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The battle against Ego had left scars on everyone, but for Nebula, they were more than skin deep. Her cybernetic arm was sparking erratically, and the systems were failing while the pain penetrated the fragile bond between metal and flesh. She gritted her teeth and kept moving. There was no room for weakness.
Then she saw her.
Mantis, fragile, with bright eyes and too gentle for war, was struck hard by a falling rock and her body collapsed to the ground like a discarded doll.
-Shit,- Nebula growled.
Without hesitation, she ran across the fractured terrain, lifting the empath gently in her arms with surprising care. Her enhancements allowed her to move fast, faster than any normal being, but each step sent electric shocks through her already damaged arm.
She reached the edge of the ship and knelt, placing Mantis carefully on the ground.
-I'll be back,- she murmured.
-Please stay,-Mantis groaned. Her voice was weak and fragile. -I feel... dizzy. I'm scared.-
She looked at Nebula with eyes that were too big, too sincere, too raw. Nebula didn’t know how to handle that kind of emotion. She’d spent years building walls even Gamora couldn’t tear down. But now, something stirred in her gut. A flutter. Was this what people called butterflies?
-I’ll be back- she said, more brusque than she intended. Then she turned and ran back into the fire.
Before disappearing into the smoke, she looked back—just once—and gave Mantis a look that said more than she would ever speak. And then... a wink. As if to say: -You’re safe now.-
The battle was won. Ego had fallen. But not without sacrifice.
Yondu was gone.
The explosion had left a silence that chilled to the bone. Even Rocket wasn’t talking more than necessary. The Milano floated in the darkness of space, a capsule in mourning, dragging its shadow between the stars.
Nebula had saved Gamora from the impact of a rock the size of Rocket, deflecting it with her already damaged arm. The final blow had made the internal mechanisms crack and torn part of her exoskeleton. But she said nothing. As always. She just got up. And left.
Now, that silence hung in every corner of the Milano. Heavy. Undeniable.
In the main cabin, Gamora was with Peter, her hand intertwined with his. Meredith Quill’s cassette played slowly, emitting a distant and broken melody. Peter said nothing. He just let the song speak for him.
Mantis stood at the side, next to the main window of the Milano, where the stars passed like broken lights in an endless sea. She hadn’t seen Nebula since the fight. Since she had carried her through the debris, since that moment of strange connection.
And it wasn’t just gratitude that she felt. It was something more. Something that had no name, but that pulsed.
She slowly turned and walked toward the work area, where a constant clicking sound broke the silence. There was Rocket, hunched over a workbench, welding a sparking sphere that whistled with every pulse of energy.
-Rocket,- Mantis said, her voice soft. -Have you seen Nebula?-
Rocket didn’t turn. He just grunted-Blue Terminator? Nah. She’s probably hiding in the cargo bay… or sharpening something to stab us while we sleep--
Mantis frowned.
-Why?-
Rocket glanced at her from the corner of his eye. -Why what?-
-Why are you always so cruel to her?-
The raccoon put down the soldering tool and looked at her more seriously than she expected.
-Because she reminds me of me,-he admitted, dryly. -And that pisses me off.-
Silence fell again for a moment. Mantis blinked, surprised by his honesty. Rocket sighed, shrugging.
-Also, she’s terrifying. Have you noticed how she looks at you? Like she’s considering replacing you with more efficient parts.-
-She saved me,- Mantis responded firmly. -She held me when no one else could. And I think… I don’t know. I feel something strange in my stomach every time I think about her.-
Rocket raised an eyebrow at her.
-That could be hunger. Or infatuation. Who can say?-
Before she could answer, a large figure approached from the hallway.
-Are you guys talking about the angry machine?-Drax asked, entering the compartment with a plate of horrible food in his hands. -I like her. She’s like a dull knife that can still kill you if you push it hard enough.-
Rocket laughed.
-You and your metaphors.-
-They’re not metaphors. They’re poetic truths.-
Drax turned to Mantis, his expression becoming more introspective, almost soft-I saw the way she looked at you, Mantis. Down there. On the living planet. I saw how she held you. With fury, yes. But also with fear. Fear of losing you.-
-Do you think… she feels something for me?-Mantis asked, almost in a whisper.
-I think she’s hurt,-Drax said, sitting down in front of her. -Not in the arm. In the soul. And you touched that wound without realizing it. Now it hurts more. But it can heal.-
Mantis lowered her gaze, processing every word.
-I have to find her. Not just to thank her. I want to understand. I want… to be close.-
Rocket snorted.
-Good luck. No one finds Nebula if she doesn’t want to be found.-
-That’s not true- Drax said with a smile. -Mantis can feel her. She can follow her pain.-
Mantis nodded slowly, her antennas trembling.
-She’s still here. But very, very alone.-
-Then go,- Drax said, standing up. -Before she buries herself so deep she doesn’t want to come out.-
Rocket huffed but didn’t say anything else. He just went back to welding.
Mantis turned and walked down the hallway. The silence followed her, like a shadow of what was to come.
And deep down, like a muffled echo, her heart beat faster.
Finally, she found her.
There, in the storage compartment, surrounded by metal and shadows, sat Nebula on the floor, hunched over her broken arm, struggling to make the wiring cooperate.
Her sleeveless blouse clung to her, revealing every muscle in her arms and shoulders. Sweat beaded on her skin. The dim light painted her in silver and blue hues.
Nebula turned at the sound of footsteps. Her face hardened by instinct.
-What do you want?-
Mantis hesitated. The memories of Rocket’s words pierced her like needles, but something stronger than fear drove her to take the next step.
-Hello... I was looking for you. I wanted to thank you. You saved me. You didn’t have to, but you did.-
-I only did it because Gamora would have been mad if you died,- Nebula murmured, turning away.
Mantis tilted her head. Her gaze swept over her figure, almost hypnotized by the intensity of her presence.
-You’re blushing.-
-I don’t blush,- Nebula snapped.
But in reality, her skin had darkened slightly.
Mantis took another step forward, watching the sparking cables and the way Nebula struggled with them, as if she were fighting something much bigger than the mere wear of a mechanical arm.
-What happened to your arm?-
Nebula didn’t answer. Her body stiffened even more, her fingers clenching the metal pieces in frustration. It was clear she wanted to be alone, but something in Mantis’s gaze kept her there, like an unstoppable shadow.
But Mantis didn’t leave.
-I could help,- she offered. -Although I don’t understand much, I could... hold something for you? Pass you tools?-
Nebula sighed, defeated. Her voice softened just a little, but only a little.
-Fine. But don’t make noise. Don’t interfere.-
Hours passed in a dead silence. Mantis handed her tools, picked up loose pieces, and watched closely. The hum of the ship was the only sound between them.
But the tension... the tension pulsed in the air like electricity. Like a shared heartbeat. And Mantis couldn’t escape it.
-Wrench,- Nebula ordered.
Mantis grabbed it and handed it over, but their fingers brushed as she did.
Time froze.
They both looked up at the same time. Just inches apart. Their breaths mingled.
And then, without warning, something in the air shifted. There were no words, no warning. Just an impulse, something brutal, something necessary.
And in the blink of an eye, their lips met.
The kiss was fierce. Desperate. Hungry. The pressure that bound them was more than physical; it was a cry of need, of desperation, of worlds crashing into each other. Nebula’s lips were rough, cold, but Mantis didn’t pull away. Instead, she melted into it. She reached out, cupping Nebula’s face, pulling her closer, deeper. Mantis’s antennas began to glow with an intensity that lit up their faces in a golden halo, while the heat between them intensified, electric, wild.
Nebula moaned low, a guttural sound. She pulled Mantis closer, holding her against her body as if she feared the moment would disappear as quickly as it had come. And Mantis, unable to contain herself, deepened the kiss, each one a desperate cry, as if the stars themselves were burning in the depths of her soul.
Finally, Mantis pulled away, gasping. Her eyes shone with an intensity Nebula had never seen before.
-You’re beautiful,- she whispered, almost in a sigh.
The words hit Nebula like a slap, but it was Mantis’s gaze that pierced her.
The air froze. Nebula’s warmth faded.
-Don’t lie to me,- Nebula whispered, her voice broken, but firm. -I know what I am. My father made sure of that. I’m a weapon. A machine. I don’t get to be beautiful... I don’t get love.-
Mantis opened her mouth to respond, but Nebula interrupted her, her tone already rough, pained.
-Do you think this is a fairy tale?- she said, standing up. Her voice trembled with rage, but also with fear. -You’re a child. You don’t know what I’ve done. What I am.-
-That’s not true- Mantis tried to say, but the anguish reflected on her face.
Nebula took a step back, pulling away, the pain visible in her expression. A shadow passed over her face, an invisible mark reflected in her eyes, darkening them.
-Don’t pity me, Mantis,- Nebula growled, her body stiff like a machine afraid of breaking. -I don’t need it. I don’t want your compassion. I don’t want you.-
And with those words, Nebula turned away, grabbing her tools, her body rigid as though every step was dragging her deeper into the darkness.
-Nebula, wait!- Mantis cried, tears running down her cheeks, her voice cracking. -Please... I didn’t mean to hurt you! I meant it!-
But Nebula didn’t look back.
Mantis was left alone in the cold silence of the cargo bay, hugging herself tightly as her antennas dimmed slowly, extinguishing the light that had shone brightly just moments before.
She stared at the emptiness where Nebula had been, feeling the weight of her pain and the loss she hadn’t even begun to understand.
And once again, she wondered if maybe the machine inside Nebula wasn’t the only thing that kept her from love.
Maybe it was the invisible scars. The ones no one could see.