SAVE US

Octavian pushed the hallucinations of his family away, rushing towards Messalina. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back, the sheer concentration battling the plane making his head pound. He tried not to focus on this, snatching at his sisters waist and lifting her into his arms. The moment she was secure he began sprinting, the air around them being so tight he could feel his body trying to burst out of the space. The light ahead was getting smaller; he was running faster.

He threw Messalina's body through the portal, jumping through himself at the last second. The moment his body smacked against the floor, the portal trembled, then snapped closed. Octavian lay his head against the floor, taking a moment to breathe. They survived.

A shuddering cough resonated from his right. In an instant he was by her side, helping her sit up and cradling her in his arms. Messalina carried on coughing, giving her younger brother a small smile.

"I thought I lost you for a minute back there." Octavian murmured, holding her close. It was like if he stopped touching her, she'd disappear. "Who would be left to bitch at me for leaving the toilet seat up?"

Messalina snorted, the occasional cough racking her body. "Keep leaving the seat up and I'll haunt you."

Octavian beamed. She was okay. She could breathe, talk, move and sass him. She was perfectly okay.

"So, where are we?" Messalina commented, leaning against the metal wall behind her. There were pipes running all through the area, with machines whirring with life. Signs on the walls warned of the electricity in a language she couldn't understand.

Octavian looked around, drinking in their surroundings. "Honestly, I was hoping you'd know the answer to that."

"Great." Messalina groaned, throwing her head back against the wall. "You know where the others are?"

Octavian gulped. "Shit! They could be close; we can't be sure without looking around."

"Well then, let's go." Messalina clambered to her feet, taking out one of the knives hung on the belt loose around her hips.

"You weren't breathing less than five minutes ago!" Octavian argued, trying to lightly push her back to the ground. "I can go scout, you stay here."

A scoff passed Messalina's lips. "But you got twatted by a door so what do you know?" Octavian stayed silent. She tried not to let her smugness show too much. "You got your weapon with you?"

Not being needed to be asked twice, Octavian pulled out his brass knuckles, looping his fingers through the holes. Messalina nodded, taking another knife from her belt and holding them both in front of her defensively.

Wordlessly, they left the room, the whirrs of the machines dying down the further they got away from them. It wasn't a surprise that the rest of the vessel was a similar way - metal running all of the way through, and slightly dull. It wasn't until they reached the end of a corridor that a faint tune reached their ears.

"Is that what I think it is?" Messalina questioned, a smile fighting it's way to get on her face. Octavian only shook his head at her, the corners of his lips upturned.  

"Curio? Locusta?" Octavian whisper-shouted, edging closer towards the familiar sound. Messalina lingered close behind him. "Curio?"

Messalina let a small smirk engulf her face. She brought her knives up higher, matching Octavian's noise level. "Someone's worried." 

Octavian scoffed. "Of course I am. They both could be dead for all we know."

Messalina raised her hands in mock surrender, choosing to stay quiet after that. She moved in front of him slightly, subconsciously shielding him from any potential attack. She pressed her back against a door frame, taking a peek behind the corner. 

Empty. 

Carefully, she tiptoed her way into the room, her grip on her knives turning her fingers white. She gestured for Octavian to follow.

They didn't take another step. In that moment, a blunt object connected with Octavian's head, his body crumpling like paper in a fire. Messalina raised her knives - they plummeted to the ground as her body fell to the floor, her attacker standing behind them holding a stereo.

*

Messalina moaned, her head pounding. It was worse than any hangover she ever had, and she had dealt with a lot of those. Her entire body felt heavy, and even lifting her head sapped her of energy. She tried to lift her arm but nothing happened. Frowning, she tried again, pouring more effort into it than last time. This time, she felt her arm fight against something coarse. Rope? 

She sighed. 

"Thank god you're up, I was dying of boredom over here." Octavian's voice cut through the quiet. Messalina's head snapped in his direction, taking in the crusted blood on his forehead and smile eating at his face. 

"Are you fucking smiling right now?" Messalina's voice was rugged, as though she'd swallowed sandpaper. If she had the energy to, she would've raised a brow at him. 

He chuckled. "We're one step closer to killing Thanos. Of course I'm smiling!" 

"If we don't get out of here the only thing dying will be us." Messalina ignored Octavian's dimmed smile. There were a few remnants of happiness behind it: Messalina's heart ached. This was one of the first times in a while she had seen him genuinely smile, and the reason behind it made her sick. 

Octavian's mouth parted to speak again, eyes gleaming when a door slammed open. Both of them immediately exchanged a glance, Octavian's grin dropping the moment the door revealed six individuals in the doorway, jaw clenching. Messalina pushed all of her anger aside, letting a teasing smile slip onto her face and tilting her head a fraction, looking up at the strangers with hooded eyes. 

"Drax wasn't joking - they are as ugly as Quill!" The pairs attention dropped to the ground, their eyebrows raising in union. There, a small raccoon cradling a gun in his grasp, was bent over laughing hysterically. The most surprising thing - he was talking. 

"Rocket, shut up!" A blonde haired man pushed his way to the front of them all, scruff adorning his lower neck and jawline. He had a slight swagger to his step. Messalina turned her charms back on, making eye contact with him and subtly tugging on her lower lip. Octavian simply glared. "I think we all know that I'm extremely attractive." 

The raccoon stopped laughing long enough to lift his brows at the comment. "That's debatable." 

"Ha! Rocket just said what we were all thinking! You are about as attractive as Mantis is beautiful!" A purple skinned man with red markings all over his body bellowed, pointing an steady finger at the blonde haired man. 

Messalina and Octavian shared a look. Octavian spoke, uncaring that the others could hear. "Surely these people aren't responsible for saving the universe, right?" 

Messalina snorted. All heads shot in her direction, and she straightened her back under their heated gaze, adjusting herself slightly so a bit of cleavage revealed itself. "Sorry to interrupt, but we have places we need to be and a universe to save. So if you don't mind, could you let us go?" 

"I don't know if you've heard, but saving the universe is our kind of thing." The blonde haired man put his hands on his hips, standing with an air of renewed importance.

Messalina licked her lips not to subtly at the sight, lips parted. "Really? I'd love it if you could show me." 

Octavian groaned besides her. "Come on sis, don't do that thing in front of me." 

Messalina blanked him, leaning forward to give them a better view of the crevice between her breasts. "Just let us go and you can save my universe." 

"Quill!" A green skinned woman smacked the man in the arm, drawing him out of his daze. He blinked. "We came here for a reason, remember?" 

"Oh yeah," Quill chuckled, ushering someone forward. It was another woman, who appeared almost human, if you didn't look at her bug like eyes and antenna protruding from her head. "This is Mantis. She's like a breathing lie detector, that being one of her many talents. We're going to ask you some questions, and if you lie, we'll just have her root through your heads. Understood?" 

Messalina gulped. She slumped back in her chair, staring the woman down. "Try me." 

Mantis looked reluctant; Quill nudged her forward. Taking tentative steps forward, she stood in front of Messalina, hands hovering over her forehead. 

"Don't touch her!" Octavian spat, thrashing against his ties. Messalina shot him a glare - they needed their trust to be let go, then they could hunt down the Avengers and help them take down Thanos. He quietened after that, but he continued to glower at her. 

Messalina nodded, closing her eyes as she felt the girls cool fingertips on her head.

It was like she had been transported into all of her memories at once. They all flashed through her mind, things that had been long forgotten flying past the things she reminisced on every day. Her heart ached and soared with each flash, memories of happiness and despair playing at the same time. 

It was over as soon as it started. 

Messalina gasped, looking up at Mantis with wide eyes. Mantis was in an equal amount of shock, staring at her with a matching level of wonder. Octavian's worried voice didn't quite reach her ears, the noises of all her memories still buzzing within them. 

"Mantis, what did you see?" The green skinned woman's voice inquired, her hand resting on Mantis' shoulder. Mantis looked towards her group, then at the pair tied to the chairs. 

"They're here to save us."