A/N - Again, thank you so much for reading this. We've passed the half-way point which means I should hopefully have this completed by sometime next week. I'm not sure whether the next chapter will be up in one day or two but I'll aim to have it up as soon as I can :)
In the meantime, thanks again for reaching this point and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
By the time morning arrives, the twin suns have vanquished the clouds and drenched the planet in a pleasant glow. The clocktower brings in the new day with seven rings of the bell, and already the tell-tale bustle of traders opening their stores disturbs the quiet. Yondu wakes with an ache in his back which is relieved a little upon stretching, and he allows Peter a few more minutes of sleep as he escapes into the restroom to don a new set of clothes. When he emerges, wearing a shirt which mercifully lacks the dampness of rain, the boy seems to be on the verge of waking up; his eyes squinting in the rising sun as he rubs lingering exhaustion from them.
It doesn't take long to pack up. Peter digs into his backpack solely to pull out fresh clothes and carelessly stuff yesterdays into it. Though his coat is not fully dry, Yondu decides the sun will finish the job and pulls it on, ensuring his arrow sits close to his chest should he need it, and he waits by the door as Peter clumsily makes the bed. By the time they're ready to leave, the room is in much the same state they found it in.
The receptionist who accepts their key is different but just as disinterested in them as the other girl had been, merely uttering a bored "thanks" before returning to her book in a silent dismissal. Not that Yondu minds. It's nice not to be forced into conversation by overeager staff, and the less attention he and Peter attract, the better.
The streets are slowly filling with early risers hoping to avoid the afternoon horde, but the crowds are more manageable this time around. Yondu skirts around passers-by with ease, only having to look back occasionally to ensure the boy's still following him. He's not entirely sure of his destination yet; while part of him simply wants to head back to the ship and get to work, another part wouldn't mind staying on the planet a little longer. The heat from the suns is pleasant without spilling into suffocating, and as the smell of roasting meat fills the air as they wander along the food district, his hunger returns with a fervour. Peter, too, is staring at every café or vendor they pass with a pathetic yearning, and it isn't long before Yondu takes pity on him.
They stop at a vendor parked close to the town square, the owner a small man whose light purple skin is dotted with freckles. It takes him a while to notice his new customers as he loses himself in adding a layer of spices to the sizzling steaks and shanks cooking on his stove. When he finally looks up, he smiles at them brightly before wiping a layer of sweat from his forehead and taking their orders, and soon enough they're finally sating their hunger on a bench beside the square's trickling fountain.
"Why'd you leave Kraglin in charge?" Peter asks him at one point, before digging back into his shank and tearing a sliver of meat from the bone. It turns out he's a messy eater – not dissimilar to most Ravagers – and Yondu has to resist a laugh when he's forced to wipe a dollop of juice from his chin. To be fair, the meat is deliciously tender and it's taken a certain amount of restraint for Yondu not to simply tear into his own.
He takes another bite himself before licking the juice from his fingers and pondering the boy's question. It's not the first time he's been asked why he chose someone so young to be his first-mate, though he usually hears it from men closer to his own age who feel they deserve the title more. Peter, on the other hand, is merely curious.
"I trust the kid," Yondu says honestly, capping the statement off with a shrug. "Can' say that for most people. If he works hard and doesn' step outta line, he might make a good captain one day."
"So you're training him?" Peter asks, setting aside a now bare thigh-bone and sucking the remaining juice and gristle from his hands.
"I guess I am," Yondu agrees, though he's tried to avoid thinking about it as clearly as that in the past. Even if he is one of the better candidates, Kraglin still has a long way to go before he can comfortably lead a crew of his own. "I ain't plannin' on dyin' anytime soon, but ya can't be too careful. And there ain't many I trust to replace me. Hell, ya know the crew well enough by now; you'd probably be a better captain than most of that lot."
Peter beams with pride at that, and Yondu ignores the temptation to do the same. Much as he hates to admit it, he is warming to the boy a little. He can be a pain in the ass, as children tend to be, but he knows when to shut up and give Yondu peace which automatically makes him better than most.
"Do you like being captain?" Peter asks once Yondu finishes his steak. It's strange to hear the boy voice so many questions after his prior shyness, but given that they aren't currently an inconvenience, Yondu doesn't mind answering them.
"I like it well enough," he says, surprising himself when he realises the answer isn't a lie. His situation as captain may have grown more complicated of late, but he's still able to appreciate the responsibility that comes with leading a crew. "It's nice to boss people around and have 'em be scared of ya. It ain't always fun though. I wouldn' be very good at the job if it were fun all the time."
He turns to Peter, half-expecting the kid to have grown bored mid-answer and become focused on the fountain or the people wandering through the square, but his eyes are fixed only on Yondu. It's unnerving in a way; as if someone's placed a spotlight on him.
"Why d'ya ask?" Yondu continues with a smirk. "Ya thinkin' of stealin' my job?"
Peter shakes his head frantically, though his smile assures Yondu the boy knows he's joking this time around. He seems to be getting better at understanding Yondu's sense of humour, though he's somehow still convinced that the crew will eat him.
Ah well. He's making baby-steps.
They head off just as the clocktower adds an eighth toll which resonates throughout the town. Yondu deliberately leads them down a different path than the one they took yesterday, not wanting to be recognised for his little stunt with the arrow. His past visits to Eili have left every street and alley mapped out in his brain. Even with the short detour it shouldn't take long to reach the bay, and from there it should only be a matter of hours before they're back onboard the Eclector. All they need to do is not get distracted and they'll be home before they know it.
As if hearing his thoughts and deciding to disobey them, Peter lets out a sudden gasp and runs off before Yondu can stop him. He curses the boy under his breath and follows with more urgency than usual, but by the time he catches up with Peter, the boy is too caught up in what's before him to notice his presence.
A hairy, four-legged creature about half Yondu's height is standing idly by a water trough in the middle of the narrow street, its trunk lapping up water while large brown eyes assesses the newcomers. Yondu's seen these beasts many times before – they're often used for the transport of goods on outposts like this one – and honestly can't see why Peter is so enamoured. Nevertheless, he nods in encouragement when Peter asks if he can pet it, and doesn't interrupt when a small hand lightly brushes the soft hair on its head.
"What is he?" Peter asks, continuing to pet the creature's coat. A low, happy groan indicates that he's doing something right.
"She is a Jylax," Yondu corrects him. "The males are hairless. Ugly lookin' things; they don' do well in the sun so ya don' see 'em much. But you'll find ones like her all over the place."
Peter nods upon hearing this information, and giggles when the creature playfully splashes water over him with her trunk. She seems happy enough, with her large eyes sliding closed contentedly as Peter brushes her hair. It isn't common for her kind to lash out violently when they're angered, but the fact that she doesn't seem to mind Peter is still a reassuring one.
"She looks like a weird horse," Peter says to himself, and Yondu can neither confirm or deny the truth of that statement. The boy removes his hand from the Jylax's coat and finally looks back, his eyes brighter than they've ever seemed as a delighted smile breaks across his face. "She's so cool."
Yondu can only shrug at that. Of all the things to impress Peter, a docile Jylax is not what he expected him to be most enamoured with. It's a sign that the boy is likely gentler than he appears; a bitter reminder of how little he belongs on a ship full of Ravagers. That softer streak will be beaten out of him if he stays around too long.
Peter can indulge in his awe for now though. Yondu grants him a few more minutes, silently scouting the area all the while. This street is calmer, with most of the buildings acting as homes rather than businesses, but that doesn't stop a glimmer of suspicion from creeping into his bones as he scans the area. A few doors down, there's a woman hanging clothes out to dry in the sun, and at the end of the street a beggar's offkey singing disturbs the otherwise quiet atmosphere. No threat makes itself known, until Yondu's eyes drift to the opening of an alleyway and spots a grown man hiding in the shadows.
His first thought is that it's another pickpocket, assessing a victim from the cover of darkness, but on closer inspection this doesn't appear to be the case. The man's too bulky for a start. Acquiring food is evidently not a problem for him, and the suggestion of muscles beneath his red shirt implies he hasn't been living on the streets. He doesn't acknowledge Yondu, but the one eye that isn't concealed behind a patch is staring vaguely in their direction; the gaze unwavering even as the seconds tick by. It's when Yondu starts to get the sneaking suspicion that he's seen the man before that he decides getting back to the ship would be the best course of action, and he wraps a hand around Peter's arm and drags him away from the Jylax without warning.
Besides a startled yelp, Peter says nothing and simply lets Yondu drag him along the street as he tries to work out the best route to the bay. The boy seems to have sensed his urgency and remains blessedly quiet, even when Yondu barks an order at him as they slip into a deserted alleyway.
"Stay close an' keep yer head down," he says, and Peter obeys without protest. "If we get into trouble I need ya to stay out o' it and leave the talkin' to me, ya hear?"
They spend the next ten minutes alternating between open streets and quiet alleys, always assessing the way ahead for anyone suspicious. The route is as convoluted as Yondu can make it in the hope that their unpredictability will throw off any trackers, but even in the moments he thinks they might be safe, his head whirls round at every sound and suspicion grips him like a vice. Peter thankfully says nothing and sticks close to Yondu as instructed; so close he may as well be clinging to the leather of his coat. The few people they encounter seem innocent enough, mere shoppers or residents of the planet who couldn't care less for the Ravager captain passing by, but doubt springs into Yondu's mind every time someone so much as glances his way.
They seem to have lost the eye-patched man from the alley. It's possible he hadn't even been a tail, but Yondu knows he can't afford to be careless. Any chance of spending more time on this rock fades as the whirring of ship engines grows louder, signalling that the bay is near. Yondu finds himself relieved by the sound regardless of any prior wish to stay put, and he quickly draws into a deserted alley he knows to be a shortcut.
They're barely half-way along the narrow path before their exit is blocked by an imposing figure stepping into view. The man is large and all too familiar, and Yondu barely has time to curse under his breath before Murlainn lets out a high whistle and more of his men emerge from the shadows.
The captain is flanked by four muscular men with bloodlust clear in their faces. He saunters along the alley to meet them, and though Yondu doesn't dare look back, he can hear footsteps approaching from behind as well. His grip on Peter's arm tightens, but he doesn't tear his eyes from Murlainn's own even as the victorious twinkle in them makes his blood boil.
"Well, if it ain't the elusive Udonta," Murlainn says with a sneer, holding up a gloved hand to signal his men to stop. Seeing him in the flesh only highlights how twisted his appearance has become; a fresh scar stretches along one eyebrow while the faint pink of others takes up more room on his face than untouched flesh. The glee in those dark eyes is overshadowed by a barely contained rage, and what was once immaculate black hair is now an unkempt mass of grey. Exile doesn't suit Murlainn, but it has made him dangerous, and Yondu can feel Peter tense as the man's eyes turn down to acknowledge him. "This must be the Terran runt. Back from the dead, I see."
A low snigger breaks out among their assailants, but it quietens soon enough as Murlainn returns his attention to Yondu. "Don' worry, yer men didn't betray you. This was the closest outpost goin' and I figured you'd been down here a long time - made me wonder whether ya had somethin' to hide. Guess I was right."
"Well done you," Yondu says blankly, silently assessing his situation. As well as the five men in front of him, the voices at his back suggest there are four others at least. His arrow practically burns a hole against his chest, reminding him he could mow down all nine men with ease, but the instant he lashes out he'll be placing Peter in jeopardy. "Now, I'd suggest ya all go on yer merry way and leave us the hell alone."
"Ya know I can't do that," Murlainn says, with an expression that might have been remorseful if he weren't so full of shit. While he's vaguely aware of the others looking to their leader for guidance, Yondu pays them no heed and instead keeps his eyes fixed on Murlainn's own. Reasoning with him won't work, that much is certain, and it's becoming painfully clear that the group is one big time-bomb, waiting for the slightest trigger to set them off.
Whether the silence lasts for minutes or hours, Yondu cannot say, but eventually Murlainn nods to the closest man – a hulking beast with bulging muscles and a large, shaved head. The creature grunts in response to the silent order before stalking forwards, but he's stopped in his tracks as Yondu lets out a high whistle and his arrow comes to rest mere inches from his eye. As though someone has flicked a switch, the world halts as every man fears the consequences of even the smallest movement. Only Murlainn dares move, if only to shake his head and let some of that invulnerability slip away from his face.
"Is that really necessary?" he asks, raising his voice to something that resembles a growl. Only now does Yondu dare look at Peter, and upon seeing the terror on the boy's face, he knows full well that his answer is yes. He doesn't say a word however – the arrow speaking more clearly than he ever could – and Murlainn's infuriation at his silence only intensifies as it continues. "Come on, man. Ten million units, all for one brat! Are ya really willing to give that up?"
"I ain't dealing with that jackass," Yondu says, wishing he'd shared that sentiment before handing twelve children to Ego. His words seem to be the final straw for Murlainn as a muscle twitches in his jaw, his rage barely contained by his flesh. The scent of blood may as well be in the air already given how soon it's going to be spilled.
Murlainn studies him for one final moment, something mournful slipping into his eyes, before he shakes his head and turns to his men once more. "Take the kid. Do what ya will with Udonta."
The man with the arrow pointed at his eye reaches out as if to grab it, but Yondu's too quick for him. He's skewered through the head in seconds and drops to the ground with a sick gurgle, but there's little time for Yondu to focus on that before the other assailants launch at him.
Instinctively, he pushes Peter back and lets the arrow take flight as his heart sings in his chest, but it barely has time to pierce another man's eye before a sharp pain strikes the back of his head and he crumples to his knees. The momentary loss in concentration forces him to lose track of his weapon, and when he tries to reach out to it again he's hindered by a wave of dizziness that has nausea overwhelming him. It isn't long before his cheek is resting against the ground with him having zero clue as to how it ended up there, and he thinks he could happily fall asleep right here.
That is, until he's disturbed by a familiar scream.
He lifts his head as much as he can, and though the world seems to shift on its axis, he can just make out Peter fighting in the arms of one of Murlainn's men, each of his hits punctuated by a feral cry. There's a surprising amount of red dotting his vision, and when Yondu blinks a few times he realises that Peter is lashing out with a knife, slashing his attacker's arm furiously and leaving him howling in pain. An unexpected laugh grips Yondu as he recognises the knife as his own, and something that might be pride grips his chest at the sight of the little thief fighting off a man thrice his size, but worry quickly replaces it as the other men crowd round the boy.
Yondu's head continues to be uncooperative, but he doesn't need his head. His heart gives a jolt as Peter's attacker throws him aside, the boy's tiny frame slamming roughly against a wall before he lies still on the ground. Though it takes more effort than it should, that's all that's needed to have Yondu forcing out a whistle and sending the arrow towards the culprit. His aim is off – the arrow merely pierces the man's shoulder and has him screaming with rage – but he focuses as much as he can and tries again, this time succeeding in finding the heart.
He tries to sit up but that only intensifies the dizziness. Instead, he remains lying and trusts his heart to steer the arrow wherever it needs to go, which ends up being into the heads of several men who are now very interested in killing him. Yondu almost misses Murlainn crouching down to lift Peter into his arms, and he barely has time to react before a gun is pointed at his head and he's forced to turn all his attention to killing his would-be shooter.
In his confusion, he can't tell how many men remain. There cannot be many left standing, but the pained groans from the ground suggest that some of the fallen are still alive, and he can do little but guide his arrow all over the place to wipe out whoever remains.
It hits him during his mindless slaughter that Murlainn has vanished. Peter too.
The silence that comes after the vicious fight only serves to highlight his failure. Yondu should get up, he knows, but his body protests at even the slightest attempt to do so and he knows he cannot fight in this state.
He can't afford to give up though. If he stays here, Murlainn will have delivered Peter to Ego in no time at all and Yondu will have the blood of yet another child on his hands.
He needs to get up. He needs…
… to rest his eyes, his brain tells him as his body drops uselessly to the ground, drained. It's an instruction that, deep down, he knows he should ignore, but the exhaustion and dizziness that consumes him leaves little room for argument.
He doesn't have time to acknowledge the red-hot loathing flooding through his veins as he lets darkness consume him.