Chapter 1
I could hear Nebula’s frustrated grunt as she tugged at the cuffs securing her wrists. The metal clinked against the chain that ran taut, looped around a sturdy pipe near the roof of the Milano. Her glare was sharp enough to cut through steel when she turned it on me.
“I’m hungry,” she said, her voice demanding as she gestured toward the bowl of Yaro root on the desk. “Give me some of that.”
I didn’t bother looking up from my work as I checked the cuffs, making sure they were secure. “It’s not ripe yet,” I said flatly, not missing a beat.
Her eyes narrowed at my response, frustration simmering beneath her icy exterior. “You think you’re so high and mighty now, don’t you?” she said, her words coming out of nowhere, as if she’d been holding them in for far too long. Sarcasm laced her voice. “You really want to keep me restrained like this? After everything we went through?”
I glanced up at her, my patience beginning to thin. “I don’t have time for your games, Nebula.”
She let out a sharp laugh, but it lacked humor. “Games? This isn’t a game. You betrayed me. You chose them over me.” Her voice dropped, the hurt evident.
“I didn’t betray you. I made a choice.”
The silence between us was deafening, the tension thick in the air. Nebula’s eyes bored into mine, burning with anger. “You call it a choice? You call choosing them over me a choice?”
Rocket finally looked up from his work, rolling his eyes. “Oh great, I’m loving this. You two are like a couple of teenagers having a lover’s spat. Can you please stop bitching at each other? I’m getting a headache here, and it’s not from fixing this ship.”
My jaw tightened at Rocket’s interruption, but I knew he was right. Nebula and I had a complicated history, one that went back farther than either of us cared to admit. But right now, the situation at hand was more important than old grudges.
“It wasn’t about choosing them over you,” I said finally, meeting Nebula’s glare. “It was about doing what I thought was right.”
Nebula’s nostrils flared, her anger still simmering. “Well, your ‘right’ led to me being left behind and captured by the Sovereign.”
I was about to snap back at her, but Rocket’s voice cut through the tension like a hot knife through butter. “Alright, enough bickering, you two. We’ve got bigger problems right now.” With a flick of his wrist, he grabbed the tablet and held it up, showing a live feed of Ravagers closing in on one of his mini cameras. “Looks like we’re not exactly alone here…”
I immediately forgot about the argument with Nebula and focused on what Rocket was showing me.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes narrowing as I took in the image on the tablet. The Ravagers were getting closer by the second, their figures gradually becoming clearer as they moved.
Rocket’s eyes stayed fixed on the screen, his tail flicking with annoyance. “Well, this just keeps getting better and better. Just what we need, some extra company.”
The Ravagers stalked through the trees, their movements eerily silent. Their numbers were hard to judge, but it was clear they were closing in on us.
Rocket’s fingers flew over the tablet’s screen, switching between different camera angles to track their progress. “We’ve got, what, ten, maybe twenty of them?”
I squinted at the screen, counting the figures. “No, it’s definitely more than twenty. I’d say closer to thirty or thirty-five, minimum.”
Groot, still holding up the tools Rocket had asked for, suddenly spoke. “I am Groot,” he said confidently.
Rocket and I glanced at each other, then back at Groot, blinking in surprise. Rocket’s voice was full of disbelief. “Hundred? You think that looks like a hundred?”
Groot nodded confidently, stretching his tiny arms wide to illustrate the sheer number of enemies approaching.
I couldn’t help but chuckle and pat Groot on the head. “Ah, I think you’re exaggerating a bit there, buddy,” I said, my voice full of mirth.
Then, I turned to Rocket, a sly grin spreading across my face as I brandished my gun. “But you know what? I’ve been wanting to put a bullet in someone’s face all day.”
Rocket shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Ah, look at you all bloodthirsty,” he teased.
As I readied my gun, he walked over to the door, a confident smirk on his face. “No need to worry your pretty little head about it. I got this.”
I rolled my eyes at Rocket’s comment and retorted, “Oh no you don’t, I’m not staying here while you go have all the fun.”
I hefted my gun, a determined look on my face. “Two guns are better than one, right? I’m coming with you.”
Rocket grumbled something under his breath but knew I was stubborn enough to follow him regardless. “Fine, but you stay close and follow my lead. No reckless stunts, y’hear?”
Nebula’s voice piped up from the side, and I glanced over at her. “Hold on a minute,” she protested. “Let me go. I can help.”
Rocket snorted, fixing her with a sarcastic look. “Yeah, like we’re going to trust you not to stab us in the back at the first opportunity.”
I wanted to trust her, deep down. Maybe some part of me still cared about her, despite everything that had happened.
But Rocket’s words echoed in my ears, and I knew he had a point.
I turned to Groot, my voice firm. “Groot, you stay here and keep an eye on her, okay?”
Groot nodded, his tiny face serious as he moved back toward Nebula, standing guard.
I then turned to Rocket, ready to head out. “Let’s move.”
Rocket gave a nod and led the way towards the door. I could feel Nebula’s annoyed glare on my back, but I pushed the thoughts of her away for now.