『 SATELLITES 』
( chapter three, the ravagers )

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ANDROMEDA'S SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY WAS THE WORST ONE OF ALL. It had only been a number of hours that she had been on the spaceship to Xandar. She had told Peter that morning when they woke but Yondu interrupted to help train Andromeda. Andromeda hated it more than anything, Yondu had put her through hell training her. He taught her to use one of the guns he had helped give to Peter.

When Andromeda had finished, she felt her whole body go sore. Every muscle ached in her body every time she moved and it felt like a thousand knives were digging themselves into her body. Andromeda didn't focus on anything else that day, she thought back to her parents every now and then wondering what they were thinking. Her mother would usually burst into her room at midnight and sing happy birthday. When she would wake up, her father would bring her a small cupcake with a candle. Now, she just sat in a room with sore muscles.

For the remainder of the day, Andromeda spent it staring at the blank wall, that was until Peter came into the room with his hands behind his back. Andromeda looked at the boy with furrowed brows as he had a big smile on his face. "Peter, are you okay?" Andromeda asked with pouted lips.

Peter nodded as he walked over to Andromeda, "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, "I remember that last night, you told me about your birthday,"

Andromeda nodded her head, "Yeah, and?"

Peter looked around the room as if someone were watching him before locking eyes with Andromeda, "Well, don't tell Yondu but I got you a little something," Peter then pulled out a small tiny cupcake with purple frosting on the top, he sat next to Andromeda as he handed it over to her.

A smile spread over Andromeda's face as Peter pulled the small cupcake out, she looked at him with a smile that went from ear to ear. She grabbed the cupcake from his hands carefully, "Peter, you didn't have to do this,"

Peter simply shrugged his shoulders, "It's alright, you're my only friend here even though we just met," he started, "Also, your name is long, so I wanted to ask if I can call you Andie?"

Andromeda giggled at Peter's question, "I will allow you to be the only person to call me Andie," Andromeda reassured him, she took the wrapper of the cupcake and split it into two parts, "Here, I don't know when your birthday is but just in case it passed,"

Peter smiled as he took the other half of the cupcake, "Thank you so much for this birthday present," the two let laughter fill the air as they ate their halves of the small cupcakes. It was the simplest gesture in the world but Andromeda knew that she had found a friend in the chaos of being abducted by a group of aliens.

In the weeks that followed, Andromeda had learned The Ravager ways. When they had landed on Xandar, Yondu taught Andromeda everything she needed to know, they stole from anyone--something Peter had told her. Once Andromeda was told that she had to steal, she got worried quickly. She had never stolen anything from anyone, she felt dirty even taking the last slice of a desert back home. Now, she was supposed to steal in order to live. Every day seemed to get even worse and worse, the other Ravagers would constantly tease her and scare her easily.

It was nothing like in her father's journals. It all seemed like a lie, the way he made The Ravagers sound like the most amazing people in the world. When he described Xandar to be a sort of utopia, it was a lie, a facade, to hide from the ugly truth. She once questioned the kind of person her father used to be, she saw him as a saint, as her protector. Now, it was all fading away, he would have noticed her missing, but he hadn't come to look for her at all. One day, Andromeda wanted some answers.

Andromeda had found Yondu at the Iron Lotus, a brothel. Peter had warned her not go as it would upset Yondu, but she didn't care. No one was giving her the answers that she had wanted. When she arrived, she saw Yondu outside talking with a group of other Ravagers. Yondu noticed the girl from afar with Peter walking slightly behind her. Yondu rolled his eyes as the brunette walked confidently toward him with a scowl on her face.

"Yondu," Andromeda started, "I need to you to answer something for me,"

Yondu looked unamused at the brunette, "Not now, Andromeda,"

"No," she replied firmly, she shifted her body and folded her arms across her chest, "Now,"

Yondu to let out a sigh, "What do you want, kid?"

"I want you to tell me about my father," Andromeda answered, "Why did you take me in the first place? More importantly, why hasn't he come to bring me back to Earth?" Andromeda felt stares on her from the others, Yondu remained with the same expression making Andromeda uncomfortable.

"Andromeda--" Yondu started, this time his voice was firm, it was a warning.

"No, Yondu. I want answers," Andromeda started.

Yondu licked his lips before walking past Andromeda and Peter. Andromeda furrowed her brows in anger as her feet stopped towards Yondu, who was walking away from the others. Peter followed after Andromeda worriedly. When they were a safe distance away Yondu stopped walking, "Listen to me, Andromeda,"

Andromeda stopped in her tracks, "Yondu, please, I'm begging you," Andromeda's voice was quiet as a whisper, she felt tears stinging her eyes but she held them back not wanting them to run down her face. "Andromeda, you're father managed to piss off a whole lot of people, okay?" he started, "He was one of us, but he made more enemies that I could think of. Your father was the one that wanted me to take you, and I did it because I owed him a debt. So, don't blame me and start blaming your old man,"

The brunette scoffed, not believing anything that came out of Yondu's mouth, she quickly stood in front him with her arms folded across her chest, "That makes no sense! He was a good person, he wouldn't just give me away like that,"

Yondu shook his head with a smirk, "Listen, kid, your father wasn't who you thought he was, no get out my way," Yondu then moved past Andromeda leaving her standing in front of Peter who had his hands in his pockets.

Andromeda let out a sigh, Yondu didn't clarify anything for her, it just made her even more confused, "Andie," the brunette lifted her gaze towards Peter who looked worried when he noticed her glassy brown eyes.

"Peter, I'm fine. I swear, I just," Andromeda then dropped her gaze to her feet so she didn't have to make contact with the only friend she had made.

Peter nodded his head, "How about we go back, we could listen to some sick music," he had a smile on his face when Andromeda looked up at him. Andromeda couldn't help but smile and shrug her shoulders.

"Let's go, Quill," the two started walking back and they kept talking about movies. Peter still kept convincing her that Footloose was the best movie ever made but Andromeda disagreed. She kept telling him about Jurassic Park and The Breakfast Club and how they were iconic. When they had got back to the room, Peter placed his mixtape on a small little radio he had. Soon enough the music started playing for the two of them to hear but not loud enough for the others.

The two of them nodded their heads to the songs and for the first time in a while Andromeda had forgetten about Earth.

━ author's note ━

woah, hey, guess who's back at it again? also i'm like the biggest dumbass out there because i just realized andromed's last name was supposed to be saros not samos ( i can read, i swear ) anyway, i also managed to make a trailer for this and it's in the very first part of the story if you want to see it.

also, the next chapter will be andromeda's and peter's first mission!

also, not only is it hump day but ya gurl is finally turning 17 today and i'm ready for adulthood so if you got tips--flood me with them.

any way, i hoped you all liked this chapter.