WORLD ALONE 一 PETER QUILL

CHAPTER FOUR

WORLD ALONE
BLUE GUYS GALORE

     The stone remained perfectly fine, but the girl had been annihilated. Gamora hopped over the side of the structure that sheltered them and ran up to the table. She quickly slammed the orb shut again. Oribella prayed that whatever enveloped the Infinity Stone could also consolidate its power.

Gamora pried the orb out of the claws and turned swiftly to exit the building. Oribella followed her with Peter on her heels and they made their way out of the wrecked building.

"How could I think Tivan could contain whatever was within the orb?"

"What do you still have it for?" Rocket incredulously exclaimed as he marched up to the three.

"Well, what are we gonna do, leave it in there?"

"We are not leaving that in there," Oribella shouted as she jabbed her finger in the direction of the orb.

"I can't believe you had that in your purse!" Rocket exclaimed, gesturing his hands towards the bag Peter carried.

"It's not a purse, it's a knapsack!" Peter came quickly to defend his masculinity.

"We have to bring this to the Nova Corps. There's a chance that they can contain it," Gamora suggested. It seemed like the most reasonable thing to do, but Ori knew they were wanted by the Nova Corps. Maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea.

"Are you kidding me? We're wanted by the Nova Corps! Just give it to Ronan!"

"So he can destroy the galaxy?"

"Who's Ronan?" Oribella asked, getting no reply from anyone.

"What are you, some saint all of a sudden? What has the galaxy ever done for you? Why would you wanna save it?" Rocket sneered.

"Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it!" Peter responded.

"Peter, listen to me." Gamora tugged his jacket to turn him around. "We cannot allow the stone to fall into Ronan's hands. We have to go back to your ship and deliver it to Nova."

"Right, right, okay. I think you're right. Or we could give it to somebody who's not going to arrest us. Who's really nice for a whole lot of money." Gamora pulled the orb out of his hands and took a step back.

"I think it's a really good balance between both of your points of view."

"Quite frankly, I could care less! Just get me away from that damned thing!" Ori jutted into the conversation, gaining the attention of everyone but Gamora.

"You're despicable." She growled at Peter.

"I-"

"Dishonorable," she added. "Faithless!" Gamora abruptly turned away to march off but stopped after three steps.

"Oh no," she sighed.

"At last! I shall meet my foe and destroy him." Drax cried as he clutched a sword in either hand. His arms were stretched out as if he were inviting war to knock on his door. Legions of ships flooded the sky and landed yards away from the destroyer.

"You called Ronan?" Peter and Oribella simultaneously shouted at Drax in utter disbelief. Just as the ship landed, a blue man turned the corner. He spotted Peter instantly.

"Quill! Don't you move boy!" He commanded. Oribella sent a look over her shoulder at Peter who returned her confused and nervous glance.

Gamora spotted a garage of ships to their left and led the way. Oribella didn't know what in hell's name she was doing. But she decided not to question it because the timing was definitely bad.

"Don't you move! Get out of the way!" She heard the man yell behind them.

Gamora found a ship that a man was just exiting. She threw him from the door and hopped in. Peter hopped in another with Rocket following in a separate one. Groot had been too large to fit and Oribella didn't know the first thing about flying so she stood with Groot, knowing he could protect her if anything went wrong.

"What the hell am I doing, Groot?" She asked him. She paced nervously, second-guessing her decision.

"I am Groot."

"Not helping," she whined. Oribella dragged a palm down her face lazily and let out a noise that could only be described as a mixture between a groan and a scream.

"I am Groot."

"No, no- I know! I'm completely and utterly bat-shit crazy! This is my breaking point. Maybe it's the adrenaline from the- the explosion but honestly what the actual fuck!"

"I am Groot."

Groot stood up and walked outside the garage. Oribella, not wanting to be alone, quickly scurried after him. She watched as he was set on getting to the pool of spinal fluid.

"Groot, what's in the spinal fluid?" Oribella asked as they neared it. Groot extended his vines into the fluid and searched around.

"Groot what the hell, what are you-"

"I am Groot!"

"Oh my god," Oribella muttered. She stood at the edge and reached in the nasty liquid, her hands swimming around and hoping to fish Drax out. She leaned over, reaching deeper into the fluid. It drenched her clothes but she was fixed on finding Drax.

Her hand grazed something. Taking a leap of faith, Oribella grasped what she hoped was an arm and tugged as hard as she could. Groot's vines found their way around Drax's body and yanked him out.

He wasn't breathing, so much to Groot's displeasure, he grew a pointy thorn at the tip of his finger and plunged it into Drax's chest. Drax spat out the fluid and took a deep breath. Oribella soothingly rubbed his back, helping him rid the yellow fluid from his lungs.

An industrial ship crashed into the ground a few yards away from them. The door opened and Rocket hopped out, ranting to himself as he did so.

"Blasted idiot. They're all idiots!"

"Rocket, where's Peter and Gamora?"

"Quill just got himself captured!" Rocket fumed.

"And Gamor-"

"None of this would have happened if you didn't try to single-handedly take on a frickin' army!" Rocket roared at Drax.

"You're right," Drax admitted through labored breaths. "I was a fool," he muttered. Oribella removed her apron from the bar and attempted to wipe off the spinal fluid that coated Drax.

"All the anger," he panted, "all the rage...was just to cover my loss." Groot laid a comforting hand on Drax's shoulder out of sympathy.

"Oh, boo-hoo-hooo. My wife and child are dead," Rocket mocked. Oribella grabbed the nearest pebble and chucked it at his head. Groot covered his mouth as a gasp escaped his lips.

"Ow-oh I don't care if it's mean! Everybody's got dead people! It's no excuse to get everybody else dead along the way."

Oribella gaped at Rocket, surprised such harsh words could come from his mouth. Sure the creature was abrasive, but she had never seen this heartless of a side come out of him.

"Come on Groot, Ori, Ronan has the stone."