Chapter Ten
"So where are we exactly?" Rocket asked.
"A secluded star system, a Void, one of three across the galaxy. No one can find them, unless you know the way that is. This one is my home. It only houses two planets just like the other three. That of Order and that of Chaos. We're headed to Order," he said pointing to a planet that looked like a perfect porcelain ball, like it would shatter if handled roughly.
They touched down on the planet. As soon as they stepped off the ship Percy was tackled in a hug by a beautiful short, tanned woman with long brown hair pulled back in a braid. She was barefoot, wore a black dress that hovered just above the ground and a black crystal crown. As she pulled away, they could see her brown eyes that looked like the galaxy resided in them. She grabbed Percy's ear roughly making him bend down so she could smack him on the shoulder. "Percy Rigel Jackson, do you have any idea how much trouble you're in! You gave me a heart attack." She snapped, dragging him away.
"That's not even possible!" Percy shot back as he was dragged away.
His friends looked confused, A prince of earth, a protector of Peace and a guardian of the Galaxy, was getting scolded at and pulled away by what they could only assume was a mother figure, seeing as his was human. Another woman taller than the first with a fair complexion, blue eyes that looked like stars, and brown hair stepped forward. "Come children," she giggled in a soft voice. She wore a white long sleeve dress that just grazed the ground with long locks that rolled down her back and a white crystal crown.
They followed the woman to a palace in the distance listening to Percy get reamed at the whole way there. When they finally stepped inside, Percy was released, and the guardians welcomed with open arms. "Welcome to Orders planet young heroes," Percy rubbed his ear with a pout.
"Percy the orb" The young man took it out of the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to Order.
"You have done wonderfully young heroes; I will send this back to destruction's void Thanos will never find it." She bowed to the heroes as a mutual sign of respect. "These were never meant to be released upon the universe. They were not gifts, they were accidents. Products of our creation. Power from destruction. Time with Fate, Reality made from Chaos."
"Soul with Peace, Space from Ego, Mind made of Order."
"No being of Mortality should find them, Mortals are reckless and harmful at times with very few good ones like yourselves. We had taken many precautions but in recent years the stones have been taken from their prisons, found and moved. We suspect fate is playing a game with all of us. To her life is a joke, mortals are playthings, and their suffering is not to be taken seriously. Sometimes I wonder if we should just start over again with her." Chaos and Order were the creators of the other four concepts, but Fate had been taking this too far for eons. Breaking apart their creation and reconfiguring her into one that would work with Percy for balance was looking pretty good right now. She bowed her head "excuse me." With that she whisked away.
"You five must be exhausted and hungry," Chaos said in a motherly voice. As she said that Drax's stomach growled. She laughed loudly and beckoned them forward.
The guardians were uncomfortably silent for a moment, they were in the presence of the creator of the universe. "Chaos saved me, seeing all I had done for Terra. She figured I could do the same for the universe. She has no true form, so she Manifested into the form of someone I cared for. It's kind of weird now considering how I call her mom or Dad, but she manifests into people who were like siblings, or I would call friends rather than my actual mother. This form is that of a Nymph slash Titaness named Zoe Nightshade. A great friend and one of the bravest heroes I ever met."
"What happened to her," Gamora could sense the sadness coming off his words, she was no longer with him.
"Killed by her own father while saving Terra. She made my sword. I fought many battles with it. I felt like I would be dishonoring her to leave it in the Klyn To let someone else wield it without knowing its history."
They all absorbed Percy's words as they came to the dining room where Chaos clapped, and mountains of food appeared. Drax looked like he died and went to elysium. "How exactly did she save you?" Quill asked.
"I'll let you kids talk," She whisked away after stealing a turkey leg off the table.
Percy sat down and played with his thumbs, and off Percy went on to explain everything to his new family. From his very first quest, through Hera's kidnapping, through Tartarus and up to the moment he was killed by Zues. "Chaos saved me before I got to the underworld. She brought me here, gave me a blessing, and set me out on the universe. And the rest, as they say, Is history."
The other four were sat in frozen horror and astonishment, "I can't believe you did all that. And no wonder you flinch at a shock." Rocket said, trying not to let on how awesome he thought it was that Percy could control someone's blood. He had enough sense to see that, that was a sensitive topic.
"I'm not harmed by a shock it's like a phantom pain though, I remember the feeling of Zues killing me."
"I can't believe they turned on such a brave hero so easily." Drax snapped.
"It wasn't all bad." he shrugged, "If I didn't 'die' I would have never met you guys. And I'm not one for 'chick flick' moments but I really don't know where I'd be otherwise considering how quick they were to turn on me."
"But don't you ever miss your mom? Or that girl um, Annabeth?" Quill asked knowing how it felt to never see someone close to you again.
He nodded, "Everyday but I keep close tabs on them both." Percy stood and motioned for them to follow him. He led them through an endless maze of halls before they came to a room that was bare except for a ball hovering in the middle. Percy placed his hand on it, "Show me earth, AKA Terra, Manhattan, Sally Blofis, Paul Blofis, and Estelle Blofis. The room shifted into what looked like a living room where a man with Salt and Pepper hair was reading to a little girl with black hair with strands of sea green strewn about. A woman walked in with a plate of blue cookies. "This is a Satyr." The man told her pointing to a picture in the book.
"Like Grover?" She giggled.
"Yes, exactly like Grover," the woman laughed.
"But Grover has little horns," she pinched her fingers close together.
"Grover is still a little Satyr," Paul answered.
Percy smiled and sat down on the floor next to Estelle, "This is my little sister. She never got to meet me though Zeus killed me before she was born. She looks about six now but I'm not really sure."
Sally looked at the clock on the wall, "Oh, that's bedtime."
"Awe" Estelle whined but followed her parents with no trouble stealing a cookie off the plate in the process. The room shifted into a little girls bedroom and the couch Percy was sitting by turned into a bed.
"Goodnight Darling," Paul and Sally kissed their daughter goodnight.
"Don't forget Percy," she said, lifting the picture frame off her nightstand. Inside was a picture of Percy; he looked just as broken but almost at peace. The room disappeared before the mother could say goodnight to the picture.
Percy turned to them with unshed tears, "She would have loved you four." He placed his hand on the orb again, "Show me earth, AKA Terra Alaska, Annabeth Chase."
A blonde about the same age as Percy sat at a counter, wrapped in a varsity swim jacket, a pair of blue shorts and gray socks. The back of the jacket read; Jackson 3 Goode high. She had a book open and a sandwich in hand. "Annabeth!" She jumped and looked in the Guardians direction. A young man about three or four years younger than her walked right through Quill startling him. "Me and Will are gonna go to the movies. I wanna come."
She shook her head, "I have finals tomorrow."
He nodded, "Throw that Jacket on top of the laundry basket I have to get it dry cleaned again."
And the scene vanished.
~~~
A few days later after sleeping on the most comfortable beds in the Galaxy, the five guardians were packing up to set back off into the vast unknown. They each had been paid for the orb by Order giving them enough money to last for the next two years at least.
Quill and Gamora had gone to her asking for her to set up a surprise for Percy in his quarters of the ship.
He was the last to come trudging to the Milano. Chaos now in the form of a muscular woman with choppy blond hair, a scar on her chin and vindictive brown eyes, asked "Do you have everything?"
"Yes mom."
"And you're not planning to hold an infinity stone again right."
"Right."
"And you're-"
"Mom!" Percy laughed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, just be safe." She said hugging her son. It was an odd feeling for Percy to have a vision of Clarisse hugging him. She cared for him later in their teenage years but never to the extent of a hug.
"I will bye, mom."
He just waved but then Order called out, "Oh and Quill" He looked out at him, "When you finally see your dad tell him Aunt Order says he still owes his brothers and sisters a visit." Chaos smirked walking back towards the palace, With The still female Order following behind.
Quill's mouth dropped, "He's an all-knowing deity." Percy said casually, making Quill even more surprised.
"Does that make us related?"
Percy shook his head, "I call her mom or dad and Order Ommar as a term of endearment more than an actual act of relation. She didn't really adopt me; she would never try to replace my real mother or father. I'm just their champion. One they care about a lot but just a champion, nonetheless."
Quill shook himself out of his shock and he and Gamora led Percy to his Quarters. "We went to Order and though it's not as big as your room on her planet," Gamora trailed off and let Quill hit a button on the wall revealing his planet orb. "So, you can still watch after your mother and Annabeth."
"And find us some fun places to go."
Percy let a water smile come to him as he hugged the two. "You guys are honestly the best." Gamora would never admit it, but she liked how comfortable she felt in the hug. Quill would come to admit in the following months that Percy was becoming like a brother to him. "Come on Star-lord." He said sniffing, pulling away from the hug, "You promised a bit of both."
Quill shook himself out of his thoughts and made his way with Gamora and Percy in tow to his captain's seat, "yea a bit of both."
The Guardians of The Galaxy will Return.
Published: Sep 27, 2021
Updated: May 1, 2023