Lines | Guardians of the Galaxy |

Chapter Thirteen

Avenna sat atop Drax's shoulder as they went up the elevator. It had been about a day since they'd had all that drama, and everyone honestly felt better, it seemed. The Nova Corps had given them rooms to stay in until everything was solved and such, since they had no way to get off Xandar.

Quill had accepted gratefully, and though this meant that they wouldn't be able to talk since they all had separate rooms, it was a relief to Avenna. She'd been able to shower in a real shower since long before being put in the Kyln, and that had been genuine heaven as she scrubbed away all the dirt, blood, and grime from their work, working harshly beyond her fluff and into her skin. The water had been absolutely disgusting as she worked the filth out of her fur, but when she was finally clean and had washed herself down, she felt better than she had in a very, very long time. She didn't look grubby and beat up. She'd actually looked decent.

She didn't have new clothes to wear, which proved to be an issue. Her Ravager gear wasn't exactly something she wanted to wear on the daily, so she'd had the opportunity to go and pick something from one of the tailors at Nova Corps. Her new outfit was lovely.

It was tight-fitting but not skintight, which would help her move quickly through small spaces whenever she fought again. There was a hood on the back of it, another feature she liked, and the tailor actually took the time to edit the pants and make a place for her tail to come from, which had earned him a literal shout of joy. The outfit was made of a soft kind of cloth that had natural temperature regulation effects, which Avenna didn't really need, but it worked in the vacuum of space so that was a plus.

Another benefit of all of this was sleep. Though the man who had led her to her room seemed rather hesitant about giving an "orange dog" a full bed, she'd gotten it anyway and it had been glorious, too. She just felt, well, a lot better. Wonderful. Good sleep had been something she'd lacked for a solid amount of time, so getting it was truly amazing.

The Nova Corps had also given Rocket a pot that he requested, and he stuck one of Groot's sticks inside of it, dumping water over the thing and hoping for the best. He said that the tree's species were nearly impossible to kill and had natural growth strengths, so hopefully this would end up working.

"How tall is this thing?" Rocket complained. Avenna looked down from Drax's shoulder.

"The elevator music is getting a bit annoying," she agreed. However, it only took a minute or two more before the doors opened and they were allowed onto the top part of this huge building.

They stepped out in front of a table with a hologram of a man with strange glowing veins through his chest, and Avenna stayed seated on Drax's shoulders, wrapping her legs around his neck.

"On behalf of the Nova Corps," the Nova Prime was saying, "we'd like to express our profound gratitude for your help in saving Xandar." She smiled, the wrinkles on her cheeks scrunching together. "If you will follow Denarian Dey, he has something to show you."

A man steps forward to Quill and Gamora. "Thank you, Nova Prime," he says, saluting quickly before turning. He begins to lead them away.

Gamora and Drax walk side by side, the green woman glancing over and telling him something in an even tone.

"Your wife and child shall rest well knowing that you have avenged them," she says calmly.

"Yes," Drax growls. "But of course, Ronan was only a puppet. It's really Thanos I need to kill."

He walks a bit quicker, leaving Gamora behind as she pauses to consider his words.

"Thanos is on a whole new level," Avenna says in a low tone, whispering the words into his ear from her position on his shoulders. "Maybe let's save him for another time."