far and away | quill

fifteen

Sweat.

That's the only noun to sum up what the last two hours comprised of.

They'd worked rigorously to try to put the Stone back together: failed attempts using the Time Stone (one Stone was not able to affect another Stone despite their desperate need to), trying to use wiring, and even gorilla glue.

Nothing kept it together.

Seven shards. She counted and recounted them over and over. She searched the Internet, but of course to no avail. No one ever broke a Stone before.

She sat, completely helpless, watching the doctor's and the engineer's clear irritation with every failed attempt.

A thought bombarded her.

A rude one, one from a person she hadn't seen in a while.

She knew, without even listening, that it belonged to Drax, that he was nearby, and that it was urgent.

She sat up, closed her eyes, and listened.

It pounded her head as soon as she let it in, with the three quick, steady words:

'Open the door.'

Her eyes opened abruptly.

"Drax is here," she blurted. They looked at her.

One with concern and one with confusion:

"Isn't that the guy that shot you?" from James. And:

"Isn't that the guy you said was dead?" from Stephen.

She stood, looking between the two as she hurried to the stairs and called behind her, "Yes." She ran to open the door, of course. And they both tentatively followed, of course. She reached the back door, the one at the alley. It was next to the refrigerator and was always locked. She simply turned the left-in key and opened it.

The familiar grey man with the familiar red markings stood in the stoop. His eyes widened and he crossed his arms, "About time."

"Shut up and come in," she stated as the two others reached the kitchen. The man stepped inside and looked at the two others. She closed the door and looked at them herself, both with faces of plain concern.

"Stephen, James, meet Drax," she started. They stared at him; she couldn't even begin to decipher their horrid thoughts. Instead she continued, "Yes, he shot me. Yes, I said he was dead. But all in good spirits."

Stephen looked the man up and down, weighing the situation.

"Doctor Stephen Strange," he extended a gloved hand and Drax took it awkwardly.

"Drax," he paused and smiled like a child, "The Destroyer."

Stephen simply smiled and chuckled to himself. James, arms still crossed, spoke coldly and said, "James Keller."

"Okay now that we've done all that," she interrupted the stares, "Why're you here?"

"I had no where else to go. I don't know where Peter is and I certainly won't expect him to have a normal greeting."

"We saw you on the news. That's why we're here; he kicked us off because I lied to him," she stated softly. She moved towards the stairs and they followed. "I mean I get it, but he needs to understand I was doing what I thought best."

"You really thought lying was best?" James inquired from the bottom of the stairs. She turned only her face to the group:

"Sometimes it takes a little bad to do some good."