𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐯

𝐃𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 congratulations. Well congratulations never really happened, everyone just stared at Adelaide for a good few hours as they all cleaned off and got into warm clothes. Most of the stared were aimed at her back, everyone in the team stared, apart from Rocket, who simply looked away. In respect she thought, and she appreciated that. Drax, behind her back, had tried to poke his hand through the sea of space, but was stopped many times by Mantis, or sometimes by Adelaide herself, who shot a glare so deadly he retreated and was on best behaviour for the rest of the night.

Until they all got off their heads drunk.

Laughter echoed around the ship and secrets got out, secrets that weren't meant to be shared.

'And then I had this massive gun and I was like "Don't move!!" and Quill I'll tell you what.' Rocket pointed the large bottle in his hand to Peter across the table from him. 'You are the least pussyish dude from Terra I've ever met because these dudes wet themselves at the sight of me.' The whole team burst out into laughter, Adelaide taking another swig of her beer. Rocket huffed to catch breath and then carried on talking.

'Only one person stood up to us, that little ginger girl.' Rocket's eyes went glazed at the memory. Adelaide's laughing slowed to a stop, the smile from earlier still only just fading from her face at his words.

'Ha what?' Adelaide looked around the ship, at Gamora, who shifted in her seat. 'Tell me it was Natasha, Gamora. Tell me it was Natasha!!' Adelaide commanded, but Gamora stayed silent and Rocket continued.

'No no someone was calling the name Natasha from ages away, this kid had like a collar on? Gamora put her in the coolest choke hold-' Adelaide seethed through her teeth.

'You did what?' Adelaide asked, and Gamora lifted her chin in an attempt to look confident. Her words contradicted her posture.

'I'm - I'm sorry, I wanted to bring her along I did I just...' Gamora looked to her hands. 'I hadn't seen you in ages, and I wanted you just to be my little sister again. No distractions.' Adelaide stood up now, shadow dripping off of her skin, the stars underneath her shirt darkening.

'Get me off this ship.' Adelaide commanded, and Gamora stood up too now.

'No.' She said, eyes piercing. 'You're staying with me, where you're safe.' Adelaide rolled her eyes, then walked around the table, so she stood opposite Gamora, eyes blazing. Out of the shadow she possessed she crafted a small dagger and threw it at Gamora, who caught it with one hand before it disintegrated back into shadow.

'You're angry?' Gamora asked, face upset.

'Obviously, was me trying to stab you not enough proof? Now let me off this ship.' Adelaide commanded. 'Or I'll enter your mind, make you do whatever I want and leave your brain in mush.' Her promise wasn't a lie, she was prepared to do anything she could just to get back to Earth. She looked at the Guardians, faces disappointed like everyone else's. Like Tony's. Like Maw's and Thanos'. Like Wanda's.

'Fine.' Gamora strode to the front of the ship and tapped in co-ordinates for the nearest planet.

They arrived swiftly, and as soon as the ship touched the ground, Adelaide teleported out of it. The harsh winds blew in her face, and she looked towards the open bottom hatch, where Gamora stood, no tears, just agony painted upon her face. The door closed slowly, before the ship departed. Stranded.

Adelaide screamed at the top of her lungs, gathering in a ball of energy, swirls of purple and blue and a drop of starlight formed in her anger. And when she screamed loud enough, it shot out around her, transforming the wasteland around her into a grassy meadow. Only for the land around ten metres from her feet, but her face lit up. She had created something, from the hands that had destroyed so long ago.

She yelled a curse as she heard ship engines behind her, Gamora really couldn't take a message could she? Adelaide turned around, face angry, but was not met with the Guardians at all. It was her home.

The Sanctuary II.

And upon it? Her family. Her first family. A small ship detached from the larger one, it came floating down to her. She pulled the band from her hair, concealing her starry skin. The ship landed with a small thud, then out of it? Proxima Midnight.

'Sister.' She acknowledged, and dropped to one knee before Adelaide's feet. Her face was a scowl as she did so, knowing Thanos was watching her every step and she had to perform properly or there'd be consequences. Adelaide nodded and Proxima stood again. 'You presence is requested in the throne room.' Adelaide smirked, and as she took every step to the small ship's quarters, the land around her died once again.

Proxima sat next to her, and the ship moved upwards, showing the planet Adelaide had been dumped on. The thud and clatter of around them alerted Adelaide of their arrival, so she watched as the hatch opened, and there he stood. Thanos.

'My Star.' He breathed, looking upon Adelaide in her bloody leathers and her long, white hair. She smiled.

'Father.'