Observer POV:
In their new safehouse, Tenno sat next to the slumbering Rocket while watching over the resting Team and checking their vitals. Eventually, Thor came through the door and looked at his comrades in pity,
„How are they?" he asked while settling down next to their beds.
Tenno let his gaze wander over his disciple, as a fond smile appeared on his face, „Rattled. A few broken bones, flesh wounds, and Some 3. degree burns, nothing we can't fix. We're lucky he only used explosives, not chemicals, so that he could get away. Either way, it will probably take a while for our folks to refocus."
Against all odds, as soon as Rocket woke up, he announced he would immediately throw himself back into work, wanting to piece together his new workstation with a bunch of scraps he would supposedly find in the trash compactor, even against the strongest protests from Tenno, who played the role of his doctor.
„I think I can recover the data signature of that encrypted broadcast. I don't understand it yet, but that's how he was watching us. Give me an hour. Maybe we can start watching back," he began to ramble on, while the rest watched him in worry as he headed for the exit. Mantis reached out with her hand, while her antennae began to glow, only for Rocket to snap at her fingers.
Mantis seemed to understand and quickly pulled back before settling down next to the still sleeping Groot. He was the one who had it the worst, as they had once more found him encased within a cocoon. The explosion had penetrated Wanda's shield only milliseconds after she had cast it, as Wanda was still way too inexperienced to uphold such taxing spells. The only thing that had kept them all somewhat safe was their own void shields, which had at least kept them from burning to a crisp.
For a fast recovery, Rhinos Wound spray had once again worked wonders, restoring everything lost or destroyed in the attack. As a side effect, they had all fallen into a deep sleep for some time, from which Wanda was the only one to still wake up from.
Gamora came over and took Wanda's hand into hers, looking distraught. Tenno looked at her sympathetically before settling down next to her.
"Warriors are forged in fire. Never forget that," Tenno said while laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Gamora closed her eyes before letting her hand go, "I truly haven't known her for long, but I adore her spirit. She still has hope in her eyes, a privilege all of us have lost a long time ago. I hope she may keep it a while longer."
Tenno smiled at her words as she left the room, a new kind of resolve on her face he couldn't quite make sense of.
Suddenly, Rockets' voice could be heard over the comms, "I got the signal back, but Something's wrong. It's the same feed that was watching us," he said as Tenno returned into Rhino and watched the feed through his interface.
The picture seemed foggy, but obviously something moved, so it wasn't turned off, „Maybe the lens broke from the shockwave," Tenno thought out loud, as he walked into the room where Rocket had crafted his makeshift station of operation.
„I hope she broke more than that," Drax said, from within the shadows, where now that Rhino was looking, he somehow stood the whole time without him noticing.
Rocket tried to clear the picture with multiple programs, as suddenly a hand appeared, brushing across the surface and clearing the view. „It's a mirror. How are we seeing this? Where's the camera?" Rocket spoke out loud, the lack of rest clearly audible to the rest of the Team.
„It's his eyes. They are the camera." Gamora said while walking into the room, stopping next to Rhino.
They all watched intently as Frank began to settle down on a chair, after which he reached for a cable under the table, which he then plugged into the backside of his head.
They all continued to watch in horror as Frank pulled down his hair, which turned out to be a wig, revealing a reflective surface that seemed to be some kind of Metal. „What have they done to you, Frank?" Rocket asked, distraught, while inching even closer towards the screen.
„It switches to backscatter when he closes his eyes," Gamora said robotically, the only one who could get herself out of her stupor, as they watched him close his eyes, revealing what lay under the skin.
What seemed to be Frank at one point now seemed more like the Terminator. Before they could even react, Frank reached for the back of his head, after which the feed turned off.
„You're a robot. Can you do that?" Drax asked Rhino, but as always only got ignored while he insisted started talking to Rocket, „Who has tech like this?"
„We don't…no one on this station should have, not like this. They turned him pretty much into a Cyborg at this point. All scanners around the station should immediately alert H.Q. to the law Violation. I really can't explain why he wasn't caught till now,„ he explained before again typing away on his screen.
„We have to bring him in. Maybe I can get him out of there, he's clearly doing this against his will," he proposed, but Gamora only looked at him in astonishment.
„We have to take him out. He's a weapon. I'll call H.Q., see if we can bring a task force in to help us."
„Our team can handle this," Rocket responded, but Gamora didn't want to hear it.
„I get it. You feel responsible because you left him here. But he tried to kill members of our team."
„If he wanted them dead, they'd be dead," he retorted, but she only looked at him in horror. „We were lucky that they had their shields on. You want to risk our lives again?"
„You told me you would help me clear this mystery, that you had my back." Rocket yelled as he stood up and pushed his finger against her belly, „ And don't ever doubt it. But you are defending this man at the expense of our family." She retorted while slapping away his hand and pushing out her chest in defiance.
„Because we protect our own," he screamed, clearly out of it. „He's not one of us, we never even met him," Gamora defended her stance, while Rocket made himself ready to jump and claw at her throat.
A Silver afterimage flashed through the room before Rhino stood behind Rocket, who he caught in his hands, as he collapsed on the spot. „As your Field Medic, I prescribe you bed rest," he said, as he let go of Rocket's pressure points, while slowly standing up with the exhausted rodent in his arms.
Gamora looked at him first in astonishment, then with a glad smile, and nodded before making space for them to leave the briefing room.
Gamora and Drax continued to surveil Franks Feed, but for a long time, nothing happened. Indeed, so much didn't happen that Drax got bored and headed off to find Thor, before dragging him to a Bar.
After a few more hours, Wanda slowly opened her eyes. „What happened?" she asked dizzily, while Tenno kneeled down next to her bed.
„Frank rigged the place. He somehow knew we were coming and where we would stay, and was still investigating how that was Possible," he spoke with a calming voice.
She smiled slowly before trying to sit up in her bed, only to slump down again. „Why do I feel like I just ran a marathon?"
Tenno chuckled and pointed at her arms, „Your body was not really in what I would call an optimal state. We patched you up quite well, so you won't feel the difference, but your cells are incredibly fatigued. That's why you're so tired and strengthless, the only way for cells to regenerate said energy is through sleeping, which is what your body wants you to do right now."
Wanda looked up at him with an annoyed gaze, as she tried to throw away her blanket, but even that was too heavy for her, „What happened to me that I'm so fatigued. I don't see the others around here, though there are empty beds, where are they?"
Tenno chuckled as he motioned over to a place in the room where Mantis, Groot, and Rocket were sleeping, „Their beds are right behind these curtains, don't worry, you're not the only one who survived."
Wanda noticeably calmed down, happy that her worries were unnecessary, „Still, what happened, I only remember that I cast the spell, but after that it's blank."
„Well, for starters, your shield collapsed instantly as it came into contact with the explosion. " You're still not strong enough to uphold a shield against so much kinetic energy." At these words, her eyes slumped down in shame, which made a sympathetic smile appear on Tennos' face.
„But your instinct was right, and that's what counts. That can't be learned, however long you live and perfect the mystic arts. There are just some things that you have to bring to the table yourself."
A tiny smile appeared on her face as she received the praise, timidly clenching her sheets.
„The Explosion was only stopped by Rockets shields, you all are lucky you have them on at all times. It prioritized the Vitals, so everywhere downwards from your shoulders and hip, we had to heal a lot of skin and even some muscle tissue."
At the mention of her specific injuries, she began analyzing the affected areas, but didn't find anything noteworthy, so she stopped her examination. „And what about Frank, did he escape?" she questioned with a glint in her eyes. Tenno couldn't quite place.
"Let's just say, he successfully distracted us," he said with a chuckle, but Wanda understood the underlying meaning.
"So it's our fault that he escaped," she stated, again clenching her sheets, though this time in disappointment, but Tenno only shook his head in response.
"We don't know how he did it, he even escaped my scanners, which I thought to be impossible. He probably has some kind of tech to hide his appearance in plain sight, otherwise I can't explain how he did it." Tenno said, tucking her into the blanket and pressing her further down into the cushions as she again tried to lift herself up.
"That should never have happened," he said apologetically, but Wanda just shrugged it off
"It's okay. It's better if it explodes and you're through with it, than to wait for days, not knowing what will happen."
"That shouldn't have happened, either. You regret coming along?" Tenno said, recalling how the Wanda who was his Master, from the other universe, told him the story of how her parents died, a truly horrific one, even for his standards.
"It was pretty impulsive, even for me. I still don't know much about you… Except for your really good at what your doing, while simultaneously doing good with it. And you value me. First person to do that in a long time, other than my brother. So I happen to believe you're an excellent judge of character." She said while propping herself up on her elbows, but couldn't even hold that for more then a few seconds.
"If you don't rest by your own accord, I will have to force you, and I would rather not," he said with a soothing but at the same time threatening tone, to which Wanda gave in.
"But just for a few Minutes, we still have to…" she tried to continue, but didn't get very far, as while she snuggled into the pillow, she instantly began to fall back asleep.
Tenno smiled at her defiance before turning off the lights, „Sleep well, little Mayflie, may you dream of better days."