Chapter Text
Xandar… The Capital of the Nova Empire; home to millions of Xandarians and currently your biggest incapacity. All the people bustling about; talking, laughing, coughing, screaming, whining.
“‘S’loud.” You mumbled. Gamora glanced at you but said nothing.
You both were walking along a bridge that overlooked a courtyard with a beautiful fountain; many Xandarians could be seen inhabiting the area. The three suns shone upon you, the heat gracing the darkened teal cloak covering your entire body. You tugged at the hood.
“It’s hot…” You whined, feeling a trickle of sweat down your neck.
“Leave it.” Gamora spoke, walking casually beside you. The fabric of the hood hid her face from you as you tried to look at her. “The attention of your form would impede our mission. We’ll make quick work of obtaining the orb and getting away from here.” You sighed before watching your feet. “Wait here.” Gamora held out an arm to stop you, her eyes catching the building where this supposed ‘collector’ resided.
Shuffling your arm from the robe, you held up a see-through tablet, placing the building in the center of the transparent holograms. Two heat signatures showed up. “That should be him.” Your right ear twitching against your head as you glanced up at her.
“I’ll grab the orb and make my way to you.” She explained. “Once you confirm I have it, you can get us back to the ship. It’s not too far from here.” Her eyes met yours, a silent question of concern raising within them.
“I can manage it.” You nodded, your tone unwavering. “Don’t worry. Just get the orb.” She returned your gesture before making her way across the overpass. You watched her carefully, moving out of the way of other Xandarians and keeping yourself hidden. She grabbed a round object from someone's bag before biting into it. You smirked, a soft laugh breezing past your lips.
A trilling tone pulled your attention to your tablet, lights flashing as you held it up. You clicked a few things before seeing it showcase two identifications. You scanned the tablet across the courtyard, two boxes zoomed in on said individuals who were making their way over to the overpass.
“Bounty hunters? Subject: 89P13 and…” You muttered, glancing past your tablet towards them walking up the stairs. “... Groot?” You noted their distinct features; a tall humanoid plant and a smaller fur covered creature. “Why are you two here…?” You hummed in thought before remembering Gamora.
Your eyes snapped towards her figure–she was standing in front of the target, his red trench-like jacket stood out. He tossed a gray sphere casually as he talked. The orb.
Instantly, Gamora snatched the orb from his hand and kicked him in the stomach. She took off running, shoving past a few people. You stood straight, noticing a flying red object wrap around her legs, tripping her.
The man went after her while she untangled herself. He jumped towards her in the air for an advantage but she shot both her heeled feet into his chest. They fell side-by-side into a fight. You couldn’t see what was happening anymore, the crowd formed and their positioning was difficult from where you were standing.
What you did see were the two from before getting closer to the disturbance, causing your eyes to widen. Oh no. Your jaw tightened at the sight, thoughts rumbling through your head. What to do… What to do?! You watched as the smaller one tackled Gamora off of the target. The tree grew out vines, wrapping them around her and holding up a bag.
The man in the red jacket took off with the orb while she struggled to get the creature off her head. She was screaming before breaking through the thin branches and chucking the little guy onto the lower level. She wound up her arm, tomahawking a knife across the bridge and connecting with the guy’s hand. He released the orb, causing it to roll through a gap and onto the lower level.
Your eyes snapped towards the heavy clunk it made once it connected with the ground. Without thinking, you jumped the rail, fingers clutching the fabric of your hood as you fell. The landing was graceful, knees bent to provide some stability, with your arm outstretched for balance. Your legs sprinted quickly in the direction of the forsaken orb. Fingers gripping it tightly before you began running with it, eyes scanning the higher level for Gamora.
The fabric of your hood swayed with your movement, impairing your peripherals. Had you not been wearing it, you might have been able to react better to the man jumping down from the bridge and landing directly on top of you. He tackled you down, weight heavy and bulky. You both grunted at the impact. He sat on you, meaty fingers gripping at the orb and trying to pull yours loose. You growled, sharper than usual canines revealing themselves. He raised a brow, pausing for a second. “What the–”
A green flash interrupted him, pulling the weight of his body off and to the side as he and Gamora rolled away. You gasped, pulling in as much air as you could with the removal of his heft. The impact had caused the orb to slip from your grasp but your duo picked it up with ease. She landed with her knee at his throat.
“Fool.” She glared down at him while speaking. “You should have learned.” You quickly sat up, fingers deftly finding the hooded fabric as you did so it wouldn’t fall off.
“I don't learn. One of my issues.” Peter grabs the orb from her hand, attaching a small rocket on Gamora. He set it off, launching her into the air and microbules into the distance.
“No!” You shouted, standing quickly and watching her landing as she skidded across the fountain, slamming into the wall of it. You flinched at the sound of it. The man stood up, tossing the orb casually with a smirk. You gritted your teeth at him, a guttural growl pulling from you once more.
“Not you again.” The man whined but grew confused when you went silent and were staring at something behind him. The tree man bagged the target quickly down to his feet, lugging the large sack over his broad shoulder to carry him.
“Quit smiling, you idiot.” A voice from your far right spoke, low and gritted. “You're supposed to be a professional.” It was the shorter bounty hunter; he turned and both your eyes landed on Gamora as she walked closer. “You gotta be kiddin' me.” She pushed him aside, “Hey!” Her sword wielded in her hand.
She heaved a large grunt as she began hacking at the arms of the tree. He instantly dropped the bag and yelled out as she continued her brutal deforestation technique.
“Get!” She hacked, “The!” Another swing, “Orb!” Her eyes connected with yours for a second. You nodded and ran over to the bag. Unfolding the opening, you came face-to-face with a blaster. It went off, sending a terrible shock of electricity throughout your body, paralyzing your limbs as you fell to the ground. Throaty whimpers escaped as you writhed against the hard ground. Another blast went off, putting Gamora through the same fate.
The pulsing shock faded and left a tingling sensation throughout your body. You shifted, head sliding against the pavement to glance at your partner. “Gamora…” Your voice was weak, piecing out at a whisper. She laid unconscious, no doubt her systems short-circuiting with that electrical blast.
Another shout of pain elicited from the distance, followed by a thud and a hefty chuckle. “Yeah, writhe little man.” You heard the creature say. The tree man kicked at his detached arms, courtesy of Gamora. He whimpered, a noticeable pout on his face. “It'll grow back, you D'ast idiot. Quit whinin'.”
The feeling in your limbs slowly came back, only soft numbing being noticeable. You pushed against the ground, drawing the attention of the two that were left standing. You grunted against the lingering sensation of the blast but continued.
“Well, well…” He spoke, soft feet padding closer to your cloaked form. “Looks like one’s still kickin’ huh?” His hand reached out, sliding along the hem of the hood before flicking off. The movement causes it to completely unveil your head.
Large ears unfolded from their previous position, no longer being pinned down by the help of the fabric. They twitched a few times before displaying properly and immediately taking in surrounding noises more clearly. An echoing gasp from the onlookers.
“What the–” The creature’s eyes widened. Your head slowly lifted, hand reaching out towards Gamora but you were just barely brushing her–too far. I need… to get us… out of here.
A rumbling stopped your movements, energetic paralyzing rays shone on the three of you, immobilizing your bodies.
“Subject 89P13, drop your weapon.” A Nova Pilot announced through the comm. The Subject reluctantly released the gun, letting it fall to the ground. “By the authority of the Nova Corps, you are under arrest for endangerment to life and the destruction of property.”
They begin picking up Gamora’s body as more and more soldiers surround the area.
“Fascists.” You overheard the creature, not catching the way he eyed you. Or more like, your ears as they swiveled against all the noises.
This was definitely not part of the plan…