to stay, don’t you?” Gamora said, biting her lip.

“You’re my friend, Gamora.” Peter’s eyes were earnest, sincere. “I like hanging out with my friends. And if I get to do cool stuff with my friends, like kick some ass and help save lives? Sounds like a pretty awesome legacy to me.” Before Gamora could respond, the door swung open. A pair of familiar-looking Nova officers marched in, dragging a trio of handcuffed convicts along between them. She inhaled sharply at the sight. Here we go.

“Your highnesses,” Denarian Saal droned, sounding as bored as ever. “Nova Prime has requested we register these prisoners for the high-level rehabilitation program. We have their biometrics and IDs.”

“Sign in with Bereet,” Peter replied, gesturing behind him towards the Krylorian receptionist. “I’ll go see if any of the counselors are available for consultations, though I think they’re pretty booked right now.”

Gamora watched him rather nervously as he left, now alone with the officers and the snarling prisoners, who were rattling their chains like they were still behind bars. It was a familiar sound, some grotesque melody that she had hoped to never hear again. One of them, a particularly ugly-looking Badoon, growled at her, deep and guttural.

“Princess Gamora,” he sneered mockingly. “What a joke. Who could look at a monster like you, and call you a princess?”

“Your words will not phase me,” she replied calmly. “So save your voice for your counselor. You will need it.”

“Did you feel like royalty when you tore apart my village, princess?” the Sneeper with pointy teeth hissed. “You must have been so proud, driving your sword into the heart of my child.” The chains rattled again, this time more threateningly.

“You really are wasting everyone’s time,” Gamora said, plastering a fake smile as one of the donors waved goodbye on their way out of the building. “Officers, are you done yet?”

“Does your husband know you leave death everywhere you walk? He must, since you killed your brother at your own wedding!” the Badoon chuckled gleefully.

It was then that Peter returned, followed by one of the counselors. “They’re ready for ‘em, officers,” he said cheerfully before joining Gamora once more. “What’d I miss?” he asked, completely oblivious.

“Do you share a bed with your wife, Prince Peter?” The last prisoner, a smug-looking Rajak, smirked lecherously.

“That’s - super inappropriate to ask, what the hell,” Peter grimaced. “Have you been dealing with these jerks while I was gone? I shouldn’t’ve left, sorry - ”

“It’s fine, Quill, it’s nothing I haven’t heard before,” Gamora said cooly.

“She doesn’t even call you by your name!” the Rajak hooted. “And here I thought, maybe the little princess found someone as bloodthirsty as she was. But you’re just her pet, aren’t you? Do you roll over and show your belly, your highness? Or maybe you get on your knees instead, I bet she likes that - ”

“Officers, I don’t think these prisoners are ready for the rehabilitation program,” Peter said loudly, looking to the receptionist’s desk. “Tell Nova Prime to send them back. Maybe we’ll get a counselor over to you instead.”

“One second,” Denarian Saal called back impatiently, clearly uninterested in anything Peter had to say.

“You should know, your highness, that your precious wife takes great pleasure in everything she does,” the Sneeper simpered, yanking especially hard on his chains. “There was a Levian I shared a cell with, back on the Kyln. He told me of the time a mysterious traveler appeared in his town, seeking shelter. The lord of the land took her in, thinking she was a fragile young woman. She seduced him, of course. Made him feel special. She left within the week, and took all of his money and heirlooms with her, but not before killing the mysterious life force that powered their hearts.”

“I - ” Gamora began, but the Badoon interrupted next.

“Did you ever hear of her last mission before she decided to settle down with you?” He smirked. “You must have heard of Ronan the Accuser, your highness. They were on their way to Morag, seeking the Infinity Stone together, but I guess that didn’t mean much to her. She practically tore him apart for looking at her wrong, before Thanos got there and decided to finish the job himself. Though can you blame him? Your wife is quite the looker, your highness, even when she’s drenched in blood.”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Peter said firmly. His hands were held high, the light glowing rather menacingly from his fingertips. “What, you think telling me that stuff is gonna make me change my mind? Or that talkin’ shit about my wife helps your case? You think it’s gonna make your lives any easier?”

“Quill, it’s not worth it,” Gamora insisted, reaching for him.

“You speak of good deeds while you stand beside the woman who carved the galaxy’s history with her sword,” the Rajak spat. “We’ve all heard tales of the infamous Prince Peter, the powerful, charismatic do-gooder, but from what I can see, he’s either a coward or just stupid.”

“Hey!” Gamora barked, stepping in front of Peter. She wasn’t sure when she had drawn her sword, but it now weighed heavy in her hands, ready to strike, and now he was the one attempting to pull her away. “Choose your next words wisely. And keep our names out of your filthy mouth.”

“Well, I - ” With an unceremonious cry, the three prisoners jolted violently before collapsing to the ground, revealing Denarian Dey standing behind them, brandishing his stun baton. Denarian Saal was stood nearby, looking even more unimpressed than usual.

“Sorry about that,” Denarian Dey said cheerfully. “We always thought these guys weren’t really ready yet, but Nova Prime seemed optimistic. Back to the Kyln they go!”

“You guys need to do a better job at screening these dudes,” Peter said, staring down at the unconscious bodies sprawled awkwardly on the floor. “Did you hear all that crap they just said about Gamora?”

“Well, it’s not like they were entirely...wrong,” Denarian Dey coughed awkwardly, looking nervously at Gamora. It was then that she realized he was eyeing her sword, still held high, and she quickly tucked it away. “Um, no offense, your highness.”

“None taken,” she said, letting out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding, though her heart was still hammering wildly in her chest like some sick adrenaline rush. “As I said, nothing I haven’t heard before.”

The Nova officers dragged the unconscious prisoners out the door as the receptionist stared on, open-mouthed. Peter stepped closer to Gamora once the doors were shut, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. “Hey, you okay?”

“I don’t need reassurance after every confrontation, you know,” Gamora said with a wobbly smile. “I’m fine. I can handle it myself.”

“I was thinkin’ you don’t have to,” Peter said, reluctant to let go. “You need someone, you got me.”

“I just...I need a moment. Alone.” Gamora pulled herself out of his grasp, though not unkindly.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” Peter nodded sharply. “Uh, there’s a storage room back there that’s basically empty, so no one’s gonna barge in. I’ll come find you later?”

“Okay,” she repeated. She felt like she was operating on autopilot, her mind overwhelmed with all the images, the absolutely awful images that had come flooding back to her. The smell of blood was more familiar to her than the smell of flowers, the feeling of a weapon in her hands more comforting than the touch of another person. She wanted that to change - no, needed it to change.

Gamora looked up at Peter, wondering what he was thinking. What had he pictured in his mind when he first heard of her? Did he think she took pleasure in what she did? Did he know how far she had gone, how far gone she was? All she could see in his face was concern, not of her, but for her. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. “I’ll cover for you if Nova Prime asks,” Peter added. “Though I think once she hears the story, she’ll probably apologize to you. Again.”

“She had hope,” Gamora shrugged. “She thought they were ready, and they weren’t. They were just as hungry and reckless as before.”

Peter looked at her consideringly. “You’re projecting again,” he said, though not accusingly. “You sure you wanna be alone with your thoughts?”

“Up until recently, they were all I had.” She took another step back, giving him a tight smile. “See you later, Quill.” ______

Hey.” Peter entered the storage room once Gamora had allowed him in, silently closing the door behind him. “Denarian Dey says they don’t have anyone else comin’ in, so you’re good to go back out whenever. Or, y’know, never. If you wanna just sit here.”

Gamora was sat, curled into herself, on the floor of the room, the fluorescent light only further emphasizing the exhaustion in her eyes. She looked... sad. Angry, hurt, even guilty, Peter thought he had seen it all on her before, but not like this. “Okay,” she said quietly.

“You want me to leave?” Peter asked. Wordlessly, Gamora shook her head. Peter approached her slowly as if she were akin to a spooked animal before sitting down across from her, legs folded beneath him. “That stuff they said about you - ”

“It’s all true,” Gamora interrupted. “And it’s like I told Nova Prime - having my record wiped doesn’t make me any less of a criminal. Marrying you doesn’t make me any less of a coward. I lost control again. I almost killed someone, and for what, for taunting me? For trying to get to you? Thanos was right. I am weak.”

“No, you are the bravest person I’ve ever met,” Peter insisted. “You came up with this plan all on your own because you couldn’t stand the idea of watching anyone else die. You betrayed Thanos by coming to me with your own agenda. You taught me about stuff I didn’t know I had in me, and you saved my life. That don’t sound weak to me.”

“A stronger person would have confronted Thanos from the beginning,” Gamora replied. “A stronger person would have accepted death, instead of being the cause of everyone else’s.”

“You were a kid,” Peter exclaimed. “You were scared, and alone. You had to fight for yourself. C’mon, Gamora. You wanna be a good person?”

“Yes, but - ”

“Then you start by giving a shit.” Peter said it so bluntly that Gamora couldn’t help but choke out a laugh. “I’m serious! And you’ve already done that by showin’ up here and tellin’ me you want to stop Thanos from destroying the galaxy. So don’t give up. I haven’t seen you do it yet, and I don’t think you’re about to start.”

Continuing to chuckle softly, Gamora unfurled her arms from around her knees, stretching out her legs until they brushed against Peter’s. He shivered a little at her touch. “Survival is what I’m best at,” she said. “And I’ll make sure to keep everyone safe, too. That’ll be my job.”

“There you go,” Peter grinned. “And Gamora...all those things you’ve done...you’re just tryna make them right. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“I guess I won’t know until it’s done.” Gamora stood slowly, brushing the dust off her pants. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually miss being on Ego. Xandar feels like a place I could never survive in.”

“Survive?”

“I meant live,” Gamora corrected, though even she didn’t look so sure. She paused. “Maybe there is no home for me after all. I could just be a wanderer after this. Float among the stars.”

“As weirdly poetic - and morbid - as that sounds, my offer is still on the table, if you aren’t sick of me yet,” Peter said half-jokingly, also getting to his feet.

“If I left the moment I was getting sick of you, I would have been gone within the first ten minutes,” Gamora said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll consider it. Ask me again after our fathers are dead.”

“Now there’s a sentence,” Peter whistled. “I’ll go grab Yondu and let ‘im know. Let’s go home.”

a/n: hey, all! not sure why i said i'd be posting this in the first two weeks of march when i knew very well that i had midterms, but i hope you enjoyed this (both late and short-er) chapter! next chapter will be late april, as I have a non-au peter/gamora oneshot that i'm hopefully posting on my birthday (second week of april) and i've got finals in mid-april.

the song peter was listening to in gamora's room is everybody plays the fool by the main ingredient. also, i’ve been getting requests for chapter previews lately, so feel free to do so by sending me an ask (though not right away, I just barely started writing chapter six, haha).

thanks so much for reading, likes and reblogs would be much appreciated, and i'll see y'all in the next one!

#starmora #peter x gamora #gamora x peter #peter quill #gamora #myfic #myfic: rtw #marvel #i had way too much fun writing the banter in this one haha

[ramajmedia]

5 Relationships In The DCEU Fans Were Behind (& 5 They Rejected)

Even though the DC Extended Universe started out more than six years ago in 2013, we haven’t seen many couples come out of it. The films were much more focused on being dark in presentation, but now that some diversity in storytelling is showing up perhaps we’ll be seeing more quality romance. 

RELATED: 7 Times Star-Lord And Gamora Were The Best Couple (& 3 Times They Should’ve Broken Up)

For the time being, though, let’s take a look at how the couples that have shown up in the series have fared. In this list, we’ve considered the chemistry between the characters, the impact their relationship had on each other as well as others, and how the audience reacted to their coupling.

10 Accepted: Lois and Clark

In recent times, Lois’ characterization in animated features had people put off due to her being shown as someone who was so into her career that she treated Clark Kent like dirt, and only liked Superman because he kept saving her life all the time. 

However, the DCEU version has stood out by having Lois be first and foremost in love with Clark, not Superman. This has led to fans praising the chemistry between Amy Adams and Henry Cavill as the two coming across as lovebirds in a crazy superhero universe.

RELATED: MCU: 7 Times Pepper & Tony Were The Best Couple (& 3 Times They Should’ve Broken Up)

9 Rejected: Rick Flag And Enchantress

What was there to like about this couple? Actually, why were these two a couple in the first place? There was no need for these characters to get together other than giving Rick Flag a reason to exist in Suicide Squad. And yes, we’re calling her Enchantress here because June had nothing to offer the viewers to make them care about her.

Basically, the coupling of Rick Flag and Moon was an informed part of the story, not a justified one. Both characters went completely wasted in the film, and it would’ve been better if they hadn’t been affiliated.

8 Accepted: Steve And Diana

Ah yes, by far the best couple to come out of the DC Extended Universe. Wonder Woman could be considered part-period film, part-war movie, and part-love story between Steve and Diana. If there was a personification of star crossed lovers in the DCEU, then you’re looking at them right now.

The two had the classic meet-cute you see in romantic comedies, but evolved into a deeper tale of forbidden love meets unbearable sacrifice. They had such a pure love for one another that the eventual sacrifice of Steve left no eye dry upon first viewing. Fortunately, we’ll be seeing more of them in Wonder Woman 1984.

RELATED: 10 Ways Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Might Deal With Peter Quill's Return To Earth

7 Rejected: Jor-El And Lara Lor-Van

There wasn’t anything outright bad about these two, but fans have been vocal in their displeasure at not having seen much of anything concerning Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van. All we knew of them was that they were married and sent off their son to Earth before they died. 

Rather than the romance part, it was the fact that these two didn’t come across as a viable counterpart to Jonathan and Martha Kent as Clark’s parental figures. Jor-El just looked like a simulated guide, while Lara wasn’t seen again. Another appearance of them together would save this couple in the fans’ eyes if we ever get Man of Steel 2.

6 Accepted: Orm And Mera

Well, why wouldn’t you want to reject this couple when the film itself wanted you to see them as an awful pairing? Still, they can be considered as being together because Mera was betrothed to Orm at one point. 

Aquaman could have done a better job at making a possible marriage between the two as believable, though, because no-one saw them going through even a forced wedding during the film. Had that taken place in the movie, then the whole angle would have fallen flat as there was hardly any contact between the two characters.

RELATED: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3: 5 Ways Thor Could Make It Better (& 5 Ways He Could Hold It Back)

5 Rejected: Thomas And Martha

Almost the same as it went in the case of Superman’s parents, Bruce’s didn’t have anything to make us feel bad for them. While every iteration of Batman has shown Bruce to be closer to Thomas Wayne, he does absolutely love his mother as well.

However, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice killed them off just when they showed up on screen, which makes you think that literally any other characters could have been there and it wouldn’t have made any difference. Ideally, there should have been flashbacks to times before Bruce was even born for the audience to understand that Thomas and Martha were a perfect couple out to do good in the world.

RELATED: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3: 10 Questions About The MCU's Universe It Needs To Answer

4 Accepted: Arthur And Mera

A character like Aquaman wouldn’t have fallen in love with a girl who had a delicate personality, so Mera was the right choice as his love interest. She was pretty much Arthur in personality as well, being fierce and loyal to the bone.

Mera also brought in with her some much-needed level-headedness, something that Arthur severely lacked. The ending of Aquaman proved the two as a battle couple, one that would shine very bright in a possible Justice League Part Two now that we’re all behind them as a romantic but fearsome duo.

RELATED: 10 Hilarious Thanos Memes Only Titans Would Love

3 Rejected: Tom And Atlanna

The problem with this coupling was that quite a bit of the fanbase found it all too convenient. Aquaman put a lot of effort in trying to make their love come across as pure, but there’s no denying everything was clearly written in for Arthur to be born but then be raised without his mother.

Everyone and their dog (or fish?) knew that Tom and Atlanna would inevitably be reunited by the film’s end, so there was no running away from the feeling that the love story here was orchestrated using a predictable formula.

2 Accepted: Bruce And Diana

Crazy thing is that these two never even became a couple in the DCEU, but there isn’t anyone who would be against this becoming canonical. As was the case in the DC Animated Universe, Bruce and Diana had a clear case of chemistry.

Their interactions in Dawn of Justice were oozing with romantic tension, and Justice League carefully elaborated on this by showing their mutual respect and trust for one another. It only needed a movie or two before they were ready to make things truly romantic, so it’s a real shame it won’t be coming true now that Ben Affleck has left the scene as Batman.

RELATED: 10 Marvel Logic Memes That Are Too Hilarious For Words 

1 Rejected: Harley and the Joker

Before Suicide Squad’s release, you could easily find fangirls swooning over this relationship because they thought Harley and Joker were “#relationshipgoals”, but the film’s lackluster portrayal of the two turned viewers off of them. 

Joker only came across as a loony loverboy, while Harley was way more interesting when she wasn’t playing his lackey. This feeling was so strong within the fanbase, that the studio put away with Joker entirely and brought Harley as her own character in the upcoming Birds of Prey. Now seemingly free of the Joker, we’re excited to see what Harley can achieve on her own without being shown to be pining for an idyllic love story.

NEXT: 10 Best Jackie Chan Films, Ranked

source https://screenrant.com/dceu-relationships-fans-behind/

#screenrant

[imamotherfuckingstar-lord]

Home, Part One

Pairings: Peter Quill x Reader, Steve x Reader

Warnings: mild language, fluff. about 3k.

A/N: This will be two parts with a possible epilogue. Wanted to thank @thebeasthasentered for reading my first draft and giving me some really helpful feedback. 

Summary: Your best friend in the whole  galaxy is coming to visit to help out with Thanos. When he arrives, Steve finds himself jealous of the close relationship Peter and you have. Will this stop the man from telling you how he feels? Will old feelings be brought up once Peter arrives? Does first love truly fade?  

Part 1  Part 2 Part 3   Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10    Part 11  Part 12 Epilogue

You stood anxiously in The Avenger’s conference room, checking your cell phone every minute. Steve sat next to Bucky, both men noticed how on edge you seemed.

“So how do you know these guys?” Bucky questioned from his seat.

You turned to face him, “Peter’s an old friend. And the others I met  when I was visiting my old stomping grounds right before joining you guys.”

“And why are they coming to help?”

Steve smacked Bucky on the arm and gave him a stern look.

You looked at Bucky with skepticism, “Oh, so you’re going to fight Thanos all alone?”

The winter soldier stayed silent.

“That’s what I thought,” you winked at Steve, who smiled warmingly at you.

A ping from your cell made you jump, it was a text from Tony.

“Outer space dudes are here.”

A second text came in. “Why do they have a talking raccoon?”

Your grinned from ear to ear and told the two men to follow you up to the roof. When the three of you get into the elevator, you can hardly contain the excitement. You started tapping your foot and biting on your lip nervously.

“Will you quit that,” Bucky mumbled.

“Sorry, sorry,” you apologized.

“Why are you so nervous?” Steve nudged you playfully. His blue eyes smiled at you, causing a warmth to blanket over your body.

“Not nervous, more like excited. I haven’t seen the gang in a while,” you gushed.

The elevator reached the roof and opened it’s doors, you practically ran out; Bucky and Steve followed close behind.

“What a piece of junk,” Bucky pointed out at the ship parked a few yards away.

You whipped around and smacked him on the arm, “Don’t you dare say a bad thing about the Milano! That ship and it’s owner have saved my ass countless times.”

You gave the winter soldier a warning glare and turned around to see Tony standing next to Drax, who looked huge next to the Iron Man. Laughing you ran toward the group and Gamora smiled softly at you, her hands crossed against her chest. Reaching Tony, he turned and raised his eyebrow at you, “Your friends are different.”

You beamed at the group of ‘outer space dudes’, who stood there looking every bit out of place. Drax smiled at you and held out his hands, “My Terran friend.”

“Drax, you’re more stunning than ever!” you teased against his chest.

He lifted you off the ground, “It has been too long, friend.”

“It has, but you’re killing my back  Drax,” you patted him on the back so he could let you down.

When he does you turned to Gamora, “How are you managing with these idiots?”

She smiled and shrugged lightly, “I manage.It’s good to see you, Y/N.”

You reached for her hand and squeezed it, “Likewise.”

Bucky and Steve walked up to Tony, watching the scene unfold before their eyes. The men shoot glances at each other, before turning their gaze to you and your friends.

“Rocket,” you mused kneeling down to hug him.

“Hey Y/N, this place sucks,” he complained.

“I know, I miss home. Where’s Groot?” your eyes looked passed Rocket to the Milano.

“Yeah, see he kinda sacrificed himself to save us a while ago,” he scratched the back of his head. “Long story short, he’s a tad bit smaller.”

Tad bit smaller was the biggest understatement of the year, because a baby version of the Groot you once knew came from behind Rocket.

“I am Groot,” he spoke and you nearly died of laughter.

“Holy shit, it’s Baby Groot!” you looked to the others and held out a finger to Groot. He took it and shook it, “I am Groot.”

“I missed you too, Buddy,” you smiled at him and stood up to finally come face to face with the one and only Star-Lord.

“Peter fucking Quill,” you sighed out, walking over to him.

He stood there in all his attractiveness, hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. “This place is way different than I remembered.”

You chuckled and stood in front of him; you felt like a teenager again. His eyes smiled at you and he finally held out his hands, “Come here, you little shit.”

Not caring that Tony, Bucky and Steve were staring, you jumped into Peter’s arms. He lifted you off the ground and held you tight against his chest. You nuzzled your nose against his neck and inhaled his smell, his warmth. It had been years, but being in his arms still felt like home. The two of you embraced each other, completely forgetting the others until Tony cleared his throat.

“He just made this awkward,” Peter murmured into your ear, before putting you down. He gave you a once over and shook his head in content, “No complains, still hot as hell.”

“Looks like you got some competition, Cap,” Tony muttered under his breath to Steve, who furrowed his eyebrows at the billionaire.

You ignored Peter’s comment and turned to your team mates. “Guys  these are the Guardians of the Galaxy. Drax, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and of course Star-Lord aka the biggest pain in my ass, Peter Quill.”

“Guys,” you looked to Peter and the others. “This is Tony Stark, Ironman. Bucky Barnes, Winter Soldier. And my personal favorite, Steve Rogers. Captain America.”

Everyone exchanged polite hellos, except Peter who stared at Steve and vice versa. It seemed like the two men were sizing each other up, until Peter broke into a grin and pulled you into his side. “Alright, how are we going to kick Thanos’ sorry ass?”

20 minutes later, everyone was in the conference room trying to figure out a plan of action. Everyone but Peter and you that is; the two of you were seated next to each other whispering back and forth. Tony who was talking kept sending glares in your general direction, but they were ignored.

“How’s the Milano?” you asked leaning into Peter’s side.

“Runs like a beauty,” his eyes ran up and down your body. “Man, I missed you.”

Recognizing that look, you pushed him away playfully and pretended to be invested in what Tony was saying. A minute later, you felt Peter’s palm on your thigh. Jerking your head in his direction, your quick movement get Steve’s attention. He looked at you with a tight smile;  you mouthed a ‘sorry’ and his face soften a bit. His eyes wander to Peter, who was staring at you and reaching his hand out to touch a strand of your hair. Steve felt a pit in his stomach and returned his eyes back to Tony.

“What’s with that dude?” Peter whispered, his eyes settled on Steve.

“Nothing, he’s perfect,” you stated in a matter of fact tone. Peter groaned and he settled back into his seat. The rest of the meeting went without disruption; Peter did his fair of talking and suggesting, along with the other Guardians. In the end a course of action was planned for the coming weeks; Peter and the others were to head back home to prepare in a day or so.

“I’d like to spend a day or two here, haven’t been down to Terra in a long time,” Peter spoke to Tony, but his eyes flickered to you.

“Sure, sure. You guys are welcomed to stay here, although,” Tony gestured to Drax, Gamora, Rocket and Groot. “I don’t think the world is ready for them. At least not right now.”

In the end, you showed the Guardians to the floor they would stayed on and arranged a few rooms for them. Gamora thanked you for the hospitality and quietly went to her assigned room. Rocket and Groot disappeared downstairs to Tony’s lab; no doubt to get into some trouble. And Drax opted for the gym, wanting to see what Terrans used to build muscle, leaving Peter and you alone.

“Hungry? Want a beer?”

Peter’s eyes widen, “Hells yeah.”

The two of you walked over to the kitchen and you pulled out two cold ones from the fridge. You turned to get the bottle opener from a draw and heard Peter step around the kitchen island. His hands appeared on the kitchen counter, trapping your body between it and him. You opened both bottles and turned to face him, his mouth formed a soft smile.

“How long has it been?”

“Years,” you replied dryly, knowing exactly what he meant.

“Too long,” he hummed bringing his body against yours.

You pursed your lips, trying to conceal the heat from your face. Because hell, the man knew how to break you, every damn time.

“So what’s going on with Gamora and you?” you asked sly.

Peter held your questioning gaze and shrugged, “We fight bad guys together.”

“Sure,” you chuckled. “If I do recall, you have a thing for beautiful women with equally beautiful colored skin. And green is your favorite color.”

You looked into Peter’s eyes and knew immediately that you got him. He sighed and reached for his beer on the counter. Taking a swig from your own, you watched as he leaned against the island.

“So what’s going on with you and Buddy America?”

“Captain America, Star-Prince,” you corrected him. “And nothing, we work on the same team together, that’s all.”

“Like Gamora and me?” he said with a smart ass tone.

“I knew it, asshole,” you waved him off and rolled your eyes. “Is it because I don't’ have green skin? Or red? Is that why things didn’t work out with us?”

Peter hung his head low and muttered a curse under his breath. “Come on! I just came back to Terra for the first time since I was 8! Don’t start this load of crap!”

You bellowed out a laugh and walked right up to him, went on your tippy toes to his eye level. “I’m fucking with you, idiot.”

Relief washed over his handsome face and before you could objected, he placed a delicate kiss on your lips. “God, you’re such a little shit.”

Peter pulled you into his waist, lifting his hand to the small of your back. “How about one time for old times sake?”

“Are we interrupting something,” Steve stood at the kitchen door way, Bucky next to him. You patted Peter’s chest and pushed away, not before noticing the relief on Steve’s face.

“Nope, not a single thing. Guys want a beer?”

The two men nodded and came over to the kitchen island. You glanced at Peter, who made a ‘shit we got caught’ face and turned to Steve and Bucky.

“So Peter, how do you know Y/N?” Steve asked, thanking you for the beer you placed in front of him. Bucky popped his open on the edge of the counter, “Thanks, doll.”

Peter shrugged, “We use to bump uglies.”

“Peter Jason Quill!” you yelled, smacking him from behind the head.

Your eyes glanced over to Steve, who clenched his jaw.

“Sorry, sorry,” Peter apologized holding his hand up. He smiled smugly toward the two men and pointed a thumb in your direction, “Let me tell you, there is nothing ugly about her bo-”

“I think that’s enough, Mr. Quill,” Steve glared at Peter, his voiced filled with annoyance.

Bucky smirked against his beer bottle and patted Steve on the back, “He’s just kidding, right Peter?”

“Suuure,” Peter responded, looking at you in confusion.

“We, uh, we met through my uncle Yondu,” you chimed in. “When my parents were killed, he took me under his wing.”

“Uncle Yondu, he never let me call him that,” Peter sighed. “Wait, why aren’t you blue again?”

“Blue?” Bucky and Steve said at the same time.

“My mom is human, my dad’s from the Zatoan tribe on Centauri IV,” you explained only to be met with dazed expressions.

You glanced over to Peter and joked, “Full terrans, am I right?”

“Give them a break, by the looks of it they didn’t know you were one of us outer space weirdos,” he noted.

“Wait a minute,” Steve interjected. “You’re not human?”

“I’m also not blue,” you say with enthusiasm.

Bucky laughed and leaned into Steve’s side and whispered, “You have the hots for an alien chick.”

“Shut up, Buck,” Steve mumbled under his breath.

“I honestly assumed the two of you knew, Tony does.”

Steve’s eyes jerked up at you, “Tony knows?”

“Yeah, he’s read my file that S.H.I.E.L.D provided. How’s my uncle, by the way?” you questioned Peter.

“The same, always saying he’s gonna kill me.”

“Well, you are a little shit. But he definitely has a soft spot for his little terran boy,” you ruffled Peter’s hair.

“You guys should have seen his freaking face when he walked in on us that one time,” Peter divulged with a knowing simper.

You blushed and avoided eye contact with Steve, “Lay off the sexual history flashbacks, Peter.”

Giving him a warning glare, you faced Steve and Bucky, “Anyway, when I was about 20 I decided to come back to Earth. I wanted to find my mother’s family,” you placed a hand on the counter. “So Uncle Yondu helped me get back, he use to send people to come get me once in awhile. But things have been pretty tense around here, so I haven’t gotten a chance to visit in a while.”

“Wow, I- we just didn’t know,” Steve looked at you with a soft smile. “Doesn’t change a thing though. You’re one of us, an Avenger.”

Peter’s eyes went from Steve to you and he nodded to Bucky. “You guys got pool here?”

“Yeah, come on. I’ll bet you some money,” Bucky pushed away from the counter and waved Peter out the door. “Wait, do they have money in space”?

You watched them disappear out the kitchen, leaving Steve and you alone.

“He’s a character,” Steve chuckled.

“Yeah,” you admitted. “But he’s a good guy, deep deep down. I mean if you can look pass the cockiness and douchery at times. He’s golden, like someone else I know.”

Steve smiled down at his lap, “You think i’m douchey?”

You choked on your beer, “No! I mean golden. You’re definitely golden.”

“Thank you, Y/N.”

“Welcome. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I wasn’t a full terr- human,” you walked around the counter and settled next to Steve. “It’s been hard, being away from Peter, Yondu and my home. But it’s been nice down here.”

“Do you miss being in space?” The last word came out slowly, as if he wasn’t sure what to call your home.

“My home was with The Ravagers for a long time, then Peter came along. Well, more like Yondu and the crew kidnapped him from here.”

Steve looked up from his drink, “He was kidnapped?”

“There were orders given to bring him from Terra, but for what, I’m not sure.The crew wanted to eat him, but I begged my uncle to keep him alive. He was the first Terran I had seen in a long time; wanting to please me my uncle kept Peter on the ship with us. He was 8, I was 9.”

“From there, we grew up on the ship. We were trained together and eventually things got a little unruly,” you chuckled.

“Unruly?”

“Well, I mean two teenagers on a ship together, hardly any adult supervision..”

“Oh. OH,” Steve’s eyes widen in realization. “I guess that was inevitable.”

“Yeah, it pissed my uncle off so badly. But eventually he came to the conclusion that there was no stopping us,” you smiled to yourself, remembering all the nights spent in Peter’s bunk; listening to music together on his walkmen. “We were together for a long time, until I left to come back down here.’

“Do you love him?” Steve asked quietly, needing to hear the answer. Your eyes moved to his and you smiled.

“I do, I really do,” you confessed whole heartedly.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, your words hurt Steve. His heart sank at the thought of all the history Peter and you had; none of it could ever be duplicated with anyone else.

“You can’t have that kind of history with a person and not love them,” you continued. “Peter’s always going to be in my life, he’s special. I really mean it, Steve. He’s going to help us beat Thanos. I know it.”

“You loyalty to him is admirable,” Steve rubbed at the label on his beer.

“I’m loyal to you, to the Avenger’s too,” you placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Just so you know, I do love Peter. And nothing could ever change that, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have room in my heart to love someone else.”

Steve’s blue eyes shot up to look at you.

“I’m going to see how badly Buck is losing,” you stood from your seat and placed the beer down on the counter. “Peter’s a hustler, you should see him in action.”

Want to be tagged in this or future Marvel fics? Let me know!

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[aspiestvmusings]

ENDGAME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS #10

Because the film…went…there…and that is a very controversial topic, and they took some creative liberties, there were several things that left fans asking questions

QUESTION #10: 2014!GAMORA as 2023!GAMORA

Also.. since the 2014 Gamora from a parallel past  timeline (it cannot be their past main timeline..because in that the events of GotG & A3:IF..etc do happen, and the past of the main timeline cant be altered in any way) was brought to, and presumably stayed in 2023 present timeline, then that opens up yet another avenue of possibilities. 

If your past self... from one of the parallel timelines created can be moved to the present (if your present self is killed/dies... is that the one condition?), then doesn’t that say that they can just go back to the past & retrieve past-Tony & past-Natasha (from the alternate timeline created by their time-travelling shenanigans) and bring them back to their present day? If they convince the past versions of those characters to come to to their timeline...in the future...could they do it? Cause they have the means now (the know-how, and the machine) They have Tony's time travel knowledge saved, they Have Scott’s knowledge of QR, they have Hank Pym and infinite amount of pym particles, they have Hulk (and Peter, and Shuri...etc)...  I mean... another unexplained thing. 

Cause...what’s stopping them from going back again (and thus creating another parallel timeline... which seems to be completely fine thing to do... if we consider Steve’s ending, who went back & lived his life in one of them before returning to the present main timeline < which is my issue with that fairytale ending) and retrieving past-Tony & past-Nat...or anyone from the past-parallel-timeline? Other than that timeline then missing that character they borrow/steal from there? But...if the 2014 branch can exist without Nebula & Gamora (not just evil Thanos, who won’t snap in that timeline) then why can’t the timeline exist without some of our heroes? Won’t having Thor & CA & WM & Bruce & Quill & RR be enough to fight the threats that come to play in that 2014!timeline (without Thanos & his army..who were killed in 2023 Main timeline)? 

Cause apparently 2014 Gamora (and Nebula and Thanos + army) being missing/gone from that specific past (parallel) timeline creates no issues...as long as the stone they borrowed remains in that timeline...untouched, right? 

ALSO... Did 2014! Gamora seemingly entering & staying in 2023! create a next  extra timeline (or is this “a soul for a soul” thing & everything is in balance... cause still one Gamora, and still one Nebula...even if they are from different years of the main timeline)? Either I missed this, too, being explained, or they didn’t. 

As for Gamora...if she didn’t get dusted with Thanos army, then since she is a different person, then maybe GotG mission will be returning her to where she came - to her own universe...in 2014, not trying to get her to “warm up to them” again. 

#SPOILER #endgamespoiler #endgamespoilers #Avengers: Endgame #Avengers Endgame #Avengers 4 #MCU #endgame spoiler #endgame spoilers #my thoughts #endgame review #Pt 10

[hgfstreamchats]

Avengers: Infinity War

How's every little thing, night human? Alright, alright Have you seen this already, or should I avoid spoilers for it? (I haven't seen the one that just came out) I haven't. Aha, gotcha. I'm seeped deeply enough in your pop culture that I know how it plays out, however. *nodnods* Loki looking all awkward there. "we KIND OF just had an apocalypse there" As one does. Hello! Took a minute for my keyboard to key in there, but wow Excellent! I know this guy probably came first, but he's SO much like a bad ripoff of that guy from Ben 10 ikr? GO LOKI! I mean, it was a good try.

A knife, though? A knife of all things? Thanos is INCREDIBLY dumb. It could have worked. It wouldn't have been much of a movie if he did, but I was rooting for Thor to kick his ass Yeah. there was a crowd-wide scream in the theater I was in when Loki died There was a lot of yelling that night actually I admit I'll be mad if he really is dead this time. Well whether he is or not, there is that tv show coming And there's always reboots. true, true And other universes I mean, there is no reason why they can't bring in Lady Death at some point And Deadpool. Even though they won't have her be Thanos' flame But she usually isn't against trading souls Then they can have Deadpool cockblock Thanos. I mean. I would watch a whole movie on that premise A wacky romantic comedy! just... cockblocking Thanos, who is definitely that ugly fratboy that Lady Death has no interest in everyone wants to cockblock Thanos. It'd be the feel-good hit of the summer. I mean. I would watch a whole movie on that premise A wacky romantic comedy! just... cockblocking Thanos, who is definitely that ugly fratboy that Lady Death has no interest in everyone wants to cockblock Thanos. It'd be the feel-good hit of the summer. "Why do you think I would want to deal with more dead people, it's like... a logistical nightmare" Besides, she can take the long view. Everyone dies eventually. "This person wasn't supposed to die for another 80 years, you've destroyed the balance" ...Multiple times, in some cases. *cough*Optimus*cough* OP would cockblock Thanos Ha! lol Side note, I just think it says some unflattering things about a villain when all their minions are THAT toadying and talk about 'em in that weirdly... worshipful? way. All culty and all. Agreed Greetings. Hello! Good evening, both of you! My mistake, one of you! I am pleased to not miss seeing the poor decisions of good meaning individuals. More realistic :< all Marvel characters do is make poor decisions. constantly Good people don't always make smart decisions just because they are kind 'Good' people notoriously make bad decisions, because it makes them feel better. Cough cough, Autobots. dangerous faces > Yeah, and 'bad' people notoriously make bad decisions because they have some stupid personal grudge they want to satisfy. Cough Megatron cough. And I make both kinds of bad decision, so does that make me a neutral person? I just think it means "emotionally satisfying" is completely orthogonal to "achieves your goals" True ... boy this was hard enough to watch the first time Of course Rocket knows about it AND NOW: shenanigans why an omnicidal madman gets ready to kill untold infinities Is it truly omnicidal, if he only wishes to kill 'half'? Semi-omnicidal? Oh he has "reasons", they're just too stupid for words I wonder what he did with species that were on the last of their kind? Actually I kind of want to know why he's in charge of an army in the first place. Does seem like a cause that shouldn't have so much of a following But, he only JUST started collecting the infinity stones. Before that it seems like his power WAS his army. He did have one a while ago, but Loki lost it Without all that he's just... some guy? Relatively big and tough, I guess, but who cares? I think he is supposed to be strong without the stones There isn't that much proof of it though If it's just physically strong, then--again, who cares? boring We do not have enough history to say for certain what resources he started out with. Maybe he adopted all of them We know he adopted at least two children, maybe he just... collects them or something And we do not know how long he has been collecting followers. One can amass an army from nothing, if they have enough time and drive. I guess; it just seems kind of bizarre. I'm rolling my eyes so hard right now. She has forgotten about her mother very quickly. It's not *that* nice of a knife. Trauma can make you forget things to survive That was kind of how I interpreted it, yeah. Repress and deny. I would not trust this man to pick up a parcel on time, let alone kill in a vital situation. Even easier for such a young child Oh, I like him. Out of curiosity, how many of us have seen Endgame? Not me. I have not. I've heard it's three hours long and I'm going to wait for, ahem, something I can watch at home and pause in the middle. It's not because I want to talk spoilers or anything, just curious It is very long I feel like they need to bring back intermissions if they're going to do that. Get the biggest popcorn/drink/whatever available . . . That is not stealth. Drax doesn't really "do" stealth "why" GEE I DUNNO subterfuge: a literally alien concept He's so full of shit. People cry out of relief, too. Or any strong emotion. He's such an aft That is a fun toy, though. So sad He can bend reality. There is no tension. Still sad because you know what is going to happen It's obnoxious to watch him pretending there is so he can play out his little ~dramas~ You have no idea what he might do to her now, and that is the truly sad part At least in the comics he deluded himself into putting on limits so he could be sexier for death. This is just dull. *high five* I feel like they were trying to make him more relatable, but... somehow the power of sexy is more understandable They were trying to make him more relatable? Sorry, who wants to relate to THAT? I think so, I mean, they tried to make a lot of the characters more relatable Would not destroying a stone that is one of the pillars of the universe have consequences? You'd think, right? But I don't remember that being brought up at any point Well, the soul stone is inactive so... maybe, maybe not It keeps just being "oh no we can't DESTROY it, we could use it!" But inactive might not be the same as destroyed, right? I think they are more a force for changing the laws of the universe than actually controlling it At least, in the comics it seems more that way At least, in the comics it seems more that way whoops okay I'm ducking out for the torture scene Good choice That is one way to solve the problem. That was it, right All done? Done. good, good "oh we're using made up names" Did Strange lose his teleportation ring? He could just leave, if he chooses. Heh. Maybe it only works short range? Maybe it only works on earth That sounds like a lie. And yet GOTG says that she is the last survivor of her race That's not how planets or anything works. Does he not have several stones that bypass these finite laws of the universe? He could create. He could just double all the resources Or teleport things to the places they are needed, his justification is a lie, he's just an asshole euuuurgh, the other torture scene brb Sloppy. what a loving father It's fine to sacrifice her own life to save all, but she cannot sacrifice her sister to the same end. Back So he killed much more than half of them? And crippled this one, just be be even more of a prick. This is the guy who thinks mass murder is the solution to every problem. Mass murder is the solution to several problems, but certainly not all of them. They almost accidentally murdered their allies I'd argue that at this point Thanos has "when all you have is a hammer"-ed himself into mass murder as a solution Exactly. "Oh, there's a famine? TIME TO KILL EVERYONE!" No one can be hungry if they are dead. Again though, there are at least two planets where it lead to one survivor Ha. better than none This seems like something he could have done earlier. Then they are bad at their jobs. Only one win scenario... Before their options narrowed so badly. Maybe the "one" is to make them feel desperate Give me the Ring, Frodo~ He may also be lying about the fourteen million. Maybe desperation is part of what leads to the success of multiple lines Convenient that he brought a sacrifice. I am so angry about this This seems like a great moment to shove him into the abyss. He may be too heavy for her to push. And, right? Is this supposed to make us feel sorry for him? Because it's failing. It makes me feel even more sorry for her Why does anyone like this character? Because he is entitled, and thinks he is a genius, when he is only selfish, and stupid. PRO TIP: Don't try to make us feel sorry for someone for whom genocide is a first step No idea, then again, I don't know anyone who does I don't think I've seen one positive word about him. Even, like, as a character Oh it's the sad music Poor Gamora. The comic book version is fun... being a large ham who literally wants to woo death and got cockblocked by Deadpool The nicest thing I can think to say is... well... at least he isn't trying to bone death in this a literal skeleton I prefer that idea but... at least it isn't into nec-romance Ha, nice. . . . I call shenanigans on this physics. maybe physics work differently here I think physics definitely works differently here. All this to protect one guy. Tactics also seems to work differently. One guy who was willing to sacrifice himself. Where is the air support? Surely they can muster more than two men? Humans can't fly naturally They can pilot machines. Nice. Wakanda should be full of flying machines. But, also, was that the bifrost? Can he... use that now? true I thought that was Heimdall's thing I'm sorry to be nitpicking, it just occurred to me And you'd think so, right? The axe allows him to use the bifrost. They said the hammer could use the power of the bifrost Ohhhh Oh, shut up! Unfortunately he is insane, regardless of what happened. I wish the filmmakers could get their hands off Thanos's dick for like two seconds. nobody's gonna be fuckin' grateful you murdered half of everyone you know His tiny, tiny one. I do like Starlord. ...Mostly. He is very resilliant, even without the magic. I feel like cutting his hand off would have been more expedient than trying to pull the gauntlet off, too. But then the movie would be over. Who cares! Cutting his head off would solve even more problems. Very true. Indeed. Hand first, then head. My god he's an idiot This was NOT the time Oh, you stupid, stupid fragger. Argh, I know, right? If he could have waited TWO MINUTES Bad decisions all around. He could have had ACTUAL revenge They could have started with those. Maybe they, uh....... take time to warm up? She had one job. And yes, saving her friends is important and all, but still. Okay, not that I don't like pithy comments, but it seems like they could have made better use of their surprise round Like that! Hopefully he is not storing any important organs there. I HOPE this is part of his plan. After his big talk earlier about how he wouldn't give up the stone to save them. It would have to be. Stark's presence must be part of the final win condition. Endgame: final phase of chess when you sacrifice important pieces for victory That alone says it is part of the plan Okay, fair. I hadn't considered this before, but maybe part of their attraction for each other is because they are connected by the stones Unicron's sake, why is he still talking? nobody caaaaaaaaaaaaares nobody likes you shut up forever He likes fellating his own ego. *GRUMBLE* I do wonder if this means it wouldn't have helped to have just. Started with that instead of trying to protect Vision Because he's the last person in the universe who he respects to have a say *enough to have a say This is why it is important to kill first, gloat after. Yep. No matter how tempting it is to do otherwise... Prioritize. awwww, he's SAD. Nobody cares! Cry more tears, you big disgusting grape. It shouldn't be allowed for characters to mourn over people they intentionally and willingly murdered Also, his 'instant' snap takes forever. It takes long enough for people to know they're dying. Like for Scarlet Witch it makes sense, because she actually did have to kill the willing Vision, Gamora fought for her life and he didn't have to do it Notice how none of his "equally likely to die" soldiers are shown dying? Very fair and impartial. He deserved that. He deserved to live, and lose them all for his failures. aw, noooo. :< I bawled at this part in the movies Good point. Good thing Stark handles his trauma well. And Thanos gets his sunrise that he does not deserve. With music that says we're supposed to get all sappy over it. While the rest of the galaxy fights over half the animals and resources left. Keep in mind he halved all living resources, so unless you can eat rocks... yeah, there isn't actually more resources now What a crock of drainage. Alright, light note to end on, because we need one. It's going to be more than half of everyone dying too. Wait The post credit scene There's aftercredits stuff And because I have zero interest in listening to Thanos's sad man music. Oh, yes! Small spoiler, don't wait for the post credit scene in endgame, there isn't one Oh, huh. Breaking the tradition, huh? Now the biggest question, is does the gauntlet count mechanical life forms as 'alive' enough to erase? I don't want people disappointed like I was His comment about ~sparing half of humanity~ made it sound like he was deliberately choosing who would live and die, at least on a species level. Hm, we don't see any erased by the click, but that doesn't mean that they aren't So I guess it would depend on whatever terrible opinions Thanos himself has. She called him Nick I had to explain that symbol to so many people after the movie ...okay, I'd shop here I need this shop same Okay, maybe not. A feel good way to end the evening. This is a movie that needed to end with mercy gas. Yes. Good night, everyone! Thank you for coming! I do not want to be carried home by a big strong man who will watch my movies for me. It makes it sound like you want Thanos to fart at the end Speak for yourself. And thank you for streaming! Night all Goodnight! Goodnight And as far as I'm concerned, he did. One long, continous one, from his first scene to his last. On that note, good night. They edited it out in post. But we know.

[therearemonstersinthedark]

Astronautical || Ch. 2

A Guardians of the Galaxy Fanwork

Pairings: n/a

Genre: Adventure, general

Word Count: 4k +

Rating: T to be safe, minor violence and swearing

Links: Fanfiction.net || Ao3

Summary:  Bound and helpless on Ronan's ship, Peter finds help in one of the least likely of places.

Author’s Notes:  Here we go. Chapter 2. I'll be honest, openings are my weakest and least favorite things. I am not exactly happy with this chapter, there were several plot points I had to rework, the flow isn't that great, and Nebula is a hard character for me to write(Fun but hard), but I was getting nowhere just dwelling over it, so I decided to go with what I had and just move on for now. Maybe later on I'll come back and edit it into something I can be a little more proud of, but if I want to get anywhere in this story I need to keep moving on!

Chapter 2: Come with me and Escape

Honestly, Ronan's betrayal had been more of an annoyance than an actual concern for the Titan when it had first occured. It would later prove to be a pivitol moment in the downslide of his march to control all that there was to posses in the known galaxies. It wasn't the source, no, but it was a convenient moment that Thanos found himself often looking to when laying the blame. If he was a more emotional being he may have simply killed the Kree warlord in this version of his universe, but he found it was beneath him to fear a mortal. Ronan was still worth just a bit more to him alive than dead. He simply needed to hold the reins a bit tighter this time around.

--

Peter lay on the floor of some sort of prisoner's cell on the large Kree ship. A pair of rather grumpy and well-armed guards stood sentry just outside of the bars. His hands had been bound and his blasters confiscated, and the cold hard flooring was doing his headache no favors.

"So, uh. Nice digs you got here." He tried for the fifth time to get any sort of response from them. "Whatever happened to the whole being destroyed thing? Not that I'm complaining here! I love being not-destroyed, and am more than happy to stay that way, but I'm just a bit confused."

Not even a dirty look. Tough crowd.

"Let's try something else. Does anyone want to tell me what happened here? At Xandar I mean. Were you two here when it, uh..." A twitch, the guards suddenly stiffened and Peter felt a spark of triumph.

That spark was quickly crushed beneath the sound of approaching footsteps. Oh.

The footsteps stopped just outside of the bars, and Peter found himself staring at a pair of very familiar boots that were very uncomfortably close to his face. Oh.

Hesitantly, he brought his eyes up to look into the black depths of one of the last people he was hoping to see about now. "Hey Nebula."

The android answered with a familiar sneer. "Dismissed." She snapped at the guards without breaking eye contact. He assumed. It was hard to tell sometimes when she didn't have any pupils to focus on.

Armor rattled as the guards saluted and withdrew obediently.

"So," He started cautiously, struggling into a sitting position against the wall. "To what do I owe this honor?"

"Starlord?" She hissed back, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you know my name?"

Oops. A shrug, or his best attempt at one from his position as he scrambled for a reply that wouldn't end with those shoes getting acquainted with his face. "You know... Deadly assassin with blue skin and a red temper. Word gets around."

Nebula looked unconvinced, but for whatever reason seemed willing to set this issue aside for now. "Who are you?"

"I'm Star-Lord, man. Legendary outlaw? Come on, you're the ones who captured me! Your ship's all 'IDENTIFIED: STAR-LORD' and you don't even know who I am?"

"I don't," She answered flatly. "But I want to."

Well that wasn't what he was expecting.

"We all have orders to retrieve anyone who calls themselves by that name and bring them to Thanos. Why? Who are you to my father?"

"I'm the guy who touched an infinity stone and lived to tell about it." He was already buried pretty deep here. Nothing much to do but keep digging and hope he found another way out.

"That's impossible." She hissed, but she leaned closer to the bars as she spoke.

"No I really did. Well, I mean, I did in my universe. Apparently not in this one. The other Guardians and I used it to defeat Ronan and save the Galaxy-" A sharp bark of laughter cut him off.

"What are you trying to pull here? Xandar is destroyed. The Nova Corps with it. No one else stood in opposition."

"That's just what I'm saying. This is all wrong. Xandar wasn't supposed to be destroyed. Ronan was. But someone must have... changed it somehow."

"This is useless. If you're not going to make any sense then there's no point in talking with you any longer."

"No wait! I can prove it! I know things! The Orb, it's an infinity stone right? The stone of power. It's purple and Thanos kept it on Morath-no, Morag!"

"So what? You could have easily gathered that information by torturing some of these pathetic excuses for soldiers."

"No, no. I know because I stole it from Morag! but then Ronan stole it back before betraying Thanos and going after Xandar on his own."

"Ronan would never betray Thanos." Her tone was absolute, but he thought he could see a flicker of something in her expression. Damn those black eyes made her hard to read. Was she considering what he had to say or which of his limbs to break?

"But he did. And so did you." In for a penny. "The last time I saw you, you were swearing to 'hunt him like a dog' and put an end to the tyrant for good. I can help you with that!" It was Peter's turn to lean forward now. "Just let me go and I can find my friends and figure out how to fix all of this."

Nebula stiffened and pulled back from the bars. "Enough with your lies." She spat before turning on her heels and stalking away, leaving Peter staring into the dark corridor and listening to her footsteps fade away.

Well that could have gone better. But he supposed it could have gone a lot worse, too.

Nebula didn't return that night, and the guards never came back, either. He was starting to wonder if they intended to leave him to starve or die of dehydration when he finally heard the sound of footsteps returning. He'd spent much of the time dozing, but his stomach estimated that it would have been around lunch time the next day. He really hoped they brought food with them.

He was disappointed when two Kree soldiers stepped into view, empty handed save for a pair of matching blasters.

"Hey there. I had some complaints to make about the hospitality here. Is a little breakfast in bed really too much to ask? Honestly. I think I'd like to check out and head back to my ship now."

The door creaked in complaint as it was swung open. Gloved hands grabbed him roughly and manhandled him onto his feet. He was shoved between them and marched back into the large hallway of the ship. Were these the same two soldiers as before? It was hard to be sure, they kind of all started to look the same in those uniforms. Was that racist? He was too hungry and sore to care.

"So what are the chances of getting one of you lovely fellas to take my handcuffs off, huh? I promise I won't do anything naughty. It's just my arms are kinda numb, and I'd like to make sure none of my uh, cellmates chewed off any of my fingers while I slept."

He wiggled his fingers for emphasis. Or he assumed they were wiggling. He wasn't entirely joking about the lack of feeling, but the guards seemed as unconcerned about his fingers as they were about everything else.

Sighing and giving up for now Peter decided to check on his surroundings instead. They quickly proved to be about as interesting as the guards. The hallway was most likely used to transport much larger things than their current three man group. In fact, it looked like a small army could comfortably march down the corridor, complete with tanks and armaments. Peter tried not to think too hard about what that implied and instead shifted his attention to the lights. Bright white panels lined the ceiling and were set into the walls at seemingly random intervals, throwing out light and creating a halo of shadows all around them in various shades of pinks and purples. The whole thing gave off a feeling of creeping horror that was so wholesomly Kree.

He entertained himself for a while in wondering how the lights works but by the time they suddenly turned down a smaller hallway shooting off to the left he was no closer to understanding them. Gamora, with her assassin's knowledge of about everything in the universe, would be able to tell him what they were called. Rocket could probably tell him exactly how they worked and come up with at least five different ways they could be weaponized and used to escape his current predicament.

Instead he was bound and helpless to do much of anything but march down the corridor and see what the universe was planning to gut punch him with next. Had he always been this useless alone, or had he become so used to relying on his team that he couldn't function on his own anymore?

With that depressing thought heavy on his shoulders he followed the Kree through one more doorway and found himself at the foot of some staircase in some sort of dark and broody throne room. In the far corner of the room he spotted Nebula, the flash of her augmentations giving her away as she hovered in the shadows. He tossed her a wink which she answered with a disgusted snarl, then brought his attention to the stairs. Reclining on the throne at the very top of those stairs, haloed by more of those pinkish lights and cutting an imposing figure was none other than the Accuser himself.

Well shit. Despite having already gathered that Ronan was somehow alive in this... universe, reality, whatever it was, Peter couldn't escape the crawling feeling that he was looking at a dead man. A very much alive, very much dangerous, and very much holding a large hammer with a glowing infinity stone inside of it not-so-dead man. Double shit.

"Star Lord." Ronan's voice echoes around the chamber. Theatrical and overbearing, just like everything else about the Accuser. The butt of his warhammer scraped against the stonelike floor as Ronan leaned forward on his throne. "You are the Star Lord?"

Peter puffed up slightly under the other man's scrutiny.

"Forgive my disbelief, but Thanos himself has issued orders to have you retrieved on sight and be brought before him. Such orders are rare indeed. So imagine my surprise when my soldiers claim they have found that very Star Lord and then drag before me some sad excuse for a Terran street rat."

"Hey! I am not some sort of-"

"Silence!" A bang and a burst of light momentarily stunned Peter as Ronan slammed his hammer down for emphasis. A shiver made it's way up his spine as he was, for just the barest moment back in the void that the infinity stone had pulled him into not so long ago.

Satisfied by Peters seeming obedience Ronan reclined back into his chair. "So, would you care to tell me what it is that gives the Titan such an interest in you?" way the accuser said it, twice now in this very brief meeting, stirred Peter from his moment of disquiet. You. In that same damnable tone used by Yondu the first time he'd successfully stolen something from the captain. The same tone echoed by so many clients just before being laughed out of a job. The same tone sneered out by so many guards just before being tazed by his favorite weapons.

Ronan was underestimating him. Good. He knew just how to work with that.

"Well, what can I say? Maybe your boys here made a mistake. No harm done. Just untie my hands and uh, point me back in the direction of my ship, and I'll get out of your hair- you do have hair right? I was never quite sure."

It was hard to tell with his face shrouded in darkness, but the Kree warlord didn't seem to be very impressed by Peter's offer.

"I will ask you again," He ground out with quickly fading patience. "Who are you?"

"I'm a Guardian of the Galaxy." He laughed back. "I'm the guy that killed you once and I'll do it again if I have to."

"Enough. It doesn't matter who you are Star Lord. You will be delivered to Thanos and he will dispose of you as he sees fit. Until then I don't want to see you again." With a wave the guards stepped forward and roughly dragged him out of the room. The last thing he saw was Nebula's hard and calculating stare.

–

After being shoved unceremoniously back into his cell he was once again left on his own. His stomach reminded him again that he hadn't had anything to eat or drink since at least yesterday. They knew he had to have those things to live, right? It would be awfully hard to deliver him alive to Thanos if he had died of dehydration along the way.

By the time Nebula appeared with a tray in her hands he was ready to kiss the ground at her feet. Instead he just sat up as gracefully as he could muster, which was admittedly, not much, and offered her his best toothy grin as she unlocked the door and plopped it down in front of his crossed legs.

"Waiwaitwait!" He cried as she turned to leave. "I can't eat like this. Come on. At least let me have my hands back!"

For somebody with no pupils Nebula was really very talented at rolling her eyes, but she stepped around him anyways and removed his handcuffs with a click.

Peter pulled his arms in front of him and rubbed at his wrists. He could have moaned if the galaxy's angriest assassin wasn't currently glowering down at him like he was nothing but an overgrown Orloni. As soon as he was sure he wouldn't drop it, he grabbed the cup of water with both hands and drank it down greedily then started in on the food, dragging the tray closer to himself and eating with his hands when it became apparent he would not be offered any utensils. It wasn't the first time he'd eaten with his hands and as long as he didn't die here he doubted it would be his last. He managed to make it through about half his meal before Nebula's patience ran out.

The sound of her clearing her throat caused him to reluctantly drag his attention back to his current predicament. At some point the assassin had crossed back to the open door and now she leaned against the frame with her arm crossed and her lips pressed into a thin line.

"What did you mean when you said that you had killed Ronan once?" The bitter interrogational tone was as familiar as it was terrifying, and so was that gleam in her eyes and guarded hunch to her shoulders. She wanted something, but didn't want to admit she wanted it.

"Just what I said." He mumbled with a shrug and a mouthful of whatever this was. "I know it sounds completely crazy but this is all wrong. Xandar wasn't supposed to burn. Ronan was supposed to betray Thanos and steal the infinity stone for himself, and my friends and I were supposed to stop him."

"But how?" she pressed.

"The infinity stone. I-we held it and used its power against him."

Nebula's jaw clenched as she worked something over in her mind. Honestly, it was almost comical how very much alike her and Gamora were in their expressions. Not that he would ever say that to either of their faces unless he was feeling particularly suicidal that day.

"No mortal can hold an infinity stone and not be immediately destroyed." She scoffed, but there was just a hint of uncertainty in her voice now.

"Well... not to give away too much, but I may have been a teeny bit... less mortal at the time." Actually, now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure exactly how mortal he was right now. His connection to the Light had died with Ego, but if the Guardians had never saved Xandar, then what else could have changed? Was Ego even dead? Suddenly the last few bites of food on the tray seemed less than appealing.

"Do you think you could do it again?"

Could he?

A long pause followed as he stared blankly at his own hands. If he was part celestial again, which there was a good chance of that with how his luck was holding, then it was possible he could use it to destroy Ronan and find out what was going on.

"Yeah. Probably. But I'll need my friends." A sneer pulled at her lips at that, but once Nebula made up her mind about something she pursued it relentlessly. He had found his ticket out of here.

"Those stones may be the only power in this universe that can rival my father's. If you can truly wield them, then this would explain why he has such an interest in you. You are a threat to him."

"Hold up a second. I thought we were talking about taking out Ronan. Thanos is like, a thousand times more powerful that that overgrown Kree Lawyer!"

"I'm sure he would find that comparison insulting." Nebula replied coolly. "Regardless, Thanos is well on his way to controlling the galaxy, and the longer we wait the more impossible it will become to destroy him. You may be my last chance to destroy that bastard and you want to stay here cowering in your little cell?"

If Peter was being honest, she had a point. Ronan had betrayed Thanos in his universe, but here he appeared to be working under the Titan's orders like any good little minion. The odds were good that whoever was pulling the strings on this nightmare, it wasn't The Accuser. If he wanted to get to the bottom of this and get the universe back on track he needed time.

"Look. If you can get me out of here I can find my friends and I am sure we can figure out some way to set everything right again."

Nebulas eyes narrowed and her whole body tensed in a subtle yet very effective threat.

"If-If we can't figure out a way back, I will help you take out Thanos." He appeased quickly, holding his hands up in mock surrender. It seemed to work as some of the tension left her form.

"Good. Before the next cycle is through we will be passing a hidden gateway that can take us to a place where Ronan will not think to follow. What will you need?" It was weird to have Nebula asking him anything in a serious tone, without anything more than the usual undercurrent of sarcasm and seething hatred that seeped into everything she did.

Peter shoved the tray with the last few bites away from his body and leaned forward. "First, we'll need the stone."

"That won't be a problem." In the silence that followed Peter waited for her to give an explanation as to how exactly she intended to steal one of the galaxies most powerful weapons from one of the galaxy's most powerful war generals in such a way that it wouldn't be consider a problem. None ever came.

"Okay. Well. On my ship I have several storage units that should be able to safely contain it. They were made for smuggling high powered or radioactive contraband without tripping off any sensors, so they should be able to hold the stone at least for a while. Then we'll just have to steal the stone, get back to my ship-I'll need my blasters back, by the way-, and hightail it out of here before anyone notices. Piece of cake, right?"

–

The first part was easy enough. Peter described where to find the containment units, and Nebula vanished with his tray and empty cup and reappeared a short amount of time later with one in hand.

The second part was where it got a bit tricky. After a brief discussion it was decided that it would be better for Peter to already be on the Milano while Nebula stole the stone, rather than risk her having to come fetch him after an alarm was raised. No one questioned the assassin as she frog marched the once again bound Peter through the hallways. What they did not agree upon, was how after Nebula had escorted him to his ship she left him cuffed to the ladder that led to the flight deck. 'So you won't get any ideas and try to leave too early' she had told him with a smirk before vanishing back into the warship's holding bay.

"NEBULA!" He shouted after her, but she was already gone. Glancing around, he noticed that at some point his ship had been ransacked, drawers pulled open and their contents scattered about. "Oh come on guys! That is NOT COOL!" His blasters sat on a shelf on the far wall, probably Nebula's doing, and he was relieved to spy his walkman discarded on a nearby shelf. With some cursing and creative contorting he even managed to get ahold of it, wrangling the headphones around his neck with his free hand and turning on some tunes while he waited.

The waiting that followed was agony. Both because Peter was a man of action so being stuck on the ship with no clue what was going on went against every fiber of his being, and because the blasted assassin had cuffed his arm up too high and he couldn't reach the floor to sit. He was pretty sure she had done it intentionally. She was spiteful like that. By the time Nebula burst back onto the ship, followed by a very angry sounding alarm, he had managed to shimmy up the ladder into a sitting position with his legs through the rungs and was working through 'Escape' by Rupert Holmes for the second time.

"Well that doesn't sound very-" He was cut off by Nebula's hand to his face she shoved past him and up the ladder.

"MOVE! We don't have time for your idiocy!" The ship rumbled to life and jerked off the floor leaving Peter scrambling for a solid grip on the ladder before he was flung about like a ragdoll.

"What happened?!" He tried calling up past the angry sound of the Milano's engines struggling under the rough treatment.

"Just shut up and get ready. We've got five seconds until they figure out how to unjam the hangar door."

"Until they wh-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!?" Even with his death grip Peter was nearly ripped from the ladder as the Milano suddenly burst forward at full speed. Somewhere over his own screams and the protests of his poor abused ship he could hear the sound of weapons being fired at them. Loose debri was flung around the room as she dodged through the blasts, bouncing off the walls, furniture, and his body. It reminded him of when he was a child and he used to sit and watch his mother do the laundry. He used to think it looked like fun to be tossed about in the dryer as well. Like most childhood dreams, the reality was painful and disappointing.

As he moved to cover his head with his free arm something small and shiny caught his attention. Aha! Perfect! It was a tiny unassuming pocket-knife like object, only it contained a mini blowtorch, among other things, that he could use to free himself. It was made for minor self-repairs on the ship, but there was no reason it couldn't also cut through the cord holding him to the ladder.

It took several sharp turns and more than just a few embarassingly failed attempts but Peter eventually managed to swipe it out of the air at it whizzed pass. The tiny welding blade made short work of the metal cord and soon he was scrambling up into the flight deck, hastily shoving his walkman into his pocket. Another particularly sharp turn nearly sent him tumbling back down bellow. Up here at least, there was no loose debri and he managed to drag himself into the co-pilot's chair with minimal bruising.

"What the hell are you doing!?" He cried as he wrestled with the seatbelt.

"Your ship pilots like an old Shi'ar Junker!"

"Don't you blame this on my ship! I could steer better than this drunk and missing a limb!"

"Keep talking and you might get to try out that second part."

They seemed to be gaining some distance from the Kree fighters that were firing at them, and Nebula was performing a few less acrobatics to avoid their beams.

"So where is this gateway? Because all I see up ahead is one very unwelcoming asteroid belt." A stream of asteroids, most of which easily dwarfing his Milano, stretched out in front of them. The colossal rocks hovered uncomfortably close to one another, jostling and bumping into each other like the stampeding herds of cattle on an old western. And Nebula was speeding straight towards them at an alarming rate.

"Nebulaaaaaaa!" He cried as she pulled up at the last second so they were flying parallel to the great asteroids. The beams from the ships sinking futher and further behind them sent up sprays of debri as they missed wildly. Just as the last ship winked out of sight over the horizon of stone Nebula cranked the controls violently to the left and sent them careening into a gap between two gigantic boulders. Oh shit. Peter scrambled for the controls but Nebula batted him away without looking up from the windshield. She had officially lost it. He was going to die smushed in between these two rocks like some sort of Star-lord sandwich.

The Milano flipped and bounced through the increasing darkness, Peter's chest aching with every new scrape and dent. Just when he thought his ship was about to fall apart the astroids vanished and they were falling through open sky.

End Ch 2.

#gotg #gotgvol2 #gotg2 #Guardians of the Galaxy #Volume 2 #Timetravel #alternate timelines #fanfic #fanfiction #chapter 2 #Peter Quill #Nebula #Ronan the Accuser #Kree #Infinity Stone #Come with me and Escape

[bevioletskies]

everybody wants to rule the world [1/8]

characters: peter/gamora, guardians-centric

summary: peter is the one and only heir to the celestial throne. gamora is expected to successfully lead the titans to conquer the galaxy. a political alliance is in the works, and there may or may not be wedding bells in the air. 

alternately: peter and gamora find themselves in an arranged marriage and want nothing to do with it, but might need each other more than they think if they want to escape their genocidal fathers forever.

word count: 9.8k

a/n: warning for creepy/abusive behavior from both thanos and ego towards their respective children throughout the entire fic. also note that this AU is very heavily based on the MCU versions of themselves, where things are basically only different because yondu took peter to ego after all.

fic title is from the song everybody wants to rule the world by tears for fears.

welcome to your life...there's no turning back...

ao3 | tag

“This is possibly the worst idea I’ve ever heard in my entire life.” With a dramatic groan, Peter threw himself down onto his mattress like a ragdoll, limbs sprawled out far enough that he could almost touch all the corners of his enormous four-poster bed. “And I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve had some pretty bad ones myself.”

“At least you’re acknowledgin’ it. And maybe ol’ Ego’s doing you a favor. Not like any girl’s gonna wanna marry you of her own free will,” Yondu teased. He leaned over Peter’s motionless form and gently poked him in the gut with the back end of his yaka arrow. “Quit whinin’, boy, you don’t even know what she’s like yet.”

“It don’t matter what she’s like,” Peter mumbled. His voice was muffled by the mountain of gold-fringed pillows he was currently face-planted in. Ego sure did have an affinity for decorating every square inch of everything - ever - in gold. Even Peter wasn’t this ostentatious. “She could be the most amazing woman in the entire galaxy, and I’d still hate this. I mean, what is this, the medieval ages? Do I have to joust some other dudes to win her hand or somethin’? Because from what I’ve heard about her, I think she’d rather kick my ass instead.”

“I understand just about none of what came outta your mouth just now.” Yondu sat at the foot of the bed, resting a hand on Peter’s ankle in sympathy, then immediately regretting it when he noticed Peter was entirely barefoot. “But you gotta suck it up, Quill. You fight your daddy on this, he gonna string you up like vermin, get you with that ‘light’ of his. Don’t make it worse for yourself.”

Peter turned slowly, propping himself up on his elbow. “D’you...do you think he’d make Mantis do it instead if I didn’t?” He sat up very suddenly, wrapping his arms around his knees, staring off listlessly into the distance. All he could see was his sweet, upbeat little sister, being forced into something she wouldn’t be able to escape, all because he decided to be a little selfish. No, he couldn’t afford to let that happen. Not to her. “Crap. I really do have to do this, don’t I?”

“If you’re asking me as your advisor, I’m telling ya, marrying this girl means an alliance with the Titans, and that’s a good thing. Get some of the most powerful forces in the entire galaxy on our side.” Yondu let out a slow exhale, shooting Peter a rueful smile. “If you’re asking me as your friend, I’m tellin’ you, now’s not the time to argue. Pick your battles, boy. In due time, we’ll be able to get you offa this cursed planet for good.” He grinned wider in what Peter suspected was meant to be in reassurance - though his gold teeth were only adding to the garish decor of Peter’s quarters - before standing and striding over to the door. As he was leaving, he turned to call, “Your girl’s gonna be here in two days, alright? So buck up! Maybe she’ll be more interesting than ya think.” ______

“Do you know why I’ve called you here, Gamora?”

Her dark eyes fixated on the back of the makeshift throne, zeroed in on the crevice by the crease of his elbow, a sight she had become so accustomed to that it was practically burned into her eyelids. “No, Father. Do enlighten me.”

“You watch your tone with me, girl, or you’ll force my hand.” The throne slowly began to rotate, the shadows moving across Thanos’s face to partially conceal the near-permanent scowl he was currently sporting. She flinched a little at the sight of the Infinity Gauntlet, fingers tapping idly on the armrest as if it were nothing more than a common glove. “It has been a long time coming, but we have finally made an agreement with the Celestials. You will be descending upon Ego in two days.”

“And what task do you have for me this time? And who will be accompanying me? My last job under Ronan did not end so well, through no fault of my own,” she added, folding her hands neatly behind her back, fingers intertwined. She hoped he couldn’t detect the way they were trembling. Shoulders back, chin up, she mentally reminded herself, as Thanos finally came into full view.

“Ronan was unworthy of calling himself an accomplice of mine. A subordinate, maybe. Vermin, more like. I had him taken care of,” he replied, grinning rather maniacally, though his eyes remained as coldly emotionless as ever. “Your task, Gamora, is to wed the Celestial prince.”

Gamora blinked. She wasn’t sure how else to respond. Had she fallen through some sort of wormhole and noticed? Stepped into an alternate dimension, perhaps? “I apologize, Father, but I believe I’ve misheard you,” she said slowly. “You want me to what?”

“Ego believes we have the completed Infinity Gauntlet, and I’m not about to correct him,” Thanos continued as if he hadn’t heard her. He held up his arm, turning his wrist slowly as if to admire the artifact, despite the fact it was currently empty. “And his Celestial abilities...they intrigue me. But we have never been able to come to terms until now, when we agreed on your marriage to his son. His only son, with Celestial abilities of his own, I might add. We’ll work together in the beginning, of course, so I can observe what he can do and how to dismantle him. Then, you and Nebula will slaughter Ego, and force the son to use his powers for our means.”

“There must be another way to do this,” Gamora protested, abandoning all pretense of her posture, letting her hands fall to her sides. “Why marriage? How could a wedding possibly benefit us? Am I not meant for more than this, Father? This seems below me...below everything you have prepared me for.”

“You think so little of marriage, do you?” Thanos sneered, leaning forward on his elbows, eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. For a moment, she felt like a small child again, thoroughly chastised for not being quick or clever enough. “This marriage is for political gain, for trust. We have to be smart about this. Not everything can be won by force, but by cleverness. It’s time you learned that. Your attitude is abhorrent, Gamora. And you will go to Ego in two days’ time.”

“And if I don’t?” She folded her arms across her chest, staring up at him, stance defiant. He only chuckled in response.

“Then I will send Nebula in your place.” With that, he turned away from her, but not before giving her one last horrendously unsettling smirk. ______

Peter was half-sprawled across his seat in the palace’s throne room, one leg hooked up over the armrest, his elbow on his knee, using his fist to prop up his head. He had been sitting here for at least two hours, and was irreversibly, undeniably, dreadfully bored.

“I see Dad couldn’t be bothered to show up,” he grumbled, looking over to Yondu. He immediately felt bad for complaining - at least he was sitting down. Yondu, as always, was standing by his side, though he had abandoned proper stance long ago, leaning against the throne so casually one would think it was his.

“You know he don’t care that much about all this business. He expects you to be the one to receive your future wife,” Yondu shrugged. “And it ain’t like her daddy’s coming with, so why should he hafta be here?”

“Because this is boring as hell!” Peter exclaimed a little too loudly, his voice echoing off the walls and ceilings of the enormous chamber. He shrunk a little in his seat at the sound. “I almost want Thanos to show up at this point. Can’t make things any worse, right?”

“Please, Peter.” Mantis reached for him from her throne, delicately setting her hand down on his forearm, wrapping her fingers around him and squeezing. “Be patient. I believe I can already sense their presence. There is much emotional turmoil in the air, something I do not usually feel.”

“What do you mean, ‘they’? I thought it was just her. And no one’s even told me her name yet, by the way,” Peter added.

“She brought an entourage of her own, of course,” Yondu said, baffled at Peter’s ignorance. “And hell, I don’t even know her name. Ego didn’t tell me shit, and I’m not about to start asking. She’ll introduce herself, I’m sure.”

As if on cue, the giant doors of the throne room swung open to reveal, to Peter’s surprise, just two young women, entirely alone aside from being escorted in by Kraglin, the palace’s head of the guard. He quickly sat up in his seat, leaning forward to get a better look as they began striding towards him.

Peter had, of course, heard about the Titans before. They weren’t so much a kingdom in the traditional sense as they were a dictator-led regime, what with all their leader’s adoptive children (the loose definition of ‘adopted’, anyway) being suited more for the battlefield than for any castle. So, he wasn’t surprised to see both women were decked out in full armor from head to toe, with leather padding at their shoulders, elbows, and knees, complete with hooded duster capes and masks that obscured the entire lower half of their faces. They were both relatively tall, at least six feet in height in their combat boots, an unparalleled fierceness in their dark eyes as they approached the elevated platform.

The herald, the poor brave soul, quickly stepped in front of them before they could get too close, and loudly announced, “Prince Peter and Princess Mantis, of the Celestial throne.” Peter couldn’t help but cringe at the descriptor - he hated hearing it, every single time, without fail. It might have sounded cool the first time he had been addressed in such a manner, when he was eight and the idea of being a prince had excited him to no end, but now it just felt oddly presumptuous, and moreover, undeserving.

“Your highnesses,” Peter said as calmly as he could, though inside, his heart was racing with anticipation. He bowed his head in grace. “Forgive the informality - we don’t usually have guests. And by usually, I mean never. So, uh. Hi.” He could practically hear Yondu face-palming beside him. “Um, introduce yourselves. Please.”

The women exchanged dubious looks, carrying out an astonishingly long wordless conversation with just their eyes to the point of making Peter squirm, until they finally turned back towards Peter and Mantis, their gaze considering. In near-perfect synchronicity, they pushed their hoods away and pulled their masks down around their necks, fully revealing their faces. The green-skinned girl took another step forward, her dark ponytail swinging slightly as she did. “My name is Gamora, daughter of Thanos, heir to the Titan throne, and your supposed future wife.” Her lip curled in distaste at the last one.

“Are you technically a princess?” Peter asked before he could stop himself. Mantis elbowed him in warning.

“That may be part of my title, but I am no princess,” she retorted, a hint of a snarl in her voice. She gestured at the other girl, who looked equally as irritable, sporting a rather impressive scowl. “This is my sister, Nebula.” Nebula grunted in what Peter supposed was meant to be a greeting.

“Hello!” Mantis said as cheerfully as she could muster, though even she looked hesitant about the whole ordeal. It didn’t help that both Gamora and Nebula were resting their free hand over the weapons holstered at their hips - Gamora appeared to have a sword, while Nebula had a pair of electrified blades. Nebula in particular looked like she was itching to use them. “Welcome to the planet Ego. Our father is a bit busy at the moment, as he is tending to some business off-planet, but I am sure we can work out all the details of this arrangement by ourselves.”

“This is a farce,” Nebula snapped very suddenly. “I’ve seen black market dealings more tightly run than this sham of a kingdom. What makes you so special?”

In lieu of answering, a rumble began rippling through the ground, causing Gamora and Nebula to tip precariously, stumbling over their own feet as they yanked out their weapons. A beam of white light shot out of the floor beneath them, spinning and twirling like a ballerina.

“I believe this is what you wanted to see, isn’t it? The Celestial power? So here. I bring you a peace offering,” Peter said patiently.

The beam of light came to a stop a few feet in front of the girls, flipping over to reveal two beautifully carved marble blades, the handles turned towards them. Cautiously, Gamora took a hesitant step forward before picking one up, surprised to find it quite light despite its notoriously heavy substance. She glanced back at Nebula, who also looked unusually aghast at the display.

“What is this really made of?” Gamora said suspiciously, looking up at Peter.

He chuckled, finally getting to his feet and making his way down the steps of the elevated platform. As he did, she could finally get a better look at his face - she knew nothing about him aside from his name, knew he possessed the Celestial genes of his father. Peter appeared to be younger than she initially thought - she’d heard all sorts of unappetizing stories about women even younger than she was getting married off to men at least twice their age - but he appeared to be no older than nineteen or twenty at the very most, like herself. He was handsome, she supposed, tall and broad, artfully disheveled with his haphazardly wind-blown hair and roguish, yet perfectly sculpted stubble. He was wearing a deep red, floor-sweeping leather cape over what looked to be otherwise normal clothes - a snug-fitting long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans - as if he had no inclination to keep up the appearances required of his title. He was unlike any other royalty she had ever seen, though admittedly, she wasn’t sure what she had been expecting to begin with.

“Some sort of compound I came up with myself. I dunno the science behind it, but it’s nice, right?” he grinned. The warmth of his voice was a little unsettling. “So. Let’s cut the crap about me sitting up there while you guys stand down here. I feel like I’m literally looking down on you guys. Dinner? You hungry?”

“As long as one of your people taste-test each of our dishes in front of us to prove its lack of poison,” Gamora returned, eyes narrowing, though he couldn’t help but notice her tucking the marble blade into her belt alongside the plethora of other weapons she had stowed with her. “This is an arrangement of professionalism. Not friendship. So lead the way.” ______

Peter and Mantis were somewhat surprised when Gamora and Nebula swept into the dining hall accompanied by three other figures they hadn’t seen before - an incredibly muscular man (perhaps too muscular, in Peter’s opinion) with swirling red tattoos all over his greenish-grey skin, a creature that looked to be an exact replica of a Terran raccoon, and a...tree?

“Drax and Groot lead our security detail, not that we need one,” Gamora smirked in response to Peter’s confused glance. “Rocket is our...aide. That’s his official title, at least. He mostly helps with our weaponry and tech. Father doesn’t know he’s here with us, however. It’s best he doesn’t know at all.”

“Ri-i-ight.” Peter decided it was best not to ask any more questions, instead gesturing for everyone to take a seat. He sort of hated the dining hall - like the rest of Ego’s palace, it consisted of glittering gold walls and floors, floor-to-ceiling curving windows, towering arches and columns covered in ornate patterns, and yet the very barest of furniture - just the excessively long table, enough chairs to seat fifty quite comfortably, and a few potted alien plants in the corners. They almost never ate here, considering how over-the-top it all was, but after Nebula’s biting remark, he wanted to at least try to provide some hospitality, or more accurately, show off just a little bit. His pride was at stake here, after all. “Would you like to discuss the terms of our, uh, arrangement over dinner, or would you rather leave it for another time?”

“Leaving it for another time requires us to remain in each other’s presence for longer than we need to.” Gamora pursed her lips. “Does that sound ideal to you?”

He frowned, offended. “Hey, I’m not a huge fan of this, either, but you don’t have to be hostile. If we wanna make this work, we gotta act like adults.”

“You really are unlike any other regime we’ve ever come across,” Gamora snorted. “The informality of both your reception and your speech are hardly good starting points for negotiations.”

Before Peter could open his mouth with what he was sure to be a clever comeback, the servants entered with trays of appetizers, setting them down delicately in front of each person and removing the cloches with a flourish. To his surprise, the guests appeared truly impressed for the first time, oddly fixated on the food for all of five seconds before they started digging in with great enthusiasm. “I dunno what this is, but it’s way better than what they served on Sanctuary,” Rocket said between bites, practically letting it spill out of his mouth as he spoke. Mantis wrinkled her nose a little in disgust.

“All our food is grown here,” Peter replied, smiling a little uncertainly. He was still unused to looking at Rocket and Groot especially. Having encountered many a strange alien every now and then, it was odd to see creatures that strongly resembled Terran biology. It made him ache for a brief moment in memory of his home planet.

They were mostly silent throughout the appetizer, something Peter and Mantis found uneasy. They usually ate alone together in one of the smaller sitting rooms whenever Ego wasn’t home, chatting excitedly about their days. Peter especially liked talking, was even considered to be relatively good at it. As far as his people were concerned, it was made him a more personable leader, made them feel like they were talking to a friend instead of their ruler.

By the time they got to the main course, Peter finally spoke again, as he could stand the quiet no longer. “What’s it like, being a Titan?” He glanced around at the others, hoping that one of them, any of them, would reply. The tree didn’t seem too talkative - he had enthusiastically introduced himself a few times when they had first walked in, but since then had just been sitting in silence, a pleasant (if a little vacant) smile on his face. Nebula hadn’t said a word since she yelled at him earlier, and Drax seemed content on stuffing his face with as much food as possible in the shortest amount of time.

“Does it have bearing on our arrangement?” Gamora returned easily.

“Well...no. I was just making conversation.” His eyes narrowed a little. Was she really that disinterested in talking about anything other than their so-called marriage? It was like pulling teeth with her.

Twisting her mouth in displeasure once more, Gamora slammed her fork and knife down on the table. ��Fine. You really want to know what it’s like, being a leader of Titan? Nebula and I were taken from our homes as children, raised to be weapons of mass destruction. We were taught how to kill another being in a hundred different ways by the age of ten, have slaughtered both criminals and innocents by the dozens on never-ending paths of terror. Our beds are rock, and our insides are steel. We are no princesses, like your sister here. We are warriors.” Gamora got to her feet, her chair sliding abruptly across the floor with an uncomfortable screech, and promptly stormed out, her hair and her cape swishing behind her.

“Well done,” Nebula said sarcastically after a moment of stunned silence. “You really are as useless as you look.” She stood as if to go after her sister, but Mantis got there first, holding out a hand towards Nebula in warning.

“I will take care of it,” she said, her voice low. For the first time since the Titans’ arrival, her antennae began to glow, bending towards Nebula in a hypnotizing dance. Slowly, in a dream-like state, Nebula sank back down into her chair, her usually narrowed dark eyes now blown wide with fear. “Do not leave this room.”

Once Mantis had left the room in pursuit of Gamora, Nebula shook herself a little, the fog lifting from her head. “What was that?” she hissed. “What did she do to me?”

“Don’t underestimate my sister,” Peter said, tilting his chin somewhat triumphantly. “Mantis is an empath. I’m sorry it had to come to that - she never uses her powers without permission - but we don’t exactly condone violence here. Dad doesn’t want us to ruin the lovely decor.”

A few awkward minutes later, with everyone banging their cutlery and cups a little louder to cover for the silence, Mantis returned with Gamora in tow, who also looked just as abashed as her sister had. “I realize my outburst was unhelpful in continuing our discussion,” she said, returning to her seat. “If we are truly to carry out this...arrangement of our respective fathers, then we need to at least know the very basics about each other. So please, tell me about yourself and your kingdom.”

Smiling easily, it was now Peter’s turn to put his fork down. “Well, for starters, it’s not really a kingdom? This planet is Ego himself. The humanoid form you’ll be meeting is more of an avatar, a physical body he uses to communicate with people. He used to be entirely alone out here until he found Mantis when she was a baby, orphaned on her homeworld. Me, I was born on Terra. I lived with my mom until I was eight, didn’t even know my dad wasn’t human. She...died, of cancer, and Dad sent Yondu to pick me up and bring me here. After he convinced me to stay, I managed to convince him it would be easier to maintain the planet and his creations if there were people living here, doing some honest work. So we looked for people like Mantis who had been lost, looking for purpose. Ever since then, the place has really become its own. We have a population of two billion people from all over the galaxy. They aren’t really Celestials - the only living Celestials, as far as we know, are me and Dad - but we kinda call them that because there really isn’t another name to give ‘em.”

“It appeared quite vacant when we first arrived,” Gamora commented thoughtfully. The tightness in her voice was fading away in favor of curiosity. “This territory...is it only for your family?”

“Yes,” Mantis said, nodding enthusiastically. She, too, had lost the hardness in her eyes from confronting Nebula earlier. “The only civilians allowed in this area are those who work in the palace.”

“And what of their families?” Gamora prompted. “They must live quite far away from here, then.”

Peter and Mantis exchanged nervous looks. “Most of them don’t really...have family,” Peter said tentatively. “The ones who work here are usually the ones who have already lost their families. We find that giving them work renews their outlook on life, despite the fact that their loved ones are gone.” Drax twitched so suddenly that Peter was almost certain he had imagined it. “Many of them manage to find new families in those they work with - friends, significant others. And if they have children, they’re allowed to live in their parents’ quarters in the palace. I know we might seem disorganized, but I promise, it’s just because we haven’t been around for very long. We don’t have the centuries of history that other kingdoms have, but we kinda have an idea of what worked and what didn’t by observing others.”

“And your father never uses his abilities on your people?” Nebula quirked an eyebrow in doubt. “I don’t believe that.”

“Only for good. We provide what we can,” Peter nodded. “Dad does most of it, though it kinda drains him. He usually gets Mantis to use her powers to help keep him sane. Me, I’m still not great at it. I’ve only got about ten years of experience under my belt. Still learning.”

“Interesting,” Gamora drawled, leaning back in her chair. She pulled the marble blade from her belt, holding it up to eye level briefly before pressing its tip into the surface of the dining table, twirling it with one finger resting on the hilt. “We’ve been to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Heard tales of the Celestials, what they were capable of. Rumors, of what they could do. What they might do, given the chance.”

“If you’re implying that my dad’s doing something wrong - ” Peter began, but Gamora interrupted him instantly.

“I’m in no position to judge. Look at our father,” she said with a derisive snort. “Look at what he’s asked of me. And let’s not be naive here, Peter Quill. Thanos and Ego didn’t set this up to play matchmaker. They want to unite our powers. They want something far beyond anything we could imagine alone. The real question is, what are we going to do about it?”

“Do about it?” Peter echoed rather dumbly.

“Absolute power,” she said slowly, leaning across the table (well, as best she could. It was unreasonably wide) to stare him down. “Do we let it happen, or do we make it go away entirely?”

“Well, this conversation just took a turn,” Yondu commented dryly, the first time he had spoken since dinner started. Gamora and Nebula were surprised to see him speak out of turn, but Peter, as always, only poked him in retaliation before turning back to observe the girls.

Before Peter could properly gather his thoughts, the servers came back to remove their plates and bring out dessert, elaborate puddings and cakes topped with heaps of fruit and sugary crystalline structures. It was the bare bones of a distraction, though, as he instead began to wonder what the Titans had really come here for. Gamora’s words implied that she wanted to go against Thanos, to stop him before it was too late. He wasn’t sure whether to interpret Nebula’s silence as agreeance, or at least, compliance, but she seemed to be something of a wildcard, guided more by self-preservation than logic. And okay, Peter knew that his dad wasn’t exactly squeaky clean, either - there were places he and Mantis were never allowed to go within spitting distance of, and they’d been punished by the light before, enough times for Peter to comfortably refer to it as abuse (in his mind, anyway. There was no telling what would happen if he said it out loud). But was it enough to justify defiance? Or, more accurately, treason? Was it treason?

“What are you proposing here, then? I’m guessing it’s not marriage,” Peter said, half-teasing, though his insides were beginning to twist unpleasantly at her insinuations.

Gamora cast yet another glance at Nebula, who nodded sharply at her in a surprising show of support. When she looked back at Peter and spoke once more, he was surprised to hear a hint of desperation in her voice for the first time. “I’m proposing an alliance, between my people and yours, that do not involve our respective fathers, before anyone gets hurt,” she said. “You have no idea the kind of horrors Thanos will unleash upon this universe, should he succeed in his plans.”

“And what is his plan?” Peter felt Yondu place a hand on his arm in warning, but he shook him off. He wanted to hear this, wanted to know where this was going.

“To pretend that this marriage is only that,” she said, her voice beginning to tremble. “We are to observe your father, find out the full potential of a Celestial and how to use it to our advantage. Then, kill him to take control of this planet, and manipulate you into working for us.”

Peter, stunned into silence, felt his spoon slip between his fingers. The clattering sound it made upon striking the bottom of his bowl only intensified the persistent ringing in his ears. Heart racing, his eyes flickered over towards Yondu, who had also frozen at Gamora’s admittance. “Mantis?” Yondu finally said. “What do ya think, girl?”

Mantis cocked her head in observance, her face utterly blank aside from her eyes roaming Gamora’s face, her antennae moving gently as if to bow to the other girl. “She is speaking the truth,” she finally said. “Thanos does intend on killing Father. Or rather, having her kill Father.”

“Then they should know our truth,” Peter said, standing abruptly.

“Don’t be stupid, Quill,” Yondu warned, once again reaching for his arm and getting shaken off instantly. Sighing, he threw his hands up in the air in defeat and leaned back. “It’s your funeral, boy.”

“You speak quite freely for a subordinate,” Drax interjected. “Have you no respect for your master?”

“Oh, so you do talk!” Yondu retorted.

“Only when it is required of me,” Drax replied irritably. “I see no use in yammering on like a schoolchild, with nothing of importance to say.”

“That would imply what you just said was useful!”

“Hey, leave Drax alone,” Rocket snapped, jumping up onto his chair and pounding a fist on the table, rattling the dishes around him. “What the hell is this ‘our truth’ business about, Quill?”

“Do not talk to him like that,” Mantis snapped, her antennae angling themselves towards Rocket as she, too, shot out of her seat. “You will address him as ‘your highness’ or ‘Prince Peter’ - ”

“No, don’t - everyone just shut up!” Peter yelled. Silence immediately fell across the table. He wasn’t sure when everyone else had stood up. “You guys need to know...if Dad dies, this planet dies too. Everyone on it dies. Children...families. And I’ll lose my Celestial powers.”

“Quill!” Yondu hissed, but Peter only flapped a hand at him to shut him up.

“The only way that your dad can get what he wants…” Peter trailed off, hesitant to finish the sentence. He wasn’t liking his odds.

“...is if we kill you instead,” Gamora finished, sinking back down. “Hit your father where it hurts, but not lose the chance for a Celestial slave. Well, we’re not doing that.”

“Really?” Peter exclaimed before he could stop himself. After her whole spiel about her and Nebula being experienced killers, he almost expected them to take him down where he stood.

She glared daggers at him in return. Okay, fair. It did sound rather judgemental, now that he thought about it. “Does it look like Nebula and I want to carry out Thanos’s plans? We’ve been discussing what to do while on our journey here, and we’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to prevent certain death is to work with you. To stop Thanos from committing genocide with your father’s powers.”

“You’re kidding.” Peter looked once again to Mantis, who shook her head in affirmation. “You know, a little warning would’ve been real helpful. And what were you gonna do if Dad was here?”

“I would have asked for a private meeting,” Gamora said, shrugging. Her face softened. “Quill, please, don’t make me beg. Billions will perish if we choose not to interfere. If we do nothing, we are helping Thanos succeed. We are helping him hurt people...torture them...in the ways that he did to us.” To illustrate Gamora’s point, Nebula wordlessly lifted her arm, disengaging her robotic hand to demonstrate the cybernetics inside, the twists and turns of the wiring and metal that now made up the majority of her body.

Once again, Peter found himself speechless, unsure of what to say, as he fixated on Nebula’s display of vulnerability. “Listen, I...I don’t know what you were expecting from me. Because you’re asking a lot here, and I’m no hero. But...if I can help...if we can help…” Mantis nodded encouragingly, though Yondu continued to look concerned. “...then we’ll do what we can,” he finished, giving Gamora a weak smile in return. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

Gamora finally smiled as well, a genuine warmth beginning to spread across her face. Peter’s breath hitched a little at the sight. “Well, first of all…” ______

“You must be crazy,” Nebula said snidely, half-stomping into the bathroom without warning, hopping up onto the counter - gold-laced marble, of course, to match the rest of the garish decor.

Gamora barely glanced away from the mirror, still vigorously brushing her teeth. Admittedly, she hadn’t felt this clean in months - her last mission had her hiding out in the lush forests of Dervani, and Sanctuary lacked the facilities that Ego’s palace boasted in spades. It was refreshing to not have a thin layer of ash covering her skin for once. “What is it this time?”

“After all that, you’re still going to marry that idiot?” Nebula scoffed. She picked up one of the bars of soap from the bathroom counter, snorting when she realized it was in the shape of a rose.

“I already explained this to you.” Gamora let out a long-suffering sigh. “We can’t give away our betrayal to Thanos until the opportune moment strikes to kill him, once and for all. We must pretend for everyone’s sake that Quill and I are oblivious to his and Ego’s plans. And Quill, he isn’t as naive as I expected, but he seems quite adequate at pretending to be. We just have to pretend we don’t care.”

“And I don’t,” Nebula snapped. Gamora shot her a dirty look in response. “Fine, but only because I have nothing better to do,” she said, relenting. “Still, you’re really going to follow through with this?”

“What other choice do we have?” Gamora rinsed her mouth, taking a moment to observe her reflection. And really, they didn’t. ‘Only choice’ - an oxymoron. It was a risk, saying anything at all, assuming that Peter, Mantis, and Yondu were indeed going to keep to their word, and not go to Ego and tell him of her plans. But despite the dubious nature of their kingdom, its undecided role in the cosmos, she felt like she could trust them. Either that, or all three of them were incredibly gifted actors. “We’re trapped, Nebula. If we choose to look the other way, the entire universe could get wiped out. If I refuse to marry Quill, Thanos will begin with killing us. We must take the narrowest path, and navigate with great caution - I marry Quill, we remain here on this planet and work with our new allies. When Thanos decides to strike, that’s when we take him down, and escape our old lives. Forever.”

“I do like the sound of that,” Nebula admitted. “Though you seem rather optimistic about being able to take down our father despite having no idea how to do so.”

“Someone has to be,” Gamora murmured. “The other three are about as confident in my plans as you are. Though I can’t say I’m enthused myself - Quill seems competent, but his attitude worries me. And I don’t know how rational he’ll be in battle, but...I was quite rash earlier myself. I don’t like disclosing our histories to just about anyone.”

“Well, he’s not just about anyone, he’s your future husband,” Nebula said with a smirk. “Let’s just agree that you’re both crazy. What a match made in heaven.” ______

The next morning, Peter found himself pacing up and down his study, nerves rapidly fraying, glancing at the clock every so often as if it were going to make a difference. He had arranged to have a private meeting with Gamora, but she was already ten minutes late. Had something happened to her? Or, more likely, did she decide not to come after all? He could practically hear Yondu’s voice in his head - “Quit pacin’, boy, you’re gonna wear holes in that carpet!” - but he couldn’t help but worry.

Gamora had certainly turned out to be more - complex wasn’t quite the right word, but he wasn’t sure what else was - than he thought. Peter was familiar with Thanos’s reputation, knew of the great and terrible horrors he had committed across the galaxy. Ego had chosen to look the other way, as he often did (“We can’t concern ourselves with the affairs of others, Peter, they’re far beyond our help”), but every single time he heard of yet another devastating event, Peter couldn’t help but think about what he could have done, had he been there. He had truly meant it when he told the others yesterday that he was no hero. He used his powers for menial tasks - lifting heavy objects, creating things out of thin air, reaching for the television remote when he couldn’t be bothered to get up. He knew he could be capable of so much more, though he couldn’t help but blame Ego a little bit for holding him back.

But yes, back to Gamora. She was intimidating, that was for sure. Almost frightening at times, the way she held herself, and he still had yet to see her famous fighting prowess. There were stories of her that transcended the entirety of space - daughter of Thanos, the deadliest woman in the galaxy, so on and so forth - but he had never heard her actual name until now. Seeing her in person, he was admittedly in awe. She was constantly in control - even when she had stormed off, the entire room had fallen silent, as if her presence commanded everyone to look and listen to her without her ever having to actually ask. There was true power behind every move she made, every word she spoke. Secretly, Peter also found her quite beautiful - captivating, even, but he was most impressed by her show of humanity. He would never have expected it from a person with her reputation, but maybe that was what made it all the more genuine. Her concern for others, her insistence on saving them, was a sign of maturity that Peter couldn’t have anticipated.

His musings were interrupted when the doors of his study abruptly swung open. Gamora stood tall, in a lesser version of her armor (though still no less impressive), sans cape. “This palace is impossible to navigate,” she informed him haughtily.

“Hello to you too,” Peter said, gesturing at the plush armchairs in front of the ornate brick fireplace. “Please, have a seat.”

“You speak of servants, and yet I’ve run into almost no one on my way here,” she continued as she sat down. “That man who led us to your throne, Kraglin, he said he was the head of the guard, but I’ve seen almost no ‘guard’ the whole time we’ve been here.”

“You’ve been here for less than a day,” Peter reminded her as he settled into the other chair. “And like I said, we aren’t that old-school. The guard only really exists for the off-chance that someone declares war, which probably isn’t gonna happen, aside from Thanos. Most of them are just stationed among the population to protect the people, act more as police than security for planet-wide threats.”

She nodded, folding one leg neatly over the other, staring into the crackling fire. She briefly wondered if it was real, or if it was manufactured by his Celestial abilities. “Why have you summoned me, Quill?”

“Our post-dinner discussion went kind of nuts yesterday when everyone kept wanting to talk about what they thought. Or maybe we all just like to talk too much,” he chuckled softly. “Anyways, I thought, y’know, maybe we could try to figure out a plan ourselves, without everyone else’s ‘input’.”

“Fair enough. Where do we begin?”

“Well, this might be a good start.” Peter opened the palm of his hand and extended it towards her. She watched as his fingers were swathed in white light, weaving and winding their way up his arm in ribbon-like formation. A small, completely smooth sphere of white marble suddenly appeared, levitating a couple inches above his hand, turning over and over and over again until it had transformed into a perfectly-shaped ring. In its very center was a large, pale green diamond, ensconced in an intricate carving of two blades with a double helix hilt. Gamora, at a loss for words, could only stare as the ring floated over to her, hovering in front of her face. She held up her hand in uncertainty, splaying her fingers outwards, and the ring delicately slid itself onto her finger. “What do you think?”

“It’s a bit eccentric for an engagement ring,” she said, her voice hoarse with an emotion she couldn’t name. “But I’ll accept it.”

“Cool!” he said cheerfully, apparently oblivious to the indefinable expression on her face. “So, we tell our dads we’ve agreed to get married. I’m guessing they both want it to happen as soon as possible, so they can start taking over the galaxy together or whatever while simultaneously figuring out how to screw each other out of the deal. In the meantime, while they’re busy playing mind games, we start figuring out the best way to stop them. We also have to play nice in public as well. My dad likes to do all these over-the-top events for our people - he’s a real show-off - so I doubt our wedding is gonna be anything less than insane.”

“That sounds horrendous and I want no part in it,” Gamora replied, frowning.

“Well, we gotta make the best out of a really bad situation. You might be used to doing stuff like this, but I’m not, and it just seems really freaking dangerous.” He leaned back in his seat, his hands beginning to glow again, though he had no intention of creating anything.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to escape my father, let alone kill him,” she said gently. “But yours…”

“He’s not...it’s...it’s complicated.” He continued to twist his fingers together. “I’m never really sure how to feel about him. You probably don’t feel that way about Thanos, considering what he did to you and your sister - you know exactly how you feel. But Dad...I hated him when we first met, because he was never there for me, never there for my mom, until she was already gone. Then he showed me the kind of power I was capable of. And I was a kid back then, so I went along with it, loved what he could show me. I don’t know if it means I love him, you know? And he gets really mad at me and Mantis sometimes, punishes us with this ‘light’ if we don’t obey him. But he always acts like he’s some kind, loving father most of the time. And...maybe that’s the scariest part of all.”

Gamora fell silent, unsure of how to respond. She still knew so little of this man, and yet she could already tell that he was an open book. She wasn’t sure what had spurred him to tell her something so intimate, but she was glad to have heard it, grateful, almost, to know he already trusted her enough to share such a story. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said quietly. “Will he be returning soon?”

“He passed on the message this morning - he’ll be back by tomorrow evening at the very latest. We’ll have to be really careful around him, but I think I can convince him to let you stay in my quarters instead - I’ll make something up about how I really like you - wait, that came out wrong - ” He let out a panicked breath. “I mean, I don’t know you well enough to say whether I like you or not? You seem pretty cool, but - ”

“Quill, are you always like this?” Gamora interrupted, exasperated, though she was secretly sort of amused. She hadn’t been so tempted to smile around another person that wasn’t Nebula in a very, very long time. His ability to switch from an emotional monologue to babbling nonsense was rather entertaining.

“Pretty much,” Peter admitted, laughing. “Anyways, I’ll tell my dad that I want to keep you close by, you can move into the spare room in my quarters, and that way, it’ll be easier for us to have private conversations. It would also make it easier for your people to come under the guise of wanting to see you, and we can have all our big discussions right here. Hopefully we can fly under the radar that way, avoid making Dad suspicious.”

“Understood.” Her eyes wandered around the rest of the room for the first time, taking in the bookshelves and desk, the multiple tables and chairs. It was so unlike the furnishing she had seen more than enough of in other parts of the palace, lacking the gold she had already become so accustomed to. Everything was, for lack of a better word, old-fashioned. Dark woods, scratched and marked, a ding here and there. Linen and cotton trimmings in place of silks and velvets, mismatched colors and stains that looked like they had been there for years. It was quite homely compared to the arrogance of every other room. It was surprising, considering Peter had such confidence, such a swagger in his step that exuded, well, ego. She had been expecting the same amount of exuberance, but instead, there was something humbling about his quarters, warm and inviting. “If my people and I are to live here for the time being, however long that may be, I request a proper tour. Nebula and I would specifically like to see your training facilities, as we have a very strict exercise regimen to adhere to.”

“Of course. We could do it now, if you’d like,” he offered.

“Have you no duties to attend to today?” she asked.

“Uh, well, Dad...he doesn’t really trust me or Mantis to do anything but sit around and look pretty,” Peter confessed, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck as he stood. “We have a decent amount of say in the politics, as long as he’s actually present. But when he’s gone? The place sort of...runs itself.”

“That sounds improper, but it somehow seems to work for you,” Gamora acquiesced, also getting to her feet. “Let’s go.” ______

Mantis was thrilled when Peter asked her to lead the tour with him, though Gamora’s people seemed less enthused. The Celestial siblings were already showing their hand at being quite capable of talking fifty miles per minute if it pleased them, and it certainly did.

“The abridged version would have been sufficient,” Gamora commented, though not unkindly, when they arrived at their last stop, the gardens at the very back of the palace. “I was aware this place was quite large, but I wasn’t expecting it to take two whole hours.”

“You have somewhere better to be?” Yondu snorted. Offended, Gamora scowled at him, though he seemed unmoved by her display.

“Play nice, Yondu,” Peter chastised.

“I am Groot.” They all turned towards Groot, who had settled down on the edge of the fountain, his beady dark eyes staring around in wonder at the lushness of his surroundings. Peter had to admit, the gardens were his favorite part of the palace, especially as a child - twelve-foot tall hedges surrounding them in every direction, winding stone pathways interwoven with crushed glittering crystals, hundreds of enormous flower bushes blossoming to their very fullest, neatly trimmed grass that was as green as far as the eye could see. Stone benches that were artfully worn and carefully placed, the occasional tree bursting with ripe fruit and flowers, the idle chirp of a bird gently piercing the air every now and then. And of course, the enormous fountain in the very middle of it all, made of - what else? - gold, boasted a statue of Ego, his cape suspended halfway as if it were fluttering in the wind, and atop his shoulders, eight-year-old Peter and six-year-old Mantis. They were both wearing crowns dripping in jewels and intricate scroll-like carvings, which they had never worn in real life. Aside from the fountain, the Titans were surprised to find the gardens rather tasteful.

“How gaudy,” Nebula said of the statue. “Your father’s name suits him, Quill.”

“Yeah, it’s a little on-the-nose, isn’t it?” Peter laughed. Nebula looked taken aback at Peter’s agreeance with her. “Anyways, I hope we managed to entertain you for the last couple hours, and that you’ll be able to find your way around here a little easier now.”

“You didn’t, and we won’t,” Rocket drawled, though he softened somewhat when he joined Groot at the fountain. “No, don’t drink the water, you d’ast idiot.” Groot appeared to be offended at being caught.

Continuing to chuckle, Peter moved to join Gamora as the others began wandering off among the foliage. “So? Impressed?”

“‘Satisfied’ would be more accurate,” she replied, folding her arms across her chest defensively. “It’s a better sight than Sanctuary. My bed...I feel as if I could have sunk right through to the floor.” Looking almost remorseful, she added softly, “I almost slept in.”

Surprised by her admittance, or rather, the fact she felt it was worthy of guilty admittance, he gave her a gentle smile in return. “Hey, you know you don’t have to stick to a schedule or anything, right? Like I’ve been saying, this kingdom is pretty damn lax. Aside from, y’know, my kinda violent dad? But he only does that to me and Mantis, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“You seem unsettlingly nonchalant about that fact,” she said firmly. “It’s not right.”

“No, it’s not, but...what can you do?” he shrugged. He took another cautious step closer so they were nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, gazing out to the gardens.

She looked up at him. “You can do something,” she said quietly. “Which is what we’re going to do. And if it were up to me, we would have an army standing behind us. But something tells me your so-called ‘guard’ isn’t exactly up to the task.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? We’ve got perfectly good soldiers,” Peter protested.

“It’s hard to believe you when you also tell me that you and your sister apparently do nothing of importance all day. That can’t possibly be a good influence on your subjects. How do you better your minds, your bodies? How can you be so sure you’re ready for impending war?” she whispered urgently, casting a nervous glance at their people, who were now all gathered around the fountain, making conversation. Rocket seemed to have said something that made everyone laugh.

“You think I don’t know how to fight?” he replied, teasing. He was hardly offended by her insinuation, considering her violent background in contrast with his cushy lifestyle, but hey, he couldn’t help but want to show off a little in response. “Oh, I can fight. Pretty decently, actually.”

“I’d like to see that,” she said, a smirk beginning to form. “I need to know who I’m fighting alongside, after all.” Gesturing for her to lead the way, the two of them walked to an open field of grass not too far from the others, free of the excessive amounts of foliage and rocks that occupied the other areas of the gardens. “I’ll be lenient,” she continued, removing her utility belt and tossing it aside. “No weapons. Hand-to-hand only.”

“That’s very kind of you, thank - oof!” Gamora had almost instantly roundhouse-kicked him in the gut as he spoke, causing Peter to stumble back several feet, nearly tipping head over heels right from the start. “Oh, it’s that kind of fight, hey?”

He swung, aiming for her shoulder, hoping to at least disarm her, only for her to catch his fist immediately and shove him downwards, slamming his head into the ground. “You’re not very good at this, are you?” she said tauntingly, straddling him, her hands wrapped firmly around his biceps to hold him there.

“I’m good when the other person doesn’t fight dirty.” Trying to ignore the press of her hips against his, he wrestled his arms out from her grasp and reached up to yank on her ponytail, causing her to cry out in pain, arching her back as he pulled. He took the opportunity to strike her now-exposed torso with his elbow, and as she rolled off of him, he pounced, pinning her to the ground, forearm braced against her throat, pushing her chin upwards.

“Pulling my hair? That’s the act of a child,” she chuckled weakly. “What was that about playing dirty again?” There was a brightness in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before, a sort of joy that he suspected didn’t come easy to her. He could only hope that she was already beginning to feel comfortable around him, or trust him, at the very least.

“Peter! I do hope that’s your future wife you’ve got underneath you there, and not another one of your trysts!” A booming voice from no more than fifteen feet away suddenly made Peter’s blood run cold. He and Gamora turned their heads to see Ego standing before them, hands on his hips, cape billowing behind him (Peter was at least ninety-five percent sure that he had created a permanent wind that followed him around for moments such as this). “Care to introduce us?”

Peter scrambled to his feet, bowing his head in submission. “Dad. This is Gamora of the Titans, daughter of Thanos. And yes, she is. She accepted my proposal.”

Gamora stood as well, bending fully at the waist before extending her left hand to shake, allowing the green diamond to glint spectacularly in the sunlight for Ego to see. “It is an honor to meet you,” she murmured. “Your planet is unlike anything me and my people have ever seen before, and we have been to the furthest reaches of the galaxy.”

Peter couldn’t help but notice it wasn’t actually a compliment, but knowing his father, he would certainly think it was. “Powerful, kind, and beautiful,” Ego chuckled, clasping her hand between both of his. “I chose wisely, didn’t I, Peter?”

“You’re home early,” Peter replied in lieu of answering the slightly creepy question. “Something go wrong?”

“On the contrary, my boy. Just checking up on one of my projects, and it went pretty well. Too well, in fact, which is why I’m back now!” Ego grinned, letting go of Gamora’s hand. “I see you’ve fashioned quite the ring for your girl.” Gamora’s eyes narrowed at the nomenclature, though she chose not to comment, instead opting to move back to Peter’s side.

“She’s not - Dad, come on,” Peter sighed, scratching at the back of his neck awkwardly. “I do have one request, by the way. I’d like for Gamora to stay in the spare room in my quarters.”

Ego raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And why’s that, son?”

“I’d...like to get to know her better. And I see no reason for her to remain in the guest wing when she’s going to be more than just a guest,” Peter said, giving her a tentative smile. Her eyes met his, a little more warmth returning, though her mouth remained downturned at the corners, stiff.

Ego’s eyes twinkled with mirth, clapping his hands together joyously. “Do I sense something in the air, Peter? Love, maybe? Or should I ask Mantis what she thinks?”

“Let’s not be hasty here,” Peter said, panicked, looking back to his father. “C’mon, Dad, don’t embarrass me.”

“I’m your dad, Peter, it’s my job to embarrass you,” he laughed, stepping forward to throw an arm over Peter’s shoulder, not-so-subtly guiding him away from Gamora. “Now, tell me all about what’s been going on since I left…” ______

Peter and Gamora weren’t alone again until nighttime, when she packed up her bags (or rather, bag) from the guest wing and accompanied him to his quarters, making their way through the eerily quiet palace, the open-air corridors bathing them in a wash of moonlight. “Sorry about my dad,” Peter said. “Like I was saying - not the most stable guy in the world.”

“Do your people know of his actions against you and your sister?” Gamora asked.

“You kidding? Of course not. Can you imagine what it’d be like if they did? Total chaos. Everyone would go running for their lives to Xandar or something.” He opened the door to his private quarters, motioning for her to enter. “Plus, it’d probably just open up the possibility of him doing it to anyone he wants to. Turn this place into a damn nightmare.”

“Considering his abilities, I’m surprised he chose to run his planet with generosity instead of coercion,” she added. “I suppose it must be your and Mantis’s influence. You have been very hospitable, if a little unorthodox. I’ve seen no signs of instability in either of you.”

“Well, I dunno about that. We all have our demons, don’t we? Things that drive us crazy?” Peter led her into the sitting room, which was every bit as cozy as his study, with large plush couches and modest furnishings. There was a sunken area in the back, which featured a few bookshelves flanked by identical-looking doors, and in between, a large set of gold-embossed double doors. He pointed to the door on the very left. “Your room is through there - has a private bathroom and everything. The big doors here are to my bedroom, so just knock before you come in. Everything else is open to you if you’d like, not that you’ll find anything interesting. It’s just a lot of books, keepsakes, random junk, that kinda thing.”

She nodded, smiling faintly. “Thank you, Quill.” She moved to open the door to her room, though her fingers lingered on the doorknob in hesitation as she turned to glance at him one last time over her shoulder. “Also, your fighting methods are unconventional, which may come in handy against disciplined warriors such as myself, but perhaps not the most effective way of doing things. I could help train you if you’d like. For our future endeavors, of course.”

His smile deepened, though he ducked his head away from the intensity of her gaze, feeling unusually shy. “Yeah, that...that’d be awesome. Thanks. Uh, night.”

“Goodnight.” She nodded curtly before disappearing behind the door. Peter chuckled to himself in wonderment at what exactly he’d gotten himself into as he made his way into his own bedroom.

a/n: hello lovelies, and welcome to a fic that is not my 20 questions 'verse for once! i really liked the idea of playing around with a modern royalty AU while still keeping it pretty close to their MCU selves, since that's apparently how i do my AUs. i also wanted to have a celestial!peter since i low-key wish they had explored that a little more in gotg vol. 2. like, concept - peter using his celestial powers in infinity war against thanos. is it just me that wants to see that, haha

this was originally gonna be a three-part oneshot but i'm unexpectedly going back to school in january, so now it's an eight-chapter fic to give me more time to work on it. i hope this will also give me a chance to get feedback from you guys as i write. unlike my other fic, i don't have a set schedule on when i'm posting updates, as i'll probably go days without writing once midterms come around, but i do know i'll be posting chapter 2 on december 15th, so i hope y'all are looking forward to that :)

thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed writing it. likes and reblogs would be much appreciated, and see you in the next chapter!

#starmora #peter x gamora #gamora x peter #peter quill #gamora #myfic #myfic: rtw #marvel #i hope y'all enjoy this one!! #i really love writing celestial!peter #also my usual of gamora&nebula and peter&mantis #and ofc peter&yondu