The Beginning of the End (Allyson)

Chapter 4

       I felt a sense of relief as we came to Knowhere, finding it still in one piece. The Milano flew through the eye of the head, and strangely enough, we weren't immediately greeted by air traffic. In fact, the planet below was all too quiet. Maybe they'd ordered an evacuation?

"This place looks deserted." I unbuckled my seat belt and moved to lean against the dashboard, trying to find signs of life down below.

"I'm reading movement in the third quadrant," Drax announced. I managed to glance back at Gamora, who, somehow, had gone ashen. I didn't really know what an ashen green looked like, but I presumed this was it.

"Yep. I'm picking that up, too. Let's put down right here."

I gulped as Peter steered the Milano to land on solid ground. This may be it, our first and possibly last confrontation with Thanos. Depending on how things turned, we could stop him from getting all the stones. I reached over toward the back of the ship and felt around until I found a blaster, then quickly snapped my arm back and stuffed it into a holster sewn into my belt. I didn't want to have to use it, but I couldn't just break my promise to Gamora. Peter glanced at me curiously, but I refused to meet his eyes as the two of us led the troops down the ramp.

Crates of oddballs kept sealed waited to be taken inside on the loading dock. One clear display case stood abandoned, blocking us from being able to see past the opening in the bay. Peter crept ahead of all of us, peering around the corner to make sure it was safe.

"I don't have it," I heard the Collector gasp. Peter waved his hand, signaling us to follow and get a little closer.

"Everyone in the galaxy knows you'd sell your own brother if you thought it would add even the slightest trinket to your pathetic collection." My stomach jumped. That must be the voice of Thanos.

Just behind a set of crates, Peter paused and held up his fist, trying to get the rest of us to halt with him. However, Gamora, Drax, and Mantis just kept on marching, completely ignoring his warning. I kept back my chuckle and patted him on the shoulder as he stood and held out his arms.

"I know you have half of the Reality Stone, Tivan."

I came to stand beside Gamora, and my eyes widened. Thanos stood, hulking, at least ten feet tall. His skin a purple hue, the rest of him covered in gold armor. A matching gauntlet fit snug against his left hand, and on it, I saw two glowing stones: a bright blue, and the purple we'd worked so hard to keep safe, out of the hands of people like him.

"Giving it to me will spare you a great deal of suffering." He planted his foot on the Collector's chest.

"I told you. I sold it. Why would I lie?"

"I imagine it's like breathing for you."

"Like suicide."

"You do understand. Not even you would surrender something so precious."

"I didn't know what it was." Thanos looked up, frustrated.

"Then you're more of a fool than I took you for."

"It's him," I heard Drax whisper, as though he were just realized what was happening.

"Last chance, charlatan. Where's the stone?"

Only then did I notice the look in Drax's eye. He stared down Thanos with the look of a madman, craving revenge. He had to be talked down, before he did something that could get us all killed.

"Today..."

"Drax," Peter hissed. "Drax."

"...he pays for the deaths of my wife and daughter."