Chapter 27
We get through the first set of jumps and wait to be able to go through the next set. "What are we waiting for again?" Rocket calls up and I look down the ladder at him.
"We've got to give it a cooldown time of five minutes."
"And we can't skip that?"
"Do you want to die a horrible and painful death?" Nebula asks simply and he thinks about that. "It was a... What do you call it when you don't want or need, an answer?"
"Rhetorical?"
"Yes, that. Thank you, Captain. It was that type of question, Rocket."
"Eh." I look at the timer I set again and see it's only been a minute and thirty seconds.
"Fucking Hell, man..."
"Ah swear ta all 'a the Gods, Girl, if ya look at tha' damned timer one mo' time, 'M gonna beat yer ass. Can neva jus' fuckin' wait fer somethin'... Damn," Yondu grumbles and I glare at him.
"Screw you, Gramps." He scoffs and I lean against the wall, glancing at the timer again to see another minute and thirty seconds had passed. "Two minutes left," I mutter under my breath and rub my temples slightly, frustrated. I pull out my knife and use it to clean underneath my nails, needing to do something.
The timer goes off as I finish and Nebula takes us through the next set of jumps. I set a timer for ten minutes and spin my blade around my hand and fingers as I walk around the ship.
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We've gone through the fourth set of jumps and are waiting the twenty minutes when we get a video transmission from the Autumn. "Girl." I go over and answer it, seeing Gamora looking worried with Morgan and Peter as she holds Quill.
"What's wrong?"
"Tex locked the ship so that only someone with a certain code can get on and someone's trying to get on."
"You know how to pull up the ship's exterior cameras?" She shakes her head and I look at the other two. "Guys?" They shake their heads and I nod a bit. "Alright. I'm going to do it from here and you tell me what you see, got it?" They nod and I make Yondu move before I start tapping things on the holoscreen Nebula swipes to me. "OK, should be up. Can you see it?"
"Yeah... It looks like Tex and Indri... Should we open the door?"
"One of you kids give me the rundown on Skrulls."
"Green assholes that can shapeshift," Morgan says and I nod while Tony, Pepper, and May admonish her for swearing. "I'm just quoting what she said!"
"Good. So, what do you think you should do? Keep the door shut or let people who might be Tex and Indri on board?"
"Keep the door shut."
"That's right. Listen, we're going to be there as soon as we can. For now, Petey."
"Yeah?"
"Go over to the bunk and feel around it for a panel that's raised slightly from the rest of the wall. It should be around your shoulder." He goes over and finds it, looking at the transmission. "Use your knife to pry it open. There'll be a keypad there and you'll put in... Damnit, what's the code?" I hear banging from their side and think as fast as I can. "Damnit, Jay... What was that damned code?"
"Think you could remember it soon?" Gamora asks nervously and I tap the arm of my chair.
"The numbers are one, two, two, four, one, two, two, five, one, two, two, four, one, two, two, five." Petey puts the numbers in and a door slides out of the way next to the bunk, revealing a shit ton of blasters and one crossbow with numerous arrows. "Morgan, take Quill and go into the bathroom. Petey, get everyone but Jay to grab a blaster and line up shoulder to shoulder in front of the bathroom. Jay, there's a screen that will show what species someone is next to the biggest blaster. Grab that and the crossbow and arrows. If they get in, use that and if they won't stop moving, you'll find out what species they are when you shoot them in the arm with an arrow. Skrulls bleed..."
"Green," They say in unison and I nod slightly, looking at the timer.
"Get moving. We'll be there soon enough." They do as I told them and I look at the timer again, seeing we still had ten minutes while the banging from their side gets louder.
"Don't they move quickly?" Jay asks nervously and had swiped the transmission over so that we could still talk at a quiet level.
"Don't worry about that."
"But-"
"Jay. You are all amazing shots and you are the best one with the crossbow. There are four of you against two of them. You'll be fine and they'll have a hard time getting on that ship while it's locked down the way it is."
"OK... But... What if they're better shots? Or have better weapons?" Petey asks and they look at me.
"They might. They might not. Don't worry about what if's right now. If they get on before we get there, try to figure out what they are with the scanner first then shoot them if they won't stop moving." I remember something and pinch the bridge of my nose, cursing under my breath.
"What?"
"Alright, if someone that looks like Tex comes on and the scanner reads Skrull, use another test before you shoot them."
"What? Why?"
"Because I said so," I bark and they nod. "Ask them for his code to my Quarters and shoot them if they don't say one, two, one, one, nine, six, three."
"One, two, one, one, nine, six, three?"
"Right. Jay, you remember that number."
"OK. I can do that."
"Good. I'm going to mute my end, but I'll still be able to hear you guys if you need me."
"Please don't leave..." Jason pleads softly and I feel my shoulders droop slightly.
"I'm not going anywhere, bud. Just muting my end and you'll still be able to see me if you look, alright? I've just got to talk to these guys in private." They nod and I mute my end, leaning back in my seat slightly as I look at the timer. "You've got five minutes to interrogate and lecture me. Better get started and get enough air in your lungs," I say simply and glance at the Captains and Kraglin in the reflection of the window.
"You have a Skrull as your Lead Med? Are you fucking stupid?" Aleta barks and I shrug my jacket on fully since it had slipped down my shoulder at some point. "Explain, Rogue."
"He's nineteen."
"What?"
"Tex is nineteen. He joined when he was eight and got put with my crew when he turned nine." Stakar didn't look surprised and I glance at his reflection before just staring out the window. "Skrull did what they do to any slave because he was born differently and because he didn't believe in nor support what they were doing. Lucky for me, the Skrull are meticulous and keep records of their slaves that happen to be Skrull or a 'higher order' species, allowing me to corroborate his story that way."
"What the fuck is a higher-order species?"
"Xandarian, Terran, Celestial, and Kree. Any Kree they had were killed quickly, though. They were also attempting to take my Mom as a slave but she died so that didn't happen... Not the point, though. Tex was a kid when he joined and he has just as many reasons to hate the Skrull as any of us do at this point."
"Not if he is one!" Aleta growls and Stakar rests a hand on her shoulder. "He could have been the one to tip the Skrull off on what was going to happen!"
"He wasn't."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because I do, Aleta. Can't you trust my judgment just once?"
"Not when it's this fucking stupid! If he was a Skrull then he should've been put down when it was first found out that he was!" I stand and look at her. "A Skrull is a Skrull! It doesn't matter what their history is!"
"Aleta," Stakar says softly and she looks at him. "Leave it be."
"How the Hell do you expect me to leave it be, Stakar?"
"I knew that Tex was a Skrull too and did the same thing Rogue did."
"And if they faked the records?"
"The scars check out with the records and what he told us." She glares at him then me and I lean against the wall slightly, making sure to stay within sight of the transmission. "It was an informed decision and we stick by it."
"Because it was a good decision."
"And you always make so many of those," Aleta sneers to both of us and Stakar winces slightly while I look away slightly. "All of your good decisions always wind up with someone dead! Your crews, Jay-"
"Aleta," I say firmly as I walk over and she glares at me. "Go take a walk below deck before you say something you'll regret later when you've calmed down." She glares at me but does stalk off and goes below deck.
"Mom!" I go back over to the transmission and unmute my side, looking at Jason. "What's taking so long for you guys to get here?"
"They're almost through all of the security to get in," Gamora says softly and I look at the timer as it goes off.
"We'll be just outside Contraxia's atmosphere in just a second and we'll be there soon."
"What if they get in before you get here and we can't stop them from taking us?"
"Look, I know this isn't looking great, but don't think like that. If they get on before we get there, be confident and they'll be freaked out by that because they're expecting a bunch of weak-ass kids. Are you guys weak?"
"No, but we are fucking terrified," Jay scoffs and I smirk slightly.
"Then that means you're not stupid either. Being brave isn't that you're never afraid of something, it's being able to act despite being afraid. So fucking act or I'll kick your asses. Got it?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Good." I take us through the last set of jumps and lose connection to them as the whole ship reboots, cursing. All of us put a respirator to our faces so we can still breathe while we wait for the ship to come back to life and I get up, starting to get the shit together.
The ship comes back to life and I put my respirator around my neck, finishing with gathering shit up. "What are you doing?"
"Controls are still down and I need to get down to the kids in my damned family and beat the shit out of the idiots that snuck off."
"Captain," Nebula says hesitantly and I look towards the holoscreen.
"Damnit!" The door was blasted off and the bathroom door was open with a note in Standard. 'We have your children. Come find us.'
"Captain-" I go over to the transmission and press a button on my chair.
"Morgan. Come on, kid. You still on there?"
"Rogue-"
"Shut up!" I increase the volume and hear crying over the transmission followed by soft shushing and singing. "Morgan! You able to hear me?" She doesn't respond and I hit my hand against my chair. "Damnit! Morgan!"
"C-Captain?"
"Fucking finally... You alright?"
"Y-Yeah... Just... Just scared... They... They blew up the door and the window... They took them..."
"Damnit... That's how it happened..."
"What... What should I do?"
"Stay wherever you are and don't move. I'll be there with your Dad in two minutes. Tony, grab your suit!" He runs to do that and I scan the transmission to try to find Morgan. "Good job hiding, kid. Don't come out until you're certain we're not Skrulls. Got it?"
"OK..."
"Good. You want your Mom to come too?"
"Yeah..." I look at Pepper and she goes to get her suit too.
"We'll be there soon, Morgan. Stay hidden and try to keep quiet." I notice her parents come back with their suits on and I nod slightly. "Put your respirators on underneath the masks to be safe. You guys get to keep the suits." I start to lead them to the sealed area and Loki stops me. "What, Loki?"
"Be careful... And get the kids back," He says softly and I look at him, grinning slightly.
"I'm always careful. At least I haven't sent myself off of a cliff on purpose." I kiss his head and grin reassuringly at him. "I'll be fine and the kids will be gotten back." I lead them to the sealed area and Nebula follows to send us out. I put my respirator on and give her a thumbs up when we're ready. She pulls the lever and we float for a moment before I activate my blaster boots to lead the way planetside.
We land and I look around a bit, pulling the respirator down to my neck. "There!" I run toward the ship with them and notice flames start to lick the sky. "Shit!" I think for all of a second before running in and look around. "Morgan! I need you out here! Now! There's a fire and it's too close to the fuel tanks!" She doesn't come out and I look around, cutting my hand with a piece of glass. "Look! Red blood! Just like you! Come on, Morgan!" A vent opens and she pokes her head out, coughing. She had covered Quill's face carefully and she wasn't happy.
I see the flames get closer and pull them both out of the vent, running off of the ship. Tony and Pepper were waiting next to the hatch of the ship and I look around, seeing trees nearby. I open a hand toward them and they surge for us, forming a barricade near us that would shield us from the ship exploding. "Get down!" They duck behind it and I roll behind it just as the ship blows.
I pant softly and feel pain radiate in my leg, growling loudly as Nebula and Yondu land the Winter. Tony takes Morgan and holds her close with Pepper while I hold Quill, checking her over quickly as I just ignore the pain for now. "I thought you were going to be fine!" They all rush over and I shrug one shoulder, looking at my leg to see a shit ton of debris in it as Martinex and Charlie land.
"Kind of hard to be careful when a ship's exploding, dude." Loki takes Quill and I look at the debris. "Rocket, med kit under the bunk." He nods and scurries to get it.
"Here." He gives it to me and I look my leg over more.
"This is gonna fucking hurt..." I yank out the debris, starting with the smallest, and wince slightly at each one, starting to growl as they got bigger. I have one piece left and my hands were coated in blood so I couldn't grip it properly. "Someone help me out here..." Aleta comes over and rips it out. I growl loudly and start to quickly bandage myself up, using my teeth to save time instead of scissors. Pepper helps and we get it done quickly. I use some snow to clean the blood off of my hands and Charlie offers me his hand with Stakar.
"Looks like it'll be Hell to stand on your own." I take them and they pull me to my feet while I have to keep my injured leg straight. "Now, where are these kids of yours?" I tap my glasses and look at Morgan and Quill, confirming they weren't Skrulls before pulling up the locations of the kids with my brain waves.
"This way." I start to go to the right and my leg nearly gives out. "Fucking Hell," I grunt and breathe slowly to get control of the pain. Loki comes over and looks at my leg.
"You should stay here."
"Like Hell I am."
"You are severely injured, Rogue."
"Gee, thanks. Didn't notice."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Your leg nearly gave out on you and you're fine?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Then use me as support if you need it."
"Fine. But I won't."
"If you say so," He says with a smug smirk on his face and I ignore him to go towards the kids' location.