Bluebell laughed nervously. Death crept up his spine. If he looked away from the intruder for just a second–if he was a moment too slow–it would be the end of his life. Maybe if he stalled long enough for someone else to show up… and yet something about dying to buy time for his friends felt fitting.

He never should have let it slip to Julia that he used to go hunting with his father. Especially since he left out the fact that he hadn’t actually killed any game. A shotgun for a close-quarters fight, christ.

If he went down, there would be nothing but the tranq gun between the snow leopard man and Cat. Where should he shoot? Where were the non-lethal spots on the man’s body? But he wasn’t confident in his aim. Cat had given him a place in Quill, and in order to return the favor he may have to take another life. The cruelness of that reality boiled in his soul.

Something flashed in his vision for just a moment- down the hall, near the kitchen. Then it was gone. Just light coming in from the window. Except the man’s ears swiveled, like he was trying to hone in on a sound coming from behind him.

Bluebell had to act now, as fast as possible and-

The snow leopard man roared as a figure appeared behind him out of thin air, grabbing him and wrestling him to the ground. “Kirk!” Bluebell yelled.