STARGIRL

thirty-one.

"We loved each other." Eleanor wished that her dad would just stop. This Gamora had told him many times that the Gamora the group knew and loved wasn't her, and Eleanor really didn't want a replacement. She didn't want her dad to get with this Gamora just because she looked like the other Gamora. She needed to act like the other Gamora too, to truly be her. And Eleanor only wanted her.

"I don't think so."

"I know you don't remember any of it," Peter said sadly, "You were everything to me. And I miss you... so much. And, maybe... maybe, if you could open yourself up to it... there's a possibility..."

"I don't think so, Quinn."

"Quill." Peter corrected.

"Quill," copied Gamora, "I don't think so."

"Well, what I'm trying to say..."

"Peter," interrupted Mantis, "you know this is an open line, right?"

"What?"

"We're listening to everything you're saying."

"And it is painful." Drax added.

"And you're just telling me now?" yelled Peter.

"We were hoping it would stop on its own." Nebula added.

"It didn't." Eleanor said, pulling a face.

"But I switched it over to private!" Peter said confused.

"What colour button did you press?" asked Mantis.

"Blue, for the blue suit!"

"Blue is the open line for everyone." replied Nebula.

"Orange is for blue." Mantis added.

"What?" yelled Peter.

"Black is for orange, yellow is for purple, green is for red and red is for yellow." Mantis explained.

"No," interrupted Drax, "Yellow is for yellow, green is for red, red is for purple."

"I don't think so."

"Try it then."

Mantis pressed on the yellow button, "Hello!" she yelled, loudly.

Peter held the helmet of his space-suit and groaned out. Mantis looked over at Drax and pressed the blue button, "You were right."

"How the hell am I supposed to know all of that?" yelled Peter.

"Seems intuitive." Drax replied.

Peter gave him a look. Nebula didn't look up as she yelled, "Can we get back to saving our friend?"

"Yeah, Dad," added Eleanor, "Stop being a loser."

"Get that jammer ready to change the shield." Nebula took charge. Peter took it out of his pocket and held it up for her. She changed her metal hand into something that could easily stick to the fleshy surface and pulled a massive blob out. Eleanor was almost sick inside her helmet.

Alarms started to blare so Peter reached his hand in and stuck the device down. The shield changed from orange-yellow to purple. Nebula headed in first with Gamora after. Eleanor went in after with Mantis after her, then Peter. Drax tried to go in last but he got stuck. Nebula and Gamora pulled him in. Peter grabbed the device and stuck it inside the eye.

Nebula pushed the gravity button and everyone fell to the ground. Eleanor fell on her stomach. She pushed herself up quickly and pulled her helmet off first. She dropped it to the floor and started to undue the space suit. She hopped around a little trying to tug it from her left foot.

"Where do we put these?" asked Drax.

"Here!" Mantis said, opening a lid, "Hide them in this locker until we leave."

Eleanor scooped up her outfit and helmet from the floor and pushed them inside the "locker".

Four guys stormed the room, holding up one of their arms in a threatening way just as they shut the lid. Eleanor's heart started to race.

"What the hell was that, guys?" yelled Peter, "What, are you kidding me?"

"What?" the main guy at the front asked.

Peter pulled him a face, "A neutro-quark just hit the satellite. It's burning a hole through the wall. You geniuses, you just throw the door open without any proper precautionary procedure?"

"What procedure, bro?" the main guy yelled.

Mantis stepped forward, "Oh! You want us to read the manual for you too, bro? You could have killed everyone in the wing!"

"Exactly!" added Drax, "You idiots! I'm angry too! I mean, can't you see these authentic mechanic uniforms that we're wearing on our bodies?" the main man just stared in confusion at him, "That blend in with some of our skin-tones better than others!"

"Excuse my friend," Peter quickly said, "He is the boss' nephew. He's a little..." he circled his finger by his brain.

The main guy realised, "Oh. Oh. Yeah," he smiled, "I... I got one of those too," he pointed to the paler one on his left hand side, "I mean, this one?" he pointed to the orange one on his right hand side, "This one I love. I'm so proud," he turned to him, "You're doing great. So proud of you," he turned back to Peter, "But this one," he pointed to the pale one again, "Everything he does drives me crazy."

"I thought you said something else." the pale one argued.

"Shut up. I swear I'm gonna throttle him. I'm gonna go to jail for murder. How did you guys get here so fast?"

"I'll be honest with you, we just happened in before it burned all the way through, thankfully." Peter replied.

"Ah. Good thing you were here," he turned to his group, "All right guys, wrap it up."

They left the room.