It's a typical day on the Milano, and the Guardians of the Galaxy… That being things could certainly better.

Rocket drags his fingers down his face in frustration, "Uuuuuuuugh… The hell are we doing out here? You know, besides running out of fuel?"

Over in a corner Groot shrugs, "I am Groot."

"Right? Quill's got us sitting out here with our thumbs up our asses…"

"Who has inserted their thumb into their anus?" Drax looks up from sharpening his knife. "It is a strange thing to do, not pleasant, nor anything like what Quill would order."

"Well it'd be better than sitting around doing nothing," Rocket replies, upending a box to let a few wires fall out. "I'm officially out of building materials, the Milano is low on fuel, and we are all pretty much out of Units so we can't get any more of it!"

"What would you suggest then, small mammal," asks Drax.

Groot tilts his head, "I am Groot?"

Rocket sighs, shaking his head, "Nah, not unless Quill decides to start stealing first. I kinda like not having the Nova Corps breathing down our neck,…" He looks up at the table as the communication relay starts beeping, and climbs on top of it to nudge the Accept selection with a foot.

Gamora's face appears on the viewscreen, "Hello Rocket… Where is Starlord?"

"I dunno, probably still busy with that one dame we picked up on Xandar," Rocket replies. "Remind me, why didn't we just stay on the planet, and catch some downtime with you?"

Gamora raises an eyebrow, "I am not here for pleasantries, I came to meet with the Nova Corps. Our connection inside said there was a job we may be needed for."

"Must have been asleep for that," Rocket shrugs.

"No, you were building your new pistols," Drax corrects.

Rocket shrugs harder, and raises his hands a bit, "What? You guys know me, I can make awesome stuff in my sleep!" He grins, his confidence making his crewmates grin a bit as well, even the steadfast Gamora on the screen.

"Well, you might get a chance to use them," Gamora says simply. "We have a mission, come pick me up on Xandar, I'll explain everything on the way."

Rocket sighs, "Right, but seriously, why couldn't we have just found an nice pool or something to relax by?"

"Because you four breed trouble wherever you go, and we should avoid any such incidents on Xandar."

Rocket opens his mouth, and raises a finger. But staying that way a few seconds he just shrugs. From his chair Drax says, "The green whore has a very good point."

Gamora's expression darkens a bit, but she turns off the communication feed before she's tempted to snap at her friends. Rocket flicks back an ear as there's a crashing noise from Peter's room, and rocket just shakes his head with his eyes closed. He hops off the table, headed for the cockpit to bring the Milano back down to the planet below.

Within an hour the Guardians are fully fueled, and stocked, courtesy of the Nova Corps. Something that Drax has pointed out must mean the Nova Corps want this job done really bad.

Quill joins them in the central meeting room while autopilot starts taking them into the region of space they need to go. Combing his messy hair back he smiles, "Alright, so what did Nova Prime want?"

Gamora crosses her arms, and says, "It's the Infinity Stones."

A hush falls over the room, and Rocket asks, "What about them?"

Gamora replies, "Nova Corps have intelligence that suggest The Collector had another in his possession already when we were bringing the other one to him. What's more, most of them have been active on a single planet recently. The Nova Corps can't spare the manpower to investigate, but luckily we are uniquely experienced enough that they feel they can trust us with this task."

"I am Groot."

"Yeah, if by that you mean it almost killed us all," Rocket translates.

Gamora puts her hands on her hips, "They've agreed to compensate us, five billion Units per stone we acquire, or secure."

Rocket, and Quill look ready to start drooling at that. Drax asks, "There is a difference between acquiring them, and securing them?"

Gamora nods, "If we can't take them ourselves then we at least bring proof of the Stones' whereabouts so they know the remaining four stones won't fall into hands like Ronan's.

"Well what the hell are we waiting for?!" Rocket jumps up, and grabs his rifle to make sure it's primed. "Let's get rich!"

"Hell yeah," Starlord agrees, then glances at Gamora's critical look. "I mean, yeah, let's go save the galaxy… again… while getting rich… I'll be in the pilot seat."

He gets up, and heads for the front of the ship, Gamora following to play copilot. Rocket smirks, and looks to his other two crewmates, "Heh, how long before they get a room you guys think?"

Drax tilts his head, "Is something wrong with their current living spaces?"

Rocket shakes his head, "No man, I'm saying they dig each other."

"Are they in a quarrel? Why must they dig into each other's flesh?"

Rocket facepalms, "For the love of… I mean they like each other, you know? Smooch smoochy birds and bees?"

Drax shakes his head, "I do not agree. Gamora is a fine warrior, and strong. Quill is a good leader, but a pathetic man. I see a bond of respect between them, but no affection."

"Ah, what would you know about it?" Rocket says dismissively as he checks the power cell in his rifle.

"Of all those on this ship, how many have been married with family?" Drax raises an eyebrow, and with a smug look crosses his arms.

Rocket blinks at that, and after thinking on it he looks up at Groot. Groot nods his head as he gestures to Drax. "I am Groot…" The big guy is right, Drax does have a point.

Rocket collapses his rifle, then slings it on his back, "Oh yeah? So that mean you're going to have a go for her?"

Drax's smile fades, "Not a chance. My wife, and family are wounds that shall not heal. I honor them by continuing to live, and fight in the manner they would approve… To take the hand of another woman would dishonor them."

Rocket smirks, "Eh, your choice."

"I am Groot?"

Rocket laughs, "Me? And Gamora? Please, even if we were remotely the same species she's so the wrong gal for me. Nah the only babe I need is right here..." He pats his rifle affectionately, and then starts going through his collection of inventions for stuff that would probably come in handy. Then he realizes something…

"Hey, either of you catch the name of the planet we're headed for?"

Groot, and Drax shake their heads so Rocket heads up to the cockpit to ask for himself. When he gets there though he pauses, ears alert.

"...bringing whores onto this ship," Gamora says in a testy tone.

"Well, last I checked it was my ship," Quill replies.

"But our home," Gamora retorts. "It's at least a shred of dignity to your crew."

Quill rolls his eyes, "Sure, if you say so. You know if the others wanted to they would."

"Oh? And how would you feel if I brought a man on this ship one day?"

Quill snickers, and Gamora scowls at him. Quill furrows his eyebrows as he glances at her. "...What?"

"You laughed."

"No I didn't! I just… allergies?"

Gamora drums her fingers on her seat arm, "You think I couldn't find a man if I wished, don't you?"

"Uh… Why is it such a big deal? I mean sure, anyone can bring anyone to bed… if you have the Units."

Leaning over she punches his arm, and he cringes, leaning as far from her as his seat will allow. "Owwwww!"

"Of course the great Starlord may do as he pleases, meanwhile the rest of us are helplessly hopeless with our personal lives, is that it?"

Peter rubs his arms, and winces, "Ah… Well trying to take off someone's arm like that certainly doesn't help your case."

"I was not trying to," she replies bluntly. "If I were it would have taken much longer, and you would have screamed."

Peter rolls his eyes, "Okay! Just… Can we forget this conversation ever happened?"

Gamora says nothing, staring with determination into the void of space with the stars flying by outside. Peter sighs, and runs a hand down his face, "Alright, I'm sorry, okay? You're a very pretty woman Gamora, but it's just… You could use some work on your attitude is all. I mean if you went around abusing every guy that was a dick you'd never meet any guys."

Gamora huffs, and unbuckles herself, "I'll be back."

Rocket backs up out of the way as he panics a bit. Hiding behind a box he waits for her to move on before peeking out… That had been a curious little conversation. He's not sure how to take it. Initially he would have seen it as a lover's spat, but with what Drax told him he's not so certain anymore. He'll have to think on it.

Several hours later, down on planet earth Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Thor are stepping out of the Avengers headquarters, having just finished debating how Vision could have lifted the hammer.

"Oh I shall miss these little talks of ours," Thor says with a smile.

Suddenly Tony gets an alert, and taps the side of his sunglasses. "...Well we might be having a few more. SHIELD picked up something headed for the atmosphere, looks like a ship probably from the flight path."

"Never a dull moment," Thor chuckles. "I suppose I have time for one more little adventure before I return to Asgard."

"I'll go get Vision," Steve says. "Stark, suit up."

"Already on it," Stark replies as his suit lands nearby.

As the Milano enters Earth's atmosphere Quill smiles, "Been awhile since I've seen Terra… I'm kinda scared to find out what it's like there now."

"Ah, it can't have changed that much," Rocket says, waving off his worries.

Gamora frowns as she looks outside. "...We're flying into a storm?"

Quill looks around, "I wasn't trying to, I was aiming away from it… Scanners say it just got big enough to block our flight path." Then everyone jerks as lightning flashes rapidly above them. "Everyone put your trays in the upright position," Quill shouts. The Milano banks left, a bolt of lightning barely missing them, and a spray of it filling the air in front of them like a wall.

"The hell is up with this storm?!" Rocket checks his instruments, and one of them blinks. "And fantastic! We got bogies!"

Gamora checks the engines screen, "How many?"

"Three, they're small but fast!"

Drax narrows his eyes at the weapons station, "I am ready…"

"I am Groot."

Something slams the Milano, making it buck to one side. When they look out the window they see Thor standing on the side of their ship. Gamora's eyes go wide, and she shouts, "Quill, fly!"

Quill guns the engine, and the sudden velocity makes Thor slip out of sight. Quill looks back, and demands, "What's wrong, who was that?!"

"An Asgardian," she replies.

"What in the fucking hell is an Asgardian?!" Rocket checks the screen again, "I'm only seeing two, closing fast, so that guy's gotta still be on us!"

"I'm gonna try shaking him," Quill shouts, and then twists the wheel into a helix roll. "But seriously, what's a Asgardian?!"

Gamora explains, "Thanos said they were some of the most powerful warriors in all the galaxy. If I'm not mistaken that was Prince Thor. Your people should have legends of his mind from Terra's Iron Age period."

"Wait, Thor?!" He blanches at her, "You mean the God of Thunder?!"

"Asgardians are no gods," Gamora clarifies.

Drax looks out the window as a blast of thunder rocks the ship. "...Perhaps this one ought to be."

"I am Groot!"

"Say what?!" Rocket turns, and his jaw drops when he sees Vision floating calmly in their ship just behind them. "Quill, we got a hitchhiker!"

"Apologies," Vision states calmly. "I just wanted to see that you all had your seatbelts on."

That gathers confused looks, but then suddenly a vortex of water is sucked up from ocean below, catching the Milano from below. The engines fail as it rises, and starts spinning with the water spout. Lightning strikes the spout, and flows into the ship, filling screens with danger warnings.

The Guardians are all shouting as the Milano is tossed over the cloud cover, and grunt as the ship comes to a sudden stop. The Guardians slowly sit up, and look at their dead instruments for a report. Then they jump at a tapping on their window, and stare at Thor kneeling by their window.

Quill slowly opens it, and clears his throat, "...Is there a problem officer?"

"Worry not, we just wanted to be sure of your intent," Thor replies.

"We?" Quill looks confused.

"The Avengers," Thor clarifies. "Earth's Mightiest Heroes, of which I am proudly Mightiest."

"I heard about these guys," Rocket says. "Gave the Chitari a serious beating a while back."

Quill gives a low whistle, and says, "Ah, well… We come in peace. Just here on a mission from the Nova Corps."

Thor tilts his head, "I know not of this Nova Corps…"

Quill smacks his lips together a bit nervously, "Yyyyyyeah… Can we talk about this on the ground? Please? Pretty please?"

Thor chuckles, and touches two fingers to his ear, "Stark, Vision, they come in peace. Let us help them land." He stands, and whirls his hammer over his head, banishing the storm below.

To either side of the Milano the two aforementioned Avengers are holding it up by one wing over either of their heads. With a nod they start carrying the ship down for land while Thor makes a wind tunnel for them to reduce turbulence.

In spite of this, each, and every person there can tell that this is the start of one wild ride.