Torn Between Lies

Chapter Thirty Three~Titan Sized Team

 Avengers and the Guardians, starting to work together. Quill is measuring the planet's tilt. "The heck happened to this planet? It's eight degrees off its axis. Gravitational pull is all over the place." he says.

I look over to see Mantis is jumping joyfully in a low gravity spot. I sit down leaning back taking deep breaths  "Yeah, we got one advantage. He's coming to us. We'll use it. All right, I have a plan. Or at least the beginnings of one. It's pretty simple. We draw him in, pin him down, get what we need. Definitely don't wanna dance with this guy. We just want the gauntlet." starts Tony.

As Tony starts the plan Drax yawns. "Are you yawning? In the middle of this, while I'm breaking it down? Huh? Did you hear what I said?" ask Tony.

"I stopped listening after you said, "We need a plan," says Drax, are we sure these guys saved the galaxy? "Okay, Mr. Clean is on his own page," says Tony to Quill.

"See, "not winging it" isn't really what they do." Quill answers.

"Uh, what exactly is it that they do?" asks Peter standing from next to me.

"Kick names, take ass," says Mantis as fiercely as an 8-week-old kitten, props for trying. "Yeah, that's right," says Drax who agrees quietly as he settles into a stance facing us.

Tony pauses with an expression of deep hopelessness "Alright, just get over here, please. Mr. Lord, can you get your folks to circle up?"

"Mr. Lord." Star-Lord is fine." says Quill. "We gotta coalesce. 'Cause if all we come at him with is a plucky attitude...." starts Tony.

"Dude, don't call us plucky. We don't know what it means. Alright, we're optimistic, yes. I like your plan. Except it sucks, so let me do the plan, and that way it might be really good." says Quill all while Peter and I follow the conversation back and forth like a squash rally.

I was starting to get dizzy.

"Tell him about the dance-off to save the universe," says Drax. I turn my head to him "What dance-off?" I ask "It's not a... it's not... it's nothing." tries Quill. Peter stands "Like in Footloose, the movie?" he asks.

"Exactly like Footloose. Is it still the greatest movie in history?" asks Quill excitedly....Footloose was a good movie? "It wasn't even a good movie in 1984." I say "That would be Indiana Johns." says Peter "Yeah it is!" I say, we and Peter start talking.

Loki puts a hand on both our shoulders "Don't encourage this." Tony walks over "For once I agree with Thomas Sharpe. We're getting no help from Flash Gordon here." says Tony. Loki looks to him confused "Who's Thomas Sharpe?"

"And you tell us to stop with the references," I say putting my chin on my hand. "Flash Gordon? By the way, that's a compliment. Don't forget, I'm half-human." start Quill who then points at Tony, Peter, and I "So that 50% of me that's stupid? That's 100% you." he finishes.

I raise an eyebrow and hold up a hand letting blushing silver mist circle it "You sure you wanna go that way?" I start "Your math is blowing my mind." says Tony sarcastically.

"Excuse me, but... does your friend often do that?" ask Mantis, we turn to see Stephen is sitting cross-legged, floating slightly above the ground, his hands poised in a mystic gesture with the Time Stone glowing brightly in the Eye of Agamotto setting. 

Green vapor-like energy flows from the stone, and more intricate magical energy patterns circle Stephen's forearms. The Cloak of Levitation flows behind him as if the Stone is creating a strong breeze. His eyes are closed, and his head is jerking rapidly from side to side, the motion blurring, but resembling looking for something.

"Strange!" shouts Loki. 

"We alright?" asks Tony. Stephen snaps out of his trance and falls forward, letting out a cry. "You're back. You're alright." starts Tony "Hey, what was that?" I ask. "I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict," says Stephen.

"How many did you see?" I start.

"14,000,605."

"How many did we win?" asks Loki. Stephen meets all our gazes for a second ".....One."

One? One..........If we win it won't matter, but the chances of us losing have just skyrocketed. I take a shaky breath and put on my mask "F.R.I.D.A.Y?" I start. holo screens come up showing progress and development of my state "Seven hours left ma'am, I would suggest you tell the others. Would you like me to inform Mr.Stark?"

If I told them, they would be worried and start focusing on me.......we couldn't do that now, we need to focus on a plan. I'm only say something if it got down to an hour, one chance, one shot......and if I didn't work?

Stop thinking like that!

This was gonna work, right?

Right!

So then a plan was set in action, it was risky and hard to keep my mouth shut about my situation. At one point Loki and Tony came up with part of the plan together, it warmed my heart. After we break Loki sees my worry and sits next to my rubbing my hand "Don't worry we will win and then we can be free." he states.

"From this? From what we've been doing our whole lives? Fighting?" I ask.

"Leave our past behind us." he explains, I sigh and bite my lip "Thanos wants the Time and Life Stones, but the Life Stone's in my body. So then what if he ends up getting the stone?" I ask tentatively.

"But it doesn't make sense of how he would."

"He has the Power, Space, and Reality Stones so then with that kind of power what's stopping him from ripping the blood right out of me?" Loki holds my cheek determined "I am." he says. "Loki he could kill us." I try "If he killed you the Life Stone would die with you, I'll be here." he says.

The Life Stone would die with me? In other words, if I died the Life Stone would be destroyed...... "You're right I believe in you, I love you," I say and kiss his cheek before he goes to help Tony. The two were starting to get along, that was one ray of hope on this dark day.