1 | INTERSTELLAR (GOTG)

four

THE DOOR SWUNG open revealing Drax and Mantis sitting on the staircase outside of the palace exit. Both heads turned around and saw Astrid behind the door. She wasn't hesitant to close the door behind her as she made her way to seat herself beside Mantis.

She joined the two as they look at view before them. The pink skies and colourful lands roamed for miles and miles. She soaks in the morning sun as she closes her eyes. This was the most peaceful she's ever been in a while and she was going to enjoy every second of it, even it's only a few minutes or so.

"How did you get here?" Drax suddenly asks. Astrid snaps out of her peaceful state and turns to the conversation Drax was starting. "Ego found me in my larva state, orphaned in my home planet. He raised me by hand, and as his own."

"So you're a pet?"

This caused Astrid to send Drax the hundredth death glare she given him. "I suppose" Mantis says quietly. "People usually what cute pets. Why would Ego want a hideous one?" Now this pissed off Astrid, with a quite snap of her fingers she sent a small shock of electricity to Drax.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, rubbing his arm. She signals him to apologize to Mantis. Drax looks at Mantis and sees that she is down due to his comment. "I am hideous?" She asks innocently.

"No—" Astrid tries to say but is interrupted by Drax.

"Your hideous to look at, yes." Astrid sends another wave of electricity at him again making jump.  "But it is a good thing." Mantis turns at Astrid and doesn't know what she means. Drax catches on what Astrid is trying to imply. "Oh?"

"When you are ugly and someone loves you, you know they love you for who you are on the inside. Beautiful people never know who to trust." Drax further explains which Astrid nods at.

"Well, then, I am certainly grateful to be ugly!" She smiles but then pauses as she thinks. "Poor Gamora, she can never trust anyone. And you too Astrid." She hides away her blushing as someone thinks she's beautiful. She's always thought of herself as decently well looking but not as amazingly beautiful.

There's a moment of silence as they look out in the distance again. "These pools remind me of a time I took my daughter to the Forgotten Lakes of my homeworld. She was like you." Astrid never knew that Drax had a family, but then again, they just met a day ago. But the way he talked about her was like she had passed, she had felt the need to ask but she stayed quite.

"Disgusting?"

"Innocent." Was all he had to say, he looked at the view once more not saying anything else. Astrid put her head down and looked at the palm of her hands. As Mantis sees the sadness from Drax, she softly and slowly touches his shoulder making sure to be gentle with him.

Astrid looks up and sees her antennae emitting a slight glow as Mantis absorbs Drax's emotions. Her eyes glistened with instant tears that felt down her skin. She feels Drax's sadness and cries with him.

Astrid stays quite as she lets Drax let out his emotions. She doesn't stare nor judge. She just sits there and thinks for a moment on how much the Guardians have been through. All the pain and torture Drax, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, and even her own brother, Peter, must've been through.

"I have never met anyone like you or your friends. You are filled with such... love. It is a thing I did not know existed, not like this, and I think... I think it may be the very finest of all things. It both hurts and soothes the heart." Mantis removes her hand from his shoulders and stares at the view.

Astrid now feels free to look at Drax and Mantis without feeling to have to cry. Mantis pauses for a moment, hesitant to do whatever she had to do. She makes a decision and turns to Astrid, "Astrid," she then turns to Drax. "Drax, there is something I must tell you—" She was about to continue but they were interrupted by the sound of the large door opening behind them.

It was Gamora who had exited and saw Astrid and the two. "What's going on?" Gamora asks raising a brow. Astrid turns around and sees the assassin, "I am learning many things. Like I am a pet and ugly." Mantis sheepishly says thinking that was a good thing.

Gamora turns her head, "You are not ugly. Drax, Astrid." She says demeaningly, Astrid just shrugs her shoulders and rolls her eyes like a teenager. And to be honest she was, Peter and her were exactly the same. Both had an attitude of a teenager.

"Can you show us where we'll be staying? I'm getting eye-strain at this place." Mantis nods and Astrid gets up from the stair helping Mantis get up as well.

────────

Astrid follows behind Drax through the massive hallways of the palace, she admired the beautiful and elegant designs that were created on the walls. Along with its eye-catching colours painted all over. Ego's planet was really beautiful and it was sad there weren't more people to view the art work that stood.

As they arrived at the sleeping quarters, it was as big as her ship. Of course it was meant to fit multiple people hence the size and she was overly excited to sleep on a large soft bed since she had never sleep in a bed so soft. She walks around the room looking around before a conversation catches her attention.

"Why are there no other beings on this planet?" Gamora asks, Astrid turns around and sees Drax and Gamora surrounding Mantis. She joins along and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "The planet is Ego. A dog would not invite a flea on his back."

Astrid raises an eyebrow, "And you're not a flea?" she had a slight smirk on her face but Mantis just felt scared at the fact she was being interrogated. "I am a flea with a purpose. I help him sleep." Gamora squints her eyes with suspicion. "What were you about to say to Drax and Astrid before I walked out?"

There was slight worry and fear on her face, Astrid had now joined Gamora's suspicion. "Nothing." Was all she said, Astrid turned to Drax and to Gamora who looked at each other with the question of why the worry and fear?

"We are here at your quarters." She says changing the topic.