Peter's Flight (Fly Like an Eagle)
By NukaCola101
DISCLAIMER: All characters are copy righted by Disney/Marvel. I own nothing.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was inspired by a scene from a rather underrated 1990 Disney film to write this, especially since I wanted to write a story about young Peter growing up with the Ravagers. As to what Disney movie served as the inspiration, you'll just have to read the story to find out (feel free to include your guesses in your reviews or PM me if you get stumped)! Read and Review!
Two years. It had been two years (give or take, he wasn't sure). Young Peter Quill had been in space for what seemed like forever to the ten year old. The night his mother died was the night he was abducted by the band of space mercenaries known as the Ravagers. Their leader Yondu Udonta was a confusing guy. One minute he'd be threatening to serve the boy as supper to his crew, the next he'd be jovial about Peter performing a successful pick-pocket. The boy still didn't know what to make of his current predicament, but given all that had happened, Peter just did as he was told (most of the time).
The life of a space pirate was hard. Peter watched and learned from his newly adopted family of thugs that you took whatever job was given to you, no matter how mundane it was. The job Yondu was offered today was one that the blue-skinned man would call "a worthless endeavor". A rather eccentric millionaire named Keli'I with a hobby of hunting down rare, big game creatures contacted the Ravagers with a proposition.
"I want you to hunt down this unusual bird for me." The wealthy orange alien said, showing Yondu and his crew a picture of the animal.
The bird was a massive beast with golden feathers and a crisp white belly. It's plumage on its head was decked in brightly colored feathers that resembled an elaborate head-dress. The colors seamlessly blended with the gold. The ten year old let out a quiet "oooh" in awe over how magnificent the eagle-like creature was. It reminded him of something from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe; it was that fantastical!
Yondu was just as impressed as Peter and the rest of his band of thieves. "That's some impressive beast." He commented.
"I know, and that's why I need it for my trophy room!"
"Why us, if you don't mind me prying. You yourself have bagged your fair share of beasties." Yondu told the man.
"Well…let's just say I'm in some hot water right now and can't be bagging and tagging." Keli'l said, skirting around the issue.
Yondu cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. "You've gotten sloppy, my friend. Still, this is something the Ravagers normally don't partake in. We certainly don't hunt for sport or for the pleasure of anyone's deranged hobbies!"
"I'll pay you rather well!"
"Please! No amount of credits will get us to go bird hunting." Yondu scoffed.
"Boss, are you sure? We could really use the money now; our regular leads have dried up." Kraglin whispered to his leader.
"Wait for it…" Yondu muttered back, wanting to egg on Keli'l into offering a better payout to the group.
If there was one thing young Peter admired about the Centaurian was his way in handling business deals with potential clients. Yondu's charismatic personality was one trait Peter often tried to imitate. Yondu grew annoyed with the boy's attempts to act like him on occasion.
"Boy, stop acting like a smart ass!" the man would shout at the child.
"Sorry Yondu." Peter would sheepishly apologize. "I just…I just want to be like you."
"Aw, isn't that cute." Yondu said, smiling and chuckling over the Terran's admiration for him. "But if you go and act like that out in public, I will feed ya to my crew!"
With a swift slap to Peter's head, Yondu sent the boy away to finish his chores. Peter hated when the mercenary slapped him, but the child usually got on Yondu's good side very quickly and all was forgiven (until the next time Peter acted out, that is).
The millionaire eyed Yondu nervously. "Please, I beg you! All of my other contacts have refused! They even threatened to alert the Nova Corps of my previous actions!" he pleaded.
"Oh really? You know, we are also not on Nova Corps' good side too and if we screw this up, they'll arrest us in ten seconds flat!" Yondu stated.
"I can give you double—No! Triple what I had previously offered the others. See?" The extraordinary number of credits on the screen caused Yondu's entire crew to let out gasps of shock!
"Boss, that's a lotta dough!"
"We'll be set for a while!"
"We can finally get those upgrades for our weapons and the ship!"
Yondu eyed the number and let a cocky smirk appear on his face. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" He laughed. "You strike up a good deal, sir!"
"So you'll do it?" Keli'l said, unsure if Yondu was kidding or being serious.
"Eh, why not? I'd say catching some dumb ol' bird is a nice change of pace from our usual fare, right boys?"
The rest of the Ravagers (including Peter) let out ecstatic and joyful cries, eager to partake in their newly acquired job.
"Bravo! Bravo!" Keli'l cheered, happy to have convinced the men to take on his request. As he and Yondu conducted the contract, Peter sat with the rest of the Ravagers and listened with great interest and excitement over the upcoming mission.
"This is too easy! I can't believe our luck! All those credits for catching some dumb bird!"
"I know! But who care?! The first thing I'm gonna do with my cut is go and buy that gun I've been eying in the Xandar market for some time!"
"And we'll finally be able to buy real food instead of ration packs! We'll be eating like kings for weeks!"
As the men were busy telling one another what they plan to do with the money they would get, Peter tugged on Kraglin's coat to get his attention. The second in command looked down at the boy.
"What do you want, Pete?"
"Are you excited?! We're gonna get to capture that cool looking bird!" The child's enthusiasm made Kraglin smile.
"You're pretty cute when you don't sass back at me. But don't get too excited. You're not gonna be a part of this, boy."
"Why?" Peter inquired. He was disappointed and wanted to figure out why he wasn't going to go along with Yondu and his crew.
"You're too little. Plus, Yondu would kill me if anything happened to you." Kraglin knew that his captain had a soft spot for the Terran and wanted to ease the boy into the life of debauchery.
"But I've been training really hard!" Peter pouted.
"I know you have, but no means no." said Kraglin. The boy then kicked him in the shins and raced to where Yondu was. The blue man had just disconnected the call when he saw an angered Peter run up to him.
"Petie, what's up?"
"Kraglin said I can't go with you!"
"He did?" Yondu looked up and saw Kraglin limp into the room, wincing in pain and glaring furiously at the child.
"Come here, you little shit…" he growled at the ten year old. Peter dodged the man's reach and kicked him again. Yondu laughed at the site before him and then pulled the boy by the seat of his pants toward him and away from his first mate.
"Alright now, enough horsin' around you two." Yondu said. "Kraglin, leave us."
"Right, Boss."
After he left, Yondu knelt down to Peter's eye level. The ten year old glared at the Centaurian, his eyes burning with hate as he crossed his arms over his chest, pursing his mouth in frustration.
"Peter, you know better than to kick one of my crew members. You should've aimed for the family jewels." Yondu winked, hoping to make the child feel better.
The boy snickered a bit at the humorous suggestion by his mentor, but still had a grumpy look on his face. Yondu placed a hand on Peter's shoulder.
"I know you've been working extra hard at your pick-pocketing skills and whatnot, but this assignment is not for a boy your age."
"Why?"
"That bird will make a meal outta ya."
"You say that to me all the time and it never happens." Peter did have a point.
"Unlike me, that bird isn't as generous as I. However, Kraglin wasn't telling you the whole truth. You are still comin' with me and the guys, but I'm gonna give you a special assignment." Yondu told him.
The idea of his own very own mission made Peter grin with delight. "You really mean it? My own mission I can do all by myself?"
"Indeed I do. But it's a surprise. I'll let you know what it is when we get to our destination in a few days. Now, run along and don't harass my men anymore for today, OK Pete?"
The child nodded. Yondu then shooed away the boy. As Peter scurried past Kraglin, the man looked at Yondu with a disenchanted look.
"I'm gonna have to babysit him again, aren't I?"
"Yup. But what I've got planned will keep the brat so occupied he won't even care about that beastie we're gonna be huntin'."
A few days later, the Ravagers' ship landed on the planet their target was on. According to the information Keli'l had given them, the group was given three days to capture the bird; no more, no less. This short time frame was crucial, as it was to not draw attention that would alert the Nova Corps. Keli'l also told the Ravagers that he wanted them to make a clean kill when the animal was captured. The millionaire wanted the bird to be in excellent condition for the taxidermist to stuff and mount the animal for his trophy room.
Yondu took a deep breath of the fresh air, glad to be out of the stuffy spaceship. "Just like old times." he reminisced to Kraglin. The group's early days of thievery involved long camp outs in the woods as they hunted down their targets.
Peter looked out at the forest before him. Since living in space, the memories of Earth that the Terran had where starting to fade, but Peter was determined not to let them completely disappear. Since the Ravagers where going to be camping during this assignment, the child recalled his grandfather taking him camping once, right before his mother became very ill. Peter liked it when the elderly man taught him how to fish, going for walks in the woods and sitting around the campfire making s'mores. Maybe he could do similar activities with his new caretakers.
"This is gonna be so awesome! While you are after that bird, can we do some camping stuff like fish and make s'mores?" Peter asked Yondu and Kraglin.
"I'm not sure what s'mores are, but I think what I'm gonna give ya is gonna be better than those things. Kraglin, go get that box we pulled out storage earlier."
Within the span of a minute, Kraglin returned with the long box Yondu had mentioned. The mercenary captain let the boy open the package. Inside was a BB gun-like weapon.
"Surprise!" Yondu cheered. "You're gonna learn how to handle a gun!"
"I am?" Peter looked down as the weapon and smiled. "Cool!"
"Uh, are you sure he's ready?" Kraglin grew concerned.
"I'm sure. The earlier he gets used to handling a gun, the better! Besides, this'll keep Petie here outta my hair while me and rest of the crew are out hunting down that stupid bird."
Yondu watched as Peter picked up the air gun and aimed it as he made firing noises. The man couldn't help but be charmed by the young boy's excitement over the toy. Suddenly, Peter accidentally fired the gun. The three watched the BB bullet ricochet off the various supply crates and make a direct hit at one of the crew members. The pea-size bullet hit the man's backside and sent the thug to his knees.
"My ass!" he shouted in pain.
Yondu, Kraglin and Peter had stunned looks on their faces. Peter gazed up at Yondu, fearing he was going to be scolded for his actions. But instead of a heated, annoyed scowl or a slap to the face, the blue Centaurian burst out laughing.
"You're a natural, Petie!" he howled. The child grinned with glee. Kraglin sighed and went over to his friend to see how bad his injury was. Luckily, it was just a nick, but it was going to leave a rather nasty bruise on the man's butt cheek.
Over the next day or so, Peter had gotten a good handle on the gun Yondu had given him. Kraglin had set up practice targets for the ten year old to shot at. While he still was disappointed that he couldn't go with Yondu and see the giant bird up close, Peter liked how the leader of the Ravagers wanted him to become more proficient in weaponry.
Kraglin was hesitant at first with Yondu's plan to let the boy learn how to use a gun. While he did agree with on how the BB gun was going to occupy Peter and take his mind off interfering with the Ravager's mission, the first mate was quickly impressed by the Terran's ability to handle the toy gun with ease.
"Very good, Peter." Kraglin praised as child managed to hit all three targets dead center.
"I can't wait to show Yondu when he comes back." said Peter, beaming with pride over his successful shots.
As Kraglin was busy setting up the next row of targets, he wondered when his leader was going to contact him. It was getting near the end of the Ravager's mission and still no sign of that feathered beast! He was beginning to grow anxious over the impending failure of the assignment when Kraglin's radio flickered on. Peter swiped the radio before his caretaker could and answered the page.
"Kraglin, you there?" Yondu's voice came over the speaker.
"It's me, Peter. Did you catch the bird? Can I see it?" the child eagerly asked.
"Put Kraglin on." "OK." Peter then handed the radio to him.
"What's the news, Boss?"
"Brake out the booze, Kragie. We bagged ourselves a birdie!" Yondu exclaimed.
"Yes!" the man yelled. "Meet you in ten minutes." Kraglin said and ended the transmission. As the second in command went back to the ship, Peter trotted along his side, pestering him.
"So can I see the bird? Can I, can I?"
"Let's see what the Boss says when we met up with him." Kraglin stated as he and the ten year old grabbed their things and headed to the rendezvous point to see Yondu.
When they met up with the blue-skinned man, he told the two that the bird had put up a good fight, but the Ravagers managed to tie it down after shooting several net loaded harpoons at it. "We secured it pretty well, so that bird ain't going anywhere." Yondu mentioned.
"Can I see it now, Yondu? I've been practicing with the gun you gave me and can hit all my marks well. I've done what you wanted and I was hoping to see the bird, if that's OK with you." Peter asked growing impatient.
Yondu looked down as the boy, his face showcasing just how restless he was becoming. He really didn't want to take the boy over to where the bird was, but maybe by fulfilling his request would shut him up.
"OK, come on Pete." Yondu said and took ahold of Peter's hand. The ten year old obliged and walked with Yondu.
They had climbed up a very steep hill that lead to a high landing that overlooked the Ravager's campsite. On the landing, Yondu presented the bird to the boy. Peter's eyes widened with curiosity. The creature was massive, even lying on its side after being tied down by the thugs. The picture didn't even compare to how the bird looked in real life. Even in the early evening sunlight, the bird's gold, white and rainbow-colored feathers where magnificent to look at. Peter noticed the bird's beak was taped shut.
"Why is the bird's beak taped?"
"That bitch kept pecking at us all the time we were huntin' her! Had to sew her mouth shut, so to speak. Don't worry Peter, she still can breathe." Yondu explained.
The ten year old noticed the unhappy look in the bird's eyes. He knew that the millionaire wanted the bird for himself as a trophy in his hunting room, but the boy wished that the beautiful beast didn't have to die for the greedy alien's wish to have such a spectacular prize. He let go of Yondu's hand and tried to go comfort the bird, but his caretaker yanked him harshly away from the animal.
"Don't you dare touch her!" Yondu sneered at the Terran.
"I'm sorry. She just looks so sad…"
"It's just a dumb animal, leave it be! Now, let's head back to camp before Kraglin and the others decided to trash the place due to be too drunk to remember anything." said Yondu as they took their leave.
While walking away from the gigantic avian, Peter glanced back at her one more time. Her sad eyes looked directly at him, begging the child to help her escape her captive bonds. Her haunting gaze was all Peter could think about as he sat by the campfire once he and Yondu returned to the campsite. While the Ravagers celebrated their successful capture with what seemed like a never-ending flow of alcohol and drinking songs, the boy wondered what he could do to not only help the poor bird, but also make sure his adoptive family got their payout too. As he was lost in his thoughts, two of the grown men were talking about the bird when their conversation caught Peter's attention.
"I bet that bird has a nest somewhere around here. Imagine if we could find it. Think about the extra credits we'd get for the eggs!"
"You're right! Especially since that beast is rare and all…"
That's it! Maybe if he helped the bird escape, Peter could find the nest and steal one of her eggs to give to the crazy millionaire. That way, the bird wouldn't have to die and the Ravagers could get their payout!
If the boy knew one thing about the Ravagers is that when they drank in victory, the men drank like it was the end of the world. Thus, after depleting all the alcohol, the adults where soon in a drunken stupor and slept hard, snoring peacefully. The ten year old had awoken in the early morning just as the sun was starting to appear in the sky. Quietly tip-toeing over the men sprawled in various states of sleep, Peter made sure to take his knife and secure it in its scabbard on his hip. The knife was a gift from Yondu, as it was one of the first things the child received when he began his training as a Ravager. Looking at the path ahead, Peter started the climb to where the large bird was being held.
It was tough, but Peter managed to reach the landing. The sun was growing brighter and shown its rays on the bird. Carefully he walked over to her, not wanting to cause the enormous avian to thrash about and hurt itself.
"It's OK." Peter whispered. "I'm not gonna hurt you."
The bird looked at the boy, unsure what to make of him. The Terran slowly, and with some hesitation, placed his small hand atop the animal's head.
"There, there." He hushed. "It's gonna be OK." He gently stroked her feathers, all with a caring smile on his face.
The creature blinked as the child with the messy auburn hair gingerly petting her. Sensing that the boy was not an immediate threat to her, the bird closed her eyes and nudged her head closer to Peter. Smiling, Peter continued to pet the creature, gaining the animal's trust.
"You're a pretty bird." Peter told her, to which the bird let a low coo be her response. "I'm gonna remove the tape from your beak. Please don't squawk loudly or Yondu will hear."
Gently he ripped off the tape that enclosed the avian's beak. After removing the last of the tape, the colossal creature moved its beak a few times, happy to have the sticky stuff off its face. True to Peter's word, the bird remained quiet and didn't alert the camp below.
The child grinned. "Now, let's get you out of those ropes."
He removed the knife and eyed one of the stationed ropes pinning the animal down. A quick glimpse of the knife in Peter's hand made the bird begin to squirm due to being panicky. Peter noticed the bird growing restlessness over the knife in his hand.
"No, no! I'm not gonna stab you! I'm only gonna cut the ropes." he said, trying to calm the bird. But she continued her nervous disposition.
"Please!" begged Peter. "I don't want to have Yondu kill you. I only want to help you."
The creature relaxed, but still looked tense. Working quickly, the boy began to cut the binding ropes. He managed to release a few of them when he heard Yondu call out for Peter.
"Peter, where the hell did you go?! You get back here or so help me…"
The Terran hustled his work. The bird noticed the child's quickened pace and grew fidgety again.
"No! Please calm down!" Peter harshly whispered to the animal as he was done cutting the last rope.
With a pluck made by the freshly cut rope, Peter had finished his task. Now the avian was able to stand!
"You're free!" he happily cried.
With a strong flap of her wings as she rose from the ground, the gargantuan beast knocked Peter off the ledge and sent the boy falling. Now in free fall, Peter screamed at the top of his lungs, now frightened he was going to meet his end.
Meanwhile at the camp, Yondu and the rest of the men had heard the bird's cries. They snapped their heads in the direction of the sound, only to witness the creature knocking poor Peter off the ledge.
"Son of a bitch! Peter!" Yondu yelled and started to race toward where the animal and the boy where. The rest of the Ravagers followed their leader, hoping to reach the child in time before he fell to his death.
As he was falling, Peter closed his eyes, hoping for a miracle. A loud cry from the bird, the sound of wings beating against the air…then landing on something soft. Gripping hard, Peter dare not open his eyes; he was afraid to look. He then felt the sensation of gliding. Could it be? Yes! He snapped his eyes open and gasped. The bird had managed to catch him and was now flying him to safety! The ten year old took in his surroundings. Now on the creature's back, the bird was flying over the Ravager's camp, heading north.
From the ground below, the men stood dumbfounded as they watched the once captive beast rescue their young ward from his death. The boy was riding on the bird's back, staring in surprise at what had happened to him.
"I don't believe it." Yondu muttered as he watched the bird fly away. "I don't fucking believe it…that little shit is gonna pay, BIG TIME! Get your asses in gear, boys!" the Centaurian pirate shouted at his crew. They weren't going to let that damn beast out of their grasp!
Far ahead of the extremely pissed off thugs, the ten year old was enjoying his ride on the massive bird's back.
"Let's go higher!" Peter cheerfully said to the avian.
She then rose up into the clouds with ease as Peter laughed. The view took the child's breath away. He often wondered what it was like to be a bird and fly high above the ground. And now he was experiencing it firsthand. This feeling was incredible; Peter liked the easy speed of flying through the sky on the giant animal's back as she glided across the open space. It was thrilling, exciting and wonderful.
Peter managed to glance down at the land below. It was a little disconcerting at first. The temporary fear of being up so high caused some distress. But knowing the bird would make sure that he was safe, the Terran child took in his new viewpoint better. The land below reminded Peter of miniature models, like the ones he would use when he play pretend as a giant monster that destroyed the city. As he watched the land underneath him pass by while he was flying on the bird's back, Peter realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. He would never get another chance to fly like this. So Peter drank in everything, not wanting to forget this incredible flight with such an endangered creature that had gained his trust.
After some time, the bird made a sharp turn to the left toward a cliff. Peter saw that in between the rocks a ledge had been formed by the rock. And on that ledge was a nest. The massive animal spread her wings wide and landed gracefully into the nest. Leaning down slightly, she let the boy climb off her back. Peter stood next to her and patted her lightly.
"Thank you." He told her and saw what was inside the nest with them.
The ten year old was hoping to find some eggs that he could take back to the Ravagers. Instead of eggs, the nest was inhabited by the avian's young. The three chicks still had their down feathers and looked fluffy in their white and grey plumage. They were as big as a medium size dog; Peter could wrap his little arms around them!
The chicks chirped in excitement when they saw their mother. They soon quieted when they noticed Peter.
"Hi there. I'm Peter." He hoped his friendly greeting would make the chicks warm up to him.
The babies raised their heads to their mother, wondering if this strange visitor to their nest was friend or foe. She then nudged Peter forward to her offspring, letting both parties know it was OK to be near one another. Peter raised his hand at the chicks, who tensed up. But one of the chicks bravely let the child place his hand on its head, allowing Peter to pet him. As he softly stroked the baby bird's head, the other two saw how friendly the Terran was and began to cuddle against the boy. Peter chuckled, liking how similar the giant chicks where really like the dogs back on Earth.
An idea came to him. He unclipped his Walkman from his belt loop and showed the chicks his most prized possession.
"My mom gave this to me." He told the animals. "You can listen to music on this."
Removing the headphones that rested on his neck, Peter gingerly placed them on one of the chick's head. He smiled humorously at the site before him; the baby bird looked silly wearing the Walkman. He removed the headphones from the chick and securely replaced the tape player back on his hip. The chick then nuzzled against Peter once more, who hugged the young bird. The mother bird watched her young with the Terran with satisfied stare, glad to see her children accept the human's friendly demeanor.
"So you're part beast now, Petie?" a familiar voice interrupted the tender moment.
The child looked up and saw Yondu and the rest of the Ravagers standing above the nest, weapons ready to strike down the bird. A wicked smirk was on Yondu's face as he stared at Peter.
"How'd you find me?!"
"Well, tracking that bird was a challenge, but that's not really important. I was so sure that I was going to have to box your ears after that little stunt you pulled, Pete. Now after discovering this…I think our client is gonna have to change his tune." The man saw the chicks as a better opportunity to earn some extra credits.
"No! Please don't kill the bird or her babies!" the ten year old pleaded to Yondu. He pulled the chicks closer to him as the mother bird spread her wings wide and let out a threatening screech toward the mercenaries.
"Sorry Peter, life isn't fair." Yondu said as he readied his whistle arrow to make the clean kill at the adult bird.
"Yondu, why?! The babies need their mom! Don't let them be without a mom…don't let me be like me!" Peter hated using his own horrible memory of his mother's passing as the catalyst to stop his mentor from making a terrible mistake.
Yondu looked at Peter. The boy put on a brave face, willing to defend the chicks and their mother by sacrificing himself for them. The child's empathy for others was a trait that Yondu liked about Peter. But it was Peter's comment about how if the Ravagers' killed the mother and orphaned her chicks made the blue-skinned man reevaluate his goals. Yondu knew that the Terran child missed his mother dearly; he would often hear the boy whimper in his sleep, tears on his face over the sad memory. Was it worth making another creature feel the pain of losing of a parental figure, despite Peter's own mother died from sickness and the chicks where about to see their mother be slaughtered in front of them by Yondu's arrow? For all the tough love he gave to Peter, the Centaurian did love the boy as if he was his own flesh and blood. Peter was the son Yondu secretly wanted (and in a sense, lucky) to have.
Kraglin noticed his captain's reluctance. "Boss, are we gonna bag'em and tag'em?"
Yondu's concentration was broken and he gave Kraglin a vicious stare. "Kraglin, call off the boys. We're going home."
All the man could do was give Yondu a dumbstruck gaze at him.
"Do you need to have your ears cleaned out?! I said move out, jackass!" The blue-skinned man snapped.
"Y-Yes Boss!" Kraglin stammered and told the rest of the bandits to stand down. A few grumbled over the sudden change in plans, to which their leader shouted rude comments their way.
As the rest of the Ravagers made their way back to base camp, Yondu was left alone with Peter and the avian family. Peter was in shock over Yondu's decision not to kill the giant creature or her young. For as long as he had known the man, Yondu always finished whatever task he took. To find out his caretaker threw in the towel on this assignment was new for Peter. The man saw the stunned expression on the boy's face.
"Boy, are you just gonna stand there or do you wanna get out of that nest?" Yondu called out to him. "Coming!" Peter said.
He let go of the chicks and was about head to the edge of the nest when the mother bird stopped him. Peter noticed that the bird was trying to protect him from Yondu, as she did not trust him after what he did to her.
"It's OK. I have to go with him. He takes care of me like you take care of your babies." The boy explained.
"The kid is right, birdie! Peter's gotta come with me." Yondu told the massive avian. The creature appeared to glare at the mercenary in hate.
"I know what Yondu did to you was wrong, but he just now promised not to hurt you or your babies." The child said. Peter then wrapped his arms around the grand bird's neck, hugging her. "I'll never forget you." he said as he buried his face into her soft feathers.
The bird nuzzled against Peter lovingly. She then pulled a loose feather from her body and dropped it at the Terran's feet. He accepted the gift and smiled at her before turning to Yondu. The blue man reached toward the child and managed to pull him up out of the nest. He then noticed the golden feather the beast gave to Peter in the boy's hand.
"Hang on to that." Yondu told Peter as they made their way back to camp. "I will." Peter promised.
The two were quiet for some time after that. Yondu and Peter walked side by side, minding each other's company. Peter wasn't sure if what he said helped Yondu in deciding not to kill the mother bird and her chicks, but he had to find out…
"Yondu…did I really convince you not to kill the bird or her babies?" Peter said to him.
The bandit looked down at his young ward. "Always the inquisitive one now?" he replied, smiling. "In a way, you did Peter. You were right about killing the mother; those little chicks would not only lose their mother, but perhaps the only adult that could take care of them."
"I'm glad you didn't kill her." Peter said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "The baby birds would have been so lonely without their mom…I know what it feels like to not have a mom anymore."
Yondu noticed the child's glum tone. "I know you would have stopped me and the guys no matter what. If there was one thing I've always liked about you Pete is your sense of justice. You are willing to do the right thing, even if it means pissing off people like me."
The ten year old nodded. "Thank you. So…am I still in trouble?"
"Oh believe me Petie, you are! That millionaire is not going to be pleased when we don't show up with that bird he wanted!" Yondu said sharply to his protégé.
"But I tried to fix it! I thought if I could steal on her eggs, then the bird wouldn't have to die! But that didn't work."
Yondu laughed. "For the better, I suppose. Now, about your punishment…"
Years later…
The adult Peter was busy cleaning his cabin aboard the Milano. He was going through his dresser drawers when he pulled out an old cigar box. Wondering what was inside; Peter removed the lid and looked inside. Among the various knick-knacks and random bits of junk was a bird feather. The feather was a little worn and it had lost its once bright golden color, but remained intact. Peter picked up the feather, trying to figure out why he had it in the first place.
Suddenly, the memory from his childhood of the giant eagle-like creature and becoming friends with her popped into his head. He had a pleasant smile on his face as Peter recalled flying on her back high in the sky and meeting her chicks. As he twirled the feathers in his fingers, the hero wondered if the rare animal was still alive or if her children were still around. As the Terran was thinking about it, Drax was walking by and noticed the dull gold feather in Peter's hand.
"Ah, friend Peter! Where did you get that feather?" Drax asked.
"Hey Drax. Funny story about this." Peter held up the object. "When I was a kid, I saved this large bird's life from being turned into a taxidermy trophy for some crazy alien. She gave me this as a thank you for saving her and her chicks lives."
"Interesting…do you know what was so special about that creature you saved as a boy?"
"All I knew at the time was that it was rare and endangered."
Drax asked Peter if he could get a better look at the feather. The former thief handed it to him and Drax studied it carefully.
"I recognize what species of bird this feather belongs to. I believe it is called a Giniw." He said as he handed the feather back to the Terran.
"Giniw?" said Peter.
"Yes. It is named so because of the golden color of the bird's feathers, but it also has been known to have other colors as well."
"I do recall the bird having feathers like a rainbow on her head. So what does make the Giniw so special, Drax?"
"Peter, the Giniw is said to represent a sign of those who have great spirit and are victorious in my culture."
"You mean to tell me that giant bird could predict that I was destined to be something great?"
"I have no doubt that the creature you rescued from being killed sensed the good in you, Peter. The Giniw normally shy away from others, sans their own species. When a Giniw chooses to let itself be seen by others, it means that something important will be coming."
"Huh." Peter looked at the feather once more in his hand. The great bird was right. The little boy who had saved her and her young had indeed grown up to become something great. Peter had become a Guardian of the Galaxy and saved many lives from various threats across space. And the man would continue to be victorious and seek to right the wrongs of his enemies no matter the situation before him.
THE END