Chapter Nine
Groot extended his arms out letting branches grow spreading out around his new friends, his family, forming a tight protective dome around them. Rocket slowly came to seeing branch like tendrils wrapping around the other five keeping them in place lighting up the dome with the little glowing dandelions. "No, Groot!" Rocket choked out. "You can't. You'll die. Why are you doing this?" He snapped tears falling, "why?"
Groot reached out a small tendril to whip away his best friend's tears, "We are Groot," he managed to struggle out painfully before they crashed into the city center.
All five managed to survive the crash thanks to Groot despite being bloodied and very possibly broken. Percy sat up wincing along the way, he really wished Chaos and Orders blessing had kept him from feeling pain, but no they said that it would make him less human. He healed himself just enough to stand up and noticed that they were surrounded by not only the rubble of the city center and Rona's ship, but a pile of twigs strewn all about. His heart clenched even with all the power in the universe he still couldn't save his friends. Fate was cruel. He limped his way over to Rocket, "I called him an idiot," he whispered, holding a few sticks. Percy placed a hand on his back letting Rocket mourn.
Sadly it wasn't for long as Ronan appeared out of the cloud of smoke almost unfazed. The only evidence of their fight; a dent in his armor, "How the hades are you not dead!"
"You killed Groot!" Rocket ran forward before Percy could react only for the power stone to be used to throw him back like a rag doll.
"Behold!" Ronan thundered, "Your guardians of the galaxy!" Rocket was lucky enough to be thrown near some machinery that he could rewire. It was barely working because of the crash but the flicker of energy was enough for a genius like himself. "What fruit have they wrought?" he nodded to Drax setting off a chain reaction, so the others got the message. "Only that my father and his father shall finally know vengeance. People of Xandar, the time has come to rejoice and renounce your paltry gods! Your salvation is at hand." He raised his mallet and yelled in his native language.
Quill started singing O-o-h child By stairsteps, "Listen to these words." He said quickly before continuing. Percy and Gamora shared a look. Silently agreeing that Peter Quill may be the dumbest, yet bravest person to travel the universe. "Now bring it down hard!" and he started dancing.
"What are you doing?" the Kree asked, genuinely confused by what was happening.
"Dance-off, bro. Me and you." He gestured to the green woman who was only a few feet from him holding her side. "Gamora" She shook her head quickly looking genuinely worried for his safety and sanity. "Subtle. Take it back."
"What are you doing?" Ronan yelled this time.
"I'm you, you big turd blossom." Ronan turned to Rocket and Drax who were now rearmed with the Hadron Enforcer powered with a plasma blast this time. It was only good for one shoot, so they had to make it count. Rocket connected the wires and let it fire. They landed it and broke Ronan's mallet destroying it meaning the stone had nothing holding it and made its way to the earth surface. Ronan's eyes widened if the stone touched the surface this way he would die as well. He reached for the stone just as Percy and Quill leapt out towards it before it could reach the planet's surface.
"No!" Gamora yelled as Quill's hand closed around the stone. He screamed in pure agony as purple energy pulsed from Peter and swirled in a violent dark cloud around the five and Ronan. Violet hues pulsed though his nerves, burns and cracks covering every inch of their friend. He would die if he kept the stone in his grasp much longer, "Peter! Take my hand!" Gamora screamed, "take my hand!"
He reached out fighting against the storm and took it. The power taking over her as well, "Gamora!" Percy struggled against the rapid winds, albeit with a little less effort, he reached out for Gamora who slowly and painfully turned to grab his hand. The power stone's energy took him as well.
Voices rang in his head, "Percy you are so special. You are strong."
"And you, Percy are my favorite son."
"I love you."
Sally Jackson, Poseidon and Annabeth Chase. Of all the people he met, of all the people he loved they came to him first. Deep down he knew he still loved them; he knew he still loved Annabeth. She was his past, a past he would never return to, a past he had to leave behind, but he would always carry her with him. She always stood by him.
Drax struggled towards Quill, taking his arm allowing the power to spread out more. Drax letting Rocket take his hand.
They were in pain but managed to contain the power just enough to gain some semblance control. The pain didn't fade but with it so spread out especially with Percy there they contained it to them. They were still dying but slower they weren't dissolving anymore. They were able to bring their gaze back to Ronan who was in awe. "You're mortal! How?"
"You said it yourself, bitch," Quill said surprisingly calmly considering the position he was in. "We're the Guardians of the Galaxy."
He opened his hand allowing the power of the stone to attack Ronan. None of them blinked as he was destroyed. He had caused too much harm to too many people for them to care for his death. Gamora managed enough control to snap an orb over the stone to contain it.
The dark dissipated and the five were left standing in the rubble of the Xandarian capital. Percy fell to the ground images of his lost life still flashing through his mind as he tried to comprehend the fact that he was still alive. "Well, well, well," Yondu and the ravagers surrounded them. Percy acting as if he was trying to stand stumbled behind Quill. "Quite the light show. Ain't this sweet. But you got some business to attend to before all the nookie-nookie starts." Quill hid the orb behind his back allowing Percy to take it and hid it in his jacket handing Quill an empty one.
"Peter, you can't," Gamora told him, breathing heavily. "Peter."
Quill shook his head, "You gotta reconsider this, Yondu. I don't know who you're selling this to, but the only way the universe can survive is if you give it to the Nova Corps. Or if we can get rid of it." he said, glancing behind him at Percy.
"I may be as pretty as an angel," he moved his coat making sure to show Quill his arrow that he could control just by whistling, "but I sure as hell ain't one." He held out his hand in a clear gesture, "hand it over, son."
Quill handed an orb to him quickly with little hesitation, "Yondu. Do not open that Orb. You know that, right?" He asked cautiously. "You've seen what it does to people," Yandu laughed, motioning to his men to retreat but said nothing.
They watched him go before they all fell to the ground, exhausted and pain shooting through them. Quill laughed, "he is gonna be so pissed when he realizes we switched out the orb on him." He motioned to Percy who pulled it out of his jacket.
Gamora chuckled, "He was gonna kill you, Peter."
"Oh I know, but he was the only I had."
Gamora placed a hand over Quills, "No. He wasn't."
"Quill," Percy leaned back against a mound and motioned him towards him. Quill and Percy struggled to meet each other halfway. The demigod placed a hand on the side of Quill's face. "You're an idiot," he laughed, "A stupidly heroic idiot." The Terran felt most of his pain dissipate into a dull ache. Percy removed his hand and reached out for Gamora who got to her knees next to him allowing Percy to heal her as well.
Percy got to his feet, with a lot of difficulty and moved towards Rocket who was sobbing over a few twigs that used to be Groot. He didn't even notice Percy at first, Drax coming to sit next to them. Drax moved in an awkward gesture to pet Rocket's head. Rocket stopped crying and tensed. Percy took his hand and gave him a tight smile and a nod allowing Rocket to let all his emotions overtake him.
He leaned his head forward letting Percy work on his wounds and Drax soon did the same.
~~~
All of them were given clean, not charred, clothes from the Nova Corps, "why would you even know this?" Quill asked if the Nova Corps said they may have found the way Quill was able to survive the power of the stone.
"When we arrested you, we noticed an anomaly in your nervous system, so we had it checked out."
They brought up Quill's body scan, "I'm not Terran?" he asked.
"You are half Terran," Nova Prime answered. "Your mother was of Earth. Your father, well, he's something very ancient we've never seen here before."
"That could be why you were able to hold the stone for as long as you did." Gamora realized.
They brought up Percy's body scan, "You as well. Your mother was Terran, your father as well, seeming to be one of their gods. The god of the sea to be exact." Gamora, turned to Percy. Quill had already known via Percy story but to hear it out loud and confirmed was a shock. Percy was the son of Poseidon, a prince by birth right. He knew of it but never acted like he deserved anything. Gamora was able to take his words, his claim that he was the embodiment of balance more seriously now. "But there's more. A similar anomaly to Mr. Quill, but not in parentage but almost like-"
He chuckled, cutting off Nova Prime, "A blessing? Yeah, I already know all about my weirdness. That's why I tried to grab the stone before Quill." He said, patting Quill on the shoulder. "I didn't think I'd survive but I didn't want Quill to die." The man looked at Percy with a horrified gleam in his eye, they all did. Percy was a few years younger than all of them and he was willing to die for Quill. To die with them was one thing, to die for them was another. "It would be an honor and a sweet relief," Percy assured them.
"Your friends have arrived," Nova Prime announced, breaking up the tension, as Rocket and Drax laned out outside. Percy swapped out the orbs again without anyone noticing. The Nova Corps wanted to keep it but the Guardians of the Galaxy as they were not dubbed knew a better place. A way to mislead Thanos. "On behalf of the Nova Corps, we'd like to express our profound gratitude for your help in saving Xandar. If you will follow Denarian Dey, he has something to show you."
Percy nodded, "Thank you, Nova Prime." He followed Denarian close to Quill.
Gamora followed with Rocket on her right, who was holding a pot which was now the home for Groot's sticks. He had planted them, and they were quickly growing. Drax on her left, "Your wife and child shall rest well knowing that you have avenged them."
"Yes," he nodded, "Of course, Ronan was only a puppet. It's really Thanos I need to kill."
Percy's eyes widened when he heard that. He knew there were some things fate would not allow changed. He would not stand for his friend to be one of the lives she handed disaster, not any time soon at least and definitely not by Thanos' hand. He would find her and Ego's void if he had to.
"We tried to keep it as close to the original as possible," Denarian Dey said, showing them the new and improved Milano. "We salvaged as much as we could."
"Wicked," Percy grinned.
"I... Thank you."
He nodded solemnly, "I have a family. They're alive because of you." The five grinned. "Your criminal records have also been expunged. However, I have to warn you against breaking any laws in the future." Percy raised an eyebrow letting his eyes shift in color, Dey flinched. "Nova prime said you may continue your mission as it is a march towards peace. It's what you were made for, by a being much more powerful than any of us." Rocket pouted as it basically meant Percy was allowed to do as he pleased as long as it was in the name of pure balance. "Though you will be picked up for petty crimes or murder with no reason."
He pointed at Dey with a smirk, "Noted." With that he made his way towards the ship.
"Question. What if I see something that I want to take, and it belongs to someone else?" Rocket asked.
"You will be arrested."
"But what if I want it more than the person who has it?"
"It's still illegal."
"That doesn't follow. No, I want it more, sir. Do you understand?" Gamora chuckled, "what are you laughing at? Why? I can't have a discussion with this gentleman?" She pushed him forward to follow Percy.
Drax stepped forward, "what if someone does something irksome and I decide to remove his spine?"
Dey was silent for a moment, "that's... That's actually murder. It's one of the worst crimes of all. So... also illegal."
He hummed and moved forward, falling in step with the others.
"They'll be fine, Dey," Quill assured. "I'm gonna keep an eye on 'em."
"You?"
He turned to watch his friends with a small smile, "yeah. Me."
When they got back to the Milano, they all gave Quill a moment to read a note from his mom and start playing his new cassette. Percy used the word 'new' loosely since it was decades old by now.
"So, what should we do next?" Quill asked as they were settling into their seats. "Something good? Something bad? A bit of both?"
"We'll follow your lead, Star-Lord," Gamora said leaning on the back of his chair.
He grinned, "bit of both, but first Jackson set a course. Where are we taking that thing?"
Percy pulled the orb out of his bag startling Gamora Rocket and Drax. "Home," he smiled hesitantly. It was a true declaration of the end of a chapter, he was closing the book on his life on Terra for good. He would look back with fond memories, but he would never go back. "Yeah home."
Published: Sep 27, 2021
Updated: May 1, 2023