Chapter 25
"Holy shit! You're fast!" He scoffs and I keep him in my sights. "Did you at least get any points, Dad?"
"No."
"You suck at this, don't you?" He doesn't respond and Yondu lunges for me again. I step to the side and lightly pinch his side. He snorts and I smile a bit. "Attractive," I smirk and he rolls his eyes, sweeping my legs. "Shit!" He smirks at me and squeezes the skin on my ribs. I shriek as I start laughing and he stares at me, shocked.
"What the fuck was that?" Rocket wheezes and Martinex was doubled over laughing with Kraglin. I roll away from Yondu and crouch slightly, shocked at the sound that came out of my mouth.
"I have no fucking clue..."
"Ya... Ya sounded like Petey when 'e was goin'... Gods... When 'is voice was tha' fuckin' high... Fuck..." Kraglin wheezes and everyone else was laughing while Stakar was trying to stay stoic with Doc and Yondu was just as confused as me.
"What the fuck is happening?" He shrugs and I laugh slightly. "Jesus Christ," I mutter and someone grabs me from behind, lightly pinching the skin around my ribs. I shriek to start laughing again and hit Dad in the stomach while the others are dying of laughter. "Oh, my Gods... Are you OK? I did not mean to do that! I'm sorry!"
"It's fine..." He coughs softly, kind of doubled over in pain, and I awkwardly pat his back.
"Uh... Do... Do you want to sit down?"
"Might be a good idea..." I help him sit on Yondu's desk and he gives me a thumbs up.
"Um..." I pat his head gently. "There, there...?" He scoffs and the others laugh more. "I'm sorry again for doing that..."
"It's fine, Rogue..." He pats my shoulder gently and I nod a bit.
"Are you sure? Cuz... That hurts... I'm sorry... Can you stop laughing for five fucking seconds?" That makes them laugh more and Yondu had joined in with Doc. "What the Hell, guys?"
"Rogue. It's fine. I'm fine. Stop apologizing. Alright?"
"Sorry... I did it again, sorry... Fuck! Sorry. Damnit!" The others are still dying of laughter and Dad chuckles a bit, wincing a bit. "Are you sure you're OK?"
"Yes. Stop asking."
"Sorry."
"And stop apologizing!"
"Sorry!" He laughs and I kind of glare at him. "It's not funny!"
"It kind of is. Just, stop apologizing."
"Sorry. Damnit..." He laughs more and I just leave, getting too overwhelmed right now. I go to Segs area and grab some projects he had lying around, working on them for him.
"Hello, my Dear. How are you?" Segs asks after about five minutes of me being in there and I look at him a bit before going back to the project, feeling better now.
"Good... Just... Needed to get away from the idiots in Captain's Quarters..."
"I see. Well, I will always accept the help. Thank you. You should go get changed. Did my brother treat you well?"
"Yeah. He was cool."
"I am glad to hear it." I put his projects in his work area instead of the floor and go to get changed back into my Leathers, going to my Quarters.
"Oh. I can sell that antidote to somebody. Get me some more units to save up. Nice." I smile a bit as I go in them and go over to my bunk, grabbing my Leathers. "Let's get changed first." I go into my bathroom to do that.
I come back out as I pull on my duster and my door opens to reveal Yondu and Kraglin. "Ya a'ight, Girl? Ya ran outta m'Quarters quick."
"Yeah. My brain didn't want to cooperate very much. Did Pops give you that bag I had? It was padded?" He nods and Kraglin tosses it to me. I catch it and look in it, seeing there was one vial left along with the broken bow and arrows.
"We's makin' a stop on Xandar ta see somebody called the Broker wit' yer Daddy."
"Can I come?" They look at me, suspicious, and I smile. "I want to see if I can sell him this vial."
"Wha's innit?"
"An antidote to the stuff I got poisoned with. Can I come?" Yondu nods after a moment and I smile, slinging the bag across my chest. "Dope! When are we docking?"
"Right 'bout..." I feel the ship dock and sway slightly. "Now." I talk to him about something else and he laughs, giving me the green light to do it.
"Krags! Get the Old Man to move it," Dad yells and Yondu moves to yell back at him but gets cut off when I suddenly bolt out of my room to catch up with him and his crew. "Whoa! Hey, kid."
"Hey, Dad. Here's your Walkman back."
"It's a- Whatever. Thanks." He takes it back from me and I notice Groot grab my foot. "He doesn't want to walk to the Broker's shop." I hop forward on one foot while lifting the one he's on to grab him and lose my balance, going into a somersault on the floor with Groot gripping onto me. "Are you OK?" He asks when I end flat on my back and I pop up, walking backward to talk to them.
"That was fun! Can I do it again?"
"No."
"Lame. Gamora."
"Yes, Rogue?"
"Can I do that again?"
"I do not think that would be the best idea."
"OK." I bump into someone and they shove me slightly. "Hey, fuck you."
"Fuck you too."
"Fuck you more."
"Fuck you most."
"Later, Jay."
"Later, Rogue." He goes back to what he was doing and Dad just stares at me.
"What?"
"What the Hell was that?"
"A friendly interaction between friends? What the fuck do you think it was?" I scoff and Rocket snickers softly. "What's so funny?"
"You're about to roll down the gangplank."
"What? No, I'm n- Shit!" I lose my footing when one of my feet hits the lowered gangplank and Gamora catches the front of my duster before I can fall with Groot.
"Watch where you're walking." I smile at her and she smiles back slightly. "Please be careful."
"OK. Thanks." I turn around and walk down the gangplank normally, settling Groot on my shoulder.
"I am Groot."
"That was too fun! I've never managed to do one of those without hitting my head!"
"I am Groot."
"I would not have crushed you. Rude!"
"I am Groot."
"I accept your apology."
"I am Groot."
"I don't care that it wasn't an apology, it is now."
"I am Groot."
"Comes from the talking bonsai tree that looks like a baby! Call me childish. Tch."
"I am Groot?"
"Do you wanna box? I will gladly fight a tree. Try me, Groot. Try me."
"I am Groot."
"You did not hurt my feelings! I don't have feelings to hurt! So HA!"
"I am Groot."
"I'm not an idiot, you're an idiot!"
"I am Groot?"
"So what you're not the one arguing with a talking bonsai tree? You don't even know what one of those is! So I'm the smarter one! HA!"
"I am Groot!"
"That logic makes perfect sense!"
"I am Groot!"
"Does too!"
"I am Groot!"
"Does too!"
"I am Groot!"
"Does too!"
"I am Groot."
"What the Hell does being the smaller out of the two of us have to do with this argument?"
"I am Groot."
"Well, I'm taller!"
"I am Groot!"
"I'm younger!"
"I am Groot!"
"I'm... Not falling for that!" Rocket bursts out in laughter and I roll my eyes slightly.
"I am Groot!"
"You're the one sitting on my shoulder! If anything, you're touching me!"
"Alright. That's enough." Dad takes Groot off of my shoulder and walks ahead with him, putting Groot on his shoulder instead. Groot turns and sticks his tongue out at me. I stick my tongue out and pull my bottom eyelid down slightly in retaliation. He turns back around and I feel like I've won.
"Hey!" I glare at Drax a bit when he stops me by the collar of my duster and he looks at me.
"As Quill would put it, knock it off." He lets me go and I mock him quietly behind his back, only getting a hit to the head from Yondu.
"I have a literal brain and head injury and you're going to hit me in the head? Seriously?"
"Act like ya got some sense, Girl. Or ah'll knock some inta ya. Git it?"
"Got it... Sorry..." He squeezes the back of my neck and guides me to be walking next to him as I look around.
"We're here. Rogue. Best behavior."
"I'm always on my best behavior! I'm a kid, Dad. Chill." He shakes his head slightly and goes through the open door.
"Broker! We got some stuff to sell and buy," He calls and a pale guy with something similar to Kraglin's scars on his head comes through a side doorway, freezing when he sees Yondu closing the door. Yondu looks around and I follow, looking at all of the stuff he has.
"Ooh, cool." I smile at a crystal skull that could fit in my palm and go to find some other spooky stuff while they talk to him.
"Girl," Yondu barks when they're done and I look at him. He nods toward the Broker and I go over while Dad, Gamora, Mantis, Drax, and Groot leave.
"I wanna sell some stuff to you."
"Is it your collection of toys?"
"No. That would be stupid."
"I see. What is it?" I open the bag and pull out the vial of the antidote, keeping the bag open for now.
"This vial of stuff."
"What is in it?"
"Can I see your hand?" He looks hesitant but gives me his hand and I grab the intact arrow carefully, stabbing him in the arm with it. "The antidote to the poison that's on that arrowhead."
"Give it to me!" I start to set it in his hand and he tries to grab it. I move it quickly out of his reach and he glares at me while I grin charmingly as the others watch.
"What do I get in return?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"What are you going to pay me for it?" I smirk and he looks at me like I'm insane.
"I will not turn you into the Nova Corps!"
"Not scared of them. Units?"
"How many do you want?"
"How many are you willing to give?"
"Two million!"
"Ten million?"
"Yes!"
"Twenty million?"
"If you wish!" I look at Yondu and he nods slightly.
"Fifty million then you get the antidote." He scrambles to get the fifty million units and I watch, knowing how long I had until he needed the antidote or he would die.
"Fifty million units!" He puts the units in front of me and I look at them quizzically, nodding slightly.
"Here you go." I give it to him with the lid off and he takes it. "You drink it." I gather my units up and watch him go to the back, noticing a pair of nice bows of two different sizes and quivers of arrows, including practice arrows while the other three leave. "Ooh..." I go over and grab them, slinging them across my back before I look at the case to see there wasn't a price. "These are nice but don't look that expensive. This should be enough..." I leave one hundred units on the display case and leave, catching up with the others quickly. "Hey, guys." I grin and they look at me, surprised to see the bows.
"You found some already?"
"Yup. Let's go." I move toward the ship quickly and they match my pace.
"Rogue, who'd you steal those from?"
"Someone who will want them back."
"Rogue!"
"Thief! She stole Nova Corps bows! Stop her!"
"Why the fuck were they in Broker's shop, then?" I hiss and Kraglin pulls me into an alley next to Yondu since the others had split up at some point. He covers my mouth and I let him, seeing the two of them glaring at me.
"Ya stole 'em from the Corps? Are ya insane, Girl?" Yondu hisses and I shrug one shoulder before Kraglin lowers his hand.
"Why the Hell were they in Broker's shop if they belonged to the Corps?" He narrows his eyes at me and I shrug again. "I left a hundred units for all of this. Now that I know they belong to the Corps, I wish I had only put fifty or none. Fucking assholes," I mutter and fall silent as boots pound on the pavement toward us, looking around slightly.
"Wha's this 'un fer?" Kraglin holds an arrow that had small holes near the head of it and I look at it closely as I take a bow off.
"Let's find out, shall we?" I take the arrow and nock it quickly, drawing it back as the boots get closer. "Ten seconds away from turning the corner from the sound of the boots... Five seconds for it to land where I want it... Three... Two... Now." I release the arrow and watch as it lands as Nova Corps stop. The arrow blinks for a moment and beeps as gas seeps out of the holes by the arrowhead. The Corpsmen sway for a moment before falling, unconscious, and I was grinning like crazy, barely keeping from bouncing.
"Sweet!" I look around a bit and see some more alleys, pulling my visor up quickly to get a quick path back to the ship. "I think we should go this way." Yondu nods and starts going that way. Kraglin follows with me as he grabs my collar to make sure I keep up and I walk next to them, admiring the bow I had. "Nice..."
I deactivate my visor to instead activate my mask and notice a large group of heat signatures converging on either side of the alley we're about to come out, stopping. I grab both of them and stop them too. "Kid? Wha'-" I shush him and activate his mask for him, making him look pissed before he looks around. "Oh... Tha' ain't good..." We deactivate them and he explains to Yondu while I think.
"Ravagers! Come out with your hands up and we will not shoot!" I look up to see two star-shaped ships hovering nearby and the three of us duck under an awning.
"Hmm... Running to the ship wouldn't work, would it?"
"Naw. Tractor beams."
"Right... Hmm... Hey, Krags, activate your mask again." He looks at me with a quirked eyebrow. "Please?" He rolls his eyes and activates it again. I take out a practice arrow and nock it, drawing it back. "Let's see if they move..." I release it and knock over a few metal things down another alley that would come out away from the ship, waiting to see if the Corpsmen move as I look at Kraglin. He nods after a minute and I nod back. "Let's go then." We move through the alley quickly and board the ship calmly.
"Hey! Freeze, girl!" Yondu shoves me onboard the rest of the way and shuts the gangplank before contacting the Lead Nav to get us off of the planet.
"I'm gonna go find Doc! Show them this stuff!" He waves his hand slightly and I run to go do that.
"'Ey! 'Nough 'a tha' runnin', Girl!" I slow down until I'm around a corner and run the rest of the way to Med.
"Hey, Doc! You in here?" I call and crewmembers who were in there groan at me yelling.
"Shut up, kid!" Someone hits me in the head with a pillow and I throw it back at them, heading to Doc's office.
Doc pops out and clears their throat slightly. "Yes, Rogue?"
"Hey, Doc. Look! I managed to get these already! And some arrows!"
"That's amazing. However, I don't have time to talk right now. Later, maybe?"
"OK. I'm gonna put these in my Quarters then." I see someone come out behind them and tilt my head a bit. "Hey, Drax."
"Rogue. I will escort you to your Quarters so that you may explain the benefits of using that when you could use knives instead."
"Sounds good. Later, Doc!"
"See you later, Rogue." I leave and wait for Drax at the door while he talks to Doc too softly for me to hear. I wait for a minute before just leaving and head to my Quarters, opening the vents by my bunk. I put the quivers in there and carefully maneuver the bows in there too so they don't get taken.
"Wha'cha doin', Kid?"
"Hiding my stuff."
"Why?" I shrug and put the vent cover back on, standing to look at Kraglin.
"What's up?"
"Wanna spar?"
"Hell yeah!" I smile brightly and he scoffs softly, nodding for me to follow him as he turns. I follow and we head to the gym.