A New Infinity Stone

TWENTY NINE

"Well, that was a shit show!" Erik exclaims.
I remain standing at the window, staring into the empty vastness of space.
"That guy had some serious magic skills." Bucky says. "We got out just in time."
"I almost had it." I mumble under my breath. "I almost had the damn stone!" I shout, balling my fists.
I spin around to face the guys, and I glare at Bucky.
"If you haven't of pulled me away, I would have the Time Stone right now."
"Hex, come on. We had to get out of there." Bucky protests. "He contacted The Avengers!"
"We could have destroyed them." I protest.
Bucky laughs. "No, Hex, no, we couldn't. Not with that Sorcerer there, and who knows what other people The Avengers have recruited. Murdering The Collector, decimating Xandar, those things won't have gone unnoticed."
"You don't know that!"
"Yes, I do!" He screams, stepping closer so he is inches from my face. "I told you that blowing up Xandar and no one coming after us was suspicious. They were waiting for us to come to them! I told you that!"
He steps back and runs a hand through his knotted hair in exasperation.
"We were so close." I mutter.
"And we will get the time stone, but we mustn't put ourselves in that much danger, not when we aren't ready."

Bucky pulls me in for a hug, and I stiffen slightly, before allowing him to comfort me. In my head, all I can think about is how disappointed Thanos will be that I didn't get the stone the first time. And now the Avengers know our plan. They know how close we are.

I step back from Bucky and frown.
"I hate that bastard sorcerer." I mutter. "I really thought we had it. It was within my grasp."
"I know." Bucky mumbles softly. "We will get it."
"We cannot inform Thanos of our failure." I speak louder, turning to the rest of the crew.
Erik raises his eyebrow.
"You want us to lie to Thanos?"
"Not lie ... as such." I pause. "We must try again. Those who have failed before us have not faired well."
"Neither have those who lie to Thanos." Erik retorts.
I step towards the mercenary, my fists clenching.
"We cannot allow him to know that we have failed." My voice is low and menacing. "We wouldn't want Thanos taking it out on one of our team."
Erik huffs, stepping back slightly.
"Whatever."
He storms out of the room and heads down the ladder into the lower sleeping compartments.
"As long as I get my payment at the end of all of this, I don't give two shits what we do and don't do." Klaue mumbles with a nonchalant shrug.

"We need to regroup and think of a new plan." Bucky interjects. "Which stone are we going for next?"
My mind flutters to the stones locked away in the compartment below us.

"The space stone is on Earth, which currently is a no-go." I start. "The soul stone ... well no one exactly knows where the soul stone is."
"Some one must know where it is." Bucky says.
"There is one person who may know the whereabouts of the stone. But it might take some persuading to get her to talk, and I'm not exactly sure where she is."
"Who is this person?"
"Thanos's adopted daughter, Gamora."