Chemistry

10

TITAN

Doctor Strange helped Tony, now de-helmeted, to his feet; they were both panting a little from the exertion of arrival.

Tony asked Doctor Strange, "You all right?" He panted. "That was close. I owe you one."

Spider-Man and Shadow Raven descended from above in classically spider-like and bird-like fashion and the former said, "Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in Lessa's and my chest or something, and we eat one of you, I'm sorry."

Tony pointed at Peter. "I don't wanna hear another single pop culture out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?" He pointed to Alessa. "That goes for you too."

"I'm trying to say that... something is coming."

A grenade rolled into view, and Peter, Alessa, Doctor Strange and Tony got thrown well back when it fired its energy pulse. Star-Lord, Drax and Mantis appeared in the doorway.

Drax yelled, "THANOS!!!!" He flung a blade at Doctor Strange, who neatly deflected it with a mystical shield, and in return sent the Cloak of Levitation at Drax's face, half-smothering him and threw him to the floor. Star-Lord and Iron Man had a brief dogfight until a magnetic disc pinned Iron Man face-first to a structure.

Peter and Alessa crawled backwards frantically from an anxious-looking Mantis as they cried, "AH! WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA! PLEASE DON'T PUT YOUR EGGS IN ME!"

Spider-Man shot a web at Mantis in a panic, pinning arms to her body just before Star-Lord flew at him and Shadow Raven feet-first, kicking them away.

"Stay down, clown!" Quill ordered.

Star-Lord couldn't quite counter spider and raven reflexes at first; he fired at Spider-Man and Shadow Raven, who extended his spider legs and her raven wings and leapt and flew away, but an electric-like cord wrapped around Spider-Man and Shadow Raven and his six new legs and her new wings when they tried to attack, sending them rolling across the deck.

Drax, struggling with the Cloak of Levitation, said, "Die, blanket of death!"

Iron Man pulled free of the magnet; the Cloak pulled free of Drax as soon as Iron Man had a bead on his opponent and a foot on his torso.

Star-Lord had Spider-Man in a head-lock, gun pointed at the boy's head with a foot on Shadow Raven's stomach to keep her down.

Doctor Strange had a mystical shield of golden energy up, and stood ready at the third point of the triangle. Mantis had struggled to her feet behind Star-Lord, still covered with webbing.

"Everybody, stay where you are, chill the F out!" Quill ordered as he powered off his helmet and aimed at Tony. "I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?"

Tony de-helmeted and retorted, "Yeah, I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?"

"I'll do you one better," Drax challenged. "Why is Gamora?"

"Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you, I'm gonna French-fry this little freak," Quill said.

"Let's do it!" Tony shot back. "You shoot my guy and crush my girl, I blast him. Let's go!" He extended his nano-tech cannon, looking uncannily like an electric shark about to eat Drax's face.

"Do it, Quill!" Drax yelled. "I can take it."

"No, he can't take it!" Mantis cried.

Doctor Strange, completely deadpan agreed, "She's right. You can't."

"Oh yeah?" Quill said. "You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's fine, I'll kill all three of you and beat it out of Thanos myself!" He said to Spider-Man, "Starting with you! And then the girl!"