Doctor Who and Star-Lord Vol. 2

Mantis and the Mutiny

Onboard the strange egg-ship, the Doctor was performing repairs to the TARDIS. 'It really is bigger on the inside.' Ego said, appearing at the doorway. 'How does it do that?' The Doctor then looked at him in disbelief. 'Seems like you should be the type of person who should know that.' the Doctor said. 'But, frankly, I don't know either.' Ego wandered around the console room. 'What an interesting creation.' he said. 'I have always wanted to see a TARDIS. I have been to Gallifrey in my quest to find life, and I found it especially fascinating. Gotta go to sleep now.' He then walked out of the TARDIS and lay down on a small bed. Mantis touched his forehead and said, 'Sleep,' causing Ego to do just that.
A little while later, Quill, Drax and Mantis were sat on a round sofa. 'Hey, can I ask you a personal question?' Quill said. 'Oh,' Mantis said, 'No one has ever asked me a personal question before.' 'Your antennae, what are they for?' Quill asked. 'Their purpose?' Mantis said. 'Yes,' Drax said, 'Quill and I have a bet.' 'Dude, you're not supposed to say that!' Quill said. 'I say,' Drax said, 'that if you are about to go through a doorway that is too low, your antennae will feel this, and keep you from being decapitated.' As Drax said this, Quill looked towards Gamora, who smiled back at him. 'Right,' Quill said, 'and if it's anything other than you specifically not being decapitated by a doorway, I win.' 'They are not for feeling doorways.' Mantis said. As she said this, Drax sighed and Quill laughed. 'I think they have something to do with my empathic abilities.' Mantis said. 'What are those?' Gamora asked. 'If I touch someone,' Mantis said, 'I can feel their feelings.' 'You read minds?' Quill said. The Doctor walked in the room. 'No.' Mantis said. 'Telepaths know thoughts. Empaths feel feelings. Emotions.' Mantis paused for a moment. 'May I?' she asked, gesturing to touch Peter. 'All right,' Quill said. Mantis touched Peter by the hand and for a moment her antennae glowed, as she smiled at Quill. 'You feel love,' she said. 'Yeah, I guess I feel a general unselfish love for everybody.' Quill replied. 'No,' Mantis said, 'Romantic sexual love!' 'No I don't.' Quill began. 'For her!' Mantis said pointing at Gamora, who pretended to act surprised in her facial expressions. 'No, that is not-' Quill said. But before he could finish, Drax suddenly burst into fits of laughter whilst Quill and Gamora sighed, whilst the Doctor smirked, trying not to laugh himself. 'She just told everyone your deepest, darkest secret!' Drax laughed. 'Dude, come on,' Quill said, 'I think you're overreacting a little bit!' 'You must be so embarrassed!' Drax yelled. Gamora just cringed. 'Do me!' Drax said, 'Do me, do me!' Then Mantis touched Drax and her antennae glowed again, and this time she herself burst into laughter as well. 'I have never felt such humour!' she said, as she and Drax pointed and laughed at Peter. The Doctor then started laughing himself. 'So unbelievably uncool.' Peter muttered. She then touched the Doctor, and she laughed even more, as the sensation of being touched by Mantis tickled the Doctor a bit. Mantis continued laughing as she walked towards Gamora preparing to touch her. 'Touch me,' Gamora warned, 'and the only thing you're gonna feel is a broken jaw.' Mantis stopped laughing and stepped away. 'I can also alter emotions to some extent,' Mantis said. 'Yeah, like what?' Quill asked. 'If I touch someone who is sad,' Mantis began, 'I can ease them into contentment for a short while. I can make a stubborn person compliant. But I mostly use it to help my master sleep. He lies awake at night thinking about his progeny.' 'Do one of those on me!' Drax said. Mantis then gently touched Drax's forehead. 'Sleep,' she said. And Drax fell backwards, fast asleep.
Meanwhile back on Berhert, the four moons were high, lighting the woods below, with music playing. An army of Ravagers were approaching the ship, including Kraglin and the man from earlier. As the Ravagers approached, they could hear Rocket humming along with the song. But then one Ravager stepped on a booby trap that had been set, and the group were all pelleted with darts, knocking them out. Onboard the ship, Groot and Nebula could hear Rocket and River humming along to the song. But it was a decoy, as they knew the Ravagers were coming, and they were actually out defending the ship from intruders. Rocket was hiding in the trees, and River waited down below. Then they heard branches snapping, and they all shot at Rocket who ran through the trees to escape. While they were distracted, River appeared. She pulled out her gun and shot a few before running away herself. Rocket then pulled out a device which set off a land mine that launched the Ravagers into the air over and over again, which greatly amused him. He then crept through the trees, found another group of Ravagers and attached small devices to them. He then activated the device which caused the whole group to be electrocuted, and they fell to the ground. Then Rocket entered a clearing surrounded by two Ravagers. 'Ain't so tough no, without all your toys, are you?' one of them said. Then Rocket jumped on top of one of them, and punched him in the face as River emerged shooting him. Rocket then jumped to the other, and repeatedly punched him in the head before snapping his neck, and punching his head. River winced a little bit. 'Ouch,' she said. 'I know,' Rocket said. But then a familiar arrow whizzed out of the woods and right towards them as a whistling could be heard. 'Get out of the way!' Rocket said, as River jumped out the way. 'Crap,' he muttered whilst Yondu's arrow was in his face. 'Oh no,' River said. Yondu then emerged from the clearing, laughing. 'Hey there rat!' he said. 'How's it going, you blue idiot.' Rocket said. 'Not so bad.' Yondu said, 'And if it isn't the famous Dr Song. I don't think you can dig your way out of this one, can ya, River?' 'Yes I can Yondu,' River said, 'I'm not stupid, like your band of pirates are.' 'Well we got ourselves a pretty good little gig here.' Yondu said. 'This golden gal with quite a high opinion of herself has offered us a large sum to deliver you and your pals over to her because she wants to kill y'all.' There was laughter from the crowd of Ravagers. Meanwhile on board the ship, Nebula was talking to Groot. 'Your friends,' she said. 'There's too many of them. He needs my help. If you care about him, you need to get me out of these bonds. They are going to kill him!' Groot looked at her nervously before letting her go.
'I tell you, it was pretty easy to find you.' Yondu said. 'I put a tracer on your ship back there, during the war over Xandar.' 'Give me your word you won't hurt Groot or the Doctor, and we'll tell you where the batteries are.' 'Luckily my word don't mean squat,' Yondu said, 'Otherwise, I'd actually hand you over.' 'Otherwise you'd what?!' the horrifically scarred man from earlier yelled. 'We'll take them batteries,' Yondu said, 'they're worth what? A quarter mill on the open market?' 'That priestess offered us a million.' the other Ravager said, 'A quarter is only a third of that!' 'A quarter ain't a third.' Yondu said. 'A quarter is 25,' another Ravager said. 'We can't even buy a pair of boots for 25 units.' 'I think he means 250,000 units, stupid,' River groaned. 'Enough,' Yondu said, 'The point is, we ain't stupid enough to kill the Guardians of the Galaxy, or the Doctor for that matter!' He stared at River while he said this. 'The whole damn Nova Corps would be on us!' 'That ain't right!' Kraglin said. 'I just gotta say it this one time, Captain, no matter how many times Quill betrays you, you protect him like none of the rest of us even matter!' This drew jeering from the Ravagers. 'I'm the one who sticks up for you!' 'Take it easy Kraglin,' another Ravager said. 'Damn straight lad,' the burnt Ravager said, 'he's gone soft!' 'No, he's actually learnt common sense!' River replied. 'Well I suppose it's time for a change in leadership!' Everyone pulled out their guns and Yondu whistled, revealing his arrow. River pulled out her gun as well. 'Put your damn guns down!' one Ravager said. 'Whoa, whoa!' Rocket said. 'There must be some kind of peaceful solution to this, fellas. Or even a violent one where I'm standing over there.' Then burnt man and Yondu stared at each other before Yondu's fin was suddenly shot off, causing his arrow to fall to the ground and him to be knocked out. Behind him, Nebula had a gun out and was pointing it at Rocket and River. 'Nebula, no!' River said. 'Shut up,' Nebula said before shooting Rocket knocking him out. 'Well hello boys.' Nebula said, 'or should I say, hello sweetie.' She then shot River, and she fell to the ground.  Nebula then bit into some yaro root, before spitting it out. 'It's not ripe,' she said.