Avengers: Endgame [4]

7

Thanos's Q-Ship, 2014

Astra watched as Gamora stabbed the creature in the back and sent it flying into an electrical pole, where it burnt up.

"You're welcome," said Gamora.

"I didn't ask for your help," Nebula seethed from the ground.

"And yet, you always need it," said Gamora. She held out her hand for Nebula. Nebula slapped it away.

"Get up. Father wants us back on the ship," said Astra.

"Why?" Nebula asked.

"He's found an Infinity Stone," said Astra.

That caught her sister's attention.

***

The sisters watched as the Sanctuary II left a planet on which Thanos had decimated half the population. Again.

"Where?" Nebula asked.

"On a planet called Morag," said Gamora. The planet was hologrammed in front of the three of them.

"Father's plan is finally in motion," said Nebula.

"One Stone isn't six, Nebula," Gamora told her.

"It's a start," Nebula contradicted. "If he gets all of them..."

The door opened, revealing their father, the Mad Titan Thanos, through a wall of light.

"Ronan's located the Power Stone. I'm dispatching you to his ship," said Thanos.

"He won't like that," Astra warned him.

"His alternative is death," said Thanos. "Ronan's obsession clouds his judgement."

Astra and Nebula walked past Gamora and bowed low to the ground.

"We will not fail you, Father," said Nebula.

"No, you won't," said Thanos.

"I swear," said Nebula, getting up with Astra, "we will make you proud."

Then, suddenly, the cybernetics in her head sparked and she drew back, groaning in pain.

Astra and Gamora rushed to her side, just as a hologram projected from Nebula's eye, showing what looked like a Terran man in black-and-grey armour.

"...we just wait around for this Quill guy to show up and then he leads us to the Power Stone, is that it?" said the man in the hologram.

"Let's take cover," said Nebula's voice from the hologram. "We're not the only ones in 2014 looking for the Stones."

What the hell...? Who is that? Astra thought, completely confused. If the year was 2014 and Nebula was with them, then why was there another Nebula hanging out with a strange Terran man??

Nebula slapped herself in the eye and the hologram disappeared.

"Who was that?" Gamora asked.

"My head was splitting. I don't know," said Nebula.

"Her synaptic drive was probably damaged in battle," Gamora told Thanos.

"Shh." Thanos walked forward and lifted Nebula's head up with his double-edged sword. "Bring her to my ship."

The Sanctuary II

Astra, Gamora, Thanos, and Ebony Maw locked Nebula into the centre of the room where her cybernetics were usually assembled. Now Ebony Maw projected a hologram in front of him which made a tool drop down for Thanos to connect to Nebula's head.