Hey guys,
Here you have it - the first chapter where the other Guardians begin to show up. I really hope you guys like it - let me know what I could improve on or what you liked about it. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you all enjoy reading it. I'll let you all get on with reading it now :)
- esgaroths
Months had passed since Cora's first mission under Rocket and Groot. She was gradually becoming more advanced in the art of bounty hunting – of course she could improve more before she would consider herself an expert in the matter. Rocket seemed to have warmed up to Cora; she figured he was rather private about his life generally, but he was less harsh in the way he treated her – just by a little.
Groot remained consistent with her. He was still his mild, innocent self that had an angry side to him if he wished to reveal it. She had continued to assist with bounty hunting and shared in the profits, drink and sleep. On occasion, she would make a quick stop to Earth and collect supplies and return. In spare moments, she would show Groot and Rocket Terran objects and they were especially interested in her Nintendo DS console. Cora was rather enjoying this life, she felt like she finally fit in with Rocket and Groot – she was no longer a tag on with a duo, they were a close-knit trio.
Rocket had decided he was bored and wanted to find them some work in the centre of Xandar. Cora hadn't been back since the first mission and the incident with Jasper; nevertheless, it hadn't changed. The centre at this point was packed with people so to get a better view, Rocket had them positioned by the fountain. Cora was sat on its rim with her chin in the palm of her hand as Rocket stood in front of her with a device in his hands whilst Groot stood next to them looking out at the people.
"Xandarians, what a bunch of losers." Rocket spoke.
"I guess that's one thing you can call them." Cora piped up, folding her arms across her chest.
"Hey Cora!" Rocket called over to her chuckling. "Come over here, look at this guy."
She approached Rocket and knelt to his level to look at the device – it was zoomed in on a Xandarian man with a rather odd haircut. Cora snickered at it and Rocket focused his attention next onto an Xandarian toddler holding a hand in order to walk.
"Look at that thing." He said in disgust. "Look how cool it thinks it is – it's not cool to get help. Walk on your own, you little gargoyle!"
"Jeez Rocket, it's just a kid." Cora laughed.
The device moved on to an elderly man chatting to a woman much younger than him. Cora shuddered at the sight.
"He seems rather slimy." She grimaced.
Light splashing made Rocket's ears prick up and he span round to see Groot taking gulps of water from the fountain.
"Groot, don't drink the fountain water, idiot – that's disgusting!"
Groot shook his head trying to appear innocent.
"Don't lie, we both saw you do it, Groot." Cora smirked.
Suddenly, Rocket's device started beeping and Cora grew stern, knowing it meant that the device had found a target.
"Looks like we got one." He spoke as he tapped on the screen. "Okay,humie, how bad does someone wanna find you?"
Cora's eyes widened at the fact there was another Terran in the galaxy besides herself and Jasper. Yet again, she knew there must have been previous humans around before as her presence didn't surprise Rocket, but they must have been rare as this was the first human she had seen in the galaxy that she did not know. A profile flashed up, revealing that his name was Peter Quill. He was wanted by none other than Yondu Udonta for forty thousand units. She pondered on his ties to Yondu and why he was wanted for so much. They watched the screen as he entered a shop.
"Forty thousand units?" Rocket said in disbelief. "Guys, we're gonna be rich!"
"Oh my god." Cora stated in shock.
The two turned to see Groot's reaction, only to see him completely oblivious and continuing to drink the fountain water. Rocket groaned and rubbed his forehead with his hand and Cora put her hands on her hips.
"What did we tell you?" She reprimanded.
"I am Groot."
"Come on the both of ya, sit down. We need a plan before he comes out the shop." The raccoon announced.
Cora sat herself down once again on the rim of the fountain and Groot slowly did the same. His size in a seated position still dominated the both of them by far. Rocket leapt onto the rim and stood so he could address both Groot and Cora.
"We'll go for a distraction and a surprise attack. Any volunteers to be the distraction?" Rocket asked, looking at Groot, who looked at Cora, causing Rocket to stare at her too.
Cora pretended to look around, hoping Rocket would go for Groot to be the distraction. Rocket sighed and marched towards Cora, waving his hand in the air to get her attention.
"Hey, don't act like you can't hear me! You're gonna be the distraction whether you like it or not."
"Really?" Cora groaned. "I was the distraction last time."
"Now you're gonna be the distraction again. I know what I'm doing, girlie. It makes perfect sense, you know humies better than we do – you are one!"
"I am Groot." Groot agreed.
"Alright, fine. You owe me a drink for this." She said rising to her feet.
"With the money we'll get, I'll get ya a whole bunch of drinks, Cora." Rocket replied with a smirk.
Cora nodded in response and took her blaster from under her belt, switching the settings to stun and put it back under her belt.
"Don't screw up."
"Of course I wont." Cora said confidently and proceeded to stride towards the human, as he exited the shop.
She had a rough plan forming in her head but she just wanted to go with the flow and keep his attention on her. She smiled to herself and continued walking towards him, bumping into him deliberately.
"Hey, watch where you're-" He started, but stopped when he got a look at her.
She stared at him back, trying to mirror the surprise when she first saw him on Rocket's device.
"You're human." She said, looking him up and down.
"So are you…" He said slowly. "And you're British."
"And you're American."
He chuckled at the response and he leant against the wall of the shop he had just departed from.
"How did you get here?"
"Um, I don't know really." She shrugged. "How did you get here?"
"Long story." He mumbled. "Anyways, tell me your name."
"Cora."
"Cora what?"
"Cora Briar." She rolled her eyes. "Now tell me yours."
"Peter Quill." He said in a cocky fashion. "But you might know me by the name, Star-Lord."
"I don't." She said flatly.
"You know, there's something about the British accent that's so…blunt." He said in his thick American drawl.
"I see your point." She admitted. "But part of me was actually being blunt."
Peter chuckled and began playing with a silver sphere, juggling it in his hands.
"What's that?" Cora asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Just business. Tried to sell it to a broker but he ain't having it." He stated.
"What happened?" A new voice piped in.
The two turned to see a green-skinned woman with dark hair and purple ends standing nearby, listening in to their conversation.
"I was just explaining to this newly found acquaintance here that a guy a backed out of a deal on me." He explained, gesturing to Cora.
"Who are you?" The woman asked Cora.
"Me?" She pointed to herself. "I'm just a Terran girl."
The woman hummed in response and turned her attention back to Peter.
"So, you didn't reach an agreement with this man?" She asked.
Something wasn't right about her Cora thought. She had only asked who she was and not Peter; almost as if she already knew who he was, but did he know who she was? Cora folded her arms and watched the conversation carefully.
"Yup. You know if there's one thing I hate, it's a man without any integrity." He explained. "Peter Quill. People call me Star-Lord."
Cora picked up that he introduced himself to this mysterious woman, confirming that they had never met before, despite her seeming to know who he was already. It meant only one thing, she was after him too.
"Shit." She whispered.
"You have the bearing of a man of honour." She spoke as Peter began to play with the silver sphere shaped object again and Cora looked around frantically for Rocket and Groot to come out for the surprise attack.
"Well, I wouldn't say that." He said with a cheeky grin. "People say that about me all the time but I wouldn't say that myself-"
In a flash, the woman grabbed the sphere Peter had and winded him in the stomach, making a getaway through the crowds. Cora grunted in annoyance and took out her blaster, aiming it at Star-Lord. She fired her shot at him shortly after he threw something at the woman that made her trip and tumble to the ground. Peter fell to the ground and Cora looked around again.
"Get out here you two!" She yelled as she walked towards the woman then knelt down beside her.
"Who the hell are you?!" She demanded, trying to take the sphere from the woman, only to have her land a punch on Cora's cheek.
This sent Cora face down on the ground, her face numb yet throbbing from the punch. She heard the woman scramble up on her feet as well as the running steps of Peter gaining on her. They began fighting with each other until something knocked the woman onto the ground near Cora. Cora slowly sat up with a hand on her cheek to see Rocket wrestling with the woman.
"Put him in the bag!" Rocket commanded Groot.
Groot began to grow roots and they spread towards the woman. Cora shook her head and stood on her feet armed with her blaster. She noticed Peter rising to his feet and making an escape with the sphere object and she began to pursue him.
"Him! Not her! Learn genders man." Rocket groaned before the woman tried to bite his paw. "Biting? That's not fair!"
Cora caught up to Peter and tackled him to the ground. She was about to stun him again when he kicked her blaster out of her hand and pinned her down.
"What do you want from me?" He pressed.
"Do you not know?" She said in disbelief.
"Well a lot of people have it out for me for different reasons." He replied with a smug look on his face.
"Clearly, I'm not the only one you're pissing off." She spat, giving him a sharp kick in his side.
He grunted in pain and curled up on his side. She grabbed the silver sphere and made a sprint back to Rocket and Groot, who were still engaged in a fight with the woman. She saw her throw Rocket to the side from her shoulders and break Groot's branches, causing him to make a whining noise. She ran straight for Cora but it didn't faze her, she continued to run to the woman and in the last minute, dodged her path and kicked her ankle so she fell to the ground.
"That's my way of calling it even." She growled and ran to Rocket and Groot and knelt beside them.
"Look what I picked up." She announced, wiggling the silver sphere in Rocket's face.
"Woah, that could score us some big numbers." Rocket said excitedly. "You're learning quick, Cora."
Before Cora could react, Peter grabbed her wrist and twisted it in an awkward way and she yelped in agony. The silver ball dropped from her grasp and Peter picked it up before Rocket could reach out for it.
"Right, I take it back. What did I tell ya? Rule number one, always watch your back!" Rocket scolded.
"Shut up – now is not the time!" She argued as she struggled in Peter's grip.
"I've gotta say, that is a cool backpack." Peter spoke, looking at the purple, spiky backpack she sported.
He was suddenly thrown back, letting Cora slip from his grasp. Cora ran from him and turned to see the woman pinning Peter down holding the silver object.
"Fool, you should have learned." She hissed.
"I don't learn. It's one of my issues." He then snatched the object back in his possession and attached a rocket launcher onto the woman, sending her flying to one side.
Before he could do anything else, Groot smothered him in the bag and hoisted him on his shoulder.
"Quit smiling, you idiot. You need to be professional." The raccoon spoke to his friend before spotting the woman approach the three of them. "You gotta be kidding me."
Cora pulled out her blaster and fired at her, missing each time and she swiftly dodged each shot. She then pushed Rocket away from her and took out a blade, attacking Groot with it and slicing off his arms. Cora clenched her fists at this but the woman got her payback as Peter electrocuted her as he made another get away. Rocket sighed and armed himself with his gun as Cora stood behind the raccoon and watched him.
"I live for the simple things, like how much this is gonna hurt."
A beam of electricity then shot out from the gun and Peter let out a cry of pain. His body slammed onto the ground as he rolled around.
"Yeah, writhe, little man." Rocket grinned with satisfaction.
Cora tended to Groot after he whined miserably looking at his missing arms.
"Don't worry Groot, they'll grow back." She said with a reassuring smile.
She gasped as herself, Rocket, Groot and the woman were caught in an orange beam of light that levitated them off the ground. She found that she couldn't get out of it and let her body go limp. She saw Nova Corps officers detain Peter whilst an officer in one of the many ships above them addressed Rocket by a name she had never heard before.
"Subject 89P13, drop your weapon."