bakerstreet | picture prompt meme.

i, ii, iii, iv

[ The muffled sounds of music from the club beneath her are oddly grounding. It reminds Nebula of the roar of engines through the bulkheads. Ships have always felt familiar, almost comfortable especially during sleep cycles and the vibrations from the music and dark night sky are lulling Nebula into something one might mistaken for relaxed.

Nebula isn't here for business and she's not here for fun either, she's here because Gamora is here. Or she will be. She's here because between trying to amass ships and weapons to kill Thanos, Nebula has found that she almost misses her sister. She would probably die before admitting it but she's still there waiting on the roof for the woman she hates and cares about in equal measure.

She justifies her detour to this particular planet as a way to kill time between jobs. Her contact won't be ready for her anyway. Maybe this time she'll just kill her. Maybe Nebula just needs to kill her sister and the odd feeling inside her will go away. Or maybe she'll watch her from afar and slip off into the galaxy before getting caught.

There's a flash of green in the crowd beneath her, barely noticeable even to her eyes but still unmistakable. Nebula is on her feet, following across rooftops as Gamora pushes her way through the crowds. There's a part of her that wants to jump down and block her way, either to end their feud or bridge another gap. Instead she stops and watches as her sister slips into a building.

Nebula waits a moment, then turns to leave. ]

[ Things after Ego are... weird.

Really weird.

The sort of weird that Peter tries not to think about for any length of time, because it makes him dizzy and sick and fills him with a weird sort of existential dread that is seriously not helpful when all he wants to do is forget, and is even worse when it messes with his head. Having a clouded head is bad for business, and considering the change in necessary cash flow – with the increased fuel needs for their new ship and the additional mouths they have to feed – Peter focuses more on their assignments than on his daddy issues.

But Gamora is weird, too. Quiet and thoughtful – more so than usual. And he wonders if it has anything to do with the sister that flew off in one of the leftover M-Ships, wonders if Gamora misses her, worries about her. She must, he figures. Nebula, for as terrifying and evil as Peter still finds her, is still family. And by now, Peter knows a thing or two about fucked up family that you kind of hate, but also kind of love. And he knows how important that can be, in spite of it all.

The Guardians are here to secure a job – one of Gamora's contacts, for once, rather than someone Peter knew from his days as a Ravager. There's some killer with a giant bounty on his head, and Gamora's contact had a personal stake in the man's retrieval – and also the patience of a two year old waiting on a piece of chocolate. Peter's not sure what it is about night clubs that scream really awesome place to make shady deals, but he doesn't complain, since that usually means he gets a drink out of it.

It's as they're making their way past the winding queue into the club that Gamora tenses – something Peter's come to recognize as her preparing for a fight, and Peter glances around, hand sliding to his newly acquired blasters. Her gaze moves to the rooftops, and she says, "We're being followed."

Peter follows her gaze up, gives her a light push into the club, and nods for Kraglin and Mantis to follow her in. After that, he, Drax, and Rocket split up, taking to the roofs, all of them scurrying up in their own ways. Peter's favored method is slipping into some alleyway, taking a running start, and using the jet-attachments on his boots to carry him the rest of the way.

As luck of the draw would have it, Peter lands on the rooftop just in time to see light catching metal and blue skin as Nebula turns away.

And counter to every rule of stealth, rather than approach silently, Peter finds himself blurting out incredulously, ]

Sinead O'Connor? What the hell are you doing here?

[ The voice sets Nebula on edge with it's familiarity. Her hands clench at her side and there's a moment when she's torn between pushing past Peter and creating an even bigger scene or staying to deal with the consequences.

No matter how much she wants to run, it'll be easier for Nebula to deal with Peter alone and pray to whatever gods might be listening that he doesn't out her. It makes her uncomfortable how much power this gives him. But this is her fault, she had been careless and obvious and underestimated Gamora's guardians again. The thought makes her jaw clench because she knows her sister wouldn't make the same mistake twice. ]

I do not know who that is. [ She says through gritted teeth. Nebula is still getting used to using her words to get out of situations instead of, you know, killing. It's definitely easier to kill but messier and not just because of the blood. Her hand is twitching to grasp at her sword but it remains fixed to her side. ] And you do not need to tell anyone I am here.

[ It probably says a whole lot, Peter guesses, that Nebula doesn't immediately try to shove him off the roof or try to disembowel him. A milestone in their relationship, whatever that relationship might be. (Weird step-siblings? Distant family friends? Who the hell knows.) Or possibly that means this is a trap, and she's depending on Peter's good will not to act first, ask questions later.

Kind of a toss-up, really. Nebula's a weird, wobbly variable he can't quite get the shape of.

So he doesn't drop his guard, and his hand stays resting on the grip of his blaster. He watches her, openly wary, but he doesn't move to unholster his gun. Only fair, considering she hasn't unsheathed her sword. ]

Give me three good reasons why I shouldn't.

[ Because he can think of at least one really big reason that he should, that reason being that Gamora will actually, literally kill him if she finds out he kept this from her.

And, really, that one big reason counts double. ]

[ Don't get her wrong, she'd love to shove him off a roof. Just not right here and not now.

It's smart to think it's a trap and if she still hated her sisters guts, hey, maybe it would be but unfortunately Peter has the upper hand in this situation. And no matter how much she wants to kill him, she won't. He doesn't need to know that though and she'll still hurt him. So, tread lightly.

Nebula's hand wants so badly to rest on her sword. Sadly, that would be too aggressive and if she wants to get out of here unnoticed then she'll have to play nice. Nice-ish. ]

I will give you one [ She says in a low, dangerous tone as the corner of her mouth turns up in a smirk. ] I will not kill you now and hide your body in a trash can.

[ Okay-- wait, no. She didn't mean to say that, other words were supposed to come out but they got lost.

He's got her cornered though and she's lashing out trying to find someway to get out of this without being outed for a sentimental fool. She can only imagine how Gamora might throw this in her face. Or, god forbid, try to become an actual sister to her. ]

[ Peter's brow furrows at that words, mouth twisting to one side in distaste. Then, ]

I kind of don't like that reason.

[ Admittedly, it doesn't matter whether he does or doesn't, and he has no doubts that if she really wanted to do it, she could.

At length, he lets out a slow breath, and it's a dangerous move, he knows, but he pointedly pulls his hand away from his gun, raising it in a placating manner. ]

If you don't want to fight, then neither do I. But you have to realize that if you're here, Gamora will wanna know.

[ Nebula's hands still ball into fists at her side, despite the predictability of Peter's words. She probably wouldn't respond well to a threat against her life either. Still. Can't he take the hint and leave her alone?

As if to mirror his movement Nebula relaxes her hands and crosses her arms. It's not exactly the same as Peter's show of good faith, but it gets the point across; I won't hurt you either. ]

I am not here to harm you or her. [ She's trying to control her irritation, really, she is but it's still very obvious she wants to hurt him. Then again, that's sort of her default too. ] Why does she need to know if I am here?

Because you're her sister? [ In that tone of voice that silently appends a "duh" to his sentence. ] And she'd wanna know that you're alright? And, more importantly, not dead?

[ He huffs out a sigh, shoulders sagging a little with it. Maybe Nebula won't budge on the whole keeping her presence secret thing, but he can dry a different tack, at least. ]

What are you even doing here?

[ That's a confusing concept and Nebula doesn't answer just looks at him like he's an idiot. Does he know who they are?? ]

Gamora does not care if I live or die. [ Probably. She's still sorting out what that hug meant and by sorting out, she means ignoring the implications entirely. ] You do not need to pretend for her, Star-Lord. I am not here to kill her. Or you. Or any of your pathetic Guardians.

[ She probably should have came up with a lie a little sooner, but she didn't. Nebula's not great at the whole lying on the spot thing, but this is basically the truth. Almost. ]

A w-- job. For a job. [ The stutter is noticeable and telling and goddamn it she is not telling him the truth so he can run back to Gamora. ] I am here for work.

[ He had planned on arguing that point – that of course Gamora cared, that she and Nebula were family, regardless of whatever murderous intentions one may have for the other. Gamora gave a shit, for as much as she claimed the opposite, and Peter can tell. He knows bluster when he sees it, after all.

He had planned,, but then Nebula just had to go and call him "Star-Lord" – not some botched version of his outlaw name – and Peter has to fight down the pleased smile that tries to curl his lips.

But he stops fighting it after that obvious falter, lets that smirk tug at the corner of his mouth, and he tilts his head slightly to one side. ]

A "w-job." [ And he pronounces it as "wuh-job." Evidently Peter either has a suicide wish or he's comfortable enough with Nebula's claim of not intending to kill him. Maybe a little of both. ]

What kind of w-job are we talking, here?

[ It is taking all of Nebula's control to keep her arms crossed, her entire body is tense and she has to remember that killing Peter will only mean Gamora will probably kill her.

Nebula must remember that Peter Quill is human. He is fragile. And insufferable. And she can't afford to hurt him.

But he had to push it, he just had to didn't he? Nebula's fist is headed directly for his face before she can stop herself. It's not a hard punch, at least she doesn't think so but he was asking for it. You can only push Nebula's patience so far. ]

The kind that is none of your business.

[ It says a lot about his life and his life choices that when Nebula throws that punch, Peter is just quick enough to dodge it. Or at least, he manages to dodge the worst of it, and instead of hitting him square in the nose, it glances off his cheek, still makes him stumble back a pace or two.

Luckily (or possibly unluckily, depending on who you ask), he manages to keep his footing enough to keep from falling entirely off the roof.

He's holding onto his cheek, prodding at the bone – probably a bruise to explain later, he guesses, but nothing worse – and glares daggers at Nebula. ]

What the hell was that for?!

[ Rather than apologize for her lapse in control Nebula simply shrugs, looking as unforgiving as ever. However, her shoulders are a little more rounded and she's looking too pointedly away from him. Like if she can't see it then it's not her problem when she knows it is.

Nebula doesn't look at him right away, but turns her head when she finally replies. Perhaps another indication that she might know what she did probably wasn't right. Not wrong, but definitely not right. ]

I do not appreciate being mocked. Especially by soft, stupid humans that have no idea how to mind their own business.

[ Well, that's a bit of a change.

Not that Peter and Nebula knew each other very well at any point in time. Their exposure to one another mostly consisted of glaring daggers at one another while Gamora stood between them – or more accurately, Peter was staring at Nebula like the super villain she was, and both Nebula and Gamora probably forgot he was even there in the first place.

And then the shit with— you know who, and a conversation between Gamora and her sister that Peter knows next to nothing about, and now they stand on shaky ground. Not a ceasefire, exactly, but something close.

Peter sighs, still prodding at his bruising cheekbone. ]

That's real nice. "I don't like being made fun of, but let's turn around and call Quill a soft, stupid human."

[ But there's not much ire in his voice, at least; it's more the sort of exasperated tone he'd use with Rocket or Drax. ]

Look. If you're on a job— [ Pronounced correctly this time. Lessons have been learned. ] —and it's not to hurt Gamora or us – present circumstances notwithstanding – then why can't I just tell her you're here?

[ She actually hadn't been trying to insult him. Humans, from her limited experience, are incredibly soft, weak and stupid. If anything she had been kind in leaving out the weak part. Nebula rolls her eyes when he complains, some people just can't handle the truth. ]

I was not making fun of you! [ She says in a hard voice, because she wasn't really. ] You are soft and do things no one should do. [ In this instance, she's not insulting his intelligent but his ability to jump head first into dangerous situations without over thinking it. See? She's being halfway kind if you think about it. ] It was only the truth.

You would not understand. [ Nebula replies after a lengthy silence wherein she weighs her options. ] We are not like your family, Peter Quill. I can not trust my sister. [ Mostly true. She's still a little confused after the whole hug thing. ]

[ It's lucky for both of them that by now, Peter's heard every Terran-related insult in the book. The Ravagers liked bandying them around, calling him weak and squishy, accusing his planet of being backwards and primitive. He's used to it, which is why he only reacts to Nebula's "truths" with a sigh.

And really, it's not as important reacting to the "stupid Terrans" thing as it is to react to that – the confession that Nebula doesn't trust Gamora. Because he doesn't get that. Gamora is his teammate, and he trusts her with his life – which he's done over and over and over. She tells him to jump, and he trusts with his whole heart that she'll be there to catch him.

He shakes his head, taking a careful step forward. ]

Gamora cares about you, dude. Whether you want to believe it or not, it's true. She's not looking to stab you in the back – because the way I figure it, if she really wanted to fuck you over, we would've taken you to Xandar and collected that bounty.

[ When he takes a step forward, Nebula's reflex is to tense. She doesn't move, but she's ready to strike if he tries anything. Not that he seems to want to at the moment, if his words are any indication.

Nebula does her best not to roll her eyes and fails, looking off to the side. Peter's right, Gamora could have betrayed her any time after blowing up Ego but she didn't. Still, he doesn't know anything about them. He doesn't know what it was like growing up under Thanos' thumb. ]

Maybe she is not looking now, but she will one day. [ Nebula's having a hard time believing her sister won't actually betray her. Or kill her. It's a family thing. Nebula returns her hard gaze to Peter. ] Any of you could still return me to Xandar, I have no reason to trust you or her.

[ Much like Nebula, Peter can’t really contain his scoff. He snorts out a dismissive sort of laugh, hands resting on his hips. ]

Okay, well, I’m not a crazy, back-stabbing psycho. I keep my word, especially with folks who could probably flay me alive and wear my skin like a varsity jacket.

Gamora doesn’t want to hurt you. [ And the phrasing is pointed. ] So I neither do I.

[ He pauses, then, regarding her carefully. ]

Is that why you’re here? Like, really here. Trying to take Gamora down before she can take you down?

[ She can't argue there. Nebula doesn't think of herself as crazy, but she has no problems backstabbing. Or she did. Now it seems more difficult, especially with her sister. Gamora believes there is something to salvage, that Nebula won't kill her and this would be the best time to strike. But she can't.

Nebula's having a difficult time meeting Peter's eye again because his tone is too earnest. She hasn't come to terms with the idea that Gamora doesn't want to hurt her or that she doesn't want to hurt Gamora but that has always been the basis of their relationship. What is she supposed to do now? How is she supposed to deal with this?

She crosses her arms, still not looking at Peter. It takes her a few moments to reply, because it feels weird to admit she doesn't want to destroy her sister or her life. ]

No. [ The word is loaded with intention, meant to convince Peter she's lying when she's not. It comes out, unfortunately for her, believably. Nebula's not here to do anything other than make sure her sister is okay. ]

[ Peter likes to think he’s good at reading people – and sometimes he is. Sometimes, he manages to see straight through the bullshit like he has X-Ray vision. And sometimes, especially when he’s dealing with contacts who try to give him the runaround, he uses it to his advantage, plays the conversation with a sort of natural charm that the Ravagers both hated and cultivated, expressly for situations like those, where money was on the line.

(And sometimes he doesn’t.

Which is how the bullshit with Ego happened.)

With Nebula, at least, there’s not much obfuscation to cut through, even if she tries. So Peter sighs, lets a little more of the tension bleed away from him with the breath. ]

You seriously need to work on that lying.

[ A little flatly, as he leans his weight onto one leg. ]

Have you considered maybe, like, calling her to see how she’s doing? [ Because why else would Nebula be practically stalking them? ] Sending a letter or a postcard?

Like, “Hey, how are you? I’m doing good. Here’s a picture of me with a severed head. Hugs and kisses, Nebula.”

[ What use did Nebula ever have for lying? None. She was a killer not a liar, but maybe it might be good to learn because she hates how easily Peter seems to read her.

She doesn't exactly huff in irritation, but it's close enough he'd be safe to interpret the noise she makes as such. Nebula looks more pointedly away in reply, as if to say 'shut up, I know' because he's probably right. ]

I do not care how she is doing. [ This sounds much more convincing because she's saying it through gritted teeth, trying to embrace the anger Peter incites. Nebula meets his gaze aggressively as if to prove that point. ] My sister has never cared what has happened to me, even now she does not.

Why should I ask if she is okay? [ The fire in her words is less intense and Nebula hears it right away, takes a few telling steps back and realizes she'll either have to kill Peter or run. Or, you know, just deal with the consequences. ]

[ His eyebrows rise a little as Nebula backs away, eyes widening, and it’s enough of a telegraph that she’s likely to bolt that he decides to maybe back off on the insults and the ribbing. (It’s probably a good thing that it doesn’t occur to him that the thought of literally killing him to avoid this awkward conversation might have crossed her mind. But then again, who on his team hasn’t threatened to murder him?) ]

Hey. She cares.

[ His voice softens a little, becomes more earnest – but it doesn’t approach gentle. He doesn’t know much about Nebula, but he figures trying to talk to her like someone might coax out a stray puppy would probably just piss her off.

A pause, then, ]

She’s doing fine, by the way. Not that I think you want to know or anything.

[ Obviously. ]

[ Her desire to turn and run is building steadily but while it would be easier, it would also cause more of a scene than she's willing to deal with. Nebula stays rooted to the spot. For now.

She can hear the way his voice softens and she hates the sound of it. No one has ever spoken so softly to Nebula in her life. But somewhere, deep inside the parts Thanos could not pull from her, it affects her. It changes imperceptibly the way she thinks of her sister. Even the way she regards Peter.

It's a long time before she speaks, her gaze averted. ]

I do not. [ She's reluctant to speak, but since she can't kill Peter or run, Nebula is instead forced to reply. ] But you may relay to her that I am not dead.

[ Nebula seems to struggle to speak again, opening and closing her mouth a couple times before she finally grits her teeth and speaks once more. ] I would... appreciate if you did not tell her more.

[ It’s as much of a concession as he’s likely to get out of Nebula, he knows, but his lips still press into a thin, unhappy line. He wants to press for more, wants to help the two of them forge whatever weird, dysfunctional sisterhood they both seem to want but are too afraid to grasp.

(And maybe he’s projecting a little. Or, well, maybe he’s projecting a whole lot. Because as fucked up as his relationship with Yondu had been? Peter still wishes he had had more time to hash things out with his surrogate dad, wishes they could have reached a better understanding of where they stood with one another.

And he doesn’t want Gamora to lose out on her own opportunity if he can help it.)

But Peter’s out of his depth, here. There are decades and decades of animosity still lying between Gamora and Nebula, and they really need to go at it at their own speed.

So he deflates, shoulders sagging, and he brings up a hand to scrub at his face. ]

Fine. I won’t. [ A deep, deep inhale, and he peeks at her from between his fingers. ] But only ‘cause you asked so nicely.

[ He lets his hand drop, jaw ticking when he clenches his teeth. ]

She wants to see you. I mean, she hasn’t said it, but I can tell.

[ A pause as he steels himself, then, ]

You should consider talking to her yourself. I mean, maybe not today? Since you look like you’re in a hurry. [ that is: “I’m pretty sure you’d rather throw yourself off this roof.” ] But— soon.

Just think about it.

picture prompt meme.

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i fail at interpreting these things, many apologies

no worries, this is perfect!

awesome :]

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u got a death wish, star munch?

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