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“Does anyone have any questions? That don’t have to do with how we’re supposed to get all of it done today,” Nebula adds just in time to prevent the usual unhappy I am Groot she has to deal with at the end of most morning meetings.
“I have one,” says the new addition to the team. Yet again proving himself to be not very good at navigating social interactions.
If he was, he’d know that she might have asked a question but what she was actually doing by saying the words was let everyone in the room know that, no, they didn’t have any questions. What they had was a lot of work to do. Which is why it was so strange they were still just standing around.
“Yes, Adam?” she says, bracing herself for something completely unrelated to her rundown excuse for a city and all that still needed to be done to get it in working order.
“What does that blinking light mean?”
She opens her mouth only to find she can’t actually bring herself to say it. Because the blinking light that’s just been brought to her attention meant that she was going to have to do the one thing she was really hoping will no longer be a part of her every day. Namely dealing with the mess that was Starlord.
Currently lightyears away, but still plenty capable of getting in the way of her being able to get through a day without questioning why did she ever agree to become a Guardian...
“That means she’s getting a call,” Rocket says helpfully. Gesturing to let his new pet project know this was the part where they left the room.
Not waiting for them to flee the scene like the traitors they were Nebula presses the appropriate buttons and turns her attention to the nearest screen. “What do you want, Bereet?”
“You’re not... Peter...” says the startled sounding Krylorian on her screen. “Oh god – did something happened to him?”
There is a real worry on her pretty face as she says the words, too. Making Nebula rethink the reply she was about to give. “He’s fine. He went back to Terra.”
“Is that why...” starts the other woman, her confusion slowly clearing up. A smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she gets the picture. “I was getting really worried. He hasn’t drunk call me all week. Which is a record.”
“Was that a thing...?”
Here she thought she had a good idea about the extent of the garbage fire their former leader has become in his mourning, but apparently there was more. And why the hell was she surprised...?
“You’re the sister, aren’t you? Of the... of his girl,” the woman on her screen says, clearly catching herself just in time. Keeping the word dead out of the conversation. Not that it didn’t hang in the silence between them all the same...
“He told you about Gamora?” Nebula asks. Suddenly forgetting all about how this was wasting her time she didn’t have.
“He liked talking about her. He really loved her,” replies the Krylorian, smiling sadly. “That was the only reason I bothered to pick up when he called. He wasn’t just being some obnoxious drunk guy. I mean... he was, but... I just couldn’t let him be alone with all that grief.”
Nebula can only nod. She felt the same way every time she found herself dragging the drunk terran back to his place. Knowing why he was doing that to himself made a difference. To her and, apparently, to this stranger as well.
Typical Starlord – making her relate to some empty-headed party girl she had otherwise absolutely nothing in common with. Just what her morning needed...
“You said he went back to his world,” says the pink-skinned woman. “Is that a good thing?”
“It’s... what a mature person would do. New territory for Starlord,” she can’t keep herself from adding. Making the other woman grin. “He’ll be back someday. But for now he’s... someone else’s problem.”
And good luck to Peter’s poor grandfather. As though the man hasn’t been through enough.
“That’s... good. I’m happy for him,” Bereet smiles.
Sounds like she means it, too. Which makes Nebula rethink pointing out Peter only got around to getting his act together after what could only be described as a near-death experience.
Maybe they could just try to be proud of him. Possibly. If there was time. Which for Nebula there wasn’t.
She had far too much to do before she could spare the time to glance up at the sky, locate the correct star and take a moment to appreciate that somewhere, on a small, blue planet circling it, there was one of her favourite idiots in the whole galaxy. Doing pretty well. Or so she was free to believe until someone told her otherwise...
Which was only a matter of time, because Starlord.
“Thanks for telling me. Takes a weight off my mind,” the Krylorian says. And she does look genuinely relieved if Nebula is any judge. “But... if he’s taking a break who’s leading the Guardians?”
“Someone a bit more competent,” she replies automatically. Which, to be fair, is how Peter phrased it as well...
“Right,” laughs the other woman. “Should have known. He did always say you were the best.”
It takes a second for the words to sink in. And before she has the chance to correct her Bereet is already saying goodbye and ending the call. Leaving Nebula with no excuse not to get on with her day.
Taking just one more second to remind herself this is what she wanted and no, she wouldn’t trade places with Peter if she could, before getting up from her seat before the screen. Someone was going to have to find out what all that barking was about, after all. And she was the leader, wasn’t she? Which, it seemed, meant there was nothing that wasn’t her problem. Worried exes, telekinetic dogs – all hers to figure out how to deal with.
Good thing she was the best. According to some people, anyway...