INTO OBLIVION | GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (O.H.)

TWO

Golden eyes sharply turned to Allison.

Allison gulped. She jutted her open palms in front of her and a spiral of ice and mist fell from her trembling fingertips. Adam's march towards her was slowing but not stopping as his frozen lips made quick effort of breaking what ice managed to build.

"What the hell are you doing? Run!"

Allison wanted to follow her counterpart's demand, spinning on her heels only to bump directly into Celestia broad chest. The woman's shoulder rose and fell rapidly with each shuddering breath that passed her chapped lips that were stretched into a scowl.

"What happened to you?" Allison whispered.

With such little distance separating them she now managed to observe how Celestia tall frame wobbling. Her lips quiver and her dark eyes glistened with grief. Allison could see the swelling around her robotic limb, the implants bright wires sliding over Celestia's shoulder and sinking deep beneath her skin. The connection was puffy, as if it was only done yesterday with dry blood staining the very edge of the limb.

The sickening sound of shattering broke the eerie silence between Celestia and Allison as Adam tore his feet out of the thick encasing of ice. He showed no reaction to the dramatic drop in temperature. Instead, he seemed almost disappointed by the attack.

"Pitiful," he remarked. "So, what are you waiting for, your highness." He did that stupid bow of the head he always did whenever he mentioned the Queen, and Celestia hated it a little more each time. There was no respect in his actions, it was a mockery of the tradition on the Dynasty. Traditions he spat on and care very little to acknowledge.

"What am I waiting for?" Celestia repeated through a scoff. She looked over Allison's shoulder, throwing an arm out to direct the Warlock. "Go get the stupid animal, why are you still here?"

"Forgive me for looking out for you," Adam replied with a deep frown. He reluctantly turned, still watching Celestia from over his shoulder for a moment before launching into the dark sky.

Allison found Celestia glare falling to her again. "Who's your new boy toy?" she asked and relied heavily on the humanity that Celestia possessed which made her such an admirable ruler. But she had lost that humanity a long time ago.

Lunging forward, Celestia took Allison by her shoulder and threw her across the courtyard. The Ice Demon crashed through the opposing building slumping in the rubble with a hand rested against her aching head. She snapped to look ahead as Celestia's heels let out faint crunches as it squashed the tumbling stone and concrete that once made the building. She pulled out the same dampener collar, it's brights lights flicking an ominous red as it awaited Allison's neck once more.

But before she could snap it around Allison's neck, a quick succession of blasts collided with Celestia's jaw and singed her sweaty hair. The Queen grunted, stumbling as Peter kept firing. "Back away, Celestia," he commanded sternly, his finger resting on the trigger still as he managed to cautiously step between Allison and Celestia.

When Celestia gained her footing again, she turned back to the couple. A few deep burns had already swelled on her tired expression and she brushed away the embers singeing her long hair.

"Last I saw you, you wouldn't have hesitated to save your own ass before hers," Celestia muttered, grazing the back of her shaking hand against her burned jaw. "It's admirable, really."