an. Here we go! First chapter of Vol.2 ! I'm so excited to start posting this one. I love Vol. 2 so much and can't wait to do my own take of it.
Chapter 1: Sun Is Shinin' In The Sky
To say that the Sovereign skyline was anything besides breathtaking would be a lie. The golden planet made of interlocking orbs was probably the most beautiful city Skadi Hunt had ever stepped foot on, or at least that she could remember. The large blue sun beamed down on her and her newfound team as they stood perched atop one the cities highest buildings. From up there the city could fool you into thinking that it was some kind of metropolis. But for any outsider to say that the Sovereign was a metropolis was in fact a lie. The planet, though properly one of the greatest in the surrounding solar systems in many aspects but was also one of the worst as well.
The Guardians had been called upon by their High Priestess, Ayesha, for a job weeks ago and at first turned the job down without a second thought; the job was nonpaying. Rocket scoffed as the woman who contacted them told them that they'd be paid with the honor of serving the Sovereign. The mere fact that they'd be allowed onto their home world was payment enough for anyone.
"I can't buy weapons with honor." Rocket had mocked before hanging up the call.
The Sovereign were not the type of people to take no for an answer. They were a people full of egotistical desire, all believing that they deserved everything and anything that crossed their mind. The High Priestess was infuriated that such lower life forms would deny her such an easy task. She ignored her Admiral's advice when he offered that his army could easily handle the Abilisk that had been terrorizing her cities, trying to feast upon their power supply. If the task was beneath the Guardians doing then why would she allow her people to do it; it'd be degrading.
It wasn't until one night when Ayesha knew that they now had a way to get the Guardian's help did she almost not bother having one of her servant's call them back at all out of spite. Ayesha knew of Gamora and her past with Thanos so the moment her younger sister, Nebula, was caught trying to steal the very same batteries they called the Guardians to protect, Ayesha knew that Gamora would make her team come to the Sovereign. And Ayesha was correct of course, she sat comfortably in her throne room waiting for the Guardians to return after a job well done.
"Show time a-holes!" Peter called out, looking up from an old game from his childhood that Rocket had converted into a tracker. "It'll be here any minute."
"Which will be its loss." Gamora cocked the gun she was holding.
Guns where his thing, Peter thought, raising an eyebrow at her as he saw this.
The others often teased him about how his 'manhood', as Drax liked to call it, was threatened by Gamora. Peter would swiftly deny it, wanting to look big and tough for Skadi but Skadi found it adorable how jealous Peter would constantly get of the green woman. She was better at a lot of things then he was but that didn't make him any less of a leader. Peter never saw it that way though, no matter how many times Skadi tried to convince him.
"Isn't that Drax's rifle?" Peter questioned, trying to hide the wariness in his voice.
"Yes." Gamora shrugged, rolling her eyes at his question.
She was amused by Peter's small outbursts before every mission. She knew he didn't mean anything by it, it was just how he was as she came to learn over the last three months of them being a team. He was much like the Sovereign even though she didn't have the heart to tell him that to his face. His ego was huge and his pride easily threatened. She also knew that this was because of his and Skadi's new relationship together. The pair were still getting used to the idea of being together romantically and Gamora watched from the sidelines amused at the pair. Peter would stop for any chance to impress the younger girl.
"Well why doesn't Drax have it? I thought your thing was a sword?" Peter pushed, silently not wanting to be outdone by Gamora again.
"We've been hired to fight an interdimensional monster and stop it from eating these batteries and you expect her to stop it with a sword?" Dara spoke up, overhearing their conversation as she stood next to Drax and Skadi.
"Well, Drax's is using his knives so…," Peter trailed off again, biting his lip.
Dara rolled her eyes at the Terran, still finding him annoying after all this time. She let him have the last word on the subject and moved on.
Skadi was thankful to the Badoon, not wanting to hear any more of their back and forth. She couldn't help but smirk though and let out a chuckle at Peter as he went back to looking at the tracker. Her attention then shifted to Drax after remembering Peter's words; he was using his knives to fight. Scrunching her face up, she knew that the Destroyer could handle himself but an Abilisk wouldn't go down easily with knives. Their skin was super thick and durable, hence why Gamora settled for a gun instead of her Godslayer in the first place.
"Um, Drax?" Skadi called out, also noting that he wasn't wearing one of Rocket's aero-rigs.
The raccoon had worked hard on pulling them together for this mission. The Abilisk had multiple tentacles and for the sake of being able to avoid them, they all needed to be able to move out of the way in any direction. Skadi specifically remembered Rocket making one for the Destroyer and didn't know why he decided against wearing one. He was going to walk into this battle with two small knives and no way to fly; he was going to get himself killed.
"Why aren't you wearing your aero-rig?" she asked when he turned to look at her.
"It hurts." Drax responded quietly, as if it was common knowledge.
"It hurts?" She was confused. "Rocket could've adjusted it to-,"
"I have sensitive nipples." He muttered under his breath, not wanting the others to hear.
Rocket could hear everything though with his enhanced hearing. He momentarily stopped his work on a pair of speakers he wired to Peter's Walkman. Laughing hardly, he mocked Drax, rubbing circles over his own aero-rig where his nipples would be.
"Oh my nipples hurt! Oh goodness me!"
"What of him! What is he doing?" Drax pointed to Rocket, enraged and looking to point their attention elsewhere.
"I'm finishing this so we can listen to tunes while we work!" Rocket defended, motioning to the equipment.
"How is that a priority?" Drax questioned.
"Blame Quill!" Rocket pointed now to Quill, much rather having everyone giving him a hard time over himself. "He's the one who loves music so much!"
"I never asked you to do that." Peter shook his head, agreeing with Drax. "It's hardly important right now."
"Oh, oh okay." Rocket winked his eye at the Terran, understanding that Peter just didn't want everyone yelling at him. "Sure Quill."
"No, seriously, I agree with Drax." Peter assured Rocket, willing the raccoon to stop blinking awkwardly.
"No I understand that, Quill. You're being very serious right now."
Dara snorted as Rocket continued to blink, making his whole face twitch and look like he was having some form of a seizure. Who the hell taught him how to blink, she thought to herself, nudging Skadi to look as she copied him, mockingly. Skadi tried not to giggle as she noted Gamora's hard stare on them, warning them to stop.
"I can clearly see you winking." Drax pointed out, his face still serious and unamused.
"Damn it, I'm using my left eye?" He questioned himself.
Before anyone could push the matter further, or start up another agreement they all heard a small growl. Rocket looked down to see Groot, newly unpotted and only nine inches or so tall. He had been nicely playing with some Orloni that had been up there foraging for food. Now, the baby tree angrily ran up to them, shoving one to the ground. As the one next to the fallen one saw this it hissed at the baby, only to be slapped in the face by his small hand. They quickly hopped away afraid and agitated.
Groot looked up and saw Rocket staring down at him, awaiting an explanation for his outburst. Groot stood his ground knowing that they deserved it. "I am Groot!"
"They were not looking at you funny!" Rocket exclaimed.
Groot was going to talk back but was cut off when a large crack let out from the sky. The Guardian's look up just as the sky opened up a portal and out came the Abilisk, charging down towards them.
"Well that's intense." Rocket deadpanned, having not paid attention during Gamora's briefing on the creature earlier.
Drax hollered, charging first with his twin blades. The other soon followed, Peter turning his mask on, Gamora and Dara taking to the sky as he did. Rocket and Skadi joined them as well, ordering Groot to behave while they worked. Groot, as per usual, didn't listen to their wishes for too long. He trotted up to the stereo speakers and Walkman. He picked up the two wires that Rocket had been working on and fiddled with them. They sparked when he finally uses all his strength to plug them together. The opening notes of his favorite song began to play causing his small little hips to shake from side to side before eventually striking a pose out of excitement.
He was ready to play.