The arena stood still, the crowd's earlier cheers replaced by a hushed uncertainty. Javier stood in the center, his breathing uneven, his shoulders tense. Around him, the shimmering echoes of his glitching power faded, leaving the resurrected forms of Gamora, Nebula, and Proxima Midnight.
They were alive again, but their expressions were far from grateful. Gamora's piercing green eyes locked onto Javier, her lips pressed into a thin, furious line. Nebula's mechanical hand twitched, her anger restrained only by confusion. Proxima Midnight, ever the stoic warrior, crossed her arms but didn't speak, her gaze calculating.
Javier wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and looked up at them, his voice trembling slightly but firm. "I… I didn't want this to end the way it did. Killing you—it wasn't me. I'm sorry."
Gamora stepped forward, her boots scraping against the sand. She unsheathed her blade, not to attack, but to point it at him accusingly. "Sorry?" she spat. "You think 'sorry' fixes this? You killed us, Javier. We trusted you, and you turned on us like we were nothing."
"I didn't turn on you!" Javier's voice rose, frustration creeping in. "You were forced into that arena, just like I was. I didn't choose this!" He gestured to the towering figure of the Grandmaster, watching from his elevated throne with a smug grin.
---
Tension Among the Reborn
Nebula's voice was cold, cutting through the rising tension. "You didn't choose the arena, but you chose to kill us." She stepped closer, her mechanical eye whirring softly. "Why bring us back? Is it guilt? Some misguided attempt to play god?"
Javier flinched at her words but stood his ground. "Because I could," he said, his voice quieter now. "Because I couldn't live with what I'd done. You're more than warriors to me. You're… you're people I care about, even if I've failed to show it."
Proxima Midnight tilted her head, her icy demeanor unshaken. "Care about us?" she repeated mockingly. "You fight us, kill us, and then bring us back to life like it's some game. You think that makes you a hero?"
"No," Javier admitted, his voice raw. "I'm no hero. I'm just trying to make things right."
---
Arrival of the Rest
The argument was interrupted by the distinct hum of Sakaar's transporters. A portal opened near the edge of the arena, and from it emerged three familiar figures: Gamora's sisters, Nebula and Proxima, and Mantis.
Mantis's eyes were wide with worry as she scanned the chaos, her antennae trembling. When her gaze landed on Javier, her expression shifted—relief, anger, and confusion all at once.
"You left me," she said softly, her voice cutting through the arena's noise.
Javier turned to her, guilt washing over him. "Mantis, I—"
Before he could finish, Gamora cut him off. "Don't waste your words on her. She doesn't know what you've done."
Mantis stepped forward, her brows furrowing. "What did he do?"
"He killed us," Nebula said bluntly. "And now he's playing savior."
---
A Plea for Understanding
Javier held up his hands, his voice desperate now. "I know what I did was wrong. I won't try to justify it, but I couldn't let you stay dead. Not when I had the power to bring you back. I was trying to survive, just like you."
Mantis looked at him, her large eyes searching his face. "You did this to them?" she whispered.
"I didn't want to," Javier said, his voice breaking. "I didn't have a choice."
"You always have a choice," Mantis replied, her voice trembling. "But you chose to hurt them."
The weight of her words hit Javier like a blow. He took a shaky breath, his hands clenching at his sides. "I'll make it up to all of you," he promised. "Whatever it takes. Just… let me prove that I'm not the monster you think I am."
---
The Grandmaster's Interruption
From above, the Grandmaster's laughter echoed through the arena. "Oh, this is delightful! Betrayal, redemption, resurrection—it's like a drama unfolding before my very eyes!"
Javier glared up at him, his hands glowing faintly with glitching energy. "You're the one who caused all of this. You forced us into this nightmare."
The Grandmaster raised his hands in mock surrender. "Guilty as charged! But come now, Javier, let's not ruin the fun. After all, you're still alive, and that's more than most can say in my arena."
The crowd cheered, their bloodlust reignited.
---
A United Front
Gamora looked at Javier, her anger simmering but controlled. "This isn't over," she said firmly. "But for now, we have a bigger enemy."
Nebula and Proxima Midnight exchanged a glance, nodding in agreement. Even Mantis, though hurt, stepped closer to Javier's side.
"Fine," Javier said, his voice steady. "But once we're out of this, we're settling things. All of it."
The group turned their attention to the Grandmaster, who watched with a grin that hinted at even more challenges to come.
For now, Javier had allies again—though the bonds between them were fragile, strained by betrayal and mistrust. Whether they would hold or shatter would depend on what happened next.