#he says that he purposefully made the other ships enter the bay first which means he KNEW there was danger and made the conscious decision

[smilerri]

people really have the audacity to claim odysseus isnt the most unlikable character in the entire odyssey?? when his whole personality is being a lying bitch?? yeah its funny sometimes but he still sucks

[emberbent]

Book 1: Fire | Chapter 2: The Firebending Master

The sun set rapidly over Yue Bay. From the deck of the ship, Shinza caught a glimpse of the blaze of orange that had overtaken the sky, raging like an ember for only a few moments. Then, like the rest of the day, it was over in the blink of an eye. She stood along the railing as the boat took her from the docks of Republic City to her destination. Her father hailed from Fire Fountain City; his family made sure every year to send letters and pictures to him, and he’d done his best to foster what interest she’d shown in her heritage, but Shinza herself had never been to the Fire Nation. 

She stood along the railing for a long time, her mind out of focus as it tried to sort out everything that had happened that day. The salty wind lapped at her skin and hair. The moon cast her glow over the glistening water and on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. She’d seen it before once or twice, on one school field trip or another, but it never struck her like it did now. As the boat rushed past, Aang stood vigil over the city, staff in hand, eyes looking toward the future he’d worked so hard for. Shinza felt a weariness, somehow deeply familiar, as if she was coming home from a long journey. Slowly becoming aware of this, she came back to the present, staring at the back of Aang’s head. 

She was him once, she realized.

Shinza finally made her way down the starboard side, hand on the railing to steady herself against the waves. Along the ship, dolphin-seals leapt out of the water. Mai and Zhang were somewhere, she knew. They were keeping their distance to be polite, but she could feel their eyes on her.

“Avatar Shinza,” said a small woman, who had approached her and bowed. “Your room is ready. I’ll escort you.”

“Thank you.” She was too tired to insist that she didn’t need to bow or escort her anywhere. Instead, she followed, suddenly aching for bed. 

The woman slid a key card into the slot and opened the door, allowing Shinza into a room whose opulence caused her to gasp aloud. “This is you,” said the woman, slipping Shinza the card. “My name is Feng. Please, if you need anything at all, ask for me and I’ll be happy to serve you.”

The woman bowed again and was off down the corridor before Shinza could say anything. She slipped into the room and closed the door, steadying herself against the gentle rocking of the ship as she took in the decor. She never would have been able to afford something like this herself, and the fact that she hadn’t really done anything to deserve this made itself apparent, like a rock in her shoe. On the bed sat a neatly folded pair of silk pajamas, burgundy in color, with the Fire Nation insignia embroidered on the back. Idly, she slipped out of the clothes she’d worn that day - tight-fitting pants, flat shoes, and a tank top - and draped them over the back of the chair at the desk, slipping gratefully into the pajamas and then into the luxurious covers.

Her lids instantly fell closed; behind them, she saw visions of Nero, staring in shock, and her parents’ faces as they waved to her from their doorway.

Morning came, and it took a moment to remember where she was. Shinza sat up in bed, flinching as a beam of sunlight came directly in through the window, obscuring her vision. The smell of breakfast suffused the ship; just in time, a knock came at the door. 

“Come in,” Shinza called blearily. 

Feng entered with a tray of food, followed by an assistant with a clothing bag draped over his arm. “Good morning, Avatar,” Feng chirped. “I hope you slept well. We’ll be docking in a few hours; I brought you some breakfast and a change of clothes. This is what you should wear when we arrive at the Island of the Sun Warriors.”

“Thank you,” Shinza replied. Seemed like the only two words she’d said to the woman so far. Feng and her assistant exited the room, leaving Shinza to make her way out of bed and pad over to the tray, which was filled with the most delicious-looking food she’d ever seen. Realizing with a loud rumble of her stomach that she hadn’t eaten dinner last night, she quickly ate her breakfast and drank her tea, feeling like she was starting to come alive.

The bag waited for her. Slowly, she pulled down the zipper and peeled back the flap, revealing the outfit inside: maroon-colored trousers, loose and terminating at the knee; a matching, cropped, sleeveless top, tight-fitting; a gold sash; a set of red sleeves for her forearms and calves and a collar of the same material; and a set of gilded armbands. She’d seen this type of clothing in a textbook, but never in her life did she think she’d ever get to wear anything like this - let alone see the Island of the Sun Warriors herself.

Reverently, she laid out the clothing and slipped out of her pajamas, catching a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror near the desk. It was the first time she’d seen herself since the previous morning, and it occurred to her now that everyone - the entire world - would be looking to her now. But she knew so little yet, and she looked undeniably like she didn’t know what she was doing. 

Shinza was tall - 5’9”, said her mother, but she knew she was just a hair taller than that. She had her mother’s deep, red-brown eyes, her grandmother’s delicate, symmetrical face, and her father’s slender build. A constellation of freckles occupied the low bridge of her nose. Her hair, fine and black and shiny, didn’t quite touch her shoulders, with short bangs that framed her face. Across her hands, forearms, and torso, her pale skin bore faint purple scars from an accident that had happened in her childhood, too early for her to remember.

Putting on the Sun Warrior clothing and pulling her hair up into a topknot, Shinza still looked a little lost and new, but if she squinted hard enough, she could imagine herself as a seasoned, powerful firebender. Still, the fact remained, which she hadn’t yet been able to properly address: she was incapable of bending fire.

The boat docked a few hours later. Feng came to collect her and bring her to Mai and Zhang near the ramp that led down onto the dock, clucking with delight at having had the privilege to serve the Avatar. “I hope you found everything to your liking,” she said.

“I did, thank you,” Shinza replied. “But why am I being treated so well? I haven’t even done anything yet.”

Feng looked up at her and smiled. “Yes, you have.�� 

With that, the woman bowed and left her alone with her transporters, who looked like proud older siblings as they intercepted her. “Look at you,” Mai noted, looking impressed and giving a little brow wiggle. “You look like you belong on the island. You ready?”

“We’ll walk you down to the dock, and then from there, you’ll be in the custody of the Sun Warriors,” said Zhang. “This is as far as we go with you.”

“It’s been a pleasure serving you,” Mai added. “We really do wish you the best of luck.”

The two took their places flanking Shinza and walked her down the wooden ramp. Custody? Shinza began to wonder if she had any say in this, or whether she could walk away if she wanted to. Something told her she couldn’t, but it didn’t matter: she wanted to see how far this path went. When would they realize they had the wrong person? At the end of the ramp, two Sun Warriors, neither older than twenty, approached and greeted the three of them. 

“Avatar Shinza,” boomed one of the two. “Welcome to the island. We’ll be bringing you to your firebending teacher. But we need to hurry; you’re already late, and the master does not like to be kept waiting.”

Shinza bowed in thanks, turning toward Mai and Zhang, who looked like they wanted to hug her. “We’ll see you around,” said Zhang. “Good luck.” He and Mai headed back up the ramp, and Shinza followed the two warriors inland.

The walk to the temple was short, and the warriors didn’t have much to say to her. Then, when they arrived, they left her alone. She hadn’t felt nervous since her transporters had picked her up in Republic City; worried, sure, and maybe a little annoyed at the sudden upheaval of her life and everything she thought she knew. But now, she was nervous. In what elaborate ways would she disappoint the master with her lack of bending? Would he chew her out for being late? Outside the entryway, she quickly straightened herself out and entered.

The temple was a large room inside a stepped pyramid, covered wall-to-ceiling with ancient, well-preserved murals. Some appeared to be stories: the origin of the dragons, the formation of the Sun Warriors themselves. Others were sacred firebending forms. In the middle of the room, with his back turned to her, stood the firebending master. He was dressed similarly to Shinza; with nothing covering his torso, the sunlight that shot through the entryway illuminated his bronze skin and carved shadows in his muscled back. He seemed to be deep in thought, hands balled into fists at his side. His left leg stopped just below his knee, and where the lower half might have been was an intricately and purposefully designed metal prosthesis.

“Excuse me,” Shinza called. “Sifu? I’m sorry I’m late.”

The man turned; the seriousness in his face dissipated and was replaced by a genuine grin, which reached all the way to his dark eyes. “Hey!” he called, practically jogging over as if Shinza was an old friend of his, and bowed. “Glad you made it. I’m Amrit.”

The confusion was apparent on her face. “Uh… yes. Thanks. Me too.”

Amrit snorted. “What’d they tell you? That I’m harsh? That you’d better be early, because early is on time, and on time is late?”

“I mean, yeah,” Shinza replied. “That’s pretty much exactly what they said.”

Amrit waved it off. “Ah, those two were class clowns. They deserved whatever punishment I doled out. Come on in, let’s get started.”

Shinza followed him into the middle of the room, letting out a deep breath of relief. Amrit quickly sized her up. “Okay, so what are we working with here? Show me some fire.”

“That’s the thing,” Shinza replied. “I keep trying to tell people I’m not a firebender, and no one will listen. I think I’m wasting your time, to be honest.”

“It’s easy to let yourself think you’re not a firebender if you can’t do the high-level stuff yet,” Amrit replied. “It’s okay, just show me what you know. Any little flicker you can muster. This is just an assessment.”

Frustration welled up inside her, but she took a deep breath and ran through a simple form she’d watched her father do, back before he’d retired. At the end, she pushed her hands outward, but no flames came from her palms.

Amrit looked genuinely stumped, picking his jaw up before Shinza could see. “Oh… wow. You were serious.”

She could hear the disappointment in his voice. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Shinza,” he replied kindly, looking her in the eyes. “We’ll figure this out. Don’t worry.”

He walked a slow circle around her, as if maybe she was holding the answer behind her back. The way his brows knit together caught Shinza off guard; he was so handsome, she suddenly felt like punching him. “Okay. I think I might know what the problem is. Can I try something?”

“Please. By all means.” 

Still standing behind her, Amrit planted one hand on her shoulder and one in the middle of her back, palm pressing into her spine. He stayed there like that for a few moments. “Yeah… yep. Your chi’s blocked. Big time.”

Was it really that simple? How could it have gotten so badly blocked? “Okay, but how are we gonna--!” Shinza gasped as Amrit drove his knuckles into her spine in a rapid one-two-three hit, just hard enough to disrupt the blockage. Instantly, warmth spread throughout Shinza’s body. She felt like a ray of sunshine. “This is amazing,” she murmured. “My hands have always been so cold, and now they’re… they’re so warm.”

Her smile was contagious. “I’m glad I could help,” he replied. “Now… let’s see some firebending!”

If this didn’t work, Shinza didn’t know what she’d do. But the thought that it could work - the thought that maybe she actually was a firebender after all - made her heart race. Taking her time and walking through the form again with more precision, she finished the movements and extended her hands. 

From her palms came a pathetic puff of smoke. 

[littlebitoffanfic]

Trust

Fandom: Star Trek Characters: Bones, Scotty Relationship: Bones/reader Request: I love your fics so much!! If you're still taking requests, I'd love to see a McCoy/ reader fic where reader gets a minor injury but is afraid of doctors and doesn't want to go to the med bay. Thanks so much, have a good day!! Can't wait to see what you write next! :) You were new aboard the Enterprise, and it had been a good first few months for you. But as your talents across several sectors were shown, you were moved into try to fix one of the broken ships that had been damaged in battle. Unfortunately, another newbie hadn’t secured the loose section of panel and, while you were fixing some of the wiring, it fell right on top of you. Scotty rushed over, helping you out with the aid of several others before demanding you go to the medical bay. For some reason, you felt more fear about going there than you did when you realised that panel was going to fall on you. You had a deep fear of doctors and hospitals. You managed to stop Scotty from escorting you there himself when you said if you had had a broken bone, you would know it. No, you were just a little bruised, that was all. With reluctance, he had dropped his demands and given you a week off to heal properly. he noticed you walked with a limp and decided that you were stubborn as a mule but he needed to do something. -------time skip ------------- You sat in the canteen, your meal barely touched as you sat totally engulfed in the book you were reading. It was a little busier than normal, but you didn’t mind because you were able to drown out the voices as white noise. Until you saw someone approach you out of the corner of your eye. You glanced up to see a new face. A man, with dark hair and a strong jaw line. His features seemed set in a mild annoyance but he was certainly handsome to look at. “Do you mind?” He nodded to the free seat at your table. He was carrying a tray with a cup on it along with a sandwich. He was probably on his break. But he wasn’t wearing a uniform, which means he wasn’t on a break. Maybe he had not long finished a shift and decided to change. It wasn’t uncommon for staff to change into normal clothes to eat after long shifts. “No, go ahead.” You respond with a smile. “Are you new?” he asks as he sat down, taking the cup of coffee and plate off his tray to slip the tray down the side. The table was rather small and it would have taken up a good chunk. “Yes, Ive been here about 2 months now.” You nod, your attention distracted from your book to the gentleman sitting at your table. “I suppose that relatively new on this ship.” He looks to his right before taking a sip of his coffee. You let out a small chuckle before reaching for your empty cup. “Are you going to be here a bit? Could you watch my things while I grab a drink?” You shake the cup slightly and the man nods. Getting to your feet, you go over to the coffee machine and make yourself another drink. There was something a little intriguing about the man who had just sat beside you. You were more sure than not that if this hadn’t been a work environment, you might have allowed yourself to admit you were attracted to him. But you chocked back the feelings and returned to the table. “You’re limping.” He stated in a rather harsh voice that made you raise an eyebrow at him. “Slightly, yes.” You sip on your drink, a little taken aback by his words. “Have you seen the med bay about it?” He places his coffee down, his full attention on you. “Well, no.” You drop your gaze, unsure why he seemed to care so much. “Why? If you’re injured, isn’t that what they are there for?” He raises an eyebrow at you, seeming to question if you knew what a med bay was. “I know. I just, umm. Im not the biggest fan of doctors.” You admit, a little sheepishly as your cheeks flared up red. You didn’t know why you were offering an explanation to this stranger when you didn’t even offer it to Scotty, you had known for longer. “they aren’t a band, you don’t have to buy a ticket.” He frowns, apparently unsure of your meaning. But his response made you laugh. “No, no, no.” You giggle, batting your hand at him as you managed to calm yourself down a little more to put it into words. “I don’t like them. I never have. Hospitals, nurses, needles, they all make me really uncomfortable.” “Oh.” Was all he said as he sat back, his attention turning to his coffee. “Besides, im not badly hurt. Just a little bruised. Nothings bleeding or broken.” You defended yourself as you took another drink. For a moment, the two of you sat in a uncomfortable silence, broken by the sipping of liquid before the man spoke. “I got hurt a few missions ago. Got a nasty bruise on my back. I still have some of the healing cream in my quarters.” He spoke carefully, not looking at you but seeming more interested in the coffee at the bottom of his cup. “Healing cream?” You asked, a little unsure. “Yes, its meant to help with any swelling and calming bruising. I had a few tubes of it and I only used one. Ive got 2 unopened. They’re yours if you want them.” He looked at you, and you saw something in his eyes. He seemed to generally care and be concerned about you. “Well, that would be nice.” You nod. It would be good if you could get the bruising down quicker. The two of you finished your drinks and you closed over your book before realising you didn’t know his name, nor did he know yours. “Im [y/n], by the way.” You extend your hand to him as you two walked out of the food hall. “Leonard McCoy.” He shook your hand. ------- time skip ----------- “It will get infected.” Leonard chastised you as he looked at your palm which was slip open. “Im sure it’ll be fine.” You pulled your hand back, wishing you had never shown him your latest injury. After meeting in that café, you and Bones had grown rather close. It had only been a month, but you saw him nearly every day after your shift. “You need to go to the medical bay. You need stitches.” He stood up, forgetting about his own dinner. “No, ive told you a thousand times.” You turned back to your meal, eating it with your good hand. “Why not?” Bones collapsed back into his chair, thankful the hall was nearly deserted so no one could see him freaking out. “Because I don’t trust them.” You couldn’t hid the anger in your voice. you were annoyed at how he kept pushing you and pushing you. But there was a short pause as Bones stared at you. “Do you trust me?” he asked, his voice softer than before. It was no longer commanding you, but more becoming. You looked over to him, confused by his question. But you knew the answer nonetheless. “Yes.” You nodded slightly. Bones stood up and took your good hand. Without a word, he guided you through the halls towards the medical bay. You had never been there before and you fought your instinct to run in the opposite direction. Mainly because you were intrigued by Bones. Why had he asked you such a question? What relevance did it have to the slice in your palm. You were so preoccupied with the question, you didn’t realise you had passed through the first set of door into the medical bay. There were beds on both sides of you with sheet screens that some had pulled around. One bed had blood on it that the nurse was stripping. You froze as your eyes fell on some medical equipment. But Bones moved his hand to your back and stared you guide you through the area into the back office at a gentle pace. Inside was part office, part examination room. It reminded you of a doctors room from back on earth. On the wall was a few plaque and medical certificates as well as a book shelf with medical books. Bones motioned for you to sit on the examination bed in the corner, which you did without objection. Bones then came over to you with a small tray of medical things including antibacterial wipes, creams, a needle, the stitches and needle and a few other things you couldn’t recognise and he placed the tray beside you. he took your bad hand and turned it over so your palm was facing the ceiling. He then used a wipe to dap away some of the dried blood before picking up the needle. You went to yank your hand away from him but he looked up at you. “You have to trust me. I wont hurt you.” He said, his eyes pleading for you to believe him. And you did. You nodded and closed your eyes tight and gritting your teeth. You felt the small prick of the needle entering your palm in 3 places around the wound but never actually inside it. Once it was done, you felt your hand start to feel strange. “What…” you trailed off as you tried to move your fingers but they felt weird. “It’s numbing your hand. You wont feel a thing when I do the stitches.” Bones clarified for you as he pulled a office chair over so he could sit down. Your eyes moved across the room until they fell on the medical degree. “You, youre the head of the medical bay, aren’t you? you’re a doctor?” You breath, your eyes skimming the name on the degree again and again. “yes.” Was all Bones said to you as he rearranged the tray is if he was feeling awkward. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” You ask, feeling a little hurt. He must have purposefully have kept that information from you. “You never asked.” Bones replied a little too quickly. He reached to take your now numb hand but you pulled it back. “Earlier you asked if I trusted you. and I said yes. How do I know I can trust you now?” you felt the fear running through your body. Bones looked at you before signing and leaning back in his chair. “I wanted to say something sooner. But Scotty said you would be terrified of me. So I didn’t.” He explained, but didn’t answer your question. “What does Scotty have to do with this?” You ask, more confused now than ever. “He asked me to try and discreetly make sure you weren’t in too much pain or danger.” Bones said. “Oh, so the only reason you’ve been spending time with me is because of Scotty?” You ask, shocked as you blinked back tears. You had really grown to care for Bones, and the thought that it was all a ruse made your heart break in two. “When I sat with you first, yes. But ever since then? No, its because I enjoy your company. And the longer I left it, the harder it got to tell you.” He shakes his head, frowning to himself as he silently cursed Scotty. “Why?” You asked again. “I don’t want you to be scared of me or ruin the connection we have.” He paused before looking up at you, his eyes betraying him and showing how scared and anxious he was. His answer made you stop. It was true. The two of you got along like a house on fire. You could speak for hours at a time and never run out of subjects. You had heard a little about the head of the medical sector being grumpy and he didn’t like to socialise very often. So you had never made the connection between him and Bones. Maybe you should have paid more attention. Signing, you held out your hand to Bones. “I trust you.” You whisper, wiping away your tears on the back of your sleeve. “Thank you.” Bones nodded, taking your injured hand in his own as he set to work, stitching. You looked away the entire time, but before you knew it, he was done. He wrapped your hand in a bandage. “Ill need to change this in a few days and look at the stitches. But I can come to your quarters if you don’t want to come back here.” He looks up at you. “hmm, I think you should come to my quarters. But only because im lazy and you betrayed me.” You joked, laughing a little as you turned your now bandaged hand over and admired how well he had done. “I am sorry.” Bones said, the genuine apology portrayed by his cracked voice. “I know.” You nod, more to yourself than to him. You jump off the bed and stand up. Bones immediately get up from his chair, making sure you weren’t going to faint or stumble. It made you giggle. you wrapped your arms around his neck and hugged him before he could protest. “Thank you.” You whispered in his ear as you closed your eyes. Bone’s arms wrapped around your waist and he returned the hug, holding you close. “anything you need, I’ll always help you.” He whispers back. In that moment, you forgave the small white lies he had said, or at least that he hadn’t said he was a doctor. “Besides, it might be beneficial for me to have my own personal doctor. Im always in the wars.” You giggle, pulling back to see him smiling down at you. “so I’ve seen.” He chuckles as he starts to guide you out of his office again. “Where are we going?” You ask, sticking closer to him and avoiding looking around the medical bay. “to get something to eat.” Bones replied. “Ah yes, since you dragged me away from my meal.” You shot him a dirty look which you couldn’t keep for long without laughing. Bones once again chuckled at you. but he was also glad he still had your trust.

[officialheroesofolympus]

Bittersweet Hanukkah (Wanda Maximoff x reader)

HeroesOfOlympus: Heyyy y’all! So, today is the last day of Hanukkah and I really wanted to write something for those who celebrate Hanukkah or just love and wish for more Hanukkah fanfics. I’ve been working on this for a few days and I’ve been really nervous because this is my first female character x reader fic and I’m also really scared that I may have not gotten the right idea of what Hanukkah is. I did my research but I still feel uneasy, so if I have offended y’all in any way, I’m really sorry! Also, I have no idea if MCU Wanda is Jewish but in the comics she is. @yourtropegirl @becaamm I saw both your posts and I just decided to tag you two, hope you like it!

Description: Wanda is feeling more upset about losing Pietro as it’s Hanukkah, his favourite time of the year. You try to comfort her by putting up Hanukkah related decorations in the tower and a very special gift.

Reader Gender: Not mentioned/Female or Male

Characters/Ships: Wanda Maximoff x reader, mention of Pietro and Tony

Rating: G

Warnings: Awkward writing, angst to fluff, mention of Pietro’s death (which I still have not gotten over)

Humming a Christmas carol cheerily under your breath, you strolled to your room with a bounce in your step as your mind swirled with various gift ideas to get for the other members of the team. As you got to the chorus of the festive song, a muffled sob immediately stopped you in your tracks.

Knitting your eyebrows together, you focused on the crying sound and found that it was coming from the room just ahead of you. Recognising that the room belonged to none other than Wanda, you tightened the grip on your reindeer decorated mug, contemplating on whether it would be appropriate for you to enter her room.

Chewing on your lip uneasily, you took cautious steps towards the smooth oak door of her room and twisted the door handle as silently as you could. Seeing that she hadn’t locked her door, it seemed okay for you to enter the girl’s room, so you did. Taking your chances, you cracked open the door, wincing as a squeaking sound came from it.

Poking your head around the corner of the door, you caught a glimpse of the back of the Sokovian’s head over her bed and you swiftly tiptoed into the room, silently shutting the door behind you. Realising that Wanda had chosen to change her window settings to darken and the only source of light was her ceiling lamps, your concern for her only grew.

Wanda loved having light flood her room, filling every dark nook and cranny, hence it was worrying that she had purposefully shut off the largest source of light in her room. Slowly blinking your eyes to adjust to the sudden lack of light, you set your mug down on the dressing table and carefully approached Wanda.

The moment your eyes fell upon Wanda and you saw how her muffled sobs made her whole body tremble, along with the way she buried her head between her thighs with her legs pulled up tightly against her chest, you felt your heart clench. Your eyes softened as you sat down next to the female, bringing your legs to your chest just like she had done.

“Wanda?” You finally managed to force the word out of your mouth, unsure of how to approach this situation. Fiddling with your fingers, you waited patiently for her to respond, racking your brains for any reason why she would be crying right now.

After a few seconds that felt more like hours, the other Avenger had finally lifted her head from the safety of her thighs, letting you see her face for the first time since you had entered the room. The tears that were staining her cheeks and hanging threateningly from the ends of her thick lashes glistened under the lamps just above her, the rims of her eyes red and puffy.

Managing a grimace, Wanda furiously rubbed away at the tears on her face, hoping to get rid of any traces that showed that she had been crying. In an instant, she felt a hand coil around one of her wrists, holding it so gingerly that Wanda had to look to make sure that there was indeed a someone holding onto her.

Reaching over, you tucked the strand of hair that had been blocking you from seeing the Sokovian’s face behind her ear, ignoring the pounding of your heart. “Wanda, what’s wrong?” You tried again, your hand lingering for a moment behind the girl’s ear before quickly moving away.

Wringing her hands nervously, Wanda resisted looking into your eyes, knowing that the moment she saw how much care and concern shone in your eyes, she would indulge all her secrets in you. Unfortunately, when your hand had shifted from your knee to hers, she lost all her self-control and caved into temptation.

“What’s wrong is that Pietro is not here,” She muttered with a waver in her voice, eyes nervously meeting yours.

Hearing the other Maximoff twin’s name, you let out a shaky breath you didn’t know you had been holding and immediately gave Wanda’s knee a light squeeze, encouraging her to continue. Taking an uneasy breath of air, the Scarlet Witch continued with a tremble in her voice, which broke your heart.

Wanda’s eyes began to water as she began to speak in a volume that was barely a whisper, “Celebrating Hanukkah was his favourite holiday and it just seems wrong to be celebrating it without him.” Slightly surprised at this newfound fact that Wanda was Jewish, you chastised yourself for thinking about that when you should instead be focused on listening to the reason behind your friend’s sadness.

Wanda’s eyes became unfocused as she continued talking, her words spoken in a nostalgic and heartbroken tone. “He used to try and sneak some latke when I was still in the middle of making them. I would chase after him, demanding him to give them back but I could never catch up to him. Even without his powers, he was a fast runner.”

Choking out a pained chuckle, Wanda shook her head as she recalled every tradition she did and every moment she had spent alongside her Brother during that holiday over the years. “It was his favourite time of the year and now that he’s gone...” She trailed off, taking an uneasy gulp as a fresh round of tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

Seeing the way her eyes seemed to be trained upon something, you followed the direction of where she was looking and found yourself staring at a box you hadn’t noticed before. Inside were trinkets and objects the girl had saved over the years from celebrating Hanukkah but most importantly, at the top of the pile was a picture of Pietro and her.

When Wanda’s eyes had flickered back to you, she caught you staring at the box and sobbed out, “That was the only picture I managed to keep after HYDRA.” Looking longingly at the image, she slowly reached forward to pick it up by its frayed edges, holding it gingerly and carefully in her hands as if one wrong move would tear the whole image into a million unfixable pieces.

As the both of you stared down at the picture, an idea struck you. Perhaps Pietro wasn’t here anymore but that didn’t mean Wanda couldn’t still celebrate Hanukkah. You just had to convince her.

And you knew exactly what to do.

“Where did all the Christmas decorations go?”

Hearing Wanda’s voice drift into the living room, you forced yourself to stop bouncing on your heels and compose yourself. Fighting down the continuous need to grin, you wrung your hands behind your back, quivering with anticipation as you awaited Wanda’s judgment of what you had done.

Seeing the awestruck look on her face as she stepped into the living room, surveying her surroundings, you couldn’t stop the giggle that had managed to sneak its way out of your mouth. “How? What?” Wanda stumbled over her words, mouth dangling wide open as her eyes lingered on everything you had recently set up in the living room.

Finally, her green orbs settled onto you, who stood in the centre of it all. The corners of her mouth immediately quirked upwards whilst her heart started to pound faster and louder, something that seemed to happen more often whenever she was around you. 

Slowly approaching you, she waved her arms around the room, gesturing to the new decorations that replaced the Christmas ones you had previously put up. “Did you do this?” She whispered, her eyes shining with gratitude and astonishment. 

Shrugging your shoulders nonchalantly, you tried to keep the rising smile at bay by biting down hard on your lip. However, the moment the Sokovian caught the way your mouth had twitched, she instantly knew that you were fighting a smile.

Standing an arm’s length away from you now, Wanda elegantly arched an eyebrow, folding her arms and tilting her head to the side, waiting. She knowingly waited for your excitement to get the better of you so that you would finally lose the patience that was already slipping away from your fingers and answer her.

Sure enough, an infectious smile rivaling the warmth of the sun stretched onto your face, giving Wanda the answer she needed. Nodding your head enthusiastically, you showed a moment’s hesitance by biting your lip before all the words rushed out of your mouth in a hurried craze, as if you were worried that you would forget them if you didn’t say them immediately.

“After seeing you sad, I just couldn’t stand by and let you continue to be in pain. I had to do something, anything to make you happy. So,” You gave a pause to let your eyes flicker over to the Hanukkah related decorations you had painstakingly put up, pride practically radiating from you. 

You shot the woman a smile that just seemed so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushed through her. “I did all this, to show you that even though Pietro isn’t here, there are other people that want to celebrate Hanukkah with you.” You finished, face now flushed in embarrassment at how mushy you sounded.

Just as Wanda thought things couldn’t get any better, you pulled your hands out from their stiff position behind your back, raising them towards the Brunette to reveal an album. Startled at the aspect of another surprise for her, Wanda shakily reached out to gingerly take the album from you.

Face shining with anticipation and appreciation, the girl forced herself to move her fingers to flip through the album. The moment she flipped to the first page, her eyes widened at what she saw. Staring back at her were photos of Pietro and her. Awed, she flipped through the pages slowly, taking her time to let the images soak into her brain and to comprehend that this wasn’t just a dream.

“Tony has a camera installed in his suit to record everything he sees, so I just asked him to help print out pictures of both of you from said recordings. I also got help from SHIELD and almost every orphanage you and Pietro entered for your child photos. Also-” 

At this point, Wanda’s heart was bursting with love for you, grateful and amazed that you would cancel your favourite holiday, which you had been harping on about since the first of December, and collect all these photos just to make her happy again. 

Letting out a tiny gasp, she clasped a hand over her mouth to hide the ear-splitting grin that was rising onto her face, reaching out her other free hand to grab yours. Her abrupt action had caught you off guard and in turn, cut you off mid-sentence of your enthusiastic rant.

Trying to convey her joy through squeezing your hand, she found that the action wasn’t sufficient enough to show her gratitude and decided to pull you towards her, opting instead for a hug. Wrapping her arms around you, she held you close to her while she settled her chin on your shoulder, her smooth locks brushing against your cheeks.

Suddenly, she found herself unexpectedly sobbing once again, this time not in pain but in elation. Eyes brimming with tears, she didn’t try to hold them back, knowing she couldn’t even if she wanted to. She let them flow freely from her eyes, letting them roll down her cheeks and off her sharp jawline before they got soaked up by your shirt.

Pulling away, she held her breath as she watched you swipe your thumbs over her remaining tears, finding herself unknowingly leaning into your warm touch. Out of nowhere, an idea struck her and she gathered up the same courage she always did before a battle, planning to put this idea into immediate action.

“Look, a mistletoe.” She breathed, admiring how adorable you looked when you furrowed your eyebrows, confusion written all over your face as you peered upwards to check and to indeed see a mistletoe hanging between you and Wanda. You took a sharp intake of breath, eyes widening at the realisation of what you soon had to do.

Stammering, you felt your cheeks heat up to form a blush whilst you tried to distract yourself from the inevitable. “I swear, I thought I got rid of every Christmas decoration…” You trailed off, absolute puzzlement laced in your words. Wiping the cheeky smile off her face, Wanda gave a tiny lift of her shoulders, looking like the epitome of calm when inwardly, she was anything but relaxed.

“Kissing under the mistletoe is a Christmas tradition, isn’t it?” She asked innocently, tilting her head to the side and reminding you of a puppy. Nodding your head dumbly, you gulped loudly, eyes fluttering down to look at Wanda’s kissable and inviting lips before focusing back onto the Sokovian. “We can’t break a tradition, especially a Christmas one,” She continued.

Moving your head up and down again, you held your breath as she tugged harder on her grip around your waist, pulling your body against hers. Face flushed, her moment of boldness quickly dissipated as she hesitated, loosening her hold on you. Seeing how nervous Wanda also was, you brought your arms up to coil around her neck, a move clearly made to urge her on.

Filled with courage once again, the usually shy girl once again added more pressure to her hold on you, seeming more sure of her actions. As cliche as it sounded, time seemed to slow down for the both of you as you noticed every tiny detail of each other’s faces. Agonizingly slow, Wanda leaned forward to seal your lips with a kiss but your patience soon wore thin and you closed off the gap between the two of you.

Both of you pressed your lips against the other’s, aware of every contact your bodies made with each other. It was soft and sweet, and you never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, breathing was a thing and thus, the two of you pulled apart reluctantly, such a small action causing both of you to end up breathless.

“You put up the mistletoe, didn’t you?” You tried to question blamingly, only to end up asking in a soft panted whisper. The corners of Wanda’s mouth pointed skyward, answering your question and making you laugh for some reason. 

Your laughter, which Wanda found was warm and bright just like the sun, was soon cut off by the Brunette molding her lips against yours again, a single thought running through her mind.

Perhaps Pietro was no longer by her side and she couldn’t do the same traditions she always did with him during Hanukkah but she had you now, not to fill in her Brother’s void but to remind her that she still deserved happiness.

And for the first time in years, she felt at peace.

[therearemonstersinthedark]

Book 2 Luciferous

Chapter 8: Moth

A Guardians of the Galaxy Fanwork

Pairings: Peter Quill / Gamora (one-sided), Peter Quill & Nebula

Genre: Adventure, general

Word Count: 5k

Rating: T to be safe, mild gore in later chapters

Links: Fanfiction.net || Ao3

Summary: It’s time to return to Ego’s planet, and Peter is less than excited.

Author’s Notes: Title is from 'Moth’ by Audioslave

Chapter 8: Moth

Things rolled into action with surprising speed once Peter gave his answer. So much so, that they must have been prepared at least somewhat in advance. Peter felt like a stone in the middle of a hurricane as the crew members swept around him.

There was a tap on his shoulder and Peter pulled his eyes up to find Dey standing behind him.

"Let's gather your friends."

Peter and Dey were joined by Drax and Groot, and a handful of other crew members in the hallway.

The group swept into the Containment unit, and headed straight for the cell at the end of the hallway. Gamora and Nebula both sprung back out of reach as the Nova Corps entered, seeming to sense the sudden shift in attitude and sense of urgency in the air.

"Peter?" Nebula asked, taking up a defensive stance and eyeing the nearest soldier suspiciously.

"They're taking us to Ego's planet." Peter explained.

A heavy hand settled on Peter's shoulder. As he twisted his head to shoot Drax a curious look he heard the sound of the other cell door opening and weapons being readied.

"Hey!" He shouted, but the hand held him firmly in place.

"Let them do what they must." Drax's voice rumbled. "The rodent can clearly not be trusted, and now is not the time to let your foolish eccentricities delay us further."

The Guardians were lead swiftly down to the docks. Gamora and Nebula had been bound again for the transport. Nebula had a new set of cuffs which ran from her wrists nearly to her elbows, but it was obvious from how twitchy their escort was that they hadn't forgotten how easily she had slipped free last time.

Peter hovered close to Rocket, who was being surprisingly compliant. He had a look about him, like he was thinking very long and hard about something and Peter wanted to be ready to stop whatever plan he was cooking up before the already very edgy Nova Corps shot him. Rocket never did make a move, and other than some threatening looks and an obscene gesture or two, they made it to the docks with no incidents.

Saal was waiting for them at the base of a shuttle that could comfortably fit an entire crew. Marlowe was at his side, back in her regular uniform and watching over the quiet docks as though expecting trouble.

As they drew near, Dey waved his hand in some sort of signal. Saal gave a brief nod in return and he and Marlowe turned to walk up the loading ramp ahead of the approaching group who followed after without stopping. Almost as soon as they were on board the ramp was raised and Peter could hear the engines rumbling to life.

"What's the big rush?" Peter asked, trying not to let Rocket out of sight as he made his way towards Dey. He wasn't in any particular hurry to see his father again, and all this running around was rattling his already very frayed nerves.

"You're going behind their backs, aren't you?" Gamora's voice rang out from behind him. "That council of yours has no idea what you're doing here."

Dey didn't answer, but the guilt dancing across his face was enough to tell Peter she had hit the nail on the head.

"The Nova Prime's word is law." Saal said, pausing in his own conversation with some officers to address Peter's group. "The Upper Council was formed to provide guidance. They have no power to contest my decision once it's been made. They will just have to accept what has been done." With that he turned and strode purposefully up a set of stairs that Peter could only assume lead to the flight deck. The officers he'd been conversing with followed after.

"Well isn't he a piece of work." Rocket's ragged voice was dripping with sarcasm. "If his word is so all powerful, how come you're all sneakin' around? I hope none a'you idiots are banking on a happy welcome back."

"I agree with the mad beast," Drax added, crossing his arms and staring disapprovingly after the Nova Prime. "Leaders should not deceive their people. On my planet, he would be seen as a traitor, and likely executed."

"Saal isn't concerned about being the most beloved Prime," Marlowe turned a rebuking look on the Guardians. "But he's determined not to be the last."

Sometimes leaders, like parents, must step in and make decisions that are necessary, but unpleasant. Cosmo's voice rang through Peter's mind moments before the psychic dog stepped into view from a small side room. Crew members, like children, may not always like them at the time, but if the decision was truly made for the good of the people, and not the gain of the individuals, then we can only trust they will see the sense of it in time. I assure you, Nova Prime does not make this decision lightly.

"Children are easily deceived," Drax pointed out. "There is no honor in it. Children should be told immediately that they are wrong, or else they should be allowed to learn from their mistakes."

Perhaps Drax has point, Cosmo conceded with a panting smile. Perhaps crew members are not so much like children, as children are more willing to learn, and less afraid of being wrong.

"Cosmo?" Peter interrupted before their conversation could spiral too far off-topic. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you were planning to come with us?"

Behind him, Peter could hear a low growl from Rocket. A quick glance back revealed he was growling at Cosmo.

Cosmo is not. Cosmo paid no mind to Rocket's rude greeting. Cosmo is needed on Knowhere and cannot stay away that long. Is just here to help with... negotiations.

"Oh, well, we're always glad to have you." Peter smiled as best he could through the nerves.

Do not worry so, Cosmo soothed, tilting his head and wagging his tail softly. Cosmo will be watching over brother Peter and his Guardians from afar while you are interned.

Speaking, or thinking, of which reminded Peter of another matter that hadn't been discussed yet.

"How long are you guys planning on leaving us there?" Peter asked, turning towards Marlowe. "I can't stay there forever. I have promises to keep."

"You'll have to remain at least until things have calmed down after your friend's little incident. There's no way to tell how long that will be."

Peter felt his heart sink he risked a glance back at Gamora who was standing quietly beside Rocket, watching their exchange with calm indifference. Marlowe followed his eyes, her hard expression softening slightly.

"I'll continue to look into the matter you raised while you're away, but I'm not going to be making any promises of my own."

That was enough for Peter who thanked her and offered her his best smile.

The ride after that was mostly quiet and all too short. Before Peter knew it Saal was returning, jogging down the steps with a grave look on his face.

"Step back," The Nova Prime ordered as he passed, and the Guardians were ushered further onto the ship. Dey and several officers slipped forward to take up a defensive position between Peter and his friends, and the small loading bay which was giving off the unmistakable sound of accepting a new passenger. No one drew their weapons, but the gesture was clear enough.

The acid in Peter's stomach sloshed about as the decompression chamber gave a low angry hiss and the doors slid open to reveal a very smug looking Ego. Behind him, Mantis slipped through the doors as well. The empath was doing a very good job at making herself invisible as she took in the room with wide curious eyes, and Peter couldn't tell if the nervous twirling of her fingers was from anything Ego may have done, or just her usual level of uncertainty in social situations.

"Hello Peter," Ego greeted, again ignoring everyone else in the vicinity as he locked eyes with his son. "I'm glad you've come to some sense."

Ego took a step forward, his arm outstretched as though he intended to greet Peter with a hug.

"Not so fast," Saal interrupted him, stepping forward to cut off his approach. "We have some terms to discuss first."

"Of course," Ego said easily enough, but his face fell just a fraction, his annoyance plain. "Go ahead and state them."

"First and foremost, I would like to make it clear that while the Nova Corps is willing to give your offer a chance, we are by no means naive enough to simply take you at your word. Precautions can, and have been put in place should you attempt anything we find suspect. We are not so enfeebled to not be able to deal with a volatile planet or two, and we will not hesitate to eliminate you."

"Even at the expense of your trump card here?" Ego's brows rose with a small disbelieving smile.

"Even so."

"Very well then. I have been warned. I have no interest in this universe right now."

"Second," Saal continued on, ignoring Ego's dismissive comments. "We will expect to remain in contact with those we are sending to you. At least once a cycle we will send you a hail. If it is not answered we will have reason to suspect you have broken one of our other terms."

"Fine, fine," Ego huffed, crossing his arms and obviously beginning to lose patience. "I have designed a communicator of sorts into my ship. Peter may use it as he pleases. It would be good practice for him, anyways."

"Which brings me to my next order." As Saal spoke, Cosmo stepped forward.

Cosmo knows brother Peter's light very well, and will be keeping very close eye in it. Will be able to sense distress or misdeeds, even from great distance such as this. Ego will have very hard time doing anything that Cosmo is not immediately aware of.

"Learning to use the light within may be a stressful process," Ego said. "Do you intend to sound the alarm every time he is faced with growth? That will quickly become exhausting for everyone."

Then Cosmo would suggest Ego avoid, how you say, pushing it. Cosmo's lip lifted into a sneer which Ego visibly struggled not to return.

"Hold on. I agreed to come to your planet to protect my friends," Peter spoke up. "But I never agreed to let you hook me back up to the light or teach me anything."

"Do you really think you're in any position to be passing up such an opportunity?" Ego turned his piercing eyes on Peter. "Do you intend to live off of the pity of these mortals indefinitely? They can't protect you forever. They'll die trying." Ego's eyes swept over the Guardians. "It looks like they're half-way there already."

Guilt churned Peter's guts as Ego once again struck a raw nerve. It was true. He'd nearly lead them all to their deaths on Traxxon III, and hadn't stopped beating himself up over it since. The image of Gamora's eyes, wide with shock and just the barest flicker of fear just before she'd been swept out into the red sky, was burned into his mind and haunted him whenever he closed his eyes. They had all suffered terrible injuries, even Rocket who still moved with a faint but definite stiffness.

If Peter was more powerful, could he have prevented any of it? It wasn't the first time he had asked himself this question. Since even before Ego's appearance in the court he had tentatively entertained the idea of learning to use his light. Cosmo had been able to hold his own against Ronan, at least for a while, and even done some damage to the Kree warlord, something none of the other Guardians could boast, separately or together. More than that, Cosmo's powers had saved their butts on many occasions in their brief time together. If Peter could use powers like that, he might have been able to save Rocket earlier. He might have been able to save Gamora, or at least stopped her, before she contacted Korath. He might have been able to do something other than twiddle his thumbs and wait for rescue on the Oasis.

The thought of being able to take control again was tempting. He was so sick of becoming everyone's prisoner here, and it hadn't been lost on him how much his allies had suffered to save him at every turn. But how could he trust Ego not to use that for his own gain? There was no way the Celestial was doing this out of the goodness of his self-made heart. He had to have an angle, Peter just, for the life of him, couldn't figure out what it was.

Peter cast a look at his friends. The Guardians, the original ones, back together again, but hardly any better off for it. They all stood apart from each other. Drax's chest wound stood stark and ugly across his bare chest, the staples glinting in the light. Nebula caught his attention, meeting his desperate eyes with a calmness that he clung to like an island in a raging sea. He took a slow breath through his nose like Gamora had once taught him, focused on Nebula's steady gaze, and tried to shed some of the panic bubbling within him and clouding his mind. 'There's a difference between trusting someone and using them,' Nebula had said and the words echoed back at him now. The thought of trusting his father was madness, but using him... Peter thought he could find a way to live with that. He sucked in another deep breath like he was preparing to dive into an actual ocean, and turned back to Ego.

"Alright," He breathed out. "I'll learn to use the light. But I'll have my own terms. And when it's time for us to leave, I want Mantis to come with us."

"You can have her," Ego said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Behind him, Mantis startled and snapped her head up to look at the celestial with huge eyes. Her mouth opened as though to protest, then she seemed to catch herself and shut it again, ducking her head back down and fiddling with her fingers with a renewed energy.

"Just like that?" Peter asked. He had expected his father to argue the terms more, to extract some worse payment in exchange for Mantis's freedom. Instead, it felt like Ego was telling him he was welcome to the chips in the cupboard.

"Of course," Ego huffed. "I think we both know where her true loyalties lie."

Behind him, Mantis was looking increasingly confused and worried, and Peter wished he could offer her some sort of comfort. But she was glancing between her hands and Ego, and Peter could not even catch her eye to offer her a reassuring smile.

"If that's how you feel, then why keep her around?" After worrying so long about whether Mantis was even alive at all, and after everything the other Guardians had been though in this horrible reality, finding her so relatively well off felt more than a little suspect.

"You are cursed with the sentimentality of those mortals you love so much." The disapproval in Ego's voice was clear. "I figured you'd be back to try to save her if nothing else, so of course I kept her around."

"As a hostage?" Gamora cut in.

"As a peace offering."

"Regardless of your motives," Saal cut back in. "We are in agreement that she will be free to go when we retrieve Peter and the rest of the Guardians. The Nova Corps will not tolerate any deviation from these terms. The repercussions will be immediate and final. Have you any objections?"

"No," Ego breathed. "So are we done here?"

Peter could see the muscles in Saal's neck move as he clenched his jaw. Obviously, Saal was buying about as much of Ego's act as Peter himself, but he'd come too far, the Nova Prime couldn't return with the Guardians without handing over a large portion of his credibility, and probably his power, to the Council.

"Yes. I believe we are done."

A wet nose pressed against the side of Peter's hand, causing him to jump.

Be very careful, brother Peter. Cosmo was staring up at him, his warm copper eyes shimmering with just the faintest traces of unnatural light. Not just of Ego. Peter will be safe enough in Blinding place, there is nothing left there to find, and Peter is strong, but remember, do not cross into the Blind place. There are too many things that would steal your fire, and many more who would snuff it out. They cannot help themselves. Mindless things so fear the unknown.

"The 'Blind place?'" Came a derisive snort from where Ego stood watching their interaction through narrowed eyes. "How quaint. It is none of your business what I do with my son, dog, but I will not be leading him into the Nothing." Ego spat out the last word like it was something filthy. "That is no place for creatures of the Light."

No one plans for every step of their journey. Cosmo told Peter. Be careful.

With that he stepped away and joined the ring of Nova Crewmen who were busy removing the restraints from the assassins. As Rocket's cuffs were removed he feinted a snap at the hands of the nearest Denerian who flinched back, one hand reaching for his weapon. Before things could escalate, Cosmo gave the raccoon a viscous snarl, his eyes glowing dangerously. Rocket seemed to take the threat and turned away from his victim to join the rest of the Guardians at the door to the air locked loading bay which would lead to Ego's ship, spitting at Cosmo's feet as he passed.

"Wait!" Peter said when Saal looked back like he was expecting Peter to go next. "I want his collar off."

Peter glanced over at Dey who he was pretty sure still had the remote.

"This again?" Saal growled.

"There's no reason for him to wear it on Ego's planet," Peter argued, drawing himself up to his full height and trying to match Saal's hard stare with one of his own. "There's nothing he can do, and you won't even be there to use it."

"And if Experiment 89P13 attacks one of you?"

"He won't." Peter's declaration was met with a derisive snort from the raccoon, so he quickly amended. "If he does, we'll handle it. Ourselves. No collars involved."

Saal held his gaze for several beats, and Peter did his best to convey how serious he was being. He was rarely serious, so it wasn't his best expression, but it must have worked, because Saal was the first to cave, relaxing with a sigh.

"Very well. You may remove it for his internment on the planet. We will see what he does with this freedom."

Dey stepped forward, but licked his lips and held the remote up for Peter to see.

"I don't know how to do that," He confessed with a guilty shrug of his shoulders.

Peter looked back at Nebula for help, but she just twisted her lips into a frown and rolled one shoulder into a small shrug of her own.

"Gamora?" Peter turned his eyes on the older sister. "You know the codes for that thing, right?"

"Yes..." Gamora answered hesitantly. She had been studying Rocket with her brows drawn tightly together, and suddenly Peter was worried Gamora was going to refuse, or pretend she didn't know how to remove it. "It's complicated," She finally said, stepping back towards Dey with her palm outstretched. "Thanos didn't want him to be able to remove it on his own. Please allow me."

Rocket was standing very still now, watching everything through narrowed eyes. Other than his twitching tail, he strongly resembled a lifelike statue.

Dey turned to Saal, who nodded his approval, before handing it over to Gamora, watching carefully as she began inputting some sort of complicated code. Peter nearly forgot to breath as he watched as well, only remembering when his lungs began to burn in protest. After some time, which probably wasn't quite as much time as it felt, the little screen at the bottom lit up with a little chirrup and Gamora pressed her thumb against it.

Peter glanced back at Rocket. His ears were pricked forward and his eyes had grown huge. After a moment, Peter realized there was a tremble coursing through Rocket's entire body, in anticipation or disbelief, Peter couldn't be sure.

"Nebula," Gamora's voice was soft, and almost tentative, if one knew Gamora very, very well, but from the corner of his eye Peter could still see the younger sister stiffen and narrow her eyes at the adress. "The panel on the back of the collar. It will only release to one of Thanos's children."

Rocket made no move to acknowledge Nebula when she first reached down and wrapped her hand around the back of his collar. The red light underneath his chin blinked rapidly and gave out a little beep, which Rocket visibly flinched at, then popped open. Rocket returned to his frozen state as Nebula gave the collar a cursory inspection then handed it to the nearest Nova Crew member. Even the trembling had stopped.

"Rocket?" Peter asked, worried that the raccoon had simply stopped breathing altogether.

Rocket didn't answer. His jaw was hanging slightly slack, and a small trembling hand raised up towards his neck. The fur where the collar had sat was rumpled and stuck out in odd directions.

"Rocket are you Okay?"

Rocket suddenly shook himself from his stupor. His eyes darted between Dey and the man holding his collar, then he turned and vanished into the airlock without a word.

"Well," Ego said with a smile, "I believe that would be our signal to leave."

-x-

The ride down to Ego's planet was short and surprisingly uneventful. Ego, for all his eagerness to be on their way, seemed content to ignore Peter in favor of piloting his ship. Mantis had fretted for a moment over where to go, but had ultimately chosen to follow Ego to the approximate of the flight deck in his oddly shaped craft. Peter wasn't certain, but he thought he had seen a flicker of fear in her eyes when they had landed on him. Maybe demanding she be handed over without so much as a hello wasn't the best way to start off their relationship. If she honestly had no idea who he was or that this was the wrong timeline, his attempts to rescue her might more closely resemble a kidnapping from her point of view.

Rocket had vanished again to some far corner, perhaps afraid someone might change their mind about his collar, or perhaps just enjoying not being stuck in a cell for the time being. Nebula was leaning against a wall at a distance, arms crossed and quietly studying the ship with offhanded fascination. Everyone else had taken a seat on the same couch Peter recalled from his last time.

Peter stared up at the ceiling, slumped back on the couch as well, one leg thrown over the other and his hands linked together over his stomach. As he fiddled absently with his Walkman, one thought scraped at the back of his head.

"Yondu's gonna kill me."

End