a ravager funeral
AS the world seemed to be falling apart around them, Marlene could see a way out. Still, they had to make sure Ego would die. By Rocket's uncertainty for Groot, it made Marlene anxious. She was used to Tony or Steve always having a plan. Why did it seem that the Guardians of the Galaxy enjoyed to do this last minute with no plan whatsoever? They were so chaotic, but it worked?
As soon as Yondu noticed the hole in the sky, she called for Kraglin. "Kraglin, we need the quadrant for an extraction. T-minus five minutes."
"Aye, Captain," Kraglin responded immediately.
"Somebody's gotta be up top when Kraglin arrives," Peter said as he pulled off his rocket. "Drax, take Mantis." Peter shoved the rocket on Drax's back as it took form as a vest.
"Ow! My nipples!" Drax screamed as he flew up with Mantis in his arms.
Marlene turned as the floor beneath Gamora and Nebula seemed to break simultaneously. The sisters fell without hesitation. "Gamora!" Peter screamed just as Ego's face began to take shape again in front of them.
Marlene and Rocket flew as the ground around them seemed to still be falling apart.
"Peter!" Ego screamed as Peter began to shoot at the face and tentacles coming out of it. "Come now, Peter. I know this isn't what you want. What kind of father would I be to let you make this choice?"
Marlene saw Yondu fighting the tentacles with his arrow, destroying them easily as he whistled. She flew up, using every part of her brain to try and enter his. As scattered as it was, Marlene realized each tentacle was like a nerve. It had its own way of thinking. Without wasting a second, she had the nerves around her power down. Another came out of nowhere, and she grabbed it with her hand before sending her pulsating energy through it. It exploded in her hand.
Nearby, Rocket threw red explosives on the nerves, encasing himself in a shield as he detonated them. With a grin, he landed. His celebration was short-lived as another nerve sent him flying.
"Rocket!" Marlene yelled, growing angrier.
"Soon, Peter, we will be all there is. So stop pissing me off!" Ego screamed as he fought Peter. Marlene tried to send a shield his way, but another tentacle-like nerve hit her aside.
Using her hands, she grabbed two of them while she entered the 'minds' of the three coming at her. She was struggling to keep up as she saw Peter get knocked down, his mask falling off as his eyes met hers worriedly.
Marlene was being overwhelmed by the amound of nerves that were approaching her. Just as she thought she could gain the upperhand, she saw Yondu be taken down and begin to be covered with rocks. Soon, she saw Rocket following. Trying to push out of this, she realized she would not overpower Ego alone. She felt herself flung backward as her own encasing began to form. Peter's eyes were tearing up as he was suddenly impaled by nerves around him.
Ego began to walk forward as a skeleton as his body began to take shape again. "I told you... I don't want to do this alone. You cannot deny... the purpose the universe has bestowed upon you. It doesn't need to be like this, Peter. Why are you destroying our chance? Stop pretending you aren't what you are. One in billions. Trillions. Even more. What greater meaning can life possibly have to offer?"
Yondu screamed out, "I don't use my head to fly the arrow, boy! I use my heart—"
Peter's eyes went back to Marlene as she nodded once at him. He could stop him. He had to. Peter was the only way. As he clenched his fist, he growled out, "You shouldn't have killed my mom and squished my Walkman."
Suddenly, he broke free from the nerves and went straight into Ego. They flew together away as Peter began to beat the crap out of his father. Marlene took a deep breath as the rocks around her were released.
Flying to Yondu and Rocket, she helped them both stand. "Groot," Marlene said to Rocket. He flew off without another moment.
Marlene was about to try and help Peter when Yondu grabbed her arm and shook his head. "You might be a Savior or a Weapon, but you ain't no match for Ego. Peter's the only one who can handle him."
"But I need to help—" Marlene tried just as Rocket flew back with Groot on his shoulder.
"Yondu, we're about to blow!" Rocket said with wide eyes.
Yondu pushed Marlene toward Rocket. "You three get to the ship!"
Rocket shook his head. "Not without Quill!"
"You need to take care of the twig!" Yondu yelled back.
"Not without you!" Rocket said instead as the planet seemed to be falling apart by the minute.
Yondu looked down for a moment before his gaze hardened and his eyes met Marlene's. She had read his thoughts. "I ain't done nothin' right my whole damn life, rat. You need to give me this."
Rocket watched as Marlene hugged Yondu tightly, surprising the hell out of Yondu."What was that for?" Yondu asked.
"You always were a great father to Peter," Marlene stated his doubts, "and you are a great friend to me."
Rocket pulled out two items as he handed them to Yondu. "Uh... A spacesuit and an aero-rig. I only have one of each."
"I am Groot."
Marlene began to hover next to Rocket. "What's that?" Yondu asked.
"He says, Welcome to the frickin' Guardians of the Galaxy. Only he didn't use frickin'," Rocket said with a nod as Yondu smirked slightly.
As they began to fly away, Groot waved sadly to Yondu. "Bye, twig," Yondu stated. Marlene gave him one last smile. "Bye, princess."
Marlene kept a close eye on Rocket as they flew through debris. Rocket glanced at Groot with a firm tone in his voice as he said, "We're gonna need to have a real discussion about your language."
When Marlene and Rocket flew into the ship, Marlene could see Mantis was still unconscious with Gamora tending to her quietly. Nebula sat behind them, eyeing them warily. Rocket handed Marlene Groot as he looked to the ground in pain.
"Where's Peter? Rocket, where is he?" Gamora asked as she stood up. "Rocket. ROCKET LOOK AT ME! WHERE IS HE!" She then turned to Marlene. "You left him!?"
Rocket hummed softly as Groot pointed back to the cavern where they just were. Gamora glared at Marlene as she grabbed a blaster. Gamora shoved her shoulder into Marlene's.
"No. I'm not leaving without him," Gamora stated as she tried to leave. Before she could, Rocket stunned her, sending her to the ground.
"I'm sorry. I can only afford to lose one friend today," Rocket whispered, knowing it would be Yondu. "Kraglin, go!" he yelled.
"Wait... Is Quill back?" Drax called from above. "Rocket, where's Quill? Rocket! Where's Quill? WHERE'S QUILL!?"
Marlene sighed, crouching down to help Gamora sit up. "I wouldn't leave Peter like that," she whispered. "Yondu told us to leave. He'll take care of him."
On the ship, they could see Ego destroying itself as the planet slowly became nothing. From afar, Marlene could see Yondu and Peter just as Yondu's thrusters went out. Peter was yelling, and she had to look away from him.
"Get him inside," Rocket called to Kraglin. Gamora stood up immediately as Peter landed inside the ship with Yondu's body. She held him as he cried. Marlene used her magic to lift Yondu's body and sit it gingerly on the nearest table, knowing they'd have a proper funeral for the man.
A few hours later, they had decorated Yondu's body with all of his favorite things. All of the Guardians and Marlene stood around the table sadly. Gamora held Peter's arm as Marlene held Groot. Rocket stood next to Marlene as he sighed.
"I told Gamora how when I was a kid I used to pretend David Hasselhoff was my dad. He's a singer and actor from Earth, really famous guy. Earlier, it struck me: Yondu didn't have a talking car, but he did have a flying arrow. He didn't have the beautiful voice of an angel, but he did have the whistle of one. Both Yondu and David Hasselhoff went on kick-ass adventures... and hooked up with hot women... and fought robots. I guess David Hasselhoff did kind of end up being my dad after all. Only it was you, Yondu. I had a pretty cool dad. What I'm trying to say here is... sometimes that thing you're searching for your whole life... it's right there by your side all along. You don't even know it," Peter said, eyes never leaving Yondu's body as tears slowly fell. Gamora walked off to Nebula as the blue woman left the room.
Marlene took Peter's words to heart. She had been trying to figure out her past, and it ended up making her more confused than ever. When she had Pietro next to her again, she did not realize how much she needed him when he was taken from her. He was what she thought was the missing piece. Now, as she felt the snap inside of her, she felt like she finally was her true form. She had 'upgraded' as Rocket said, but really, she figured out she did not need Pietro, Tony, Wanda, Peter, or even Steve to be her best self. She had been her best self all along... just hiding a bit because of some unspoken fear that she finally overcame.
"I am Groot."
Rocket nodded. "He did call you twig."
As they began to let Yondu's body be sent to ashes and into space, Marlene's eyes widened as a bunch of ships began to surround them. Marlene was on edge until Rocket smiled.
"They came," he said.
"What is it?" Drax asked.
"I sent word to Yondu's old Ravager buddies and told them what he did," Rocket revealed.
Peter smiled. "It's a Ravager funeral."
Marlene grinned as the other ships began to send out fireworks. It was a beautiful celebration of Yondu's life despite how much Yondu thought he had failed.
"He didn't chase them away," Rocket murmured.
Marlene placed a hand on Rocket's shoulder. "No, he didn't," she whispered back.
"Even though he yelled at them. And was always mean. And he stole batteries he didn't need," Rocket said softly as Peter looked down at him.
"Well, of course not," Peter said with a smile. He looked up when he noticed Gamora staring at him. "What?"
"It's just some unspoken thing," Gamora said with a grin as Peter wrapped his arms around her shoulder.
Mantis's eyes were wide. "It's beautiful."
"It is," Drax said softly with a nod. "And so are you. On the inside."