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Back in Mos Espa…
The tension in the air thickened as the bounty hunter and Gulda the Hutt's thugs circled Tony, Natasha, Mikaela, Rocket, Groot, and Anakin. Armed thugs lined the rooftops above them, aiming blasters down at the group, while others blocked their way forward, cutting off all escape routes.
Natasha stepped protectively in front of Anakin, drawing her blaster with a steady hand. Mikaela stood next to her, gun in hand, but the barrel wobbled slightly as her hands shook with fear. She was still adjusting to this new life.
After all, she was only a high school girl not too long ago.
Sensing Mikaela's fear, Natasha reached over, steadying the younger girl's gun. "Breathe," Natasha whispered calmly, "Aim, and stay focused. We've got this."
Mikaela blinked, surprised not just by Natasha's calm words but by the unexpected camaraderie between them. The tension between them, born from their shared affection for Peter, seemed to dissolve, if only for a moment. Mikaela inhaled deeply, nodding.
Tony took a step forward, his armor humming as it powered up. "Alright," he said, voice casual but with an edge of warning, "I'll say this once. Walk away now, and we won't have to repaint these streets with your faces."
The bounty hunter, standing smugly in front of his gang, ignored Tony's warning. "Relax," he sneered. "We're just here to escort you to the great Gulda the Hutt." His voice was dripping with false politeness, but everyone could tell what this really was—an abduction disguised as an invitation.
Mikaela's voice was shaky but controlled. "What do we do?"
Rocket hiccuped and grinned wider. "Easy." He lifted his bazooka, aiming it directly at the center of the bounty hunter's group. "We start killing."
Before anyone could stop him, Rocket pulled the trigger. A deafening blast rocked the street as the bazooka fired, sending the front line of the enemy flying in all directions. Bodies tumbled through the air, some engulfed in flame, as the explosion shook the buildings.
The fight began in an instant.
Blaster fire erupted from every direction. Tony shot into the air, repulsors flaring as he took out a rooftop sniper with twin blasts. The thug crumpled, his blaster clattering to the ground.
Rocket laughed, launching another bazooka shot into a group of enemies, scattering them like bowling pins. "This is why I love my job!" he yelled drunkenly, dodging blaster shots by pure instinct.
Groot unleashed his abilities, his limbs extending and smashing thugs into walls. Branches shot from his body, wrapping around enemies, hurling them into one another.
When a thug tried to shoot at Natasha, Groot's arm shot out, blocking the shot with a thick wooden shield before sweeping the attacker off his feet.
Tony soared overhead, firing lasers from his gauntlets, cutting down thugs on the rooftops. But their laser weapons were advanced—several shots clipped his armor, leaving blackened marks along his shoulder plates. A well-aimed blast hit his side, and Tony staggered mid-air.
"Hey, watch it!" Tony growled, twisting to return fire, blasting the shooter off the roof.
Meanwhile…
Natasha ducked behind cover with Mikaela and Anakin, keeping the boy safely behind them. She fired rapidly, each shot precise, dropping enemies one by one.
Mikaela crouched beside Natasha, but as a thug tried to flank them, she froze. Fear gripped her, paralyzing her. The thug aimed his blaster at Natasha's exposed side.
"N-Natasha!" She yelled, but Natasha wouldn't be able to turn in time.
Realizing this, Mikaela's instincts kicked in. She pulled the trigger, her blaster releasing a sharp blast that hit the thug square in the chest. He collapsed, lifeless.
"!" Mikaela stared, wide-eyed, the adrenaline surging through her.
Natasha gave her a quick nod of approval. "Nice shot."
Before Mikaela could reply, another thug emerged from behind her. Natasha reacted instantly, spinning and firing, taking him down before he could raise his weapon. "Now we're even," she said with a small grin.
Anakin cowered behind them, eyes wide with fear and awe. Natasha spared him a glance. "You okay, kid?"
Anakin nodded frantically, but there wasn't much time to comfort him—more thugs were closing in…
Outside, Tony landed hard in the middle of the street, his thrusters kicking up sand as he blasted two enemies with precision shots. He spun and fired his wrist missiles at another group, taking them out in an explosive shower of debris. But more thugs kept coming, their laser fire relentless.
Rocket ducked behind cover, laughing as he loaded another explosive into his bazooka. "Hey! Watch this!" He fired, and the street erupted into chaos once more as another wave of thugs was blown sky-high.
Groot surged forward, his limbs twisting and extending, smashing enemies into walls and sweeping others off their feet. "I am Groot!" he bellowed triumphantly.
Natasha and Mikaela worked seamlessly from cover, firing in tandem. Mikaela, though still nervous, was holding her own, her shots growing more accurate with each passing moment.
Natasha gave her an approving glance as they fought side by side. "…"
As the battle raged on, the number of thugs began to dwindle. With a final, thunderous blast from Tony's repulsor, the last enemy dropped to the ground, lifeless.
Only the bounty hunter remained.
Seeing his comrades defeated, the bounty hunter turned to flee, darting down an alley. But before he could escape, Groot's arm shot out, stretching across the street and snatching him mid-stride.
The bounty hunter struggled, trying to draw his weapon, but Groot's grip tightened. With an effortless flick, Groot disarmed the bounty hunter, sending his blaster clattering to the ground. "I am Groot," he rumbled, pulling the bounty hunter back toward the group.
Tony landed beside the captured bounty hunter, his helmet retracting to reveal his unimpressed expression. Natasha, Mikaela, Rocket, Groot, and Anakin gathered around as well, forming a tight circle.
Tony knelt, staring the bounty hunter down. "So…" He smirked. "Who's this 'Gold the Hutt' again?"
The bounty hunter swallowed nervously, realizing there was no escape…
…
The bounty hunter lay sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily, looking up at Tony and the others with wide, panicked eyes. His once-smug expression was gone, replaced by fear as he realized how close he had come to death.
Tony crouched down in front of him, his expression unreadable. "Alright, here's the deal," Tony said calmly. "You tell us everything we need to know, and we don't turn you into a smudge on the sand."
The bounty hunter swallowed hard, nodding frantically. "Yeah, yeah! I'll tell you anything—no loyalty to that slug here, I swear. I just work for credits, nothing personal."
"Good start," Natasha said flatly, keeping her pistol aimed at the hunter's chest. "Now, talk."
The bounty hunter exhaled shakily. "The big boss is Gulda the Hutt—she runs the place now. When Jabba got smoked, there was a massive power vacuum. Lots of people tried to fill it, but Gulda? She was smart. Took out the competition and claimed the throne. Jabba's old palace is hers now."
Tony arched an eyebrow. "What happened to this Jabba?"
The bounty hunter looked at them funny. "Star-Lord happened." He said, quirking a brow. "What? Do you live under a rock or something? Who doesn't know about Star-Lord?"
Rocket rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh, here we go…"
Tony blinked, confused. "Star-Lord? Who the hell is that?"
Natasha and Mikaela exchanged puzzled looks, equally clueless. Anakin, however, lit up with excitement. "You don't know who Star-Lord is?" he asked, incredulous. "He's the greatest hero in the galaxy! He killed Jabba the Hutt and freed all the slaves!"
Anakin's eyes sparkled with admiration. "He's amazing! He fought Hutts, pirates, bounty hunters—everyone! And he won! They say even the Republic is afraid to mess with him!"
Rocket groaned. "Kid, you gotta get better heroes."
Before anyone could comment, Groot swung a wooden arm, lightly whacking Rocket upside the head. Rocket grumbled, rubbing his skull, but stayed quiet. Groot gave him a stern look, knowing Peter hadn't wanted his identity as Star-Lord revealed—at least not yet.
Tony chuckled, amused by the boy's enthusiasm. "Well, that's… interesting. But back to business." He turned to the bounty hunter. "You're going to take us to your boss."
The bounty hunter sat up cautiously. "If I do… you let me live, right?"
Natasha's gaze was cold, unyielding. "That depends on you."
The bounty hunter swallowed again, nodding quickly. "Alright, fine. I'll take you, but we need to use my ship. Gulda's palace is deep in the desert—too far to walk."
Tony stood and extended a hand toward the hunter, pulling him to his feet. "Deal. Get us there, and you leave in one piece."
Moments later…
The group stood by the bounty hunter's small, weathered ship. Mikaela glanced nervously at Anakin, reluctant to leave the boy behind. "Maybe we should bring him with us…"
Natasha shook her head. "It's too dangerous."
Anakin pouted. "What if they find me? What if Gulda's men catch me on the way home?"
Tony sighed, glancing at Natasha and Rocket. "He's got a point."
Natasha crouched down to Anakin's level. "How about we drop you off on the way? That way, you'll be safe."
Anakin frowned but reluctantly nodded. "Fine…"
They boarded the ship, and soon, the small vessel zipped through the skies of Tatooine, leaving the bustling streets of Mos Espa behind.
…
At Anakin's Home…
The ship landed briefly near Anakin's small, sand-covered home. The group escorted the boy to his front door, ensuring he was safely inside before they took off again.
"Stay inside, kid," Tony said. "We'll be back soon."
Anakin nodded from the doorway, watching the ship lift off with a wistful expression.
…
Arriving at Gulda's Palace…
The small ship landed on a hill overlooking the former palace of Jabba the Hutt, now under Gulda's control. The structure, a mix of Sandrock and Durasteel, stood ominously at the edge of the Northern Dune Sea.
The bounty hunter sighed with relief as he powered down the ship. "Alright, we're here. Deal's done. Now get off my ship."
The group disembarked, stepping out onto the scorching sand. The bounty hunter leaned back in his seat, exhaling deeply. "I am so glad that's over—"
Before he could finish, Rocket casually slung his bazooka over his shoulder, aimed without looking, and fired.
The plasma rocket streaked through the air, hitting the bounty hunter's ship just as it lifted off. The ship exploded mid-flight, raining debris and fire down onto the sand.
Mikaela whirled on Rocket, her face a mixture of shock and disbelief. "What the hell, Rocket? We agreed to let him go!"
Rocket, now sobering up, gave her a shrug. "Lesson one when dealing with scum like that: never let them live. They always come back to bite you in the ass."
Natasha nodded in quiet agreement. "He knew where Anakin lives. He had to go."
Tony crossed his arms. "Not exactly my style, but… fair point."
Before they could say more, the distant sound of footsteps drew their attention.
A group of guards, alerted by the explosion, came rushing from the palace gates. They spotted the group standing on the sand dune, the wreckage of the ship smoldering behind them.
Rocket grinned, his hand already on his weapon. "Well… here we go again."
————
Back in Mos Espa…
The twin suns of Tatooine dipped low on the horizon, casting long, warm shadows across the bustling streets of Mos Espa. Merchants packed up their stalls, citizens hurried home, and the familiar hum of city life slowed with the coming night.
A quiet murmur spread through the marketplace as people noticed a lone figure stumbling toward the city from the desert. At first, no one paid much attention. Travelers wandered in from the dunes all the time, exhausted from the harsh desert heat.
But as the figure moved closer, the murmurs grew louder, conversations fell silent, and the crowd parted in disbelief.
Peter staggered into the heart of Mos Espa—completely naked, his body coated in dried blood and sand.
The few guards on the street tensed, unsure whether they were looking at a lost wanderer or something far more dangerous. Parents grabbed their children and dragged them inside. Shopkeepers gawked, their hands hovering over hidden blasters.
Peter paid them no mind. His steps were slow but deliberate, his bare feet leaving faint crimson prints in the sand with every step.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Who is that…?"
"What happened to him?"
"Is he injured… or did he do that to someone else?"
Peter's gaze swept lazily across the streets, unfocused yet searching, until he reached the middle of the square. His voice, low and rasping, broke the stunned silence around him.
"Now… where are they?"
A/N: 2142 words :)
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