far and away | quill

sixteen

Sirens.

"Nova Corps," she breathed as soon as she heard the sirens. They grew louder and louder. "We have to get out of here."

"Where can we go? If they take the Stone, they'll know what to-"

"No they won't," Drax interrupted James.

She took the shards and threw them into her pocket, "We have to go. Stay here, it'd be suspicious if the owner left."

He looked at her.

"We have to go," she repeated. "I'll get a hold of you when I can."

The two other boys stood, following her into the alley and down the street. Away. Away.

They didn't get far when they felt the down-stream air of an overhead starship. They looked up.

Peter's ship.

"Where are we going, now? We're trapped," Stephen stated. She looked to the two, it was like her own little crew following her own orders.

"We join him," she stated as the ramp began to come down. The Corpsmen began to flood the alley, approaching them quickly.

The ship was hovering, Peter couldn't risk the loss of time from the landing and take-off.

"Get on," she said quickly. They had fifty feet between the approaching officials... forty... thirty. "Hurry."

Stephen hopped aboard.

"You go," Drax stated. She did, there was no time to argue. He followed quickly and the space between the ship and the ground grew.

The Nova Corpsmen shouted below.

They couldn't hear them as the ramp closed. Gamora stood in front of them, arms crossed.

"Welcome back, Quinn."

"Thanks."

"Drax, good to see you alive."

"You as well," he greeted.

Quinn walked passed her and into the main corridor.

"Why'd you save us?" she went directly to Peter. "I thought you were mad at me."

"You have the Stone," Rocket stated behind her.

"I was asking Peter," she snapped.

"Ooh, an attitude," Rocket waved his hands. "You don't scare me, Quinn."

"I'm not trying to," she looked back to Peter, who hadn't looked at her yet. "Peter."

"Whether I'm mad or not," he stood, his body inches from hers in the tight area. "If you need saving, I save you. It's what heroes do."

He moved passed her and passed Stephen and Drax who'd entered the room.

Groot examined the two men, making sure they were who he'd known. He nodded to Rocket, who already knew they were them.

"I'll take the Stone now," Rocket approached her. She rummaged in her pocket, picking up each of the seven pieces.

They'd dulled with the numerous handlings, losing their sharpness.

"Doc, you want to help me out here?" Rocket questioned.

"It can't be fixed," Stephen spoke.

*Record scratch.*

"What?" Gamora snapped. "What do you mean it can't be fixed?"

"Just what I said. I've looked at it and Quinn's engineer-friend looked at it. We tried everything. It's unfixable," heavy words.

Quinn looked around at each distraught face. Peter had entered the room due to the horrifying spoken truth.

"Then let us look at it," Peter snipped.

Stephen raised a brow, "You do realize I'm a world-renowned neuroscientist. If I can't fix it, it's pretty safe to say no one can."

"I know it's hard to accept the fact that other people are good at things too; but if you wouldn't mind deflating your ego just the smallest bit so we all could try to help," Peter approached him.

"Listen big-shot, I'm the best chance you've got at saving the universe right now. So I wouldn't push it," Stephen approached him.

They walked towards each other. Worlds colliding.

Peter pushed his shoulder and Stephen moved to hit him.

"Stephen!" a howl erupted from her throat, from deep inside. It rattled the doctor to his core. They froze. "Don't."