the Blind Guardian

In the Crosshairs

"Yondu! Don't you touch him!" I snapped as Ravagers spun me around.

Yondu stopped the arrow, whistling as it turned toward me.

"Take off her jacket," Yondu said. Kraglin came forward to yank off my overcoat. Underneath my overcoat, I wore a light grey tank top. I noticed Peter raise his eyebrows, his gaze drawn to my chest. Creep, I thought. Then, I was roughly turned around, my front to the wall. It was then that I realized why.

Peter frantically tried to break free of the Ravagers that held him as Yondu's arrow approached my back. Someone moved my messy braid off to one side as I felt the tip of the arrow pierce my shirt then touch my left lower back, opposite to the scar, which ran from my lower right side to my upper left.

The arrow went across my back slowly into my skin about four millimeters. I cringed as the arrow tip slowly crossed my back, the pain of reliving this unpleasant experience burning into my brain.

I began whimpering as the arrow stopped right on my scar, each time I inhaled or exhaled the arrow would go deeper or come out. I felt my shirt getting damp with blood as I tried to stay still.

"You betrayed me! Steal my money!" Yondu yelled as he slugged Peter across the face, making him stop struggling.

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" I yelled, the arrow going deeper as I inhaled.

"When I picked you up as a kid, these boys wanted to eat you. They ain't never tasted Terran before. I saved your life! Yours too, Dess!" Yondu exclaimed, another blue fist hitting Peter's cheek.

"Oh, will you shut up about that? God! Twenty years you've been throwing that in my face, like it's some great thing, not eating me! Normal people don't even think about eating someone else! Much less that person being grateful for it! You abducted us, man. Stole us from our homes and our families." Peter said, nodding his head to me.

"You don't give a damn about your Terra! You're scared because you're soft, in here," Yondu yelled, hitting Peter's chest. "Here! Right here!"

He then turned to me. I was helpless, still being held in the Ravagers' iron grips. My lower back was probably covered in blood, and his arrow was still in my scar.

"You know why I'm doin' this, Dess?" Yondu asked as Peter could only look on in agony, his face already starting to bruise. I weakly nodded.

"Good." Yondu opened his mouth to whistle as I closed my eyes, waiting for it to move again. A low whistle from Yondu sent the arrow along, going over the scar slowly as my face contorted from pain.

"Ronan has an Infinity Stone," Peter offered, hoping to end my suffering. Yondu glanced over at him as a smirk formed on his face.

"I know what he's got, boy," Yondu said as the arrow stopped as his whistle ended, then continued.

"Then you know we must get it back," I managed to talk despite the pain by Yondu's arrow. He glared at me as I continued talking

"He's gonna use it to wipe out—Xandar!" I said as Yondu purposely pushed his arrow faster and slower, making me wheeze as I spoke.

"Why should I give a damn about them Xandarians?" Yondu queried, his whistle tone changing as the arrow backtracked slightly, retracing its bloody path, poking at the tender flesh exposed. I couldn't breathe well, my mind too afraid to move.

Yondu then finished with a high pitched wheet, the arrow zipping across the rest of my back. Along with my other scar, I now had an "x" on my back. The weapon then flew back to its holder as I gasped, finally able to breathe normally. The Ravagers then turned me over, my back to the wall. I slumped over as much as the crewmen's grip would allow.

Wheet—vhet! Yondu whistled again. This time, the arrow shot to Peter's windpipe.

"No!" I shouted, finding the strength to lift my torso upright.

"Sorry , boy. But a captain's gotta teach his men what happens to those what cross him." Yondu said, the arrow unwavering.

"Yah! Captain's gotta teach stuff!" Kraglin said, the rest of the crew mumbling in agreement.

"If you kill me now, you are saying goodbye to the biggest score you have ever seen."

"The Stone? I hope you got something better than that. Because ain't nobody stealing from Ronan." Yondu looked slightly amused.

"We got a ringer," I said, not moving my eyes from the arrow. Yondu looked at me.

"Is that so?"

"She knows everything there is to know about Ronan. His ships, his army," Peter said.

"Hey, what do you say, Yondu, huh? Me and you taking down a mark side-by-side, just like the old days," Peter said as Yondu thought for a moment. He whistled as I tried to lunge forward, thinking that the arrow had gone into Peter.

The Ravagers around us laughed as Peter and I joined in, although I had to stop since my injury hurt. The Ravagers released us, Peter took me into his arms as I extended my arms to him. He leaned his body around me so he could get a better look at my back.

"Dessie! Your back," he spoke as he motioned for my dark purple jacket. He helped me slip it on, being careful of my gash on my back.

"Pete," I said, cupping my hands around his scruffy cheeks. I looked up at him with my green blue eyes, and noted his face was bruised slightly on the right cheek from Yondu.

"You liked that kiss, didn't you?" Peter inquired, a grin forming on his lips. I didn't change my facial expression at all. Peter should have known.

"That's nasty," Yondu butted in, reminding him that all the Ravagers were still with us. Peter looked pretty embarrassed, while I just smirked obnoxiously at him.