New Beginning

After that day, no one seemed to bother one another. just normal interactions and some discussions about the informations around Gamora’s whereabouts. other than that, they most likely just did their own stuffs.

Days of quiteness passed and finally... They were arrived at their destination.

“Well, looks like we’ll get lots of things to do” Their captain claimed as they were approaching the planet closer and closer.

“Let’s get things done and get out of this place” Rocket followed, ruined the relieve atmosphere around them

Quill looked unpleased, complained “You know, you are no fun, Raccoon!”

“Oh, shut up!” Nebula who was also unpleased along with Rocket answered at the same time.

“Yep, this will be a fun ride.” Thor talked to himself sarcastically, responded to the situation.

While they were entering the atmosphere, something seemed wrong. No signal from Xandar. they supposed to give a call upon their arrival. Xandar was known for their force and this seemed odd to the guardians. Especially Quill and Rocket. They were working around Xandar afterall even after they had become what they were.

Their ship had gone through the clouds, saw the horror of destroyed land on their sight. Thanos’ invasion was no joke and it seemed like no one was left. Although, they didn’t know for sure. Maybe they were just at the other side of Xandar and the remaining survivors were moving to one place. Nevertheless, it sure was a huge blow on the guardians.

“I guess what i said the first time i saw you guys were true. Xandar is destroyed” Thor claimed while viewing the sight.

“We don’t know for sure” Nebula interrupted then she approached Quill, tried to assure him that it’s not over yet, but Quill knew.

“You know what, Nebula? We need a rest. We’ve been roaming space for quite a while so some fresh air doesn’t seem bad, does it?” Nebula was surprised by the captain’s respond, He continued “also, we can just go to other planet. Maybe they are already healed from the snap”

It is quite assuring, eventhough everyone were still hard to believe it. Xandar is no more... or might be heavily injured. Either way, it was painful to know because of how much of a home Xandar was to them.

They landed on a roughly flat surface. Around them were rocky ones. Some looked like destroyed buildings while the other seemed like remainings from their defenses against Thanos’ invasion. Either way, it was a sad sight.

Quill immediately left the ship. He said that he went to look around. Rocket also left the ship, but he didn’t say anything then sit on a random rock, stared blankly at the ground.

Worried of this view, Mantis asked Thor to follow Quill. Thor accepted the request as he rushed to Quill. He also brought stormbreaker along for something unexpected along the way. Rocket was approached by Drax and Groot. Mantis would like to join, but Nebula held her hand, then she spoke “It is better to let those guys to comfort him”

Mantis who a bit bugged wanted to respond, but immediately cut by Nebula adding her statement “it would be too many people. Besides, Groot is closer to him than i am. I don’t know about Drax, though” Nebula sighed.

“I think Drax is fine. He is a good friend afterall” she said it with a smile. Well... Her weird smile.

“I guess you should fix how you smile. It weirded me out” Mantis immediately stopped smiling and seemed a litlle upset.

“Sorry...” Nebula apologized, knowing her words would hurt.

Rocket stared at the ground, might be thinking about all this. All those things he did back on Earth two weeks ago. It didn’t bring back exactly everyone and also didn’t restore any scar Thanos had left. It was like ‘too late’ and he can do nothing about it. Back on Earth, he only knew that their plan was ‘the best case scenario’ and they couldn’t do anything to make it better anymore, but it certainly was not as ‘best’ as he expected. He didn’t know that the damage on Xandar might be permanent.

He thought about Thor’s words back when they first met. He didn’t believe it, yet he still remained his calm and actually helped Thor back then because of Thor’s situation. it kind of reminded him of his own. He might have suffered a lot and he wanted to help. Well, of course he also wanted to stay away from Thanos because he didn’t want to die. It was not like he was biased and didn’t want Xandar to fall. Not like he truly found Xandar as ‘his home’. This view he was watching is some sort of slap in the face. ‘This is what have happened’ and finally he believed in what Thor said and actually how he felt.

‘so, everything we’ve done on Earth wasn’t enough, huh?’ he sighed and then kicked a stone near him.

It is quite a strong kick as the stone flew and unexpectedly hit Drax, right in the knee.

“Ow!” Drax roared in a little surge of pain in his knee.

Rocket then woke from his thoughts, looking at Drax who was holding his knee. Groot tried to comfort Drax by putting his vines on Drax’s knee, patting and rubbing it to hopefully ease the pain.

“What are you guys doing here?” Rocket asked in a strangely nice tone. He was not like he used to be known by others. Atleast, to Drax and Groot in the moment.

“Well, i am worried about you” Drax said after the pain seemed to ease a bit

“I am Groot” Groot followed, like agreeing to Drax’s statement.

Rocket smiled sincerely which kind of shocked both the tree and the muscular guy.

“It is not like i’m gonna cry or anything. I just-“ then he stopped.

He still filled with thoughts as if like everything was his fault. This might be the first time he felt guilty himself. he was just that upset.

Drax approached the raccoon, kneeling like a knight. Rocket commented

“are you really gonna kneel before me like what’s going on here?”

Drax didn’t respond like he used to. He knelt and stared at the raccoon really deep into his eyes. It was like Drax stared into the raccoon’s soul.

“Ok, now I am extremely weirded out” he commented while also moved away a bit from Drax, indicating his awkwardness. ‘what is he doing?’ Rocket thought

“Here, i do not know how much things you have gone through these couple of years...”

Drax started talking, yet the raccoon seemed to not get into it and got emotional.
“we know we shouldn’t go to that territory” Rocket dodged the conversation. He really wasn’t enjoying this and he wouldn’t, yet the muscular figure in front of him kept bringing up the subject.

“this is important! for me... for Groot... for the others... and for you!” Drax cleared up his intention, also pointed to each people he just said earlier.

“I am groot...” Groot followed, stood besides the raccoon and patted his back.

“I am groot... i am groot... I am Groot” Groot talked longer this time. Rocket understood what Groot meant and smiled later, responded to the tree’s sentence.

“Thank you so much for that, Groot” Rocket thanked Groot to his somewhat comforting and encouraging words. Drax also followed, patting the other side of the raccoon’s back.

“Remember, we are a family. our home is not here, but there, alongside the others. You do not have to be sad. We will always be here for you and always support you. We will support each other. Just like how we used to be...”

Drax’s father side really shone bright at the moment. Rocket never saw this side of Drax in his entire years going with the guy. He is surprisingly wise and his words touched the raccoon’s heart, almost like Groot’s speech just now.

Rocket is overwhelmed by this kindness, he blushed in the process, holding his emotion.

“Ok! Ok! Thank you, Drax, for your unnecessary speech and now i’m feeling better”

Drax was a bit offended at that and almost complained, but the raccoon added before he could say anything.

“but really, i appreciate it...” Rocket said with a gentler voice.

Drax lost for words for a brief time until suddenly They got called by Nebula from the ship, asking them to go back. Well, they were only a few meters away from the ship so it’s not much of a problem.

“Ok, let’s go, meat head and you too, Groot!” Rocket said with a big smirk on his face. His spirit had returned, yet...

“I am not a meat head! My head is so hard, it is comparable to that of steel!” Drax complained, but Rocket and Groot didn’t listen and just went back to the ship, ignoring Drax’s complain along the way.

On the other hand, Quill wondered around the ruins, thinking deeply about the situation.

‘is there nothing i can do?’ ‘where have i been?’ ‘i should’ve saved them all’ ‘can we go back in time to fix this?’ ‘why is this happened’

Quill lost in his thoughts, blaming himself in the process like this is all his fault. He shouldn’t surrendered to his own feelings back then. They should’ve stopped Thanos back in Titan. Eventhough the wizard guy told them, in the end, that was the only way, but he just couldn’t believe it. There must be a better way and he screwed it up.

“Gamora... what should i do?” Quill said in a weak voice, staring into the gray sky.

He slowly knelt in sadness. He just couldn’t handle it. He felt like he wanted to cry. He felt like he was guilty. He lost his mother, his father figure, his girlfriend, and now the supposedly the place they could call ‘home’.

“I am so stupid, i can’t even save people that i love. Even i can’t save myself from the snap... I am no guardians of the galaxy... I am noone”

Quill mourned in his sadness, tears fell from his eyes, crying on his failures.

A moment after that, a figure came to his position from behind. It seemed like he was in hurry, but slowly lowering his speed, getting closer each step.

Quill realized. ‘It must be Thor’ he thought

The broken man then wiped his tears and regained his composure to finally said something to might be the asgardian.

“What do you want, Thor?” Quill said in a stern voice which caught Thor’s surprise. He didn’t expect to Quill actually know it was him. He wanted to say something a moment after that, yet the redhead added.

“Do you wanna make fun of me now? wanna say that i’m a crybaby? Oh! Maybe you’d claim as the captain now! claiming your victory!”

Quill really went harsh there, it almost caught the asgardian off guard. Thor almost got himself angry like at least saying ‘what is wrong with you’
...
...
...
And... maybe gave a really harsh feedback or whatever,
YET he could keep his cool and answered the terran.

“I have given up on that since days ago. you don’t have to be worried” Thor said as he was approaching the mournful man, sit besides him, yet he was so annoyed by that and drags himself a bit further from the blonde man with a very sour face and tried not to make an eye contact . Thor still kept his cool though.

“I know it’s hard for you... Losing the people you love...” Quill flinched a bit. That sentence really triggered his anger switch, but Thor continued.

“Well, I have experienced it myself and it was horrible” Quill stopped for a moment, but instead of sympathizing back, he got angrier.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about” Quill stopped a moment after said that, he continued with an obvious higher voice. He really was displeased by this.

“I’ve lost my mom, my dad, my actual dad, and my girlfriend! AND I also messed everything back at Titan! I also lose contact about this past Gamora and i potentially can’t find her like ever! And look! Even i can’t save this planet! The very home of our ship!” He paused a second, sucked some good amount of air and continued

“Do you know how THAT feel?!”

Quill said as he finally stood up and pointed so hard at the asgardian with a furious glare. After a few seconds, he turned, trying to calm himself down.

Thor couldn’t answer though. It seriously worse than he thought, but he know for sure that he was also going through some harsh times. Quill should at least know this! After a few seconds, the blonde made a comeback, though he was way calmer than Quill, like telling some kind of story.

“well, I also have lost my mother, my father, my sister, my best friends, a lot of my people, and my brother...” Quill calmed for a moment, actually listened to the asgardian this time with a cooler head. Thor still continued.

“And surprise, surprise, i also had a chance to stop Thanos and that was actually killing him for good... and i missed it, letting the snap happen before my eyes...”

The redhead was really shocked at the moment, like that was a HELL of a chance and the guy he knew were used to be this manliest guy he had ever seen could miss such an opportunity. he finally calmed down and sit back, still trying to not make eye contact. He asked, gentle, yet stern at the same time to the big man a few feet apart besides him.

“How could it happen?”

The asgardian definitely surprised by the sudden change of the atmosphere around them. He tried to keep on track though, not going to make the terran to get upset again. he answered Quill while keeping his cool. He didn’t want to break because of this little talk.

“Well... I was so stupid back then that i thought i had stopped him. I pierced his chest really deep not thinking that he still had enough strength to snap his finger... i was filled with a blinding accomplishment that i didn’t realize i didn’t go for the head and let things happened. I messed up everything”

Quill actually understood that. He finally could connect and relate to this man. he was getting closer and responded to Thor’s story about his failure.

“Well... I also kind of let myself getting angry about losing Gamora that i punched him real hard in the face”

After hearing that, Thor immediately commented with a bit of amusement.

“wait, you did?”

“yeah i was but i-“

Thor then bursted out of laughter. It was a long laugh that Quill was just sitting there waiting for the asgardian to stop. Moments after he stopped, he apologized immediately.

“Oh, i am so sorry. It is just that i hate that purple creature”

Quill didn’t really accept the apology, though he knew that Thanos basically beat everyone up, but still this was not a laughing matter.

“ok, Thor. but still, it basically destroyed our plan because he was in a hypnosis as we tried to take his gauntlet off” Quill said in a serious tone

After hearing that, Thor stopped giggling and actuallu got why it upset Quill so much. “Oh” is his response as he finally got back to a more serious atmosphere. Quill continued.

“I was also dusted and you know that”
“oh, you did?”
“yeah dude, like isn’t it obvious that i didn’t change much? Even Rocket knew”

That really disappointed Quill so much. Is he for real? Either way...

“Alright, enough with this. So, what do you want, Thor?” Quill said as he paid his attention to Thor. It was enough to make the asgardian to blush after a minute. Thor spoke up and tried to sound as genuine as possible.

“oh, basically i wanted to comfort you a bit because of what happened to this... planet...” Thor said as he looked the view in front of him.

“well, fyi, i’m still sad” the redhead said in his sarcastic voice

“hmmm, are you though?” Thor asked, squinted at Quill’s statement.

“honestly... yeah... i’m pretty sad” The redhead replied.

This bugged the blonde man a bit. So, he asked Quill again, a bit symphathetic this time.

“Ok, why? You know that this was irreversible. It can still be saved, but it won’t be like how it used to”

Quill knew, of course. That was what kept him from his sleeps. It was irreversible and he could not do anything about it or at least what to do first. Thor continued though.

“maybe i can relate to that because that was basically why i am like this” he said as he pointed at himself. Quill who was overwhelmed by these fun facts from Thor could nly concluded that...

“Well, it turns out that you’re like me. How ‘bout that?” Quill said as he gave a smirk to Thor.

Really, it was weird for the asgardian to see Quill to finally be nice to him. at least, he had finally seen Starlord’s smile. That really got Thor off guard and made himself blushing like crazy. He tried to cover his face and slowly turned around so Quill could not see this. The redhead turned a bit concerned.

“hey, what’s going on?” he asked while trying to turn the big guy around so he could see his face. Basically making a face to face conversation. It failed though.

“Hey, now you’re the one who’s weird. What happened to you? Quill started to get annoyed and he certainly got more curious. Thor then stood up, got some dust off and spoke.

“It’s nothing! Really!”

That response definitely did nothing to Quill’s justice. It just made him more curious, but Thor continued

“Okay, because you feel better now, it is the right time to go back to the ship. Everyone might have waited for us. It is getting dark anyway. ok, i’ll see you in the ship, Quill” Thor said as he hurriedly walked to Benatar.

Quill couldn’t say anymore words to Thor as he was left alone. Well, it was such a quite moment. Only a breezing wind and grey sky with dusts all over the place. It was sad, but he could sense ‘peace’.

‘i wish everyone felt this’ he thought, referred to the one he loved that had passed. He was closing his eyes, thinking about this peacefulness and trying to clean his mind, accepting his losses and foriving himself.

He tried to move on.

“well, this is refreshing” he said with a relieved tone. He watched the gray sky full of darker grey clouds, he said

“I guess this is the first step, huh?” he said to himself

He then hurriedly ran to the ship, potentially following Thor or even caught him up.

The day was surely the guardian’s lowest point, yet it might be a good one to start over and all of them finally understood and they were ready for anything that would came later...

Or would they?

And hey! Meanwhile...

Now they’ve gone from Xandar and started to wander around space to get to other planet. They made sure it was going to be a more stable (the resources, climate and its people) planet.

In the cockpit, Quill was listening songs from his Zune while also thinking about Thor just then. ‘What happened to that guy?’. That’s what he was thinking all day and then came Mantis who was also worried about the asgardian.

“Quill, what’s wrong with Thor?” Mantis asked Starlord who was busy in his seat with his Zune. He didn’t reply though which brought Mantis to force him for an answer. Well, of course in a gentle manner.

“come on, Quill. Thor acts weirdly lately and he drank a bunch of beer again”

Drax who was near Thor at the moment and was holding his nose with his hand added.

“yeah! I started to smell his smelly breath and it’s killing me!” he complained.

“I Am Groot!” Groot added.

Peter who didn’t get enjoyment anymore, took off his Zune then grumpily replied, but the volume was set so it could only be heard by Mantis. Though It was still a grumpy reply

“here, idk what happened to him, ok. We talked for a moment back in Xandar and there was a point where he started acting weird and i could see his face burning. I asked him what happened, but he said it’s nothing. But i know there’s something wrong with him and it makes me crazy. You get it now?”

He retold the story as clearly and to the point as possible. He didn’t want to talk too much right now. he was so full in his head he might break again and it won’t be pretty. He then back with his Zune, not caring anymore and lost in his thoughts again.

Mantis got it and started to be more worried than she had to. she then turned back not to make Quill suspicious of her and back to her position. Nebula still got zero clue what’s happening. She didn’t care that much though. She asked about Quill back in the day to Mantis, but she refused to answer, like she did mean to not talk about it. So she stopped herself from forcing Mantis for answers.

The one left was Quill who was thinking about this again, digging deeper into his mind which he found and he remembered that he overheard Mantis and Thor talked together in the kitchen while he was in the bathroom. It was quite an interesting talk because it was about Nebula’s speech, but he was more interested in Thor’s statement near the end which he stated that he really cared for the terran. It was a bit weird for him of course, but it got super awkward where the asgardian said he loved Quill...

Upon remembering this, Starlord realized and then hid his embarassment by listening to his Zune more. he definitely blushed really hard yes, the thought never left the terran.

“well, here we go again...” the raccoon said who realized about the ship’s atmosphere.

“Ok, buckle up, everyone! We’re going to fast travel to this planet that’s like 2 light years. It wouldn’t be a smooth ride so keep your thoughts and problems deeply in your brain and save yourself!”

Quill immediately snapped back, talked to himself

‘Ok, it’s on!”