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“Mantis, do you have a second?”
“Peter Quill!” Mantis beams, bounding up to him before pausing mid-step. Eyes scanning the pensive worry that notched in the other’s face. “Is something the matter?” she adds, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with that Moon Knight guy,” Peter questions. “Right?”
“Should I not be?” It had been true for the last few weeks that she and the Fist of Khonshu had been spending time together. At first, Mantis forced herself into the other’s day-to-day activities when they weren’t sent out on missions.
Moon Knight had come to tolerate her company once he realized he couldn’t shake her away.
“No, no, it’s just.” He sighs. “There is something about him I don’t trust.”
Mantis’ lips pull tight and into a frown. “Well, you don’t know him then.” She says matter-of-factly.
“But-”
“I’m not as helplessly naïve as you think I am,” Mantis says firmly.
Peter’s expression turned to one of shock at the response - a flash of hurt in his eyes. “That’s not what I mean,”
“But you think it, don’t you?” Mantis continues, “He’s a hurt man, and I think he’s too scared to ask for help.” There was a moment of silence that covered them. The two share a stare-off, waiting for the other to move or speak first.
Peter’s shoulders slump, and the look of defeat and concern is back in his eyes.
Mantis knew Peter would be worried about her. After all, the Guardians were her family, but she felt like sometimes that worry was overbearing.
It made her feel like she was not allowed to do anything without everyone coming to protect her.
It made her feel. Stupid.
She doesn’t stick around to listen what else he has to say. “I have to go.” She states, quickly moving to push past him and out of the room.
“Wait - Mantis!” Peter called after her, but it was too late; the door closed firmly behind her.
+++
“You’re upset,” Marc says once the silence becomes too much for him to ignore. Mantis keeps her face tucked into her elbow. “I fought with Peter.”
Marc’s face twists under the mask. “Which one?” Even if the question wasn’t intended to be humorous. Mantis still finds herself smiling.
“Star-Lord.” She corrects in a mocking tone, of how Peter would always correct her. Marc gives a short hum of acknowledgment, the silence elapsing between them once again.
“He says that I shouldn’t trust you.”
“I mean, he’s not wrong,” Marc states with a shrug, shifting where he leaned up against the wall.
Mantis lifts her head. Her frown from before still etched her face. She wanted to trust him, despite the warning signs. He wasn’t dangerous, at least not to her, even from where she sat on the other side of the room. Mantis could sense the whirlpool of emotions that raged inside.
She wonders how he doesn’t get consumed by it.
Marc didn’t want to admit it, but Mantis was right. He did need someone, but he had no idea why she was so quick to trust him. If anything, his actions over the past few months should be doing the opposite.
Maybe it was the fact that she was one of the few who didn’t make passing judgments based on his disorder. Make comments on the things he couldn’t control - no matter how much he pretended to keep up appearances.
Marc doesn’t know how to handle this care for him. Except to reject it outright. After all, he wasn’t a man to be cared about. He was the Avatar of Vengeance, the Fist of Khonshu, a weapon.
That’s all he’s ever known.