Chapter Seventeen: The Stone of Desire

                                    

                                          
Dr. Strange had called upon the assistance of Captain Marvel and her team. He arrived one day through a golden portal, walking directly into the command center of the new Avengers headquarters.
"Carol, I need your help," he said. 
"What's up?" Captain Marvel asked.
"We need to act quickly, the Stone of Desire has been detected on the planet Purolex. Can you assemble a team to retrieve the stone?"
"Yeah, not a problem. The Guardians of the Galaxy, Eddie and Hanvema are in the same solar system as Purolex, I can send them the coordinates."
The Stone of Desire was a very dangerous item that had once been part of the Collector's eclectic collection back on the planet of Knowhere. After Thanos had destroyed the planet, looters had swarmed the planet in order to lay claim to the highly valuable, but dangerous objects that once belonged to the Collector. 
The Stone was no larger than perhaps an orange, spherical in shape and ruby in color. The reason it was so valuable is that on a certain day of the year, as the celestial energies converged, whoever held the stone would have their deepest desires granted. And that specific day happened to be the same day the Guardians, Hanvema and Eddie needed to recover the stone.
Luckily, the team had tracked down the stone. Unfortunately, they had to take it by force and a deadly fight had broken out. During the struggle, the stone had been released from its carrier and catapulted high into the air. Gamora saw that Eddie was the closest to the stone and she shouted out to him. 
"Eddie! You gotta catch it! If that thing hits the ground it will explode and take out half the planet!"
Venom extended a portion of himself out from Eddie's hand and together they caught the stone. When the tendril pulled the stone back into Eddie's bare hand, a strange light began to glow from the sphere, blooming out around him and then collapsing back into the stone. But nothing happened and Eddie looked the stone over in his hand, trying to see if anything had changed. 
Satisfied all was well, Eddie returned the stone to the chrome carrying case and they all headed back to earth. Back at the Avenger's headquarters, Captain Marvel contacted Dr. Strange. He would come to collect the stone in a few days and the team would take a much deserved rest for the time being. 
One morning, Hanvema woke up feeling woozy. Her stomach lurched and she ran to the bathroom and vomited. Eddie waited for her to come out. 
"Are you okay?" He asked with concern. 
"I don't know, I just feel really nauseous," Hanvema replied. 
"Wanna go to the medical bay, see Dr. Cho?" Eddie offered. 
She nodded and he walked with her down the hall to the elevator and then to the medical floor. Dr. Cho ran an assortment of tests and told Eddie and Hanvema to come back in a few hours. The couple then went to the cafeteria where they found Quill and Gamora finishing breakfast. 
"You don't look so well," Gamora said, frowning.
Hanvema's normally dark blue skin appeared lighter and her usual glowing ethereal blue eyes seemed a little dull. 
"I saw Dr. Cho, she's running some tests," Hanvema said. 
Eddie and Hanvema hung out with Quill and Gamora for about an hour before Dr. Strange arrived to pick up the stone. They were all gathered in the command center when he arrived. 
"Looks like everything's in order," Dr. Strange said, pleased. 
Suddenly Dr. Cho emerged through the electronic doors. She looked startled and walked over to Hanvema. 
"Can I speak with you?" Dr. Cho said. 
"What is it? Just tell me," Hanvema said, nervously. 
Dr. Cho looked around the room and then leaned in to whisper into Hanvema's ear. Hanvema's eyes grew wide with shock and her elf-like ears twitched at what she had just heard. 
"No, that's not possible!" she cried. 
Dr. Cho nodded and shrugged her shoulders. 
"What's wrong?" Captain Marvel asked. 
"I'm...I'm pregnant," Hanvema said dumbfounded. 
*A BABY?!* Venom squealed. 
Everyone in the room was silent for a moment before Quill asked a question.
"Uh, so how is that exactly possible? Eddie's a human and you're a...what are you again?" Quill asked. 
"Shut up, Peter. But...he's right, how is this possible?" Gamora said, looking at Dr. Cho. 
"Biologically, it isn't," Dr. Cho replied. 
"May I ask, did either you or Eddie touch the stone the night when you retrieved it?" Dr. Strange asked. 
"I did," Eddie said, hesitantly. 
*Eddie, you're gonna be a daddy and I'm gonna be a...a...I dunno, what would I be to your kid?* Venom asked. 
Eddie wasn't listening to Venom, he was too busy trying to process the fact he was going to be a father. 
"And your deepest desire was to impregnate Hanvema?" Dr. Strange asked. 
"I mean...I've thought of it from time to time, us not being able to have a kid even if we wanted to..." Eddie said. 
Hanvema couldn't believe she was going to become a mother. She literally had no idea of how to raise a child as she had only been trained as a highly skilled warrior. She felt dizzy and went to take a seat at the conference table. Eddie walked over to her and grasped her hands. 
"Vema, are you okay? Are you mad?" Eddie asked. 
*Hopefully the baby will look more like Hanvema instead of you, Eddie. You have a big nose.* Venom said. 
"Well, this is awkward," Dr. Strange said. "Anyways, I have to go. Thank you for securing the stone, you all have a wonderful afternoon."
Dr. Strange summoned another portal and stepped through before it snapped shut behind him. 
"Okay, everyone, out! Give them a little privacy," Captain Marvel said, shooing everyone else from the room. 
Eddie was crouched down in front of her, hoping she would say something, anything. 
"Eddie, why do you want a baby? And...why with me?" Hanvema finally said. 
"I've told you, I love you. And why not with you?"
"This is crazy...I'm not fit to be a mother," she said. 
"Don't say that, you're gonna be great," he said, smiling. 
*And what about me?! I'm gonna be great too* Venom said. 
"Yeah, V, you'll be great too," Eddie said. 
"Oh, god, she's going to have a ridiculous family. Me, a cold, logical mother and Venom, an alien that eats brains. At least she'll have a good father," Hanvema said. 
*No, Eddie is a mess too, we'll all fit together perfectly!* Venom said, excitedly.