C96 Looting

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The night was eerily quiet as the echoes of the past day's events still lingered in the air. Melina sat in the infirmary, her eyes drifting over her daughters, Natasha and Yelena, who were fast asleep in their hospital beds.

Melina sighed, feeling a mix of relief and unease. She knew she should be resting, but sleep eluded her. The weight of the secrets she carried pressed heavily on her mind. With one last glance at her daughters, she quietly slipped out of the room, careful not to wake them.

The halls of the Red Room base were dark and deserted, an unsettling contrast to the chaos that had unfolded earlier.

Melina moved with purpose, her steps silent as she made her way to a sealed lab door. She reached for the keypad, her fingers trembling slightly as she entered her old code.

A harsh beep echoed in the hallway, signaling her failure. Melina frowned, realizing that Peter and his crew must have already changed the locks. She wasn't ready to give up, though. Examining the keypad closely, she prepared to take it apart and force her way inside.

Just as she was about to pry open the panel, a soft sound behind her made her freeze. The sound of someone clearing their throat. Melina's heart raced as she whirled around, her eyes widening in surprise.

Peter Quill stood casually leaning against the wall, a friendly smile on his face. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked, his tone light yet probing.

Melina forced a smile, hoping to mask her nervousness. "Yeah, I have a hard time sleeping these days," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

Peter nodded sympathetically. "I get it. You should talk to the infirmary's medical droid about that. It might be able to help."

She nodded, still feigning calmness. "Yeah, I'll ask tomorrow. I don't want to wake Natasha and Yelena." She paused, glancing at the dark hall behind him. "I'll try to get some sleep before the sun comes up."

Melina started to walk away, her mind racing with thoughts of how to salvage the situation. But before she could take more than a few steps, Peter's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"So, is that the lab where you and Dreykov have been researching the Red Dust you stole from Hydra?" he asked, his tone casual but the weight of his words heavy.

Melina paused, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned slowly, realizing that she had been caught. The friendly mask she had worn slipped away, replaced by a mix of apprehension and resignation. The truth was out, and there was no more hiding.

Melina took a deep breath, steeling herself. "How do you know about that?" she asked, her voice barely concealing her tension.

Peter leaned casually against the wall, his eyes never leaving hers. "I looked through the base's files and data before bed," he replied. "I was quite surprised to find out that you're a scientist and that your makeshift family stole the key to unlocking free will, the Red Dust, from Hydra."

He paused, giving her a sincere look. "I have to congratulate and thank you for what you've done. Hydra would have most definitely taken over the world by now if you hadn't."

Hydra, a nefarious organization, aimed to achieve world domination through subversive means and ruthless tactics. Originating during World War II, it had continued its operations in the shadows, often masquerading under different names and organizations to conceal its true intentions.

Melina shook her head, her face etched with confusion. "No, we didn't steal it from Hydra. We stole it from Shield."

Peter shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Hydra, Shield—they're one and the same these days."

Melina's eyes widened in shock, the weight of his words sinking in. The revelation was jarring, confusing her even more.

And Peter wasn't just using his other life's knowledge either. No, he managed to find files in Dreykov's office computer to back up these claims.

In fact, he believed that Dreykov might just be a member of Hydra as well, as how else would he have so many Hydra and Shield documents? But this would mean that the theft of the Red Dust over five years ago was actually a Hydra-on-Hydra crime, and he was simply trying to usurp the research from his colleagues.

'A very Hydra thing to do…' Peter thought as he studied Melina's face, his curiosity piqued. "Why were you trying to break into that room? Were you hoping to save your research?"

Instantly, Melina shook her head. "No, I was only trying to destroy all of it before you or anyone else found it," she stated firmly. "As you said, whoever has the Red Dust could easily take over the world. It needs to be destroyed."

Peter could sense her sincerity through the Force. She wasn't lying; her concern was genuine. She seemed worried that he or a member of his crew might be tempted by the Red Dust and use it, or perhaps try to sell it to the highest bidder.

A smile spread across Peter's face. "Well, that's good to hear because I already destroyed all of the research data, documents, and test samples of Red Dust."

Melina's eyes widened in shock, disbelief etched across her features. She hadn't expected him to get to it all before her. "Prove it," she demanded, her voice filled with skepticism.

Peter walked over to the keypad and input the new code. The door swung open beside him with a loud hiss. He stepped back, allowing her to see for herself.

Peter gestured toward the open door. "Check for yourself," he said, motioning for Melina to enter the lab.

Wondering if this was a trap, Melina's resolve hardened. She paced past Peter and into the lab, determined to see the truth for herself. Peter followed at a more subdued pace.

What she found inside was shocking, to say the least. The lab was a complete wreck. The computers were fried, their data long gone. Papers and documents that once cluttered the room were now nothing but ash in a small trashcan fire pit in the center. The refrigerated cases that had held vials of Red Dust were completely empty.

She turned to Peter, unsure if this was all just for show or if he had truly destroyed everything. "Is it really gone?" she asked, her voice filled with hope.

Peter nodded. "Yes, it's gone. I have no use for the Red Dust. I'm not some supervillain out to control the world. That just sounds like a lot of work to me."

Melina considered his words for a moment, then nodded. She walked over to him, surprising Peter by wrapping him in her arms and kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

Peter smirked. "No problem. Though you should be careful with the hugging and kissing—your daughter might get jealous."

Melina laughed as she stepped back. 'Which one?' She thought as she said, "We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

With that, Peter told her, "You should get some sleep before the sun rises. You're injured and need rest."

Melina nodded, thanking Peter again for everything he had done. She walked off, leaving Peter behind in the ransacked lab.

As she disappeared down the hallway, Revan's ghostly figure appeared beside Peter.

Without a word, Revan reached into Peter's pocket and pulled out a memory drive he had been carrying. "You've gotten much better at lying, my apprentice," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Snatching the drive back from him, Peter held it between his fingers and used Force lightning to fry it. "I wasn't lying," he replied firmly.

Revan raised a brow. "Then why keep the drive until now?"

Peter shrugged, a wistful, yet perverted smile on his face. "Can't a man dream of a utopia of beautiful woman, willing to do whatever I please? At least, for a little while?"

Revan glanced over at Peter, his expression saying it all. "Sometimes, I wonder if there's something wrong with you…"

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Days pass…

Peter stood on the deck of the now silent and still Red Room base, his mind running through the events of the last few days. It had been a tiring few days, but it was finally time to head back to America, and of course, he wouldn't be leaving this new floating base behind.

Walking through the corridors of the base, his footsteps echoing against the metallic floors. Each step brought him closer to the command center, where he would control the massive Fortress, flying it home.

Peter entered the command center, where Rocket could be seen at the controls, his small hands moving deftly over the console, inspecting the various systems, making sure everything was functioning properly.

"Alright, Rocket," Peter said, getting his attention. "We're taking this baby back to America. How's it looking?"

Rocket glanced up, a smirk on his face. "Piece of cake. I've disabled all the tracking systems, and we're off the grid. This base is officially ours now."

Peter nodded, satisfied. "Good. Let's get moving then."

The base hummed to life as Rocket activated the engines. Slowly, the massive structure began to move, heading westward. Peter watched as the clouds moved alongside them, a sense of accomplishment filling him. They had done it. They had taken control of the Red Room and were now bringing it back as a spoil of war.

…

Over the next few days, Peter divided his time between several tasks. He made regular visits to Natasha and her family, ensuring they were settling in and recovering from their ordeal.

Natasha, in particular, seemed to appreciate his presence, and their conversations often drifted to lighter, more personal topics.

"How are you holding up?" Peter asked one evening, finding Natasha in the small room she had claimed as her own.

Natasha looked up from the book she was reading, a faint smile on her lips. "Better, thanks to you. It's... strange, being free, without anyone to tell you what to do. But in a good way, you know?"

Peter nodded, understanding. "You'll get used to it. I know I have."

He also spent hours with the Black Widows, both new and old, guiding them through meditation techniques to help them break free from the brainwashing inflicted upon them by the Red Room. The progress was slow, but Peter could see the determination in their eyes. They wanted their freedom, and he was more than willing to help them achieve it.

During one of these sessions, he noticed a young Black Widow struggling with her meditation. He approached her, his voice gentle. "Hey, you're doing great. Just keep focusing on your breath. You can do this."

She looked up at him, a mixture of frustration and hope in her eyes. "It's hard. I don't know if I can..."

"You can," Peter said firmly. "I believe in you. Just keep trying."

In between these tasks, Peter and his crew also took the opportunity to loot the base. They found storage rooms filled with money, guns, and other valuable equipment.

However, compared to the treasures they had gathered from the High Evolutionary's lab, these items seemed mundane and unremarkable. Earth technology was far behind the rest of the galaxy, and Peter knew they had little use for it.

"Leave it," he told Howard one day as they stood in front of a storage room filled with weapons. "We don't need any of this. Besides, you need an upgrade from your Tommy gun, not more weapons just like it…"

Howard shrugged. "Fair enough. Let's just make sure we lock up everything dangerous..."

And when they found where Dreykov kept all of the money, Peter wasn't very excited either. "It's all in Rubles. Not exactly useful for us. Even Dollars aren't worth much to us either. Sadly, Earth won't have any Credits for us to loot…"

…

As the days passed, the base slowly made its way across Europe and over the Atlantic Ocean. The journey was uneventful, and the crew began to relax, knowing they were almost home.

And finally, as the coastline of America came into view, Peter felt a surge of relief. They had made it back.

A/N: 2086 words :)

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