"If we're gonna get outta here, we gonna need to get into that watch tower," Rocket explained, pointing to the watchtower in the middle of the room. Clint glanced to it and frowned as the group headed toward an empty table that Bucky had already claimed for them. It was what the place currently considered breakfast time right now and so the area was just about jam-packed with other prisoners. Typically, Clint and Bucky would grab their food and head back to their little cell but with Gamora, Quill, Rocket and Groot now hanging with them it would be a bit more difficult. Drax was on the other side of the room, darkly watching over Gamora. "And to do that, I'm gonna need a few things. The guards wear security bands to control their ins and outs. I need one."
"Leave it to me," Gamora offered before Clint could say anything. In front of them a few people started to get closer. They looked like they wanted Gamora, thinking she wasn't with them. Well, they thought wrong. Clint lifted his head, daring them to do anything to any of them. When Bucky and Clint first woke up it had originally only been Bucky that everyone had feared of the two of them. Until they separated Clint from him once. Thankfully by the time they did that, the Aether and Clint had already seemingly made a peaceful arrangement. These prisoners weren't after the Aether so it wouldn't defend itself, trusting that Clint could defend himself for them both. After that they all left him alone.
"That dude there. I need his prosthetic leg," Rocket added, pointing to one of the other prisoners. Clint glanced over to the guy and then over the leg. It looked to be a very simple device. Mostly a metal pole with ball bearings for the knee and ankle. Clint frowned at it. What would he need that for? That made no sense.
"His leg?" Quill questioned having seemingly come to the same conclusion.
"Yeah. God knows I don't need the rest of him. Look at him. He's useless," Rocket announced even as the group began to sit down at the table. Bucky narrowed his eyes at the raccoon and pointedly made sure to bring notice to his arm. Rocket swallowed tightly but didn't back down. Missing an arm didn't seem as useless to Rocket as missing a leg. Bucky rolled his eyes.
"What do you need the leg for?" Clint demanded more curious then anything. Rocket looked to him, surprised to be questioned on it again. "I don't want this to be another arm incident. What do you need it for?"
"Wanted to see the dude try and walk on one leg," Rocket admitted with a shrug. Clint pursed his lips as Quill arched an eyebrow. Bucky shook his head and sighed. Why did he decide to follow these people? "And, some of the mechanics inside could be useful."
"Useful for escape?" Clint pressed. Rocket huffed and shook his head. While the parts could actually be useful, they weren't needed to escape. Mostly, Rocket had only demanded to see the guy trying to walk with one leg. Maybe, if there was time he could take the leg and see it.
"Fine, spoilsport. Last piece, on the wall back there is a black panel. Blinky yellow light. You see it?" Rocket huffed. Everyone looked over to the area before back to Rocket. It wasn't hard to spot, in fact Clint had told Bucky before that that looked important. Both of them had then had a conversation about the easiest and hardest places they remembered breaking into followed by missions gone bad.
"Yeah," Quill said for everyone. Rocket nodded as Groot turned and looked back to the panel again.
"There's a quarnex battery behind it," Rocket started and before anyone could ask, he held up a paw. Clearly Rocket was used to hanging with people who wouldn't understand complicated mechanics. "Purplish box. Green wires. To get into that watch tower, I definitely need it."
"How are we supposed to do that?" Gamora wondered as Groot started to walk away. Bucky looked up to watch the tree while he half took in the rest of the conversation. Clint leaned forward, curious as too how Rocket planned on them getting this battery.
"It's twenty feet up in the air and it's in the middle of the most heavily guarded part of the prison," Clint needlessly pointed out. Rocket nodded, knowing the dangers. But it was the only option he could think of. Hell, it was the best plan cause it shut down the whole station while leaving them the ability to move about and lock people away that might also be able to move around.
"I got this one plan. A plan that requires this frickin' quarnex battery."
"When do you need it?" Bucky wondered, leaning back to watch Groot pull the panel off the tower and toss the metal aside. It clocked a passing inmate before clattering off into the distance. The noise drew Drax's attention, getting him to walk over to watch. Bucky arched an eyebrow, glancing to the inmate as the man fell to the floor before focusing on Groot.
"Once the battery is removed, everything is gonna slam into emergency mode. Once we have it, we gotta move quickly. So we definitely need to get that last," Rocket informed, ignoring Bucky's question for the moment. Bucky made a face even as Groot reached upward.
"Too late," he commented just as Groot pulled the battery free. Alarms immediately started as Rocket spun to look at Groot. The tree smiled and proudly displayed the battery in his hand.
"Seriously?" the racoon demanded in a shocked tone. Clearly he hadn't expected Groot to do anything. Bucky winced wondering if he should have done something to actually stop Groot rather than simply watching. He looked to Clint, giving the archer an 'are you serious' look but the archer wasn't looking at him. Clint instead was staring at the others with a determined look.
"Quill, go with Gamora to get the band," Clint ordered as a bunch of flying robots flew into the area. There were bots that continuously flew around the prison but none of those seemed to be bothered by whatever these new ones wanted. They aimed themselves at Groot, preparing for attack before the tree did anything. Apparently more than willing to take Clint's order, Gamora and Quill nodded before they got to their feet and rushed off to find a guard 'willing' to give up their band. Bucky pursed his lips, tightening his hand into a fist so hard that the Vibranium gears inside let out a soft whine.
"Prisoner, drop the device and retreat to your cell immediately," a voice called over the intercom. Bucky and Clint got to their feet and headed closer to Groot, ready to defend the tree. All around them other prisoners got up, abandoning their food as they backed away. This wasn't the first time many of them had seen the bots mobilize to take people down so they knew what was coming. Groot watched the robots in confusion for a moment. Rocket turned in his seat, watching but didn't seem ready for action just yet. "Or we will open fire."
"Oh, shit," Clint groaned as Groot began to sprout various twigs all over and turned pissed. While Groot had been a baby twig and then a teenage tree when he had first met the tree, Clint knew how dangerous Groot could be. Especially after the first moments inside the prison. Groot was basically issuing a challenge.
"I am GROOT!" the tree shouted to the area at large. As if understanding that Groot was shouting that he was refusing to give up the battery, the robots began to open fire on him. Without pause, Bucky launched himself off the ground and caught one of the robots with his fist even as Groot curled in to defend himself. As the bot Bucky hit spun off and crashed into a fiery explosion near the base of the tower, Groot took a blind swing and hit another bot toward the stairs and a few prisoners trying their best to get out of the way of the fight.
"All prisoners return to your sleeping areas," the intercom voice demanded as Groot hit another bot and sent it flying toward a set of stairs that was being used by a few people who went air born when it exploded. Clint spun back around to to table, grabbing hold of one of their dinner containers before throwing it into the remaining bot. Then, more bots flooded the area.
"Fuck," Bucky swore, lifting his arm to defend himself as Groot created a shield of branches to block the new gunfire. The Sergeant backed up, covering Clint a bit as the archer grabbed another tray and threw it toward one of the new bots. Obviously the tray hit and the bot went flying into a wall, exploding into pieces over Quill who turned and gave Clint a dark look before moving on. Clint glanced to Bucky and smiled.
"Thanks," he told his lover making Bucky glance to him with a deep frown. Looking back, Clint noticed that Rocket had now climbed onto Groot and was busy yelling something at the tree.
"Guards," Bucky suddenly warned. Surprised at the warning, Clint turned to the main entry hall that the guards normally moved down and sure enough three men were coming down the stairs with some rather large guns in their hands.
"The animal is in control!" one of the men shouted as the trio lifted their guns.
"Ah, hell no," Clint growled before charging, unknowingly mimicking Drax as he charged the men too. Thankfully they were each on opposite sides of the trio. As the man continued to order the other men with him, Drax hit the man with a force that sent him flying into the air while Clint's punch landed on a second man right on the man's mostly protected temple. Clint's man dropped as Drax let out a slightly maniacal laugh and swung a fist toward the third guy, hitting him hard enough to drop him a good distance away. Before either could really focus on each other, more guards appeared.
Still laughing, Drax grabbed hold of one of the newer men only to yank the gun from the dude's hand and throw it into the face of another. Clint spun on his heel, lifting his leg up to spin kick another in the chin hard enough to send the man into a table with enough force that his neck twisted into a very dangerous and unnatural way that meant likely the neck was snapped. More men charged into the area intent on helping their downed comrades and stop what was looking to be a full scale battle. Drax quickly chest kicked one of the men as Clint reared back, avoiding a gun swinging toward his face before dropping down and twisting his leg to trip the man before him. The man dropped as Drax jumped off another man, forcing himself upward to kick a second.
Clint jumped to his feet, launching himself as he went to body slam someone. As he landed he turned to see Drax had paused in the fight, glaring at a guard who suddenly looked rather frightened before the Destroyer bashed their foreheads together. The man dropped and a second later Drax was holding a gun in his hand and turned to spot Clint. Clint froze unsure what Drax was thinking. Was the man going to attack him? Thankfully, Drax simply nodded before turning his attention to Rocket.
"Creepy little beast!" Drax cried and Clint nearly choked on his laughter even as he grabbed a gun for himself. When Rocket glanced over, Drax tossed the gun toward him. With a smile, Rocket caught it and then opened fire with glee. Clint ducked down as he noticed that Rocket wasn't really aiming at anything so much as shooting wherever he felt like and with Groot spinning them around the shots were going everywhere.
"This is worse than fighting beside Stevie," Bucky commented, slipping by Clint and Drax even as Drax rushed off to find someone else to fight. Clint glanced over to his lover and smiled. It was true but...
"That just makes it more fun." Bucky scoffed, rolling his eyes before twisting around to punch a guard that had been getting close to them. Clint's smile brightened a bit before he took a few pot shots toward some others. A moment later the noise of rapid gun fire died down a bit. Clint looked up to see Rocket glaring at the gun in his hand.
"Rocket!" Gamora's voice shouted over the din. Bucky, Clint and Rocket all looked to her and Quill in time to see her throw something Rocket's way. Rocket dropped the gun to catch whatever it was. Clint and Bucky could only assume it was the guard's security band.
"Move to the watchtower," Rocket ordered, looking down at Groot though the raccoon was loud enough for Bucky, Clint and Drax to overhear. Bucky and Clint traded looks before rushing after Groot who walked toward one of the bridges toward the tower. As he walked, the tree grew a bit until he was tall enough to stretch himself from floor to barrier. Unhindered now, Rocket climbed up onto the bridge, pausing for half a second as Gamora and Quill helped the raccoon up. Seconds later, Bucky and Clint arrived at Groot's legs where the tree had been nice enough to leave something like handholds for them to climb. They quickly started up only pausing when a bot flew closer to them ready to shoot. Before it could though, Drax jumped up, grabbing it and then ripped it into pieces. Clint glanced down at him and nodded in thanks before continuing up.
"Come on," Bucky told Drax, nodding toward Groot's leg. Drax smirked before grabbing hold in time for Groot to begin shrinking himself back down. Groot's legs lifted off and shortened as Quill helped the tree over the barrier. By the time the tree was close enough to the bridge, Clint was already scaling the barrier and Bucky was reaching for Gamora's hand. Drax was still happily holding Groot's lower leg.
"What happens if Clint does something stupid?" Phil wondered. Loki sighed as he tried to think. If he was right and Clint and Bucky had gone to see the guardians, then it would be just as they were forming. None of them would have known each other and likely may not trust each other. Actually, if he remembered correctly, the guardians all met in prison so technically... Unless... The Convergence was only supposed to be within the Nine Realms. Could the Aether have thrown them off? Loki gently shook his head. He could think of whatever he wanted but somehow, in this dimension, Clint always seemed to end up in the right places no matter what he did. Stupid or not, Clint somehow seemed to be perfectly set for just about everything.
"When the Guardians first met, it happened to be over the idea of selling the Orb for something like four billion units," Loki started, mentally cursing as he remembered the overheard history that Quill had given Clint when they first met. It was within that second that Loki realized the extreme danger Clint was in. With the Aether inside the archer and with him being near not only another Infinity Stone but Gamora as well, things weren't looking up for him or Bucky.
"Four billion!" Tony cried, surprised at the amount. He wasn't the only one either. The others in the room seemed shocked. As said before, four billion anything was a lot, never mind it being a form of payment for something. Then Tony frowned. "What's a unit?"
"A form of payment in space. It matters not. What matters is, the Orb is another Infinity Stone. When Clint and Bucky return, if they have the Orb with them then we are only missing one stone to create a full set," Loki stated, waving a dismissive hand before dropping it to his side. Natasha and Steve gave disappointed faces at the news. "The Soul Stone is one that we don't need to collect as Thanos does not currently know its location. And, if Clint is smart enough, after gaining her trust, he will mention to Gamora that it would be her death that gives the Stone to Thanos."
"And if he keeps that secret?" Steve questioned. While he knew it wasn't likely as Clint had had a hard time keeping secrets of future events before, and that was even without him trying to change the future, it still had to be asked. Natasha pursed her lips, watching Loki closely. Like Steve, she doubted Clint would keep it secret, especially with the danger but she didn't know Gamora. If the guardian couldn't handle the news, Clint might keep it silent. But it wouldn't just be Clint they needed to worry about.
"Then, there is the chance that Thanos could get a hold of it." Phil huffed, drawing attention to himself. If it risked danger to anyone other then himself, Clint would do what needed to be done. He'd say something, even if this Gamora person never ended up trusting him.
"Clint's smart. He'll figure out a way to explain everything." Steve nodded.
"And if not, Bucky is there. He might."
What was that, two weeks without an update? Ugh. But, you get one now at least. Been finding lately that I'm only good to do anything for maybe like four hours or so before my body is like 'sleep time again.' Which stinks cause I've gotten into a few writing grooves just before hitting that mark and suddenly it's like everything goes blank... Though, good thing to read from that is, I AM WRITING! Just sort of hit a point with my editing where I've added new chapters or scenes and suddenly realized that like the 20000 words that come after the new area don't fit. Yay. Editing stinks sometimes.
Darius is doing good. Getting far to use to sleepy mom which I feel horrible for but at least he's gotten really good at entertaining himself and not getting into trouble. Poor hubby is getting the worst of all this as he'll come home from work just in time for me to check out so he's basically constantly working. He's been fabulous about it though which I am so glad for. Darius has been good about it as well, understanding that mommy can't do a lot about ninety percent of the time. I just wish we all didn't have to get used to that idea...