· 。ﾟ☆: *.☽
▎ MOONDUST ▎

»»————-　gogt vol one. the guardians
CHAPTER TWELVE ━━ to die amongst friends

. ᵒ .༄ ࿐ ࿔* 🪐🚀🔥
♯ ❝THAT'S A FAKE LAUGH! ❞
⋆⋅ ━━━━ ‧ ༻✩༺ ‧ ━━━━ ⋅⋆

    THEY HAD ALL GATHERED ON YONDU'S SHIP, SITTING in a circle in the hopes of figuring out what to do. But of course, Rocket couldn't keep his thoughts to himself as he stared angrily at Quill. "You call that 'figured it out'? We're gonna rob the guys who just beat us senseless."

"Oh you wanna talk about senseless! How about trying to save us by blowing us up!" Peter countered heatedly.

"We were only gonna blow you up if they didn't turn you over!"

"You gave them five seconds, you imbecile!" Midas growled, her arms flailing through the air.

"So!" Rocket snarled

"And how on earth were they gonna turn us over when you only gave them a count of five!" Peter shouted, glaring down at the racoon.

"We didn't have time to work out the minutiae of the plan," Rocket yelled out in defence before directing his next statement to Groot. "This is what we get for acting altruistically."

"I am Groot."

"They are ungrateful," Rocket agreed, shaking his head while Midas averted her gaze to Gamora who had yet to speak up during the on going argument as she paced back and fort.

"What's important now is we get the Ravagers' army to help us save Xandar," Gamora chimed in as she stopped to look at Rocket.

"So we can give the Stone to Yondu who's just gonna sell to somebody even worse?" Rocket mocked the woman and rolled his eyes.

"We'll figure that part out later," Peter responded with a large sigh and Rockeg finally started to settle down a bit.

"We have to figure something out." Midas reminded the group as she sat down on one of the crates in the room.

"We have to stop Ronan," Gamora declared in agremeent as she looked at their small group.

"How?" Rocket argued, seeing absolutely no way out of Ronan destroying the entire galaxy at this point, especially if they had to be the ones to save it.

"I have a plan." Peter announced.

"You've got a plan?"

"Yes..."

Both Midas and Gamora cringed at Peter's hesitatant words and the way he obviously seemed unsure of his own words.

"First of all," Rocket began as he leaned forward,  "You're copying me from when I said I had a plan."

"No, I'm not. People say that all the time. It's not that unique of a thing to say." Quill frowned.

"Secondly, I don't even believe you have a plan," Rocket claimed, ignoring Peter's defense and crossed his arms

"I have part of a plan!" Peter told them with as much confidence as could muster.

Once again, Peter's choice of words made Midas grimace, but then again Peter sort-of-plan was all they had and with the short amount of time they had it was also the best.

"What percentage of a plan do you have?" Drax's voice suddenly reminded Midas of how furious she was at him. The revenge that blinded the man's thoughts had almost cost her, her life.

"You do not get to ask questions after the nonsense you pulled on Knowhere." Midas sneered, glowering at the man.

"I just saved Quill." He defended himself, looking up at the gaunt woman.

"We've already established that you destroying the ship that I'm on is not saving me," Peter reminded Drax– who appeared to not have been even listening to the conversation at this point.

"When did we establish it?"

"Like three seconds ago!"

"I wasn't listening. I was thinking of something else," Drax confessed as he slumped back into his chair again.

Gamora let out a sigh, heavy with exasperation as she looked more than ready to kill everyone on the room.

"She's right," Rocket complied turning to glare at Drax "You don't get an opinion. What percentage?" Rocket pressed, turning his attention back to Peter.

"I don't know. Twelve percent," Peter admitted sheepishly and led Rocket to let out a booming cackle in response.

"That's a fake laugh," Peter pointed out as everyone eyed Rocket strangely.

"It's real!"

"Totally fake."

"That is the most real, authentic, hysterical laugh of my entire laugh because that is not a plan." Rocket argued.

Gamora sighed, as she focused back on Quill. "It's barely a concept."

"You're taking their side?" Peter asked her in disbelief, if he thought someone would back him up, he strongly believed Gamora would.

"Come one Quill, you have to admit it is not much." Midas sighed sadly.

"I am Groot."

"So what it's better than eleven percent? What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Rocket questioned, turning to his loyal companion.

"Thank you, Groot. Thank you." Peter slapped Groot's shoulder in a grateful manner. "See? Groot's the only one of you who has a clue."

Peter seemed quite pleased with himself until Groot began to chomp on a tiny sapling growing from his shoulder. Rocket scoffed, and a breathy sigh sounded from Peter

"Guys, come on," He insisted, in a tone that had been noticeably growing more and more desperate. "Yondu is gonna be here in two seconds. He expects to hear this big plan of ours." Peter's voice was merely a nervous whisper by now. "I need your help."

When no one said anything he turned away from them and took a few step away from them.

Midas bit her lip anxiously as she looked at their group of misfits. How ironic was it that a group of criminals were trying to save the galaxy out of free will.

"I look around at us. You know what I see? Losers." That statement made Midas scowl as she looked back at Peter

The team exchanged odd glances, not sure whether to be offended or not, but they all kept quiet.

"I mean, like, folks who have lost stuff and we have, man, we have. All of us. Our homes, our families, normal lives. And usually, life takes more than it gives. But not today. Today, it's given us something– it has given us a chance."

"To do what?" Drax inquired.

"To give a shit," Peter's replied hotly. "For once. Not run away. I, for one, am not gonna stand by and watch as Ronan wipes out billions of innocent lives."

"But, Quill," Rocket interjected, staring down at his paws in sorrow. "Stopping Ronan- It's impossible. You're asking us to die."

Peter turned blank for a moment "Yeah, I guess I am." He sighed again

"Peter." Midas' voice was a mere whisper as everyone looked at the brunette. Her voice sounded so innocent, and it surprised everyone seeing as it was a completely opposite side of her.

"When my dad was still alive he always told me to do what's right, to help the greater good." She casted her gaze downwards. "And for years I have done the exact opposite, I've made bad decisions, but this time I want to make the right one." She looked back up, determination flashed across her eyes. "And if that means dying, saving millions of lives, I think it's worth it. To die among all off you, people who made my life better." She smiled at her companions. "I'd gladly take my last breath trying to defeat Ronan with you all."

She had risen to her feet, long ago now. Peter looked at her for a moment before he gave her the most grateful smile he could muster.

"Plus, I mean stealing from Ronan, that's gonna be my biggest heist ever." She joked making the other chuckle.

"Quill, I have lived most my life surrounded by my enemies," The green woman pushed herself to a standing position beside the brunette. "I will be grateful to die among my friends."

Gamora looked over at the girl beside her, and they exchanged soft smiles.

Suddenly, Drax was standing among them, too. "You are an honourable man, Quill. I will fight beside you. And in the end, I will see my wife and daughter again."

Groot, as always, towered above the rest of them, but no less declared that he was ready to fight and die with them all, or at least they thought that was what he said, but only Rocket could really tell what he was saying. "I am Groot."

The last one remaining was Rocket, he looked at all of their faces and finally caved in, "Oh, what the hell. I don't got that long a lifespan, anyway." He stood up on the stool that he had been sitting.

"Now I'm standing. Y'all happy? We're all standing up now. Bunch of jackasses, standing in a circle."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬