Part 2 of the four part short story. In this section it focuses on the men of the small family. Enjoy.
WARNING: THREATS TO LIFE AND BODILY HARM. DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ. THANKS.
Peter's eyes constantly scan the crowded streets of Knowhere as he looks for the three men that are supposed to be watching his little sister. He had finished up what he was doing earlier than anticipated and wanted to spend the rest of the time making up to Izzy for not taking her when she had begged him to go. It broke his heart to see not only the anger and disappointment but also the hurt that filled her ice blue eyes when he informed her she could not come with him either. Peter knew that she did not get along with Dram very well, and when he had found out who Yondu had put in charge of her while on the planet he was half tempted to take her and trash his plans. But it was something that he needed to do and he did not want to unnecessarily put his 12 year old sister in certain dangers, among other things, until she was at least a few more years older. He figured with Oblo and Taserface there they would be a mediator for the pair and keep them from killing each other. The issue was that the three men had had plans of their own. Much of the crew needed a break from each other and life on the ship. It had been several months since they last stopped and the men were starting to feel the effects of living with so much testerone in an enclosed space. So, when Yondu informed the threesome of their babysitting job, it was not a happy occasion. Peter shakes his head, smirking at the argument that ensued from Dram himself with Yondu. That is why the young adult now finds himself walking briskly through Knowhere looking for the men, so they can have plenty of time to do what they want. The issue was, he was having trouble finding them.
Peter sighs, running a hand through his hair, as he had checked all the spots that they would most likely have taken the young multirational xandarian. He drags his hand down his face as he racks his brain for other places they may have gone. The only places he had not recently checked would be the bars. Peter silently hopes that the men had not taken Izzy to the bars and thrown themselves over the working woman there while she stood nearby. Izzy was no little innocent normal 12 year old, mind you. She has seen, and heard, her fair share of things that living on a ship full of Ravager men would no doubt produce. But that did not mean that Peter wanted his little sister outright exposed to certain things just yet. But those three men did not always think in a straight line. Peter sighs heavily, groaning internally. He spins himself around, his feet taking him to the row of bars and whorehouses.
He wanders for another few minutes before his ears pick up the boisterous voice of Taserface echoing out of a nearby bar. He grimaces as the smell of boozes and sweat assault his nose to an unholy degree. God help his little sister if she is in the middle of all of that. The smell alone was enough to knock any man off their feet. Peter takes one last breath of fresh air before creeping into the enclosed space. He shoulders his way through the mass of rodey bodies that bump and grind into one another. The irritating, gravelly, loud laugh of the much bigger Ravager pierces the noisy area like a knife. Peter glances over noticing the three men standing around a table. They howled with drink and lust as they told stories to the woman that hung on their arms and sat in their laps. The green eyes scan the area around the small table, noticing that Izzy was nowhere in sight. The young man has to stomp down his rising anger and worry. He approaches the table just as Taserface wraps his arm around one the women that work in the bar, laughing at whatever he just said in a fake cordial way.
"Hey. Where is Pipsqueak?" Peter asks, ignoring the hungry growl emanating from the bigger man as he drags the woman closer.
"Who?" Dram inquires, burying his face into the neck of another woman.
Peter rolls his eyes, "My sister, Izzy. Where is she, man?"
"Oh that brat." Dram comments as if she was nothing more than an afterthought, "Gone." He states matter-of-factly, gazing drunkenly up into the woman's face.
"Gone?" Peter exclaims, his mouth dropping slightly open in astonishment. "What do you mean gone?"
Oblo, not completely hammered as the other two, looks between the two drunken men before focusing back on Peter, "She walked off. She was bored with us and she stormed off towards the ship."
"You let her go alone?" Peter shouts, grabbing a hold of Oblo's jacket.
Oblo, ready to defend himself, tries to jerk away from Peter, "I tried to go after her man! But Taserface, over there, dragged me away from her!"
Peter growls under his breath. He had to valiantly resist the urge to deck the man in his clutches before brawling with the other two. Every Ravager abroad knew better than to allow Izzy to be alone planet side, especially here! Yondu had made sure to drill that into their heads with threats to add. Peter's worry starts to rise to an unnatural level as different scenarios flash in front of his mind's eye. She could be wandering around Knowhere lost and alone. Or hurt. Or bleeding. Or even worse than that.
Peter's grip on Oblo's jacket tightens before shoving the man harshly away from himself. Oblo stumbles backwards, grabbing a hold of a table to regain his balance before falling onto his backside. Peter towers over him with fists clenched tightly. He snarls at the rest of the men, spinning around on his heels and storming his way back out of the bar.
Peter clenches his fist even tighter, pushing his way through the street, as he hastily finds the path that Izzy would have most likely taken to get back to the M-ship. His chest squeezes as he continues to come up empty handed. Maybe he was just being paranoid thinking about all the bad situations that the preteen could find herself in. Maybe Izzy is back at the ship waiting on all of them to show back up. But Izzy has an unnatural ability to attract more trouble than she could handle and that is what made the young man's panic rise ever slowly.
Peter reached the edge of the bustling town in record time. He comes to a skidding halt as Yondu's ship comes into full view. His gut twisted as he noticed Yondu and Kraglin standing outside the open hatch. Their shoulders were tense, Kraglin's hands on his hips as Yondu paced about in agitation. Every fiber within Peter's body told him to run from the situation ahead of him, but he mustered his courage walking up to the pair.
Upon hearing his approach, Kraglin glances at his younger brother over his shoulder. He gives him a quizzical look, positioning himself to face him. His eyes searched the area around Peter before they focused back on his face. Yondu, at the slight movement of his eldest, turns to catch a glimpse of his boy. The older man has to tamper down some of his rising frustration. The centaurian has a nasty look in his eyes as he gazes at Peter. Peter winces involuntarily at the flare of the blue man's nostrils and the stern tilt to his head. Yondu crosses his arms over his chest as Peter comes to stand in front of them. Petey peers around the wall the two have formed, looking for any sign of the moody preteen.
"Is Izzy here?" Peter petitions, ignoring the heated stare.
"No she ain't. I was hoping that you could give us some light on that." Yondu drawls out.
"Me?" Peter points to himself.
"Aye, you boy. We went t'git your sister only t'be informed that she'd gone back t'the ship with you."
Peter scoffs, realizing that the pair must have passed each other at some point. "I haven't seen her. I found Oblo, Taserface and Dram intending to take her off their hands. Taserface and Dram were drunk when they informed me that she was gone. Oblo told me that Izzy ran off informing them that she was going back to the ship."
Yondu and Kraglin exchanged glances as some of the pieces fell into place. The centariun curses under his breath as he spins himself around in a fit of anger. That kid was going to be the death of him. She knew better than to run off without someone with her! What was she thinking? Was she just asking for a butt whomping? He thinks to himself bitterly. The older man starts to pace again, as he rubs a hand over his head. His anger rises to boiling over it's breaking point the more he worries about what trouble the girl has gotten herself into that prevented her from making it back to the ship.
Kraglin sighs heavily stepping away from the captain as he starts to quicken in his pacing. He watches him wearily as every now and again he stops, clenching his fist and teeth tightly before picking it back up again. The father figure was beyond worried and mad and the eldest knew not to mess with him in that state. The eldest looks over at Peter, hoping that he could cast some better light on the situation at hand.
"Any idea wh'r she might've gone?" He asks Peter.
Peter shrugs his shoulders, "I was really hoping that she would be here."
Kraglin's shoulders drop at the pronouncement. He was hoping that Peter would have something more than what was just said. It worried the older man. Izzy was a smart girl; she would have easily found her way back to the ship without trouble. Since she wasn't here and she wasn't with the other men that meant that something HAD happened to her. Knowhere was not that big of a place, but so many ships came and went. It wouldn't take much to get the small girl onto a ship and fly out of here without so much as a trace.
Peter must have had the same thought as he looked up at Kraglin, biting his lower lip. A restless silence fell over the family, each contemplating their own thoughts on the situation at hand. The two brothers flinch as a loud bang echoes off the steel walls of the docking port. They look over to see a rather large dent in the wall closest to the ship. Yondu stood facing said abused wall. His shoulders were tense as he breathed in a maddening rage. Peter takes a step backwards, almost positioning himself behind Kraglin. There was nothing more fearful than an angered Yondu. Kraglin eyes Peter, narrowing them into slits as he more or less uses the taller Xandarian for a shield.
The two boys glance over as an unfortunate crew member comes up to the pair with the intent to talk to the captain. He stops at the enormous waves of tension that is radiating off of the captain. He glances over at the first mate and terran who just stare back at him with a 'you're on your own' expression.
"Go find the rest of t'crew. I want all available men looking for Izzy. 'N I want it done now." Yondu hisses out coldly, taking notice of the extra man there without acknowledging him.
Yondu tenses as there were no sounds of feet moving away. He turns to see the extra crewman still standing nearby. He twists his face upwards as a sharp whistle leaves his throat. The yaka arrow flies from its holster stopping only centimeters from the man's forehead.
"I said now!" Yondu bellows.
The now thoroughly frightened crewman scambers off to do what he was asked. The captain snarls menacingly at the retreating man until he was out of sight. Yondu breathes heavily, trying desperately to calm his anger over his missing kid. He stares blankly at the empty spot before whistling for the arrow. He lifts his jacket away from his hip as the arrow tucks itself back away in his holster.
"And wat are we t'do capt'n?" Kraglin inquires, shouldering Peter away from him.
Yondu glances over his shoulder at the two, "You two are gonna lead two of the three groups of men. We can cov'r more ground that way. Keep ya coms on so we can reach'ya. I don't want t'have t'search fer ya t'find answers." The two boys nodded their heads in agreement. "Good. Now git goin'."
Peter and Kraglin scurry away from the captain, not willing to be the object of his rage, nor wanting to waste time in the search for their little sister. It took longer than the captain would like to get all the crew together and standing in front of him. Yondu splits his remaining men into three groups, noting that Taserface nor Dram was nowhere to be seen. He would have to deal with those two assholes later. Right now he had a daughter to find.
The ravager crew searched high and low for the young girl, bellowing out her name and asking people around whether or not they had seen the girl. Many were coming up empty handed. People on Knowhere kept to themselves. They had enough heat on their back from their own misguided ways, they did not want to add to it by being involved in others. So, even if someone had seen what had happened, they weren't going to be talking. Yondu growls as yet another man walks away, waving the blue man off in an annoyed manner. The older man gazes around the street. He runs his hand over his smooth head and down his neck.
"Where are you Izzy girl?" He whispers under his breath.
The Centaurian about jumped out of his skin when the earpiece cracked to life. His head rings with the garbled static and noise that comes through his ear. He lowers his head slightly as he rearranges the piece to be at a more comfortable volume. The voice of his eldest clears up enough to hear him calling out his name.
"Yeah Krags, what is it?" Yondu asks, trying to mask the irritation he feels on not finding his youngest.
"Sir, I think ya need ta' come look a'this."
Yondu's chest grew tight at the nervous tone in his seconds voice, "Where ya at Krags?"
Kraglin had not even gotten the full location out before Yondu was more or less running towards their general direction. The bigger man shoved folks out of the way as he hurried his steps to get him to the alley way that Kraglin had told him to meet in. He came to a skidding halt at the entry almost tripping over his feet to get to his two sons half way down it. Yondu feels that sickening feeling again as Peter and Kraglin turn worrisome, dreadful eyes on their captain. His breath quickens as he slows his approach to a stalking walk. Kraglin turns to Yondu more fully, opening his hands to reveal the yellow cassette player that Izzy had on her at all times. The girl was about as obsessed with Terran music as Quill was, if not a little more. The two were always fighting over it because Izzy would steal Quill's player on a daily, if not hourly, basis. Yondu had come across this player when he went to visit Kona, an old friend and current junker, who has happily given it to him for a price. Isabella had been so ecstatic when Yondu presented it to her several years ago that she had knocked the older man into the cushions of his couch when she collided with him in a hug. She had never parted from it since. Many nights Yondu had taken it off her sleeping form when he made his nightly rounds to make sure everything was as it should be. To see it here in an alley, abandoned, made Yondu's gut turn uncomfortably.
"I found it layin' h're Capt'n. I wuld've missed it had it not been fer Peter seein' it."
"She never would leave it here Yondu." Peter points out, stating the obvious.
Yondu tentatively reaches out, taking the small player and headphones into his large hands. He can still see the tape turning inside it's holder. She had been listening to it. Yondu glances around at the softer ground. He can make out footprints of several different sizes. One was definitely Izzy's as they were small and light. The others were large and heavily indented, like a man's boot. Something happened here that ended up with his youngest being taken. There could be no other explanation. Yondu continues to scour the alleyway for any other clues.
Peter and Kraglin glance towards the opening behind them just as a man ducked behind the wall. The two men exchanged quizzical glances as the man peeks back around before ducking back in. Peter lightly smacks Kraglin on the chest as he creeps his way closer to the edge of the entrance. He presses himself firmly against the wall, only having to wait another second before the man shows his ugly mug once again. Peter quickly fists the front of the man's shirt jerking him towards himself. The man hollers out as he is thrown off balance and pressed harshly into the unmoving object. Peter snarls at the ordinary man. He was peach skinned much like Peter and Kraglin, but his eyes were a vibrant purple, indicating that he was a man mixed with many races. He grits his sharpened teeth as Peter fists his shirt a little tighter. It had not gone unnoticed by the two men that this specific man had been quietly following them for the past half hour.
Yondu snaps his gaze over to Peter as the man howls and grunts. He watches as Kraglin growls under his breath moving closer to Peter. Yondu furrows down his brow as the man seemed ordinary enough. He probably couldn't even hurt a fly as Izzy would comment often. But looks were always deceiving. Obviously the boys knew something that he himself did not. Yondu follows his eldest, staying back a little ways to get the full picture, before asserting himself into the situation.
"What are you doing?" Peter hisses.
"I don't know what you mean." The man stammered out fumbling over his words.
"Ya've been foll'win' us since we've come within the block." Kraglin states, pulling out one of his knives and twirling it.
The man trembles even harder as Yondu shoves through his two sons and glares at the man. The ruby eyes flared with an uncontrollable amount of rage. The man shakes like a leaf under the tight grip of Peter. The purple eyes flicked between the three snarling faces staring back at him. His mouth goes dry, his throat swelling, unable to form coherent words. Yondu, not having much patience to begin with growls deeply. A sharp whistle cuts through the air, the yaka arrow suddenly appearing only inches from the man's forehead. The multiracal man turns his head away, closing his eyes, as if that alone would make the deadly weapon go away. He knew who was before him and the stories that were told about him and his famous flying yaka arrow.
"I. . . . " The man stutters out.
"Where's my kid?" Yondu growls out, stopping the stuttering fit before it can begin.
The man licks his lips, swallowing hard before being able to find his voice, "Look man. I don't know. . ."
"Ya know somet'ing or else ya wuldn't been followin' us." Kraglin drawls out angrily.
The fin embedded in Yondu's head glows a little brighter as the man continues to babble and deny everything. A red streak is seen as the arrow thrusts its way a little closer to the soft peach skin. The man snaps his mouth shut, wincing and whimpering as the sharp points lightly presses into the skin and muscle. The silence lays heavy over the small group of men. Yondu, takes a deep breath, inciting the man to find his vocal cords.
"Okay! Okay!" He shouts as blood starts to trickle down the bridge of his nose.
"Start talkin'." Yondu growls, becoming increasingly impatient.
"I do not know who they are. But they've been taking kids."
"Who?" Peter asks, knocking him into the wall a little forcibly.
"I told you I don't know who they are!" The man shrieks. "I just know what they've been doing!"
"But someone took my kid? A little girl in ravager clothes with a spunky attitude?" Yondu questions forcibly.
"Yeah I think so." The man wavers, trying desperately to not get involved in whatever was happening between the two groups of men. "Okay! Yes! Yes! It was her!" He shouted as Yondu took a breath.
"Where?" Kraglin snaps, resting an arm on the wall so he could lean in close to the man's face.
"They normally take them to an abandoned building on the outside of the city square." He squeals out in defense.
Yondu narrows his red eyes, studying the man intently for a brief moment. Something seemed too easy about that statement. If they were in the business of taking kids, why hold them here on Knowhere? It would be more cost effective to take them away and sell them as soon as possible. But maybe they didn't move the kids until they had enough to make it worth the effort. It could be that Izzy is still here, they just have to search the hundreds of abandoned buildings that litter Knowhere. Yondu, tilts his head back a little, studying the man once again. He still shook like a misfiring M-ship. His face was a couple shades lighter, all the color draining from it when Yondu threatened him the first time. The man was absolutely terrified, but Yondu could see that there was no ill intent to his words. The Ravager captain whistles sharply, allowing the weapon to slide gracefully back into its holding.
The man lets out a heavy sigh, sagging against the wall that Peter still had him pinned to. Kraglin grunts approvaling, slipping his knife back into its sheath. He steps back, giving the man a little more room to breath. Peter unfists the man's shirt, but places a flat palm on his chest as he rises to his full height. He may have told them what they wanted but that did not mean that they were done with him quite yet. Yondu, places a firm hand on Peter's shoulder, more or less pulling the young man away. He leans down, coming within inches of the man's face. He winces, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.
"Ya better not be lying. Cuz if ya ar' it'll be t'last thing you do." Yondu hisses out threatening.
The man's eyes widen as the full weight of the threat comes down on him. Anybody who is anyone knows who Yondu Udonta is and the reputation he holds. The man had no chance of hiding from the irate father if his words proved to be untrue. Yondu and his ravager gang would hunt him down to the bitter end. There would be no escape. The man swallows hard once again. He stares into the intense ruby eyes, nodding his head furiously, unwilling to trust his voice to utter the words. Yondu grunts, upturning the corner of his lip before straightening back up. He takes a step away from the man, allowing him to slither his body away. The three men watch at the retreating form as he stumbles and trips over his own feet as he tries to scurry out of danger.
"Time t'go scour some buildin' boys." Yondu drawls out.
Peter and Kraglin quickly turn on their heels, heading for their individual group of men to search for the little girl. There was very little time to waste. They had no idea which building they were holding Izzy in. Nor did they know whether they still had her here on Knowhere. Or how long they would be keeping her here. It was a race against the clock. Yondu glances down at the music box, still clutched within his meaty hand. He silently prays that they are not too late in finding Izzy and stopping these men from doing whatever they are doing with the kids they are taking.
To be continued. . . . . . . . .