Chapter 6
"Yeah... Um... Yeah..." I shrug and drink my coffee while they stare at me. "I don't know... OK... Let me try to explain and fail because... Yeah... Anyway... Zemo."
"Is barely conscious. What can I do for you?" He limps over and leans against the counter.
"I know you have it on you."
"Ah, I see." He takes a tube out of his pocket and slips a piece of paper out of it. He unfolds it onto the island and they all look at it.
"Is that supposed to be you?"
"I drew it, shut up. That isn't the point, though." I take the pencil from him and shade in my arms and legs. "OK, so, follow along. This is gonna be a bumpy ass ride and confusing as shit. But, most of you are smart and then there's Zemo."
"Hm, hilarious."
"Shut up, Zemo. OK, so... My life source is in me, all of my veins, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah, you get the point. Now... If I were to focus on, um... Channeling my life source, it ends up here." I draw a large dot in the middle of my chest and look at them. "With me so far? Good! Now... I can break off a piece of it and send it traveling through my chest, into my es... Es Bueno... That isn't it... Throat area cuz I can't remember the fucking word in English. Then it goes through my mouth into the person who..."
"You've locked lips with?" Tony asks with a smirk and I look at him, unamused.
"If you wish to phrase it like a Neanderthal, yes. Then it does the reverse process of going through their mouth and their fucking ESOPHAGUS! Why did I just remember the word? Know what? I don't care, not the point. It settles in their chest and it forms their life source and mine regenerates quickly."
"Would it heal anything?" Nat asks after a moment and I look at her.
"Yes. No matter how long it's been. It won't heal scars... But, that's just mine. Speedy doesn't have any more scars but I still have mine. So, they might heal scars, they might not. But, they will heal anything, any injuries, all of that. And you'll be immortal so you can watch the Earth be destroyed by jackasses. Ain't it nice?"
"Isn't there a way to get us off of the planet before that happens?"
"Well, yes, there is. But... Ah, my fine feathered friends and their boy toys!"
"Hilarious," Dean scoffs and I smile, looking at Gabe.
"Got the info?"
"Got the payment?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"Is the info good?"
"What do you take me for?"
"Seeing as how this is feeling more and more like a deal between mob bosses, what do you think?"
"Fair enough. Yeah, it's good. When are you going to stop lying about your true appearance?"
"You're still manipulating your body?"
"Not my entire body, Buck! Just... Most of it..."
"What does that mean?" I sigh and shake myself slightly, letting the facade fall as my hair covers my eyes easily.
"Damn, forgot how out of control these locks could get."
"You're BLACK?"
"Biracial, technically."
"Why? How?"
"Mom used her magic to make me appear white and I was already being treated like shit by my white adopted grandparents with them thinking I was white. What do you think would've happened if they saw my real appearance, Sam?"
"Fair enough."
"Now, Gabriel. Info?"
"Payment?"
"Wha'cha want for it?"
"Sing."
"Sing what?"
"You are Facielier."
"Dude, he is my favorite Disney villain! His vocal range is on point!"
"Are you simping over a cartoon villain?"
"Shut up, Ned. You want me to sing a male Disney villain song?"
"Nah, it's just fun to mess with you."
"I'm not sure if I'm sad about that or relieved," Morgan murmurs and I smile a bit, looking at Gabe.
"Alright, info. Come on. What you got?"
"The Ravagers have been disbanded because they tore each other apart from inside the factions."
"Ah, glorious. I love it when stupid people fuck themselves over because they don't know what the fuck they're doing."
"And you would when it comes to running Ravager Factions?"
"Dean, honey, I grew up around three of the big five Captains and met the other two when I became a Captain. I know how to do shit. What happened to the Captains of those factions and their crew?"
"The crews killed the Captains and First Mates then left the ships at docks, turning themselves into the Nova Corps." I nod and think for a moment.
"Strange, can you show me how to meditate properly?" He nods and floats in the air. "I can't do that so I'll just sit on the floor as I copy you..." I do that and follow his prompts. "I feel stupid."
"You look stupid too, kid."
"Shut up, Dean. Or I'll make you uglier than you already are." He makes an offended noise and I let out a slow breath to try to channel my life source to the middle of my chest.
"Whoa..." I open my eyes to reveal them glowing while my hair floats around my head and Morgan gapes at me. "That is so cool..."
"This is her invitation for you to not have to worry about owing Odin anything else. To become a Celestial." I focus on the energy of the room and let out a slow breath, allowing the pieces of my life source to break off for anyone who wants one. "That's new."
Orbs float to Peter, MJ, Ned, Morgan, Pepper, Tony, Nat, Bruce, Scott, Wanda, Vision, and Rhodey and go through their mouths to be absorbed into them. I cough into my hand as I break out of my trance and easily hide the blood I cough up. "Maybe just six at a time from now on..." I breathe slowly to get control of it and Pietro crouches next to me.
"Only six at a time from now on." I nod and accept the help from him to stand, sitting on the couch with him.
"Agreed..." I cough again and wince slightly as my life source reforms, leaning back slightly. "Should be better in about two hours, though..." He shakes his head slightly and goes back to what he was doing while I recover on the couch.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I finish at six at night by giving everyone a way to form a life source, including Odin, Frigga, Loki Jr, the angels, Crowley, Thor, Sif, Rowena, and Groot. Sam had even brought his younger sister and his nephews up to get one too at his insistence.
"You alright?" Bucky asks as he rests his hand on my left shoulder and I nod a bit, head hurting.
"Got Tony, Peper, you, Steve, Wanda, Vision, Clint, Laura, MJ, Peter, Sif, Thor, Frigga, Odin, Peter, Nathaniel, Bruce, Nat, Ned, Morgan, Lila, Cooper, Stephen, Rhodey, May, Happy, Scott, Sam, Sammy, Dean, Castiel, Gabriel, Crowley, Sarah, AJ, Cass, Rowena, Groot, and Loki Jr the start of life sources for them... Throughout today... I'm a little tired... And have a small headache... And I'm hungry..."
"Speedy's gonna take you to your floor and bring food up when it's ready. Get some sleep."
"Sounds good..." Groot was chilling in my lap and comes with me when Pietro takes me to our floor.
"I am Groot..."
"Thanks, Groot... I'd appreciate you watching over me... Night..." I fall asleep easily.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A month later, I come back inside and throw my bag against the wall of Commons, immensely pissed off. "Whoa, what's wrong with you?" Sam asks as they all look at me and I catch the water Peter tosses me.
"OK, I'm on the fuckin' subway, right? Comin' back from my shift at that fuckin' coffee joint that I can only seem to get to easily via the subway?"
"Right," Scott agrees.
"So, I got fired. Because of a God-damned, Karen bein' a fuckin' Karen 'bout stupid shit."
"No way," MJ says.
"Yeah. So, I get on the subway. This damned creepoid is starin' at me the whole time and cat callin' me and shit."
"Is that all he did?" Tony asks and I take a drink of my water, looking at him.
"NO! As I'm trying to get off, the asshole grabs my ass."
"What'd you do?"
"The only logical thing, Morgan. I punched the prick in the face! With my left hand. And a cop gave me the citation!" I throw the piece of paper on the island and sigh sharply. "I'm going to listen to music for a bit." I sit at the island next to Pietro and plug my headphones in, playing my music.
My headphones are silent and I stare at my phone, pressing pause and play a few times. "Seriously?"
"What?"
"My headphones aren't working!"
"Let me try with my phone." I hand them to Peter and he tries, shrugging. "They work fine with my phone. Lemme see." I hand him my phone and he tries. "Yeah, it's your phone, dude."
"I need to get off of this planet." Groot comes over and jumps into my lap, hugging me. "Hey, Bonsai." I gently rub his head and he leans against me.
"I am Groot."
"Know what? Becoming a Ravager again does sound awesome. Fuck this planet. The Winchesters and their angels can handle it. I'm done. Thoughts?"
"It's painful to watch the world go to Hell like this and nothing we're doing seems to be helping," Morgan says sadly and I nod. "So I'm all for it. And there's probably still some Kree and Skrull out there that keep slaves, right?"
"There's always a species out there that keeps slaves."
"We'd eradicate them, right?"
"Right."
"Yeah, I'm all for this becoming a Ravager again."
"The rest of you?"
"Mother has been ruling over Wakanda quite well, Brother."
"On her own, yes. And she has the Dora Milaje to protect her. I suppose we are on board as well."
"There's three."
"I'll follow wherever you go, Rebel. You know that." I smile and look at Groot.
"It was your idea so you're probably on board, right?" He nods and I pat his head gently. "You're growing faster than when I was a kid, though. It's kinda weird." He laughs and I smile slightly. "You guys on board?" They talk silently with each other for a few moments before they all nod and I nod. "Sweet. GABRIEL!"
"Jesus Christ, what do you want now?"
"Oh, please. Don't act like you don't love seeing my face."
"I'm leaving."
"No, no, no, no. No. Don't do that."
"What do you want then?"
"You, the Winchesters, and Castiel are the ones in charge of being superheroes. Until the world ends."
"You're reinstating the Ravagers already?"
"Yep."
"Alright. Then, I have two gifts for you." He snaps and we all stagger slightly as we're planetside on Xandar by the docks. "Here we go. A ship." He gestures toward it and I look at it with a nod. "Udonta's first ship, the Eclector. And..." He pounds on the exterior of it and a crew comes to the gangplank. "His first crew, just without Obfonteri."
"Helpful, helpful. Thanks, Gabriel."
"Yeah. Now... Leave me alone. I was in the middle of something."
"Yeah, yeah. Get back to your kinky life shit with Moose." He rolls his eyes and snaps away. "Anyway..." I put my hands on my hips as I look at the crew, still wearing my leather jacket and gloves from work, and recognize a few of them from pictures. "You three. You're Tullk, Oblo, and Horuz, yeah?"
"Who's asking?" Horuz asks gruffly and I smirk slightly.
"Quill's daughter. How goes it?"
"He had a kid? When?"
"'Bout five years before you were shot down during the battle against Ronan on this planet. Which was forty years- annual cycles ago."
"I've been dead for forty damn annual cycles? Shit."
"Yeah. Fun times. Anyway, hey. Name's Raziah Maximoff."
"You just said you were Quill's daughter," Another person chimes in and I look at him.
"Gef, right?" He nods and I nod back. "I am, but I'm married. Look, I got raised by Captain Udonta as my grandfather, Kraglin Obfonteri as my uncle, Captains Ogord as my great grandparents, and Captain Charlie-27 as my uncle. So, in short, I am well aware of how Ravagers work."
"And we should care why?"
"Taserface, do everyone a favor and shut your mouth. But here's why you should care, the Ravagers were torn apart from the inside. Crews mutinied on the big six Captains. Ogords, Charlie, Krugarr, Mainframe, and Udonta. They were killed along with their First Mates and another Captain and First Mate. Oblo, that would've been your parental unit, Doc."
"Damn. They was still alive?"
"They were still kickin', yeah. Surprising. Them and their First Mate, Segs, were killed along with the others. I think Nebula got killed too but I don't know."
A piece of paper appears in my hand and I let out a sharp sigh. "Gabriel, I'm going to murder you," I mutter and look at the paper. "Not dead, coordinates. Make someone truly immortal and they return the favor by eavesdropping. Fuckin' angels..."
"Why are we back to life?" Horuz asks and I look at him.
"What? You expect me to bring the Ravagers back on my own with these idiots? Naw, dude. I need a decent crew. Speaking of which... Taserface, you even dare to think of crossing me, well..." I whistle sharply and the Yaka arrow dances in front of his eyes to their amazement. "Recognize it?"
"How?"
"Well... Put simply, I'm a better version of Ego and had my own Yaka arrow a while back. So, you even dare to think of crossing me and I'll put this arrow through your eye faster than anything you've ever seen. Clear?"
"Yes."
"Lovely." I whistle it back to my hand and tuck it in the inside pocket of my jacket, rolling my right shoulder. "Fuckin' Hell. Shuri, you mind checkin' out my shoulder later? It's been buggin' me for a few days."
"I can look it over when we are on the ship. Gabriel was kind enough to snap Rocket's tools into a bag for me."
"Sweet."
"Big bad woman needs help from a doctor to fix her arm?" Vorker scoffs and Gef nods.
"Yeah, need help to fix your arm?"
I just casually take off my arm and they jump back slightly. "This is my dominant hand. Now, we're going to board the ship." Tullk and Oblo get them to move and I lead the way on board. I sit in the Captain's chair and shrug off my jacket, allowing Shuri to get at my shoulder. "Tullk, who's the Lead Nav?"
"If yer good at it, yer it."
"Are you good at it?"
"Yeah."
"Put these coordinates in and get us headed that way." He nods and I list the coordinates to him as Shuri works on my shoulder while Pietro brings my arm over.
"It might be beneficial to look at where the arm connects to the shoulder to see if that might be causing the pain."
"Good idea, Pietro." She finishes with my shoulder and looks at my arm while the others introduce themselves to the Crew.
"So, Tullk. You interested in being a First Mate?"
"Wha'?"
"Yeah."
"Uh... Yeah... A'ight."
"Sweet."
"Your arm should not cause you any more pain."
"Sweet. Appreciate it, Shuri." I take the arm and attach it again, thinking for a moment. "We need to get Leathers for everyone."
"I can arrange that, Cap'n," Horuz says simply and I look at him, nodding.
"Alright. Get that started, then." He nods and goes to get that dealt with while I talk casually with Tullk and Oblo, enjoying the stories they share about Dad as a kid.