Picking Up The Pieces

24. Shot Down By The Buyers

   "We thank you, Guardians, for putting your lives on the line," Priestess Ayesha told us as we stood before her. A few of the citizens were giving me weird looks as I dripped water on the ground. "We could not risk the lives of our own Sovereign citizens. Every citizen is born exactly as designed by the community. Impeccable, both physically and mentally. We control the DNA of our progeny, germinating them in birthing pods."

"I guess I prefer to make people the old-fashioned way," Quill spoke up, trying to be humorous. Gamora rolled her eyes. I squinted at him.

"Are you serious right now?" I hissed quietly at him. Ayesha gave a tight-lipped smile.

"Perhaps someday, you could give me a history lesson," she told him, and I wanted to gag. "In the archaic ways of our ancestors." A few of her subjects smiled, as if this was a funny idea. "For academic purposes."

"I would be honored, yes," Quill continued along with her. "In the name or research. I think that could be pretty..." Gamora shared the same disgusted look as me when he looked at the two of us. "...repulsive. I'm not into that kind of casual..."

"Oh please," Gamora finally interrupted, stepping forward. "Your people promised something in exchange for our services. Bring it, and we shall gladly be on our way." Ayesha made a small motion with her index finger, and two of her guards brought a struggling person forward, hidden behind a cloak.

The guards shoved her down on her knees, pulling back to reveal... a female robot? No, she wasn't a robot, and not an android like Vision.... Maybe it was just the way her skin was? I had met a lot of aliens recently, so that wouldn't be surprising. The woman looked at Gamora with pure hatred, which Gamora returned without looking away.

"Family reunion. Yay!" Quill joked, trying to break the tension.

"I understand she is your sister," Ayesha mentioned.

"She's worth no more to me than the bounty due for her on Xandar," Gamora stated bluntly before grabbing the woman's arm. Those two were sisters?

"Our soldiers apprehended her attempting to steal the batteries," Ayesha told us, pulling away from her throne and standing tall. She clasped her hands in front of her. "Do with her as you please." With a hard tug, Gamora pulled her sister away and started to lead her out to the ship. Quill gave a small bow.

"We thank you, High Priestess Ayesha," he thanked before starting to spin on his feet.

"What is your heritage, Mr Quill?" Ayesha inquired as she sat back down. Rocket, Drax, and I looked at him, wondering what his reply would be. Quill gave a small sigh.

"My mother is from Earth," he told her.

"And your father?"

"He ain't from Missouri," Quill answered. "That's all I know."

"I see it within you," Ayesha said bluntly. "AN unorthodox genealogy. A hybrid that seems particularly... reckless." Quill just stared at her, not letting any of his emotions show from her hard words.

"You know, they told me you people were conceited douchebags," Rocket piped up. We all looked at him, a mixture of terror and annoyance. "But that isn't true at all!" Rocket smiled, and with a tilt of his head, gave an obvious wink. I gulped as I looked at the priestess, worrying she wold kill us for his words. One of the guards started to lift his gun. "Oh shit, I'm using my wrong eye again, aren't I?" Slowly, I turned around and scurried out of the hall. "I'm sorry. That was meant to be behind your back."

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I sat down in front of the large mirror in what I considered the living room, drying my damp hair with a towel. Quill's music was playing in the ship, and the man stood right next to me as he changed shirts. He tossed his dirty one on the floor and grabbed a cleaner one.