PART 1 OF 2
I promise part 2 will NOT take a month, but this became much longer than any of my others and well I like a little suspense so I'm breaking it up. I also wanted a chance to write from Kraglin's perspective as well as Peter. PROMPT REQUEST- Peter is kidnapped, I've had quite a few of you ask for this so I really hope you like what I did. CONTENT WARNING- I didn't go into detail, but just a warning that Peter's taken by child traffickers.
Kraglin honestly couldn't've cared less about stopping on Contraxia. The planet was boisterous and dirty, full of loose women and robot courtesans, practically indiscernible from each other. It wasn't that he completely despised the place, the First Mate just didn't enjoy the shoulder to shoulder atmosphere of the drinking establishments, or the loud, thumping music, he could definitely do without the flashing neon lights. So maybe Kraglin really didn't like Contraxia that much at all, but the Captain was convinced he'd enjoy it as he got older, saying it had more delights for men who'd passed their prime.
"Hey, Pete," Kraglin caught the gangly boy in the hallway after leaving his room with his heavy coat and gloves, "heard we're headed t'Contraxia?"
"Yeah," Peter's smile was full of excitement, the teenager loved making stops no matter where it was, "We're almost there!"
"I was thinkin'," Kraglin began, "you maybe wanna go sleddin' again?"
Peter shrugged, "Maybe, but Yondu said if I can see over the bar I can go in, 'n last time we were there I could almost see over the bar 'n I was like that tall then," he held a flat palm just above his hip, massively overexaggerating how short he'd been less than a cycle before, though admittedly he'd grown quite a bit.
"Yeah," Kraglin conceded his agreement, "but y'r'still gonna be small compared t'everybody else there, them places are kinda rough."
"I can handle myself, Kraglin," Peter scowled.
"Not sayin' y'can't, Pete," the First Mate insisted, "Just sayin' it might be good t'have a back up plan if the bar ain't all the fun y'think it'll be. Plus, they ain't gonna serve ya anyway. Where's the fun?"
"Horuz 'n Gef 'r gonna get me drinks," the boy said snidely.
"Does Capt'n know that?" Kraglin asked quickly.
"He won't care," Peter crossed his arms nervously.
"I bet he will," Kraglin challenged.
"C'mon, Krag," the young teenager whined, "Don't rat on me! Please?!"
"I won't, kid," the First Mate said indignantly, "but if y'think Capt'n ain't gonna notice you've knocked back a few y'r'crazy."
"I'll be fine," Peter scoffed, but raised his eyebrows in anticipation, "Will you come with us? They said they have games, that's the only reason I really wanna go."
"Yeah, maybe," Kraglin shrugged, "For a little bit at least."
"Cool," Peter said with an excited smile.
"We're comin' into the atmosphere soon," the First Mate jerked his head towards the control room at the end of the hallway, "C'mon."
"Hold on," Peter hurried into his bedroom, not bothering to close the door as he dug his heavy coat, hat and gloves out of the mess that was the boy's closet and snatched his Walkman off the unmade bed on his way out.
"Y'r'ready?" Kraglin smirked as Peter awkwardly pulled his coat on with one free hand while holding his hat and gloves between his chin and chest and trying to shove his Walkman in his pocket.
The boy made an agreeable grunting sound in response and the First Mate scoffed lightly before turning towards the command room at the end of the hall. Peter walked with him to the front of the ship, situating his belongings as he did, and they took their seats behind the Captain's chair.
"You boys strapped in?" their commander asked gruffly.
"Yes, sir," they answered together just before buckling their seatbelts.
The Captain's blue fingers tapped the hologram screen next to him, sliding and swiping until he found what he was looking for and, after he pressed a green circle in the corner, the screen disappeared. The Eclector lurched a little as the nose dipped and Contraxia was getting nearer every moment. Glancing to his left, Kraglin noticed the goofy smile that always spread across Peter's face when they descended, or were taking off, or if the boy was allowed to pilot, heck Peter just loved to fly. Kraglin grinned to himself, proud of the kid's talent at the controls, he'd taught him most of what he knew after all. Breaking through the atmosphere, Kraglin heard a stifled giggle from Peter and couldn't help a small chuckle, surprised the teenager still got so excited at something so typical to the First Mate, but he liked seeing Peter enthusiastic and hoped he'd always take pleasure in the little things.
As usual, the Captain set the giant ship down expertly and Peter tossed his seatbelt off, jumping to his feet the moment the Eclector shuddered to a gentle stop.
"C'mon, Krag," the boy said, shuffling towards the hallway, "Let's find Horuz 'n Gef!"
"Woah, hold up, kid," the Captain grunted as he pushed himself out of the pilot's chair, "Where y'think y'r'headed?"
Peter whipped around on their commander with a scowl, something that instinctually made Kraglin's stomach lurch, expecting the man to explode at the insubordination, but the Captain had much more patience for Peter than the rest of the crew.
"The bar," Peter said slowly, "you said I could."
"Did I?" the Captain raised an eyebrow and Kraglin knew he was messing with the boy, amazed that Peter still didn't realize after all the times he'd fallen for it, though it was funny to watch him get riled up.
"Yes, you did!" Peter exclaimed, "You said I could go in the bar if I can see over it-"
"Guess we'll hafta see then, huh?" the Captain nearly smiled, but managed to keep a straight face.
"Yondu!" Peter almost stomped his foot, but Kraglin caught him consciously lower his boot gently from the few inches he'd raised it off the floor and tried to calm his voice, "Horuz 'n Gef were gonna take me, I already told them I could."
It was finally too much for the man and his pointed teeth flashed as his expression broke into a chuckle, "Yeah, yeah, whatever, kid, I know what I said," he shook his head before setting his red eyes on the First Mate, "Watch out f'r'him, Kraglin, make sure nobody tries t'give him any booze."
Kraglin forced his eyes not to roll and held a heavy sigh in his chest, "Yes, sir," well, there went his nonexistent plans.
"C'mon!" Peter said eagerly, pushing Kraglin towards the hallway.
"Jeez, Pete, relax," the First Mate scoffed, taking a quick side step so Peter nearly toppled over as the force he was applying to Kraglin's back met thin air, "I'm goin', I'm goin'."
Kraglin walked only slightly faster than his usual pace towards the open hatch, taking a little pleasure in the disgruntled looks Peter was tossing over his shoulder as the teenager tried to hurry him to the exit. It seemed the entire crew was clamoring to get through the hatch at the same time, causing a tight congestion at the end of the hallway and Kraglin couldn't help a small laugh when the Captain slowly strode up behind them while Peter bounced on his toes and barked at the Ravagers to move faster.
"You boys goin' t'Medusa's Inn?" the Captain asked, slipping his heavy fur gloves over his blue hands.
"S'what I figure, sir," the First Mate nodded, "I just got roped into this, guess Horuz 'n Gef made these plans with him."
"Well, you just watch him, alright," it was an order, not a request.
"Yes, sir," Kraglin nodded again, "Pete just wants t'play the games they got, I'll make sure nobody serves him 'r nothin'."
The Captain offered a curt nod, but nothing else.
The crew was finally dispersing through the open hatch and Kraglin followed Peter into the snowy field they'd landed on, remembering his first trip to Contraxia after being with the Ravagers for only a few months. He'd been around Peter's age now, but Kraglin had never had the opportunity to be as innocent as the boy. Peter had come to them as a child and, while he'd certainly seen some traumatic things, the Captain and First Mate had a sort of unspoken understanding to keep Peter's goodness as intact as possible.
That wasn't to say they didn't encourage plenty of underhanded skills, Peter was an extremely stealthy thief and a good fighter for his size, not to mention he had the makings of a crafty negotiator. Kraglin was often stunned by the way Peter could convince other Ravagers, sometimes even the Captain, into doing things for him, hell, he'd found himself wrangled into helping the kid with chores on far more occasions than the First Mate would care to admit. He envied Peter for his silver tongue, talking had never been one of Kraglin's strong suits.
He hadn't spoken much to anybody before sneaking aboard the Eclector, there wasn't much of anybody to speak to when he'd lived on Xandar. Skipping from behind one shop to another when the proprietor would notice his presence and chase the little orphan away. There had been an older lady who'd taken pity on him once, but, when her husband realized she was bringing him leftovers from their dinner, young Kraglin had had to sprint from the back door of the shop before the man reached him with a large knife that still had a chunk of meat hanging from the blade. The First Mate shook his head at the memory, remembering at the time how that small bit of dangling meat had teased his thoughts the rest of the day, unaffected by the viscous attack.
Peter had run a little ahead and Kraglin grinned to himself, bending to cup snow between his hands, forming it quickly into a large ball, "Hey, Pete!"
The boy turned around at the perfect moment for the snowball to smack right into his already rosy cheek and Kraglin laughed, hard.
"Y'r'dead!" Peter yelled, though there was a distinct giggle in his voice.
Neither wasted a moment, gathering snow in their gloved hands while keeping an eye on the other. Peter didn't have Kraglin's patience, tossing his ball hardly a moment after he'd formed it and a cloud of snow filled the air between them as it disintegrated before even coming close to its target. Kraglin chuckled as he hurled a well packed snowball at Peter, catching the boy in his gut.
"Hey!" Horuz's gruff voice yelled and the two looked at him waving his arms at the edge of the field, lights from the city flashing in the sky behind him, "You two comin' or what?!"
Kraglin and Peter shared a smirk before calling together, "Yeah!" and dipping down the moment Horuz turned his back, gathering more snow in their hands.
The First Mate pressed and smoothed the snow in his gloves a bit more deliberately than he had before, knowing Peter was watching and mimicking his actions. The two stifled their laughter, each cupping their snowball at their side while walking towards the end of the field.
Gef had joined Horuz and the two were joking about something, a perfect moment of distraction and a target for each. Kraglin raised his eyebrows at Peter and the boy's pink cheeks framed a mischievous smile just before they both took aim and the First Mate's snowball smashed into the side of Horuz's head while Peter's broke apart on Gef's thick neck.
In their moment of hysterical laughter, Kraglin and Peter almost didn't realize how quickly Horuz was approaching on them, Gef was busy trying to shake the snow out of his collar, but the other man had recovered instantly, and he was not happy.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Horuz barked without a bit of amusement in his tone.
"It was just a joke, Horuz," Kraglin insisted, still laughing, as he dodged the older, slower man's lunge.
"I'll show you a joke," Horuz growled and snatched at Peter, but the boy scurried away, hiding behind the First Mate.
"Aw, c'mon, Horuz," Gef scoffed, digging his hand down his collar and pulling out a chunk of snow between his fat fingers, "Y'r'shirt didn't even get wet, 'n it was kinda funny."
"See?" Kraglin urged, pushing Peter as he backed away from Horuz, "There's plenty'a snow, no one's stoppin' you from gettin' us back."
"Oh, I'll get'cha back alright," Horuz said sinisterly.
"Hey, I'm thirsty over here guys," Gef yelled.
"After you," Horuz jerked his head and Kraglin side-eyed him while pushing Peter to walk towards the city in a diagonal away from the angry Ravager.
"Is Medusa's Inn the same place we saw Horuz last time?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, Dusa's is kinda the hang out here," Kraglin said.
"Y'r'gonna have a great time, Pete," Gef assured him, a bit out of breath from the small hustle to Kraglin's side, "Horuz tells me the ladies tend t'like y'too huh?"
Kraglin felt his nose hairs crack with the frigid cold when his nostrils flared, but he bit his lip on the bitter words he wanted to say, having already assumed the only reason Horuz would offer to take Peter anywhere was for his own gain.
"I dunno," Peter shrugged.
"He's a natural," Horuz commented without a trace of anger in his tone, "Trust me, the girls just find him, they think he's cute 'r somethin'."
Gef scoffed, "Why?"
"Hey," Peter scowled.
"Sorry, kid," Gef shrugged, "I just don't see it, y'r'kinda funny lookin' t'me, but y'r'pro'lly in that awkward part'a growin'."
"Puberty," Peter said slowly.
"What'd you call me?" Gef seemed honestly offended.
"No, Gef," Kraglin shook his head, "that's what Terran's call that part'a growin' up."
"Oh," Gef nodded before furrowing his brow at Kraglin, "How the hell d'you know that?"
"That book Capt'n has," the First Mate shrugged, "Kinda interestin', their cultures 'n all, just sort'a read it."
"All of it?" Peter asked in awe.
"It took me a little while," Kraglin admitted.
"That thing's huge!" Peter laughed.
"Like I said," Kraglin just more than muttered, "it was kinda interestin'."
"Well, boys," Horuz extended an arm in front of himself, directing their attention to the main strip, specifically the overflowing bar on the corner, "I find this incredibly interestin'. What say you?"
"I say drink," Gef strode towards the bar, clapping a hand on Horuz's shoulder and dragging his friend along.
"C'mon, boys!" Horuz called.
Kraglin looked down at Peter and sighed, "Y'sure y'wouldn't rather go sleddin'?"
"Nope," Peter grinned and the older rolled his eyes before gripping the boy firmly, yet gently, by the back of his neck and pushed him through the crowd into the bar after Horuz and Gef.
Kraglin shook his head in the smoky haze of the drinking establishment, blinking a few times as his eyes adjusted to the flashing colored lights in the mostly darkened room. Peter leaned into him a bit as they passed the bar where a particularly dense group of patrons were crowded, but Horuz and Gef managed to snag a table near the back and the two pushed their way towards them.
"Pete," Gef pointed to a line of brightly colored machines, "Win me some money, huh?"
Peter's eyes lit up and he shuffled towards the singing machines, but Kraglin grabbed the boys collar, effectively stopping him in his tracks.
"Y'got money?" Kraglin asked, remembering Peter depleting his small amount of funds the last time they'd stopped on Xandar.
"I've been savin' from the last few jobs," the boy said a bit indignantly.
"Y'wanna order somethin' t'eat first?" Kraglin rolled his eyes, still not relenting Peter's collar as the teenager tried to tug out of his grip.
"Oh, yeah I guess," Peter shrugged, following Kraglin to the booth and sliding in next to him, "What'd they got?"
"You'll love it, kid," Gef insisted, "everything here is fried in oil, real comfort food, ain't very good for ya I bet, but man it tastes good."
"Hey, guys, what can I-" the pink skinned waitress paused at their table and her bright blue eyes stopped on Peter as she smiled, "Oh! Well aren't you adorable!"
The boy blushed, his cheeks nearly matching the waitress's natural tone, but Kraglin caught Horuz nudge Gef with his elbow across the table and the First Mate expelled a quiet sigh.
"Is he y'r'little brother?" Kraglin was surprised to find the waitress's question directed at him and choked on his words.
"Uh, sorta, I guess," Kraglin managed finally after clearing his throat, "somethin' like that."
"I'm a Ravager," Peter told her with a bit of bitterness in his tone.
"Of course you are, and certainly one of the best lookin' ones I've seen in here," the waitress crooned and Kraglin grimaced at the slight condescension, knowing a bruise to Peter's pride often resulted in boiling of his anger.
"He's got a ways t'catch up with me," Horuz chuckled, earning a little snarl of disgust from the pretty woman.
"Can we get an order of the fried ost?" Gef asked with a smile, but winced when Horuz's elbow caught him in the side under the table.
"I'll put that in," she nodded, "Drinks?"
"We'll take a round," Horuz said gruffly.
The waitress raised on eyebrow and shifted her gaze first to Peter and then Kraglin.
"Y'all still make that bubbly shake thing?" Kraglin asked.
"The Reebtoor?" she smiled.
"Yeah, that's it," Kraglin grinned back, nodding at Peter, "He'll take one'a those. You'll like it, trust me."
"I'll get that in for ya," the waitress winked at the First Mate, but her smile faded as she turned away, catching Horuz's eye before leaving the table.
"Well, Horuz," Gef laughed when she was out of earshot, "y'weren't wrong about the kid, but I think y'r'gonna need more help than that."
Horuz responded by punching Gef in the shoulder, hard, "Shut up, Gef."
"She was smilin' at you Kraglin," Gef continued in an attempt to further infuriate Horuz, but also succeeded in making the young man's ears turn a light shade of red.
"Shut up, Gef," Kraglin mumbled as the waitress approached with a tray of drinks.
She set Horuz's and Gef's in front of them quickly before putting Peter's down with another grin, but she let her smile linger on Kraglin while her hand stayed on his drink for a few moments longer than it should have.
"Are you just here for the day?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah," Kraglin stammered a bit after realizing she was addressing him, "Pro'lly be back in the air in the mornin'."
"Well, I'll be outta here in a just a little bit," she shrugged her shoulders almost nervously, "maybe I could show you around."
"I've been here lots'a times-" Kraglin's statement stopped as he inhaled sharply at the pain in his shin and caught Gef staring wide-eyed at him across the table, "but, yeah, y'know, I'd uh, love to, I just gotta watch the kid here."
Gef loudly insisted he was very capable of watching the boy at the same time Peter exclaimed he didn't need anyone to watch him. Kraglin felt warmth rise in his cheeks, but the waitress just giggled.
"Well, if you change y'r'mind," she offered another wink to the First Mate and walked away from their table.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" Gef laughed, hardly before she'd gone.
"Me?" Kraglin scoffed, "Y'nearly broke my leg with that fat foot'a yours!"
"I don't need a babysitter," Peter grumbled, still stuck on his own part in the conversation.
"Pete," Kraglin sighed, "Capt'n asked me t'keep an eye on ya, we're just hangin' out, nobody's callin' you a baby."
"Does a hell of an impression," Horuz growled before sipping his drink and Peter responded with a rude hand gesture.
"Y'like that?" Kraglin nodded at the frothy beverage in front of Peter, trying to change the subject.
With a scowl still on his face, the teenager took a swig. He wiped the foam from his lips to reveal a near smile, "Awesome."
"Thought y'd'like it," Kraglin said, "Capt'n used t'get me those when I was 'bout y'r'age, though these assholes still snuck booze in 'n I'd be walkin' back t'the ship sideways by the time we left."
Horuz and Gef chuckled and Kraglin was happy to have lightened the mood.
"I'll never forget when you lost y'r'liquor all over the Capt'n's boots!" Gef laughed, clapping a hand on Horuz's shoulder as the other Ravager joined in his amusement, Kraglin considered he may have lightened the mood too much.
"Oh, hell was he mad!" Horuz commented in between laughter, "I thought he was gonna skin ya!"
"If I remember right," Kraglin grumbled, "he wasn't too happy at all'a you who helped get me there."
"Naw," Gef shook his head, his laughter subsiding, "but it was worth the beatin' t'watch that."
Kraglin had to keep himself from scowling across the table, remembering the day quite well despite his inebriation, although he was much soberer after vomiting on the Captain's feet. Their commander had dragged the boy by his collar through the hatch of the Eclector and had no less than thrown him in the little cell that had been his room at the time, barking the order to 'get y'r'self together' and leaving the shivering teenager alone. He'd seen the evidence of the beatings a few of the crew members had endured at the enraged Captain's hands, though none of them seemed truly any worse for the wear. Kraglin, however, remembered so clearly the belt lashing against his backside he could almost feel it when the memory crossed his mind. It had been the second time the Captain had punished him, definitely the most severe of those two, and he was determined never to feel it again. Which he'd successfully accomplished until Peter showed up and encouraged the First Mate to disregard an order, though Kraglin couldn't fault Peter for a decision he'd made and had accepted his first strapping from the Captain in quite some time after Peter broke his leg. He'd have preferred a beating, like the rest of the crew received, but his experienced leader had shut down the idea without reason and belted the young man until tears flowed freely. That, Kraglin was sure, was the last time.
"Y'hearin' me, Kraglin?" Horuz said loudly and the First Mate shook his head from the trance of bad memories.
"What?" he asked.
Horuz sighed, "I said, y'better be plannin' on meetin' up with that girl later. She's a sight, 'n if she works here she ain't got time t'be a trick."
"A what?" Peter asked.
"Nothin'," Kraglin said automatically.
"Y'know what a prostitute is?" Horuz's question was louder than Kraglin's response and Peter nodded at the man, "Just another word for 'em."
"Thanks," Kraglin rolled his eyes.
"What?" Horuz scoffed, "He ain't a little kid, that's stuff he should learn."
"Yeah," Peter agreed with a soft slam of his fist on the table and Kraglin shifted his gaze at him with a raised eyebrow, assessing the gangly boy to his left.
He was nearly Kraglin's height and showing signs of maturity in his face, though a few, small pimples under the fuzz on his chin maintained his youth. The two had been keeping track, since determining the approximate time difference on Terra, and Peter was almost fourteen now, still full of boyish tendencies while stepping closer to manhood every day. He wasn't sure if it was the idea of Peter becoming independent that scared him, or if the teen's ageing reminded him constantly of his own, but Kraglin didn't particularly like how quickly the kid was growing up.
"Just don't be showin' off any new vocabulary t'the Capt'n," Kraglin warned.
"No shit," Peter muttered and the First Mate couldn't help a smirk catching a little darkening in the colors of his cheeks.
"Y'gotta go out with her, Kraglin," Gef insisted, "You deserve some fun."
Kraglin nodded his head to the side a little as he conceded to himself that that was true, but the Captain had told him to watch out for Peter.
"Kraglin," Horuz said gruffly, "I got the kid, you go with that girl."
"I shouldn't," Kraglin said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Krag," Peter sighed, "I'll be fine, really. She's pretty, you should have some fun."
"She is pretty," Kraglin smirked, glancing towards the kitchen where the young woman was putting a hot plate on her tray.
"Just go," Peter urged, "I'll be fine."
"Y'sure?" Kraglin felt his stomach twist with guilt as he asked.
"Kid," Horuz raised on eyebrow and lowered his voice, staring hard at Kraglin who he only occasionally still called 'kid' when he was trying to make a point about being older and more experienced, "Go, y'r'gonna regret it if y'don't."
"Might regret it if I do," Kraglin muttered, keeping an eye on their waitress as she expertly maneuvered through the crowd.
"We'll make sure the prince here gets back t'the castle safe," Horuz jerked his head at Peter who snarled, but had nothing to say to refute the claim, if the Eclector was a kingdom the teenager would most certainly be the prince.
"Order up," the pretty pink girl smiled at Kraglin and Peter as she set the fried ost in the middle of the table, "Can I get you boys anything else t'drink?"
"I'll take another," Horuz pushed his empty bottle to the end of the table and stared impatiently at Kraglin.
"I, uh," the First Mate stammered as he began, but gained confidence when his eyes met hers, bright blue and smiling at him, "if the invitation's still open, I'll take y'up on that tour."
"I'd like that," the girl's complexion turned a near purple, "I'm Nassina."
"Kraglin," his voice cracked just slightly as he introduced himself and Kraglin's ears burned hot.
Nassina's smile widened and she whipped around, leaving their table faster than she had previously. Kraglin expelled a heavy sigh, though he felt anything but relieved.
"Oh man," Peter groaned and the First Mate turned to the teenager stuffing a third, fried ball in his mouth, "veese are so good!"
Kraglin hardly had any of the fried ost, his attention constantly dragged away by Nassina as she wove in and out of the crowd around the bar. Peter asked if he could finally go play games and Kraglin had barely registered the question before waving him away absently, the teenager had promptly bolted to the flashing machines.
Nassina caught his eye in the crowd and pointed to the front exit with a sneaky grin, Kraglin nodded his understanding with a similar expression.
"Maybe I should-" the First Mate began.
"Go!" Horuz and Gef yelled together.
"We've got the brat," Horuz nodded in the general direction of the lottery machines.
Kraglin sighed, offering the Ravagers a grin of appreciation and slid out of the booth. He shifted until he caught a glimpse of Peter, happily pounding the screen of the game on the end nearest the table and considered if he should let the kid know he was leaving, but when Peter threw his head back laughing as the machine flashed and buzzed excitedly, Kraglin figured he'd let him have his fun too.
Nassina was standing beyond the crowd out from of Medusa's Inn, her furry white coat contrasted well with her pink complexion and her blue eyes were even brighter in the foggy light of late afternoon. He had no idea why she wanted to spend time alone with him, but Kraglin was happy she did and an unintentional smile refused to leave his face as he approached the pretty girl.
Peter had no idea why Kraglin would've wanted to take him sledding again when the bar was finally an option. He knew the First Mate wasn't a huge fan of the party scene, but found it hard to believe he couldn't enjoy the rambunctious atmosphere once in a while. When Horuz had invited him along to Medusa's Inn before they landed on Contraxia, Peter had been wary of the offer, but when Gef insisted he join them the teen felt more at ease. The dopey, goggle-eyed Ravager had never been mean to him or joined in with those who were. Still, he wanted Kraglin to be there, just in case.
That did not mean, however, that he needed Kraglin to watch him and found himself rather offended when Yondu insisted the he keep an eye on Peter, Peter was sure the First Mate would've stuck around just to hang out, but then Yondu had to make it an order. Of course, like all orders Peter received or witnessed from the Captain, its simple presence made the boy feel the need to rebel against the command, regardless of how reasonable it may have been. So naturally, when the opportunity presented itself for Kraglin to abandon him for a few hours, Peter urged him to take it.
The games at Medusa's Inn were nothing like the arcade machines he'd played on Earth, these were much more advanced and extremely graphic. After nearly having his bangs singed off by the dragon he was supposed to be stealing treasure from, he'd switched to a different game. It seemed most of the patrons gave up on the machines after losing a few units, but Peter found himself winning as often as he lost, allowing the teenager to play nearly unlimitedly and spent a little while on each machine as he moved down the row.
After earning slightly more than he'd started with at the last game, a piloting simulation, Peter shoved his money in the inside pocket of his thick coat and turned to find Gef and Horuz. Another group was sitting at their table. Peter looked around, though it wasn't easy to get a good look in the dense crowd, most of which was significantly taller than him. He pushed his way towards the exit, his gut sinking at how much darker it was outside than when they'd arrived, not to mention there was no sign of Horuz or Gef no matter which way Peter turned his head.
He took his hat and gloves from one of the several pockets in his warm coat and shoved the hat on his head, pulling the gloves on as he squeezed through bodies until finally finding the end of the crowd.
"Screw those guys," Peter grumbled, unsurprised Gef and Horuz had left him at Medusa's Inn, but still hurt.
He grabbed his Walkman from another pocket, shoved his headphones on and started walking through the city, back to the massive field hosting the Eclector for the night. Listening to Come and Get Your Love, Peter wished he'd told Kraglin to stay, but that thought made him feel guilty and then replaced that wish with hoping he was having a really good time with Nassina. She was very pretty. Peter found it a little strange that he'd think a girl with pink skin was pretty, not that there was anything wrong with that, it just wasn't exactly the norm where he was from, but after visiting so many planets and meeting different species of mamalien, Peter supposed it was perfectly normal for him to find all types of girls pretty. Especially now, now he sometimes found the monotoned voice in his language programs attractive, goddamn hormones.
A hand gripping his shoulder made Peter jump as he tore the headphones off his ears and turned away from the unfamiliar approach, greeted with the sight of two very tall men, both so pale skinned they nearly matched the snow surrounded them.
"Hey, kid, you lost?" the one with cool hazel eyes asked.
"I'm fine," Peter said confidently, but he felt his chest beating faster for some reason, perhaps because he'd gotten far enough away from the congested part of town that the few witnesses around were not exactly reliable for any sort of assistance, he could still hear the song playing in the headphones clutched in his fist.
"Y'r'with some guys earlier?" the other asked, his dark green eyes seemed almost honest, but Peter knew better.
"I told'ja I'm fine," he said again, gritting his teeth together to avoid his voice shaking.
"Y'sure?" the first scoffed, "Cause they're lookin' for ya."
Peter's eyebrows raised reflexively and he considered for a moment that these men were telling the truth. He was nearly back to the ship, Horuz and Gef could meet him there. On the other hand, however, if Horuz and Gef were still having fun at the bars and Kraglin was out with Nassina, it might be the perfect chance for Peter to have a drink, or three.
"Where are they?" he asked the pair of pale men.
"We're headed back there," the one with almost honest eyes jerked his head in invitation, "C'mon."
Peter hesitated for a moment, inherently reaching for his blaster, but it wasn't there. It had been an argument between him and Yondu the moment he'd told the teenager they were stopping on Contraxia. The Captain was convinced Peter would do something stupid with the gun, refusing to concede the ruling despite Peter's insistence that he wouldn't use it unless he had to, even Kraglin had tried to defend him, but a sideways glare from Yondu had shut the First Mate up quickly. So here he was, in a decision to trust two strangers who, despite his exceptional fighting skills, could probably overpower him, and the kid didn't even have the stupid taser blaster. The ship seemed a better option and Peter was wishing he'd gone sledding instead.
"C'mon, kid," the other one insisted and the bitterness in his tone solidified Peter's decision.
"Naw," he shook his head, backing away a few steps, "If y'see 'em you can tell 'em I went back to the ship."
"Alright, I'm done," hazel eyes growled, lunging at Peter and seizing him by the wrist.
"GET-" Peter began to yell and attack the man, but the other quickly joined and the skinny teenager found himself smothered by a thick fur mitten, his arms and legs pinned.
He wriggled and twisted as much as he could, biting into the glove as hard as he could, hoping to find the hand beneath. The men hissed at each other, but Peter's ears couldn't focus on the words as anything more than sound as he fought with everything he had, unable to breath under the thick fur. In an unexpected moment, the glove fell away and Peter gasped, but, before a scream could erupt from his lungs, a fist connected with the side of head and the world went black.
Peter's head throbbed. He was laying on his back, not wanting to open his eyes, hoping he was in his room, but knowing he wasn't, Yondu wasn't in the habit of tying the kid to his bed. Voices finally piqued his interest enough to squint, wanting to find the source of the conversation before the speakers noticed he was awake.
"How?! HOW could you do this!" a deep, angry voice Peter had never heard before sounded close, but the further he opened his eyes and peered around the room, there was no one else there.
There was, however, a partially open door, offering the only source of light in the dark room.
"You said you wanted kids!" Peter recognized the hazel eyed man's voice.
"You KNOW what Ravager flames look like!" the powerful, angry voice barked.
"We told'ja," Hazel Eyes tried, "we couldn't see his jacket, I ain't ever seen a kid in a Ravager crew. Them fellas he was hangin' around didn't seem to want to have much to do with him, figured he was just a kid tryin' to hang with the men."
"Sir?" the other, the one Peter had thought looked like he had a hint of kindness in his green eyes, spoke timidly, "What should we do with him?"
"I don't damn well know yet, you idiot!" the angry man called Sir snapped.
"Should we put him with the rest'a the kids?" Green Eyes asked.
"I said I don't know!" Sir yelled, "Damn you both!"
"We didn't wanna get into the kid side'a this," Hazel Eyes grumbled.
"What did you say?" Sir hissed.
"I just," Hazel Eyes stammered, "we were doin' fine with the girls, y'know, 'n at least they, like, agree, but kids, it's just," his words trailed into nothingness or he was speaking so low Peter couldn't hear no matter how hard he strained, sliding his rope-like bindings on the metal bed frame quietly.
"Just what?" Sir's question cut through the air, silencing even their breathing, and Peter halted his wrists, "Well," the seething man continued, "Just what?"
"Nothing, sir," Hazel Eyes muttered, "I'm sorry."
"My clientele's preferences are none of your business," Sir said firmly, "I have not sacrificed any of my other business ventures for this one, it is simply in addition to what we already offered, an off the menu item, only those who want to order it know about it."
"And you're okay with that?" Green Eyes's question was so honest and full of dismay Peter almost felt bad for him, almost.
"Their preferences are not for your judgement either!" Sir shouted and Peter heard two hard smacking sounds, followed by the gasps and quiet whimpers of both men, "Now," Sir began again calmly, "I want you to take that boy back to wherever the hell it is you found him. Rough him up a bit, they'll think he just got jumped."
"Yes, sir," both responded and Peter's heart raced, moving his wrists against the metal frame faster, sure he'd heard the soft snapping of rope fibers.
"Make sure nobody sees ya," Sir ordered, "last thing I need is some Ravager faction blackmailin' me for cash every time they stop through."
Peter heard footsteps approaching the door just as the bindings on his right wrist shredded from the friction against the sharp metal and he pulled at the other, snapping it with just a little extra force. Just as the door opened, the teenager snatched a broken metal pole leaning against the wall under a grimy window, shoving the jagged end towards the surprised men.
"You touch me I'll kill you," Peter managed to keep his voice from shaking by gritting his teeth and growling the threat.
The pale men's eyes widened at the teenager, both stopped just inside the doorway, but shoved aside in a moment as another man, half their size and hardly more muscular than Peter narrowed his eyes dangerously on the boy.
"Don't mess with me you little-" the angry, little man began.
"Or what?" Peter scoffed, his fear fading at the sight of someone he could easily best in physical combat.
"Maybe you don't make it back to your crew," Sir said in a calm, yet terrifying voice, sending a shiver down Peter's spine, "Look, kid," he took a step towards the teenager and Peter raised the pole, but the thin man seemed unaffected by the threat, "My, associates, here, made a mistake. You are not the right fit for our, work force."
"Kids?" Peter scoffed angrily, "What're you nabbin' kids off the street for?"
"Nothin' that concerns you," Sir answered patiently.
"Like hell it doesn't," Peter growled, "I'm here. I'm concerned."
The man chuckled and shook his head, "Most'a the Ravagers I know don't like to involve themselves in things that aren't going to make them money if they can help it. So, are you a Ravager or a hero?"
"Both," Peter said firmly and his ears perked at a distant noise, it sounded like his name.
Sir's head turned slightly and Peter knew he'd heard it too, neither quite sure what it had been until Peter heard the most wonderful, gravely bark of Yondu bellowing his full name, "PETER JASON QUILL!"
PART 2 COMING SOON! THANK YOU FOR READING!