Chapter 23
"If you would be so kind as to go into the cell, Captain." I go in and she shuts the door behind me. I take a deep breath and put my hands in my pockets to keep myself grounded and in the present. "Would you care for music, Captain? I have heard that it can be calming." I look at her and she was looking back at me, being sincere. "I am well aware now that they were behind this, but we must do this until we have proof. So, I am going to try my best to keep you comfortable. Music?"
"Please." She nods and plays music. "Thank you, Nova Prime."
"Irani Rael."
"What?"
"That is my name. Irani Rael. Feel free to call me that as all of the Captains tend to."
"OK... Thank you, Irani..."
"You are welcome, Captain."
"Um, Rogue... Feel free to call me Rogue."
"Very well. You are welcome, Rogue." I smile a bit and one Nova Corpsman leaves, going to pilot the other ship to ditch the other three while the second one pilots us to Xandar.
"Um, will I be able to get a ride back to Terra after this is over?"
"Of course."
"Thank you."
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We land on Xandar and I'm led through the streets into Nova Corps Headquarters then into a room that was comfortable enough. It had a couch, food, drinks, water, soda, and holoscreens. Irani stays with me and swipes a holoscreen over to me as I get water, taking a drink. "Let us get started on finding proof, shall we?" I nod and we start to look through the security feeds of Xandar since I had access to them with the holoscreen while I snack on some of the food since Irani didn't mind.
"Well, that was a dead-end... He puts the ship in the docking bay and gets off to wait for me... So, that gives some proof but not solid enough... Hmm..." I think and tap a few things on my wrist com, swiping to send the information to the holoscreen. "Let's try with this..." I connect to Shadowblade's security systems and pull up the camera footage.
"Ha! Got it!" Irani jumps slightly and looks at me. "Ah... Sorry... Heh... He didn't delete the footage or make sure the cameras weren't recording so I have video footage of him putting all of the kids into my Quarters on the Shadowblade."
"Perfect!" I send the footage to her and she looks through it, smiling. "This is excellent! It shows his children assisting in getting the other children in! They are accessories!"
"You're going to send them to jail too? They're just kids..."
"They were eighteen when they did this, Rogue."
"Oh. Then, yeah. Send them with their scumbag father."
"Gladly." She smiles and looks at me. "Would you like to come with me to do it?"
"Thank you, but no. I'd like to get back to my family and continue to celebrate."
"Of course. I will take you back now." She starts to leave and I motion for her to hold on, going through my pockets quickly.
"Found one!" I hand her a unit card and she looks confused. "For fuel, the food, and water. And as thanks... For helping me when you didn't have to..." She looks at it and shakes her head, gently pushing it back toward me.
"No thanks needed. The fuel is covered by taxes and the food and water are as well because it usually goes toward the Corpsmen and Corpswomen. And I have always had respect for you, it just never adequately showed itself. For which, I apologize."
"Apology accepted, Irani." I bow my head slightly and she returns it. "So... I'm not wanted for anything?"
"Nothing at all."
"Great." She leads me back to her ship and I follow confidently. We board her ship and she takes off of Xandar.
"Sixteen children?"
"Yes... Um, the Kree are to thank for that... It would be twenty if I had managed to carry all of my previous ones... But... I have another coming, I suppose..."
"The father is the man you kissed?"
"Yes... I'm always faithful to anyone I'm with. I've only been with three men... And only two of them have done that type of intercourse... The other one wasn't interested... And, looking back, I'm glad he wasn't."
"Was he abusive?"
"Very."
"How did you get out of it?"
"He proposed, I turned him down, he got pissed, we fought in public, I kicked his ass, and the next day Jay proposed..."
"I am truly sorry to hear about Mr. Fletch, Mr. Quill, and Mrs. Quill."
"Yeah... Thank you, for having your Corpsman let go of the young boy..."
"Your brother. Correct?"
"Yes... Indri. He's a good kid, but he was trying to help me... And he doesn't always think things through... But he's smart too."
"I am sure he is. At least he has not come to an event hosted by Nova Corps and explain the ways that he would like to kill himself." I chuckle nervously and rub the back of my neck. "Are you in a better place mentally?"
"I was... Then seven annual cycles with the Kree and Papa Quill, Dad, Jay, and Gamora dying within two days of me being back kind of fucked it up."
"I could imagine." I nod a bit and she pilots us through jumps before landing in the same spot where she picked me up on Terra. "Will you allow me to walk you to your cabin?"
"Thank you, but it isn't needed. I can get there on my own just fine." She nods and I disembark before she pilots off. I walk to the cabin and go in through the back door, hearing everyone planning in the living room.
"Damn. I'm gone for five hours and everything falls apart," I scoff as I walk into the living room and the kids spin to look at me before I'm falling on my ass as they knock me down by hugging me all at once. "See? Everything just falls apart when I leave other people in charge."
"They wouldn't listen to reason, Captain."
"I'm not talking about you, Nebula. I mean the other Captains and I'm fucking with them." She nods a bit and I smile gently at her, which she returns. "Alright, alright. Get up and get off of me." The kids get off of me and I stand, dusting myself off. "Gods. It's like you haven't seen me in years. I said that I'd be back."
"What happened?"
"Nova Prime believed me and we found proof that I didn't do it. And the kids that were with the guy were about twenty-five because they were eighteen when it happened."
"Damn."
"Yeah."
"How'd you get her on your side? She's a very hard woman to talk to."
"I've talked to Aleta for years, gave me plenty of practice," I smirk and Aleta laughs, flipping me off which I return easily as my crew comes in.
"So, Captain! What was with that steamy kiss? Huh?" Triz waggles his eyebrows and I roll my eyes. "How come I never got any of that?"
"Because you don't swing that way?"
"Fair point." He chuckles and I ignore him to look at Loki, not noticing Yondu taking out his holopad because Rocket tells him to start recording.
"I have something I want to show you."
"What is it?"
"A new dance move."
"A new dance move...?"
"Yup."
"OK... Show me."
"One second." I look at Mantis and she plays some music while I get something from Rocket. "OK. Before that though, know that it's either going to go seamlessly or I'm going to fall on my face because this is a fairly difficult move with the length of my legs."
"OK. I would like to see it, then. Do you have a name for it?"
"That comes after you see it."
"Alright."
"Alright." I nod and vibe with the music before going into a spin that ends with me on one knee, the thing I got from Rocket open to show a ring.
"What is the name of this dance?" Thor asks and I look at Loki.
"I call it the 'Will you marry me?' move..."
"What type of name is that?" Loki looks confused and I chuckle awkwardly.
"She's proposing to you, you fucking idiot," Rocket supplies for Loki and he looks shocked.
"Wait, what? Really?"
"I figured the down on one knee, showing you a ring, and naming the move the question would make it obvious... But, yeah... So... What do you say? Cuz this is seriously awkward for me..."
"Um... Uh... What was the question again?"
"Will you marry me?"
"Oh! Right! Uh..." He gives me a thumbs-up and I look a little confused.
"Yeah?" He nods and I smile, laughing a bit. "Really?" He nods again and smiles. "You sure? Cuz, if you need a minute, that's fine..."
"Do I have to kiss you to make it obvious?"
"I mean... I wouldn't say no to it... Cuz y-" He cuts me off by kissing me suddenly and it knocks me off balance. I grab his jacket and we both fall to the floor while he yelps, the others laughing. I laugh a bit too and he kisses my cheek.
"Yes, I will."
"Awesome. Uh... Here... Here's your ring." I try to grab it from the box but it wasn't there and I look at it. "Fuck. I lost the ring. Damnit." He chuckles and I laugh. "This isn't a very good proposal."
"I would not change it for any proposal in the world."
"Yeah. But now we have to find your fucking ring."
"I might trade that part," He chuckles and I laugh, smiling brightly.
"Yeah, that part could've gone better. Well, good thing I did this." I pull up a system on my wrist com and can pinpoint that his ring is under the table. "Found it." I grab it and take his hand, slipping it on his finger.
"You put a tracker in my ring?"
"It looks like it's a good thing I did or else we would've been looking for it for a while," I chuckle and he nods his agreement as he chuckles too. "Now. Ravager Tradition dictates that whoever proposes has to steal their partner."
"Wait, what?" All of the kids, who can talk, and Avengers say and I smile brightly.
"Heyo, Pops!"
"What, idiot?"
"We get to have another Stealing of the Groom after the meeting!"
"Took long enough. Congratulations. Loki, if you fuck this up, we will kill you."
"I will allow you to," He says respectfully and I smile.
"Feel free to show any affection or emotions in front of us, Cap'n. It's healthier for you and we won't mutiny on you. And if anyone thinks about it, I will take care of them," Tex says simply and I smile a bit.
"Good to know, Tex."
"All of us will have your back till the end, Cap," Rasu says sincerely and I nod. "And any children we have, I'm sure they will too."
"I hope so."
"We'll make sure they will," Gamora says simply and I smile at her. "We're your crew and might as well all be your family, too." I ruffle her hair gently and she fixes it with a slight glare.
"They all act just like you and they all look like Jay. It's annoying," Martinex complains in a joking manner and I chuckle softly.
"Act more like me, but just to Sparkles. Just to piss him off." The kids laugh and I notice Loki intertwining our fingers, smiling a bit.
"Are you getting a ring as well?"
"Yes. It's here."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." I stand and he watches me go upstairs.
I slide down the banister and he looks at me like I'm crazy. "Are you insane?"
"We've been over this. Yes, I am." I sit next to him again and hold the ring box I had grabbed, looking at it. "This either has a ring in it or it has a sketch of a ring in it."
"Then open it and find out."
"Fine, I will."