Worthy

Part 40 - She's Not Alone

"Took you long enough," Tony remarks with a smirk on his face as you and Thor make it to the lab; you were both the last ones there. "I see." He laughs a little harder when he looks at what you're wearing.

"What's going on?" You ask, blushing slightly, but not giving him any more attention than needed, marching up to the computer screen. Thor slides in beside Bruce and Nat, but also looking around for Loki. From the corner of your eye you notice Bruce giving Thor the thumbs up, receiving one back; Nat simply shakes her head at their interaction.

"FRIDAY got an alert. Danvers is on her way in." Tony replies, back to being serious, furiously trying to search the data for something.

"So what's the problem?" Steve asks. "She could just be dropping in with some intel."

"She's not alone," Bruce explains, throwing up more data on the screen. "There's a ship coming in behind her." Mapping out the trajectory, you can see the large blurred shape that's chasing after the small blur that shows Danvers. "You recognise this signature?" He asks Thor.

"It is not one I know," he tries to determine the shape of the ship. "But to me it doesn't look that much bigger than one of the Quinjets."

"Has Carol reached out to us? Sent a distress call?" You ask.

"No, nothing." Tony grumbles. "But let's face it, who couldn't she take on?"

"Thanos?" Both you and Thor say at the same time, clearly thinking on the same page. Instantly everyone is on high alert, looking around at each other. Looking around the room, you finally realise that everyone is the room, apart from Loki.

"Yeah well, let's not take any chances," Steve announces, looking around the room too. "Everyone suit up." He commands before leaving the lab.

"Where's Loki?" Thor asks, looking around the room, no one responding.

"I'll go look for him," You lightly tap his arm before suddenly grabbing Vision before he could disappear too. "You need to stay back too Vision," You sigh, while he gives you a confused look.

"We might need him Kate," Bruce remarks. "I'll come with you. Only call out for a Code Green if absolutely necessary." He turns to Nat.

"I know," Nat smiles, kissing him quickly before running off. You can't help but smile at them.

"If this is Thanos, we can't let him get anywhere near him," You pause, looking up at the yellow gem embedded in Vision's forehead. "Or that." You nervously point to the Mind stone, Vision simply nodding at your statement.

"Kate's right," Thor agrees before grabbing your arm, placing a hand on the back of your neck, making you face him. "I know I have no right to ask this of you Kate, I need you to.." Thor starts before you cut him off.

"I need to find your brother. He won't admit it Thor, but he's terrified of Thanos. We need to make sure he's still here." Reaching up and giving Thor a gentle kiss, he grabs you and holds you in place, holding the kiss longer than you had proposed. A slight sense of fear flowing through him as he thought he was about to go into battle, before you had had any chance to be together. So many thoughts were swirling around in his head, he just needed one more moment with you.

"Be safe," he sighs, breaking away and resting his head against yours.

"You too princess," Your response makes him chuckle before he follows after the rest of the team.

"Yes!" Bruce shouts out, throwing his hands up in the air, but when he sees your smile turn slightly sad, he awkwardly puts them down. Vision looking between you both, confused about what he's just watched. "Sorry, let's go find Loki."

***

As the team assembles on the compound lawn, a bright light shoots across the sky; almost like a meteor, except it's graceful in it's landing. No signs of the other ship. The light around Carol Danvers starts to dim as she marches towards the team. "What's with the welcoming party?" She questions, a smug smile on her face as she gets close to Steve.

"You shitting me Danvers?" Tony interrupts, lifting the mask from his helmet. "You've got a tail. You didn't check in? What we supposed to think?"

She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms in frustration. "Fury didn't tell you?" she sighs, looking around the questioning faces. "Obviously not!" Letting her arms down she takes another step closer to the team before explaining. "We've managed to get a handle on another stone."

"And?" Steve asks, taking a look around the sky for the other ship.

"And I brought the team who found it with me. They have experience with Thanos, and the stones. They could be a help tracking down more information on what's going on."

"So why haven't they landed?" Nat asks.

"Probably because I've got 20 missiles primed and ready to launch at them," Tony admits, slightly defeated.

"Tony..." Nat whines, while Steve just throws a look.

"I know," Tony starts, slowly retreating out of his Iron Man suit, ordering FRIDAY to stand down. "What do we need to know about them?"

"They call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy," Danvers shrugs as the spaceship finally comes into view. "Managed to hold off a Kree warlord named Ronan who was after the Power stone, at the behest of Thanos."

"From where do they hail?" Thor asks.

"All over." She responds, turning back and looking at the ship as it starts to land. "Surprisingly including one of our own." Instantly Thor and Tony look at each other before questioning Danvers about the human on board. "Wow," She laughs, turning back to look at the two men currently up in her face. "And I thought the talking raccoon was going to freak you guys out."

"Just tell us his name Danvers," Tony spits out.

"He calls himself Star Lord," she sighs not amused. "But I heard what the others called him. They called him Quill."

Thor and Tony freeze on the spot, the others looking at them both, wondering what was going on. "You should go." Tony starts.

"She'll need you Stark."

"And you." Tony looks nervously at the compound door, hoping you don't come out now.

"She's with Bruce and the Vision," he explains. "We thought it might have been Thanos, so they went to find Loki."

Looking around at the rest of the team, Tony shrugs. "We gotta go," he says before turning and walking back into the compound, Thor closely on his heels. "Don't let them off that ship until we speak to Kate." He looks directly at Nat and Wanda, and finally they click.

"Tony?" Steve yells, "This is important. What about the stones?" But Tony ignores him.

"We're on it Tony," Nat nods, before turning to Steve who starts to march towards Tony for more answers. Wanda blocks his path, joining Nat. "Sorry Cap, but this is one order from Stark that we have to follow."