Chapter 5
Mantis twisted her hands together, careful not to do so too tightly. She was practiced at it, just like she felt she should be practiced at keeping her cool around so many different people. But it was a hard, fast learning curve. A lifetime on Egos planet in isolation kept her from being exposed to large crowds and since she joined the Guardians, well, she had had more than enough exercise in restraining her empathic abilities beyond her limit. Before she met them, she had to touch someone to feel their emotions, but since joining the crew she realized that their feelings were so volatile and extreme that she didn’t need to touch them in order to know what they were feeling, even if those feelings were hidden. Sure, touching them brought her clarity and the ability to influence them, but she could sense Drax’s excitement, Kraglin’s nervousness and Gamora’s cautious optimism as they waited with Lady Qula’s assistant for the rest of their group. She felt them before they came. Groot: in pain and embarrassed that he’d needed Peter’s protection. Peter: dreading Gamora’s anger, adding it to the list of reasons he’d never know her love and despairing over it, but also glad that Groot was not more injured. And Rocket, Mantis could barely handle being in eyesight of the tortured soul. She turned away as Gamora stepped forward.
“Do I even want to know?” Groot and Peter shook their heads. Lady Qula’s assistant looked at them quizzically before gesturing them to come inside the large iron building.
“If that’s the rest of you, let us come then. Lady Qula is a busy woman and does not like to be kept waiting.” Mantis entered the building, beside Drax who threw her a kind smile. She smiled back, Drax was different then the rest of them. So broken, heart so shattered and yet still, he in his own childish way, loving. He had the courage to continue to love, even though it was love that had stolen everything from him. She knew he doubted it, but his heart was not totally consumed by hate indeed, far from it. And for that he really was the strongest of the team.
“Stand back,” the attendant gestured as the large bolted golden and bronze door swung open. “The Guardians of the Galaxy my lady.” Mantis watched with large eyes as the woman behind the desk continued to pour over her paperwork. They waited, uncomfortable silence surrounding them.
“Well?” Rocket demanded, irritated. The woman looked up, brows arching in speculation.
“So, these are the Guardians of the Galaxy?” Mantis hardly listened as the woman explained the job, the waret metal, the terms of payment and so on. She knew she wouldn’t have much involvement in the operation. Maybe it was better that way. Confusion, fear, ambivalence. Groot’s emotions sloughed off of him. The Flora colossus’s eyes glazed over, tuning out the business woman’s conditions. Mantis giggled as he grew a vine from his shoulder and twirled it around as he had done as a baby.
“We’ll get your ware to Gravior, rest assured.” Qula nodded, eyeing Peter with speculation.
“Alright then Star-Lord, the 500 tons are ready to be loaded on to your ship,” she tapped her finger, speaking some language.
“Fratee,” the voice on the other end nodded. Qula nodded,
“Please,” Qula gestured to her assistant who opened the door, Peter nodded, waiting for the rest of them to follow. Mantis respectfully nodded, only Groot remained standing still, rubbing his sore eye.
“I am sorry my abilities only allow me to soothe emotional wounds,” the empath whispered on their way through the narrow-grated tunnels. Darkness interspersed with bluish gas that burned her nose. A large wooden hand covered his mouth and nose, but Mantis watched his face smile behind it. He’d always been kind to her, albeit hardly anyone else. She watched them load the waret into the Milano in careful measured amounts, pushing the blocks into the hold and throughout the ship, anywhere it would fit.
“Groot c’mon!” Rocket groaned, shoving with all his weight against the large wrack. Groot squinted through his seeing eye, pouting.
“Push!” Gamora ordered, her back braced against the towering wall of packed waret.
“I am pushing!” Peter threw his shoulder into it as the rolling platform edged closer against the right wall of the main cargo bay. “I also think I bruised a rib in that bar fight!”
“That is another five tons of waret moved!” Drax announced, pulling the rolling dolly swiftly out from under the platforms as it fell with a thud into place. Kraglin only rubbed his arm.
“Groot!” Rocket snarled, backing up several paces and rushing at the stack of metal and launching himself at it. Groot suppressed a smirk, watching Rocket struggle and turned away, going up to his quarters.
“How many more of these?” Peter asked, wiping a hand across his brow as Gamora finally pulled the dolly out from under the stack.
“Are you sure you don’t want my help?” Mantis asked, Peter waved her away.
“Don’t worry about it! Rocket! How’s that last load coming?” Rocket only snarled, his anger and embarrassment radiating off of him much to Mantis’s unease. Her stomach turned, watching him struggle.
“I, I will help you!” She ran over to him as he made himself ready to run at the metal again. She grinned through her pressing head ache. “Rocket, I can…” but he ran into her, darting between her legs with a growl. Mantis spun as his side hit against her and she felt her feet tangle, swooshing down. Arms flailing, the empath groped wildly to catch herself and grabbed at the fur she felt, closing around Rocket’s tail.
The metal floor did not hit her as she fell, the warm fur in her hand was replaced by something else. Needles, a knife, slicing into her palm. Somewhere there was a muffled screech of alarm, but the thunder of raw, untapped emotion drew it out of her. Mind rising and falling Mantis rode the waves of Rocket’s consciousness. So much pain, exhaustion, hatred, but above it all in this moment was shame and worry. Worry that he could not control Groot, worry that he was keeping things from Groot, worry at the fact that he needed Groot far more then Groot needed him. And waves of shame, shame, shame. But why…? Her hand pressed down more against Rocket’s tail.
“It’s alright…shhh… slee…” Tears sprang to Mantis’s eyes as sharp claws ripped through her hand. “I’m s…sorry…” she gagged through the stinging, trying to measure her own breathing against the tides of build and self-loathing Rocket harbored in his small augmented body.
“I told you,” Rocket snarled, yanking away. “Don’t.Touch.Me.” Violent, red anger flodded through his shame and Mantis shrank herself back against the metal packaging.
“I am Groot!” Groot yelled, as he vaulted down from the bridge, green vines coming around the small puppy’s arms and yanking him back. Black lips pulled back on the raccoon’s face, snarling and baring his fangs at Groot whose lines immediately let go.
“Rocket!” Peter shouted, looking between them. Confusion, surprise, wondering if it Rocket was hurt. The strange creature ran out a string of curses, brushing past them all and storming away,
“Let’s get the flark off this planet!” He snarled, going to the cockpit.
“I am Groot?” Groot asked, a single vine reaching out to brush her hand. Mantis watched the blood run in rivulets.
“Are you alright?” Drax asked. “That quarrelsome creature must be brought to his senses.”
“Guys, hold on a sec,” Peter begged. The need to keep things calm. Unity Peace. Teamwork, family.
“I am Groot!” Concern, anger at Rocket. Anger at Peter.
“It is alright, I…I only wanted to help.” Mantis explained as Drax’s strong arms assisted her to her feet.
“You did help,” Peter tried lamely. But the empath shook her head, her turn to feel shame.
“I am Groot,” Groot shook his head. Peter blinked in surprise, running a hand over his face before muttering himself and going to get the last of the waret.
“Groot….” Gamora whispered, voice wavering, “don’t…don’t call Rocket an idiot.” Mantis watched them take the last of the load and held her breath as they left Contraxia. She was glad Rocket hadn’t heard Groot’s insult, whatever it meant.