i am a master hunter | OPEN

[gamora]

Date & Time: October 7th, evening.
Location: The VR rooms.
Characters: Gamora & YOU
Summary: Wanting to punch some monsters, Gamora travels to the 90s. This time without broken spines.
Warnings: Standard comic book violence, will edit as needed.


( The scene that Gamora programs into the VR is surprisingly mundane at first glance - a jungle island complete with muggy heat and the sound of the ocean in the distance. Gamora herself looks different - dressed in a fishnet one piece with a V cut into the front down past her navel, black fur cape, and a surprising amount of gold jewelry. It's familiar to her, at least, drawn on what she remembers from her longest stay on Earth previous to her arrival in Exsilium. A castle - thin and almost pathetic looking rather than imposing - rises out of the jungle in the distance and completes the setting.

But Gamora isn't there to dwell on past memories, she's there to keep herself entertained. And what better way to do that than adjust the programming so her physical strength increased to the level it was on Godthrab and let herself loose on Monster Island?

Which is why she's grinning when the first giant creature crashes through the underbrush and she dodges a swipe of a gigantic clawed hand. Low key, good old fashioned physical combat - there really was nothing better. )

Comments

[getoffmyearth]

[This doesn't sound good. Peter has distinct feelings about powerful artifacts that are kind of unstable and unpredictable. Even in the hands of somebody like Adam. Because despite everything- despite the Magus- Peter still has an unshakeable faith in Adam's ability to do the right thing and pull off amazing feats.]

What is that supposed to mean?

[gamora]

I mean exactly what it sounds like.

( Quill doesn't know. How could he know? He's never met Adam while he was wearing the Soul Gem, and it's not something any of them talk about either. For a moment Gamora is reminded of how much of her own history is tied up with not only Adam, but Drax and Moondragon. They'd know what she was talking about, perhaps not to the same level, but all of them were witness to his struggle with it. )

It's always been semi-sentient, and Adam's normally been able to bend it to his will. ( A shrug. ) He'll get it eventually. He always does.

[getoffmyearth]

Just when you think things couldn't get more screwed up than they already were-

[Teach him to think that. There's a lot of issues they have, and Peter would be the first to say he's got his own demons, his own baggage. These things don't ever go away. You live with the scars of your life forever and ever, all the regrets and the things you ever did and all your failures. He can handle that. He can handle a lot. Superpowered evil side? Ok. Adam's a good guy. They'll help him as best as they can. (Peter tries not to think of how they failed him, how they never did help him properly.) But this is a whole new problem. Do they have room for more of those? What's going to be the one thing that finally breaks them completely?

(It's him. It's his death. There are no Guardians without Peter Quill.)]

What happens if he doesn't get it, Gamora? I don't want-

[He can't get the words out.]

I can't try to- to stop him, again, like I did before.

[gamora]

I'll do it.

( Gamora knows she's failed in the past, that every time it comes down to line she can never fulfill the purpose for which she was saved. Kill the Magus. But if it's Adam - if it's not the Magus, then maybe there's a chance for success. )

He wants us to do it, anyway. So if you can't, I will.

( They definitely had this conversation. )

[getoffmyearth]

You guys have already talked about this?

[Don't feel left out don't feel left out don't feel left out-]

Why the hell hasn't he said anything to me about that either? Did you- you told him what happened, didn't you?

[Oh Gamora why would you do that.]

[gamora]

He asked.

( And Gamora has never cared enough to flat out lie. )

I'm not going to walk around and pretend it didn't happen.

( Not when she can remember it - half conscious and floating above them as she was. It didn't work, it was another flarking trick that got them all, but it still happened. )

[getoffmyearth]

[But it wasn't her hand on the trigger.]

You could have let me say something. You could have let me tell him.

[But he doesn't even know what he would say. What do you say about that? What he said when he tried to put the bullet in Adam's brain, maybe. Look what you made me do.

And the part that's so much harder to say. The part where you have to say I'm sorry for failing to kill something.]

[gamora]

What? "Sorry Adam, but you begged me to to shoot you in the head but it obviously didn't work"?

( A disbelieving huff, arms crossed. She doesn't believe there was any other way to break it to him, or that he could have even choked out the words. )

Don't be stupid, Quill.

[getoffmyearth]

You know, not everyone feels the need to deliver a conversational punch in the face when they have something bad to say.

[It's a lot easier when you're emotionally constipated to get around having to say what you mean. But Peter feels like he owes some honesty, now. Some kind of decorum.]

[gamora]

I don't believe in pulling my punches. ( Verbally and physically. Some people appreciate it. Other people wonder if Gamora has any sense of tact at all. ) If you expected otherwise you've got the wrong members of the team.

[getoffmyearth]

[TACT AND GAMORA ARE TWO BOATS PASSING IN THE NIGHT NEVER EVEN NOTICING EACH OTHER OR THE ICEBERG THEY'RE ABOUT TO RUN AGROUND ON. In each others' company, only disaster can follow.]

Every time- every time we have a conversation like this, you act like I must be blind or deaf or stupid, like I don't know these things.

[gamora]

Could have fooled me.

( SHRUG. Because it's totally not her problem right now, it's all on him. )