When lightning always strikes, you know she's not far behind.
Kidnapped at a young age and recused seven years later, Avalyn Stark is forced to try to navigate a new world far from what she remembered. With threats around every corner, she was nev...
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2018 UNKNOWN SPACE
The dim light of the Benatar flickered, casting long shadows across the cramped interior. Avalyn sat leaning against the table, exhaustion etched into every line of her face. She watched her father and Nebula with tired eyes, their makeshift paper football game a fleeting distraction from the bleakness of their situation.
Nebula, arms folded in frustration, suddenly flicked her hands into a fighting stance. Her face was serious, focused, as if even this trivial game required her utmost discipline.
Tony raised his hands in mock surrender, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You don't need to do that. Because uh... you're just holding position."
Avalyn couldn't help the smirk that crept onto her face, despite her fatigue. Her father always knew how to lighten the mood, even when everything seemed hopeless. Nebula flicked a paper football towards Tony, and it skidded off the table's edge, barely missing its mark.
"Oh yeah, that was close," Tony said with a chuckle. Nebula, undeterred, flicked again, and this time the tiny football sailed cleanly across the table, earning her a small nod of respect from Tony. "That's a goal. We're now one apiece."
"I would like to try again," Nebula declared, her voice clipped and determined.
Tony grinned, flicking the football back at her, though it veered wildly off course. Avalyn stifled a yawn, leaning her head into her palm.
"I put my bet on Nebula to win. Sorry, Dad," She stated.
"Traitor," Tony muttered good-naturedly.
Nebula took her turn, flicking the football with mechanical precision. The paper slid smoothly across the table and dropped off the edge.
"And... you've won. Congratulations," Tony said, extending his hand toward Nebula. "Fair game. Good sport."
Nebula took his hand, shaking it stiffly. "It was fun."
The word sounded foreign coming from Nebula, but there was sincerity in it, however brief. Avalyn watched the interaction with half-lidded eyes, feeling the strange bond that had grown between the three of them in their weeks adrift. It was surreal—all of this was surreal.
