Night fell, and a heavy silence draped over the Kyln. The rhythmic snoring of inmates echoed through the halls, and a few guards dozed off in their chairs.
"Keep it down!"
"Be quick about it!"
In the men's wing, several prisoners slipped out of their quarters. Staying low and hugging the corners, they crept toward the female cell block. These men shared a blood feud with Ronan. As a Kree general with immense power and thousands of loyal soldiers, they knew they stood no chance of getting revenge on their own. But fate had handed them an opportunity: Ronan's associate, Gamora, had been locked up. This was their best shot at justice, and none were willing to let it pass. They had banded together to finish her off.
Arriving at Gamora's private cell, one prisoner fiddled with the control panel. With a soft hiss, the door slid open, and the mob swarmed inside. In a place like this, Gamora couldn't afford to let her guard down—especially after the death threats she'd received earlier that day. But she had taken a sword to the chest and was severely wounded. The blood loss had left her weak, dizzy, and drained of strength.
She was drifting in and out of sleep when the noise at the door startled her. She bolted upright, but the prisoners lunged at her, pinning her arms and legs. Before she could react, her limbs were restrained and a jagged blade was pressed against her throat.
"Help—" She tried to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Bitch! This is a prison, not Ronan's flagship. Even if you scream, you'll only draw in more people who want you dead!"
They began dragging her out of the cell. A night guard happened to be patrolling the wing and saw the mob restraining Gamora. He didn't lift a finger to stop them. Instead, he watched with an expressionless face. "Don't do it here. Take her to the showers. It's easier to clean; you can just wash the blood down the drain."
Gamora's eyes filled with despair as she struggled against the iron grips of the prisoners. "See? Everyone here wants you dead," One hissed. Laughing, they pushed her toward the showers.
The cells weren't soundproof. The commotion woke Valkyrie in the neighboring cell. A faint smile crossed her face as she sat up and stepped out of her quarters. In the men's wing, the sound of scuffling feet reached Peter Quill, who hadn't slept a wink. Seeing Gamora being dragged away with a knife at her throat, he felt a pang of worry and followed them. Rocket, determined to protect his investment, followed suit.
THUD!
The prisoners slammed Gamora against the wall. A blade bit into the skin of her neck. "Gamora! You've committed countless atrocities across the galaxy. You are beyond redemption. I sentence you to death, effective immediately!" The prisoner raised the dagger, ready to plunge it into her throat.
"Don't you dare!" A booming, gravelly voice echoed.
The mob turned to see a massive, dark-skinned man with red markings etched across his skin stepping into the room. At the sight of him, several prisoners instinctively backed away.
"Do you know who I am?" The man asked.
"Drax... Drax the Destroyer!" One prisoner stammered.
"And do you know why they call me that?"
"Because you've slaughtered so many of Ronan's men."
Drax walked up to Gamora, his face a mask of simmering rage. "Ronan killed my wife. He killed my daughter. He didn't even blink; he just laughed as he did it!" He glared at the prisoners. "Her life is not yours to take. Ronan destroyed my family. I will be the one to make him pay in blood!"
The lead prisoner quickly handed over the dagger. "Of course. She's yours!"
Even in her weakened state, Gamora wasn't about to die without a fight. With lightning speed, she snatched the daggers from the prisoners flanking her and held them against Drax's throat. The tables had turned in a heartbeat.
Leaning against the doorframe, Valkyrie let out a dry laugh. These idiots were too careless. Gamora was a killing machine trained by Thanos; give her an inch, and even half-dead, she'd find a way to flip the script.
"I will tell you only one thing," Gamora said through gritted teeth. "I am not Ronan's family, nor am I Thanos's! If you want your revenge, I am your only hope." With that, she took a gamble and dropped the daggers.
Valkyrie slapped her forehead. This woman is a special kind of stupid, she thought. To drop her weapons while standing on the edge of the grave was insanity. Sure enough, the moment the blades hit the floor, Drax lunged, his hand closing around her throat like a vice and pinning her to the wall.
"Liar! No more excuses. You are his accomplice—"
Seeing Gamora in real danger, Valkyrie stopped watching. She snatched a fallen dagger and hurled it with lethal precision. In a silver blur, the blade pierced Drax's arm, the tip emerging from the other side.
"AAAAAAGH!!!"
Drax roared in pain and let go of the dagger, blood geysering from the wound and splattering onto the floor. But the man was a beast; despite having his right arm impaled, his left hand remained locked around Gamora's throat, refusing to let go.
Shit, Valkyrie muttered, running toward them.
"Stay back! Or I'll snap her neck!" Drax snarled, his fingers tightening.
Valkyrie skidded to a halt. "Easy, big guy. Calm down. You want to kill Ronan for revenge, right? If you kill her now, you're just doing his dirty work for him."
Drax turned his head, his eyes bulging. "Why?"
"Because she betrayed him," Valkyrie explained quickly. "She's with me now. She's a traitor to the Kree. Ronan won't let that stand. He'll come for her. And when he does, you can be the one to look him in the eye and gut him yourself for what he did to your wife and daughter."
Drax went silent, his brow furrowed as he processed the logic. Valkyrie pressed her advantage. "If you kill her now, you're just acting as Ronan's executioner. You really want that?"
After a long pause, Drax finally understood. He released his grip, and Gamora collapsed to the floor, the bandages on her chest turning crimson as her wound reopened. Quill, who had been hovering at the door, finally saw his opening and rushed in to help her up. Gamora, showing no gratitude, shoved him away and looked at Valkyrie.
"What is your game?"
Valkyrie ignored the question and looked at the other prisoners. "The rest of you, get the fuck out." They didn't need to be told twice.
Once they were gone, Valkyrie spoke. "I told you. I want you to come with me and meet my master. He's very interested in you."
Gamora said. "Tell me who he is first."
"Does it matter?"
"It matters," Gamora said firmly. "I just escaped one monster; I'm not walking into another's den. If you don't tell me, I'd rather die here."
Valkyrie hesitated, then sighed. "His name is Jason Walter. And like the idiot standing next to you, he's from Terra."
Gamora glanced at Quill, then back at Valkyrie. "Why does he want to see me?"
"Thanos invaded Terra once. Jason has taken an interest in him. You're his adopted daughter; you possess the intel he needs."
Gamora was stunned. "He wants to kill Thanos?"
"He hasn't said that explicitly," Valkyrie replied. "But you've betrayed Ronan and Thanos. They won't let you live. Even if you sell that Orb for a fortune, you won't be able to hide from them. You know that. Working with Jason is your only real shot at survival."
"He's strong enough to protect me?"
"If he were a nobody, do you think I'd be taking orders from him?" Valkyrie turned to the rest of the group. "Jason is recruiting. I'm extending the invitation to all of you."
They looked at each other, skeptical. But Valkyrie knew exactly how to play them.
"Drax, your dream is to kill Ronan. But you know as well as I do that on your own, you're no match for him. Jason can give you that head on a platter. Ronan isn't even fit to shine his boots."
Drax gripped his wounded arm. "If he lets me kill Ronan with my own hands, I will sacrifice everything."
Valkyrie nodded, satisfied. She turned to Quill. "You've burned your bridges with the Ravagers. Yondu has a price on your head. Only with us can you stay alive."
Quill hesitated. He preferred the life of a rogue, a free man. Valkyrie saw right through him. "Relax. Jason is a generous boss. He won't keep you on a leash. Plus, you're both from Terra; you'll have plenty to talk about—music, culture, whatever. With Jason as your boss, your life will be a hell of a lot better than it is now."
"What about me? What does Jason have for me?" Rocket asked, leaning in.
"You and Groot are bounty hunters. You're only here for the money. Jason has more gold than he knows what to do with. Work for him for a year, and you can buy a mansion in the Xandar capital."
Rocket's ears perked up. "Hmph. Sounds okay, I guess. But how do we know you're telling the truth?"
"We're stuck in a cage. I can't prove it yet. But once we break out and you meet him, you'll see. You're all gamblers; you know the ratio of risk to reward. This is a bet on your future. The choice is yours." She paused. "But even if you say no, I'm taking the Orb. You won't see a single cent of its value."
Silence fell over the showers. They were weighing their options, aware that this was a life-or-death decision. Finally, Gamora stood up. "I'll go. I'll give him what I know about Thanos. But whether I join him or not, the bounty for the Orb must be paid to me. Every single unit."
"How much did your buyer offer?" Valkyrie asked with a smirk.
"Four billion units."
Rocket's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What?!"
Quill was floored. "My God!" He had almost died for a measly amount. Rocket had risked it all for forty thousand. Four billion was a number they couldn't even fathom.
Valkyrie agreed without blinking. "Done."
Once you meet Jason, you'll be his. You won't be getting four billion; you'll be lucky to get forty, She thought.
Gamora narrowed her eyes. "You agreed too quickly. You're planning to screw us over once we're there, aren't you?"
Valkyrie shook her head and laughed. "I told you, money means nothing to Jason. If you have the intel he wants, that kind of change is pocket lint to him. Now, we have to move. Rocket, start using that brain of yours. The prison break is on you."
Rocket grinned. "Easy as pie."
"You said earlier that even without Rocket, you had a way out. Was that a lie?" Gamora asked.
Valkyrie shook her head. "No. I have a beacon on me. If I don't check in with Jason within twenty-four hours, it automatically pings my location. He'd come here and tear this place apart to get me out."
Gamora nodded silently. If Jason was truly as powerful as she claimed—someone who didn't even fear Ronan—then taking the Kyln would be child's play for him.
"Alright," Rocket yawned. "Let's get back to the cells. We'll talk about the plan tomorrow."
As the group left the showers, none of them noticed the pair of eyes watching from the shadows. A prisoner had overheard everything.
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