CHAPTER TWELVE
"Holy-"
AN ODD DEVICE, THAT THE Collector owned, gently worked to open up the Orb. Curiosity struck Allison and she pushed past Peter to get a better look, Rocket leaning forward on her shoulder to look at the artifact as well.
"Oh, my new friends," Taneleer began, looking at them all, Allison cringing at the expression and 'mysterious' stare. "Before creation itself... There were six singularities." With the press of a button, the machine twisted the Orb and allowed purple imagery to fade above, creating circular patterns. "Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots." Within each circle, burst of colours appeared, fading into visions of different parts of the galaxy. Behind the Collector, six different shapes appeared, shinning brightly with different colours. "Infinity Stones. These stones, it seems can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strengths. Observe."
Infinity Stones... Never heard of them.
Allison turned her head to focus where he was pointing, taking a few moments to look at the other small images as well. Each stone had it's own place in the galaxy, spread out widely, they weren't all gathered together, that was clear.
"These carriers can use the Stone to mow down entire civilizations like wheat in a field."
Rocket climbed off of Allison's shoulder, stepping in front of her to get a better look at what the Orb released. The group watched as the purple stone unleash havoc on a planet, wrapping it in a purple light that acted like a plague, infecting the whole planet.
That's... Unsettling
"There's a little pee coming out of me right now..." Peter admitted as he watched the diagram. Allison's face scrunched up in disgust and she looked over to him, earning a seemingly innocent shrug.
"Once, for a moment, a group was able to share the energy amongst themselves, but even they were quickly destroyed by it," Taneleer continued, the group watching as one of the images showed a small group being overwhelmed by one of the stones.
Turning back to the bench, the group then looked down at the Orb. The device tore the edges back and revealed a small purple stone, glowing brightly in front of their eyes as it floated gently in the air.
"Beautiful! Beyond compare."
Rocket rolled his eyes, leaning back as he turns to the bench, focusing on the Collector with annoyance clear in his face. "Blah, blah, blah! We're all very fascinated whitey. But we'd like to get paid!" Allison quickly nodded along with her friend, wanting to escape from the eerie room and never come back.
Yes. That's what we were doing, not growing attached to the daughter of Thanos or Mr Shit-Lord
Allison shook her head lightly, ignoring her inner demons, as she watched the purple circles, containing the diagram, begin fading away, returning to the stone Peter had found.
The Collector looked to the raccoon. "How would you like to get paid?"
"What do you think fancy man? Units!" Rocket exclaimed, growing very impatient.
Taneleer began to rumage through the drawers under the bench, supposedly searching for the money. "Very well then."
We're gonna be rich, Allison! Rich I tell you!
As he rumaged through drawers, searching for the groups payment, it was evident that his assistant drifted closer to the stone. Allison narrowed her eyes as she watched the shimmering Infinity Stone attract the Collector's assistant. She guessed something bad was going to happen because, after what they had just learned, it seemed that very rarely something good occurred from these gems, expecting some remark from Frost but the Ice Demon was to occupied with thinking of how rich they'd be after this.
But she wasn't the only one to notice Carina.
"Carina," Tanaleer called out, making the pink skinned girl jump. "Stand back."
Allison head turned to the Collector before back to Carina, and a gasped escaped her lips as she watched the once innocent assistant reach towards the gem.
"I will no longer be your slave!" Carina yelled in anguish.
SHIT! RUN ALLISON!
As her fingertips grazed the stone, a powerful wave shot through the room, pushing everyone back. Peter swiftly wrapped his arm around Allison's waist, pulling her in front of him so his body would soften the fall, kind of. As Gamora flew to the back of the room, taking cover, Groot scooped Rocket up and ran before either of them was injured, Peter and Allison rolled over a near by desk, using it as a shield. Allison hugged him tightly out of pure fear whilst Peter did the same, hiding his face in his soft hair as the stone's incredible power was displayed.
It seemed to set of an explosion as the room bursted into purple flames and rocket like objects shot carelessly around. Carina banshee like scream shot through the air as the small girl was overwhelmed by the amount of power a singular gem could possess. The scream only faded from their hearing as the Infinity Stone practically ate Carina, making her disappear in a burst of violet.
Hesitantly, Allison unwrapped her arms from Peter, her breathing heavy as they both slid back and peeled over the edge of the desk.
"Holy-"
"What the f-"
I-I have no words...
Both of them turned to face the assassin that also peeked over her shield. Her eyes were wide with fear as the both stared at the stone that stayed unharmed despite the destruction it made.
Knowing it was definitely not good to leave it here, Gamora climbed over the desk and rushed over the rubble. Reaching where the stone floated, she pushed both ends of the Orb together and shut it away from their vision.
She looked back to Peter and Allison, the pair slowly approaching her as she tore the Orb from the strange device Tanaleer had.
❄️
"HOW COULD I THINK TIVAN could contain whatever was within the Orb-"
"What do you still have it for!" Rocket exclaimed fearfully as he saw Gamora, Peter and Allison exit the building.
He has a point! We almost died.
"What are we gonna do? Leave it here?" Allison asked rhetorically, the question being to Rocket and Frost. Her dull brown eyes held fear and worry.
"I can't believe you had that in your purse!" Rocket yelled, glaring at Peter.
"It's not a purse, it's a knapsack!"
"Shut up would you!" Gamora shouted over them all, earning silence in return from Peter and Rocket.
"We have to bring this to the Nova Corps," Allison insisted, plucking the object from Gamora's fingertips. "Perhaps they can contain it-"
Okay. You have a point but...
"Are you kidding me?" Rocket shouted in disbelief, shocked at Allison's persistence in going somewhere that definitely did not want them there. "We're wanted by the Nova Corps! Just give it to Ronan!"
Exactly.
"So he can destroy the galaxy!" Peter shouted back.
"What are you, some saint all of a sudden?" Rocket widen his arms to try and emphasised his words. "What has the galaxy ever done for you? Why would you want to save it?"
"Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it!"
"Peter, listen to me," Gamora stepped past Allison, gripping onto Peter's collar. He fully focused on her now. "We cannot allow the Stone to fall into Ronan's hands. We have to go back to your ship and deliver it to Nova."
But Nova will arrest us! Allison do something!
"Right, right, okay. I think you're right... " Peter began, Gamora's grip on his collar loosening slowly as each moment floated by. "Or we could give it to somebody who's not going to arrest us, who's really nice, for a whole lot of money," Gamora stepped back, face scrunched up in disgust at his words. "I think it's a really good balance between both of your points of view-"
"Peter!" Allison scoled, smacking the back of his head.
He has a point though, God I can't believe I just said that. We almost died and Nova Corps will arrest us the first chance they get, there's no point!
"You're despicable," Gamora spat, her thoughts on him not changing at all. "Dishonorable, faithless." The assassin turned from him, marching past Groot, Rocket and Allison, only to pause. "Oh no..."
Allison furrowed her eyebrows at the change in tone and stepped towards Gamora with the Orb still tightly in her grasp. "Gamor- oh shit..." Her lips parted in shock, eyes widening as she saw the fleet of ships enter Knowhere's atmosphere.