『Chapter Twenty』
『the tall tale』

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Jace could feel the way that the ground vanish from below him, nothing but the cool air brushed against his skin, his jacket burst wide leaving his chest cold. He knew that this was stupid, but he still reached out for either Peter's hand or the edge of the open back of the ship. He cursed at himself for not sorting his jets out, though he realised suddenly that he wasn't going to make it, that the gap between him and the ship was still far.

He wasn't going to make it. All he needed was to a few more inches and he would make it, whether it be to grab hold of Peter's hand or the ledge, he couldn't reach. For a moment, Jace thought that he was going to fall to his death, he didn't even dare to look down, knowing that if he did he would've lost hope.

Jace closed his eyes, if he was going to fall to his death, he didn't want to see the looks on his friend's face's when doing so. He could hear the wind's rapid blow against his ears as well as his friends calls, behind him he could hear nothing, as if the people who were behind him hadn't chased him.

It was like something inside him boiled, his chest felt hot despite the cool air that hit him, it was like feeling in his hands whenever he'd use his abilities. He tried to not think too much into it, knowing that the more that he did, it'll freak him out. There was a moment of calm which came over him as if there was nothing for him to worry about, and then he opened his eyes and realised quick that he'd used his abilities to blast himself further.

The opening of the ship came closer and Jace almost yelped. He'd landed awkwardly on Peter who was just as surprised as him. The pair of them skidded across the ground and for a moment Jace thought that they wouldn't stop. He heard how Kain made a small noise, and he could basically feel the disappointed look that Gamora gave him. Jace found himself slumping against Peter, feeling how the ship slowly ascended into the outer atmosphere of the planet.

Peter pushed Jace off of him, sitting up. Jace laid now on his back, for a moment staring at the metallic ceiling above him. He brought his hands up to look at them, he didn't know that he could blast himself up like that, he always thought that his powers were just all light and burning, never had he thought that he could use his abilities to just blast himself like that. He'd have to try it out more.

He rubbed his hands together and shut his eyes for a moment, he let out a small sigh. At least he made it, at least he made it to the ship. When he opened his eyes, he saw how Kain hovered over him, giving him a small, concerned look. He weakly smiled up at Kain though Kain looked more concerned on what was on Jace's face, it was enough for Jace to realise that he might be bleeding.

"Hi." Kain whispered after a moment. Jace smiled wide at Kain.

There was a moment of silence and Jace thought that there was a chance that he was safe from the scolding that Peter would give him, though when Jace turned his head he saw the look on Peter's face which was enough for him to know that Peter thought him an idiot. For a moment, Jace wondered whether or not Peter would let Kain stay here, though he knew that it was stupid. And yet, at the same time, Jace knew that Peter tried his best to keep Kain out of his brain for the past five years, only for him to save Kain from the assassin and risk his own life for him.

"You idiot!" Peter snapped. "You could've died!"

Jace simply looked up at Peter who in turn gave him a look of anger. He stared awkwardly between both Gamora and Peter, he'd realised that the ship door was closed. There was a part of him that wondered whether or not he could fall out of the ship in order to avoid being yelled at.

"What made you think about getting involved in something like that, Jace?" Gamora asked, in a more calmer voice. Still, there was anger laced within her voice despite her trying to hide it. In an odd way, Jace imagined that he was being scowled by his mother with the way that Gamora spoke.

"I'm sorry, I thought we were meant to help people. Isn't that what we do?" Jace shot back. "The Guardians of the Galaxy? I wanted to protect Kain from getting killed, isn't that what we're meant to do? Protect people from getting killed?"

"Jace, just because we are known because of it, doesn't mean that we make others in the group turn away from the fight" Peter reasoned. "We could have helped get rid of whoever that chick was."

"No, the main concern was making sure that Kain was safe." Jace argued and shook his head. "I had it under control, if I went down then there would be four of you against one of them. I would much rather risk my own life if it meant that there was more people looking after someone I care about."

There was a moment of silence. Jace knew that Peter wanted to say something else, he knew that Peter wanted to talk about everything that concerned Kain and how Kain being here concerns him. it was one of the conversations that Jace really didn't want to have though knew that it was something that Peter was going to force on him no matter what.

Jace heard Drax's footsteps before he saw him. "Jace, you fool, why wasn't you in the ship?"

Jace shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He rose to his feet and called up to Rocket. "Rocket, get us as far away from this planet as possible."

He turned, Peter was giving him a hard glare as if there was so much that he wanted to say but couldn't. Jace looked towards Kain, noticing how Kain was awkwardly stood in the corner of the ship, as if he didn't want to be noticed by the others. Kain was playing with a small medallion which Jace had given him when they used to date—it was a gift, one of which Jace got main on Xopheila that was meant to be good luck in a relationship. Kain's thin purple fingers ran over the engravements of the medallion almost without much thought.

The others left the two alone as Jace made his way over to Kain. Though Jace knew that Peter would end up trying to talk to him more about it when he had the chance, it was something that he wanted to avoid as much as possible. Once Jace was close enough, he placed a hand on Kain's elbow. He smiled slightly.

"You still have it," Jace commented. He was looking at the medallion with a small smile.

Kain nodded and looked up at Jace. "Of course, it means a lot to me—and I know that when we broke up I should've gotten rid of it, but I didn't want to, because it reminded me of you. And whenever I thought of you, I always remembered the last thing you said to me before you left."

"Someday, we'll find a way back to each other where we can be together," Jace spoke. He could still remember it. He'd said it when he was going to leave Xopheila behind, the same night that he broke up with Kain. It was one of the things which looped through Jace's mind all the time whenever he took a job that would give him a lot of money.

Kai perked up at that. "You remember."

There was something about the way that Kain looked at him which made Jace feel worse than what he did, it was like he was reliving the pain of leaving Kain again and again. "Of course I do." He kept a smile on his face.

For a moment, the pair of them were silent, as if there was nothing else that needed to be said between them. There was so much that he wanted to say to Kain, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He wondered whether or not this was a good idea, he hadn't seen Kain in so long and the last time that they saw each other, Jace broke Kain's heart. As much as he didn't want Kain to die at the hands of the assassin, there was still a small part of him that wondered whether or not the pain of seeing Kain would destroy him.

Don't get him wrong, Jace was glad to see that Kain was still alive after all these years even with everything that was going on in Kain's life, but at the same time, there was a part of him that knew that having Kain here was going to hurt him more than anything. For the past five years, he'd been in this constant loop of thinking about Kain, the prince of his heart, and to know that Kain was here was enough to make the pain in his chest pound a lot more. There was so much that he wanted to say to Kain, but he didn't know how to word it.

Kain looked at him now, Jace could see the pain behind Kain's eyes. "As much as I appreciate being saved by you, I don't mind being dropped off on whatever planet you decide. I don't want to be a pain in the ass for any of you." Kain spoke.

Jace hadn't said anything, he stared at Kain for a moment as if he didn't believe anything that Kain just said. No matter how much pain he was in when it came to thinking about them, the last thing that Jace wanted was for Kain to be unprotected. He didn't want Kain to be left alone, unprotected. "You wouldn't be a pain to any of us. You're being hunted by spies and assassins, the last thing that I'm going to allow is for you to remain unprotected. You're staying here, with us. With me. I already fucked up once with not protecting you, the last thing that I'm going to do is leave you once again. I had to lose you once because I thought it best, but I don't think I want to do that again."

Kain looked at Jace almost surprised as to what Jace just said. For a moment Jace thought that Kain would demand to be left on a random planet alone. Jace wondered whether or not Kain was going to snap at him for everything that Jace done and for the situation that he left Kain in. instead, Kain was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking about what to say, Jace prepared himself to be yelled at.

"You want me to stay?" Kain asked. "With you and your. . .friends?"

Jace nodded. "I want you to stay for your protection."

"Even after everything that you said before?" Kain asked. "Even after you said that leaving me was for my protection?"

Jace shut his eyes. "Yes. I want you to stay. I know what I said, and I thought that it was right. . .just let me protect you now from any of the spies and assassins your father sent for you."

Kain shifted slightly, he nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll stay with you and your friends."

There was a sense of relief that washed over Jace then, Kain was going to stay with them. At least Kain would be safe with them for now. Despite knowing how much pain would consume him over being in the same ship as Kain, he was still happy to have him close. As long as Kain was close, then everything was okay. Jace tried to not think too much into how guilty he felt that Kain had assassins after him, he knew that the more that he thought into it, the more guilt that he would feel.

All that he tried to think of was how Kain was here with him now. At least he wouldn't have to go back to Xopheila to try and save Kain. Though now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure which one was worse. He didn't want to think into it, knowing that it was something that still ached his heart. God, why was he stupid enough to leave Kain on that planet? He should've taken Kain with him instead of breaking his own heart.

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It was easy enough for Adrian to find Yondu and the rest of his group. There was a part of Adrian that thought it would've taken him a while to find Yondu and his crew, so it surprised him just how easy he could find them. After all, he could hear a slight chatter of some members saying how Yondu had always let Jace and Peter get away with shit. From what Adrian could gather, Peter was like a brother to Jace—which for Adrian would mean that Jace would be willing to do anything for Peter if it meant for his protection. At least, that's what Adrian hoped more than anything, he knew that if it came to it, he'd use Peter against Jace.

He wondered for a moment whether or not he could use Yondu against Jace. He knew that it would be smart, he knew that it might be easier for him to draw Jace to him, but at the same time he knew that he wanted this hunt. He'd rather have this big chase before meeting Jace rather than drawing Jace here, it would be too easy for him.

The one thing that Adrian noticed was how others would give him a side-eye look that he'd gotten from both the crew and others surrounding the area of Caline. It didn't bother him in a way, it was something of which he was used to, something which made him smile in a way. Not that he enjoyed the looks that he got, but there were times where he wished that everyone would ignore his existence while he did his job. Though he supposed that he'd gotten a name for himself since he graduated from his training and started to go through the universe, taking on as many jobs as he could.

For a moment he wondered whether he could play off the reason as to why he was here, though he knew that it was pointless. He was aware of the rumours which followed him, he knew that when people caught sight of him, there was always some form of trouble that will follow. He knew that there were rumours that followed him about how no one should interrupt him, how he was this mass murderer that wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone in his way.

He knew that enough people were afraid of him and what he could do, he'd heard the ideas that people made of him, the lies that people told others. He knew the way that others spoke of him and how he had these demonic abilities. Adrian didn't. Was he a demon? Yes, but that didn't mean he had any demonic abilities that they believe he has.

Adrian shook his head lightly as his eyes darted around the area where tables stood high, shops blared overlapping music, thieves laughed and talked, and the sound of glasses clinking. The bright multicoloured lights flickered from shades of blue, red, and green all while the gold of a tower gleamed in the sunset rays. He looked around, though his eyes narrowed to one table where a Saakarian stood, one of which he recognised from the photos he collected from Griselda and information from Dey.

Adrian's lips curled into a smirk as he made his way over to the Saakarian—who was oblivious to the huntsman assassin coming to him. All around Adrian, people tensed, even the ones round the Saakarian's table tensed, all wondering as to why he was there. There was something about it which amused Adrian more than he thought, it was something that he realised that he missed more than anything. He realised how much he loved scaring people, even as he joins them.

He released a sigh as he leaned against the table surrounded by Yondu's crew. Adrian nicked one of their drinks which appeared to not have been touched and took a sip from it. It was bitter on his tongue, though he didn't mind as long as he had something to drink then that was all that mattered to him. His hood was up, yet it didn't take away the fact that they all still knew who it was. The Saakarian he was after had then turned to stare at him.

"You," the Saakarian spoke in a hushed tone, "what are you doing here?" Adrian picked up on the look on the Saakarian's face.

The Ravagers around him had all placed a hand on their weapons. Adrian smirked at that. "I am here for information. Specifically, from your leader, Yondu Udonta. I take it he is here otherwise you all wouldn't be."

One of the Ravagers placed a small gun onto the table, pointing it to Adrian. "And why do you want to speak to him? What information do you need?" The Ravager was around Adrian's height give or take, he wore glasses, and his hair was long.

"That's on a need-to-know bases and all of you don't need to know," Adrian said coldly. He tilted his head ever so slightly. "Though I suppose it depends."

"On what?" A man with scars on his face asked.

"On how much you know of Jace Taylor—the half-breed," Adrian stated. "The demi-god that you all adopted."

"What's this all about with my boy?" A voice behind Adrian asked. He turned to see how Yondu was stood there with his arrow shown.

"You failed Yondu—the king grows impatient with you." Adrian said. Yondu's eyes narrowed as Adrian scoffed. "Don't tell me you have forgotten," when he got no response he let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, you have. King Odin wants the half-breed he sent you after nineteen years ago. Jace Taylor."

"Half-breed?" Kraglin—the Saakarian—asked. Adrian was amused with the confused look that he'd gotten from the other Ravagers after mentioning Jace's true heritage. He wondered how much Yondu told the Ravagers about where Jace came from.

Yondu waved his hand, dismissing it. "I haven't forgotten. And what makes you think I would give you any bit of dirt on him? And why is a person like you searching for him?"

Adrian's eyes racked over the group around him which had turned their attention to them both. "I've already told you; Odin wants me to find him. And you're going to help me."

"No." Yondu sneered. "You think I don't know who you are Adrian Sanguis, you're a murder—so if you think that I'll tell you anything about Jace then you've come to the wrong place."

Adrian tilted his head slightly. "Have it your way." He smirked as he then proceeded to shoot one of the Ravagers. The body went down with a thump. Dead. "We could go on and on until it's just you and me, but I'm on a tight schedule, so if you don't mind—answers."

Yondu stared, not wanting to back down. Adrian shrugged, quickly pointing his gun to Kraglin—who hadn't had the time to pull out his own weapon. All around him weapons had rose and aimed to Adrian, a whistle echoed in his ear as an arrow raised to his head. The thought of this turning into a bigger fight was something that amused him more than anything else.

Adrian cocked his head to the side. "You know, Yondu, if you ever want your place back with the Ravagers, I'm sure I would be able to help with that—after all it was Jace and that Peter boy who made you all lose your place. Wouldn't it be nice to go back and have a piece of familiarity? I can assure you Yondu, that no harm will come to Jace, all I need to do is return him to where he belongs."

There was silence—nothing, not even a whisp of wind or the music blearing. There was silence. The hard look which went back and forth between Adrian and Yondu was intense. It was like that for a few moments, guns and arrows all raised, tension rising between them all. Adrian still kept his gun up at Kraglin as Yondu's arrow was hovering around his forehead.

His covered face held a smirk, though Yondu didn't look that pleased almost like he was about to snap. It was something that amused him more than anything else. Adrian's finger sat on the trigger, he wanted to shoot but he hadn't wanted any casualties—yet if Adrian needed information then he needed to get it at any cost. He didn't care how many people he killed to get it, it was something that he knew that he wanted in order to collect the reward that he'd get from Odin.

Adrian let out a small sigh. "I'll pay you for information. If you tell Jace then that's up to you, it'll only make all of this better for me."

Kraglin had given Yondu a look, shaking his head as a way to tell him not to consider. Though Yondu's gaze kept at Adrian, and Adrian the same. Neither one wanting to look away. For a moment Adrian wondered whether or not Yondu would tell him anything, though there was a small part of him that knew Yondu might tell him, but he couldn't be sure. He was sure that Yondu would protect Jace over his life.

"Come on, Yondu, there's no point in this—you know I'll win," Adrian taunted. A small faint smile curved onto his lips as Yondu somewhat twitched. "You're smart I know you are, and I take it you would do whatever it took if it meant keeping an eye on the half-breeds. Like—I don't know—managed to track them in anyway."

Yondu moved slightly, almost as if he were about to attack. "I will not tell you anything about Jace Taylor."

"Boring," Adrian muttered. His arm flung round and shot at another Ravager. The rest jerked themselves back, all surprised by another death yet also somewhat shocked by it. He then rose the gun to Yondu—despite the arrow still floating aimed at his head. "Now, I'm going to ask you this one last time. Tell me what you know about Jace Taylor."

"Cap'tn," Kraglin spoke up. He slightly nodded as if to say that he'd tell. "We put a tracker on the ship. They just left Zecon."

Adrian smirked. "Now that wasn't so hard now was it, and now no one else has to die. Now, tell me what to expect."

There was a silence, one of which annoyed Adrian rather quickly. Yondu then whistled as the arrow went back to its original place. There was a part of Adrian that was relieved to not have the arrow near him, but that was something that he hid as well as he could. Adrian knew what this meant and there was a small part of him that was proud to know that his threats were heard.

"I'll tell him that you're after him, though do not harm him in any way," Yondu spoke through gritted teeth.

"Excellent."