My last attempt. I hope there will be no surprises with this chapter, because I really wouldn't want to keep doing this stupid "remove chapter/post chapter" after every four hours.

The ultimatum

Yondu approached Kraglin, making him and all the bandits in the bar nervous, and looked him in the eyes. And his stare was intensive, full of boiling anger that threatened to burst out.

"What do you mean by 'he has been kidnapped'?" Yondu hissed.

The mechanic straightened himself up. It wasn't the first time he screwed up. He realized quickly that a hard work in fixing the problem was the best policy after screwing up in Yondu's crew. So now Kraglin told his boss about everything that happened and everything he had learned from his short investigation. He could clearly see how Yondu's glance was becoming more and more intense. When the mechanic finished, his boss brought his face closer and suddenly there was only a minimal distance between Yondu and Kraglin's eyes. But right after that the blue alien took two steps back and, turning back at him, said:

"You had one job! One job, Kraglin! You were supposed to watch for that kid, so he won't do anything reckless!" Yondu turned his face on Kraglin. "And what did you do?! You let yourself lose sight of him, with a stranger none the less! I would never believe that you could be so stupid!"

Kraglin flinched few times under those thunders striking him on and on. He waited for the moment when it would be his turn to speak. And he knew that this moment will come sooner or later.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to the kid by this point?! He can be lying dead in some ditch by now! And all of this, because you were lazy!"

A moment of silence. Yondu gave a heavy sigh, meaning that he let off most of the steam. According to Kraglin's experience, now his boss cooled enough to listen anyone's arguments. That was the time to speak.

"Excuse me, Yondu, but I don't think that's the case."

"Why do you think that?"

"The guy who kidnapped Quill used gas to knock him unconscious. He had to have a back up, because Quill isn't light as feather. Besides, dragging the kid in public would rouse the suspicion. So a group of people abducts a little boy from public place. They put an effort to find him, drug him and take him somewhere. They don't want to kill him, at least not immediately. They clearly have plans for him. I'm not saying those plans aren't sinister but we have some time to find him, before things will get really nasty."

Yondu didn't seem to be convinced. Kraglin could see many emotions in his boss' red eyes. Emotions that he wasn't showing frequently. And seeing all those emotions, Kraglin felt even worse about the kidnapping. The whole crew had some suspicions as to why Yondu decided to adopt Peter and why he was sometimes treating him so… tenderly. The captain himself claimed that since kid was a Ravager as all of them, they have to take care of him, until he will be old enough to take care of himself, however, everybody could see that there was something else, something more than a simple care for a crewmember. No matter how much Yondu was denying it and no matter how much the rest of the Ravagers were pretending they didn't see it, it was still there.

A sudden realization hit Kraglin. Something he hadn't thought out about earlier. The mechanic was always considered the most loyal member of the Ravagers. Yondu trusted him and depended on his opinion during sticky and dangerous situations. He even made him his second in command. That day Kraglin has been trusted with protecting Peter.

There are two reasons, Kraglin. One: because we can't let the kid run around just like that; and two: because I say so.

There was also the third reason. For Yondu there was nobody else he could rely with such delicate matter, than Kraglin.

And Kraglin had failed him.

But then those red eyes narrowed and suddenly there was only one emotion in them – determination. Yondu straightened himself and spoke to all of his men:

"Well then, let's find Quill. First we will find him, and then I'm gonna kill him for being stupid enough to get himself kidnapped."

Peter woke up in a dark place. Before he even opened his eyes, he felt a dull headache. Not from some kind of head injury but from the inside. Next thing he felt was that his hands were tied up. When he tried to move them, his legs immediately moved along, and that was the moment when Peter realized that the loop with his hands was connected by not so long rope with the loop around his ankles. That, on the other hand, was forcing the boy to sit in a position of bent arms, legs and back. And he already was feeling sore.

But he opened his eyes. The place seemed to be some kind of basement, or at least some dark and small room with the only entrance being stairs on the far side of the boy. Peter himself was sitting in the corner of cold, grey walls. The only source of the light was a neon-like thing above lonely table.

And at the table there were sitting two Arcturans playing cards. One glance at the guy on the right and everything clicked into its place. Kraglin agreeing on leaving him in the arcades, him playing until an Arcturan spilled soda on him, said Arcturan offering himself to dry boy up, the sudden feeling of sleepiness in the drying cabin… It all came back to Peter, making him realize the horrible truth.

He has been kidnapped.

First there was the Anger. How it happened that he forgot about the "stranger danger" thing?! That's something that kids his age know very well – you don't talk with strangers, you don't take anything from them and you don't go with them anywhere, because they might be child molesters or serial killers. And if four years in space taught him anything, is that strangers can also eat him. So one could predict that after all those training he wouldn't be such an idiot. But nope – he went with a stranger. Very wise of him. Very intelligent. When this whole thing will end, Ravagers will consider him even greater jackass. He could already hear Yondu's jeers.

But to be fair it wasn't entirely his fault. Kraglin was supposed to watch over him. That was his damn job, yet he didn't do anything when some suspicious Arcturan took Peter to the bathroom. The mechanic was so absorbed with machines he wanted to buy from Palder that he didn't seem to care where his charge was going. So yeah, there was an argument to use during Yondu's scolding him.

Peter was going to look for a way to escape, when suddenly…

"Hey, Dorr." The Arcturan at the left side of the table spoke to the one on the right. When he finally caught Dorr's attention, he pointed at the boy with his eyes.

Dorr. So that's how his captor was called. Peter observed how the tall Arcturan nodded to his comrade, then stood up and said through the device in his left ear:

"Mister Phalbar, the Terran woke up."

Somehow Peter could hear mister Phalbar's response from the distance between the corner he was in and the table Dorr was standing next to.

"Excellent. I think it is time for a phase two."

"Pell." Dorr turned to the Arcturan on his left. "You know what you have to do."

Pell raised from his seat and left the room, taking the stairs. Few seconds later he was gone but someone else entered the "basement". It was an Arcturan too, but he was shorter than most Arcturans Peter had ever met. He was skinny, wore a nice, white suit that reminded the boy of some kind of Latin American mafia boss (but without the stylish hat). Black hair, thin mustache and an elegant cane only fulfilled the image. Dorr was clearly looking at him with respect. Peter didn't have to think twice. This guy had to be mister Phalbar.

Mister Phalbar approached his man and Dorr nodded to him with understanding. Then Phalbar gazed at Peter with a light, rather disturbing smile and came to the boy. He observed the prisoner for a few seconds and Peter started to make guesses as to who was this guy. For now he put his bets on "slave dealer".

Then Phalbar grabbed his cane with one end and – not coming even an inch closer to the boy – lifted Peter's chin with the other end.

Slave dealer, thought Peter. Definitely a slave dealer.

"He is not very muscular." Phalbar said to Dorr and turned his gaze back on the prisoner. "Are all Terrans like that?"

"My guess, sir, is that it depends on the specimen." Dorr replied. "Some are strong, some are weak. And all children are generally weak."

"What do you think, Dorr? How many units people would give for a Terran?"

"I don't know, mister Phalbar. However, this child is probably the only Terran in this part of the galaxy."

"Interesting…"

Slave dealers. That's period.

"Still," Phalbar turned his back on Peter and approached his underling. "we should be careful. We do not know what it could have learned from this Centaurian scum."

Centaurian scum. Peter had heard it once or twice, while travelling with Ravagers. That was how some people were addressing Yondu (either consciously or completely wasted). Peter even asked what's a "Centaurian" (the "scum" part was obvious to him, because the kid was sometimes called a "Terran scum") and Horuz explained to him that Yondu was from Centauri-IV, therefore he was a Centaurian.

Peter didn't know if it was the fact that he was called an it, or if his captain was just insulted in front of him, but he decided to finally speak.

"Hey, geniuses!" He called after Arcturans. When they turned their eyes on him, he proceeded: "You've just got yourself into a deep shit."

"Well, well, well. So it can also speak." Phalbar smiled again but then wore a fake indignation. "And such a foul language comes from that mouth…"

This comment didn't make any impression on Peter.

"I don't know, who do you think you are" He continued, frowning. "but you should know better than capture me."

"And why is that, little Terran?" Phalbar for the first time in this whole conversation said something to Peter, not to Dorr. And the things kid was going to tell him…

"Hello-o!" He only regretted that he couldn't open his arms or do any other, more complicated gesture. "The red coat? Bunch of badass thieves? Crazy Centaurian, who can kill you with a whistle?"

"So you believe that Ravagers will come to your aid?" Phalbar cut in, smiling. "You really think that Yondu will rescue a weakling like you?"

This comment, on the other hand, made Peter speechless. There was something in the way Phalbar had said it that made the boy not so certain.

"O-of course he'll do!" He finally spilt it out but his voice was a bit shaken.

Phalbar's smile got even wider as he spoke, calmly and smugly:

"We will see, Terran weakling. We will see."

Yondu had a plan. He wanted to start his search for Peter in the place the boy has been abducted from. But when the Ravagers approached the shop next to Palder's place, they had been interrupted by Pell.

"You must be Yondu." He said to the blue alien.

Yondu eyed him with suspicion, remembering Kraglin's story, but when he looked at his mechanic, Kraglin shook his head. The Centaurian turned his gaze back on the Arcturan, before pushing him aside and directing towards the shop.

"Sorry. I have no time for talk."

The Ravagers followed their leader, and for a few seconds Pell was observing their distancing backs.

"I have an information about the Terran!" He said behind them.

Suddenly they stopped. Yondu turned slowly to Pell and looked at him with a frown. And then he whistled. A thin, long arrow behind his belt slowly raised up, took a horizontal position and then quickly flew to Pell as Yondu was still whistling. The arrow stopped right in front of the Arcturan's face and his eyes were fixed on the arrow's blade. Then Yondu approached Pell.

"I'm all ears."

For a few seconds Pell was just standing, turning his gaze form arrow to the blue pirate, before he finally took a deep breath and drew out from his pocket a small communicating device. He clicked few buttons and when a screen spread in front of them, the Arcturan finally gave the device to Yondu. Few seconds of static and finally the screen was showing mister Phalbar in the dark room.

"We meet again, Yondu Udonta." Phalbar said.

"Do I know you?" Asked the Centaurian.

The man on the screen didn't seem familiar to him at all. However, Yondu already hated his smug smile and fancy suit.

"Why yes, we do know each other, Yondu." Phalbar smiled even wider. "My name is Phalbar. Fifteen years ago you have stolen something that belonged to me."

"Any details?" Yondu raised his eyebrows. "I've stolen many things in my life. It's hard to keep track on what belonged to who."

"Oh, I can refresh your memory." Phalbar said and drew out something in front of screen.

It was something small and most of the Ravagers couldn't make out what was that, but when Yondu saw it, it did refresh his memory. Now he knew perfectly what was what he had stolen from Phalbar fifteen years ago. Suddenly he remembered the whole theft. He even remembered the fun he had while committing it. But now… now he had a bad feelings about what Phalbar was going to say or do.

"Either way" Phalbar said, turning Yondu's attention once again on himself. "since you have stolen something from me, I have stolen something from you, too."

He moved a bit to the side, revealing tied up Peter. Yondu's bad feelings has been confirmed and he felt coldness on his spine. Peter, on the other hand, looked at the screen and for a moment he and Yondu were observing each other.

Phalbar continued:

"I would like to arrange an exchange. The thing you have stolen fifteen years ago for a Terran. You must agree, Yondu Udonta, it is a fair trade."

Yondu's eyes gazed from Peter to Phalbar.

"And what if I don't have it, anymore?" The Centaurian asked.

Phalbar chuckled.

"Then I will keep the Terran." He turned his gaze on his hand as if he suddenly found an interest in his own fingernails. "At least until it will start to bore me. And believe me, I can get bored easily. There is also a million ways to dispose of body on Xandar." Suddenly Phalbar got serious and looked Yondu in the eyes. "You have three days to bring back what you have stolen. It is more than enough for such skillful trader as yourself."

"It's a dangerous game you're playing, Phalbar." Yondu hissed.

"Well, you have invited me to play fifteen years ago." Phalbar said and added: "Give me a call, so we will be able to arrange our meeting."

He disconnected.

Phalbar smiled and turned to his underling.

"Have you seen his face, Dorr?" He said with a small smile. "It was an expression of sheer annoyance."

"Yes, sir." Dorr replied. "But I'm not sure if three days…"

"It can go three ways, Dorr." Phalbar directed towards the stairs. "One: he will oblige to the ultimatum. Two: he will decide to sneak here and retrieve the Terran. And finally three: He will abandon that useless thing. I'm prepared for all of those scenarios."

They were both at the entrance. Phalbar left the room and suddenly there was only Peter and Dorr. Dorr went down and returned to the table to eat a lunch.

Peter, on the other hand, realized that the whole situation is more horrible than he thought. Well, not as bad as getting into a clutches of serial killer or child molester, but still very bad and very complicated. There was also that one little thing that made Peter disturbed.

You really think that Yondu will rescue a weakling like you?

Phalbar might have left the room, but his words stayed.