The Lost Prince

The place is beautiful like Ego, with a touch of High-techie-ish, if you could just describe it properly. Quill, just creates everything out of his hands. Power here left and right, even creating a larger image of Pacman himself. Enjoying their time in a peaceful way, he is playing with Groot, Mantis, and Drax. They are like pure innocent souls, with no memory of the decimation and the battle against the Mad Titan.

“What kind of Game is this? It looks electrifying” Mantis kicks the ball with astonishment towards Drax’s direction. While the latter kicked the ball to Groot's direction, instead Groot just impaled it with his trunk.

“Hey! That’s no fun! Why did you do that? Soccer is life you know! I just even made that glowing ball for what Groot! For the nth Time! Just kick it, you moron!” Quill just raised both of his shoulder like dude wtf?

He only received an eye roll and the same response “I am Groot”.

“Hey, it’s not boring! You rebellious teenager!” Quill just withdraws “Let’s do something else!”.

“He is coming…” Mantis antennas are starting to light up.

Everyone just looked at her antennas with mixed feelings.

“I am Groot”.

“What? Who the motherfucker is coming?”.

“Where? Where? I don’t see anyone?.

They all feel agitated now, but no one questions the power from an empathic insectoid being. Despite her having an intricacy of social interaction. Well, she had improved ever since joining their squad. Everybody feels so off. Like out of place on where they are right now. It feels like there is a loophole. But they never questioned nor discussed it, it’s just a waste of time having no definitive answers at all. It’s just that they have a certain connection with each other’s feelings, an other-worldly feeling.

And suddenly in mere seconds, a loud shockwave is felt like miles away. They were shaken and Drax’s almost lose his balance on that matter. “What the fuck was that?” Quill grabbed a nearby statue to steady him, while Mantis falls on her butt.

Still not recovering from their shock. Another seconds have passed and in a flash a figure stood in front of the four members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, making them somewhat docile in the presence in front them. Their minds in a muddle.

Quill blinks and even rubbed his eyes if he was just hallucinating but no way in hell, standing in front of them a figure with a feature of a herculean warrior and burning purplish eyes, as what Quill describes him at the back of his mind. He remembers his Mom telling him about the Gods of Olympus. Even showing him their statues, so he is entirely sure that the man standing in front of him reminds him of Zeus Son. In an instinct, Quill raises his Quad Blasters, Drax draws out his blades and Groot immediately changes into his fighting stance.

The figure kneeled down in front of Mantis “I do not mean any harm” he gestures to the chick with the antennae to touch him, she showed a lack of certainty. But she still touches the man.

“You are worried, sad and you want to help us?” she released her touch to the man’s forehead and looked at her companions that their uninvited visitor means no harm. Everyone comes to an agreement and they withdrew their weapons.

“Thank you for trusting me Guardians of the Galaxy” as he stood up, he reaches for Mantis hand to help her get up. “Thank you, we do not know your name” she asked.

“My power has been used by Ronan, you sought me in the planet Morag and kept hidden away in Xandar only to be found with someone more thirsty of power”.

“No freaking way, are you what I thought you are to be?” an inquisitive quirk of the lips from Peter Quill, upon recognizing who the figure might be.

“You are correct Starlord. I am known as the Power Stone, but please call me Daivat. I know all of you do not remember anything as of the moment that you are all demented, with questions unanswered. Let me heal all of you” a soothing ray of orbs floated from the ground and each of them being absorbed to their bodies, in an instant flashes of memories and emotions flowed within.

Anger. Loss. Rage. Failure. Death.

Everything returned in a flash. And from then on rage has seethed into Peter Quill’s bones. Thanos. He killed his beloved Gamora!

Quill can no longer hold his emotions on a check “Where is Thanos! I need to kill him now!”.

“I am afraid that you have no privilege to that Peter Quill. Thanos has already passed” an unreadable expression from Daivat.

“What? No, it can’t be. It should be me who will fucking kill him. You hear that?” from then the Power Stone projected a memory, showing the Guardians of the Galaxy their remaining comrades who were not affected by the snap, how they killed Thanos and thanks to Thor for the final blow.

Peter Quill’s knees gave out and everyone has mixed feelings.

“Quill, I think we should be glad that he is gone now. Don’t you think?” Drax kneeled in front of him showing sympathy, he knows the feeling of loss. Tears streaming down those strong cheekbones.

Mantis was about to interrupt, she wants to use her empathic manipulation to alleviate Quill’s sense of loss. But Drax just looked at her sadly, with his eyes saying Quill needs this . And she slowly withdraws her hand.

“You said you will help us, how?” Mantis faced the Power Stone, observing them and showing empathy.

“I want you to be ready. Your comrades on Earth had completed collecting the Stones, you just have to wait for the reversal. My brother’s and sisters have tracked your fallen comrades here in the alter realm. And you need to reunite with some of them” Daivat opened a portal showing them another place that looks like a Sanctum. And of all them followed. Drax helping Quill back to his feet again.

-------

“Where am I?” Natasha felt confused, shaking her head to probably wake up, or if she is somewhere between a dream and reality. She doesn’t know. She should be dead, but here she was alive and breathing? And to a place unknown. Everything is surreal, all she could see in a faraway view is a single Gazebo and someone is sitting like there, waiting for her. The Spy stood up with all her strength, walked slowly with caution. And the scenery changed to a blue sky and an ocean, it reminds her of Tony’s home in Malibu. As she is nearing the Gazebo, she could now see clearly the face of the person sitting inside it.

“Peter?” she is a meter away from him, but Peter is currently unaware of her presence. She can hear Peter is humming a beautiful song, that she usually hears when the teenager is working and tinkering kinds of stuff. This Peter is wearing a beautiful white garb with a flicker of Gold, but he looks different. His hair is longer with white streaks in it, braided on the side. A chiseled soft feature with a combination of little feminism, he looks a bit older but still young when he stood together with Tony. He looks happy, contented. Eyes closed. Hands on his belly, caressing it.

As she approached Peter a little bit more, footsteps unheard. She had a clearer view of what he looks like and was that a bump?

“Peter?” with a soft whisper, the teenager opened his eyes, smiling at Natasha “Hey there Nat, look at this” he reached out at Natasha’s hand and he guided it through his small bump. She felt a light kick in it, she smiled “How is this even possible Peter? Does Tony know?” with that question she saw Peter’s face morphed into pure sadness “He doesn’t know yet and he can’t for now. Maybe this is possible, because of my spidey genes or me being a celestial? I want you and Cap to be godparents, or maybe all the Avengers. Baby Spider will be spoiled don’t you think?” he rests his hand above Natasha still caressing his small bump. Peter looks so different, he suddenly looks ethereal and his eyes? Not a shade of brown but purple? What did Peter say being a Celestial? What does that mean?

“They can’t let you die Nat, and so am I. I love you my Spider Sister. Whatever happens, please take care of Tony. Promise me. I love him so much, my heart is going to burst” a tear suddenly falls on those beautiful, unearthly eyes. 

“What are you talking about Peter? Clint has the Soul Stone. You will go back to Tony’s arms again, they will reverse the decimation” brows form into a frown from the spy.

“It’s complicated Nat…” and suddenly Peter is gone, the scenery around her suddenly changed into chaos. She saw injured bodies of their allies and dead chitauris.

She stood up looking around, the place is in Havoc. And she heard someone crying his heart out, pleading “Peter? Baby, please don’t close your eyes. Baby? Sweetheart? Hey, talk to me? Morgan baby? Do you hear me? You too stay with me. Please don’t leave me both. Please”.

Natasha’s heart shattered on the scene in front of her. Tony Stark, his armor looks severed from a heavy fight. His helmet was gone, face tear stained. Rocking Peter’s limp body, to let him stay. Beside him was Steve and Pepper, face dejected. And Peter…..

His Iron Spider Armour is shattered, his right face slightly burned and his eyes are lifeless.

“Peter? No….” as she was about to reach them. A bright light suddenly engulfed her into nothingness.

As she opened her eyes once again, she is standing in front of a familiar building in New York. It looks like a Sanctum.

“Natasha..” a familiar voice suddenly caught her off guard. And on her right there he was floating.

“Vision? What are you doing here? What is happening? I don’t understand” everything is not making any sense to her.

“What you see is a fraction of every possible occurrence. Everyone has completed the infinity stones, and soon everything will be reversed. Your comrades are waiting on that Building. Please go” and Vision is gone.

And Natasha entered the Sanctum without any second thoughts.

-------

“Nothing of this would have happened, if you have just put your emotions on check Mr.Quill!” the Sorcerer’s eyes challenging with the same eye level as Quill.

“STARLORD. You Moronic Wizard. Want me to spell it out for you huh?” eyes and tongue burning with sarcasm.

“Did you just made your voice bigger again?” Drax’s side comment didn’t helped alleviate the situation.

“Not helping Drax! Just shut up!” Quill slightly pointing his fingers to one of the biggest idiots in the galaxy the same as him. Not that he will admit.

“I am Groot” he looks at them skeptically.

“Not you too Groot! You are making the situations ain’t good enough bud” a deathly glare pointed towards Groot.

In an instant Mantis stood up between the two tall figures touching their foreheads “Be Calm….” and suddenly the rage they felt was suddenly washed away.

“What is this noise all about?”.

“Who are you woman?” everyone’s attention was suddenly focused on Natasha, standing in a corner arms crossed.

“Is that a way to address a Lady? My name is Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow for your information. Oh, you must be Doctor Strange?” the Spy suddenly spotted the Sorcerer obviously with his weird outfit and the way Tony described him to her. In an instant, the Master of Mystic Arts lost his balance.

“That should do it. Where is Peter?” a smug look on the Russian spies face. Leaving everyone’s jaw dropped and Peter Quill has the loudest reaction of all “Ohoho! My God that fucking hurts man! Why are you looking for me Miss Black Widow?”.

“Not you the other Peter, Spiderman” with that simple statement. Mantis pointed out where his little brother spiderling was. “I touched him but I couldn’t feel anything” she just nodded and approached the sleeping teen.

“Oh, Petey....” worried etched on her face. The teen is sleeping peacefully, still wearing his Iron Spider suit. She laid her hand on Peter’s flat belly. Confirming on, if what she saw is true. Still puzzled. In an instant she felt a strong presence beside her, it was the Sorcerer. Still, a bit dazed on her punch earlier, a dark bruise starting to form on his left cheek “I will reserve the right side to Tony” Doctor Strange doesn’t say a word but flinched a little hearing the billionaire’s name. Which doesn’t escape the spies simple evaluation and Stephen Strange is hiding something.

“What happened to him, Doctor? Care to explain it to me? And I know when you are lying. So don’t you dare. Just the two of us” a tone of threat escaped her lips.

Strange guided her to a secluded room. Leaving Peter to the Guardian’s of the Galaxy Squad’s care with Mantis still trying to figure out what is wrong with him. Even trying to use an induced awakening on him, which doesn’t work.

They are in a similar room where he and Thor had their long conversation, with a Beer on the God of Thunder’s hand.

The Mystic Sorcerer told her everything he knows, even the kiss which he regretted taking advantage of. Eventhough it was Tony Stark, who the boy really desires. “Maybe try telling that to Stark, because let’s be adults here. He is infuriated at you right now. Just face the music” after a minute of silence Natasha continued to talk “There is another classified information that I saw before I got here. After sacrificing myself in exchange for the Soul Stone, I was brought into this place…”.

“It’s the Soulworld” Doctor Strange interjects.

“How’d you know?” the spy doesn’t felt any lies behind it.

“The Time Stone had shared something to me of great knowledge, which can be beneficial to us. It is weird to think that all of them are communicating with each other. And they knew their past selves are now successfully retrieved by you and your team. But let me tell you, I have seen 14 million possibilities and 1 out of it, we will triumph at great cost. Although, I have been given a warning that someone will alter it. The one that you have seen in the Soul World, might be the truth or a vision of an event that is likely to happen. That we do not know, as the stones also left me some encrypted messages that I must decipher. I do not completely understand though Miss Romanoff, why the stones want to keep it a secret. They said it will be just a distraction to Mr.Stark” now this piqued the spies interest.

“A secret?” is there something she has forgotten?

“I want to be against it, Miss Romanoff. Mr.Stark has to know, it’s his child anyway. And it’s a precious gift. I believe he will protect Peter tenfolds. Don’t you agree with me?” now that is another question that adds to Natasha’s intellectual brain. Why would keep the child secret? Even when she talked to Peter in the Soulworld, was it really Peter? Or another montage acting like him to make things more confusing. But she could see the love that Peter has for Tony in that world. And Peter’s sorrowful face. She can feel it, it is real. And it pains her.

“I will let Tony know. Don’t worry we are on the same page. But I will still not apologize on that” pointing at the black bruise that already solidifies. Having a civil agreement of their interests.

-------

After a long discussion, they both returned to the main room where everyone makes themselves busy. Natasha sitting beside Peter. Already aware of everything. She will protect Peter at all costs.

And suddenly a new door appeared in front of them.

“It’s time for us to go home, Peter. Tony misses you so much”.

Stephen Strange offered to carry the unconscious Teen, but Natasha disagrees with it. She doesn’t want to make things more complicated. So it was Quill who offered. And she agreed.

Everyone walked through the door and when it was Natasha’s turn, someone has gripped her forearm.

“Natasha, before you go. I need to warn you that there is a traitor in the Avengers” it was Vision, the Mind Stone. He is deeply worried.

“Who Vision?” a sudden alarm runs through her head.

“I apologize but we cannot pinpoint who, please be careful. As our knowledge is already limited up to this time of decimation. Some force is blocking us”.

“I will”.

“Farewell Black Widow”.

The Spy nodded and in an instant, they are in the New Avengers Facility.