the chain

“Thank you, it is vintage,” Jeannette said, smiling sweetly. “I am so glad you like it.” She shrugged, smirking. “Well, the best way would be to travel back in time to 1857. This is one of the first Smith & Wesson firearms ever made.” She smiled again. “I have taken exquisite care of it, so if you think you could take it off my hands in any way, you are rather mistaken, child.”

Vintage, huh? Not there was a word he recognized from his time on Terra. It was nice being in ‘the know’ for once “1857, that’s before even my time.” And this modern new Terra made Peter feel plenty old, referencing such a time in the past was a nice feeling to wash over him. “That’s one heck of a collectable.” He noted with interest, she wasn’t wrong when she said she took good care of it. “Naw, stealing other people’s merch isn’t my thing.” Not anymore at least. When he was stranded on Terra the last thing he needed was to attract unwanted negative attention. 

“Such tongue for someone bleeding out on my rug.” Stephen quipped, eye roll that made him stretch out his neck. Narrowing his eyes on the location where the blood seems to be coming from. “Surely, your able to speak so why not stitch yourself up?” Opening a portal with his sling ring, it was like he was about to leave Peter to merely bleed out on his rug. 

“Hey man, you think yours is the first rug I’ve bled out on?” Peter responded, his voice laced with pain and bravado despite his current injury. “You happen to have a needle on you?” He didn’t typically carry them with him, but Peter was happy to start stitching if he was offered the equipment. 

.

Gamora had no family left so she couldn’t very well say she understood the position that Peter was now in. She had been so trained she wasn’t even sure if she had any family left to speak of if she’d even bother trying to reconnect but Peter was different. “ I think you owe it to yourself to at least try and see if you can find them.” She mused listening to the other moving to place her hand on his shoulder as he spoke of Ego. “He fell beneath your feet because you had people who care about you looking out for you Peter, I shall company you anywhere even to see if we can find them.” She replied before shaking her head “If they don’t see the amazingly cool and kind person you’ve turned into then they don’t deserve you anyway, and if they turned out to be gone, at least you have that closure as well.” She mused softly she cared for Peter’s feelings and wouldn’t mind taking this journey with him. “I’ll be right there should anything go wrong I can slide and dice our way out of it.”

Yondu and the Ravagers were a fucked up family, but they were still family. As much as Peter loved them, he had also loved his Terran family too. They had been softer and imperfect, but god did he love them. Losing his mother had been like losing a piece of his very soul. Then the Guardians came around. They weren’t as soft as his Terran family or as sharp as his Ravager family, more like somewhere in the middle. It didn’t matter if they were hard, soft, or in the middle though, Peter loved them all the same. It made things so much more difficult. His lips squished together at her words, did he owe himself that? “I mean... I kind of abandoned them. So I don’t- I don’t know...” He could have come back once he left the Ravangers, he didn’t. He hadn’t even wanted to, now he wasn’t even here by his own volition. Gamora’s hand on his shoulder kept him steady, an effect she always had on him without even physical contact. “Gamora...” Peter never would have imagined he’d feel this kind of safety and assurance from her all that time ago when he’d first seen her with that apple in her mouth. “Thanks.” He was sincere in his gratitude, with Gamora at his side, the idea of facing them didn’t feel as terrifying. “I like the idea of you being there but you uh,” He chuckled sheepishly. “I don’t think you gotta slice slice and dice, I doubt my grandpa or anyone of them will be too physically scary. Just the uh, the other one.” emotionally scary. 

.

Calvin couldn’t help but chuckle the male was definitely one of a kind there was no denying that by any means. Part of him was glad he’d decided to go out to the bar tonight if only for a new company, he’d been spending too much time with Theo and needed to just clear his head. “Oh, I’m sure nothing says sexy like a permanent scar on their abs” he mused continuing to tend to the other’s wound with a finesse only earned after years of bandaging himself up. “Loads of times? Really and in this bar setting or just at home with the door locked?” he smirked finding up allowing his hands to linger over the now patched-up wound. “There you go killer all better, I think you owe me a drink for my services.”

“Damn right,” Peter replied. “Not my only scar either if you haven’t noticed.” He gestured to the plethora of scars on his skin, most of them he was proud of. At least 3/4s of them had been from battle, a good 1/4th though came from some nasty dilemmas he fell into when his dick bit off more then it could chew. “I’m a tough piece of eye candy.” It was more or less a joke but Peter said it was a charming smile nonetheless. He wondered if all Terrans had expertise in sewing like this one did or if he happened to be some kind of medical expert or had some special training. “Not this bar usually, and yes the door is always locked.” He didn’t want Rocket or Drax to make fun of him when he poked wrong in stitching himself up instead of asking for help. “Usually I’m the one being bought drinks but if you insist...” He could spare a bit of credit or -what did Terrans call it? Dollars, for the help. Especially if the stitch stopped the injury from being seen by his friends. 

      “New-ish.” She nodded and looked at the other, somewhat baffled because he seemed so familiar. As time passed, names and faces fell into place, but this one really stuck out. He might have been a stranger after all. Yana knew this earth was filled with a ton of humans, mutates, and so on.

 "I briefly dropped after the fall of Earth 616, and then went back to the underworld.“ By briefly, she meant for thirty seconds. Too short to make up anything. “Now, I’ve been around for about three months since returning, I think. Feels like longer.”  

In response to his question, she raised her left arm and summoned her silver armor and soulsword. “Of course, that’s my favorite part of the day.”

.

“Same.” Peter responded. It was nice to have someone be on the same ground as he was. As in, not a Terran stranger who looked at him like he was insane for not knowing ‘typical’ Terran knowledge. Then again she could have meant it in a completely different way, but nonetheless, he’d take the win where he could get it. The win being solidarity that is. 

Well shit, guess she was more like him then he had suspected. “Earth 616 huh?” And here he thought there had only been one of those, though he wasn’t entirely surprised by the difference. “Underworld doesn’t sound like too friendly of a place.” He noted in sympathy. “Yeah, I know that feeling.” Time felt slower on this planet, so different and strange from what he was used to. It wasn’t entirely the same, but he understood her strife. 

      “Maybe. If so, then I haven’t been here long enough to notice it.” she shrugged, unbothered the noise. A slight roll of her eyes as the surrounding bodies frantically ran for cover. “Since everyone is acting as if the world is ending, then I suppose we should investigate it.”

.

            “quill!” thor nearly shouted. he smiled at the man as he closed the distance between them before giving him a bear hug, complete with lifting him off the ground “i am quite well friend! my brother is no longer dead and neither are my friends!” his voice still loud, too loud really “what about you quill? you are from midgard yes? it must be nice to be home again.”

“hey bug guy...” peter responded far less enthusiastic then thor had been. he cringed from the bearhug, wishing it to be over as soon as it’d begun. totally unattractive, just annoying. yep! that was the final verdict on thor. “oh, uh, congratulations?” sounded pretty congratulatory, thor seemed pretty happy about it. peter patted him on the back. “good for you man.” despite his annoyance, he was genuinely happy for him to gain back his loved ones. “midgard- no man, this is place is terra.” midgard?? who would call terra a silly name like that? “ehhhh more or less.” it wasn’t the homecoming he envisioned, or wanted. ever. he had never wanted to be back here again and now he was struck. 

Calvin watched the other for a moment after all he wasn’t doing a bad job until he hit himself in the wrong spot making him shake his head. “Looks like you need a hand. I know I’m hot but you shouldn’t stab yourself over me” He smirked, moving to grab the needle from the other’s hand to finish the job without much issue. “Very funny, either way I take you saw this in a movie and thought why not try to recreate it in real life?” He questioned ensuring to keep his hand steady as he sewed the other up.

This was why he needed quiet for this kind of thing. Quiet and good tunes. Unfortunately Rocket was working on the mechanics of the ship and wanted him, to quote ‘nowhere near there’ though he took out some unappreciated wording in there Peter took out. The bar had been working until Mr. Hotshot came rolling in all talking like. “Hey that was totally on purpose.” He lied very badly. Nonetheless the guy looked like he knew what he was doing so Peter let him take over. Nice and easy. “What? No,” Peter rejected, though it was somewhat true. “I’ve done it loads of times and just needed to get it done is all.” He explained away, waving off the issue. 

“Black Widow, right?” It was hard to remember all these superhero names on Terra. And what was that too? So many freakin superheroes for one planet! Last Peter had checked they had Captain America and that was it. Now they had so freakin many. It was so weird! Why did every single alien race find earth so interesting? “They call me Starlord.” He said, not sure if she already knew or not (he tried to sound smooth). 

Peter had been trying to figure out if she was an alien or just wore a hell of a lot of makeup. Or maybe she was one of those Terran-only type species? Mutants? He didn’t know. But she sure was a bit weird. Well he’d rolled with worse. “So how you like this place?” He asked. 

“Cool gun.” Peter commented. He didn’t know if it was normal Terran behavior to be impressed with guns rather then cower at them but heck he was no normal Terran. And it was cool. “Where would someone get one of those?” He was sure Rocket would love to take it apart and see what runs it. Maybe it could be a present. 

“Ah damn,” It was a tiny explosion. Not like a big Rocket kind of boom but a medium normal(?) type of boom. Turning to the closest person, Peter asked. “That kind of thing normal ‘round here?” He wasn’t too startled but everyone else seemed to be freakin out about it. 

“... hey Thor,” Of all people Peter did not want to see Thor was lucky seven on the list (there was a lot of people he didn’t want to see, you know his history, could you blame him??). “How you doin buddy?” Being around Thor was torture. Half the time Peter didn’t know if he felt jealous or attracted to the guy. Stupid deep voice and strong muscles. 

.

Gamora had grown fond of Peter over the years they’d spent together, he’d broken her out of her shell but at the same time didn’t push her to be anything other than herself. She didn’t mind the interruption in her daily training one bit once she’d heard his tone. She waited patiently for him to speak, allowing the words to come from his mouth naturally. “We are on Terra, and I’m not quite sure how far from your home we are but you do have family here.” She mused looking at him for a moment “do you wish to reconnect with them Peter? No one would blame you for waiting to try.”

“Yeah... probably.” Unless something happened to all of them. Which was entirely possible. An idea that terrified him in more ways then one. What if they were gone, what if he could have saved them if he were there? What if it was somehow his fault, whatever happened to them? God he could barley remember them either. His mother was the strongest part of his memory but there was also his grandfather or maybe he’d been an uncle? It was hazy and he had been so young. “I... I don’t know.” He confessed. “Last time I reconnected to family he tried to turn me into a battery so he could end the whole dang galaxy- and he smushed my walkmen!” Peter exclaimed. “And- ...” His throat felt so freakin dry, when did talking get so damn hard? Finally, he pushed out the words. “I know the impression I make Gamora, I know I ain’t the same kid I was before, what if they don’t want me?” His tone fell more somber. “What if there’s no one even left?”

.

Calvin had seen many things there was no denying that he lived in the circus and from there on to captivity. Granted this wasn’t what he expected when he walked into the bar in desperate need of a distraction and drink. He could help but laugh at the male just out in the open attempting to stitch himself up as he moved to stand near the other. “So i get that the bar is pretty empty but had I known there was going to be a strip tease I would’ve gotten here earlier” he mused, taking his drink to sit at the table the other was at.

Quill didn’t know if he had chosen the wrong place or maybe this wasn’t the most normal thing for a Terran to be doing. But by the guy’s leisureness he would take it that he wouldn’t get in Peter’s way or gawk at him. “Lucky you then,” Peter responded, trying to flash a wink only to get distracted and hit the needle wrong. He cringed at his own mistake and quickly refocused his attention. “Wouldn’t have been here earlier.” Peter spoke though he didn’t look at the other guy this time. “Way too busy and like you said, I would have been too distracting.” Okay that wasn’t what he said but it was close enough. “No attention left for anyone else.” 

“Sure as shit feel like it too.” Peter responded with a groan.