Nothing a Knife Can’t Solve
“He called you what?” Nebula asks through gritted teeth. Mantis shrinks away, holding her knees to her chest and looking down at her blanket.
“I-It doesn’t matter, Nebula.”
“It does.” Nebula lifts Mantis’s chin with her index finger. “You are no one's pet, and you deserve to be treated with respect.”
“I appreciate you saying that, but it’s not the truth.”
Nebulas eyes grow hard with anger. “Who taught you that?”
Mantis swallows. “Ego did.”
“Ego is dead now,” Nebula says firmly. “He holds no power over you. No one does. You are your own person, and you deserve so much better than to be told by men that you’re not enough.”
Mantis smiles softly and presses her forehead to Nebula’s, letting her eyes flutter shut. “It is admirable that you want to protect me, but I can do that myself.”
Nebula loosely laces their fingers together. “I know you can.”
Nebula sits with her feet propped on the control panel, playing with one of her knives.
“Nebula, where’s Mantis?” Gamora asks. Nebula doesn’t even look up.
“I’m not her keeper, sister.”
“You may as well be,” Drax says. Nebula looks up, her eyes glaring daggers at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Everyone stops to watch how this will play out.
“It means she follows you around like a pet.”
Nebulas hand tightens around the hilt of her knife. She stands, towering over Drax. “Say that again,” she growls.
Nebula lunges forward, planting a knee on Drax’s chest and burying her knife into his right pec. He yells out in pain, forcefully pushing Nebula away.
“Nebula!” Gamora screams as she rushes to Drax’s side.
“What the hell are you thinking?” Quill asks. Nebula resheethes her knife and quickly leaves the room. She makes her way to Mantis’s room, closing herself inside. Mantis is sitting cross legged on her bed.
“I heard screaming, what happened?”
Mantis’s eyes go wide. “Why would you do that?”
“He said something about you,” Nebula says as she paces in front of the bed. “I couldn’t just sit there and listen to him talk about you like that.”
Mantis crawls across the bed, reaching out for Nebula’s hand. “Nebula…” she says softly. Nebula stops pacing and takes ahold of Mantis’s hand.
“I’m sorry,” she says stiffly. She sighs, running a finger across Mantis’s palm. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to show you I care about you, so I did the one thing I do know how to do.”
“That is very sweet, Nebula.”
Nebula gives the smallest of smiles.
“I just want you to be treated right.”
“You treat me right.” Mantis stands from the bed and kisses Nebula. “What they think of me doesn’t matter, as long as I have you.”
Nebula kisses Mantis softly, her lips lingering on Mantis’s after the kiss ends. “I love you,” she whispers. Mantis smiles and wraps her arms around Nebulas waist, resting her head on Nebulas shoulder.
Nebula places a hand on the back of Mantis’s head, holding her close to her chest. “I’m sorry,” she says quietly. “I’m trying not to be the monster my father made me into.”
Mantis lifts her head and looks up at Nebula. “I have seen monsters, Nebula, and you are not one.” She gently holds Nebulas face in both her hands, looking at her with loving eyes. “You are simply...misguided.” Mantis places a hand over Nebulas heart. “But I know that your heart is in the right place. It always is.”
Nebula lowers her head and shuts her eyes as Mantis caresses her cheek. “There is not a single evil thing about you.” She presses their foreheads together, letting her calmness flow into Nebula.
“You didn’t know me before,” Nebula argues, no fire behind her words as a warm feeling fills her stomach. “I did horrible things, and what I did today made me realize how easy it is to go back to that.”
Mantis lightly shakes her head. “Listen to me,” she says, voice gentle but firm as she reaches down and takes Nebula’s cybernetic hand. “You are the kindest person I’ve met, and you are not the actions of your father.”
Nebula swallows and nods. She lowers her head, capturing Mantis’s lips in a slow kiss. Mantis wraps her arms around Nebula’s neck, walking backwards towards the bed, giggling when her back hits it.
Nebula slips from Mantis’s room later that night. She goes to the bridge where the other guardians are. Drax has a blood stained bandage on his chest. Nebula stands in the doorway, her arms crossed. Everyone turns to look at her.
“I want you all to listen to me, because I’ll only say this one time as a warning,” she says coldly. “If I hear any more offhand comments or digs directed towards Mantis, I will not hesitate to repeat what happened earlier.” She looks pointedly at Drax. “You will all start treating her with respect, because she’s no one’s pet, or a game to make you feel better. I don’t care how broken you are, she’s not your entertainment, understand?”
Everyone nods their head, not daring to say a word. Nebula swiftly turns on her heel and begins down the hallway.
“Nebula!” Gamora calls after her. Nebula doesn’t stop. “Nebula, wait.” Gamora catches up to her places a hand on her shoulder. Nebula quickly turns, tightly grabbing Gamora’s hand and glaring at her.
“Do you have something to say, sister?”
Gamora’s expression softens. “I’m glad you’re letting yourself be happy.”
Nebula drops her sisters hand, surprised at Gamora’s words. She clenches her jaw, trying to regain her icy composure. “Thank you,” she finally says. Her eyes drift up to meet Gamora’s. “I am happy.”
Gamora smiles softly. “I’m glad. You deserve it.”
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