Young God | L. Laufeyson

39. Break the Chain

"Don't ever do such a foolish thing again." Loki hasn't let go of Aurora since she has landed safely on the ground, his arms snaking around her waist. For a second, a never ending moment, he thought he would have lost her in the explosion, just like Gamora with Peter. Smiling brightly at his adorable concern, Aurora chuckles into his chest before pulling back.

"Don't worry, we at least got rid of an enemy." As she plans to lean in and give him a long and affectionate kiss, they are interrupted by a loud thud. With shock mirrored on everyone's face, they all witness how a huge chunk of space ship hits Mantis' head and knocks her out.

"Mantis! Look out!" Drax shouts unnecessarily too late but Mantis remains motionless on the ground. The light that has been held back by her hand runs back to its owner, spreading everywhere in the whole space. Aurora's heart plummets to her toes and now she can't help but let the fear win over her. Ego is awaking.

"No." Her voice is shaking, her grip around Loki's hand tightening. The entire hollow around them begins to rumble and the wall and ground shift and waver. In the meantime, Drax picks his friend up, taking care of Mantis.

"She's just unconscious."

"How long before the bomb goes off?" Peter has noticed Aurora's growing anxiety as he glances at Rocket in hope that they will somehow make it.

"In the unlikely event Groot doesn't kill us all, about six minutes." The raccoon answers in hope that his wooden friend does manage to do his one job. Glancing up, the whole team watches how the ceiling falls apart, rocks and dust raining on them. As the surface of the planet unfolds above them, the bright sky shines through and offers them a way out.

"Kraglin!" Yondu calls the Ravager through the comm. "We need the Quadrant for extraction in T-minus five minutes."

"Someone needs to be up top when Kraglin arrives. Drax, take Mantis." Peter Quill grabs the aero-rig off himself and slaps it on Drax's back as it automatically wraps around the muscular alien.

"Ah!! My nipples!" With a panicked scream, he flies upward with Mantis in his arms.

"You go, too. It's too dangerous." Peter glances at Aurora who shakes her head wildly. The ground around them splits into enormous cracks, breaking into pieces.

"I won't leave you behind with this maniac! I'm done with running away from my problems, we have to fight him together." She yells and nods towards Loki. "You have to leave."

"If you really think I'll let you deal with this threat alone, then you clearly don't know me." He narrows his eyes, almost mad that she even considers this idea. Before an argument can break out though, a part of the ground crumbles away and it takes Gamora with itself down.

"Gamora!!!" Peter yells devastated and her name is filled with worry.

"We gotta save her- " Aurora is ready to fly down and rescue her brother's girlfriend until suddenly giant light tentacles erupt from the earth and the wall made of rocks forms a face. Ego's face.

"AURORA!" Ego shouts with a rage that terrifies her as tentacles hurtle towards her. Quickly, she puts on her space helmet and flies up, escaping the light that attempts to capture her again. While she shoots with one quad blaster at several tentacles, she passes her second gun to Loki, so he wouldn't be defenseless. Her heart races, almost crashing her rib cage and her breath quickens beneath the mask.

The rest of the team is attacked as well, trying their best to survive. Yondu and Loki stand back to back, shooting with the quad blaster and using the arrow to remain unharmed. Rocket flies with his aero-rig around, dodging the tentacles and blowing them up with tiny bombs. Peter meanwhile stays close to Aurora, covering her with his quad blasters.