REBEL FOR KICKS
xii. COME AND GET YOUR LOVE
❝THAT'S TWICE I'VE SAVED YOUR LIFE.❞

CARINA WAS DEAD. No, that wasn't the right word to describe the events that had occurred only moments before. Carina had been obliterated by the sheer power the Infinity Stone housed within itself. The Collector's museum was nothing more than metal bones of the building it used to be. Most of the living creatures had died in the blast, but the remaining had been able to escape into the busy streets of Knowhere. It was a terrifying thought to think of how they had been holding the object so close to themselves, considering it could have gone off at any moment and turned them into space dust.

But, somehow, Isabelle Quill had survived the blast. Or, at least she thinks she did. She could still feel her toes and move her fingers. It was a good sign, but she could also feel a pressure on top of her as she took in shallow breaths. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking away the debris that coated her eyelashes. Isabelle sneezed, coughing as dust fell into her mouth. Gross.

To her surprise, the pressure on top of her had been Gamora.

A groan left Gamora's lips as she pulled herself off Isabelle, trembling as she looked around at the state of the museum. Her eyes darted to where Carina had previously been standing, noticing that nothing but ash was there with the Infinity Stone still glowing as if it had been untouched. She looked down at Isabelle, holding out her hand to help her sit up. "Are you alright?"

"Well, I'm alive," Isabelle mumbled, smearing off the dust that coated her face as she shook it out of her hair too. The blonde looked at Gamora, noticing her tense position as she slowly stood to her feet. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Gamora mumbled, rushing toward the stone before she clasped the orb shut to hide away the powerful weapon inside. She returned, reaching forward to brush away some debris that was still on Isabelle's shoulder. "We have to go, now."

The two avoided the debris as they rushed outside, but not before noticing the unconscious (or dead) body of Taneleer Tivan. Once outside, Isabelle was immediately bombarded with Peter's questions of whether she was okay or not. To which she answered, yes.

"How could I think Tivan could contain whatever was within this Orb?" Gamora asked, shaking her head as she clutched the object in her hands. Anger was clear in her tone, but not at the ones around her, more toward herself.

No one was able to answer Gamora's question before Rocket and Groot came rushing toward them. They immediately recoiled backward, noticing what Gamora still held in her hands. "What do you still have that thing for?"

Peter was the one to scoff, looking back at the destroyed museum. 'What are we gonna do, leave it in there?"

"I can't believe you had that in your purse!"

"I can't either," Isabelle muttered, staring at the Orb and its intricate design. Somehow, it was able to contain the Infinity Stone and she was a bit curious on how. But, after seeing what it had done to Carina, Isabelle wanted nothing to do with it.

"It's not a purse!" Peter shouted, choosing to focus on that one fact. "It's a knapsack!"

"We have to bring this to the Nova Corps. There's a chance they can contain it," Gamora suggested, shrugging her shoulders. It seemed that she didn't want to be around it any longer than she had to either.

"I agree," Isabelle said, giving the green-skinned woman a nod. "It wouldn't be safe anywhere else."

"Are you kidding me?" Rocket spat out, shaking his head. "We're wanted by the Nova Corps! We'll get thrown back in prison and then what? I say, just give it to Ronan."

"So, he can use it to destroy the galaxy?" Peter snapped, glaring down at the animal.

"What are you, some saint all of a sudden?" Rocket retorted, sparing a glance at Groot who had been silently listening. His eyes darted back at Peter. "What has the galaxy ever done for you? Why would you wanna save it at all?"

"Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it!"

"Look, none of us are heroes," Isabelle sighed, looking down at Rocket since he was the only one who wasn't on board. And, Groot sided with Rocket ━━ no matter the decision. "But, we can't let that thing fall into the wrong hands. Look what it did here. This kind of thing always comes back to bite in the ass."

"This is going to get us killed," Rocket muttered, hitting the ground with his foot. He seemed to consider her words, but it was clear that he didn't want to risk his life.

"Isabelle, Peter, listen to me," Gamora started, turning to the twins. She placed a gentle hand against Isabelle's shoulder and it caused the blonde to take a deep breath, trying her best to remind herself that Gamora meant nothing by it. "We cannot allow the Stone to fall into Ronan's hands. We have to get back to your ship, and deliver it to the Nova."

"Yeah, I think that's the smartest idea we have," Isabelle nodded, offering Gamora a smile as her eyes flickered to the hand that was still on her shoulder. Gamora cleared her throat, pulling back as she used both hands to hold the Orb. The thought of getting arrested again lingered in the back of her mind, but she hoped their act of goodness would earn them some points with the Nova. Like thanks for not giving this deadly weapon to Ronan, here's a get-out-of-jail free card.

"Right, right, okay. I think you both are right," Peter said, nodding at the two women. Isabelle could tell that something stupid was about to come out of his mouth. "Or, we can give it to somebody who's not going to arrest us and who's really nice for a whole lot of money? I think it's a good balance between both your and Rocket's point of views."

Gamora's expression immediately changed at Peter's words. Isabelle could only sigh, shaking her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. For a moment, she spared a glance at Rocket and Groot and it seemed as if they were just waiting to see which plan they would go through with.

"You're despicable. Dishonorable. Faithless!" Gamora spat out, shoving past Peter as she began to walk down the street. She held the Orb close to her chest, but her movements stopped when she spotted something in the distance. Tiny space pods seemed to be rushing in their direction, causing all of them to panic. "Oh, no..."

"Is that..." Isabelle couldn't finish her sentence, watching as the pods landed. It felt like agony as they waited for the doors to open before a man stepped out with dark blue skin. She immediately recognized him.

"Ronan," Gamora gritted, narrowing her eyes.

From the shadows, Drax stepped out with his blades extended as he watched Ronan. "At last!" he shouted, pointing one of the blades in Ronan's direction. "I shall meet my foe and destroy him!"

"Someone should have been watching him," Isabelle commented, crossing her arms over her chest. Though, no one would have guessed Drax would have done something like that. But, Isabelle was prepared to fight for a universe that had never fought for her.

"Yup," Rocket agreed, nodding his head. From where they stood, they could feel the blast of heat from the pods that arrived. Ronan's soldiers filled the streets, attacking anyone that stood in their way.

Peter stepped forward, shaking his head at Drax. "Dude, you called Ronan?"

However, the sound of his voice carried throughout the plaza and amongst the fearful people that ran from the site of strangers invading, there stood Yondu and his crew. "Quill!" he shouted, causing both Isabella and Peter to look in his direction. "Don't you move, boy! Don't you move!"

"Shit, shit, shit!" Peter cursed, looking back at the rest of the gang. Though, Drax was too preoccupied as he rushed toward Ronan instead. "Run, get to the ship!"

They darted off into a nearby alley, wanting to avoid the main street where both Ronan and Yondu roamed. Isabelle kept pace with Gamora, running beside her as Peter, Groot, and Rocket followed close behind. She wasn't too sure what would come of Drax, but she hoped he would survive his encounter with Ronan. Their destination was the loading dock where two rows of pods were lined up ━━ meant for travel within Knowhere to get from one point to another. They were on the smaller side, being able to hold only one person which meant they had to split up and distract Ronan's forces before making it to the Milano. She threw her things in the pod, taking a seat on the chair. Looking behind her, she could see Rocket and Groot arguing. Groot was too large to fit within the pod, meaning he had to stay behind.

Isabelle sat down, closing the door behind her as she turned on the pod. Fortunately, it didn't require any credits because Isabelle wasn't exactly flowing with money. It lifted off the ground and she sped off toward the direction of the Milano. Close behind, the others followed. Lights from the buildings of Knowhere filled her vision, but she did her best to avoid all obstacles in her path.

A blast hit her pod, causing a hiss to leave her lips as the pod lost control for a brief moment. "Shit!" Isabelle shouted, taking a glance behind to see a dozen of Ronan's own pods following close behind. Gamora still had the Orb with her, meaning they would force their attention on her. She spoke into the intercoms. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, probably we'll have to deal with Ronan's goons first," Peter answered back, voice filling the pod that Isabelle was in.

"One of my sisters is amongst them," Gamora's voice sounded next, causing Isabelle to frown.

"Nebula?" she asked for clarification. If it was Nebula chasing after them, they weren't in the clear yet. From what Isabelle had seen of the two sisters, their relationship was even worse than Peter and her's.

"Yes," Gamora responded. "Do not underestimate her! But, I doubt she'll be interested in any of you three. Just keep the others off my back and I'll take care of Nebula."

"You heard her! Everyone get in position!" Isabelle ordered, breaking away from the group as she charged the pod back toward their pursuers. She couldn't see them in their individual pods, but she assumed they must be Kree like Ronan. They shot at her, but Isabelle only grinned as she slammed her pod into theirs. While her pod only had a few scratches, the other one had been completely destroyed and she could see the pilot flowing downward with their parachute. She laughed. "Did you guys see that?"

"I can do better," Peter said, catching Isabelle's attention as his pod flew in front of her. She watched as he slammed his pod into two of Ronan's, taking them both out.

"Alright, alright," Isabelle scoffed, shaking her head as she turned her pod around. "What a showoff."

Gamora had been right. Most of the pods had pursued after Gamora, leaving her, Rocket, and Peter behind. Her eyes widened a crack, realizing that Gamora needed help. She looked back at the boys, watching as they continued to take out the stranglers. "I'm going after Gamora!"

"Be safe!" Peter shouted after her, staying back to fight with Rocket.

Get back to the ship. Avoid Ronan's goons and Nebula. And, get the Infinity Stone to the Nova. It was their plan and Isabelle kept reminding herself of that. But, she could feel her anxious thoughts creeping into her mind as they pleaded with her to run away. She had always been one to run from trouble when it presented itself, but she reminded herself to be brave. Her eyes focused on Gamora's pod in the distance, watching as green lasers overwhelmed her. And, suddenly, all Isabelle knew was that she needed to save Gamora. She pushed on the accelerator, speeding her pod toward Gamora.

"Gamora, I'm here!" Isabelle shouted, giving her a glance as the two flew side by side. She could see the brief flash of a smile that appeared on the other woman's lips. "The Milano is just ahead! Only a few more blocks to go!"

"Isabelle, we━━"

A gasp left Isabelle's lips when Nebula's pod came in between them, pushing her out of the way. She caught a brief glimpse of Gamora's shocked expression before her pod went spiraling out of control. Isabelle gritted her teeth, pulling on the controls to rein the pod back as she hit almost every building in her path. A groan left her lips as she rubbed the back of her neck, cursing quietly as she pushed the pod back into the direction of Gamora.

"I'm... trapped..." Gamora's voice came through the speakers, but too much static surrounded it. But, Isabelle could still understand. "I have to head out!"

Head out? Into space? Isabelle pushed the pod harder, wanting to reach Gamora as soon as possible. She could see the trail that the other pods had left behind and Isabelle followed. "Gamora, no!"

"These things aren't meant to go out there!" Peter said, bringing his pod to them and Rocket followed close behind. They all shared the same concern, approaching the opening of Knowhere to watch as Gamora and Nebula fought out in deep space. Stars were their audience, watching as the two sisters flew around in circles.

But, Nebula got the upper hand. A well-directed shot hit Gamora's pod, causing it to dissipate into pieces. Gamora floated in the wreckage, as did the Orb. Her eyes were closed as her skin slowly began to crystalize due to the freezing temperatures of space. Isabelle let out a breath, feeling her throat begin to close up. A bright light left Nebula's pod, capturing the Orb as it escaped the wreckage and went toward her. The Orb was gone and Nebula and the other pods left as well, leaving Gamora to die.

"No, no, no," Isabelle breathed out, shaking her head. She looked to Peter and Rocket, trying to keep her emotions under control. "We have to do something. We can't let her die!"

"Isabelle..."

"No, Peter!" Isabelle shouted, knowing what was going through his mind. "We have to save her!"

"Come on, you two," Rocket said, shaking his head ━━ even his voice held a hint of sorrow. "Her body mods should keep her alive for a couple more minutes, but there's nothing we can do for her."

"But..."

"These pods aren't meant to be out here," Rocket interrupted, letting out a heavy sigh as he began to slowly reverse his pod. Isabelle could see the ice that was starting to form on their pods' windows. "In a second, we're gonna be in the same boat."

A heavy sigh left Peter's lips as he turned away, shaking his head. He stole a glance at Isabelle's tear-stained cheeks. "Izza, we tried," he mumbled softly, keeping his eyes trained on her. "Come on, let's go."

Isabelle shook her head, watching as he began to head back toward Knowhere. Her gaze flickered back to Gamora, watching as her skin began to crystalize. No, she couldn't leave Gamora. She pushed the lever forward, causing the pod to fly further into the outside. She was inches away from Gamora, being able to see her even closer. She was dying.

Peter's screams could be heard through the intercom system, but she tried her best to ignore them. He was begging for her to come back. It was nice to hear some concern in his voice and Isabelle made sure to remember that he did care in the end. Still, his voice was breaking up due to the pod breaking down around her.

"Isabelle! Wait!"

"See you around, Peter," Isabelle whispered softly, taking in a deep breath.

"This is... Quill... Yondu... Our coordinates are 227K324. Just outside Knowhere."

It was the last thing Isabelle heard before the line went completely dead. She quickly pulled out the emergency oxygen tank behind the seat, hooking it up before she opened the doors. Immediately, she felt the cold embrace her as the air was sucked out of her lungs. She flew forward, pulling the tank out of the malfunctioning pod. With a shaky hand, she placed the mask over Gamora's face and watched as it connected to her skin. She held Gamora tight in her arms, trying to focus on her and not on how she had lost feeling in most of limbs. Gamora took in a sharp breath, causing a small smile to spread across her lips. It was funny how Isabelle had tried to kill her the first time they had met. And, now? Her last act was saving her life.

But, it wouldn't be her last act. Far from it, actually, if Peter had something to say about it. She felt something or someone hit her back, but she could barely feel it as they turned her around. Her eyes widened as she spotted Peter's angry expression as he shook his head, but she didn't miss the tears that welled in his eyes.

"You are so stupid!" Peter gritted out, holding onto her tight as he spared Gamora a brief glance. The other woman was barely lucid, trying her best to come to her senses as she tried to figure out what was going on. Isabelle, on the other hand, tried her best to shake her head at Peter as she watched him take his oxygen mask off. "I'm not going to let my favorite sister die."

I'm your only sister, idiot. She wanted to say, but she couldn't barely move as he placed the mask against her face. She took in a deep breath, feeling the oxygen hit her burning lungs. She still held onto Gamora, using her legs to prevent the woman from drifting off into space. Gamora's arms were wrapped tight around her waist, trying her best to get her eyes to focus despite the bright light that had been flashed upon them.

"Peter, no!" Isabelle gasped out, trying to rip the mask off but he held her hands tight. She watched as the whites of his eyes turned red and his skin became a crystal white. Still, he wore a small smile as he watched her with glassy eyes. She could only let out a sob as she reached forward, placing a gentle hand against his cheek.

Energy engulfed the three of them, causing Isabelle to look in the direction of the ships. Yondu. He had heard Peter's broadcast. She felt them shift through space, being pulled toward the ship. Isabelle didn't know what was coming, but she knew they would survive. They had to.

She closed her eyes, shielding them from the bright light as they entered the ship. For a moment, they all floated in the air as the zero gravity embraced them. But, the moment it was turned off and air flooded the cabin, they fell to the ground. She groaned softly, ripping the mask off her as she rushed toward Peter. Fortunately, his skin had returned to its normal shade as he gasped for air. "What the fuck was that?" she shouted, hitting him hard.

He groaned, rubbing his chest where Isabelle had hit him. "Saving your life. That's the second time, you know?"

"I..."

Peter didn't say anything, rushing forward to give her a tight hug. "Don't ever do anything like that again! You stupid stupid idiot! You almost died."

Isabelle hesitated, but she found herself hugging him back. For a moment, she was transported back to their younger days when the two were closer than peas in a pod. It was when their mother was still alive and they lived happy lives back on Earth. "I didn't realize you cared."

"Well, I do care," Peter mumbled, pulling back as he held Isabelle at arms' length. He stared at both Isabelle and Gamora, shaking his head. "I get that the two of you are in love... or whatever. But, don't go sacrificing yourself like that again. It hurts to have to swoop in and save you. Again, that's the second time I had to do so."

Gamora slowly sat up, staring at them with a dazed expression as she took off the oxygen mask. "What..." she started softly, erupting into a fit of coughs as she rubbed her own chest to soothe the pain. "What happened?"

Isabelle offered her a brief smile, being able to stabilize her breathing as she began to look over herself to make sure there wouldn't be any lasting injuries. "I was trying to save your life, but then Peter had to show up and take all the glory."

"Thank you," Gamora whispered, keeping her eyes focused on Isabelle. It made the blonde pause as she stared at the other woman, but she only nodded.

"Anytime, really," Isabelle said, shrugging her shoulders as she tried to ignore the heat that rushed to her cheeks. Fortunately, the room had dim lighting and it would be difficult to see the effect of Gamora's words.

"Well, hopefully never again," Peter coughed, trying his best to stand to his feet as he used the wall as support. "I didn't enjoy almost dying, but being a hero isn't too bad. I think I can get used to it."

Gamora scoffed at his words, shaking her head. "Where's the Orb?"

"Nebula has it," Isabelle sighed. "It's gone."

The doors creaked open, causing the conversation to die as the three flinched when they spotted the group of Ravagers that came into sight. Isabelle didn't recognize them, but familiarity sparked through her. It had been too long since she had seen any of them. However, she did recognize Yondu as he stepped into view with his signature grin. "Well, lookie here!" he laughed as he clapped his hands, entering the chamber. "Welcome home, kiddos."

♡

LET'S NEVER COUNT ON ME TO GET UPDATES OUT, but after a long long time, here is a update to Rebel for Kicks! I still love this book and I will always adore Gamora and Isabelle. I do want to get this book finished one day, but I have accepted that it will take me time since life seems to keep getting in the way. But, better late than never!

I think this chapter closely followed the movie, but I had Isabelle be the one to save Gamora. Though, Peter did come and help! I think it shows how Isabelle and Peter's relationship is mending itself! It makes me happy to see them doing better (even though I know their relationship will start to go down again when their dad is introduced). But, for now, things are good!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

━━ AMARA
[ CHAPTER PUBLISHED ━━ 02.21.22 ]