Too Little Too Late

Peter Quill

Peter was thrilled to be back on Earth. Excited and a bit worried. He had missed so many things during the years away in space. Like cookies and music and films and so many things. His mother had been there, that was emotional for him. It had been so long. He had wanted to show everything to his team, even if the times weren't the best for that. But tomorrow, they might be all dead, it was literally now or never. First and before anything else, Peter went to see his mother's resting place. People might see him as stupid, talking to a gravestone – Was it something that people were doing here? – but he wanted to explain all his life and adventures to her. Peter had been very close to his mother before her death. Yondu had kidnapped him just after her passing. Peter often regretted not being at the funeral. But it was what it was. No point crying over spilt milk.

He told her everything about space, Yondu who had been like a father to him in his own way, Gamora, Rocket and the others. How they saved the galaxy against Xandar. Peter had been strong enough to hold an infinity stone and not die. Well, with the help of his friends of course. He even talked about Ego who she loved so much but ended up being so disappointing. She needed to know what he had done to her even if it was difficult to say. In the end, her son had avenged her. If he cried a little, nobody was there to see him. Even if someone saw, he didn't care.

So, Captain America was real. Like real, real, alive and in front of him. If his life weren't already completely crazy, that would have made it. He was totally like in the comics Peter used to read when he was young which was really weird. Tall, blond, large shoulders with that expression that said I'm right because I'm Captain America. The uniform was slightly different but overall, that was him in three dimensions. He was also a total douche and that was even weirder, if it was possible at that point. Steve didn't trust Peter's team and looked at them as if they were dust on his shoe. He didn't even know them but his opinion was already made. And he wouldn't change his mind. That would mean he had been wrong at one point and he couldn't have that. The guardians were willing to fight, it should have counted for something. Anybody willing to risk his life to save others should receive some kind of respect in return, Peter thought. Captain America still didn't like them and he wasn't afraid to tell anybody who would listen. Especially his team, faithful friends, blind followers. You should never met your childhood heroes.

And that was so unfair. Especially now that the sisters had managed to put their differences aside and were back together. Gamora and Nebula had been fighting each other for so long. Their lives had been hard even before that. It wasn't easy to go after your own father. Peter knew something about that. Even if it was for the good of the many, a dad, even a bad one, was still a dad. The sisters didn't remember any other family member. They didn't have to help the Earth. None of them. It wasn't their birth planet or even the only planet in the galaxy. Far from that. They could go anywhere and try their luck against the titan. The guardians had come there mainly because it had been Thanos' destination. So much were at stake here.

Peter showed everything to his team anyway. To, at least, take their minds of things. Especially the food. God, did he missed the cookies, burgers, pizzas and all the rest. There was nothing that could compare to Earth food anywhere in the whole galaxy. Thanos was probably just weeks away now. It was getting real for everyone now. That was not how he pictures the people's reaction. Nobody seemed to panic or riot or anything. They were all living like always. Maybe not completely normally. The houses were closed, shutters bolted. Half of the population were the kind to go to work, go back and spend the rest of the time inside. The other half was living the life as if it were their last days alive. And it might just as well be. They carried on working, most of them, but after that, it was literally party all night. Restaurants, bars and clubs were making money like never before but somehow it felt hollow. People were feeling hollow. There was nothing they could do against that kind of threat. They were left with defenders then didn't really like because they drove away the ones they did, underneath all their criticism.