〘 :*¨༺ 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 ༻¨*: 〙

"I'm gonna blow that nutsack of a chin right off your face.

ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯▯

" always an angel, never a god "

KNOWHERE

ELLIE PLAYED WITH her rings, flipping and spinning them around her fingers. While Ellie was nervous as they approached Knowhere, Blake was in his own world, watching Ellie's hand that lay on her chair's armrest and admiring the side of her face that he could see from his spot.

"This place looks deserted," Peter said, taking in the state of the planet from afar.

"I'm reading movement in the third quadrant," Drax informed, looking at his screen.

"I'm picking that up too," Ellie added, licking her lips which drew the eyes of Blake once again.

"Let's put it down right here."

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

ELLE BALLED HER hands into fists as she and the Guardians walked down the steps to exit the ship. She took a deep breath, trying to shake away the horrible feeling in her gut.

Peter led the way to the Collector's location, the Guardians following after him. Blake followed behind Ellie, staying close to the girl in case of any surprises.

"I don't have it." They heard the Collector whisper in fear. Peter gestured with his hand for everyone to continue forward after checking it was clear.

"Everyone in the galaxy knows you'd sell your own brother if you thought it would add even the slighted trinket to your pathetic collection." Thanos's voice carried, sending a shiver down Ellie's spine.

Peter held up a fist, telling the Guardians to stop, only for everyone to move past him anyway. Blake grabbed Ellie's hand, guiding her behind a pile of boxes and squeezing her hand as a quick comfort.

"I know you have the Reality Stone, Tivan. Giving it to me will spare you a great deal of suffering."

Ellie put a hand over her mouth as she watched Thanos put his enormous foot on top of the Collector's chest from around the box.

"I told you." The Collector strained. "I sold it. Why would I lie?"

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

"Like suicide." The Collector smiled sickly.

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

"I didn't know what it was."

Thanos stood up, looking out in the distance. "Then you're more of a fool than I took you for."

"It's him," Drax said, nodding his head.

"Last chance, charlatan. Where's the stone?" Thanos pushed his foot harder against the man's chest, causing him to wheeze.

"Today..." Drax muttered, rolling his shoulders.

Ellie whipped her head around, Blake copping right after her.

"Drax?" Ellie whispered in confusion.

"Drax. Drax." Peter called in a whisper, trying to get his attention.

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

"Drax, wait," Blake whispered slowly.

Drax ignored them, pulling his swords from his boots.

"Not yet. Not yet. Not yet." Peter quickly stammered, holding out his hand.

Drax, once again, ignored them, stepping through the boxes as the two teens continued to call out his name.

Peter quietly rushed in front of Drax, the guardians slowly following behind, still trying to keep their cover.

"Drax, Drax, Drax. Listen to me." Peter said desperately. Drax huffed, trying to push Peter away so he could charge Thanos. "He doesn't have the stone yet. If we get it, then we can stop him." Drax finally looked at him. "We have to get the stone first. Yeah." Drax put his hand over Peters that lay on his chest.

Drax shook his head. "No. No. For Ovette, for Camaria." Drax roughly pushed Peter out of the way, his eyes once again on Thanos. But before he could attack Thanos, Mantis reached her hand to the man's head.

"Sleep," She commanded, immediately putting Drax to sleep and causing him to fall to the ground. The loud thud that echoed from his fall made Ellie jump and Blake threw his hands over his hair, dragging them over his face. Just as Thanos looked over at them, they all ducked out of sight.

Thanos grabbed the Collector by his collar and threw him into a clear glass chamber.

"Okay," Peter whispered through heavy breaths. "Gamora, Mantis, Els, you go right." Gamora ignored the orders and went on her own thought-out path. "The other right." Peter sighed.

Gamora jumped over the piles of boxes, pulling out her sword. With a cry, she swung her sword at Thanos, who dodged her attacks. As she swung it again, above her head, Thanos caught it and broke the blade in half. Gamora quickly recovered and stabbed the broken end into his neck. She pulled out another small, double-sided blade with a silver and red handle out of her belt and stabbed Thanos's chest, right over his heart. She pulled out her silver sword and got into another fighting position.

Thanos gurgled, holding his bleeding neck, and wrapped his gauntlet hand around the small blade on his chest.

"Why?" Thanos asked, falling to his knees and then crashing onto his back. "Why you, daughter?" Gamora shook with sobs as Thanos held his hand out to her.

Gamora's sword fell from her grasp, curling in on herself as she cried. Thanos groaned, pulling more sobs from the green woman, watching her father take his last breath.

Ellie rushed over to Gamora's side, putting a comforting hand on the woman's back. Gamora leaned against the teenage woman as she rubbed circles on her back.

"That was quick," Peter stated as Drax, now awake, stood up from the ground.

The Collector clapped aggressively before yelling "Magnificent!" Repeatedly. Ellie glared daggers at the man, furious at his lack of awareness of Gamora.

"Is that sadness I sense in you, daughter?" Thanos's voice echoed from the void.

"What the hell?" Ellie whispered while Gamora gasped.

"In my heart, I knew you still cared."

Ellie watched in shock as Thanos's body disappeared in red smoke, along with the state of the Collector's room, everything now in flames.

"But one never knows for sure."

Gamora stood up, pulling Ellie behind her.

"Reality is often disappointing." Thanos appeared in front of them. "That is, it was." Gamora pushed Ellie away from her as she looked up at Thanos. "Now..." Thanos looked down at his gauntlet, marveling at the glow of the Reality Stone. "-reality can be whatever I want."

"You knew I'd come," Gamora said, looking up at her father with red eyes.

"I counted on it. There's something we need to discuss, little one."

Gamora tried to reach down for her sword but cried out when Thanos grabbed her by the back of the head.

Ellie gasped and was about to charge when she heard Drax's yell.

"Thanos!" Drax ran at him, but Thanos was quick to raise the gauntlet. The reality stone glowed bright, turning Drax into blocks. He raised the gauntlet again and turned Mantis into ribbon.

Ellie bawled her hands into fists, her fear now overtaken by anger. "You let her go, you big purple bastard!"

Thanos raised his gauntlet as the teen ran at him. He sent a wave of purple from the Power Stone. Ellie created a force field before her, but the blast sent her flying back from its power. Her back hit the metal boxes harshly. Blake tried rushing over to the girl who groaned in pain, lying on the ground.

Before Blake could even get close, Thanos repeated the purple blast, sending Blake over the top of boxes and back into the hall from which the Guardians had originally come.

"Let her go, Grimace," Peter demanded, aiming his blaster at Thanos's head.

"Peter," Gamora called, her tone soft and pleading.

"I told you to go right," Peter told her, sparing the woman a glance.

"Now?" Gamora almost laughed. "Really?"

"You let her go!" Peter yelled.

"Ah, the boyfriend." Thanos huffed, gripping Gamora tighter.

"No. I like to think of myself more as a Titan-killing, long-term booty call." Peter sneered. Let her go."

"Peter," Gamora called.

Peter ignored her. "I'm gonna blow that nutsack of a chin right off your face."

Ellie huffed a laugh at the insult, pushing her elbows against the floor to push herself up.

"Not him," Gamora said, making Peter freeze.

"What?" Ellie muttered, pushing herself to her feet.

"You promised. You promised." Gamora cried.

Ellie's eyes widened as Peter aimed his blaster at Gamora.

"Quill, what the hell are you doing?" Ellie gasped, scrambling to Peter's side. Peter ignored the question, eyes glistening. "Quill?" Ellie asked again, looking between the three.

"Oh, daughter." Thanos sighed. "You expect too much from him."

Peter looked between Gamora and Thanos, sparing a glance at Ellie to make sure she was okay.

Thanos tilted his head at him. "She's asked, hasn't she?"

"Gamora," Ellie whispered, trying to understand why she would ask Peter of such a thing.

"Do it." Thanos pressed. Peter gritted his teeth, looking back up at Thanos who hummed, displeased. Gamora yelled in pain as Thanos gripped her neck harder, pushing her closer to Peter's blaster. "Do it!" Ellie stood her ground, looking at Gamora. She knew that if Gamora had asked Peter to do something like this, Gamora must know something that she didn't want Thanos to know.

Ellie sucked her lips in, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I told you to go right," Peter said again.

Gamora smiled sadly at him. "I love you more than anything."

"I love you too," Peter whispered, afraid that his voice would crack if he tried to say it any louder.

Ellie held in a cry that tugged on the back of her throat. She wanted nothing more than to hug Gamora one last time, or that their hug this morning had lasted longer.

Gamora looked over at Ellie before looking back at Peter. "Look over my little firecracker for me, okay?"

Peter nodded, his breath quickening as he prepared for something he prayed wouldn't happen.

Ellie shut her eyes as tears spilled out, waiting for the sound of the blaster to go off. When it never came and the only sound was a small click, Ellie opened her eyes. Bubbles came out of the end of Peter's blaster until the whole gun disappeared into bubbles.

"I like him," Thanos said, raising his gauntlet. Gamora hung her head, disappearing into the blue cloudy portal. Ellie reached forward, trying to grab her but it was too late.

Gamora was gone.