Chapter Text
“You-You’re sure you want to do this?”
Nebula inhales before answering Rocket’s concerned question.
“Yeah. It’s time. I...I owe it to her.”
Rocket nods. He sets the coordinates for Vormir, but hesitates before pulling the lever that will cause their ship to jump. Nebula gently places her hand on his and looks at him.
“It’s going to be ok,” she assures him.
They both grip the lever and pull it back.
Soon, they have arrived at their destination. It’s dark and barren, a tall mountain being the only thing that stands out.
“Why would he kill her?” Rocket asks.
“I don’t know,” Nebula admits. “She was the only thing he loved, besides power and oppression.”
They begin the climb up the mountain, hoping answers may lie at the top. They’re almost there when a voice stops them.
“Nebula, daughter of Thanos. Rocket, son of...no one.”
The two friends become stiff, searching for the source. A figure emerges from the shadows.
“And who are you supposed to be?” Rocket immediately asks.
“In the past, I would’ve said a guide,” the floating figure muses. “But I must tell you now: what you seek does not lie ahead of you.”
“You were meant to guard the soul stone,” Nebula assumes.
“The stone guarded itself. I was meant to lead others to it. And I did, for many years. No one was able to obtain it, until two years ago.”
“Thanos,” Rocket spits.
“Yes. He has been the only one able to perform the everlasting exchange. And thus, what you seek is no longer here.”
“What we seek is answers,” Nebula corrects. “My sister was murdered here, and I want to know why.”
“You were talking about an exchange?” Rocket adds.
The figure doesn’t answer, but instead turns around and floats forward. Nebula and Rocket follow him until he stops. They realize they are on the edge of a cliff.
“Hey, what is th-”
“The stone was protected by a simple rule: A soul for a soul. To obtain the stone, you had to lose that which you loved.”
Nebula looks at the bottom and gasps when she sees a body.
“Your father sacrificed your sister for the soul stone.”
When she looks again, the body is gone; she must be seeing things.
It doesn’t make the revelation any easier.
“Nebula…” Rocket starts.
The synthetic part of Nebula’s brain warns her that her heart is beating faster than normal and her body temperature is rising.
She doesn’t need all that information to know that she’s angry.
“He couldn’t even let her die with honor Rocket! He used her death to bring about the one thing she tried so hard to stop. He-”
She stands, staring at the raccoon, eyes wild. She can’t think, so she doesn’t.
Instead, she collapses to the ground, heavily breathing, a sob stuck in her throat. Her stupid memory file keeps playing clips of her and Gamora.
Happy.
She would do anything to switch places with her sister.
She inhales sharply as a hand touches her shoulder.
“It’s going to be ok,” Rocket says with tears in his eyes, echoing what Nebula had told him earlier.
Nebula looks up. She remembers that he was just as close to her sister, if not closer.
She rubs the ring on her finger and nods.
“Let’s go home.”