STARGIRL

four.

Eleanor Quill was probably the youngest person to be arrested by the Nova Corps.

"Eleanor Rory Quill. Age thirteen. Daughter of Terran, Peter Quill. Was born on Xandar and raised there for the first year of her life by her mother, Xandarian, currently unknown. She currently lives with Peter and her adoptive grandfather, Yondu, and the Ravagers. At just age six, Yondu sent her out on missions and she got her first warning at eight for stealing."

Eleanor glared through the glass at the two guards. She hated when anybody talked about her mother. She hated the thought that her own mother abandoned her at just a year old and left her with only her father to raise her.

Two different guards grabbed her roughly again and dragged her over to the others. They were all being transported to the Kyln.

"I guess most of the Nova Corps wanna uphold the laws," the raccoon said, as they walked through the hallways, "but these ones here, they're corrupt and cruel. But, hey," he chuckled, "that's not my problem. I ain't gonna be here long. I've escaped 22 prisons. This one's no different. You're lucky the broad showed up, because otherwise, me and Groot would be collecting that bounty right now, and you'd be getting drawn and quartered by Yondu and those Ravagers."

"Does he ever stop talking?" Eleanor muttered, turning to talk to the tree.

It smiled, "I am Groot."

"Brilliant." Eleanor turned around again.

The group stopped.

"What's a raccoon?" the raccoon muttered.

"'What's a raccoon?' It's what you are, stupid." replied Peter.

"Ain't no thing like me, except me." Rocket commented, and they started to walk again.

Eleanor tried to drown out everyone's conversation around her by looking around at the prison. It seemed to be quite big, however Eleanor quickly noticed that there were no other children there.

"So, this Orb has a real shiny blue suitcase," Peter continued, "Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe. What is it?"

"I am Groot."

"So what? What's the Orb?"

"I have no words for an honourless thief." replied the green woman.

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

"Yeah, we know who you are," added Peter, and Eleanor rolled her eyes, "Who is she?" he looked behind his daughter at the massive tree who was following her.

"I am Groot." the tree replied.

"Yeah, you said that."

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

"I am Groot."

Peter scowled, "Well, that's just as fascinating as the first 89 times you told me that. What is wrong with Giving Tree, here?"

"Well, he don't know talking good like me and you," said Rocket, "So his vocabulistics is limited to 'I' and 'am' and 'Groot'. Exclusively in that order."

"Well, I'll tell you what, that'll wear thin real fast. Hey!" Eleanor looked up to see her dad stopping and staring at an alien who had his headphones on whilst listening to a song on his walkman, "Put that away."

She rolled her eyes as Peter slipped into the room with the alien, "Listen to me, you big blue bastard. Take those headphones off. That's mine. Those belong in impound. That tape and that player is mine."

The alien ran at him with a taser. He shook Peter with it. Again. Peter fell to the floor and the others watched as the alien tasered him again and again until a guard told him to stop.

They were led towards the showers and Eleanor felt extremely uncomfortable as they told her to undress. The girl stood shivering in her underwear, trying to not  think about the guards watching her. They sprayed her with some orange liquid before chucking her into a cell with some yellow prisoner's pyjamas. The green woman was already in the cell. She noticed Eleanor's distress and turned to give her some privacy.

"Eleanor Quill." she introduced herself once she was dressed.

"Gamora." the green woman gave her a slight smile - a pitiful one.

The five continued to walk further into the prison. An alien shoved a black sleeping mat into Eleanor's arms. Reaching the main part of the prison, Eleanor looked around in shock. It truly was massive. Guards stood watch at the top of tall towers.

Loud shouts brought Eleanor back to reality, "Murderer! Coming for you first, Gamora! You're dead!". The shouts made Eleanor jump and the aliens started to laugh at her reaction. Peter defensively took her hand in his and glared over at the aliens. He could feel his daughter's hand shaking in his. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, bringing her close to him, "Oi, dickheads! She's a child! Leave her alone!" he yelled up at them.

"It's like I said, she's got a rep," commented the raccoon, and he continued walking with Peter and Eleanor in front, "A lot of prisoners here have lost their families to Ronan and his goons. She'll last a day, tops."

"The guards will protect her, right?" asked Peter, and Eleanor burrowed her head into his shoulder as the shouting grew louder.

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

Peter turned and became face-to-face with a giant blue alien. "Check out the new meat," it commented, stroking a hand down one side of Peter's face, "I'm gonna slather you up in Gunavian jelly, and go to town..."

Groot walked over and stuck two branches into the alien's nose and lifted it off the ground. It started to groan in pain.

"Let's make something clear!" the raccoon yelled to everyone, "These two here..." he pointed to Peter and Eleanor, "are our booty! You wanna get to them, you go through us! Or, more accurately, we go through you!"

Eleanor felt like she was going to be sick as the giant blue alien fell to the floor, clutching where its nose should be. Instead, blood started to pour out as Groot stood above it, holding onto the remains of its nose. Groot dropped the bloody nose onto the floor, and it and Rocket started to walk away, leaving the alien writhing on the floor.

"We're with them." added Peter, rushing him and Eleanor after the raccoon and tree.