COUNTING STARS ✷ Carol Danvers

2 | Knowhere

The streets of Knowhere were as busy as ever, aliens from all over the galaxy walking down the street, bumping into each other and starting a fight. It was normal, no one spared them a glance if it wasn't drawing blood. And like hungry sharks, they would start chanting and encouraging fights when they smelled the first drop of blood.

Ellie would stay clear from any fight and busy streets, sticking to short cuts and sometimes jumping rooftops to avoid interaction. She avoided leaving her safe house, only leaving for necessary shopping.

After the fall of Alveron and the fate that fell on her people, she was ushered to a safe planet, not safe in general, but someplace she was hard to find: Knowhere.

She was advised by her guards to stay low, don't draw attention, and to avoid interaction as much as possible and then they left her to go back to Alveron.

"It's not a safe place for you just yet, your highness"

"I can take care of myself-"

"Forgive us, but we do not want the last of your bloodline to die, Alveron will need a ruler when it is safe once more."

And then they left.

And since, she lived as they said.

Stay low, don't draw attention, avoid interaction as much as possible.

She changed her royal Alveronian clothes into that of a normal guard, declaring her Alveronian heritage to avoid unwanted questions and yet hiding her status. Hiding in plain sight.

It has worked so far, her Alveronian accent and cultural differences have never been questioned, one look at her clothes, and people would go back to their own business.

Not once has anyone asked why an Alveronian guard is so far from home. No one dared.

So she continued to live that way.

That's until she accidentally bumped into Yon-Rogg and his unit.

Ellie was taking her usual shortcuts, a door hidden behind a curtain which would lead her to the street below, a rooftop rope into the street opposite, when she stumbled upon what was supposed to be a mission for the Kree warriors.

She should have left before she could be spotted, leave and forget what she saw, stay low, don't draw attention, avoid interaction as much as possible. But she was curious and bored.

So she perched on the rooftop behind them, safely hidden behind the edge of the rooftop. She wasn't as invisible as she wanted to be, if they glanced behind them looking for someone, they would spot her and possibly shot her on the spot. But it was the best she could do, so she stayed.

They were an interesting team —The Starforce— skilled and experienced, not as good as the guards on Alveron, but good enough to be impressed.

She should have left when they finished retrieving the hostage, a female Brood by the looks of it, but she stayed and she was discovered.

The leader's head snapped to where she was and then she had four laser guns trained on her. The Brood hid behind one of the warriors, safely away from the gunfire.

"Hello," she said when they did nothing.

"Hands where I can see them," The leader said instead of returning her greeting which she found quite rude.

She slowly raised her hands and continued to look at them.

The leader mentioned with his gun for her to step down, and join them on the rooftop.

The guns never left her direction while she slowly climbed down from her hiding place and turned to face them.

The Brood gurgled something, making the warriors cock their heads in confusion.

"Hello to you too, Nassis."

"You understand her?" The leader questioned and lowered his weapon. It was meant to be a friendly action, but it was canceled with the other three guns on her.

"Yes, it's standard Alverian education," Ellie lowered her arms slowly, aware of the warning look in the warriors' eyes.

"Who are you?"

"An Alverian warrior," she gestured at her uniform.

The leader looked at her for a second before tapping something on his wrist and then looked at her with wide eyes.

"The scan says you resemble the Princess of Alveron rather than a warrior."

"I did not lie," she brushed a piece of her behind her ear, "All Alverians are warriors."

"Even the princess?"

"Especially the princess."

The leader looked at her before mentioning for his team to lower their weapons and then bowed his head slightly. With a look, his unit followed his example.

"No need for this," Ellie smiled, "I am a princess away from my kingdom, there's no need to bow."

"You're Alveron's Queen-"

"I have yet to be crowned, I don't know if the people would even want me back," she sighed and gestured to her surrendering, "I was told by my guards to stay here while they fixed everything."

"Shouldn't you help your people," One of the members said, a tall black Kree.

"Exactly, I should be involved, but they left me here with instructions to lay low, don't draw attention, avoid interaction as much as possible," she laughed humorlessly.

The leader looked at her and then at his teammates before he trained his eyes on her again, "We can take you with us, you'll be protected there."

She looked at him with calculating eyes, trying to see his motivations and his soul.

He was blank.

Ellie nodded her head slowly, "Okay, but I want to fight."

He smiled, "that won't be a problem, I'm Yon-Rogg."

And that's how she joined The Starforce.

—the chapters will get longer, I'm just setting the mood for the story—