Real-Life Myth

Nine.

Nebula is still suspended in the interrogation room while a technician puts her back together. She ejects her eyepiece and snaps the neck of the tech when he comes close enough to replace it. She walks to a console, straightening her left arm, dragging her still-dislocated right foot behind her, and inputs a code.

"Mantis, listen very carefully. I need you to meet me on Titan."

~~~

Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Lana, Clint Barton, and Doctor Strange are still on the ship approaching the surface of Titan. Lana and Clint are discreetly holding hands; they don't need people thinking the wrong thing.

"Hey, what's going on?" Peter asks Tony.

"I think we're here," Strange admits.

"I don't think this rig has a self-park function," his tone then turns urgent, "get your hand into this steering gimbal. Close those around it. You understand?"

Peter nods, "yep, got it."

"This was meant for one big guy, so we gotta move at the same time."

"Okay. Okay. Ready." The ringship is heading straight for the center of what looks like one of a colossal game of jacks. "We might wanna turn. Turn! Turn! Turn!"

Iron Man armors up as the ringship clips the "jack" obliquely, but still losing a good third of its hull in the collision. Spider-Man throws up his helmet at the same time. Strange steps between them and creates the Shield of the Seraphim around them all, anticipating a rough landing. Lana steps next to him, her green wisps of magic spewing from her hands as she helps Strange with his shield. Loki would help but he knows Clint has no magic.

The ship, now reduced to about 45%, plows through the dirt and stops, leaning slightly to one side. They are now on Titan.

Strange helps Tony, now de-helmeted, to his feet; they're both panting a little from the exertion of arrival. Lana rolls her eyes and looks to her nails. She frowns finding them chipped.

"You alright?" Tony asks Strange. They're still panting. "That was close. I owe you one." Lana raises an eyebrow.

Spider-Man descends from above in classically spider-like fashion. "Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something, and I end up eating you, I'm sorry." Lana looks to the boy and smiles while laughing. He is quiet enjoyable to be around.

"I don't wanna hear another single pop culture out of you for the rest of the trip," Tony states, pointing at Peter, "you understand?"

"I'm trying to say that. . . something is coming."

A grenade rolls into view, and Peter, Lana, Clint, Strange, and Tony get thrown well back when it fires its energy pulse. Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis appear in the doorway. Lana groans, rubbing at her head again. That's the second time she's hit her head today.

"THANOS!!!!" Drax yells. He flings a blade at Doctor Strange, who neatly deflects it with a mystical shield. In return, Strange sends the Cloak of Levitation at Drax's face, half-smothering him and throwing him to the floor. Star-Lord and Iron Man have a brief dogfight until a magnetic disc pins Iron Man face-first to a structure.

Peter is crawling backwards frantically from an anxious-looking Mantis. "AH! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! PLEASE DON'T PUT YOUR EGGS IN ME!" Peter shoots web at Mantis in a panic, pinning arms to her body just before Star-Lord flies at him feet-first, kicking him away.

"Stay down, clown!" Quill shouts. Star-Lord freezes in midair, green ropes made of mist hold him still. Lana brings Quill closer to her with her magic, a sick smirk on her face.