The Girl Who Held the Universe in her Hands | marvel [1] ✔

THREE

CHAPTER THREE
' I'LL GO THROUGH YOU . '

Ash awoke with a start, leaping to her feet. She went to turn in a circle but rebounded from restraints connecting her to a wall. The chains were thick and heavy, causing an ache in her shoulders, leading to gauntlets covering her hands. She looked away and past a glass screen, sight falling on three men.

"We finally got her, boys," one spoke, and Ash tugged against her restraints. "Oh, you ain't getting out of those, sweetheart, not for a long time." He looked at the others, a grin forming on his face. "Her name's Astrid, better known as the Reaper, adopted daughter of Thanos and Field Marshal of the Black Order. She's responsible for the deaths of millions across the universe."

"Where am I?" she asked, voice cracking as she failed to turn to face them, her restraints stopping her.

Another of the guards chuckled. "Don't you be worried about that. Think about how the other inmates are gonna take to you being defenceless, hm?"

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Ash walked at the back of the line, arms wrapped around her body in a metallic straight jacket. Noah moved beside her, tense silence between them as they avoided eye contact.

"I guess most of Nova Corps wanna uphold the laws, but these ones here? They're corrupt and cruel," Rocket began. "But, hey, that's not my problem. I ain't gonna be here long. I've escaped twenty-two prisons. This one's no different." He looked at Peter over his shoulder. "You're lucky the broad showed up because otherwise, me, Ash and Groot would be collecting that bounty right now, and you'd be getting drawn and quartered by Yondu and those Ravagers."

"I've had a lot of folks try to kill me over the years. I ain't about to be brought down by a tree, a witch and a talking racoon." Quill replied.

"Don't mention racoons," Ash warned under her breath in an exasperated tone.

"Hold on, what's a racoon?"

Quill took a double-take. "'What's a racoon?' It's what you are, stupid."

"Ain't nothing like me, except me."

"Rocket, shut up. You're embarrassing yourself," Ash advised from the back.

"So, this Orb has a real shiny blue suitcase, Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe. What is it?" Quill turned his attention to Gamora.

"God," Ash and Noah groaned under their breath.

"I am Groot."

"So what? What's the Orb?" Peter continued.

"I have no words for an honourless thief," Gamora replied bitterly.

Ash snorted, glaring at Gamora's head. "That's a bit rich."

"Pretty high and mighty coming from the lackey of a genocidal maniac. Yeah, I know who you are. Anyone who's anyone knows who you are." Rocket agreed.

"Wait a minute." Ash furrowed her eyebrows. "If you know about her, then you know about me."

"I am Groot."

"So what if I didn't kill you when I met you."

"You're expensive," Rocket replied before his voice dropped. "And you're kinda intimidating."

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?" she called to him, a grin forming on her features.

"Who are they?" Peter asked, turning around to Groot.

"I am Groot."

"Yeah, you said that."

"I wasn't retrieving the Orb for Ronan," Gamora defended. "I was betraying him. I had an agreement to sell it to a third party."

Ash raised her eyebrow, glare darkening. "You've never been good at lying."

"I am Groot."

"Well, that's just as fascinating as the first eighty-nine times you told me that. What is wrong with Giving Tree, here?"

"He speaks Groot, dumbass. So his vocabulary is limited to 'I' and 'am' and 'Groot'. Exclusively in that order. He's speaking to you, and you're being an arsehole," Ash shot back.

"I tell you what, that's gonna wear real thin, real fast."

They entered the prison, and the attention immediately struck Gamora, inmates throwing insults and objects at her. However, their awareness found Ash, and she became bombarded with attacks. A tray smacked her across the face and her head whipped to the side from the force. She sighed heavily, black sliding into her eyes and causing the inmate to cower.

"It's like I said, she's got a rep. A lot of prisoners here have lost their families to Ronan and his goons. Greenie'll last a day, tops." Rocket explained to Peter.

"What about little miss witchy?"

"You think this thing is going to stop me?" Ash questioned, rolling her shoulders as much as the straight jacket would allow. "These are luring you into a false sense of security."

He raised an eyebrow. "Good to know. The guards will protect them, right?" Quill asked.

"They're here to stop us from getting out. They don't care what we do to each other inside," Ash replied.

"Whatever nightmares the future holds, they are dreams compared to what's behind me," Gamora added.

"Check out the new meat." A new prisoner stepped towards Peter, a cruel grin on his face. "I'm gonna slather you up in Gunavian jelly and go to town-"

Ash pushed through the group, eyes sliding before an explosion of power erupted from her chest and shattered the metal. She curled her hand, black enveloping the prisoner's hand and launching him backwards.

Groot stepped forward, roots extending from his hand and sliding up the prisoner's nose, lifting him into the air.

"Let's make something clear," Ash began, quiet but understandable. "This plump, little man-whore belongs to me. His bounty is mine. If anyone of you places a finger on him, I'll break every single finger on your fucking hand. You wanna get to him? You go through me, or, more accurately, I go through you." Groot dropped the prisoner heavily.

"I'm with her." Peter pointed to her as she walked off, Rocket and Groot following her.