Before I open my eyes I can feel the hard bed beneath my aching limbs. Pain echoing through my muscles as I rest. The obnoxious noises of Yondu's crew banging and crashing around as they shouted and fought with each-other for entertainment. Peeping my eyes open, the old light above my head almost blinding my marine eyes and the pounding in my head begging my frail body to close them and go back to sleep.
But my need to find Peter, the urge to make sure he's okay was stronger.
Ignoring the fire burning in my shoulder, I slowly sit up. Recognising the old room Peter and I used to share before we upgraded to the Milano, I grimace at the state of the hell-hole we used to survive in.
The walls rusting and full of holes from where people had shot through the walls in fits of rage; or just because they felt like it. The door barley closed to conceal the single bed that had a paper thin mattress and was covered by a small blanket, ripped and having multiple stains from the decades it had kept Peter and I warm at night.
Gasping, I struggle to raise a hand to clutch at the agony that rips through my shoulder.
"Wow, you look like you've been dragged through a bush backwards," Glancing up, my tired eyes meet with the ever smug ones of Peter. He looks stressed, dark circles forming under his eyes and fatigue obvious in his stature. He may be pretending to be strong, but I can see straight through his facade.
"Not looking too bad yourself, Star-Munch," I chuckle, ever so gently rising to my feet. Peter moving from the door way to carefully engulf me in his strong hold. His chest a pillow for my aching head to rest on; the beating of his heart fluttering against my ear as I breath him in. I felt at home in his protective arms.
Nothing could ever touch me if Peter had me in his arms.
"Yondu, called me soft because you make me like Jello. He wanted to kill you," Peter whispers into my hair, kiss lips brushing against my hair as he holds me closer.
"You've always been soft. Long before you met me, Mr. Quill," I laugh, my shoulder giving a sharp stab of pain in resentment. A sudden wave of dizziness over coming me as I laugh, my weak body involuntary falling into Peters strong body.
"Come on, you need to lie down, Princess," Scooping me up into his arms bridal style, my head rests weakly into the crook of Peters neck as he sits on the hard bed. Keeping me close to his chest as we relax into each others hold. Grateful for the small moment of piece, possibly one of the last we might have for a long time.
"I've always got you," Peter whispers, "Even if we have the entire universe between us, I've always got you, Princess," his words comforting and soft like a melody, as my eyes flutter shut and exhaustion takes over me.
🛸🛸🛸
I awake a few hours later. My body, already rapid at healing when I sleep seemed to have been facilitated but he two energy sources I had consumed. My shoulder had but a fresh pink, almost silver, scar where I had been shot. The bruises and concussion I had received from the blast were moderately healed, faded to a light yellow on my pale skin and the cloud that was once inhibiting my mind had cleared. The foreign purple energy from the power stone had become dormant inside me. I could only presume the red, fluid like, power that had encased my body shortly afterwards was something similar. I cold feel the raw power simmering just under my skin, but also so far out of reach. I didn't have time to ponder on that now.
I could hear multiple people running back and forth as if they were readying for battle. Their shouts and calls were full of excitement and had a tone only war could bring to them.
Yondu was preparing to fight.
I instantly knew this fight was much bigger than any of us. Scavengers and strangers like myself amongst these people never mattered no more. This battle would be for something more.
Hastily pulling on my boots, and my raven hair into a braid down my back I made a dash for the hanger. Where I could see the strong back of my husband as he was bewildered by something Rocket had just proposed.
"You are not taking the Milano!"
"Why it's just a ship, can't you can take one of these millions of others around us?" Rocket fights back as he continues to load his supplies into the orange and blue ship.
"Because it's Freya's and mine. And I can't have you breaking her. Freya would kill me,"
"Yes I would, handsome," I beam as I skip up behind Peter and warp my arms around him. His breath catching in his throat as he is amazed at my sudden healing.
"What? How?" Peter splutters as he turns in my hold and pulls me into his chest and would never let me go.
"I'll go with Rocket," I suggest, completely ignoring his bewilderment as I volunteer to join the suicidal Raccoon, he'll be more fun than brooding Gamora any day.
"No," Peter tries to argue but I'm already snaking out of his arms and leaping onto our ship, "Freya, no. You're not going anywhere near this fight, you're injured anyway,"
"Not anymore," I sing, running back to Peter and kissing him on his plump lips. A promise to come back to him, "Stay safe, Star-Lord," I whisper against his lips as I dash back into the Milano. Someone needed to take care of our baby and if Peter was off gallivanting with Gamora and Drax, then it was down to me.
"Ready to go, sunshine?" Rocket smirks as he shuts the hatch doors and jumps into the co-pilot seat beside me.
My soft palms caressing the controls as if this could be my last flight. The Milano is Peer and I's escape from Yondu. The only place where we can be ourselves without feeling like outcasts.
"Gave everyone quite a scare back at the Collectors," Rocket muses as we start up the engines. The beast raring to life beneath our fingertips in anticipation for flight across the galaxy.
"Isn't that in my job description, as the wife of the idiot?" I chuckle as we move in formation with the other ships and enter the atmosphere. I recognise the skies of Xandar, capital of the Novo Empire, almost immediately.
"Yeah, but listening to the idiot worry about you was giving me a headache," Rocket glares pointedly at me as we take our position in-front of the huge Dark Aster, a Kree warrior ship, that dominated the sky in a deathly shadow.
"Let's get ready to rumble," I smirk as we watch two large rounds of gun fire deflect off the protective shields the large ship has. Instantly, Rocket and I are diving the ship beneath the fire that revolves around the front of the Dark Aster.
Swiftly, we have manoeuvred effortlessly through the skies to the rear of the ship to concentrate our fire on a an area Gamora identified that was frail. Two other ships joining us as we watched the exterior of the ship decay. It didn't take long, but the small hole we made was a delay in an already tight schedule.
"You're up, big boy," I smirk across the comms. Rocket fake gagging beside me at my suggestive comment, "What? I'm not lying if that's what your thinking,"
"You have a pretty messed up head, pretty lady," Rocket scowls as we retreat from the protection behind the ship and begin defending the surrounding area in hopes to make it slightly easier for Peter and the rest of the group to make it to our position.
"And you've only just figured that out?"
"Hey, I had to give you the benefit of the doubt and make sure fairy princess hadn't turned your head to mush too,"
"Rocket, that's my husband you're talking about... but he is a bit of a fairy isn't he?" we both burst out laughing at the conversation we were having.
Suddenly Gamora's voice is heard over the comms, "There's too many of them Rocket, we'll never make it up there!"
I look to Rocket in an almost offended manner, was I not incorporated within this plan at all?Opening my mouth, about to spit back a comment, my breath catches in my throat. Amongst all the chaos and madness that explodes around us, the glimmering ships of the Novo Corps appear. Their large numbers and tactical fighting helping to eliminate a impressive amount of Ronan's goons.
"They got my dick message!" Peter shouts ecstatically through the comms.
"And you didn't send me one!" I fake gasp. Placing a hand over my heart as if he had wounded me. My attention is drawn back to the fighting by Rocket, who had thrown a loose screw he had found on the floor at me.
"Quit it lady, or I'll have to shut your mouth,"
"Oooh, make me," I wink seductively at him as I open fire on an advancing ship. With a few precisely aimed rounds fired at it, the small ship falls from the sky like hail.
"You know, I used to wonder how you ever fell for Quill's lame pick up lines. But now I can see that it was you who did all the seducing,"
Winking at Rocket, we move further into the manic battle field that dominated the once beautiful sky of Zandar.
"Now you're getting the hang of it,"
The amount of explosions and the number of ships falling from the crowded sky was astronomical. No matter where you looked there was someone dying or falling to their deaths. The loss of life could have been preventable, if only we understood what we were dealing with from the start.
"Oh, man," Rocket solemnly says before our attention is snatched by the Novo-Corps as they begin locking into a beautiful formation that acted as a fluid, mosaic, shield. Using their own ships as a barrier to prevent the Dark Aster from diving onto the evacuating city. It was a futile attempt as the much larger ship continued to accelerate forward. The colony of minute ships almost being crushed under the formidable pressure.
Suddenly, the Necrocraft pilots begin dive bombing the city.
"No!" I gasp as I watch the many ships begin accelerating towards the innocent city. Yes, I was a criminal and having been kidnapped and rescued, I have lived a life of sin; it has been an exciting and happy life. But all this devastation reminded me of the day I was snatched by Thanos. Many, innocent, Asgardians, would have been slaughter that night in their attempt to take me. I would not let this happen to another city. Not when I can do something to prevent mortality.
"I'm diving the ship," I spit, my hands acting faster than Rocket could compromise and had us launching at breakneck speed towards the city.
"I'm glad someone was thinking what I was thinking," Rocket says as we begin shooting at the crafts that were imminent on their collision with the fleeing people of Xandar. Families cradling each other close in hopes their bodies could become shields to protects their loved ones in their final moments. Those people had more courage than Ronan ever could.
" Keep Ronan up there, Saal. We'll take care of the people down here." Rocket relays to the shield of Novo-Corps thousands of feet above us.
I gave a chuckle at Saal's referral to Rocket as a hamster.
"Everyone shoot them before they hit the ground," I commanded as we straddled over the water and began shooting up at the accelerating ships that hailed around us.
One by one, the ships surrounding us began to fall. Either being shot from their position or from being hit with the body of a ship that hadn't exploded during our onslaught.
"We need to do something," I whisper, my voice shaking and my hands trembling as I listen to Ronan condemning Xandar. The situation so similar to that fateful night Thaos took what he wanted, and ripped me away from my loving father.
"Rocket!" Saal gasped.
"Hold on, Saal-" He was cut off by the huge explosion of the heroic Novo-Corps being crushed beneath the driving Dark Aster.
"Odin's Raven," a lump forming in my throat at the annihilation occurring everywhere you looked.
"Quill, you've gotta hurry. The city has been evacuated but we're getting our asses kicked out here!"
"Gamora hasn't opened the door!" Peter replies, frustration evident in his melodic voice. At least I knew he was safe, for now. I had a suspicion that Nebula had accosted Gamora and fighting with her sister would be what was holding her up.
"They're taking too long!" I almost cry. Tears pricking at my eyes as I glace to Rocket. His beautiful face revealing what we had to do.
Possible suicide, but worth every second to save everyone else who have so much left to do with their lives than us measly outlaws.
I'm sure Peter would understand.
"Do it!" I spit before we're racing off high into the debris filled sky.
"Brace for impact!" I shout at Rocket as we collide with the Dark Aster at a calculated point.
The Milano smashing through the core of the humongous ship as the both of us gave battle cries and willed the bright orange and blue ship to carry us further.
I scream when we make contact with an unusually strong wall and the Milano breaks apart. My side of the ship breaking off and my chair being projected through the debris and into a dark corner.
Where I was crushed beneath the falling walls around me.