CHAPTER FIVE
' I'M GOOD AT PLANS . '

The newly formed group sat at a table in the canteen. Ash half listened to the conversation from where she tinkered with the gauntlets over her hands, screwdriver between her teeth.

"If we're gonna get out of here," Rocket began from beside her. "We're gonna need to get into that watchtower."

"The guards wear security bands to control their ins and outs," Ash spoke in a muffled tone, looking up with the screwdriver hanging out of her mouth.

"Leave it to me," Gamora affirmed.

"That dude, there. I need his prosthetic leg," Rocket continued, and Ash glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"His leg?" Quill repeated.

Rocket nodded, trying desperately to hide the mischief in his eyes. "Yeah. God knows I don't need the rest of him. Look at him; he's useless."

"Alright."

Ash looked back down at the gauntlets but continued to speak. "There's a black panel on the wall behind you with that flashing yellow light?"

The others turned and affirmed that they'd seen it.

"Behind it, there's a quarnyx battery, should be in a purple box with green wires. I need one of those to get into the watchtower. How? I'm still thinking."

Rocket shifted. "Well, supposedly, these bald bodies find you attractive. So maybe you can work out some sort of trade."

Ash looked up at him, a blank expression on her face. "What?" Her gaze flickered to the others. "What would I trade? These gauntlets?"

They all shared a glance before Rocket waved a hand to dismiss the topic. "Forget about it, Ash."

"Look," Quill sighed. "It's twenty feet up in the air and it's in the middle of the most heavily guarded part of the prison. It's impossible to get up there without being seen."

"Well, you guys wanted a plan, and this is the best I've got right now, and it needs a quarnyx battery, so unless you've got a better idea, man-whore, shut the fuck up." Ash's gaze turned into a glare before she turned back to the gauntlet. "As I was saying, the battery's gotta be the last thing we get. Once removed, everything is gonna go into emergency mode, and we're toast. Now, where's Groot-"

When Ash's gaze eventually found Groot, alarm bells rang - literally and metaphorically.

"Or we could just get it first and improvise," Rocket deadpanned.

"I'll get the armband," Gamora confirmed.

"Leg." Peter decided.

Ash shifted, hurriedly working to free herself from the gauntlets.

"Prisoner, drop the device immediately and retreat to your cell, or we will open fire." A voice resonated throughout the prison.

"I am Groot!"

Ash made a noise of surprise as the gauntlets wrenched themselves open, and she ripped her hands from them.

"Fire!" the guard roared, and the blasts ricocheted towards Groot and Rocket. "All prisoners return to your sleeping areas."

Black magic exploded outwards just in time and caught the bullets, wrapping around them like a net and redirecting them into a wall.

"The Reaper is in control. Fire on my command!" 

Ash rolled her neck before her magic lifted her into the air, irises blazing black. "Oh, do shut up," she grumbled, throwing a direction of magic to where the guard spoke through. A shrill guitar solo erupted from the speakers, erupting through the entire complex. Ash let out an eruption of laughter and began her fight with the guards.

Do unto others as they've done to you but what in the hell is this world coming to? Blow the universe into nothingness. Nuclear warfare shall lay us to rest. Fight fire with fire, ending is near. Fight fire with fire, bursting with fear. We all shall die.

Ash continued to bombard the guards with energy explosions, aim focused on prisoners too.

"ASH!"

She almost didn't hear Rocket's voice, too caught up with the fun of killing the guards. After throwing one last ball of magic, she looked at him, hanging from Groot's shoulder.

"Come on!"

Ash looked back at her destruction, absorbing it at that moment before she used her magic to glide over to Groot. She heaved herself up to stand beside Rocket, and they moved into the watchtower.

"I can't believe it actually worked," Ash commented as she entered, a grin on her features, having to shout over the music.

Time is like a fuse, short and burning fast. Armageddon's here like said in the past. Fight fire with fire, ending is near. Fight fire with fire, bursting with fear.

"We need all available guards in full combat gear-" Drax ripped the guard from the seat, but Ash used her magic to pull the man from his grip and throw both into the walls on either side of the watchtower.

"Who let this wanker in?" she seethed, sending a glare at Quill before she approached Drax slowly. "Not so strong now, are we?" she cooed softly, magic pinning him against the wall and diffusing slowly to wrap around his neck. Drax struggled in her grip, but her hold only tightened.

"Ash," Peter pushed himself between them, shoving her back. "I promised him he could stay by Gamora's side until he kills her boss. I always keep my promises, especially when they're to muscle Come on. We've made it here, and we're nearly free. We're so close!"

Ash looked at him for a moment, and he could see the cogs turning in her head. Her gaze fell away, and Drax dropped to his knees before her. As her eyes flickered back to Quill, a glare remained. "Okay."

Soon to fill our lungs the hot winds of death. The gods are laughing, so take your last breath. Fight fire with fire, ending is near. Fight fire with fire, bursting with fear.

Quill sighed before he handed her the leg. "Here you go."

"What is this?"

"Oh," Rocket swivelled in his chair, reaching for the leg. Ash approached him and handed it to him before sliding into a seat beside him. "I was kidding about that leg. Ash just needs these two things."

"What?" Quill furrowed his eyebrows.

"No, I thought it'd be funny." Rocket shrugged. "Was it funny? Wait, what did he look like hopping around?"

"I had to transfer him 30,000 units!"

"How are we going to leave?" Drax asked, stopping Quill from continuing his rant.

"Well, they've got a plan. Right?" he replied, still glaring at Rocket. "Or is that another thing you made up?"

"She has a plan! She has a plan!" Rocket shot him a look over his shoulder.

"Cease your yammering and relieve us from this irksome confinement." Drax's comment caused them all to look at him for a moment.

"Yeah, I'll have to agree with the walking thesaurus on that one," Quill answered sarcastically.

"Do not ever call me a thesaurus." Drax looked menacingly at him.

"It's just a metaphor."

"Do you see why I wanted to kill him now? His people take things literally," Ash drawled. "Metaphors go straight over his head."

"Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it."

Ash looked over her shoulder to give Quill a 'you see?' expression.

Gamora rubbed her forehead. "I'm gonna die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy."

"Those are some big guns." Quill's words caused Ash to look up from the console, eyes widening as the guards prepared to shoot the watchtower.

"On my command! Number one!"

"Witch, we are ready for your plan."

"Shut the fuck up," Ash answered, fingers typing on the keyboard hurriedly.

"Number two!"

"I recognize this animal. We'd roast them over a flame pit as children. Their flesh was quite delicious." Drax recalled.

"Not helping!"

"Number three! All fire on my command! Three! Two! One!"

Ash jumped from her seat, reaching to press a red button on the other side of the console. Just as the guards went to shoot, everything and one outside of the watchtower shot upward, floating in the air.

The group moved forward to marvel at the scenes before them.

"She turned off the artificial gravity everywhere but in here," Gamora commented.

"I told you I'm good at plans."

Fight fire with fire.

\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/

Fight Fire with Fire - Metallica

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