STARGIRL

ten.

"This is a terrible plan." Gamora commented, once the plane was flying over Xandar.

Peter smiled maniacally, "Hey, you're the one who said you wanted to die among friends."

Eleanor grasped on tight to her arm rests as the ship flew downwards fast. It levelled out and started to fly upwards towards Ronan's ship. "Rocket, hurry!" Peter said to the raccoon, through comms. Three ships suddenly darted forwards and started to shoot at the wall of the ship.

Peter started to dodge his ship around the little fleet of Ronan's pilots. From the corner of her left eye, Eleanor spotted an explosion of Ronan's ship. "Quill! Yondu! Now!" Rocket yelled. The ship lurched forwards quickly and Eleanor felt her head slam into her headrest. Peter had to quickly duck under an exploding ship.

"Aww, hell!" Yondu yelled, "I'm going down, Quill! No more games with me, boy! I'll see you at the end of this!"

Peter managed to dodge round more enemy ships as bullet flew past. Explosions were happening all around them and Eleanor's grip on her armrests hadn't gotten any looser.

"There are too many of them, Rocket!" yelled Gamora, "We'll never make it up there!"

The group stared in shock as more of the enemy ships around them started to explode, meaning that Peter could get his ship closer to Ronan's.

"Peter Quill," came a voice through comms, "This is Denarian Saal of the Nova Corps. For the record, I advised against trusting you here."

"They got my 'dick' message!" Peter yelled out happily.

Saal continued, "Prove me wrong."

Peter sped up and the ship powered through the sky towards Ronan's big ship. It managed to squeeze into the tiny gap that Rocket had made with his bullets. "Yes!" Drax yelled out happily, "Yes!" he laughed. Peter looked back at him with a concerned look. The ship slowly turned to a stop, shooting many people. "Yes!" Drax cheered again, also laughing.

Gamora exhaled and looked over at Peter, who looked back at her, "We're just like Kevin Bacon."

The door to the ship opened and the group of five walked out, each holding a weapon in their hands. "I can barely see." Drax commented. Groot produced fireflies from his hand. Eleanor smiled softly at him. "When did you learn to do that?" asked Drax.

"Pretty sure the answer is 'I am Groot.'" replied Peter, and Eleanor gave a soft chuckle.

"The flight deck is 300 meters this way." Gamora said, nodding in the direction and the group started to move.

Drax started to talk, "I want you all to know that I am grateful for your acceptance after my blunders. It is pleasing to once again have friends. You, Quill, are my friend. Your spawn, she is my friend. This dumb tree, he is my friend. And this green whore, she, too..."

"Oh, you must stop!" Gamora yelled, and she turned, hearing the all familiar grunts of her sister, Nebula.

She stood higher than the others, "Gamora, look at what you have done. You have always been weak. You stupid, traitorous..."

Drax blasted her away. Eleanor turned to give him a look, "Nobody talks to my friends like that."

"Head to the flight deck," Gamora said, "I'll shut down the power to the security doors." They started to walk forwards again.

Gamora split off from the rest of the group. As the four ran round the corner, they were faced with some of Ronan's army. The man at the front was the same man who Peter had ran into in Morag and whose people he and Eleanor had escaped from, "Star-Lord."

"Finally." Peter smiled.

The man ran at him, pushing him away. Eleanor was left to punching the men with her fists as the attack came on suddenly and she didn't have any time to draw out her weapon. Besides, Drax was doing a good enough job with them. Eleanor ducked as Groot threw someone her way, causing her to receive an unexpected blow to her chin. She stumbled back, trying to balance herself again. The man gave her a horrible smile, "I'm going to enjoy killing you, Ms. Star-Lord."

"That's not even my name." Eleanor muttered back, before dodging his punch. She groaned as he kicked her hard in her stomach. She spat out some blood as Groot looked over. He roared and pierced the man with his own hand. "Thanks, Groot. Owe you one." Eleanor spat out some more blood.

"Oh, no." Peter said, and Eleanor looked up to see more of Ronan's army running towards them. Groot stabbed a whole line of them with his own hand, his arm extending to get to more people. He lifted them into the air and slammed them into the walls around whilst yelling. Peter looked back at Eleanor and Drax, and though his face was covered she once again could see his expression in her head.

When Groot was done, he looked back at the others with a gentle smile. "Good job, buddy. You did awesome!" Eleanor cheered, and Peter disappointedly shook his head. The group carried on further into the ship.

"Quill, you gotta hurry," came Rocket's voice through the comms, "The city's been evacuated, but we're getting our asses kicked down here."

"Gamora hasn't opened the door!"

Seconds later, the door opened and Gamora jumped up, joining back with the team. Ronan was standing in the middle of the room and when he turned around, he saw the group of five scowling back at him. Peter was holding a massive gun. He powered it up, pointing it straight at Ronan and shot straight at him. The bullet hit him straight in the chest and Eleanor ducked as there was a massive explosion. Eleanor stood up as the dust started to settle. "You did it!" Drax yelled happily, and Peter was smiling until through the dust, he saw a figure standing back up. He smile melted away.

Ronan held his massive hammer up, looking murderous. He twisted his wrist and the surge of power coming from the hammer pushed the others back. Eleanor slammed into the wall. Her head was the first thing to hit it. As she dropped onto the floor, the pain, the agonising pain, rushed from her head down to the rest of her body. She cried out, causing Peter to look over at her. His look was one of concern. His eyes were scrunched together in horror, and he was yelling something. But the ringing in Eleanor's ears drowned it out, until Peter came closer. He crouched down beside her, pulling her close, "Where does it hurt, bean?"

"Everywhere," Eleanor gasped as the pains went shooting down from her head again, "But especially my head."

"How many fingers, Els?" Peter asked, holding up his hand. "Dad, everywhere is burning-" Eleanor tried. "Doesn't matter, Els, how many fingers?"

"Four."

"Good, now?"

"One."

"Now?"

"Five."

"Good, good job, bean," Peter placed a kiss on her cheek, "Can you stand? And don't think about falling asleep on me."

"I won't." Eleanor sat up, and Peter helped her stand up. He spotted Rocket and scooped him up too as he and Eleanor walked over to everyone else. The ship was falling. Fast. Eleanor saw Groot look around at everyone. He started to grow his branches around everyone.

Rocket started to stir in Peter's arms. He looked up at Groot with a look of despair, tears clouding his little eyes, "No, Groot! You can't," he placed a paw on Groot's face, "You'll die. Why are you doing this? Why?"

One of Groot's branches wiped away Rocket's tears, "We ... are Groot."

And the ship crashed into the ground.