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     The battle caught Ava by surprise. She thought they would catch Hoku's imposter and get the information they needed. She didn't expect there to be another Skrull on the loose. Then she remembered, Skrulls are never alone.

Ava swiped her godslayer horizontally at the stranger. Her opponent shuffled back as the two clashed their blades up high, then down low. Ava stepped forward and the other women stepped back, shifting their encounter around the village. 

The women hopped up onto a fence on the outskirts of one of the homes. Taking the high ground to her advantage. But not for long as Ava jumped up to the rickety surface, and pointed her sword as if it were a joust.

"Who are you!?" The question came out bitter, wanting to get BB-8 and Groot back. Get back to Xandar and find answers for Poe. To know where her brother and her friends were.

No words came from the women. Instead, she lashed out again and swung her blade towards Ava. With a hop backwards, Ava didn't realize how unstable she was and blamed the old fence. Her arms moved in circles in attempt to keep her balance.

She could have, until pressure on her chest sent her straight into the empty yard. Dead grass and dirt stung on her skin. A pain filled her back as she landed with a thud.

Rolling over on her side and using a hand to push herself up, Ava locked contact with the women. Adjusting to  be on her elbows.

"I don't want to ask again," Ava grilled. "Who are you!?"

Still no response as the women pulled out another sharp-edged dagger to accompany the other. Holding them like duel swords. She threw one, cutting the air with crisp whistle in the wind. Ava's eyes widened and rolled out of the way. Just in time enough for the dagger to puncture the ground instead of her.

A little doubt slipped into her mind. Thinking this women was definitely more skilled and trained in combat than she was. The women jumped down from the fence with her hands holding the other dagger above her head, ready to strike. Tightening her grip on her godslayer, Ava waved her arm for her weapon to collide with the dagger. The chiseling metals scrap against each other. Never had Ava felt so weak as the women pushed down with her weight. It felt like a arm wrestling match and this Skrull was inches from slamming the other hand down. Or in this case, Ava as a whole. Her calves were burning, holding herself in a lung with her back arching the more the dagger pressed on her sword.

Finally, Ava met eyes with the Skrull who still remained mute. Regardless of the lack of response, there was still a taunting laugh in those squinting purple eyes. As if they were saying, what are you going to do now?

Then a flash of dejavu.

A few days ago she was stuck in a situation just like this. Only difference it was practice and this was the real deal. But the determination to win was still there. She screamed and used every ounce of her body, each muscle straining, and shoved the women off of her.

The opponent landed harshly on her back, turning over as she reached for the other dagger. About an inch away until the blade of a godslayer stabbed into the ground. In one quick motion, Ava kicked the loose dagger away, as it skidded across the dirt, while quickly stepping on the Skrulls right arm. Keeping the other dagger away as the other leg kept the left arm down with her knee. 

"Now, who are you!?" Ava asked a third time and pointed the tip of the sword at the Skrulls face.

Yet she still said nothing.

The sword moved closer as Ava was running out of patience. "If you won't tell me who you are, then tell me what you did with the robot and Groot!"

She could hear Poe's voice in the back of her mind correcting that BB-8 was a droid. But like she told him before, Skrulls don't know what a droid is. Whoever was interested in the ball, probably wanted to sell it since it's never been in this galaxy. Meaning it was a jackpot of credits. The only person who could ever want to collect a rare souvenir like that would be....

Want to collect.

It finally clicked in Ava's mind.

She then refocused on her enemy on the ground and the blade was less than a centimeter away from cutting the Skrull's throat. "You sold them to Tivan didn't you!?"

The Skrull still said nothing.

"I know you can understand me, answer me!" Ava demanded once more as she yanked down the cloth covering the Skrulls mouth and revealing the devilish smirk.

A few scars were scattered on her greenish shined face as well as a small burn underneath the left side of her chin.
The first sentence debuted as she cackled. "Your just like your brother,"

Ava frowned at the mention of Peter. Not sure why he was relevant.

Suddenly the women started a patterned call. A signal that Ava knew was not good.

She heard more similar cries respond and looked around while gripping the handle of her weapon.

"Like your brother indeed," The women chuckled louder, making Ava whip her head back. Those purple eyes ready to kill. Hungry for it as the Skrull's grin stretched wider. "You're so gullible."

A ear-piercing battle cry, created panic inside of Ava.

Crashing through the fence and charging out of the hut was more Skrulls, transforming out of th Easik disguise. Three coming from the hut, one girl carrying a crossbow blaster and  accompanied by two men with electric axes.

Four more, two men and two girls, coming in different directions. The girls had spear-like weapons with a cosmic touch to them and the men had batons.

Noticing that Ava was caught off guard, the Skrull pushed her off of her. Ava met the ground, but used her hands to lift herself up. 

Stumbling as she got back on her feet and adjusted her hold on the godslayer. Watching as she became surrounded by a band of Skrulls with weapons.

The lead women Skrull retrieve her daggers from one of her henchmen with the axe.

Ava felt alone.

She had no Guardians, Avengers or SHIELD agents to help her fight. Abandoned once again to face a battle alone, without the defense of her brother. Flashbacks from school came to her mind when she was cornered by bullies. Having to fend for herself in order to survive.

And she did it alone then.

But she remembered. She wasn't alone.

There was one person she could rely on at this moment. Someone she had to trust. She pressed a finger into her ear hole.

"Poe," She called. "Poe Dameron, are you there?"Praying silently in her heart that the Hoku imposter didn't hurt him.

Before she could get a response, she saw one of the girls with a spear charge at her. Ava dodged and blocked a baton from one of the men. She kept going at the charade without being torn into pieces. 

It was brutal and she gave the only gravity mine she had to Poe. She attacked a guy with an axe but felt a wave of shock and fell to the ground. The sudden sensation caused her sword to slip out of her hand and clatter to the ground.

"Poe!" She screamed into her ear piece.

-|-

"Now tell me who that message was for?" Poe asked the Skrull as he finished tying him to the chair in the office.

Raze sat there and glared, not saying a word.

Rolling hid eyes, Poe pulled out the blaster and pointed it at the Skrulls head. Making Raze gulp in response.

"I can't tell you." He breathed out in a voice of fear.

"Who's the lady who attacked Ava? Is that you're contact?" Poe continued to grill Raze, doing everything he could to find BB-8.

Raze bit his lip and shook his head. "I can't tell you!"

"Why not!?" The General yelled in frustration, pressing the gun further on Raze. "You stole my droid and sent him somewhere. You better give me something or I will pull the trigger."

With a grumble of throat, and a scan of the room, Raze said. "I can't tell you much because it will start chaos. But what I can tell you, is the Groot and your robot are safe."

Although offended by the lack of respect of BB-8 being called a robot, a rush of relief flooded ove Poe. To hear his driod was okay.

"Poe! Poe Dameron are you there?"

Her voice. Ava's voice caught his attention and he forgot she had placed a device in his ear. By the sound of her peril, Poe knew she was in danger and stood there, like an anxious Threepio.

"Poe!"

His chest ached as her cry echoed through his mind. He tried to deny it as he didn't want to imagine the worst. He finally registered, and tapped the earpiece.

"Blondie!?" Poe spoke with concern as her end was nothing but commotion and grunts. "Talk to me Blondie! What's happening?"

He paced towards the door with the lack of context and worry built up inside of him.

Ava didn't have to be fight for this. To get mixed in on fighting Skrulls and investigating on where his droid was. She never had to help him.

But she did.

"I'm a little busy, flyboy." Ava grumbled, with the sound of her godslayer slamming against other weapons.

Poe nodded to himself. "On my way." He replied before he looked over his shoulder at Raze still trapped on the chair.

"Since I gave you some information, you can let me go now, right?" The Skrull smiled with a high hope to escape.

A snicker came from Poe who shook his head before he tossed a gravity mine on the floor. The device attracted the weight of Raze, landing on his side.

Without any second to waste, Poe ran.

Running as fast as he could.

-|-

Clashing her blade against another axe, but cried out when she felt a beating on her back. Tumbling to her knees and batting the baton away before it could hit her again.

Ava did her best to keep her energy alive in order to win this fight. But no matter how hard she tried, her energy draining more than it was gaining.

Beads of sweat dotted every ounce of skin and every muscle shaking in exhaustion.

If the fight remained one on one, she could keep going, keep her ferocity at an extreme.

However, her natural human weakness weighed in her as she panted and did her best to regain oxygen. One of the Skrulls took that chance to punch her face and forcing her to the ground. Knocking the air out of her lungs as she physically could not get up again.

A condescending chuckle came from the first female Skrull. "So your the new Guardian of the Galaxy and Peter Quill's little sister I've been hearing about?"

Ava grunted as she slowly pushed her upper body, struggling to move as her body ached.

Suddenly she was snatched back two pairs of hands around her arms. Pulling her up as the leader stood in front of Ava.

The women looked down at Ava, with a tisk of her tongue. "Not that impressed. But you're just another pathetic Terran." The Skrull sneered as she lifted her dagger.

A line of light, hit the Skrull's raised hand and taking out the weapon. She groaned in pain, shaking her hand in pain. More blasts shot across like comets, taking three of the other Skrulls down

Ava angled her head to see dirty old boots outside the circle. She scaled him and found those eyes again. Poe clenched his jaw as while his eyebrows pinched together.

She took the chance to grab the leaders leg, getting her off balance. In return a way for Ava to get back on her feet and retrieve her godslayer. Kicking the skrull who charged at her and fought against the axes that collided with her blade.

Poe came up next to her, the two now back to back, slicing and shooting. Constantly pivoting their feet in different directions of action. Ava saw Poe was distracted and didn't see the Skrull aiming an electrical arrow at him.

Once it let loose, Ava quickly swung her sword down and cut the arrow before it got to Poe. In the process Poe, shot a larger skrull with an axe who was about impale Ava.

"Did you figure anything out!?" Ava shouted at Poe over her shoulder, while she continued to fight.

"No!" He yelled back while hitting another skrull with the butt of his gun. "Just that the tree and BB-8 are alive."

Unless her theory was true, and this gang of Skrulls sold them to Tivian. Then she would be more worried if they were alive.

Slashing and blasting continued to dominate as Ava and Poe were winning this fight. Until Ava realized a short count of the skrulls. The lead women, which Ava still hadn't got a name for, was gone.

Then she felt something stick on her neck, right before feeling a wave of shock, pricking at her skin. A few painful cries came from her. As well as Poe who let out grunts and dropped his gun.

Both of them fell to their knees and the electric torture stopped. Ava looked up to see the leader standing in front of them with a device in her hand. Her green thumb hovering a button on the top.

"So much fighting, it started to get boring for me." The Skrull smirked as she stepped forwards and pointed her dagger at Poe.

He glared up at her with a deep hatred and Ava knew he also put the pieces together. She was the one Raze connected with and was responsible for taking his droid.

"Another Terran, but not from your planet." She hummed as she inspected him with her curious eyes.  "Interesting."

Ava didn't like the way she talked down to them. To Poe. The man was an idiot, Ava had to admit, but he was a General. He deserved more respect than what he was getting.

"Where is BB-8?" Poe growled at her. "What did you do to my droid?"

A mischievous chuckle came from the women as she leaned back with a hand on her chest. "You are so hilarious, so serious and kinda cute. I see why Ava decided to be with a guy like you."

Ava blushed for a moment but was more angry at the condescending tone. "Answer his question you a-hole!" She spat.

The Skrull pressed the button and the two of them braced the shock once again. She gave Ava a judgmental expression as if interrupting her was enough to piss her off.

"You're droid," She returned her attention back to Poe and adjusted her dagger to point at him again. "Was so many credits that I can live off of for years. It was a fair trade for that scrappy ball to come from beyond this galaxy. So I appreciate you bringing him."

Ava watched as Poe smacked her hand away with a threat in his eyes. "You call BB-8 a scrappy ball again and I'll blast your head off."

The Skrull ignored him while igniting the duo to be tased. Ava knew how pissed Poe was to hear someone be so careless about his droid. It was like someone who had lost their most loyal dog. His reaction was valid, but she just hoped he would quit talking. For the sake of not being dead by the next amount of electricity.

"What do you plan to do with us? Huh?" Ava asked taking the focus off of Poe. "You going to kill us?"

The leader only grinned as she shrugged with her eyes closed briefly while looking at her dagger. "I will. Just not yet."

Unsure, Ava was curious about this women and her motives. Her gang was like band of pirates. She was the Captain of the crew while stole loots and relics for the fun of it. Ava raised an eyebrow as if she wanted a further explanation.

"I want your brother first." The Skrull stated. "I want to stab both of my daggers into his chest after he tricked me and stole something of mine."

Ava rolled her eyes, forgetting her brother used to be a thief as a Ravenger. He maybe a hero now but he left some messes in the process. She looked at Poe, embarrassed that he had to witness her chaotic family history.

The women nodded at her henchmen. "Tie them up and we'll take them with us." She commanded.

Without a choice to runaway, knowing she would be electrocuted again, Ava let the Skrull put her hands behind her back. Her eyes stayed on Poe who scanned her face as he was waiting for her to figure something out.

She sighed with a shrug. "Sorry." Was all that came from her mouth.

He swallowed deeply and Ava could see he was trying not to be frustrated. Knowing he did his best to not let the situation defeat him.

"It's okay." He mumbled in a low and quietly.

Making Ava's heart break from the crack in his voice.

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Another chapter! Wooooo!

I hope the fighting makes sense. But I love how Ava and Poe are starting to become a power couple without trying to.

What happened to BB-8 and Groot? You'll find out.

-marie