𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 | parker²

xxxiv. six stones, one shot

Thor held up one finger to stop him. "I'm not done yet. The only thing permanent in life... is impermanence."

Tony clapped twice before placing a hand on Thor's shoulder. "Awesome. Eggs? Breakfast?"

Appalled at the idea, Thor shook his head. "No. I'd like a Bloody Mary."

Aster pursed her lips and nodded once. "Okay. Who else is hungry?"

───

After ordering food from a nearby Chinese restaurant to ensure everyone could think on a full stomach, the team re-gathered. Excluding Thor while he took a nap, and Tony while he was outside on the phone with Morgan.

Rocket paced the top of the table, stepping over the piles of papers and cartons of food. He pointed at the hologram, which displayed the Power Stone. "Quill said he stole the Power Stone from Morag."

With a mouth full of food, Scott asked, "Is that a person?"

"Morag's a planet. Quill was a person."

"Like a-a planet? Like in outer space?"

Leaning down, Rocket cooed, "Aw, look. It's like a little puppy, all happy and everything." Petting Scott's hair, Rocket tilted his head. "Do you wanna go to space? You wanna go to space, puppy? I'll get you to space."

Snorting, Aster attempted to pull their attention back to the issue at hand, "Okay. We know the Power Stone is on Morag before Quill steals it. So, we'll just have to get it before he does." As the seventeen-year-old spoke, Natasha took notes next to her. She placed her carton of food down and stood up, swiping the Power Stone to the side. Next up was the Soul Stone. A heavy pit settled in her stomach and she thought about Gamora.

"Thanos found the Soul Stone on Vormir," Nebula said, joining Aster at the head of the room.

Still writing, Natasha kept her eyes on her notepad. "What is 'Vormir'?"

"A dominion of death, at the very center of Celestial existence," Nebula gruffly explained. 

Finally tearing her eyes away from the hologram, Aster added, "And it's where Thanos murdered our sister."

Simultaneously, everyone's heads shot up and an awkward silence fell upon the room. With a concerned glance over at Aster, Natasha stopped writing.

"...Not it," Scott murmured, breaking the momentary silence.

"Well, I'm going."

"Count me in."

After both speaking at the same time, Aster and Nebula turned to stare at one another.

Natasha and Clint straightened up protectively. Steve shook his head and took a step forward. "I don't know if—"

"Someone has to go, and it makes the most sense for it to be us," Aster reasoned, staring at them in a way that made each protest die at the end of their tongues. 

Nebula nodded. "It's the only chance we have at finding out what truly happened to Gamora."

Vormir was unknown territory. Aster knew how dangerous it was. Not only did she want to go with Nebula for the sake of potentially finding out what happened to Gamora, but she also wanted to make sure the rest of the Avengers were going somewhere safer. Even if just a little. Because frankly, she couldn't stand to lose anyone else.

Ready to change the subject before any of them could try to cut in again, Aster nodded, turning and grabbing a dry-erase marker to write notes on the clear board. She was grateful that Tony wasn't in the room. "Okay. Three down, three to go."