the Blind Guardian

Knowhere is Safe

I watched in horror as Carina began to disintegrate before my eyes, screaming the whole time. Her skin cracked hideously, a bright purple shone underneath.

Then, she exploded. I reacted too late. I was knocked off my feet as I was thrown against a wall by the shockwave. I wheezed as my back slammed into the wall, my breath knocked out of me. I hit the floor as glass from the roof rained down on us. I curled myself up into a corner as I shut my eyes. The scar on my back had been hit. I couldn't tell if it was bleeding, but I didn't have time to think about that.

Then, the falling glass subsided. I opened my eyes to see destruction all around me. Where Carina had been, there was nothing there. Except the Infinity Stone and the device that had opened it. I lifted myself up with my arms as I winced in pain. I felt a little twinge of pain, so I ceased trying to get up. I looked for Peter and Gamora, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Then, I saw Gamora's head lifted from behind an overturned table. Then Peter's head popped up beside hers.

"What the ff-" he said as he was interrupted by a fizzing cable.

"Peter," I bleakly called out as Rocket and Groot reentered from running away. Peter looked where my soft voice was coming from, then saw me.

He ran towards me while Gamora slammed the Infinity Stone into its case.

"I got you, Dessie," he said as he took my arm nearest him and slipped it around his head and onto his shoulder, while he wrapped his other arm around my torso. He then lifted me up and repositioned his arm to my front. I whimpered as I stood up, my back sore from the impact. He gently walked me over to the rest of the group, who were currently bickering about the Infinity Stone in our possession. Rocket and Peter then began arguing and snapping at each other about the Orb.

About a minute later, I no longer needed Peter's help. We walked out of the Taneleer Tivan Collection to find Drax. We found Drax, but also Ronan and quite a few of his ships.

"At last! I shall meet my foe and destroy him!" Drax proclaimed, wielding several knives.

"You called Ronan?" Peter asked incredulously.

"Quill! Johnson! Don't you move, boy and girl!" An all too familiar voice yelled out. Peter and I looked over, and there was Yondu Udonta, with his crew of Ravagers. Gamora, who still held the Orb, looked at me. I made a tiny gesture with my hand. Run.

The three of us sprinted off, with Drax ready to face Ronan.

""Don't you move! Get out of the way!" Yondu yelled as he and two other Ravagers started shoving their way through the crowd.

Gamora and I followed Peter, who led us to small mining pods. Rocket caught up after leaving Groot somewhere.

As Gamora began to climb into a pod, I grabbed her arm. She glanced back at me, then stared as I assumed her physical appearance.

"What are you doing?" Gamora asked, looking at-well, herself.

"Gonna trick Nebula into thinking I'm you. Gimme the Orb so I can create a copy," I said in my own voice as Peter started up his pod. Gamora handed it to me as I made a perfect copy of it. Just then, Yondu found us from afar.

Handing her the copy, I ran into a pod with the real Orb, then fired up the engine. It sputtered to life as Yondu screeched out derogatory terms at Peter and I. We then flew out of the bay and into the main cranium space of the Celestial's head, the Necro craft close behind.

"Ok, guys. Split up." I said on our comlink onboard. Our small mining pods broke up, while Peter and Rocket's stayed relatively close to each other. I piloted my craft along tight corners and structures, hoping to outmaneuver Nebula and her other pilots.

I didn't know where Quill, Rocket or Gamora were, so I focused more on staying alive than looking for my friends.

Just then, two Necro ships flew alongside me, driving my mining pod into the wall. I tried to fight against them, but it was no use. I then spotted the entrance into Knowhere.

"Quill! I'm trapped! I can't make it to the Milano! I'm gonna have to head out!" I said as I accelerated my pod, leaving the two Necro pilots behind. Nebula's craft followed me as I flew out of Knowhere into nowhere.

"What? Wait! These things aren't meant to go out there!" Peter suddenly panicked as he sped up to follow me. I continued flying as my wisp sparked to life on my left eye.

"Gamora! Intercept Nebula's comm line and talk to her! Go!" I said as I exited Knowhere's atmosphere, ice forming almost immediately on the corners of the cockpit window.

"You are a disappointment, sister. Of all our siblings, I hated you least," Nebula's voice crackled over the comlink.

"Nebula, please! If Ronan gets this Stone, he will destroy us all!" Gamora faked a desperate tone as she flew nearby. On the other communications line, I heard Peter's breathing quicken.

"Not all," Nebula spoke as a sudden chill rolled up my spine. I was still disguised as Gamora. "You will already be dead."

Then, a single necroblast was fired from Nebula's craft. It hit mine, causing it to disintegrate around me. My disguise lasted for a few more seconds, but as Nebula looked on, Gamora faded away, revealing that she hadn't really killed Gamora.

In Gamora's mining pod, the Orb suddenly vanished, signaling that I was weakening to the point where even the most basic energy trick was difficult.

I was still conscious, but my small eye flame began to slowly freeze as my eyes began to close.