Guardians of the Galaxy Dogora: Past Sins

by Japan Boy

Two of four salutes to Stan 'The Man' Lee: after a successful rescue attempt, the Guardians of the Galaxy are hired by the Nova Corps to help solve a baffling mystery in space. Little do they know that THIS particular assignment will be much more than they ever bargained for...and one that will test the Guardians' loyalties to one another like never before. Kindly review if read.

For all the writers & artists who have kept 'Guardians of the Galaxy' in publication at Marvel Comics since the team's

galactic debut in the issue of 'Marvel Super Heroes' #18 from way back in January of 1969, lasting right to this day.

For actors Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, director James Gunn & the entire cast

& crew for bringing the modern-day Guardians of the Galaxy to cinematic life in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014),

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017), 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018), 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019), & the two

forthcoming films 'Thor: Love & Thunder' & 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' from Marvel Studios.

For all the actors who supplied the voices for the Guardians of the Galaxy in episodes of various animated series

& video games, ranging from 'Spider-Man Unlimited' to 'Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2' & beyond.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY / DOGORA:

PAST SINS

2021 by Anthony Ogozalek

PROLOGUE

The deepest regions of space:

Like a traveler with no actual destination to reach, this organism has wandered throughout the farthest regions of outer space, moving tirelessly through the cold merciless vacuum which had no apparent effect upon its massive form. It moved with the grace of fish swimming in water, endlessly searching for its favorite diet wherever it could find it & attacks on pure instinct & adrenaline once it senses what it wants. This organism has wandered throughout space ever since its creation in a laboratory, beginning as a simple organism concocted by a madman's ambition of making himself a superweapon to use upon his enemies, thus become its supreme ruler of everything in the cosmos.

But this organism had other plans: escaping from its prison from where it was made, it fled for parts unknown & began consuming its desired sustenance on multiple worlds, consuming it & growing into the giant it has now become.

In all that time, its terror spread to vast planets, draining them of their natural resources & causing many deaths along the way – deaths that were insignificant to the creature as it freely took what it wanted/needed before heading off into the harsh vacuum & traveled to its next destination. Wherever that may be.

Of course, there was resistance when it showed up, but this organism literally swatted away the competition like annoying insects with speeds that belied its gigantic size. For each hit it received, the wounds closed instantly – like it had never been attacked to begin with.

All of the destruction & death this thing has left behind was meaningless to it: like a shark from Earth, its only concern was eating/consuming & moving on to its next meal, oblivious to everything else around it.

The only hints of warning to its approach were a blue-green glow, followed by a sound that was a combo of Earth crickets, boiling water, electric static…and a beating heart, all rolled into one.

It was the sound of impending doom.

Before it escaped captivity, its creator had given it a name, & soon the galaxy will be quite wary of it.

They will also learn to fear that very name. Greatly.

CHAPTER I

Elsewhere in space, three months later:

On the planet Tranquil, it was a world which literally lived up to its name: this rounded orb in space had a peace unmatched by most other areas, containing patches of lush forests that were occupied by lakes, rivers, streams & oceans of the purest water one can think of. In these picture-perfect surroundings, one can enjoy the scenery & activities like riding six-legged animals that resembled a cross between a horse & insect which can run at high speeds to escape those wishing to make them food. All sorts of fish & other sea life could also be found in the waters, making fine delicatessens which would make taste buds sing with delight. Even the water was safe to drink: various streams of it tasted as fresh & pure as anything Poland Spring could ever produce on Earth.

The towns & cities were no different: beings of various races lived a peaceful life as they worked, frolicked & played in utter harmony. All they had to do was follow certain rules once they arrived: no fighting with one another (as it resulted in a day or more inside a glass cell for disrupting the peace, depending upon the situation), no having weapons of any kind on any person (except for those who are authorized), & always report to the proper authorities in case there was trouble of any kind.

Like it was anywhere else, their vigilance helped to keep the tranquility of their world, as it is often said a vigilant society is a safe society.

But even with that golden rule, it still didn't help the citizens on this day: a ship intentionally crashed down into the forest near a neighboring town & bigger city right behind it. Emerging from this ship was a horde that looked like a kid's worst nightmare: a swarm of large insect-like monsters exited their craft & began attacking the military personnel that aimed their guns at them, advancing on & tearing them apart like they were nothing more than rag dolls. The people screamed in terror & began fleeing for their homes, only to be rounded up by these insectoid creatures – known as the Brood – and taken over to a cavern a few miles away from the town they ravaged.

During the melee, some of the residents got on a radio & started broadcasting their S.O.S., praying that someone – anyone – would come to their aide & help liberate them from the Brood swarm that has infested their beloved home. Several minutes of desperate calls for help went over the air before they too were captured & taken over to where the Brood were making their nest, but not before smashing their radio equipment to pieces & turning it all into scrap.

As fate would have it, their S.O.S. had been picked up before getting abruptly cut off: this group of individuals expertly traced the call over to Tranquil & arrived to see the town decimated & several people looking as if they'd been in a war, which they had. One of the military men lucky enough to have survived the onslaught & escape abduction had explained to these five newcomers of what occurred before their founder & (mostly) leader ordered his party to locate the Brood & put an end to their plans of world conquest while also saving the people in the process.

It wasn't that hard of a trail to follow: trees that suffered damage led the quintet straight to their hideout that was a massive cavern with a wide entrance/tunnels & high ceilings that had stalactites hanging at some areas. On their way through the tunnel entrance, these five saviors blasted away & sliced through a small but deadly horde of the Brood's warriors before entering the main chamber. It was a huge dome-like room that reminded one of a football stadium he used to attend back on Earth. On one side were the townspeople literally stuck to the wall, held there by an epoxy-like substance that hardened to keep them in place. At the far corner of the dome was the Brood Queen herself, standing in all her glory with a multitude of her soldiers surrounding her.

Each one was willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their queen, just like any other insect swarm.

This scene is so reminiscent of the movie 'Aliens', with Sigourney Weaver!

The individual who thought that stood 6 feet, 2 inches in height wearing a maroon-colored trench coat, a pair of blue pants, brown boots & gray shirt. He sported blue eyes & a head of short blonde hair, with a bandolier hung across his chest. In his hands were a pair of elemental guns with twin barrels.

On Earth, he is known as Peter Jason Quill.

But to the rest of the galaxy, he is known as Star-Lord, a half-human/half-Spartoi hybrid.

His four accomplices are no less impressive: the first is a green-skinned hulk of a figure, standing a full 6 feet, 4 inches in height & having red markings on his chest & limbs. He wears brown pants & dark boots, red eyes & a bald head. In each hand he holds a long blade, capable of slicing through almost anything. Although he no longer remembers his original name of Arthur Douglas, he goes by another name to go with his enhanced strength & stamina.

Drax the Destroyer, whose main desire is to destroy/kill the Mad Titan known as Thanos, who violently took his beloved wife & daughter away.

Next up was a large tree-like humanoid creature who can stand at various heights, has a pair of black eyes & is a brown tint in color. At this moment he stands a good 8-9 feet tall, & is believed to be the last known survivor of a race called the Floral Colossus.

He is known as Groot, as evident in his extremely limited vocabulary of speaking 'I am Groot'.

The next member is a genetically-engineered & anthropomorphic raccoon that can stand on two legs & speak as clearly as any person. Although standing at only 4 feet in height, this bipedal mammal is an expert weapons designer, marksman & tech wiz. While he can be quite a pain in the ass at times with his selfish attitude & potty mouth, this is a mammal one would be happy to have fighting at one's side.

He is Rocket Raccoon.

Their last member is the team's lone female, standing a full 6 feet in height & has emerald flesh like Drax, minus the red markings. She had a head of long dark hair, green eyes & dressed in combat gear, holding a long sword in her right hand.

She is Gamora, hailed as the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy.

Gamora is named that for damn good reason: she was trained by none other than Thanos himself, who took her under his wing after invading Gamora's home planet & wiping out her race, the Zen-Whoberi, but sparing her. She had rebelled against her adopted father before escaping his grasp & going off on many adventures until joining Peter Quill & company.

The reputation of these five individuals was known throughout the vast reaches of space.

It was a group the Brood Queen announced with undisguised venom & abhorrence.

"The Guardians of the Galaxy!", she hissed.

"Full marks, your majesty!", Quill says, replying to her status sarcastically. "Now, correct me if I get this wrong, of course, but…I seem to distinctly remember saying to you that we didn't want you & your brood causing the galaxy any more trouble, especially after that terrible ass-whipping we gave you when you threatened the good citizens over at Telex in one of the outer systems! And yet, here you all are attacking a peaceful planet like Tranquil, kidnapping its people & threatening to convert them to your clan! Now, I ask you because I am totally confused on something: are you maggots really gluttons for punishment, or does that come naturally to pea-brained life forms like yourselves? Kindly help me out here!"

Rocket Raccoon, Gamora & Groot stood there with their mouths partially open, dazed confusion.

"Excuse me, Quill…what are you doing?", Rocket asks.

"Wait, Rocket", Drax says. "I too want to hear what the Brood Queen has to say in response to Quill's question. Hopefully it won't be too confusing for her…" A smirk & a snorted chuckle came from his mouth. "Pea-brained mind to comprehend."

Unable to keep it inside, Drax burst out laughing, the concept of the Brood Queen's intelligence being lower than an Earth cockroach's own was most hilarious to the Destroyer, & he guffawed like there's no tomorrow.

He laughed so hard that Drax nearly fell flat on his ass, but managed to stay on his feet.

Everybody from the Guardians, the Brood Queen & her soldiers to even the people still trapped on the wall each looked at Drax with faces of shock & disbelieving: a situation was as horrible as global genocide, & this gigantic green-skinned barbarian was busting a gut smack dab in the middle of it all.

Oh my stars! This is our rescue?!, thought one man.

I am surrounded by idiots!, Gamora thought, rolling her eyes.

"I am Groot", the tree-man said, putting his head in his hand & shaking it in humiliation.

Rocket simply shook his head slowly & sighed.

After a minute of uncontrolled laughter, Drax finally stops & regains his composure.

"My apologies, friends & foes. Please continue", Drax says with a smirk, gesturing to resume.

Facing the Brood Queen & her swarm again, Star-Lord delivers the bottom line.

"So, Queenie…you going to pack up, take your foot soldiers with you & haul ass out & away from here, or do we have to take such drastic actions & do it all for you?", he demanded, all trace of humor gone.

Now it was the Brood Queen's turn to laugh, one that made even the Guardians' blood run cold.

"You actually believe that we'd cease to expand our brethren just because we suffered one lousy defeat from the likes of you, Peter Quill?", she says with malice. "We've faced those accursed X-Men to a standstill before we…"

"Ha!", Gamora said, interrupting her. "That's a laugh! The way we heard it, you bugs got your asses handed to you by those merry mutants, kicking yours off the Earth but good! If you leave now, you'll be saved a lot of trouble and humiliation!"

"Not quite, daughter of Thanos!", the Brood Queen replied. "As the humans are so fond of saying, 'third time's the charm'! Therefore, surrender to me & my brethren to join our ranks, or you all will suffer excruciating anguish – the likes of which you've never experienced before! Your answer?"

Groot, Drax & Gamora got into fighting stances with their blades ready, while Star-Lord & Rocket Raccoon both readied their guns. It was all the 'answer' the Brood Queen needed.

"Sorry, Queenie…not interested!", Quill replied, pressing a button at the side of his head as his face was covered by a metal face mask with red optics.

"Quill's right, alien bitch!", Drax says without humor, his demeanor all business. "Your ass will be hauled away from here…right after we kick it!"

"And kick it we shall!", Gamora said. "I am no longer Thanos' daughter, alien slime, but I do thank him, however, for turning me into a living weapon…one that's modified & perfected to defeat the likes of you!"

"I am Groot!", the tree-man said, his arms sprouting snake-like vines.

"So…is this answer enough for you, 'your highness'?", Rocket asked, his weapon aimed right at her toothy grin.

The Brood Queen kept her sinister smile, not showing any trepidation but letting out a chuckle.

"Foolish flesh-bags!", she says. "You're going to wish you had accepted my terms of surrender! Instead, you'll all be torn limb from limb & fed to my soldiers & soon-to-be newborns! Prepare to be eviscerated!"

"Gee, that's funny, Queenie…we were thinking the same thing about you!", Rocket says, rushing over to one of the trapped people on the wall – a female – and placing a small device in her hand. "Do me a favor, sweetheart, & hold this for me, will ya?"

"What's this thing?", the woman asked, holding the device.

"Oh, just a little something to help my friends & I concentrate on our work, that's all."

Pressing the button, the device began playing 'Kung Fu Fighting', a #1 hit song for Carl Douglas back in 1974.

Once the start of the song, 'Oh-ho-ho-ho', started playing, it was pretty much go-time.

"A perfect choice, Rocket!", Quill praised, smiling behind hid metal face mask.

"I know, right?", Rocket says, grinning. "Since we're about to kick some alien ass, I figured we listen to a song with actual kick in it…and this was at the top of my head!"

"I am Groot!", replied the tree-man, smiling & giving Rocket a thumbs-up of approval.

Drax & Gamora simply grin at each other, also approving the choice of song.

"Enjoy it while you can, fools!", the Brood Queen says. "It shall be the last piece of music you'll ever hear! Now then…attack, my fearless soldiers! Splatter their remains everywhere as you decorate this cavern with their organs!"

The Brood's army charged forward, as did the Guardians of the Galaxy, just as the song reached the upbeat tempo.

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting

Those kids were fast as lightning

In fact, it was a little bit frightening

But they fought with expert timing

There were funky China men from funky Chinatown

They were chopping them up

They were chopping them down

It's an ancient Chinese art

And everybody knew their part

From a feinting to a slip

And a kickin' from the hip

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting (huh)

Those kids were fast as lightning

In fact, it was a little bit frightening (yeah, yeah)

But they fought with expert timing

There was funky Billie Chin & little Sammy Chong

He said, here comes the big boss (where, where), let's get it on

We took the bow & made a stand

Started swaying with the hand

A sudden motion made me skip

Now we're into a brand-new trip

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting (huh)

Those kids were fast as lightning (hah)

In fact, it was a little bit frightening (huh)

But they did it with expert timing (hah)

Oh yeah

Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh, ha (Huh)

Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh, ha (Hah)

Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh, ha (Huh)

Keep on, keep on, keep on

Sure enough

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting (Huh)

Those kids were fast as lightning (Hah)

In fact, it was a little bit frightening (Huh)

Make sure you have expert timing (Hah)

Kung Fu Fighting, had to be fast as lightning

Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh, ha

Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh, ha

Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh, ha

Keep on, keep on, keep on

A whole smorgasbord of action took place while the song filled the chamber.

Star-Lord used his flight pack & acrobatics to keep himself mobile while blasting away Brood soldiers left, right & everywhere else, blowing off limbs & splattering the chamber with alien ichor & smoldering pieces; Gamora uses a series of maneuvers taught to her by Thanos while growing up under his wing, using her sword to slice off limb after limb that caused them to fly at various locations & simply stabbing them where their brains ought to be, killing them instantly. In some cases, Gamora uses her bare fists & feet to punch & kick the shit out of Brood soldiers, getting herself splattered in alien blood. Not that she minded, of course.

With every swing of her sword & her fists/feet, Gamora makes direct contact.

It is this reason as to why Gamora has earned the title of 'Most Dangerous Woman in the Galaxy'.

Drax was more of a wild animal in his assault, but was no less impressive: with blades in hand, he both slashes & stabs alien monsters in all directions, raging like a sociopath in a berserker fury with no intention of stopping. Every Brood soldier Drax comes in contact with gets shredded to icky pieces, either by his deadly twin blades or even by his own two hands as the Destroyer tore them apart like they were tissue paper, always enjoying a more 'hands-on' approach with his enemies.

Like Gamora with her own, Drax earns the title of 'Destroyer'.

Rocket Raccoon simply blasted the alien scum away with his favorite weapon, which is capable of blowing away multiple enemies at once, his gun acting like a chain gun. Small in size he may be, Rocket Raccoon can definitely hold his own in a fight, regardless of who or what he faces.

Rocket Raccoon brings a new meaning to the old phrase 'Big booms come in small packages'.

Groot takes on a similar yet different approach to the matter: in the beginning, he uses his powerful limbs to hit & put down Brood soldier after Brood soldier, putting an end to each one as these lay in puddles of their own ichor. In an interesting trick, Groot's snake-like appendages on his arms convert into sharpened spikes that were used to impale foe after foe before getting thrown to the ground as lifeless husks. As soon as these were defeated, more & more Brood soldiers converge upon Groot, using their sheer numbers in order to bring down the humanoid tree.

His teammates cry out his name as their tactic was working, bringing Groot to his knees as more Brood soldiers keep piling upon him.

Using a burst of strength, Groot literally grew himself up to 12 feet in height in a maneuver that knocked away all his aggressors as Brood soldiers went flying – some whole, others with limbs ripped away. With powerful punches & kicks, Groot sent more Brood soldiers through the air, hitting the floor & each other with enough force to squat them like the roaches they are. Whatever soldier was lucky enough to survive impact got slain by Peter, Gamora, Rocket or Drax.

But the Brood swarm still kept on coming for Groot & the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

And this time, it was in their greatest numbers yet.

Groot, however, was not deterred by the increasing number of foes to vanquish: turning his fingers into living snake-like branches, Groot suddenly extends & shoots forward these appendages directly at the oncoming swarm, thus impaling each & every Brood soldier heading towards him in their midsections & killing them instantly. Having them stabbed & lifeless, Groot then swings his arms as he uses the dead soldiers to slam into other oncoming enemies, using their own dead brethren as battering rams & sentencing them to death as well. Walls & the floor get stained with alien blood & body parts as Groot slammed & smashed foes left & right, the area feeling each impact the humanoid tree has made.

Seeing Groot & the other Guardians of the Galaxy going to work laying waste to those that wish to impregnate them impressed the encased people, turning their fears & doubts into renewed hope.

Many of them even smiled proudly, believing things were really going to be all right.

I guess they're not so bad after all!, thought one woman.

Even Peter, Gamora, Drax & Rocket were pleased at seeing Groot take care of business.

"You go, Groot!", Peter, Drax & Gamora all said with big smiles.

"Oh yeah! You da man, Groot!", Rocket cried out & shared a laugh of delight.

Having disposed of the rest of the Brood soldiers by his lonesome, Groot broke off his vine fingers & grew new ones to replace them, leaving dead alien bodies lying everywhere. When he heard the people cheering & calling his name & that of his comrades, he & his troop turned to his literally captive audience & smiled.

"I am Groot!", he replied, taking a bow in appreciation with Peter & the rest.

After taking his well-deserved bow, Groot had once more extended his fingers & shot them forth at the hardened epoxy substance, dug into them deep & caused it to crack & fall apart. This enabled the people to get free of what held them firmly against the cavern wall as men, women & children were released from the wall & free once again.

Their clothes were ripped in spots & they smelled funny, but at least they were alive.

Celebrations will have to wait, however: despite the Brood soldiers being defeated & the captives freed, there was still the matter of the Brood Queen herself to deal with. The Guardians turned to said enemy, who just came out of her stupor at seeing her children beaten by a band of outer space misfits.

Just the mere sight of the Guardians boiled her blood.

"Well, Queenie…looks like you got no more foot soldiers to do your dirty work!", Quill says, his guns raised & aimed at her. "Now then…maybe you'd like to reconsider our offer of you hauling ass off this planet & never return to it? Or do you want to be even more stupid & try something foolish, like prolong this fight you know you're not gonna win?"

"So what'll it be, Queenie? Easy or hard?", Rocket asked, aiming his own gun directly at the creature.

"Personally, we're hoping it's hard!", Drax said, raising his blades as Gamora nodded, doing the same.

"You actually believe that I would surrender myself to the likes of you?!", the Brood Queen snapped. "I'd sooner be a flaming husk of a body than to ever submit myself to lowly creatures such as yourselves!"

"If char-broiled is how you want to go out, Queenie, that's fine by…whoa!", Peter started saying.

He was cut off by the Brood Queen's abrupt departure as she raced across the cavern, her front appendages both extended & spread as if she was ready to attack. She moved with grace & in a speed that belied her tremendous size as she ran across the huge chamber, running right past the Guardians even as they dived for cover, never getting time to fire off a single shot.

"Where's she running off to?", Rocket wondered, picking himself up.

It was then that the Brood Queen's motives were obvious, & it frightened them.

"Oh, damn it!", Gamora says. "Quill…she's heading straight for the people!"

Quill knew Gamora was right, but he & the rest of his team were powerless to do anything: they'd never catch up to her in time, & they dared not shoot at the alien bitch with the people being right in the line of fire.

That bitch is going to skewer all those people out of revenge!, Quill thought with dread. And we can't do shit to stop her!

It was exactly what the Brood Queen had in mind.

"Once again, my plans of conquest have been hampered & delayed!", the alien creature said, now just meters from the terrified people. "At least somebody will pay for their insubordination…and you pathetic lifeforms have all become nominated!"

Unable to move due to their great fear, the people of Tranquil could only stand & watch as death loomed closer, ready to be delivered to them in seconds.

With her front appendages in striking position, the Brood Queen swiped her left one at her first victim.

A sickening piercing sound erupted as sharp object punctured tissue.

Time seemed to stand still as Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax & the people of Tranquil watched as a horrible scene took place right before them: seconds before the Brood Queen attacked, Groot rushed over & put himself in between the Brood Queen & her intended victims. When the alien creature struck, she pierced Groot in his midsection, her pincer going through in the back. The Guardians & the people of Tranquil stared wide-eyed at the heroic maneuver caused by the giant tree-man, their mouths agape, including Peter's, who retracted his face mask.

"Groot…buddy…", Rocket said softly.

Despite getting impaled, Groot hardly felt much pain as his foliage anatomy allows him to take punishment just as much as he can dish it out. He stared at the Brood Queen with a defiant face filled with malice for the alien creature, ignoring what little pain he felt from the attack on his person.

The Brood Queen chuckled, amused at the scenario.

"What a bold move on your part, tree monster!", she says. "Even with my left appendage speared right through you, you're still standing defiantly to protect those pathetic life forms! I must admit, aside from those accursed X-Men, I've never met anyone with such fighting spirit & resilience! But know that even the most stubborn of warriors are due to fall, & today that shall be you!"

The Brood Queen raised her right appendage & pulled it back in a striking position.

"Let's see if you're still defiant…after you've been beheaded & placed upon my wall!", she stated.

She began thrusting her appendage forward.

Just as she did, Gamora threw her sword & sliced off half of the alien creature's arm before it even got halfway to striking Groot. What was left of it flew across the cavern as her stump oozed ichor, causing her to cry out from the pain. At that moment, Gamora's sword came right back to her like a metal boomerang.

"Neither Groot nor those people dies today, alien bitch!", Gamora barked. "That gets saved strictly for you!"

Before said alien could respond, Groot grabbed her left appendage & pulled it out of him, followed by throwing her over head over heels as she soared through the air & landed hard on her side, keeping her far away from the people her brethren took captive.

"Quick, Rocket…blast her while she's down!", Quill said as he & his companion aimed & fired their guns at the downed monster. But the Brood Queen anticipated such a move: she quickly got herself up & began making a hasty retreat down the tunnel just as Quill & Rocket started shooting madly at her.

Not one of their shots struck their target, & the Brood Queen laughed at their incompetence.

"NO! That bitch does not escape! Not from us!", Drax barked, immediately giving chase after her & letting out a battle cry.

"Drax, wait! We first need to go check up on…", Gamora started to say.

"Groot!", Rocket says, finishing her sentence.

Quill & Gamora turn to see their tree-man friend, who was now slumped to the ground & placing a hand over his wound where the Brood Queen stabbed him at. Both the people of Tranquil & three Guardians rush over to Groot's side as he looked upon the concerned faces from all.

"Groot", Quill & Gamora said softly.

"How bad is it, buddy?", Rocket asked.

Groot removed his hand for everyone to observe the severity of his wound. What he had to show made them all gasp in shock: the wound was still present, being a circular hole that enabled them to see the rocky ground right through him. Already thin strands of Groot's bark were attempting to mend the wound & heal him up, but it was slow going.

"I…am Groot", the tree-man said.

"Yeah, it really is that bad, isn't it?", Rocket says.

"Quill, we need to help Groot get healed up…quickly!", Gamora said.

"I know, Gamora!", Peter said. "But we also need to stop the Brood Queen from reaching the town or even the city, which is probably where she's heading right now! And even Drax alone won't be enough to bring her down!"

"So, we're just going to leave Groot here…badly injured as he is?!", Rocket asked.

"Maybe not, Mr. Rocket", said a man, getting the Guardians' attention. "We'll look after your big friend Groot here. You three go ahead & stop that creature from ruining more of our beloved world."

The three Guardians looked at each other, then back to the people.

"You'd do that for us?", Gamora asked.

"You helped us, Miss Gamora", said a girl who looked to be a teenager. "Now we want to return the favor. It's the least we can do."

Gamora was struck by a sense of flourish from the young girl's words: ever since she became a known assassin for Thanos, her reputation spread faster than bad news & a deadly virus combined. Absolutely everyone feared the name of Gamora about as much as her adopted father himself. But since leaving him & joining up with Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon, Groot & Drax the Destroyer, she'd been fighting against tyranny rather than causing it, giving her a brand-new reputation.

One of a savior.

Now the shoe was on the other foot: instead of terrorizing the lives of innocents like she used to, she now does so to those who wish to cause the innocent harm – and being very successful at it!

Hearing this young female offering to help one of her own in this time of need filled Gamora's heart with pride & gratefulness – a most happy change from her vicious past.

In that brief moment, Gamora nodded with a smile.

"Thank you", she says. "Keep Groot comfortable as best you can. We shouldn't be too long."

The people of Tranquil nodded their approval & appreciation.

"Let's get a move-on, folks!", Rocket announced, hefting his gun. "That alien bitch ain't gonna die on her own!"

"Time for you to ride shotgun, Rocket!", Quill says, donning his metal face mask once more as Rocket jumped upon his back. In an instant, Star-Lord flew in a horizontal position as he & Rocket took off for the exit to the cavern.

Gamora took off as well, using her own jet pack to enable flight & followed her comrades.

Each Guardian (except for Groot) were gone in seconds.

The humanoid tree started to rise on his feet, only to be stopped by the people.

"Whoa there, big guy", one man said. "You're in no condition to be up & about. We've made a promise to your friends that we'd look after you, & that's precisely what we're going to do. So until they return with medical supplies to help patch you up…"

"I am Groot", he said, pointing towards the exit.

"Look, we know you want to help your friends & all, but in your current condition, you'd be just a liability to them."

Groot kindly shook his head & used his hands to create a display as his fingers started making a little live-action scenario. It was puzzling at first, but it then became clear as day once Groot's illustration came into focus.

With a smile from his wooden lips, Groot stared at the people to see if they get the message.

They did.

In that instant, the people knew what they had to do & wasted no time implementing it.

Within the forest:

Once exiting the cavern, the Brood Queen made a direct beeline for the town her soldiers raided & kidnapped its inhabitants to be impregnated. Despite her tremendous size, she can move with the grace of a jungle cat at a high speed, making her even more deadly as a combatant. It was also her fiery rage that pushed her forward: still recalling her defeat at the hands of the mutant group known as the X-Men, she now faced defeat at the hands of a quintet of misfits from the far reaches of space, acting like a bunch of intergalactic Robin Hoods that lend their assistance to those who need it the most.

The mere thought of facing a pair of defeats almost back-to-back sent the alien queen's blood boiling.

As if those accursed X-Men weren't bad enough!, the Brood Queen thought vehemently. I had to deal with those miscreants that wanted to be a pair of outer space Cub Scouts! Am I to be forever plagued by do-gooders, no matter where I venture off to?!

As if in answer to her very question, Drax cried out from behind, reminding the Brood Queen she was still being pursued.

"You can run but you can't hide, monster! Not from me!", he shouted, his blades shining in the moonlight.

A sinister chuckle erupted from the alien queen's toothy maw.

"And who said that I wanted to hide from the likes of you, fool?!", she replied.

Immediately she started swinging her tail in every direction, using it like a whip & cutting off trees to be used as obstacles to throw at her bipedal pursuer. Drax saw the slashed-off trees heading his way, but he was neither deterred nor worried: with his own cat-like reflexes, Drax craftily dodges each piece of sliced-off timber that came at him, using high jumps to soar above these obstacles, while sometimes also ducking under & swerving side-to-side to avoid getting clobbered. He even used the trees to his advantage: for the ones he landed on, Drax was able to gain ground upon the retreating Brood Queen by leaping away on each one, enabling him to close the gap between him & his alien foe.

Before she knew it, Drax was nearly within arm's reach of her, & the Brood Queen knew it.

He is very persistent, that Drax!, the alien queen thought. He definitely lives up to his name, & then some! If I am to survive this night, I'd best think of something quick, lest he devours me with his own two hands!

Even the Brood Queen knew that once Drax does get his hands on her, he will shred her to pieces with his knives and bare hands – and without mercy.

Luckily, the Brood Queen still has a tactic to help her even the odds of her escaping.

"HA!", Drax cried out with a fiendish grin. "Give it up, Brood Queen! All the running in the galaxy won't have a prayer of saving you from the fate that awaits you when I, Drax the Destroyer, gets my hands upon your scrawny neck right before I…"

THWACK!

As Drax spoke, the Brood Queen used her tail to bend back a tree before releasing it, using the thing like a giant slingshot to buffet Drax with it, thus sending him flying through the air & away from the Brood Queen, who was making good her escape without an interloper from behind. As she gained distance, the alien queen chuckled.

Soaring through the air, Drax flailed his arms & legs as he blaringly hollered in rage, cursing himself on his own stupidity: along with her speed & fighting prowess, the Brood Queen also had a high decree of intelligence in her large cranium, enabling her to address to situations like an advanced Chess player.

Drax continued soaring until he ran into something, stopping him dead in his tracks.

Or rather, something ran into him: when Drax's vision refocused, he saw himself into the hands of Gamora, who managed to catch him in mid-flight & bringing his unaided sail to a stop.

"I was wondering who was throwing destroyers around!", she says, keeping Drax aloft with both arms.

"Gamora!", Drax said, smiling. "Our guardian angel!"

Gamora grinned back.

"Well, I don't know about the 'angel' part, but I do appreciate the sentiment!", she joked.

"Great catch, Gamora!", Rocket said, still riding on Star-Lord's back. "Now we got a better chance of bringing down that alien bitch, what with most of us reunited & all that!"

"We'll need most of the team to stop the Brood Queen, Rocket!", Quill said. "As we feared, she is heading back into town to finish what she started! And she's almost reached her destination!"

"Then pour on the juice, Quill, so we can put this bitch in the ground where she belongs!"

Quill gave no argument: with an extra burst, both he & Gamora poured on their flight & sped quickly towards the town, which was now only several yards ahead. Fortunately, the Brood Queen was still in their sights even from a distance away, & were gaining quickly on her.

Sadly, it wouldn't be enough before she reached the town, & drastic action had to be taken if the area & its people were to have a future past this night.

"All right, Rocket, when I say…", Star-Lord says, aiming his two guns.

"Just say when, Quill!", Rocket replied, doing the same with his own weapon.

Aiming carefully even when moving at a high speed, Star-Lord waits until the perfect moment to strike, wanting to wait until he was certain to shoot in the right spot.

Sixteen seconds later, he gives the order.

"NOW!"

Both Star-Lord & Rocket Raccoon unloaded a barrage of firepower that struck underneath the Brood Queen in an explosion that actually lifted her off the ground briefly before crash-landing on her side, landing right outside the main perimeter of the town her brethren attacked. Rocket let out a howl of cheer, priding himself upon his literal dead aim.

"Yeah! Take that, you poor lousy excuse for an H.R. Giger creation!", Rocket shouted, triumphantly raising his weapon.

The joy was short-lived: the Brood Queen wasn't her species' leader just because of her cunning & intelligence. She was also more resilient than most, & she's learned to bounce herself back almost immediately even after taking a powerful hit like that from Star-Lord & Rocket Raccoon's blasts. What's worse, several of the town's patrolmen were already at the scene, ready to blast away the Brood Queen where she lay.

Every heart within the Guardians of the Galaxy began getting a cold reception.

Oh god, no!, Star-Lord thought fearfully.

"No, stay away from her!", he shouted to the patrolmen. "She's more resilient than you think! Don't give her the chance to…!"

His warning had come a second too late: with cat-like reflexes, the Brood Queen got up & snatched the nearest patrolman with her front appendages, just as the Guardians all landed only thirteen feet away from her as Star-Lord's mask retracts. The monstrosity stood defiantly against the quartet of heroes, holding her precious hostage in her fully-regenerated right forepaw while placing the tip of her left one directly underneath the patrolman's chin.

Standing two feet apart from each other, the Guardians aim their weapons at their alien quarry, who just scoffed.

"You're all ready to throw your weapons at me even now? Surely you jest!", the alien queen says.

"Does it look like we're jesting, alien bitch?! Your reign of terror goes no further than this planet!", Drax barked, putting a foot forward.

"No, Drax, don't!", Gamora warned her, stopping him in his approach.

"I would listen to your companion, Destroyer!", the Brood Queen stated. "With but a simple twist of my limb, I can behead this pathetic life form & leave his headless body lying on the ground – and it will be a death placed upon your heads if you should dare to take another step towards me! Is that a dare you're willing to risk?"

Guns aimed, Quill & Rocket give their options thought, which were very limited at best: should the Brood Queen escape this night, she'll simply go to another world & begin her reign of terror all over again. But as long as she has a hostage, there's very little they can do to prevent her leaving to parts unknown.

"Only a coward hides behind a defenseless hostage, bitch!", Gamora stated, her sword placed in front. "Further proof that you are just another pathetic wannabe dictator with high delusions of grandeur!"

"You really think you can just escape from us, murdering witch?!", Drax snapped. "We'd track you down to the very depths of Hell to find & put you under the ground if we must!"

"Drax is right, queenie!", Rocket added. "Even if you do manage to escape us, you'll still have plenty others hot on your tail, from the Nova Corps to the Shi'ar Empire! And trust me: you don't want them coming after you!"

"I don't fear those miscreants any more than I do you interlopers!", the Brood Queen says, pressing her left limb deeper into the patrolman's throat. "Now, unless you want this piece of meat beheaded…"

"All right, all right, Queenie! Point taken!", Quill says, signaling the others to lower their weapons.

The trio were less than enthused about the idea.

"Quill! Are you serious?", Rocket asked. "You can't expect this bitch to just let her hostage go just out of good faith!"

"If we don't hang our weapons up now, Rocket, she'll kill him for sure!", Quill said, his face mask retracted. "And his death will be as much our own fault as it is hers! Now hang them up – all of you!"

Much as they want to just attack/shoot the Brood Queen, Gamora, Drax & Rocket know she has the upper hand currently. One of the rule about being a Guardian of the Galaxy is to ensure the safety of those they've agreed to assist in times of need, no matter the circumstances.

Doing otherwise does make them as bad as those they're prepared to stop, something they want to avoid, which most especially goes for Drax & Gamora, considering their malevolent pasts.

Reluctantly, they do hang up their arms as Quill does the same.

"Rocket did have a point before, Queenie", Quill says, his now-empty hands raised. "Even if you get away with your hostage from us, you'll still have others coming for you, most notably the Gladiator of the Shi'ar Empire. Should he get on your trail, there really won't be anyplace you can hide! Not from him! He won't rest until he catches you!"

Another chuckle came from the Brood Queen.

"That mohawk-finned buffoon couldn't catch a cold, let alone me!", she scoffs. "No more delays! I'll be taking my leave now! Anyone who dare tries to deter me from my escape, you know what's going to happen!"

Peter had to think fast before this situation becomes mobile.

"Hold on a moment, Queenie!", he says, getting her attention. "How about this? You let that man go, & then you can have me as your hostage instead! Think about it: the great Star-Lord totally at your mercy to do with whatever you please!"

Quill's idea was even less favorable to his comrades than hanging their weapons up.

"Quill, no! I won't let you!", Drax said sternly.

"Neither will I, Peter!", Gamora said.

"That's not an option, mister!", Rocket added. "There's got to be a better way!"

"Sorry guys, but we're out of options!", Peter said to his team before facing the alien queen. "What do you say, Queenie? Take me rather than him to torture to your heart's desire? An opportunity like this one doesn't come along every day!"

"What kind of fool do you take me for, Peter Quill?", the Brood Queen asked. "Let's say I do take you hostage: in almost no time you'll figure out a way to defeat me like you & your troupe have done this evening, leaving me with nothing in the end! No, thank you: I prefer this piece of cowardly meat in my grip, as he's too spineless to stab me in the back, unlike you!"

It seemed hopeless in this hostage situation: the Brood Queen will be leaving with a prisoner she believes is too cowardly to put up any kind of resistance against this alien monstrosity.

"Mr. Peter Quill? Star-Lord?", the patrolman said suddenly.

"Yes?", he replied.

"Do me a favor. Tell my wife & kids…I love them very much."

While the patrolman spoke, he pulled out a large jagged knife hidden within his sleeve & began attacking the Brood Queen with a quick cut to her limbs, freeing him before charging the alien monster & stabbing her directly where her heart should be.

"You're not taking me, Mr. Quill or anybody hostage, filthy beast!", he growled as he punctured her flesh.

Although the Brood Queen hollered in pain & surprise, she did not go down.

She also didn't have a heart in the area the patrolman stabbed her at.

He stared at the monster staring down at him with disdain & abhorrence.

"Big mistake on your part, little man!", the Brood Queen said just before a horrible scene occurred.

Before any of the Guardians or the town's patrolmen could react, the alien queen jammed the sharp point on her right limb through his own heart, piercing him like she did Groot earlier, only this time the wound was spewing blood from both ends, killing him instantly.

Faces of shock & horror were worn on the patrolmen, the surviving townspeople and the Guardians.

Then, like an ace baseball pitcher, the Brood Queen threw her appendage over to her left, throwing the bloodied corpse off of it as it went flying through the air & straight into a 20-foot high steel silver orb. Upon contact, the corpse caused a hole in the side, followed immediately by a shower of electrical sparks that fried the body in an unrecognizable mess before dropping to the ground, dead as a doorknob.

With malice, the Brood Queen laughed at her proud handiwork.

"Time to take my leave!", she said.

"Fuck that shit, bitch! You ain't going anywhere!", Quill says, grabbing his guns & aiming them as Rocket does the same. Gamora & Drax draw their blades, ready to fight.

"Oh no?"

Blasts literally came out of nowhere & struck the Guardians, sending them sprawling backwards as they landed on the ground before the source of those blasts came into view: a large 25-foot oval-shaped pod emerged from its cloak which made it invisible & descended down upon the Brood Queen as its bottom opened up to allow her access within.

Once she was inside, the bottom sealed itself up & took off into the evening sky.

From the oval glass window, the Guardians could see the Brood Queen's sinister smile of teeth.

How Drax & the others wanted to knock them out of her mouth with one punch!

"Uh-uh, Queenie…not on our watch!", Rocket says, aiming his weapon directly at the escaping pod.

"No, Rocket!", Quill says, lowering his firearm with one hand. "Let her go!"

"What?! We're just going to let her escape her due punishment?! Are you mad?! I thought you wanted to send her ass straight to Hell like the rest of us do!"

"Nothing I'd like better, Rocket! But we have a bigger problem right now!"

Quill released Rocket & pointed towards the giant silver sphere which was now pulsing with electric voltage all over. Thankfully, Rocket didn't resume his eagerness to blow her away in her own pod, which was now too far away.

"He's right, Mr. Rocket!", said a townsman. "That giant sphere the Brood Queen disrupted with the body of that patrolman contains a special crystal which we use to help power our homes & devices with!"

"Can't you people fix it?", Gamora asked.

The people shook their heads.

"This crystal we use is highly unstable if misused or disrupted in any way!", a patrolwoman said. "In its current condition, it will explode with a magnitude of 15 kilotons & take out the entire town in a single blast! We can neither slow it down nor stop it reaching critical mass before it detonates!"

It was like a punch in the gut to the Guardians: these people were using a highly volatile crystal to power their homes & appliances, giving them lights to see & possibly even heat to keep warm during cool/cold times. It was like using nitroglycerin to fuel one's car, which would explode with a powerful blast once the engine starts running.

These people use an alien version of the Little Boy to power their homes with?!, Peter thought, referring to the atomic bomb that was dropped upon Hiroshima in August of 1945.

What Peter feared even more, of course, is the explosion that was to follow: a Hiroshima detonating on a peaceful town, killing every living soul within the blast radius, & possibly in the larger city that wasn't too far away from it.

"What can we do, Quill?", Gamora asks. "That thing looks like it going to go off any second, & there's no time to get everybody evacuated before that happens!"

Peter had to admit that he didn't know what to do: as Gamora stated, evacuation was out of the question, & they didn't have the equipment to simply banish it to somewhere before the inevitable happens. It was a kick in the ass for the Guardians: they busted their rear ends to help save the people on Tranquil from the Brood Queen & her brethren, only to face certain doom from a device that was no more than an interstellar atomic bomb.

"Man, is this ever gonna suck!", Rocket said, half-joking.

If only Groot were here, Peter thought.

The ground started to rumble in intervals that was becoming louder & more frequent with each passing second.

"Look there!", said a townswoman, pointing towards the forest.

The Guardians & everyone else turned to where she pointed, & they were met with an incredible sight – one they were too happy to see.

"Groot!", Quill, Rocket, Drax & Gamora said happily.

And what else was incredible to them was the fact that not only was Groot healed up from his wound & all, he stood an impressive 50 feet tall, his left hand holding a large ball of branches that dangled on a line.

Placing the large ball down gently on the ground, it began breaking up & retracting into Groot's hand, revealing all the townspeople the Brood Queen & her brethren kidnapped. Each one was safely returned to their homes.

But their joy was short-lived: instantly they see the sparking silver ball that held their main power source, which was going critical. They knew it was going to explode with a most powerful blast, turning their safe homecoming into a certain death trap. It was a total kick in the ass: these people escaped the Brood's inhuman torture, only to be destroyed & wiped out by a device they made themselves to give their town power & life.

Unless something is done, it will be all gone in an instant, leaving nothing but a smoking lifeless crater.

Groot needed an explanation in record time, as he was clueless on the situation.

Quill gives it to him in record time.

"Groot, listen!", he shouts up to him, pointing to the sparkling silver orb. "That big metal silver sphere over there helps to give these people power & such for their homes, but the Brood Queen had damaged it before making good her escape! If we don't get rid of it right now, this whole entire town – and possibly the big city near it – will be vaporized in seconds! You're the only one here among us who can help prevent that!"

Groot absorbed the information like a sponge does with water.

Looking down at his companions & the townspeople, the giant humanoid tree smiles & nods.

"I am Groot", he said, patting his chest in a gesture that says 'leave it to me'.

Heading over to the sparkling sphere in giant strides, Groot stopped & extended his right hand as his palm began sprouting a single thick vine branch that soon expands at the end & begins engulfing the badly malfunctioning sphere which threatens to go all nuclear on the frightened town. While the loose electric sparks struck Groot, to him they didn't do anything more than give him a slight tickle.

With his prize in tow, Groot literally tore the sphere off its hinges & began swinging it over his head, ready to give it a good throw like one would do with a bola. Twirling it faster than the eye can see, it became a blur of movement like helicopter blades before Groot suddenly swung his arm up in a single motion, releasing his wooden line & sending his unstable package within airborne.

Like a wooden missile, Groot's tree ball went straight up into the sky & became higher & higher, acting like it was some kind of giant helium balloon that kept on rising. Thousands of feet up it went, heading into the evening clouds before reaching the outer atmosphere & beyond.

BOOM!

The sphere exploded right above the planet with a powerful blast that actually lit up the ground beneath it, acting like a second sun for several moments. Its flash was so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes from it until it had dissipated & the sky returned to normal.

Everybody breathed a collective sigh of relief, each one knowing full well that blast could've wiped out their beloved home along with themselves in a heartbeat.

On this night, however, they were all spared a terrible fate – one worse than anything the Brood could do to them.

It was all thanks to the Guardians of the Galaxy.

"Wah-hoo! You did it, Groot, you old sap!", Rocket shouted with glee as said humanoid tree started shrinking down to his usual 8-9 feet in height as Rocket leaped onto his left shoulder & they high-fived each other.

"I am Groot!", he said with a smile.

"You bet, old friend! You're the big hero on this trip!"

Joining in on the celebration, the townspeople began cheering for both the passing of the danger and to the ones who helped to liberate them from it.

Most of the Guardians soaked in the attention as the people began mingling with & thanking the heroes for saving them from a fate worse than death.

"Even though the Brood Queen managed to elude us, a great victory has been granted on this day!", Drax said as he shook the hands of many grateful townspeople.

More than a few even had their photos taken with Drax on various devices.

Gamora was no different: she received handshakes & pics from many herself, along with a few kisses on her hand from several men, giving her the royal highness treatment. It was something of a strange gesture to Gamora, but she was being treated with good graces among the people, & they were being quite gracious & mature about it.

It made her grin, being better treated than she'd ever been in her life or even deserved to.

On this mission, she's certainly earned it.

"You take your victories when they come, Drax", Gamora says. "Ain't that right, Peter?"

When Peter didn't answer, she & the others looked to see where he was.

"Quill?", Drax says, spotting said person over at a distance.

Peter didn't join in on the celebration: he was standing over the charred corpse of the patrolman the Brood Queen had taken hostage, killed & threw at the sphere to be fried. The rest of the Guardians & the townspeople gathered up at where Quill stood, staring at what remained of the fine, brave public servant.

It stopped & killed the celebration cold.

"We're sorry, Quill. We almost forgot about him", Rocket said compassionately.

"It's all right, Rocket. I haven't", Peter said.

Everyone bowed their heads & placed their hands over their hearts to honor/salute a fallen hero.

The moment of silence they gave to him seemed like it lasted forever.

CHAPTER II

At Tranquil's capital city, two days later:

In the hours & days that followed, the Guardians gave their assistance whose homes were damaged by the Brood's soldiers, repairing it as best they could. In the midst of the repair work, they also helped to bury what remained of the patrolman at the cemetery on the outskirts of the town where other departed souls were now resting. A funeral service was held that was all but emotional as everyone sent their final farewells to the brave man that took a stand against the big threat to their town.

His name was Sim.

On the day following their assistance to Tranquil, the Guardians were treated to a tour of the planet's capital city while being given a history by the locals of how their home world was originally a war-like sphere which had lasted for thousands of years before becoming the peaceful planet it has now become, hence its name of Tranquil.

The planet's history reminded Peter of World War II back on Earth, which was the singular most terrible war on the planet, ending on a dime once the atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima & Nagasaki – an act still being debated with stopping the war-like Japanese into the hospitable people they are today.

Now he understands as to why these people use such dangerous crystals to power their cities & such: they were weapons to be used in their wars, but after the first detonation which wiped out an entire enemy city, the war stopped & peace was ensued everywhere. The crystals were then used as energy sources rather than tools of destruction, making it a vital object to help their world run despite the danger they still possess.

For Peter, it was no different from Earthlings in using nuclear energy to power their own homes, towns & cities even though the danger of radiation was still present.

It was ironic, but life progresses that way.

Some of these alien worlds are not much different from Earth, when one thinks about it, Peter thought. We could learn a thing or two from them.

The thought of Earth going in the same direction as Tranquil was in terms of peace all around was a long shot.

But it was still a good thought to have.

Soon, they were all taken over to the large City Hall in the center of the main city, where the mayor was expecting them to arrive: a somewhat burly man with an equally large head devoid of hair, followed by arms & legs that were like tree trunks, with large beefy hands & feet attached. He was attired in his best dark purple suit, & a pin in the shape of a burning sun was placed over his heart.

He reminded Quill of Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin from New York City.

Only thing is, this giant is a man of benevolence, rather than the malevolence of NYC's top crime boss.

The man wasn't alone: with him were a man & woman of pure elegance, as they were attired in outfits literally fit for a king & queen, which shined by the lights up above.

It made sense because they are a king & queen – the King & Queen of all Tranquil.

Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Drax & Gamora all stand in the presence of these three high-ranking people, standing in a room that was as filled with grand elegance & décor as the clothing everyone wore within this room. The Guardians themselves were also dressed accordingly, looking like royalty rather than battle-hardened individuals they'd been known for. Seeing them now in their current attire, one might never think they were ruffians from underneath their posture. Even Rocket Raccoon looked like a gentleman in the suit made specifically for him, despite the fact that he'd never be caught dead wearing drivel like this.

But being in the presence of two planetary rulers, one must look the part; it's a sign of respect, something which Peter taught them long ago when they had first hooked up as a group.

With a beefy hand, the mayor addressed the Guardians forward as the quintet approached him & the two rulers, stopping nine feet.

"To the Guardians of the Galaxy", the mayor began. "Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora & Peter Quill aka Star-Lord…your timely arrival to our beloved Tranquil helped to avert a disaster that no doubt would've left wounds which would have taken us years to heal up, if ever. On two fronts, you've prevented both an alien invasion from the Brood Queen & her malevolent army, followed by saving an entire town from being literally wiped off the map – and by one of our own devices, no less. As mayor of our fair city, along with the townspeople whose homes you have rescued, and the King & Queen themselves, I thank you with all our hearts."

A thunderous round of applause filled the room, filling the Guardians of the Galaxy with pride.

The mayor held up a hand to silence the room before he went on.

"Therefore, for your bravery & most-appreciated assistance, our beloved King & Queen would like to present to you five heroes with one of our highest honors!"

Gesturing to said rulers, both King & Queen walk towards the five heroes as they each hold a blue pillow which had objects laying upon them. Stopping right before the quintet, the King & Queen presented to each member a golden medal of valor, commemorating their bold courage to fight off an invasion & turning one town into a lifeless crater in the ground. The King looped a medal around the heads & onto the necks of Star-Lord, Drax & Groot, while the Queen did the same to Rocket Raccoon (which she had to kneel down to offer) & Gamora.

Staring at Gamora made the daughter of Thanos a little uneasy, but she managed to straighten herself out.

"Thank you", Gamora says. "I know it's more than I deserve, being the daughter of Thanos & all – or rather, I used to be."

"Gamora", the Queen said, smiling & placing a gentle hand on her chin. "You can be the daughter of the Brood Queen, Annihilus or even Galactus, for all I care. While you've been trained by the Mad Titan during your childhood, you now use your gifts to help people instead of terrorizing them. I've always believed that one's past sins should never deter a person from doing the right thing, & I also believe that everybody should deserve a second chance. Remember that, as well as this: it isn't where you learned your skills or who trained you to use them – it's how you use your talents that matters most, as well as defines you."

The Queen's words seemed to have given Gamora a cleansing in her soul like no other, & she nodded her thanks.

"I will be sure to keep that in mind, my queen", she said, taking her hand & kissing it.

She bowed before her, with the Queen doing the same.

Like the rest of the team, Drax heard the Queen's words himself, receiving the same cleansing of his own soul as he gets his medal of valor from the King.

"Thank you, my king", Drax said with sincerity. "Like Gamora, I myself had a troubled past – one that will most likely haunt me for the rest of my days. But having fought with this team for quite some time now, I feel that my horrid past is nothing but a speck that can seldomly hurt, much less touch & poison me. It was an utmost honor to liberate your people from the vile clutches of the Brood Queen & her soldiers. Our one & only regret is that the alien creature had made good her escape, & we fear she might one day return to terrorize you again."

"You needn't worry about that, Drax", the King replied. "Although we are now a peace-loving race, it still doesn't mean that we are defenseless against intruders or would-be conquerors: our planet is equipped with state-of-the-art arms & weaponry which is more than capable of repelling an invasion. The Brood Queen's arrival was simply more crafty & cunning than we realized – that's why she was able to slip through our defenses as she did. But rest assured, we will be giving our systems an upgrade to ensure that a sneak attack by her or any other enemy will not occur again. Once we update our defenses, we'll be able to spot enemies from a mile away & deal with them accordingly."

"Well said, my king", Quill said. "It reminds me of something I myself learned while I was growing up on Earth: freedom & peace are the same thing, & in order to keep it, one has to fight for it when the need arises."

The King & Queen smiled & nodded at Peter's statement.

"Well said, Peter Quill", said the latter. "From what you've told us of Earth, it seems our worlds are not all that different."

"It does have its problems here & there, my queen, but it really is a beautiful planet with good people living upon it", explains Peter. "When next I head back there, I'll see about spreading your message of world peace to some good friends of mine – people who will listen & embrace your very way of life."

"That would mean a lot to us, Peter Quill", said the King. "And now, we'd like for you to meet some very special people who want to say hello to the five of you."

A gesture from the King had a woman & two young kids approach the Guardians as they gather around the trio.

"And who are these nice folks, your majesties?", Rocket asked.

"This is the family of Sim – the patrolman who was slain by the Brood Queen the other day", replied the Queen. "Here is his wife Leela, along with her two children."

Immediately the hearts of the Guardians felt like they were sinking in their chests.

Each hero was unsure of what to say, let alone who should speak first.

"Leela, kids, I don't even know where to begin", Rocket started to say.

"I do", Gamora says, taking a step forward. "Our hearts are heavy for your loss. Most of us here knows what it feels like to lose family: Quill lost his mother on Earth to Badoon warriors, while Drax & I lost everyone we loved to Thanos. We all wished we could've done more to save your husband & father Sim from the Brood Queen, even though he died fighting back with quite a fierce resistance."

Leela stepped forward with her kids until she was only inches from Gamora's face.

A tense moment seemed like an eternity before Leela spoke.

"You Guardians have nothing to apologize for, Gamora", she says. "Even though he was a simple patrolman in our town, he loved it something fierce & swore an oath to safeguard it from any & all threats. In fact, more often than not, he mentioned that he was inspired by you people after hearing about your many exploits & adventures, wishing he could be exactly like you people: bold, fierce in battle against enemies, & feeling great about helping the helpless."

Unlike before, the hearts of the Guardians soared like balloons upon hearing Leela's words about her husband's ambitions & inspiration: while some might view the Guardians of the Galaxy as outcasts/misfits & such, they discover Sim was emboldened by their heroic deeds, which was probably the reason as to why he became a patrolman in the first place…or strengthen his desire of being one for so long.

Renewed vigor & vitality engulfed Quill, Gamora & the rest.

"Sim definitely was a brave man, Leela", Drax says. "Even though he perished, he did so with dignity & bravery as any patrolman on duty would do. His boldness to the very end will always be remembered – especially by us."

Leela & her kids smiled at Drax's words of encouragement, & nodded.

In appreciation, Leela & her kids went to Drax & gave him a big group hug. The Destroyer returned the gesture.

The Queen spoke again as Drax released his huggers.

"Guardians, as our honored guests here in the city, we would be humbled if you were to spend the night at one of our finest hotels, all expenses paid courtesy of the mayor, my husband & me."

Her offer was too good to turn down, so Quill spoke for the team.

"That's quite generous, your majesty", he says. "Before heading back to Knowhere, we really could use a good meal, a shower and a place to rest for a night. Therefore…we gladly accept!"

Gamora, Drax, Groot & Rocket all agreed by nodding their heads.

"Splendid!", said the mayor. "Let's get you Guardians to your rooms before you join us all for our little victory celebration this evening!"

"Will there be booze?", Rocket asked enthusiastically, his eyes & mouth smiling wide with excitement.

"All you can drink!"

Rocket's eyes & mouth widened, as did Drax's before they faced each other with huge grins.

"LET'S PARTYYYYYYYY!", Drax & Rocket Raccoon shouted, raising a fist in the air.

"I AM GROOOOOOOOT!", the humanoid tree said, doing the same.

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted in the room as everyone else was just as enthused/excited about the victory celebration as the three Guardians were. Just about everyone was all set & ready to party like there's no tomorrow.

Peter Quill & Gamora, on the other hand…not so much.

"Better stock up on the aspirin, Quill", Gamora says.

"Yep. Those three will certainly be needing it afterwards", Peter said.

For Peter & Gamora, it was going to be a very long night.

Elsewhere in space:

On its journey home after receiving its load of essential cargo to take home, this huge transport ship soars through space like a blue whale swims through the Earth's oceans: slowly but gracefully, unconcerned with the smaller things which surround its immediate area. Inside the ship are its passengers/crew of humanoid figures with feathered crests on each of their heads, resembling something like hair: some are in the style of a triangle, while others are bushy on both sides & flat upon the top. Every crew member also wears metallic body armor which shined from the overhead lights, varying in styles & colors. Weapons from staffs to blasters were placed along their belt buckles & backs, ready to be snatched, aimed & prepared to shoot/use at a moment's notice.

Checking over every detail/area of the ship & its precious cargo, this behemoth travels through space without a hitch.

This was no ordinary ship, & its crew were anything but: like their vessel, these people were a part of the Shi'ar Empire, a race of avionic beings that have evolved & thrived for millions of years & control an extremely large part of the known galaxy, its empire consisting of many different species & worlds.

It is an iron grip they still hold to this day.

The commander on the ship – a man in blue armor named Sapphire – kept a close watch on his crew & the view out in space along with his second-in-command, a woman in green armor named Emerald. With eyes like hawks, not a thing escapes their sights as they ensure nothing but a safe flight home to their home world.

Exactly what their supreme ruler Kallark, aka Gladiator, expects of them.

For most of the flight, problems of any kind were non-existent, & it was Sapphire & Emerald's job to keep it that way.

All remained quiet & uneventful until the Sergeant spoke.

"Just another 24 hours or so, & we'll be back home again with our cargo", he said, facing the commander. "Looks like we've all been worried for nothing on this trip, sir."

"I certainly hope so, Sergeant", Sapphire said in a no-nonsense tone, turning to him. "But let's not celebrate or allow our guard to be dropped just yet: in the amount of time you described, anything can still happen out here, & with what we have on board, we can nay afford to get sloppy. Until we dock, Emerald & I want everybody on high vigilant alert. Is that understood?"

A chorus of 'yes sir' erupted within the bridge of the cargo ship.

Satisfied with the crew's immediate discipline, Sapphire turned back to the view of empty space in front of him.

Until Emerald grabbed his attention.

"Sapphire, a moment?", she asked.

"What is it, Emerald?", he asked back.

"In private. Please, sir."

After a moment or two, he nodded & began exiting the bridge with Emerald in tow.

"Take charge for a moment, Sergeant. Emerald & I will be right back", he said.

"Leave it to me, sir", the Sergeant replied as both commanders left the room.

Once they exit the bridge & walk a few feet away from it, both commanders turn to face each other.

"All right, Emerald, we're out of earshot from everyone else", Sapphire says. "Now…what's so important that it had to be confidential from the rest of the crew?"

"Only this", Emerald began. "For the past several weeks now, large thefts have been occurring all over space, as you might have read or heard about, correct?"

Sapphire nodded before Emerald went on.

"With the way these thefts are being committed, it got me to thinking: are we prepared enough to deal with this mystery thief if he should suddenly decide to attack our ship, whoever he is?"

"Are you saying we should just abandon our cargo just to save ourselves in case he does?", Sapphire asked. "You know we can't do that, Emerald – the Gladiator will have our hides if we cut & run."

"I'm not saying that, & you know it! All that I am saying is that we should be having an armed escort guarding our ship, especially since it contains cargo that is most vital to our people. If we lose our precious cargo to this mystery thief, the Gladiator will tan our hides for sure."

"You needn't worry, Emerald: even though this is a cargo ship, it's also equipped with heavy armament to repel any foolish would-be thieves that so much as thinks about stealing what we've got. With our weapons systems aboard, not even Galactus would be so stupid as to try & attack us. I assure you, we're well protected & as safe as can be."

"Not that I doubt the protection that we do have, Sapphire, but we shouldn't get too overconfident. Remember what you told the Sergeant: until we're safely back home, we must remain vigilant for anything out here. We must also not get too cocky either."

Emerald made a sound argument, & Sapphire knew it. He has read the reports of large thefts occurring in various areas of space: shipments of coal & even diamonds were literally hauled off into the skies on many worlds, leaving no clue or trace of the thief before he/she/it disappeared with hardly a trace. The only clue (or even warning) of the thief's approach is a sound like that of noises nobody could think of that very few survivors have heard right before dying.

Nobody – from the Nova Corps to the Shi'ar Empire itself – could determine its source.

It made Sapphire uneasy, & it rattled him – and he is a tough guy to rattle.

"Perhaps you're right on that, Emerald", he told her. "Does anyone else know about these mystery thefts aside from us?"

"Only the Gladiator & a few elected top officials", she replied. "Gladiator wants a complete news blackout until we do discover who – or what – is causing them, so as to avoid stirring a panic."

"That's precisely what we would do ourselves. Keep enforcing the news blackout on these thefts until we know more. And while it might seem unlikely, let's get that armed escort you mentioned for this ship."

"Shall I call in for reserves from home?"

"Contact the Nova Corps instead. I'd prefer not to deplete our own warriors in case the Gladiator should need an armed escort of his own for any reason…"

As Sapphire was talking, the emergency lights & klaxons started blaring, putting them & everyone else on high alert. Like a pair of scared rabbits, the two commanders darted back to the bridge as crew members were working upon getting readings.

"Talk to me, Sergeant! What's going on?!", Sapphire demanded.

"Sir, we have an unidentified object heading towards us at a tremendous speed!", he replied. "From its current course, we can highly speculate that it intends to attack or even ram right into us!"

"Do we have a visual on it?", Emerald says.

"Equipment is going haywire on us, but we're getting something on the monitors!", said one crew member.

"Put it up on the big screen!", Sapphire said. "I want to see who's foolish enough to try & sneak up on us!"

Several buttons were pushed & turned as the large monitor came down & switched on for all in the bridge to see.

What they were staring at was something they couldn't believe: it was a glowing orb-shaped object that gave off a blue-green/teal luminescence that almost acted like a moving sun. Nobody could take their eyes off it, despite all the brightness it was giving off.

"Oh my stars!", Emerald says in a whisper.

"What is this thing's size?", Sapphire asked without looking away.

"To be honest, sir, it's impossible for the computers to measure!", said a crewman. "But one thing we can be sure of – it's huge!"

Another crewmember was listening in on his headphones.

"I'm getting something else, sir…a noise of some kind, or a mixture of them!"

"Raise the volume so we can all hear it!", Emerald said.

"Yes ma'am!"

Turning the volume knob close to maximum, the bridge was filled with a cacophony of sounds: that of electrical voltage, water boiling, crickets chirping, & one that disturbed them all.

A sound that resembles a beating heart.

For the crewmembers, it was as unknown & eerie as anything they've heard before.

But for Sapphire & Emerald, it sent a freezing chill up their spines: having read about the reports of the numerous thefts happening, this very sound was the very same one committed by the thief in each & every location it has struck.

The thief isn't a 'he' or a 'she'…it's an 'IT'!, Emerald thought grimly.

We've just found our mystery thief!, Sapphire thought, coming to the same conclusion.

"Commanders…your orders?", asked a crewwoman.

Turning to the crew, he gave them.

"Direct all fire on that thing…NOW!", he barked, pointing to the image on screen.

Everyone wasted no time preparing for attack: from the ship's side, multiple cannons extended from within the bulk & aimed directly at the oncoming glowing sphere. Once they were dead-set, the cannons went blazing with high-powered energy that struck the glowing object, hitting it with sledgehammer force.

But as powerful as this attack is, the glowing object in space still kept coming even after taking all this extreme & harsh punishment that would've blown away a Skrull ship & everybody within it.

"My stars, it's not stopping!", said a crewman on the verge of panic.

"Keep firing!", Emerald ordered, turning to face the crew. "No matter what happens, that thing does not reach our ship, much less get close to it! Increase the power in all our cannons!"

"If we do that, they might overheat & explode, taking us with it!"

"DO IT!", Emerald & Sapphire shouted together in a tone that bore no argument.

Without hesitation, several crewmen did as instructed.

The power of the ship's cannons rose to dangerous, & possibly even lethal levels as the blasts from each were now increased tenfold, striking the glowing object with the ferocity of a mini sun. But even that wasn't merely enough: not only was the thing getting closer to the Shi'ar transport craft, it extended a long & large tentacle that lashed out at it with speeds that belies its tremendous size. The sudden hit the ship took had shaken it violently, throwing both of the commanders & their crew around the bridge as more than a few were even knocked out of their seats. Blaring klaxons sounded everywhere from bow to stern, putting all hands on deck & alert.

Explosions from the destroyed cannons caused numerous hull breaches, & groups of Shi'ar soldiers/crewmen got sucked out into the cold vacuum without any protection, killed by explosive decompression.

"Damage report, now!", Sapphire barked.

"All cannons have been wiped out by the enemy, sir!", a crewman announced. "Several hull breeches detected! If this keeps up, we'll be obliterated on the spot!"

It was all they needed to do the honorable thing.

"Activate warp drive!", Emerald ordered. "Get us out of here…now!"

"Warp drive is also damaged!", a crewman announced. "All we have are conventional thrusters!"

"Then use them! Must I do all your thinking for you?!"

Quickly, the crewman went to the console & pressed the button to engage the powerful thrusters at the rear. The engines roared to life as engines worked overtime to push the hulking spacecraft through the airless vacuum to escape the interstellar horror that has befallen them.

But while they were making progress in moving along quickly, the deadly glowing organism would not be eluded so easily: a second long & large tentacle swished forth from the main body & began wrapping itself around the vessel, with its accompanying tentacle joining in the foray. Its hold on the ship jerked it to a halt, jarring its inhabitants inside.

Hollers of panic were now occupying the interior of the ship, as alarms went off constantly & won't stop.

Emerald ordered someone to contact the Nova Corps or even the Shi'ar home world of Chandilar.

The radio operator cried out that all communications were out, no doubt caused by the explosions the creature had made happen when it took out the cannons.

No calls could come in or out of the Shi'ar vessel.

We're crippled!, Emerald thought dreadfully. We can't call for any help or move!

She dared to take a peek at the large monitor that still showed the glowing creature, & her eyes widened.

"By the stars!", she whispered fearfully.

Outside, the creature was shifting into another form right before their eyes before unleashing even more tentacles.

They wrapped themselves around the Shi'ar vessel in a tight grip.

Then they began to squeeze the vessel.

Hours later, at another region in space:

The Barracuda was a proud ship, especially to its crew of ruthless pirates who built it: heavily armored with the finest steels they could conjure up (some by using currency, other times simply by stealing it), enabling it to withstand most attacks from enemy ships, state-of-the-art radar to detect any & all incoming ships before they get too close, & it wasn't lacking in armaments either. Weapons ranging from powerful laser cannons to electric bolts were set up around this hulking space tank, most hidden from view until they happen to run into trouble.

For many months, this metal monstrosity was feared in many systems, especially when it went against the local authorities patrolling the galaxies. In one such scuffle, the Barracuda faced a plethora of law enforcers & attacked with the ferocity of a wounded animal, leaving many patrolmen dead & floating in space along with what remained of their crafts.

Since then, hardly anyone got in their way, & it seemed that even the Nova Corps were powerless to stop such a marauding vessel & its equally malevolent crew.

Wherever this monster went, it was simple: move aside/surrender or die.

Inside the Barracuda, the pirate leader named Rocksteady was living it up with the rest of his belligerent crew as each one – comprised from multiple different races/species – were drinking, eating & living it up like they always do when they're not on a job, or they've just completed a big one that resulted in thousands/millions of currency they have stolen to add to their growing stash of loot. Rocksteady was a giant of a figure, standing at a good 7 feet & 2 inches, his dark gray flesh harder & denser than most living beings & looked like reptile scales upon closer inspection. A mouth filled with sharp teeth & lizard-like eyes gave him an eerie presence, & his fingers/toes ended in sharp claws. His head was completely bald, & he was attired only in blue pants.

Like Thanos & Galactus, his name was feared by everyone who heard it from friends & enemies alike.

Taking a giant swig of his equally giant mug of the best brew he & his party have ever tasted, Rocksteady then let out a belch that was heard from every ear in the room, getting cheers from all.

Grinning from ear to ear, he then held up a hand to silence the group, which they did in seconds: whoever was in Rocksteady's gang of space pirates, you do exactly what you were told by the big boss man.

If he tells you to jump, you ask 'how high?'.

And you do it with no argument, lest you suffer the consequences for disobedience.

Once he got everyone's attention, Rocksteady addressed his fellow cutthroats.

"My fellow pirates!", he bellowed. "Ever since we've successfully gathered this largest group of the meanest, nastiest bunch of scum from every corner of the galaxy & created this prized tub the Barracuda, we have gone on many ventures, pillaging & robbing unexpecting planets & other floating vessels that were unlucky enough to have crossed our path! And from each of these raids, we've pulled in a score the likes of which this galaxy has never seen before!"

A round of boisterous applause & cheers/howls erupted, hearing upon their great successes in the past.

Rocksteady held up his hand again for silence & got it before he continued.

"For months, we've struck fast & hard at every place that has branded us outcasts from planets that many of us have once called home, exiled due to our criminal records no matter how large or small our rap sheets might have been! In retaliation, we've struck back with a vengeance, hitting our one-time humble abodes, stealing from everybody that has wronged us for everything they've got before sending them all off to their graves, & putting down any & all kinds of resistance & law officials that tried to stop us! And for all these successful raids, I hereby thank each & every one of you…not only for putting your complete & utter faith & trust in me to take you to new heights you've only dreamt of, but for making this the largest pirate group in all the galaxy! Because of your undying loyalty to me and to your fellow pirates, we are virtually unstoppable!"

Another boisterous cheer exploded inside the ship that was truly deafening.

The hefty & heavily muscled pirate captain allowed his people to enjoy their celebration a couple moments longer before he silenced them with a wave of his hand.

"But despite our successes in these raids the last few months, we've still got a score that needs to be settled before we can really celebrate! Like myself, I know that many of you have suffered greatly at the hands of the dreaded Shi'ar Empire, am I right?"

The mere mentioning of that particular empire caused the pirates to boo & hiss their contempt, raising their fists in pure hatred, wishing them here right now so they could beat them into submission.

Once Rocksteady quieted the group back down, he continued.

"Believe me when I say that I fully understand your frustration & pain! I too had a few run-ins with those bird-brained barbarians before we all found each other, having lost my own livelihood to them, especially at the hands of their ruler – the Gladiator! Now more than ever, I yearn for revenge against him and his people as much as any of you do, & now that we've found each other on equal grounds & motives, along with being armed with weaponry that will make even Gladiator himself crumble to his knees, we will plan a siege upon those savages unheard of in all the galaxy!"

The crowd erupted in a chorus of cheer & chanting, shouting cries of 'death to the Shi'ar!', 'let's put an end to all those savages!', 'they think they're so tough? No!', 'down with Gladiator!', & so forth.

It was a cacophony of beautiful music to Rocksteady's ears, & he grinned widely.

Raising his arm, the room grew quiet once more as Rocksteady gave finishing statements.

"For too long, the Shi'ar Empire thought itself as Masters of the Galaxy, bending it to their will & thinking they're gods! No more! Soon, we will show them that they are as vulnerable as those they bully around like they own us! They couldn't be more wrong, & we will be the ones to teach them that! Let's see how they like being the lesser beings once we're done with them! Answer me this, my pirates: are you ready to strike your enemies, the Shi'ar Empire down with extreme prejudice?"

"YES!", the crowd shouted.

"Can we be defeated by savages like them?"

"NO!"

"Will we be defeated by these dictator wannabes?"

"NO!"

"Damn straight we won't…because we are space pirates! What are we, people?"

"SPACE PIRATES!"

The crowd cheered as Rocksteady smiled widely again, proud of the riot he's caused in his merry band of outlaws, crossing his beefy arms & enjoying the scenario he created.

An alarm sounded across the ship, causing everyone to be on alert: whenever that sound blares, the pirates knew that trouble was nearby.

"Ready yourselves to arms, my pirates!", Rocksteady says, unfolding his arms. "Looks like we got ourselves a bit of a warm-up before heading over to the main event!"

Immediately the pirates do as Rocksteady ordered as the main pirate exits the room & heads for the bridge. Inside, a humanoid lizard with lime-green scales worked the controls, along with several other crewmembers of many different species. The sight of their muscular captain always gave them a chill up their spines, but they worked overtime not to show any fear in his presence, as it wouldn't be tolerated. Ever.

"Hein!", Rocksteady addressed the lizard-man. "You've come across something, I hope?"

"'Something' being the operative term, Captain!", Hein said. "A few moments ago, we picked up a foreign object of unknown origin on our radar, thinking it was a ship of some kind."

"Did you try contacting them by radio?"

"That's the first thing we did, Captain. But after repeated attempts, we never received a single answer. So, doing a further & deeper scan on this object, we were confirmed with several things: one, this is not a ship. Two, this thing is a living organism, & it's huge!. And three? It's heading directly for us! That's why we sounded the alarm!"

Rocksteady was amazed by this discovery: a giant living creature heading right towards them, probably lost its way & stumbled into their territory either by accident or intentional.

For Rocksteady, it hardly mattered.

"Do you have a visual on this organism, Hein?", he asked. "I'd like to know what it is we'll be dealing with, since it's making its way to us."

"We sent out a little spy-cam exactly for that purpose, Captain", Hein replied. "We should have a visual right about…now."

Hein flicked a switch, turning on the big monitor for all to see. It started out as fuzz, but seconds later, it displayed a clear & unobstructed image of…something floating out in space: a gigantic organism in a glowing teal hue & shaped in the form of a squid or even a jellyfish, having a pair of long tentacles on its upper part like arms & a pair of antennae with mini balls at the top of what passes for its head. A lower abdomen sprouted five additional tentacles that waved in space & swam like it was moving through water instead of the cold merciless vacuum.

Raising the volume, sounds of water boiling can be heard, along with what is thought to be electricity discharges, crickets chirping & a heart palpitating.

This massive squid-jellyfish creature moved towards the spy-cam Hein sent out, & as it got closer, the creature swatted it with a tentacle with blinding speed, destroying it on a dime.

All that remained on the monitor was electrical black & white snow.

Some creature!, Rocksteady thought.

"How soon will this thing reach us, Hein?", he asked.

"At its current velocity, Captain, that thing – whatever it is – will get here in just mere minutes!", he explains.

"What are we to do, Captain?", asked a humanoid insect.

Rocksteady chuckled & turned to his pilots/engineers with a grin on his face.

"Why, we'll be doing a little hunting, of course!", he says, turning back to Hein. "Give me that microphone!"

Hein did as told, & Rocksteady adjusted the controls to make his announcement everywhere within the ship.

"Attention, my pirates! This is your Captain speaking! I know that all of you are anxious to hit the Shi'ar Empire & make them suffer, but we'll be slightly delaying our planned attack on our hated enemies! The reason for this change of plans is due to the fact that we have a tremendous space creature heading our way even as I address you all! It will be within our range of fire within minutes, so all batteries ready the defenses & be prepared to fire on my command!"

He took a pause before finishing.

"Hope you pirates have very big appetites: before we crush the Shi'ar, we'll be dining on calamari this day!"

The pirates cheered even as they get ready their weapons systems to first go after a tremendous squid-like monster in space as said creature continued on its course straight for the Barracuda, its speed unchanged. Numerous cannons & other firearms extend from the ship's hull on one side where the monster approaches from, each one with a lock-on.

Many tense minutes passed as each pirate manning the outer guns/armaments wait anxiously but patiently for the captain to give the order for attack. Even within the vessel, the sounds from the creature could be heard by the pirates, each one wondering what this monster is, not to mention its size. It was a cacophony of sounds they've never heard of previously, & it made more than a few a little nervous about the coming battle against this approaching enemy.

But their fear of Rocksteady overrode their fears of this giant space monster, & they stay strong.

On the plus side, should they defeat this cosmic beast, then they'll have no problem defeating the Shi'ar Empire.

That alone gave them enough confidence to press forward.

Suddenly, the captain gave the order to attack.

All hell broke loose inside & outside the Barracuda.

The giant space monster advanced forward despite receiving a multitude of punishment.

It lashed out with its tentacles.

CHAPTER III

The next day in the Guardians' ship:

The party that occurred in the hotel the Guardians were staying at on Tranquil went on until the wee hours of the morning, leaving many patrons out of it as they slept like the dead in their rooms. It was no different for Rocket Raccoon & Drax: they partied hardest of all, not sparing the booze as they drank it up like camels do with water & becoming so wasted that they had to be literally carried up to their rooms to sleep it off, which was no easy task even for Gamora & Groot, who both knew better than to get themselves stupid drunk. Even Peter Quill laid off on having too much, for he was basically the designated flyer if Rocket was too out of it to take the controls.

Fortunately, Quill did stock up on aspirin tablets to help with the monstrous hangovers Drax & Rocket collected in the morning. They had to be fed their tablets by sneaking it into their breakfast, which they ate without noticing.

Another miracle for curing their hangovers was the fresh Maxwell House coffee Peter Quill keeps in their ship for just such an emergency. Drax & Rocket chugged it all down, & like magic, they sobered up almost instantly.

Before departing the planet, the Guardians of the Galaxy were rewarded by the mayor of the city and the King & Queen of Tranquil for their services of saving their home from what could have been an all-out invasion in thousands of credits. That bit of news really sobered up Rocket & Drax more than the aspirin & coffee ever could, & they'd both expressed their gratitude to the rulers in true gentlemanly fashion.

Quill, Gamora & even Groot couldn't believe how fast those two regained their composure, but they did it without further embarrassment, so they couldn't complain: they were just as excited about the credits as their companions are.

After a fond farewell, the Guardians took off in their ship & headed off into space, leaving the planet behind.

Peter took the controls as Gamora sat in the passenger seat, with Groot standing behind them.

Neither Drax nor Rocket Raccoon were present.

"I have to admit, Peter…this was our best payoff yet", Gamora said. "Not only did we stop what could've been a horror show of an invasion, but we received one of our biggest scores ever. And not a moment too soon: we've got a couple debts to pay off with those credits, & those awaiting for their payment are getting very impatient. If we don't give them their money ASAP & all…"

She turned to Peter, who was staring straight ahead at the wheel, his demeanor looking like his mind was about a million miles away.

"Peter? Are you okay?", she asked.

"Yeah, I'm good, Gamora", Quill replied. "Sorry…I had a lot on my mind lately, & I was paying attention before, in case you were wondering. You're right: with these credits we've collected, we can start paying off debts before we get too deep in them. Hopefully, Cosmo will already have another task for us once we get back to Knowhere."

"I take it that's not the only thing weighing heavy on your mind right now…is it?"

Peter couldn't deny it, so he doesn't bother to conceal how he's really feeling.

"I just keep thinking about poor Sim back there", he confesses. "I feel bad for not being able to save him from that bitch of an alien queen, but I feel even worse for Leela & her kids, who no longer have a husband or father in their lives. I just wish we could've done more for him, that's all."

"I am Groot", the humanoid tree said tenderly, placing a hand upon Quill's shoulder.

"Maybe so, Groot, but there's nothing worse than when kids lose either or even both of their parents at so young an age. Nobody knows that better than Gamora & myself."

"Let us not forget, Peter, that parents losing their kids is also a tragedy which crushes the heart & soul of a person more than anything else", Gamora reminds him. "Drax knows that better than anyone else we know of. All I'm saying is…had we not stopped the Brood Queen & her soldiers from spreading out on Tranquil, everyone would've ended up like poor Sim did. Yes, his death was tragic & even I mourn him, but putting a stop to the Brood Queen's invasion plot is the best way to honor him. Both Sim and his family – along with the rest of Tranquil – would tell you the same thing. Won't you do that for him?"

Like before, Gamora spoke true, & Quill knew it: despite sharing a similar tragedy with him & Gamora, Peter had to confess that stopping the Brood Queen is the best thing for Sim, which they had done. On the other hand, every being that joins a law enforcement firm is aware of the dangers & risks that comes with the job, each one knowing that certain death could come at them anytime & anywhere.

What the Guardians of the Galaxy does is no different: they've been on many adventures as a group, & each time they face death in the face, never knowing if they'll perish or live to be on another adventure.

Quill had to believe that, for the sake of Sim & everyone else who perishes whenever they're on a job.

To do otherwise would tarnish/diminish their memory, something Peter had no intention of doing.

I wonder how the Avengers put up with it…dealing with the burden of those they're unable to save, Peter thought.

Taking in a deep breath, Quill let it out in a sigh.

"I'll…I'll try", he says as Gamora & Groot smile.

"It's a start", she says.

"I am Groot", he says, patting him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, big guy", Peter says with a smile.

His smile got wiped off his face when the ship was suddenly bombarded with a pair of blasts, violently rocking it before Quill managed to get it steady.

"Everyone okay?", he asked as Gamora & Groot nodded.

Again the ship was rocked by blasts as Quill put up the defense shields which managed to deflect the attacks but still shook the vessel.

"Who the hell is shooting at us?", Gamora wondered aloud.

"Let's do our best to survive first, Gamora! Then we can find out who the jackass is!", Peter says, putting the ship into defensive maneuvers even as blasts from a single ship continue to light up their area of space.

Literally shaken up by the unexpected dives, twists & turns, Drax & Rocket emerge from their rooms, interrupting the Destroyer's meditation & the latter's work on upgrading his favorite toy.

"And Quill calls us drunken bastards!", Drax says, heading for the cockpit while keeping his balance.

"He's got some nerve!", Rocket added, joining him. "Hey Pete…have you started drinking at the wheel?!"

"You wish I was, Rocket!", Quill says, doing another maneuver to dodge another barrage. "You & Drax strap in – we've got some unexpected company!"

"What kind of company, Quill?", asked Drax as he & Rocket did as instructed.

"Yeah, Quill…who'd you get pissed off at us this time? Mother Theresa?", Rocket asked.

"First off, Mother Theresa's been dead for years now back on Earth!", Quill explains as he dodged more blasts even though the ship took a few hits. "Second…how the fuck did you even know about her?!"

"I, uh…rummaged through your things on your computer."

This took Peter by surprise.

"You did what?!", he says, stunned & pissed.

"It was interesting stuff…I couldn't help it!", Rocket said in his defense.

"You hate Earth, Rocket! Why would you ever want to find out more about it if you hate…"

"I managed to check out your computer for more on your home planet as well, Quill. Sorry", Gamora adds.

"Gamora…you too?!"

"Same here. Guilty as charged", Drax says, raising his hand.

"I am Groot", the tree man said, raising his own hand.

Quill took a quick but frantic look at his teammates with a face of shock. Each member had a look of guilt upon their own faces, feeling ashamed of peering into the confidential things of their (mostly) leader.

"Guys, we are going to have a serious talk about respecting other people's property!", Quill says as he faced the cockpit & dodged another round of firepower from the still-unknown intruder. "But first…I'm done playing games with this asshole!"

A voice suddenly came on over the loud speaker.

"That's funny, Quill…I had that very same though running through my head!"

It was a powerful deep voice that had a smidge of a Russian accent attached to it.

Peter's face froze up, looking as if he'd just seen a ghost.

"Peter?", Gamora called to him, noticing the facial expression he held.

"No, it can't be!", Peter said just above a whisper.

It still didn't stop the intruder from hearing & answering him back.

"Oh, but it is, you little flesh-bag!"

Just right outside, the enemy ship zipped past the Guardians' own & forced it to stop. It was roughly the same size as theirs, but with smaller wings & a larger cockpit window that was tinted like those on a limousine – they can be looked out from the inside, but nobody could look inside.

Peter Quill knew of only one individual who had a ship like this one facing him.

A figure he prayed he'd never run into again.

The monitor in the Guardians' cockpit came to life, showing a pair of figures that made Peter feel as immobile as a stone statue while bringing back a flood of memories to him, most of which were eerie & unpleasant. The first one was a huge humanoid grizzly bear, wearing a dark gray outfit & having thick eyebrows over his predatory eyes. Teeth as sharp as knives occupied his maw, & black claws that can extend twice the length of his fingers stuck out which can cut through almost anything. His companion was a humanoid Allosaurus, sporting miniature octopus tentacles hanging down from underneath his chin & atop his head that wiggled with each movement. Like the bear, this dinosaur warrior had sharp teeth in his mouth & claws on his fingers & toes, with his flesh being in a lavender hue.

Even though they were sitting down, the humanoid bear stood a good 7 feet & 5 inches tall, while the humanoid dinosaur stood about the size of an average man – six feet tall.

The humanoid bear reminded Peter Quill of the Disney character Gryzlikoff, from the 1991 cartoon 'Darkwing Duck' that he used to watch as a kid.

"Hello there, Peter Quill!", said the angry bear. "Long time no see!"

"Well well well…if it isn't Lenny & Squiggy, as I live & breathe!", Quill says with sarcasm, referring to the two male characters in the 1970s sitcom 'Laverne & Shirley'.

"That's Slasher & Squiggy to you, Quill!", the humanoid dinosaur said, rising from his seat & staring harshly at him. "The least that you can do is get our names right!"

Slasher – the bear – placed a hand on Squiggy's shoulder & shoved him back into his seat.

"Peter…who are these two ruffians?", Gamora asked.

"Yes, Quill…do tell your friends about us!", Slasher says. "I'm sure they'll want to know about what we shared once long ago!"

Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Drax & Groot were all staring at Peter Quill, demanding an answer.

Facing his team, Quill spills it for them.

"These two yahoos were once a part of Yondu's group of Ravagers when I was first venturing off into space", he explains. "Ever since the day I arrived into their troupe, they've always loathed & despised me – simply because I was more Yondu's favorite instead of them. More than once they tried getting rid of me in the most horrible way possible, but Yondu always put them in their place, saying I was off-limits to everyone."

"That's right!", Slasher says. "Whenever we got the chance, we would try disposing of you because you weren't one of us – but always that softie Yondu stood between us & tearing you to bite-sized pieces! He always picked your side rather than ours, despite the many years we've spent sweating blood for that blue-skinned idiot! Finally, he gave us a choice: either accept Peter Quill into the ranks of the Ravagers, or leave for good! Unable to take it any longer, Squiggy, myself & several others left the only home/family we've ever known!"

Squiggy then stepped in.

"But we all made a vow: no matter how long it would take us, we've all sworn to one day get even with you, Peter Quill! And lo & behold: after hearing about that job you pulled off at Tranquil, it gave us our perfect opportunity for revenge!"

"And revenge is what we will have – by blowing up you and your friends here in the very depths of space! How we will relish in seeing your lifeless bodies floating around in the vacuum!", Slasher says, curling his claws in delight.

"Oh really? You & what army, twinkle toes?", Rocket asked sarcastically.

In response to Rocket's question, several more ships – eleven in all – come out of hyperspace in the blink of an eye, adding up to a complete dozen. Gamora, Groot, Drax & Quill turn to Rocket with none-too-friendly stares, making him shrink a little.

"You just had to ask that, didn't you?", Drax says.

"Ah shit, me & my big mouth! My bad!", was all Rocket could say.

Chuckles from Slasher & Squiggy turned everyone's attention back to the sinister pair.

"You're going to wish you've never left the Earth, Quill!", Squiggy said with a laugh.

"You'll also wish we'd killed you back then!", Slasher adds. "So…you got any last words, 'Star-Lord'?"

Peter looked as if thinking about what his eulogy would be before replying.

"I take it that you two guys recall some of the customs from Earth I was happy with teaching all of you, right?", Quill asked.

"Yeah…so what about it?!", Squiggy asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that you remember this one!"

Quill gave both ruffians the middle finger from his right hand just before getting the ship moving in a dive in an attempt to make a break for it. His tactic worked, but only for a moment or two: while it surprised Slasher & his fleet, they immediately gave chase as each craft went in hot pursuit of the Guardians' vessel, firing a barrage of laser blasts at their escaping enemy. Quill used his star pilot skills to stay ahead of the laser volley that came at their ship, & though the shields were protecting them from the worst of harm, Peter knew it'd be only a matter of time before they caused a great deal that they would give out with a lucky shot or more.

Drax, Groot, Gamora & Rocket all hold on for the ride of their lives as this aerial dogfight got more violent with every passing moment. On the monitor, Slasher & Squiggy were laughing maniacally at the Guardians' predicament.

"Fly around all you want, Quill!", Squiggy says. "It won't save you from the inevitable!"

"And once we gather your frozen bodies from space, we'll be having a feast in your honor – with all of you as the main course!"

Another round of maniacal laughter erupted from the two ex-Ravagers, & Peter switched off the monitor so that he & his crew wouldn't have to see their hideous faces or listen to their irritating voices.

"I gotta tell ya, Quill…you make all sorts of good friends out here!", Rocket says.

"What can I say, Rocket…it's a gift that I have!", Peter says, making the ship go into a swerve before going into a loop to dodge several blasts. "I can't decide if it's a blessing or a curse!"

"I'm leaning towards a curse, but don't hold me on that!", Drax said.

"I am Groot!", the humanoid tree replied.

"Oh, come on, Groot! It's not like I wanted this shit to happen!", Peter said in his defense.

"Damn it, Quill, there's too many of them, & sooner or later they're going to get lucky & knock out our shields!", Gamora said. "We need to do something to help even the odds in our favor – and fast!"

"If you have any bright ideas, Gamora, let's hear them!"

"I've got a bright idea!", Rocket says, unbuckling his seat belt & making his way towards the rear of the ship.

"And where are you going, mister?", Drax says.

"Somebody's gotta give us some breathing room so we can get outta here! Guess who that's gonna be! Get ready to open up the rear when I tell you to, Quill!"

Gamora knew what Rocket was planning, & she unbuckled her own belt to join him.

"Gamora…", Quill started to say.

"Rocket's got the right idea, Quill!", she says, cutting him off. "We do need some breathing space, or we'll never have a chance for a speedy getaway before we're blown to bits! Therefore, it's them or us!"

Peter wanted to say more, but time was short: he doesn't know how much longer the shields will hold up for, & they need some kind of plan to help them escape this situation in one piece.

She stopped to face Quill with a sly smirk on her face.

"Besides, Peter…you're not the only one who can come up with such crazy ideas!"

Quill had to grin at that, because she was correct.

"Just don't get killed back there", he said as Gamora nodded & resumed her course to the rear with Rocket.

Once they were at the rear of the ship, Rocket was already armed with his favorite weapon: a rapid-firing power blaster while donning his specially-designed space suit, with Gamora getting into one herself before picking up a spare one that was similar to Rocket's but fires only single blasts, although each one packed a serious punch.

"I'm going to borrow this, if you don't mind", Gamora says, pointing to the weapon.

"Fine by me, toots", Rocket said. "But remember – you break it, you buy it, sweetheart!"

Gamora shared a grin with Rocket before she gets on the intercom.

"Peter, Rocket & I are at the rear end of the ship. Get ready to open up when I say."

"Just say 'when', Gamora", came Quill's reply over the intercom.

Placing their unbreakable clear oxygen masks over their heads & click them in place, air started flowing that will give them something to breathe when it was time.

"Okay, Quill…do it now!", Gamora replied.

Immediately, Peter pressed the button that opened the rear doors as the air from that little space in the stern have all been whooshed out, putting that little area in total vacuum. Luckily, Gamora & rocket were strapped securely to the rear on strong steel cables as they magnetize their boots before they begin firing at enemy craft.

"All right, you scum-sucking pussies! Let's show you some real firepower!", Rocket shouted as he blazed away with his weapon, emitting a battle cry.

With his precise aiming abilities, Rocket launched his own volley of lasers at the enemy ships that were spewing their own barrage. There were just one difference: the firepower from Slasher's fleet was off their marks, missing their intended targets by a mile. But as for Rocket, his shots were dead-on: a stray of fire from his weapon struck the cockpit of one ship, creating holes in it before it blew out from decompression & exploded in a fiery holocaust.

Those within the ship had only a second to scream before being blasted into oblivion.

Gamora wasn't too shabby either: even though she could only fire a single round from her gun, she didn't miss her targets any more than Rocket did, having struck a ship's fuel case in a single shot, causing it to detonate like a giant grenade, its blast shockwaves being felt even from where she & Rocket stood. Both Guardians had their feet firmly planted to the platform thanks to their magnetic boots & were able to fire accurately despite Quill's frantic flying to not receive too much damage, especially now that the shields were retracted.

A pair of shots actually reached inside the stern of the ship, scorching where they hit.

They also came very close to hitting Gamora & Rocket by a fraction of an inch.

"Whoa there, sweetheart! Those were just a little too close for comfort!", Rocket said.

"I agree, Rocket! Let's show these space pricks how much we appreciated those near-hits!", Gamora replied.

"Ha-ha, now you're talking!"

With the fierceness of wounded animals, Rocket raccoon & Gamora unloaded on enemy ships, scoring a direct hit on each, pulverizing their vessels & crew members to atoms in fiery blasts. Another of Slasher's ships gets struck in its wing by Rocket's gun, clipping it & sending the out of control vessel into another as they crashed into one another, destroying both simultaneously in twin blasts.

"A nice double whammy!", Rocket praised himself.

Gamora shot at another ship, hitting its engine & making it twirl uncontrollably through space before she shoots up another in the same area. As luck would have it, these two vessels also collide with each other & detonate like bombs, killing all aboard both.

"Two more for me, Rocket!", Gamora says.

"I didn't realize that we were keeping score, Gamora!", Rocket says, blasting another enemy to bits.

"Well, I know how you like to turn this into some sort of game!", Gamora said, smiling as Rocket did so too.

She put out of commission another vessel with a shot that struck underneath & went right through the top, like it was made out of Swiss Cheese & blew it up.

"A tie score!", Gamora & Rocket said in unison, grinning.

They were wiped from their mouths as a volley of blasts not only struck the ship itself, but also inside the stern where the two Guardians stood. Again, the shots came close to hitting them, & more were converging.

"We'd best get our asses back inside, Gamora! Things are suddenly starting to get too crowded out here!", Rocket said, backing away further inside the ship.

"Yeah, it's even less crowded inside of the ship!", Gamora said, retreating within the ship's confines & got on the intercom to tell Peter to close the stern.

A second or two later, the rear of the ship closed up just as more laser blasts converged on their position.

None of these shots struck Gamora or Rocket, & they breathed a collective sigh of relief as oxygen returned from within this area before both combatants remove their helmets & get out of their suits even as blasts hit the ship, rocking with every strike it took.

The rocking of their vessel got more violent as more shots hit, nearly knocking Gamora & Rocket off their feet.

"Why isn't Quill putting the damn shields back up?", Rocket asked, using the wall to keep his balance.

"That's what I want to know!", Gamora said, making her way back to the cockpit despite the shaking.

As they arrived to the cockpit & rejoined Groot, Drax & Quill, Gamora & Rocket made their way back into their seats & buckled up.

"Peter…what happened to the shields?", Gamora asked. "Didn't you put them back up once Rocket & I were inside?"

"I couldn't, Gamora! We lost our shields!", Peter said.

"What?! How did that happen?!", Rocket asked.

"Slasher got in a lucky shot, which went & disabled our shields!", Drax said. "That's why Quill couldn't put them back up again!"

"You saying that we're sitting ducks out here?!"

The ship rocked even more vehemently as three more blasts hit home.

"I am Groot!", the tree-man said.

"Yeah, I know we have to do something, Groot!", Quill said. "Without our damn shields, Slasher will get what he & Squiggy want & we could end up sucking vacuum – and a whole lot sooner than we'd like!"

"Hope you got a last-second miracle to get us out of this one, Quill – especially since they're here for you!", Drax said.

"Despite the fact that I am the one that got us into this mess, granted, I do have a plan to help get us out of it! All of you hold tight! Oh – you might also want to shield your eyes while you're at it!"

"Our eyes? Whatever the hell for?", Rocket asked.

"Just do it! And trust me!"

Unsure of what Peter meant, the quartet do as he instructed as Quill quickly worked on his keyboard before he presses a button overhead. From right outside the ship, a small circular port on each side opened up to unleash a volley of floating metal spheres that trailed behind their craft.

Once they get in between their craft & Slasher's, Quill makes his move.

"Here we go, folks! Hang on!", he says.

In his own ship, Slasher & Squiggy watch as their enemy's ship gets bombarded from blasts by what remained of their crew. Toothy grins shine in the lighting of the cockpit.

"We certainly got 'em on the ropes, Slasher!", Squiggy said with glee.

"That we do, Squiggy!", Slasher replied. "Just a couple more minutes of relentless blasting on their ship, & we'll be able to collect their corpses once they freeze up in the merciless vacuum! Get an extraction crew ready to move out once we blow their vessel to…"

Slasher's order was cut off as the void of space literally lit up by bright white flashes that stung their eyes, along with that of the surviving ships. Crying out in surprise & pain, Slasher, Squiggy & everyone else threw their arms over their eyes to shield them from the unexpected blast of white light. The bright flashes dissipated & vanished almost as soon as they appeared, bringing the immediate area back into the blackness of space again.

But when things & their eyesight did return to normal, they were met with an unexpected surprise.

Peter Quill's ship was gone from sight, along with the rest of his Guardians of the Galaxy.

"They've escaped?!", Slasher growled, rising from his seat. "How is this possible?!"

"They must've warped away from here while we were blinded, Slasher!", Squiggy said. "Let me go run a quick diagnostic of places they could've warped to! We can still catch up to them if we hurry!"

Slasher had to admit that the suggestion from his second-in-command was ideal, & with their systems, they could easily track down Quill & his merry band with hardly any trouble. Being overly anxious to get his hands on Star-Lord, Slasher found the offer too tempting to pass up.

His reply was something that Squiggy never expected.

"No, let them go for now", Slasher said, sitting back down. "Radio the others that we're heading back." Turning to his second-in-command, Slasher smiled. "Don't you worry, Squiggy: we've waited this long to get revenge on Peter Quill. We can wait a little bit longer: there's no place in all the galaxy where he can hide that we can't find him."

Defeated, Squiggy nodded & stared out at the stars where he last saw Peter Quill at.

"Next time, Quill, you & your friends won't be so lucky!", he said before carrying out Slasher's orders.

Once the other vessels received the orders, what remained of Slasher's crew started heading back to whence they came, going into hyperspace & disappearing on a dime.

Like the others, Squiggy was disappointed in this outcome, but he knew that this fight wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

Knowhere, 30 minutes later:

As soon as the mini spheres detonated in bright flashes, Quill did indeed jumped into hyperspace & was gone from sight of their pursuers, escaping with their ship damaged in many areas as scorch marks were evident.

But at least they were alive.

In a half hour's time after jumping out of hyperspace, the Guardians' ship casually & slowly made its approach over to Knowhere's docking point. Knowhere is a giant floating spaceport in the shape/depicting of a giant decapitated head of some ancient being, serving as an interdimensional crossroads, a scientific observatory & residence to a good many alien species where they can work, play, or simply find refuge when they can't find it elsewhere.

For many, it's the only place they can call 'home'.

That also goes for Peter, even though he occasionally visits his home world of Earth. For him, he gets homesick from time to time ever since taking off for the stars & meeting up with Yondu & his band of Ravagers, learning as much about living in the cosmos as he did on Earth. But it was in the galaxy, not Earth, that helped to shape him into the hero Star-Lord he is today, having met up with Groot, Drax, Rocket & Gamora to become the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Oddly enough, while he will always deem Earth as his true home & will fight to protect it if the need arises, the galaxy itself is where he truly feels most comfortable at.

Peter Quill wouldn't want it any other way: the family he lost on Earth was replaced by the one he currently has.

Making a successful docking, Quill & company exit the ship to inspect the damage.

"It doesn't look all that bad, all things considered", Drax says.

"What do you mean 'all things considered', Drax?", Rocket complained as he climbed his way to the top of the ship. "Just look at it: a scorch mark here, a scorch mark there…and like Quill says, our shield generator is busted from a lucky shot! Now tell me how things 'don't look all that bad'!"

Quill used his jet pack to get to the top of the ship & inspected the damage himself, most preferably the shield generator. Reaching in, he pulled out a cylindrical object & looked closely at it.

"It's not that bad, Rocket", Peter said, holding it up for him to see. "We just need to replace this, patch up the hole the blast made – more sturdy this time – and we'll have shields again."

"Right, & I suppose you have an extra one of those just lying around, yeah?", Rocket said sarcastically.

"As a matter of fact…"

Peter dug into his pocket & pulled out a spare object identical to the one that was damaged, only this one was all new & ready to be installed.

"I do!", he said, smiling.

Rocket's eyes were wide with surprise, along with the rest of the group.

"You had an extra part for the shield generator all along?!", he fumed. "Why didn't you install it sooner?!"

"First of all, we were in a pinch back there!", Peter explains. "And in case you've forgotten, I was the one who was flying to make sure we didn't get blasted into oblivion! Second, I always keep spares of most vital equipment & parts inside the ship, as you never know when you might need them!"

Rocket stared for a few moments in stunned revelation before he sighed in relent.

"Yeah okay, point taken", he said.

"How long will the repair job take, Peter?", Gamora asked.

"It's a simple job, Gamora", Quill replied. "Just about 10, 15 minutes tops. We'll be ready to fly again in no time – with our shields intact."

"I am Groot", the tree man said, nodding.

"That is good to hear, Groot", Drax said. "At least we'll be going in with full & complete protection."

"Ah, the Guardians of the Galaxy", said a sentry robot as it strolled in on its treads, getting their attention. "Nice to have you all back from your latest venture safe & sound." The sentry swiveled its head to look at the numerous marks the ship had taken in its dogfight. "It seems your craft has been through quite the battle, judging by the scorch marks."

"Oh, very brilliant deduction, Sherlock!", Rocket said before getting a slight elbow nudge in the side from Quill. "What?"

"It's not like this was our first rodeo", Gamora said with a quick smirk at the robot sentry. "But I'm guessing you didn't come here to state the obvious with the current condition of our spaceship. You want something, so out with it."

"Actually, Miss Gamora, it's Cosmo: he wants to see you Guardians at his earliest convenience, & he's instructed me to give you the message once you've all returned to Knowhere."

"I am Groot?", the humanoid tree said, pointing to himself & his teammates.

"That's correct, Mr. Groot."

"Did Cosmo say what he needed to see us for?", Drax asked.

"Negative, Mr. Drax. The matter at hand he wants to see you about is for your eyes & ears only. I'm just here to deliver the message, nothing more. But Cosmo did say that it was of the utmost importance."

Cosmo – the telepathic Russian space dog who acts as security chief on Knowhere – is all but adamant to see the Guardians of the Galaxy only if it involves something big & deadly that requires their unique but special skills to take care of when no one else seems to be able to. Having them to come see him just after they returned from a mission, the Guardians must assume that it is important.

Quill & the others doubted they'd be needed this badly by the security chief if it wasn't.

"All right, we'll be right there", Quill says.

"Excellent, Mr. Quill", the sentry said.

"Wait, hold on", Rocket says. "If we're all going to see that flea-bitten space mutt, then who the hell's going to repair the ship?"

"I'll leave that task completely to you, Rocket", Quill said, handing over the replacement device to him. "You practically know this ship inside & out almost as well as I do."

Rocket Raccoon knew that Peter Quill had a good point, so he accepted the position.

"All right, Quill…you do have something there", Rocket said, taking the part offered from Peter's hand. "I'll get this bucket of bolts fixed up in no time."

"Perfect. See you later", Peter said, using his jet pack to get himself back on the floor again & facing the others. "All right, gang…let's go & see what Marmaduke wants with us."

"Who's Marmaduke?", Drax, Gamora & even Rocket asked.

"I am Groot?", the tree man said in the same manner, just as confused.

Peter sighed, forgetting his team isn't familiar with the fictional Great Dane who appeared in comic strips from 1954 on up, while also getting his own animated series in the 1980s & a 2010 live-action movie, the latter of which had starred Owen Wilson as the main character's voice.

They invade my computer, & they still don't know many references from the Earth, Peter thought with a sigh.

"Never mind. Let's just go", he said orally.

With a shrug of their shoulders, Drax, Gamora & Groot follow Peter, leaving Rocket with the task of fixing the ship's shield generator.

Cosmo's office:

Making their way to their destination, Peter announced on the intercom right outside the door that the Guardians of the Galaxy have arrived. The door opened horizontally to allow the Guardians access within, & they were met with a pair of individuals: one was an average-sized Golden Labrador Retriever attired in a specially-designed white space suit, complete with built-in oxygen mask & an insignia on its chest that read 'CCCP' on it. The other was a human male attired in an outfit of blue & gold, standing 5 feet, 9 inches tall with brown eyes & hair.

Cosmo the dog of a security chief they were expecting, but the Guardians were not expecting to see the other one in the room with the golden space mutt.

"Richard! Richard Ryder!", Peter said, approaching the man from the Nova Corps.

"Hello, Peter Quill", Richard replied, taking his hand & shaking it quickly. "Good to see you & the rest of your friends."

"Not that the feeling isn't mutual, Mr. Ryder, but…why is Knowhere being paid a visit from the Nova Corps?"

"Are we in some kind of financial trouble again?", Drax asks.

It was then that Cosmo spoke, being able to do so telepathically & without the use of his mouth.

"You are misunderstanding situation, comrade Drax", he said in a Russian accent. "Comrade Rider is here to ask fellow Guardians of Galaxy for assistance."

"Assistance? Whatever for?", Gamora wondered.

"Comrade Rider will explain situation to you."

"And a situation is what we have on our hands right now, Gamora – two of them, in fact", Rider began. "On my usual patrol of the galaxy, I received a call from the Nova Corps that a pair of incidents occurred not too far apart from each other by, say, no more than a couple of hours it would seem. One had been a transport ship belonging to the Shi'ar Empire itself, while the other one is as of yet unidentified; that one was discovered by a traveling civilian who passed by that jurisdiction before reporting it to our corps. When High Command contacted me about these incidents, I was in this jurisdiction, telling them that I'll handle the unidentified vessel while the rest of the corps would investigate what happened to the one belonging to the Shi'ar."

"Meaning, you'd like for us to investigate the other vessel", Drax said.

"Exactly. I figured your group would be interested in finding out what took place & make a report back to us at the same time we check out the Shi'ar transport. You go & do this, I'll personally see to it that you be greatly rewarded."

"You would actually do that for us, Richard?", Gamora asked.

"Time & again, you Guardians of the Galaxy have put an end to the biggest threats over the years, from the time Adam Warlock went rogue to the Mother Entropy incident. While some might think of you Guardians as too reckless & unpredictable a lot of the time, there's no denying the fact that your people have always pulled through in the end. In that perspective, I'd say you deserve a big break. So…will you people accept this task?"

"Richard, I think I speak for us all when I say that we will take the job", Peter said. "And you people in the Nova Corps know that you only have to ask for our assistance if you need it."

Rider looked to the other Guardians to see if they themselves feel the same way that Quill does. What he saw are faces of eagerness, telling him they were ready to take the task offered to them.

"We agree, Richard Rider", Drax said. "Just as long as we don't have to associate with the Shi'ar Empire. We've …had some bad blood between us & them, especially with the Gladiator."

Drax wasn't exaggerating too much on his statement: there have been moments of tension between the Guardians of the Galaxy & the Shi'ar, most notably when the Mother Entropy invaded which nearly turned them all into living floral figures: Pip the Troll (once a partner to Adam Warlock) steals a jewel that is actually a seed for the entity known as Mother Entropy, which she planned on infecting all known life in the galaxy, her insidious & diabolical plot even making its way to Earth. The Guardians went to warn the Shi'ar about the impending danger, but they blithely ignored their warning until Mother Entropy herself arrived & actually infected Gladiator, but not before freeing the Guardians they imprisoned earlier. If not for the intervention of Groot (who was totally unaffected), the whole universe probably would've ended up her botanical garden. This was followed up by the fiasco of the trial of the X-Man (or in this case, woman) known as Jean Grey, when the X-Men's younger selves came to the present day as Gladiator learned that the powerful force entity known as the Phoenix will take possession of Jean Grey, enabling her to wipe out entire planets on a whim such as the D'Bari Star System, causing global genocide. That incident ended when Gladiator & Jean Grey (with the power of the Phoenix) fought against each other, resulting in Jean's victory. Scott Summers aka Cyclops had then warned Gladiator that if he was to ever come near the X-Men or Earth for any reason, he would kill him, even if he had to bring every hero down on top of him, from the Avengers to all the Hulks.

Gladiator left, but not without giving Peter Quill an ultimatum: he has made a poor choice in angering the Shi'ar, & thus was unwelcome on Chandilar in their portion of the galaxy.

Just the mere thought of having to associate themselves with the Shi'ar, let alone the Gladiator, put an extremely bad taste in the mouths of the Guardians of the Galaxy. That especially went for Drax, who was literally knocked out by the Shi'ar ruler during the Mother Entropy incident.

Richard can feel the tension from the Guardians about dealing with the Shi'ar & the Gladiator in general, & he does his best to ease it.

"Drax", he kindly says, getting within a foot of the Destroyer. "I'm well aware that your dealings with the Shi'ar had been…less than spectacular, given your history. But while they may never admit it openly, even they know that the services you Guardians do for the galaxy is indispensable, & even if they don't appreciate it like the Nova Corps does, they do highly respect it."

Rider's words had a soothing effect on Drax & the other Guardians.

"We will try to keep that in mind, Richard", Gamora said. "But no promises."

"Fair enough, Gamora", Richard says. "If you Guardians will excuse me, I'd best be on my way. The Gladiator & his elite guard are probably on their way now along with my Nova Corps, so I should go join them in case they should wonder where I've been."

"We understand, Richard", Peter said. "We'd best be getting ourselves on the move. Let's get us some supplies first before we head on back to the ship, & hope that Rocket's got the shield generator up & running by the time we get there."

"My best of luck to you all, comrades", Cosmo said. "I will be praying for big success to each of you."

"Spasibo, Cosmo", Richard says, getting his helmet & exiting the room.

Nodding, the Guardians also vacate the area, leaving Cosmo by his lonesome once more.

The loading dock:

After leaving Cosmo's office, the Guardians went to stock up on a few supplies such as food, tools & a couple of other essentials they might need on their new assignment. By the time they reached the dock where their ship has been stationed, Rocket was putting the finishing touches on the outer hull by welding a brand-new steel plate over the area which was struck & put the shield generator out of commission.

"Rocket! How goes the repairs?", Gamora asked as she & the others entered the dock. "We all good to go?"

"Just in the nick of time, sweetheart!", Rocket says, killing the mini blowtorch he was using to weld on the new plate. "The shield generator's fully fixed, & we are so ready for takeoff!"

"Excellent, because we just got ourselves a new assignment!", Drax said.

"More ass-kicking, I hope! So…who we gonna be blowing away this time around?"

"We'll give you the details about it once we get going, Rocket", Quill said as the gang started putting their new supplies inside their ship. "But I will tell you that this new job has been given to us by Richard Rider himself."

"Of the Nova Corps?"

"The same", Gamora said. "He's willing to offer a large sum for our services should we accept, which we did."

"And you guys didn't think to consider asking me if I wanted the job first?"

"First off, you were busy fixing the ship, remember?", Drax reminds him. "Second, we can't be too picky about what work we do at the moment: we do have debts to pay a lot of people here, in case you've forgotten."

"I'll say you do!", said a new voice, causing everyone to turn to a humanoid panther standing 7 feet tall with dark fur, attired in pants & a leather jacket.

"Whiskers?", Peter says.

"Quill, I'm telling you now that a lot of the folks you & your Guardians owe credits to are getting quite restless in waiting for you to deliver what you promised them! I'm doing my best to keep them calm about it, but it's getting to be more difficult the longer they wait, & I'm also hearing some talk about starting a revolt! Isn't there anything you can do to help lower their raging steam before they all blow their tops?"

Peter was afraid that this would occur: not since the Mother Entropy incident have the Guardians been in such deep depth with the residents of Knowhere. Unless some compromise can be made, it will spell even bigger trouble for later.

The situation needs to be defused & immediately, even if it's temporary.

"Stay right there, Whiskers…I have a temporary solution!", Peter says before going inside the ship.

When he comes out, he holds a bunch of credits in his hands.

"Here – spread these out to whoever we owe payment to", Peter says, handing them out to Whiskers, who takes them. "As you do, let them know that we're on a job to help us get the remainder of money for those that are still waiting to get paid."

Whiskers looked at the credits in his hands like they were magic or something.

"It certainly looks like these will help simmer down some of the patrons, Quill", Whiskers admitted. "I'll pass them out to as many of them as I can, but I ask you not to take too long in getting the rest of the money you owe."

"Let them know we're working to get the rest even as you're handing credits out", Peter said. "And Whiskers? We thank you for this."

"I'll give it my very best shot, Quill", Whiskers said before heading off.

Seeing the credits being handed out like party favors put Rocket in a slump as he sighed.

"A fortune won, yet a fortune lost", he said solemnly.

"Better to lose a fortune than our heads, Rocket", Gamora said. "If we don't pay the others in due time, we'll be hounded & hunted all over Knowhere until they exile us or, even worse, lynch us."

"All the more reason to get our asses in gear & on our way, people", Quill said, looking up at Rocket. "But there's a plus side to this, Rocket."

"Oh yeah? What's that, might I ask?", Rocket replied.

"For fixing the shield generator, I'm gonna let you fly this time!"

Peter's smile made Rocket's face lit up like a Christmas tree, & a smile came from his own lips.

"Well, in that case…", Rocket says, climbing down from the top of the ship. "Let's get this show on the road, people! We ain't getting any younger!"

"All right! You heard the man!", Quill said cheerfully.

Grinning, Gamora, Drax & Groot get themselves on board as Peter went in behind them.

It was time to get back to work.

And make another fortune.

CHAPTER IV

At a disclosed location in space:

Once Rocket got the ship out of & away from the docks & Knowhere in particular, Peter filled him in on the task at hand given to them by Richard Rider as he punched in the coordinates given to him by the Nova Corpsman before he left to fulfil his own duties.

With the coordinates accurately set in, the Guardians' ship went into hyperspace, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

It re-emerged at normal pace once it reached its destination, traveling in an area not often occupied by many other ships; it was one of those perfect areas of space for pirates, looters & other fiends from the cosmos to use in eluding the proper authorities in order to escape with their illegal activities.

Like the other Guardians, Peter thought this was one of the reasons why Richard wanted them to check it out in place of the Nova Corps, since they don't follow regular Nova protocols or anyone else's except their own.

This made Quill feel like the Guardians of the Galaxy are their own interstellar version of the Lone Ranger & his sidekick Tonto, helping the helpless & defeating those who would do others harm.

Peter once thought of his team as a space version of Robin Hood & his Merry Men when he first formed it, but Gamora, Drax, Rocket & even Groot were anything but merry, even in times of tranquility.

Soaring through space at a leisurely speed, Rocket was sharing his thoughts upon their current assignment.

"So let me get this straight", he began. "We're asked to come out here in the middle of nowhere – not the place we call home, mind you – to investigate one shipwreck while both the Nova Corps and that Gladiator jerk & his people do the same with another shipwreck, this one belonging to them."

"That's the situation in capsule form, Rocket", Gamora says. "And unless we earn ourselves some extra credits, we won't be calling Knowhere 'home' anymore. It'll be a death sentence for us if we don't scrounge up what we owe those other patrons back home."

"So now we're the Nova Corps' lackeys, is that what you're saying?"

"Hardly, Rocket", Drax said. "Richard Rider is an honorable member of the Nova Corps, & a very good man: we've known him for a long time, & he's asked us to do this as a favor rather than an order. For all the times the Nova Corps has cooperated with us, it's only fitting we return the gesture. And that, my friend, is how trust is built."

"I am Groot", the humanoid tree said kindly.

"All right, fine, I'll bite", Rocket replied. "But this little goose chase Rider's put us on better be worth it, that's all I'm gonna say."

"Believe me, Rocket: Richard would never lead us astray", Peter said. "The coordinates he's given us will lead us straight to where we need to be."

"Well, so far I'm only seeing stars, stars & more stars. I don't see how we'll ever find a shipwreck all the way out…here?"

"What's wrong, Rocket?", Gamora asked.

"I take it all back, gang. I think we are going to find something out here, straight ahead."

"Put on a little more speed, Rocket, but approach with caution", Peter said.

Nodding, Rocket did as instructed & moved the ship closer to where he spotted something in his sights. At first, he felt like he only imagined seeing it, but after several moments he was starting to see it very clearly.

So did everybody else: just up ahead was what appeared to be the bow of an enormous vessel, along with lots of floating debris surrounding it from all sides. But upon closer inspection, they realized that not all of it was debris.

Their eyes widened when they saw what they were all really looking at.

Frozen corpses!

The Guardians of the Galaxy stumbled onto a floating graveyard.

It was enough to make even Gamora, Drax & Rocket cringe.

"I am Groot!", he says in a chilling whisper.

"Yeah, you said it, buddy!", Rocket said. "Our good friend Rider didn't send us on a wild goose chase after all! I owe him an apology!"

"But now we know just why he asked us here, Rocket!", Gamora said. "And call me crazy, but…I believe that I all but recognize that ship!"

Drax took a good look at the huge vessel that was dented & crushed in spots, bending it at angles that would be impossible for a spacecraft of its size: the bow & stern looked like they were bent at a 45 degree angle, their ends all but sticking up instead of front & back. The hull itself was dented in circular groves at areas, & breaches in the hull had undoubtedly caused for air leakage, causing the ship to decompress & lose its life-giving oxygen.

While the markings on the side of the ship were bent out of shape, Drax can still make it out.

"As well as you should, Gamora!", he said. "That vessel is none other than the Barracuda – one of the most feared – if not the most feared – pirate ships within the whole galaxy, whose ruthless leader is none other than…"

"Rocksteady!", Drax, Gamora, Rocket & Quill said in unison.

"Yeah, I had a strange feeling that we'd be running into that thick-headed scumbag sooner or later", Rocket says, facing the ship once more. "But I never thought it'd be like this! What the hell happened down there?"

"That's precisely what we intend to find out, Rocket", Quill said. "You & Groot stay here & keep observing the ship. If you see anything unusual that we might have missed, give us a holler."

Groot & Rocket nodded.

"Drax, Gamora, suit up", Peter continued. "We three are heading down there for a closer look. Hopefully we'll find some clues to figure out what caused a powerful ship & its crew to be turned into a floating graveyard. I'm telling you all right now: something about this incident really gives me the willies."

Quill wasn't exaggerating: that same feeling he was experiencing by just being in this area with a smashed pirate ship & its deceased crew struck the rest of the Guardians, & while they've been on quite many adventures which hardly ever rattled them too much, this one rattled them pretty good.

And the Guardians of the Galaxy are hard to rattle.

But this did.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Drax & Gamora went to get into their space suits.

The sooner they do this job the sooner they could vacate the area.

Three minutes later:

Donning their space suits, Drax & Gamora each took a rifle afterwards just in case they happen to run into trouble while they check the interior of the vessel. Pressing a button on the side of his head, Peter's metal face mask covered his exposed flesh as he readied his twin dual-barreled guns in hand.

Armed & dressed for the occasion, the trio headed down via jet packs towards the ruins of the Barracuda, pushing aside bodies & debris that were in the way.

"All right, Drax, Gamora, let's get our weapons primed & ready, but try to refrain from firing wildly once we get inside", Star-Lord says. "We don't want to destroy anything that might help us figure out just what took place here."

"Copy that, Star-Lord", Drax said, unslinging his weapon.

"You got it, Quill", Gamora replied, doing the same.

Coming to a sizeable breach in the ship's hull, Star-Lord gave a 'ladies first' gesture to Gamora with a motion of his arm, allowing her to enter before he & Drax do. Gamora smirked at Star-Lord's attempts to be 'gentleman-like' in his continued attributes to charm her, but she does indeed enter first.

Inside the ship was no less horrific than outside: even in low lighting as it brightens & dims spontaneously, the group can still see more objects & debris frozen deceased bodies of pirates floating around in the zero gravity, many of which had their mouths & eyes wide open, looking like they've seen ghosts just before they died.

The scenario left a chill in each one of the trio.

"I tell you, Drax, Quill, I've seen – and even caused – scenes of utter carnage & death during & after my time as Thanos' elite assassin, but all this shit right here? It really takes the cake!", Gamora announced.

"Same with me, Gamora", Drax puts in. "In my not-so-glory-filled days as a relentless brawler, I've done some pretty nasty things that left bloodied messes lying around – but never on a scale such as this! It makes my past sins look like a relaxing day at the beach!"

"And these are Rocksteady's pirates, of all people!", Star-Lord said, examining several bodies. "These cutthroats are supposed to be the toughest & most-feared bunch in all the galaxy, & yet they've practically all got looks of terror upon their faces! It's like they were frightened to death – literally!"

"If all these pirates ended up like this, then what's happened with Rocksteady himself?", Gamora wondered. "I don't see him anywhere among all the bodies."

"That's what I want to know as well, Gamora: unless he's taken a pod & escaped this whole mess, we'd best try & find him right away – and I think I know just where to start."

"And where is that, Quill?", Drax asks.

"Where else? The bridge."

Almost like a shot, the trio made their way up to said area of the ship, having to go up a steep climb due to the bow, like the stern, being bent at an upwards angle. Luckily, it wasn't too much of a climb, & they reached the door to the bridge before aiming their weapons & opened it.

Right at the entrance, the ghastly sight of a two-legged werewolf-like pirate attired in a space suit appeared & it startled the Guardians, but they each held their fire, knowing the pirate was dead like the others. In his hands was his oxygen helmet, held just above his head.

"Good god!", Gamora exclaimed. "The bastard took his helmet off during whatever happened here! Like he was committing suicide or something!"

"Maybe not, Gamora", Star-Lord said, examining the body closer. "From my point of view, I think this guy was trying to get his helmet on his suit just before…" He waved his arms, indicating the ship. "All this happened. Poor dude just couldn't do it in time."

Believing that made much better sense than her own theory, Gamora nodded.

Something caught Drax's eyes, & he pardoned his two companions & gently floated past them to get to a certain body that was missing its left arm & right leg, looking like they were sliced off by something that had left stumps frozen with blood. Its back was to the Guardians, so Drax went & turned it around for then to get a better look.

Like the other dead pirates, his face was in a feature of pure horror.

It was who they wanted to find, or what had remained of him.

"Rocksteady", Drax said. "What's left of him, anyway. Like Rocket said before, I've always had a feeling that we'd be meeting this feared cutthroat sometime in our future. I'd just never thought in a million years we'd be doing so in this manner. Truth be told, I almost feel sorry for Rocksteady & his pirates. They died horribly…even for them."

"Rocksteady & his bloodthirsty band have caused unrelenting chaos & havoc wherever they went", Gamora says. "I guess somebody finally had enough & decided to go do something about it – in a very permanent manner. Much to Rocksteady's dismay, they've definitely succeeded."

Star-Lord looked around the bridge & saw what appeared to be something useful: a monitor that looked intact, seemingly undamaged by the carnage of whoever or whatever caused the ship to be made from a hulking fortress into a junk heap for the scrapyard.

"This looks quite promising", Star-Lord says, approaching the monitor as Drax & Gamora followed. "Let's hope this monitor is still functioning, and if it can give us any clues as to how this seemingly impenetrable fortress became pulverized like it did."

"If so, get a link on & share it with us so we can hear the audio, Quill", Gamora says.

"Leave that to me, Gamora."

From his metal face mask, a tendril of a thin cable emerged & made its way over to the console as Quill made a connection. Almost like magic, the monitor came to life & presented audio as well as visual to the trio. Like he promised, Peter shared the audio with Gamora & Drax so they themselves can hear what occurred on the video they were about to view.

What they were all bearing witness to was nothing short of horrific: scenes of utter chaos went haywire all across the Barracuda, with pirates screaming as their vessel was being torn apart by…something which was attacking them in full force. One scene displayed a hull breech caused by this object as pirates were sucked out into the airless void, with each one suffering a terrible fate as their bodies froze after all the air in their lungs were also whooshed out, becoming frozen corpses in space. Another scenario had the trio watching other hull breeches, but only this time it was diamonds & even large amounts of coal which were being vacuumed out into space as every sparkling jewel in the pirate's treasury & every piece of coal became space-born in just seconds, vanishing from sight. At yet another part of the ship, the video showed more pirates running away down a long corridor, running as if the very devil was after them. Before they knew what hit them, the corridor was torn open by a long glowing something that tore it up like it was tin foil, breaching the hull again & sending more pirates out into the merciless void. Those that managed to grab onto something were soon depleted of life-giving oxygen, which explains all the floating bodies inside the ship when the trio arrived.

In each of the video footage they viewed, Star-Lord, Drax & Gamora heard a cacophony of sounds that was a mix of boiling water, electrical shocks, crockets chirping…and a beating heart.

Each of the Guardians had faces of shock & surprise: Rocksteady & his pirates were some of the most biggest & nastiest bunch in all the galaxy, & yet they were screaming & crying like paranoid schizophrenics & scared children, all pleading for God's mercy.

Needless to say, they never received any mercy. Not one single ounce.

A chilling of the blood hit each Guardian like a sledgehammer.

Getting back to the task at hand, Star-Lord used his cable to not only play the video feed, but also to capture it for future reference, getting everything from it right at the beginning up to the very end.

Once he was finished, he unplugged his cable & retracted it inside his face mask.

"You recorded what we've just seen, Quill?", Drax asks.

"Absolutely, Drax", Peter said. "Richard & his Nova Corps will most definitely want to be seeing this footage! And I have a very strong feeling that whatever happened to this ship is the exact same fate which that Shi'ar vessel had also suffered not far from here!"

Star-Lord took a moment before he continued.

"I don't mind saying, you guys…whatever's out there destroying ships of this size, it's got me rather worried. Very worried."

"That goes without saying, Star-Lord", Drax says. "Shall we head on back to Rocket & Groot, now that we have our evidence?"

Peter wanted to stay a bit longer to see if there were anyone that survived this horrid fiasco, even if the chances of it were slim to none, considering its condition. But having the evidence they needed, he thought otherwise: he wants Richard & his Nova Corps to view it as soon as possible, as per their agreement.

Not only that, being inside this ship of death was getting to Peter…more so than usual, despite being no stranger to being surrounded by dead people/aliens in the past.

"Yeah, let's get ourselves out of here & back on our ship", Peter says. "This place is really starting to creep me out."

Star-Lord & Drax began making their way towards the exit, but stopped short when they see Gamora remaining where she was, floating in the weightlessness like the other frozen bodies in the bridge.

"Gamora?", Star-Lord & Drax called to her.

When she didn't reply, Peter went over to her & saw her face looking like she'd seen the thing that attacked the Barracuda up close & personal, her own face a feature of horror.

"Gamora!", Peter said firmly but gently.

His calling to her this time snapped her out of her state of immobilization.

"You okay?", Peter asked. "It's not like you to freeze up like that."

"Y-Yeah, I just…", Gamora began. "I was just thinking about the footage we've seen. It…must've startled me more than I first realized, that's all. But anyway…I'm ready to leave this horror show behind."

Gamora started heading for the exit as Star-Lord stood in wonder for a moment. He was right to trust his suspicion: it isn't like Gamora to freeze up at moments of carnage, especially when she can cause it whenever she's in a fight for her life. She isn't called 'The Most Dangerous Woman in the Galaxy' for nothing, after all.

But it was quite understandable: this caper has got him and Drax spooked pretty deep, & Peter can bet that both Groot & Rocket are getting goose bumps on their own persons – and they're both very hard to rattle, much less scare.

It's got them all on edge, & it isn't often they experience that.

Not wanting to stay in this death trap any longer, Star-Lord took off himself & caught up with Drax & Gamora in no time.

Suggesting they exit the craft the same way that they entered, Peter lead the trio down the exact one they came in for getting to the bridge, floating down on its slant before leveling off & going horizontally again.

At a couple meters ahead, the trio noticed a light going from red to green as a door swung open to reveal at least one pirate – a humanoid mix of a rottweiler & a lizard with a mouth full of sharp teeth – still alive within his space suit & emerging from it like a bat out of Hell, swinging a large axe in hand with his face a mask of fear as he hollered out in trepidation. With only seconds to spare, the Guardians split up to avoid being easy targets as the blade whistled past & missed hitting them by just inches.

"Whoa, slow down there, fella!", Star-Lord said, putting his hands out in front of him. "We don't want to hurt you! We just want to ask some…"

But the survivor would hear none of it: he swung at the Guardian with the metal mask on his face as Star-Lord shoved off to one side to prevent getting sliced in half from the waist. The survivor kept on swinging his axe at Peter, Drax & Gamora, each of whom dodged & avoided every frantic swing made by this equally frantic figure, who kept on hollering as he attacked the trio.

One came close to actually almost make contact with Drax's space suit, & the Destroyer decided to get physical with this raging lunatic: on the next swing, Drax caught the axe by the handle & ripped it out of the person's hands with ease & threw it away far out of his reach. Grabbing his wrists, Drax then forcefully placed them behind the survivor's back & quickly wrapped his powerful arms around his, pinning them to his side.

It still didn't stop the survivor from thrashing about: with his legs, he kicked & wriggled around everywhere in a feeble attempt to get loose from the Destroyer's iron grip. But no matter how hard he tried, he failed to free himself.

"Hey!", Drax called out to the frantic figure. "We're not here to hurt you, dammit! But if you don't stop wailing & wriggling about, we're going to have to knock you out, do you understand?!"

The survivor didn't comply: lost in a private world all his own, he still thrashed violently in Drax's solid grip as he continued hollering like a banshee.

"Guess we will have to knock him out, Drax!", Gamora said, holding up a taser in hand. "Hold him still for one moment!"

"What do you think I've been doing, Gamora?!", Drax growled.

Coming up to the frantic figure, Gamora pressed her taser against the survivor's chest, careful not to get hit by the still-flailing legs. When contact was made, a jolt of electricity went into the spacesuit & jarred the figure inside as he spasmed for a few seconds before slumping & ceasing his violent struggles.

Giving his life readings a quick check, Gamora nodded as Drax released the now-immobilized survivor.

"He'll be all right", she said. "He's going to have a little bit of a headache when he wakes up, but he should've thought of that before going apeshit on us."

It was then that Rocket came on the radio.

"Hey you guys, I heard someone hollering just now as if Galactus was after them! Everything okay?"

"We're good, Rocket", Drax replied. "We've ran into somebody who actually survived this little horror show."

"Somebody's still alive?!"

"A miracle, isn't it?", Star-Lord said. "We tried to ask him what happened here, but he was too far gone & went all Jack Torrance on us. Get the med-bay ready, Rocket: we're bringing our survivor back to the ship."

"Uh, you sure that's wise, Quill? What if he goes apeshit on us again once he gets back up?"

"Don't worry, Rocket – we'll have him under tight restraint", Gamora says. "Just make sure it's all prepared for when we get there, please? We don't want him giving us any trouble in case he comes out of it too soon & I'm forced to punch his ass right into next week."

The trio can hear a frustrating sigh from Rocket before the genetically-engineered raccoon replied.

"All right, fine! Groot, go & get the med-bay ready for our visitor."

"I am Groot", he says, indicating why he has to do it.

"Because I'm the one who has to fly the damn ship…that's why! Now get going, you sapling!"

Groot made a grumble under his breath, but it didn't stop Rocket from saying that he'd heard it.

"Never a dull moment with those two, is there?", Drax says.

"Hey…I heard that as well!", Rocket replied.

"Good!", Drax, Gamora & Star-Lord snapped.

Rocket didn't say anything else, as it shut him up.

"Just make sure everything's ready up there!", Star-Lord said. "We're on our way back now!"

Star-Lord was already beginning his trek back, with Gamora close behind.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty…you too!", Drax said to their unconscious guest, grabbing him by the arm & taking him along.

The group remained silent until they re-entered their ship.

At the ruins of the Shi'ar vessel:

With their own affiliated teams, Nova Corps member Richard Rider & the Shi'ar Empire ruler Gladiator arrived at what remained of the Shi'ar ship that was carrying vital cargo for the Empire by a crew that was fiercely loyal to the cause. Like the Barracuda, the ship was crushed & bent in areas that were unnatural for a vessel of its size to be in, & a vast number of both debris & personnel were floating around in space without any protection, killed by the merciless vacuum. The lieutenant & his people were searching every inch of the ship, hoping to find survivors anywhere even if it looked highly unlikely that anyone lived through this horrific ordeal intact or alive.

It was a scenario that shook both men to the core, especially for Gladiator: he was a powerfully-built figure, with a height of about 6 feet & 6 inches, lavender flesh, blue eyes & dark blue hair in the shape of a mohawk. His outfit is a red, blue & gold suit with a red cloak that was held together at his neck by a choker & has a golden outline at the edges. A gold triangle insignia was emblazoned on his chest.

He is the ruler of the Shi'ar Empire, & his strength is a match even for the likes of Thor from Asgard, Ben Grimm (the Thing of the Fantastic Four), & even the Green Goliath known as the Hulk.

The other powers he possesses – from flight to powerful heat vision – make the Gladiator a foe to be reckoned & not to try his patience with, for he has little to zero tolerance for incompetence of any kind.

Usually, the Gladiator isn't much disturbed by horrible incidents that happen in the vast regions of space, for he's mostly seen it all.

But this current sight disturbed him deeply; seeing his fellow Shi'ar ending up as frozen corpses floating in space gave Gladiator an ache in his heart that really stung his mainly invulnerable flesh.

Richard Rider was no different: he watched his fellow Nova Corps members gathering up bodies along with the Shi'ar & placing them in a transport that will take them back to Chandilar to be buried.

The Nova Corps member unleashed a heavy heartfelt sigh.

"I tell you, Gladiator", Richard began. "No matter how many times I've seen an incident like this, I've never got used to it. And believe me: this is one of the worst I've ever witnessed in all my years in the Nova Corps."

"This is definitely a tremendous blow to the Shi'ar Empire, Richard Rider", Gladiator says. "So many good people have lost their lives on this day – and all for nothing, as it was a simple cargo delivery transport heading home from a long journey. I can't understand how anyone would want to attack a ship that carried nothing but essentials for our dear home in Chandilar."

"This vessel was carrying food & other goods to your home?"

"Mostly. It was also carrying tons of coal in its steel belly, along with a cache of precious diamonds that was to be rewarded as a gift to our empire for our services from our good allies over at Ingor not too long ago. But now, both cargos of coal and diamonds are gone, leaving everything else untouched."

Gladiator's report left Rider puzzled.

"Only the coal & diamonds were taken out of everything aboard this vessel?", he asked.

Gladiator faced him & nodded.

"I don't get it", Richard says. "Okay, what I do get are the theft of the diamonds – that part I understand without a doubt. But what I'm really stumped at is…why would anyone want to steal tons of coal? And how were they able to pull off a heist like that with a powerful force like yours guarding it? You'd have to be Galactus in order to do something like this!"

"From what I can see of the damage, Richard Rider, the indents caused on this ship weren't made by giant hands", Gladiator says. "They look more to me like something wrapped itself around the vessel at various areas & had literally squeezed it into the wreck which we are now seeing."

"You mean like a giant snake?"

"More like, I would say…tentacles. Tentacles of some giant space creature, I assume."

Now Richard Rider was even more confused: the only creature he could think of that possesses tentacles as the Gladiator described is the monstrosity called Ego, the living planet, who once tried making Earth its main body/vessel until the Avengers stopped it with the help of Quasar, who trapped it within himself as his vessel before becoming a companion of Alter-Ego, traveling together as its moon. Neither have been seen since.

There's no way either could be responsible for this disaster…could there?

His line of concentration was cut off when a few members of the Shi'ar called for the Gladiator as they approached with a corpse they carried over to him. It was one both Richard Rider and Gladiator recognize, & in a rare moment, the Gladiator had a face of great sorrow. Richard's was no different.

"Sapphire", they said in unison softly & moved in closer.

Like the other corpses, Sapphire's body was frozen by the vacuum, & his eyes & mouth were agape, his face in a sculpt of great trepidation. As with Rocksteady's corpse on the Barracuda, Sapphire looked as if he was literally scared to death.

"This is how you found him?", Gladiator asked.

"Same as with many of the other corpses, Gladiator", said one soldier. "Face filled with fear, air sucked out of him, body frozen…he died horribly. We're all truly sorry – Sapphire was one of the very best of us."

"He most certainly was. Like the others, he will be deeply mourned by all the Shi'ar. Take him to the transport with the others, soldier. Once you get them all inside, bring them back home & see to it they all get decent burials like any of us who have fallen in battle."

"Right away, Gladiator."

Richard Rider offered a salute to Sapphire just before the Shi'ar soldiers take his corpse away, but not before they nod their approval & thanks.

"I've met Sapphire a few times on my patrols", Richard says when they were out of earshot. "He & Emerald were a tough but fair duo of leaders, always keeping things organized & running smoothly, with hardly an incident…up until now. I'll miss him just as much as you will."

"You have my thanks, Richard Rider", Gladiator says. "Sapphire & Emerald spoke highly of you to me, saying you've cooperated with them on more than one occasion, thus getting your Nova Corps much respect from me & the Shi'ar itself."

"A little cooperation goes a long way, Gladiator. At least Emerald managed to escape the chaos & return to your home via the escape pods, even from the condition she was in."

Gladiator recalled how Emerald made a crash landing on Chandilar, her escape pod hitting near the outskirts of the main city. When he & the Shi'ar found her, Emerald was banged up & cut quite badly & needed immediate medical attention, lest she die from her injuries. Once they got her inside the infirmary, Emerald passed out & lay in a comatose state, unable to speak to anyone. He ordered the doctors to get her back on her feet at their earliest convenience, lest a reign of Hell was going to rain down on those that failed in their duties.

He mentally wished Emerald luck in recovering from her injuries, with Rider doing the same.

"Emerald is tougher than she looks, Rider", Gladiator said. "I'm certain she'll recover in time."

"I've no cause to doubt you, Gladiator", Richard said.

"Again, you have my thanks. Has your Nova Corps finished with their investigation on the wreckage of the pirate ship, the Barracuda, yet?"

"My corps isn't investigating that incident, Gladiator. I've asked a team of…specialists to do it."

The Gladiator looked to him with a look of disbelief & disdain.

"Are you serious, Rider?!", he asks with malice in his tone. "You've allowed the Guardians of the Galaxy of all people to go on a mission that is strictly Nova Corps business?! Why in hell would you do that?! Peter Quill & his band of misfits are rogue, undisciplined, unorthodox & completely unauthorized to handle a task like this! Tell me this: what in the galaxy's name were you thinking?!"

Unflinching, Richard looked Gladiator in the eye.

"Even if what you described Peter Quill & his team to be all but true, I have strong faith in them!", Richard said. "Look, I know you've had falling outs with Quill & the others in the past! I get that! But they saved this galaxy of ours numerous times from some of the worst threats it has ever faced! The least that we within the Nova Corps can do is to give them cooperation & allow them to handle a task which I've personally offered them, especially since we're short-handed currently!"

"You would trust them over me, Rider?"

"I trust you & the Guardians equally, Gladiator! You know I would never favor one over the other…not after all we've been through together!" Richard softened his tone some, but still stayed firm. "Despite their…unusual way about dealing with things, the Guardians of the Galaxy do get the job done, Gladiator: whatever way they deal with problems, they do it for a good reason. I've sent them on that quest because they were the right people for the job, & they agreed to make a report on whatever they discovered & send it to us. If you won't trust them, then will you at least trust me?"

Gladiator was about to answer when Richard's intercom on his forearm buzzed.

"Rider here", he said.

"Richard, we're receiving a communique from Peter Quill", it said. "He's requesting that you reply back, since he wants to speak with you directly."

"Speak of the devil", Gladiator said.

Richard ignored his sarcasm & replied.

"Tell Quill to keep the line open. I'm on my way", he said before cutting off communications & looking at the lavender-skinned being. "Would you care to join us?"

"You go on ahead. I have my own duties to perform, Richard Rider", Gladiator replied, turning & flying off to rejoin his people.

Richard felt resentment from the Shi'ar ruler, having brought up Peter Quill & his Guardians of the Galaxy.

Some people really can't seem to let certain grudges go, he thought, shaking his head in pity for the Gladiator.

Not wanting to keep Quill waiting any longer, Richard headed for the Nova Corps ship.

Getting inside, Richard made his way over to the bridge where Peter Quill, sans face mask, was displayed on the big screen. Rider could tell he looked spooked under his demeanor, despite the hero's attempts at hiding it.

"The Corps says you wanted to talk to me, Peter", Richard says. "Well, here I am. What did you find?"

"In simplest terms, Richard…a nightmare!", Quill said on the screen. "The pirate ship Barracuda – belonging to our deceased friend Rocksteady – is nothing more than a floating coffin of death, with bodies everywhere."

"You found Rocksteady's body?"

"What's left of him, yeah. Is that the same scenario over where you are right now?"

"Pretty much. The Shi'ar vessel was crushed by what appeared to be indents caused by something with tentacles, Quill…something big!"

Peter's eyes widened slightly, but it was enough to indicate to Rider the obvious.

"That's exactly what we got here, Richard!", Peter says. "Something massive in size literally crushed & bent the Barracuda like it was made by nothing more than tin foil! At first, we thought it might have been Galactus, but those indents weren't caused by hands! Whatever did this, Richard, I'm betting that these two incidents were not only both caused by something that has tentacles, but also that it's by the same perpetrator, no question!"

"I came to that same conclusion myself, Peter", Richard said. "According to the info we gathered, these incidents happened only hours apart from one another."

"Were there any other clues that you discovered?"

"Yes, & this is one for Sherlock Holmes: the huge shipment of coal & diamonds this Shi'ar vessel was carrying was picked clean, leaving everything else untouched."

"Only the coal & diamonds it had were taken? That's exactly what we got here, & it's odd: while I do understand the diamonds being taken, I can't get why this saboteur would also want the coal."

"Like I said, Quill, it's a real mystery on our hands. But we did manage to save us a copy of what occurred from the recordings the ship made. Once we take a look at it…"

"That's the other reason why I called you, Richard: I myself managed to save a recording caught by the vessel's cameras to find out what happened. Let me send you a copy of it right now."

"We'd sure appreciate that, Peter."

Donning his face mask, Peter sends a cable down into his own's ship's computer to make a download of what he picked up on the Barracuda shortly before. Richard & the other Nova Corps personnel watch the download percentage on screen, growing from 0.0% to 100% in the time span of just a minute or two before the readout announced 'Download Complete'.

Quill retracted the cable into his mask before it vanished from his face.

"Did you & your Guardians see any portion of the video you sent us, Peter?", Richard asked.

"Only a small percentage", Quill says. "In fact, when we did discover it, we started seeing it from somewhere in the middle, like when you're going through channels on your TV. But what I just passed on to you & your Nova Corps is everything that was caught on camera, from start to finish."

Richard looked to the other members of the corps as they nod their approval.

"Anything else we should know about?", Rider pressed.

"Unbelievably, we've found a survivor", Peter said, stunning Richard & the rest.

"Somebody actually lived through that mess?"

Quill nodded.

"Where is he, Peter? Is he aboard your ship?", Richard asked.

"He's in our med-bay, yes", he replied.

"Peter Quill, as a high-ranking official of the Nova Corps, I must demand that you hand over your survivor over to us for interrogation", the Nova Captain says.

"With all due respect, Captain, this survivor's in no condition to be talking to anyone right now: when we found him, he was so out of it & attacked us with an axe before we had been forced to subdue him."

"Excuse me, Peter Quill…are you disobeying a direct order from the Nova Corps? I wouldn't advice that, mister!"

"Captain, our survivor needs immediate medical attention! Unless he receives it, he won't be talking to anyone!"

"Then bring him here & we'll give him the treatment he requires."

"I know of a place that's much closer to our position: the planet Magna. It's only about an hour or two away from where we are. We send him there, his chances of survival will be greater. But if we send him to you, there's a very good chance he'll be lost before you even begin to question him."

"Peter Quill…"

"Please, Captain! It's his only chance! Just in case there's not enough evidence from the videos we've collected, our survivor is the best shot we have at telling us what happened in every detail! There's a chance he's even seen the thing in full that had attacked both these ships, & the best way to save him is to head over to Magna!"

Richard Rider turned to the Captain.

"Captain, time is short!", he says. "The longer we argue about this the sooner we lose this survivor so that nobody will hear his testimony! Let Peter Quill take him to Magna, I beg you, sir!"

"Do you really trust him that much, Rider?", the Captain asks.

"Yes, sir. I do."

Inhaling a breath & letting it out, the Nova Corps Captain makes his decision.

"Take your survivor over to Magna, Peter Quill", he says. "I'll inform the authorities in their capital city of Star-Base to send for an ambulance & take him to the nearest hospital."

"We'll be heading over there now, Captain. Quill out", Peter said, cutting off the feed before anyone could reply.

At least you knew better than to push your luck, Quill, Richard thought, meaning that Peter didn't praise the Nova Corps Captain for his decision & try to get on his good side.

The Captain & the other Nova Corps members prepare to resume with their task, but not before giving Richard an ultimatum.

"I'm taking an awful risk with this, Rider. Please don't make us regret it", the Captain says sternly before heading off.

Like Peter, Richard knew not to say 'thank you' or 'you'll see' to his superior: things were tense enough as it is to go add to it, & trying to sweet-talk those in charge would only make it worse.

Mentally wishing Peter Quill & his Guardians of the Galaxy luck, Richard Rider went back to the task at hand.

He himself also wished that both he and his captain doesn't regret it.

CHAPTER V

The planet Magna:

Having been given the okay from the Nova Corps Captain, Peter Quill instructed Rocket Raccoon to set course for Magna to meet the law officials that will meet them there & take custody of the lone survivor of the Barracuda. As Rocket puts in the coordinates, the ship went into a quick hyperspace trip that lasted for several minutes before coming out & back into normal space. The planet they were approaching was similar to Earth, being all brown, green & blue in color with clouds & large bodies of water, with an atmosphere to match. But what makes it different from Peter's home world is that Magna is about one-&-a-half sizes bigger than Earth, & having more cities & forested areas than the third planet from Quill's solar system.

It was a planet Peter visited once before he met the Guardians of the Galaxy, & like Tranquil itself, Magna is a place that would be ideal for anyone to settle down on & live in perfect harmony.

Peter would have to choose which he would choose to retire in peace when his time comes.

But thoughts & visions of peaceful retirement needs to be put on the backburner: the Guardians of the Galaxy are here at Magna on business, & they need to get their survivor the medical help he requires before he expires, giving them no clues as to what attacked him & his crew on the Barracuda.

Like Rider's Captain told him, Peter Quill & company were all taking an awful risk on doing this, & each one is hoping/praying they don't regret their decision.

"All right, people, we're here!", Rocket said. "Now…how do we get to their capital city Star-Base?"

"Let me punch up the coordinates for you, Rocket", Gamora said, pressing buttons on the console & bringing up a digital readout of the planet below.

In almost no time, an area was marked as a red circle flashed at a certain area: a large continent with an area of blue water off the coast on the east side that leads into an ocean.

"And there we have it – Star-Base", Gamora said. "Capital city of Magna."

"Good job, Gamora", Peter said. "And as luck would have it, we're directly in its path, so all that we need to do is head straight on down. It's all you now, Rocket."

"Yeah, where would you all be without me, right?", Rocket asked sarcastically. "Okay gang, strap yourselves in – like always, this re-entry trip's gonna be a real big pain in the ass!"

Heeding Rocket's advice, Peter, Gamora, Drax & Groot all get in their seats & put seat belts on as Rocket headed directly towards the planet below. In no time, they hit the atmosphere as breakneck speed, causing friction at the bow of their craft, its nose glowing red-hot. Violent turbulence shook the ship as they descended from the cosmos, shaking its crew with a rattle even with their seat belts tightly fastened.

It was an experience they've went through many times over, only on this voyage, they're worried for the survivor from the Barracuda: if he perishes before Magna's authorities take him into their care, the Guardians will not only have no lead no more, they would have betrayed the Nova Corps & perhaps even the Shi'ar Empire. While they do have their misgivings about Gladiator & his people, this is one time they need to put aside old rivalries for the good of the galaxy.

They believe it may depend upon it.

After what felt like an eternity, the shaking gradually lessens before they break the atmosphere & enter the planet to be greeted by a vast city that would probably put even Tokyo to shame: a bustling metropolis with some of the most beautiful buildings, bridges & other structures that made its residents & visitors feel like they've time-traveled into the future to a true city of tomorrow.

For the Guardians of the Galaxy, they are certainly getting that feeling.

"I am Groot!", he said, pointing towards the enormous metropolis below.

"And how", Drax said, clearly astonished. "I've heard stories about Star-Base here at Magna, but I never got the chance to see this place for myself up until today!"

"Same here, Drax", Gamora said. "It's just too bad that we're all here on business instead of a vacation. Speaking of which…where do we even find the authorities in a city this size anyway?"

Peter looked out to the side of the cockpit window.

"We won't have to go find them, Gamora…because they've just found us", Quill said, pointing to his right.

On their right, a trio of small ships in a deep blue hue were flying in parallel with the Guardians, each one sporting a gold star insignia on the side. It didn't take a genius to know they were the law on Magna.

Their radio came to life from an official who was in charge.

"Star-Base police to unidentified spacecraft, please identify yourself along with your reason of visit, over", the person said as Peter got on the radio to reply.

"Star-Base police, this is Peter Quill with the Guardians of the Galaxy, over", he stated.

"We really need to put our name on the sides of our ship" Rocket said mostly to himself.

Gamora shushed him as the city's authorities spoke again.

"Did you say Peter Quill…Star-Lord?", the radio asked.

"The very same!", Peter said, smiling. "I take it you guys received the memo from the Nova Corps that we were all coming right over?"

"We certainly did, Mr. Quill. Follow us to the nearest port, & you can hand over your 'passenger' once you've landed."

"Lead the way, gentlemen!"

The trio of Star-Base police ships lead the Guardians over to the closest spaceport for them to land on, which was right on the city's edge. As expected, several officers in full uniform dressed by various different species/races – some being mammals, others reptiles and/or insects, & the like – stood by, waiting for their 'package' to be delivered. Once Rocket set the ship down, the Guardians all unbuckled & rose from their seats as Peter told Drax & Gamora to get the Barracuda survivor & bring him outside.

A gurney was waiting for the survivor as Drax & Gamora placed him on top of it before the authorities secured him with straps to prevent him harming himself and/or others.

During the whole time, the survivor's face was one of fright as his eyes were agape, & he kept making noises of grunts & whimpers in utter fear. It was like he was trapped in his own personal Hell.

"This is the only survivor from the wrecked pirate ship, the Barracuda?", asked one officer – a humanoid bear of a figure who was the Chief of police in Star-Base.

"Pretty much", Drax said. "He's been in & out of consciousness ever since we brought him aboard our ship. He's never said anything coherent during all this time."

"But the Nova Corps reported that he's seen what trashed his vessel, correct?"

"That's correct, sir", Gamora said. "But as you can see, he's in no condition to speak to anyone, & we feared that he might die before he can talk. Therefore, with time being of the essence, we needed to take him somewhere to get medical treatment. That's why we're here."

"Well, you certainly came to the right place, Gamora. He'll be taken over to our city's general hospital, where he'll get the best treatment to recover from his state of paralysis and so we can get the information we need out of him."

With a snap of his fingers, the Chief ordered his troops to take the gurney with its occupied prisoner away & put him inside the back of a waiting hover ambulance, whose back door was wide open. The paramedics took it from there, grabbing hold of the gurney & lifting it up & into the ambulance before three paramedics & one officer got in & closed the rear door.

Its passenger secure & in tow, the ambulance took off for the hospital, its sirens blaring.

"Thanks again for the assistance, Chief", Peter said. "Hell, you've practically saved our skins with this."

"Not a problem, Star-Lord", the Chief says. "I know you Guardians have done a lot of good for the galaxy, and so it's the least we could do. As a token of our appreciation, how would you people like to spend the night at one of our luxury hotels? You could probably use a good night's rest after such a harrowing experience."

"That'd be great, Chief…except for the fact that we hardly have any credits to spare, & we owe a good number of people debts to pay."

Looking at the other Guardians of the Galaxy, Drax, Gamora, Rocket & Groot all nodded in agreement.

"We're basically paupers & beggars right now, Chief", Drax said.

"I am Groot", he said, agreeing.

"We're gonna have to take a raincheck on your offer", Gamora adds. "Perhaps some other time, when we're not on a mission?"

"Actually…it'll be on us", the Chief says with a smile.

The Chief's offer lifted the Guardians' spirits, & a smile grew on each of their faces.

"Well, since you put it that way…", Drax says.

"All of us here could use a hot shower, meal and a comfy/cozy bed to sleep in!", Rocket adds.

"On second thought…", Gamora puts in.

"We accept!", Peter, Drax, Gamora & Rocket all say in unison.

"I am Groot!", he says, his smile just as big.

Chandilar, home of the Shi'ar Empire, hours later:

Having completed his tasks with the Nova Corps at the wreckage of the Shi'ar vessel, Richard Rider headed on over to the Shi'ar home world of Chandilar to see none other than Gladiator once more. Upon arrival (which he'd been forewarned of), he met him over at the citadel as Rider explained the remainder of the investigation, from locating for more clues to seeing that the bodies found would be brought back to their home & given proper burials to anyone who's fallen in battle or otherwise.

Rider also brought over something else to show the Shi'ar ruler: a pair of video recordings, one by Gladiator's own people, the other a copy from Star-Lord himself when he & the Guardians of the Galaxy investigated the wrecked pirate ship, the Barracuda. Going over to his private chambers, Gladiator & Richard each took a seat & viewed both of the recordings from the shipwrecks, starting at the beginnings: the first one was of the Shi'ar vessel, displaying normal routines in piloting the ship & performing their duties flawlessly, followed by that from the pirate vessel Barracuda. In the latter video, it showed Rocksteady & his bloodthirsty crew a planned attack against the Shi'ar Empire, ready to hit Gladiator & his people hard with everything they got.

Then the trouble & horror began: in both videos, scenes of carnage, people shouting, death & destruction were displayed everywhere at various camera angles. In the Shi'ar video, Sapphire's second-in-command Emerald made it over to the escape pods, entered one & jettisoned to safety before this creature – whatever it was – left the vessel as a floating wreck with the deceased littering both the interior and exterior.

In both videos,, there were similarities: aside from the death & destruction, each one had their payloads of coal & diamonds extracted from their ships, leaving everything else untouched. There were also sounds of crickets, electric voltage, boiling water & a beating heart mixed as one, along with quick shots of something glowing in a teal hue making an assault on each vessel.

It was these shots that literally made Richard Rider and the Gladiator stand up & take notice of, each one with an expression of surprise on their faces.

Each figure stayed on their feet until the videos ended.

Once they were finished, the lights came back on as Rider & Gladiator stared at one another.

"It seems you were correct in your earlier assumption, Richard Rider", Gladiator stated. "These two incidents are related, & by the very same perpetrator at that."

"Yeah, I was afraid that was the case", Rider says. "But it does fill in some of the gaps to this mystery: both their shipments of coal & diamonds were sucked up by whatever attacked them, followed by brief but confirmed images of large tentacles assaulting both crafts, explaining as to how their hulls had indents like the ones we'd seen & their ships bent out of shape by its immense strength. As to why it wanted the coal & diamonds while ignoring everything else – I still haven't any ideas."

Gladiator stood silent with Rider for few moments before speaking.

"I must admit, Rider, neither do I", he said. "That lone survivor from the Barracuda you've told me about: Peter Quill & his Guardians went to get him medical help?"

"They went to the capital city of Star-Base over on the planet Magna, yes", Richard says. "Once he's coherent & able to speak, Peter will relay what he & his team learns & pass the information to us. Far as we can tell, that survivor is quite possibly the only one who's seen this creature in its entirety & lived to tell about it, if just barely."

"Quill & his Guardians should have come here to give that survivor medical treatment, Rider. How do you expect me & my people to ensure trust with the Guardians of the Galaxy if they will not share vital information with us?"

"But they have, Gladiator: Quill made a copy of the recording from the Barracuda for me to show you while they made certain that survivor does live to talk about what he saw. Chandilar and Nova Corps HQ were too far away, & it made sense to take him over to Magna for treatment, which was closer to their position. What Quill & his Guardians did was multi-tasking, & I do have utmost faith in his team. You should too."

Gladiator stared hard at Richard, who neither flinched nor looked away from a gaze that would shrink others less strong. The Shi'ar ruler admired Rider for his boldness both on the battlefield and for being/standing firm with him in a scenario that lesser people would cower from. Whether he cared to admit it or not, Richard Rider was always truthful & straightforward to Gladiator, never wavering in his speech when he does so.

It's a trait that the lavender-skinned ruler also respected in the Nova Corps member.

"Very well, Richard Rider", Gladiator says. "At least we do have more pieces to this particular puzzle, and that a portion of it was delivered by Peter Quill & his band of misfits. Even I wasn't aware that Rocksteady & his pirates were all staging an attack on me & my people. With the weapons at their disposal, they probably could've given us a fight that would've cost many lives – on both sides. For this, we are grateful to Peter Quill & his Guardians. How soon can we expect to get answers from the lone survivor of the Barracuda?"

"Peter will get in touch with me directly once the survivor is coherent & speaks with him & the authorities over on Magna. How soon that will be…that's really all up to the survivor himself."

"All the more reason they should've brought the survivor here, to Chandilar."

Richard took a step towards Gladiator until he was only inches from his face – something very few people would dare attempt at.

"With your temperament, the survivor probably wouldn't live to talk, Gladiator!", Rider said sternly. "There's a saying on Earth: 'Dead men tell no tales', & with the way you handle suspects at times, he'd possibly die of fright – more so than from whatever the hell that he'd seen trash his ship! You want to go & accuse me or even the Guardians of being too soft on suspects, go ahead! But maybe you should remember this: bullying others is not always the best of methods to achieve one's goals!"

"Richard Rider!", Gladiator says, equally sternly. "While I have high admiration & respect for you, need I remind you that you are but a guest here in my home! How I handle situations and/or deal with suspects is my concern, thank you very much!"

"Then try thinking with your heart & your head rather than with your muscles all of the time! Not everything can be settled by sheer brute force! No offense, Gladiator, but I can begin to see why the Guardians don't seem to trust you as much as they do me & my Nova Corps!"

A tension started to arise between the two figures when a blaring noise caught their attention, stopping the standoff before it could escalate further.

"What's that?", Rider asked.

"Our general alarm!", Gladiator says, heading over to his intercom & pressing a button. "What the hell is going on out there?! Somebody answer me!"

"My lord, we're under siege!", came the reply.

"Under siege?! By whom?! Kree? Skrulls?"

"Neither! Whatever this thing is, Gladiator…it's heading directly for us! And it's huge!"

"What kind of 'thing'?! Give me a clear description of it immediately before I…"

Amid the blaring klaxons sounding all over the city, there was another noise that caught the ears of both Gladiator & Richard Rider…only this was a mixture of different sounds converging into one.

What's more, both combatants recognize them!

"Oh dear god…", Richard started saying.

No…not here!, Gladiator thought with dread.

Rushing over to the windows, Richard & Gladiator stare out to the cloudy skies as the cacophony of sounds – the ones of boiling water, chirping crickets, electric voltage & beating heart – became louder & closer to Chandilar. Upon seeing a dark patch within the clouds, the duo can spot movement of what appeared to be large & elongated tentacles waving like giant flags. This giant dark patch soon descended from its hiding place to come into full view for Gladiator, Rider & all of Chandilar to see: a humongous alien squid in a light teal hue writhed its tentacles with intent to cause as much havoc, chaos & destruction as possible.

Its mere presence caused Richard to express a facial expression of shock & fear that spread to everyone upon the planet, including Emerald, who saw the creature from her bedroom window of the medical center she was staying at to recover from her injuries.

Seeing the monster again made her cringe like a little girl, unsure of what to do.

Gladiator was not immune either: for what seemed like the very first time in his life, the near-invincible ruler of the Shi'ar Empire was feeling great trepidation upon seeing what has entered his planet's airspace, the look of fear all but evident on his face.

This damn thing even dwarfs Galactus in sheer size!, Richard thought.

"Gladiator, I think we can end the search for finding out what's responsible for those two ship disasters!", Richard says, putting the jigsaw puzzle together completely. "Because we've just found it, or rather…it's found us!"

"It's going to be very sorry that it did!", Gladiator raged, his face matching his feelings. "Nobody & nothing just attacks a Shi'ar vessel & walks away! Coming here will be its last mistake! Will you join me in avenging the dead, Rider?"

Richard Rider charged his fists with pure energy.

"I thought you'd never ask!", he said, his own face a mask of hatred & rage for the creature. "Let's do this!"

With a single punch, Gladiator shattered the glass of the window as he & Richard Rider became airborne & flew directly at the approaching creature that has invaded Chandilar: once they've gotten close enough, both combatants had let out battle cries, with Rider attacking by the solar blasts from his fists as Gladiator unleashed the heat beams from his eyes.

On the ground & in the skies everywhere, all available Shi'ar soldiers started getting their armaments ready to bring down the alien invader that has made itself unwelcome. In almost no time, combat ships & ground forces of all kinds opened fire once they had the monster in their sights.

The battle for Chandilar has officially begun!

Star-Base City, planet Magna, mid-morning:

Having partly accomplished their mission, the Guardians of the Galaxy were escorted by the police Chief & his men to one of the city's finest hotels – the Shaq – located within the heart of the major metropolis. It was a skyscraper which would put the original Twin Towers of New York City to shame: a golden structure that glitters during daylight when the sun shines overhead, & is a marvel to behold when lit up at night. Inside was no less impressive: beautiful & expensive artworks from various cultures in the galaxy decorated the lobby, & their rooms were glamorous to the eyes as each one contained singular/double beds, complete with bathroom & miniature kitchen.

A spectacular view of the city could be seen from each window.

Rocket raccoon & Groot agreed to share a room, with Drax & Gamora doing the same. Peter Quill would be on his own in another, but he wasn't offended in the slightest: he mentioned that his only regret was that Kitty Pride – the X-Men's Shadowcat – isn't here to enjoy this occasion, even though the Guardians were here on Magna on business.

Quill took a mental note to one day take Kitty Pride here for a vacation – just the two of them.

Getting settled into their rooms, each of them took a long relaxing shower before ordering gourmet meals which would make every mouth water. After dinner, they made their way over to one of the bars where patrons could enjoy a drink & socialize: Peter warned the team not to get too carried away on the booze, reminding them that they're here as guests by the police's expense. The last thing they wanted to do was violate that trust in any way that would end with them being behind bars, or worse, exiled from the planet.

They weren't on Knowhere, urging them to be upon their best behavior.

Peter needn't worried: Rocket & Drax only enjoyed a drink or two & mingled with the guests for a bit before the idea of a good night's sleep was too tempting to resist.

Gamora, Groot & Quill themselves turned in at an early hour, not wanting to be too tired for the day tomorrow.

It was one of the best, most refreshing sleeps they've ever had!

The next morning, a full cloudy sky was casted overhead but no indication of rain as the clouds weren't too dark for even a sprinkle. After breakfast, Peter & Gamora announced that they will go see the police Chief – named Chief Paws – to check on the condition of the Barracuda survivor, leaving Drax, Groot & Rocket to do a little sightseeing…as long as they all keep in touch with each other to act in case any trouble should occur.

Even in a peaceful place like this, anything can happen.

Peter also warned not to spend too much with the credits they have, which isn't 'much' to begin with.

With the rules set in place, the trio head off into the city.

Gamora & Quill, however, head over to the general hospital where the lone survivor of the Barracuda was being kept. Arriving in the lobby, the duo meet Chief Paws before heading over to the survivor's room. Looking in through the door's lone window, Peter & Gamora can see the figure still strapped to his bed, his eyes still holding that terrified gaze from when they first ran into him on the Barracuda, seeing & not seeing. A single nurse was seeing to his needs, from giving him a sedative to help him relax & feeding the poor fellow.

Cutthroat pirate or not, Peter & Gamora couldn't help but to feel bad for him, seeing him in this condition.

"Poor guy's still out of it", Gamora says.

"Pretty much", said Chief Paws. "Once they've brought him inside here, he started convulsing & getting violent even with the straps on. One of the nurses gave him a sedative to put him under & sleep it off, & for the most part, he was quite calm. But during the night, he woke up screaming, & so they had to dose him again with something stronger in order to quiet him down. Even now, as he woke up, he still won't do nothing but stare into space with that wide-eye look & make gruntled noises. In all the time he was here, he hasn't said anything coherent to me, the nurses & doctors or anybody else. He hasn't even eaten. I tell you, Peter Quill, Gamora: whatever it is he saw out there that trashed his ship, it really did a number on & spooked him quite good."

"So nobody has any idea on when he'll be able to talk?", Peter asked.

"In his current condition? He'll be lucky if he even remembers his own name, let alone what happened."

Chief Paws' update put quite a damper on Quill & Gamora: with the lone survivor of the Barracuda in a comatose & unresponsive state, the chances of getting all the answers to what occurred to it & the Shi'ar vessel are slipping away faster than going to warp-speed in their own ship. What's worse, Peter made a solemn promise to Richard Rider & the Nova Corps that he'd get answers from the solitary survivor of the Barracuda, whose chances of speaking in coherence again are that of him becoming as rich as Tony Stark, the playboy millionaire who's also known to the Earth as the hero Iron Man.

Not only that, the chances of them receiving that nice big bonus for volunteering on this task are slowly but surely going down the drain. It will be a big disappointment for not just the Guardians of the Galaxy, but also the Nova Corps, the Shi'ar Empire, & also those they owe credits to on Knowhere.

A lot of people will not be too happy with our current progress!, Peter thought. Hell, I'm not happy with it either!

Faces of disappointment & melancholy were shown on Peter & Gamora's faces as they look to each other in big worry. How they'll be able to receive their money & pay off the rest of the debts they owe is beyond them.

The radio on Chief Paws' belt came to life, & he answered it.

"Chief Paws here, go ahead", he replied.

"Chief, our radar just caught something that's fast approaching the city at a great speed!", it answered.

This brought Peter & Gamora out of their slump & listened closely to the report.

"Have they identified what it is?", the Chief asked.

"Negative, sir! There's too much heat friction from it entering the atmosphere to get a proper reading on it!", the man on the other end replied. "But we do know that it'll hit the city in only a couple of minutes!"

"Get a solid trajectory on where it'll hit ground at! Once you do, start evacuating the civilians to prevent anyone from becoming a casualty from it! Do you read me?"

"Copy that, Chief!"

Chief Paws looked at the two Guardians.

"Looks like we've got other things to worry about right now, kids!", he said to them.

"That's fine by us, Chief! We can use the distraction!", Gamora says as Peter nodded. "Lead the way!"

Nodding himself, Chief Paws began heading down to the main floor of the hospital with Peter & Gamora closely following him. Along the way, the Chief told everyone to remain inside & not to venture out until further notice.

Once they reached ground level, the trio looked to the skies to see if they themselves can catch a glimpse of the object coming straight for them. They heard the object before seeing it: a slight sonic boom overhead caught everyone's attention as they saw a streak of fire & smoke soaring across the mid-morning sky, traveling in a diagonal pattern.

"There it is!", Gamora said.

"Can you pinpoint where it's going to hit from here, Chief?", Peter asked.

"From the looks of it, I'd say it's going to crash in the park!", Chief Paws says, already on the move with the two Guardians following. "Let's hope it gets evacuated before we arrive!"

"Meet me there!"

Before Chief Paws could ask what Peter Quill meant, the Guardian's metal face mask covered his face & Star-Lord took off via his jet pack, racing off to reach the designated impact area just as the object was only moments away from hitting landfall.

From another area of the city, Drax, Rocket & Groot were each admiring the sights when they too heard the sonic boom that was followed immediately by the streak which was visible in the sky, heading straight down into the city.

"Whoa!", Rocket exclaimed. "I've seen shooting stars in my time, but never this close!"

"I am Groot!", he said.

"You neither, huh?"

"I don't think that is a shooting star!", Drax said, quickly getting on his communicator. "Quill, Gamora, talk to me! What's going on here?"

Gamora got on her own communicator & began explaining details as she ran with Chief Paws.

Finally, the falling object hit ground, creating a slight tremor as smoke, dirt & patches of grass created a plume as the object hit an open patch of empty land at the park. Citizens in the park ran for cover from the second they saw it heading their way, preventing any casualties. Star-Lord arrived shortly after, descending to the ground & asking people to give him some breathing room. As the smoke started to clear, so did the image of the object that fell from the sky.

Only thing is, this was not a shooting star, meteor or any inanimate object.

It was a person – one Star-Lord instantly recognized as he retracted his face mask to reveal a shocked expression.

"Oh my god – Richard?!", he says, running towards the fallen Nova Corps member.

Kneeling down next to him, Peter saw Rider's uniform scorched & torn in spots as wisps of smoke still rose from his tattered Nova Corps outfit. The same went for his helmet, & Peter could see eye movement: removing his helmet, Quill saw that Richard had been through a war zone, battling some unknown enemy.

"Richard! Richard, it's me, Peter! Can you hear me?!", he cried out to him.

"P-Peter?", Rider says weakly.

"Yeah, buddy! What happened to you? Who did this?!"

"Pete…start evacuating the city…right now…"

"Wait, what?"

"Get…the city cleared…before…it arrives…"

"What do you mean by 'it'? What's coming?"

Richard passed out before he could answer.

Putting his fingers to his neck, Peter still found a pulse & was relieved to know he's alive, just exhausted.

In the distance, Chief Paws & Gamora were making their way through the crowd, ordering people to give them space. As they get closer to Quill, Gamora can also see Richard Rider & puts on an extra burst of speed.

"Richard! Is he…?", she started to ask.

"He's alive, Gamora. Just passed out from his injuries", Quill says.

"He looks like he went ten rounds with Thanos! What happened to him?!", Chief Paws asks, catching up to them.

"I was asking him that when he lost consciousness. All he managed to say was to evacuate the city, on account of that it was coming."

"'It'?", Gamora & Chief Paws asked.

"That's when he passed out…before he could give a straight answer."

The Chief's radio came on again.

"Chief Paws here", he answered.

"Chief, you'd better start a major evacuation of the city – right now!", came the reply.

"What? What are you talking about? The object that came falling from the sky is an officer from the Nova Corps, nothing else."

"That's where you're wrong, sir! There's a second object following the first one approaching the city, & believe me, sir…this fucking thing is huge!"

Hearing the report over the Chief's radio gave Quill & Gamora a sense of dread.

"Chief…maybe you'd better go do as he suggests!", Gamora says.

Seeing the tattered unconscious body of Richard Rider, Chief Paws nodded.

Getting back on the radio, Chief Paws walked towards the onlookers & told them to seek shelter at once while he addressed his fellow officers & began giving them orders to help with the evacuation. Shortly after he started, a chorus of noises was heard everywhere, catching the entire city's attention: every pair of eyes in Star-Base looked up & peered into the cloudy sky as the sounds were getting closer & louder in volume. They were a mix of water, electricity, insect chirps & a heartbeat, giving the people in the city an uncomfortable feeling.

That especially went for Drax, Peter & Gamora, as they've heard these noises in unison before: the brief but most horrifying preview of what was captured on the Barracuda as it was getting destroyed by some unknown monster.

Even now, it sent a cold shiver up their spines. That also included the survivor of the Barracuda, as hearing those noises again made him go wild as he thrashed like a fish on a hook against his bonds, wanting to be anywhere but here.

Much to his dismay, there was no one around to set him free.

A male teenager announced for everyone to look in the sky where he pointed, as the citizens of the city now see an enormous shadow writhing within the clouds as it descended itself upon the city. Appendages like tentacles could be seen moving through the cloud cover, until finally it reveals itself to a startled & horrified populace: the thing was a sort of squid-shaped creature with a light teal hue in its flesh (if it is its flesh), a pair of antennae on the top of its eyeless head, & a count of seven tentacles in all: two on its upper part which acted like arms, & five more on its lower abdomen.

Nobody could determine the thing's actual size, but it did take up a large portion of the sky above.

The scenario reminded Peter Quill of the 1996 science-fiction movie 'Independence Day', starring Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum & Will Smith, where 15-mile long alien ships descended to Earth to try & exterminate the human race.

Only this alien invader was a living creature instead of a spaceship.

"Oh man! You've got to be shitting me!", Quill said under his breath.

Groot, Rocket & Drax couldn't believe their eyes any more than Peter could.

"I am Groot!", the tree man said, his face filled with fear.

"I can't believe it either, pal!", Rocket said. "What in God's name…?"

"He ain't got nothing to do with this!", Drax says, just as scared as his teammates.

Of all the Guardians, Gamora was the most scared of all: she recalled hearing this sort of sound in a previous life long before she'd seen the video footage on the Barracuda, believing it was gone forever.

Now it's returned in a much different form than when she last saw it.

She even said a name under her breath, one she thought she'd never hear, let alone utter again.

"Dogora!"

CHAPTER VI

Over the skies of Star-Base, planet Magna:

Dogora hovered over the skies of Star-Base like a giant balloon on a string, waving its massive tentacles like they were flags blowing in the breeze. Every citizen & visitor of Magna's capital city stared in utter disbelief at the gigantic space monster that has invaded their sanctuary, many of them afraid of what this monstrosity will do to their beloved homes & businesses.

The Guardians of the Galaxy & even Chief Paws knew beforehand what's most likely going to happen, & they were the first to get the crowd to become mobile.

"Everybody take shelter…NOW!", Peter yelled to the onlookers.

His command got the crowd to disperse as many people started vacating the immediate area, with a good number of them screaming in panic as they feared an attack would be imminent.

It was good intuition: in almost no time, numerous fighter ships of various shapes & designs streaked across the sky & began opening fire upon Dogora, as the monster was bombarded by laser & missile fire in a volley that had more than enough power to destroy a small fleet of enemy ships. Every attack against Dogora hit the creature dead-on, but unfortunately didn't do any visible damage: whatever areas that were struck by the attack simply closed & healed up in an instant – as if the wounds had never been inflicted to begin with.

This didn't deter the attack fleet one bit: they continued assaulting Dogora with their heavy weaponry, striking him with everything they got in hopes to make some kind of permanent dent in its thick teal hide.

All they were doing, however, was causing wounds that sealed up as soon as there was damage.

Not to mention they were making it angry: with a whip of one of its upper tentacles, Dogora swatted a plethora of fighter ships like they were nothing more than annoying flies, destroying each one unlucky enough to be in its path.

Dogora whipped its tentacle with a speed that many would deem impossible for anything so huge.

Every destroyed ship left zero survivors as debris struck surrounding structures, exploding on contact & raining rubble/debris onto the streets. This really caused people to take off & run for shelter to escape the terror that has come to their home, with many of them screaming in horror.

The terror in the city didn't end there, it was only beginning: as more fighter ships & even ground forces converge on & fire at Dogora, the space monster retaliated by wrapping one of its lower tentacles at the nearest building & pulled with all its might, prying the entire thing loose as people within screamed in horror as they crashed through windows & fell to their deaths on the ground below.

"Oh, dear god!", Quill said under his breath, not sure he believes what he was seeing is real.

But it was: with hardly any effort, Dogora tossed the building in its appendage directly at the ground forces that all but crushed a huge portion of assault vehicles & their operators.

None of them had any time to scream before they were flattened/crushed to death, as it all happened so fast.

In his next attack, Dogora used his own tentacle to flatten another barrage of ground forces, smashing them like cheap model kits & killing those that worked them. It then swatted these away & they flew across the air to crash into a cluster of buildings, striking them like they were missiles as debris scattered all over the city streets, some of it hitting & killing those trying to reach for safer quarters.

A few of those even reached the area where Drax, Rocket & Groot are, with one or two coming awfully close to actually hitting them.

"I am Groot!", he said, running for cover like everyone else.

"Yeah, buddy! That sure was a close one!", Rocket said, riding on Groot's shoulder. "What the fuck are we going to do about this?!"

"Whatever that thing is, we can't fight it, Rocket!", Drax says, getting on his communicator amid all the chaos. "Quill! Gamora! You there?!"

"Drax! Where are you three right now?!", Peter asked.

"Somewhere downtown! Local police are having their hands full with evacuating people & getting them to safety! Should we lend them our assistance?"

"Negative! As much as it might pain us to do, we need to get evacuated ourselves! The city's defenses are throwing everything they have at this thing, & they're not even beginning to slow it down! Until we can find an effective way to stop this thing in its tracks, we're just liabilities! Get yourselves back to the ship…pronto!"

"I am Groot!", said the tree man.

"Yeah, Quill doesn't have to tell us twice!", Rocket said.

Quill was correct: much as it did pain the trio, Dogora was something they couldn't fight currently, especially as how the city's defense forces are getting their asses handed to them by this alien monster.

If they can't stop this creature, what chance will the Guardians have?

Right now, a hasty retreat really was the only option.

Hanging up his own comm, Peter went to Gamora, who stared at Dogora like she was hypnotized by it.

"Gamora!", he said to her. When she didn't respond, he called her name louder & turned her to face him.

"Quill…what do we do?!", Gamora replied in a voice that was on the verge of a full-blown panic.

Peter very seldomly saw the Daughter of Thanos in such a helpless state since he'd known her: she looked & even sounded like that scared little girl who saw her entire race wiped out by the Mad Titan, sparing only her. Looking into her eyes, Peter can see that great fear was evident within.

But he didn't have time to ponder about it: Dogora was still tearing up the city & smashing its defenses, & they needed to vacate along with the city's residents.

"We're getting the hell out of here, that's what!", Quill said sternly. "Get Richard & take him back to the ship! I'll cover your route in case any debris or wreckage comes our way! Now move!"

Gamora got the courage to get back on her feet, pick up Richard Rider & started heading for the ship that was, to their dismay, many blocks away. It was rough for Gamora to run with added weight, not to mention getting through a panicked crowd as people rush to be away from the carnage & devastation that has befallen Magna's capital city.

The Daughter of Thanos was panicked herself, but she fought through the fear & did her best to get Richard Rider back to their ship.

It felt like a million miles away.

As Star-Lord blasted away chunks of rubble/debris that headed their way, Dogora continued crushing defense vehicles/aircraft that were attacking it: another swipe of its tentacles pulverized several ships in a single blow, missing a couple that resumed fire upon it. Their efforts were even less successful: Dogora took these out of commission as no more than flaming wrecks that left no survivors.

From underneath its bottom abdomen, Dogora began sucking up debris that also started doing the same to people & vehicles, smashed or not. Horrified evacuees & even police officers/military personnel screamed in horror as they all were lifted up & swallowed by Dogora, disappearing from sight as their cries for help went unanswered & silenced for good.

Watching this spectacle made Star-Lord sick to his stomach: not only was this alien monster destroying the city, it was inhaling victims & consuming them.

My God!, Star-Lord thought. And I thought Galactus & Thanos were malicious!

Blasting another two big pieces of debris into smaller chunks that will give the evacuees no harm except get their hair & suits dirty, Star-Lord kept covering Gamora's escape.

Dogora soared over the city, creating a large shadow underneath wherever it went. People scrambled frantically to steer clear of the oncoming monster, not wanting to share the same fate that several others did when the beast began sucking up debris & people.

The lone survivor of the Barracuda saw the creature coming towards it from his hospital room, but couldn't do a damn thing on account of him being strapped to his bed, his arms & legs pinned. He squirmed & struggled like mad to hopefully slip under his bonds before the monster reached his area.

He was whimpering & crying the entire time, his fear going through the roof.

Opening his mouth, the survivor tried to scream for help, but his vocal chords wouldn't work. All he could do was stare at the alien monstrosity that was quickly approaching his position, his trepidation rising the closer it gets.

Soon, he'll be sharing the same fate that Rocksteady & his fellow pirates suffered on the Barracuda.

Even as death loomed over his head, the survivor mentally said a prayer to the Heavens above to deliver him to safety. Outside, Dogora raised a tentacle to swipe at more fighter ships as they all ended up as scrap metal.

It sailed straight for the hospital as the survivor closed his eyes, not wanting to see his death coming.

After several moments, it never came.

Opening his eyes slowly, the survivor saw that Dogora was hovering past the hospital & leaving it – and him – alone. Getting himself under control, he began to settle down as he escapes death as the monster passes by.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he smiled & began to laugh.

I've been spared! I've been given a second chance!, he happily thought. When they release me from here, I'll be going straight from now on: no more pillaging & robbing, no more killing, just sunny days at the beach with lovely girls by my side, I'll be living the good life from this moment…

His happy thoughts were violently interrupted when Dogora's long tentacle crashed into the hospital building at the very top, bringing it down & crushing it under its great strength. That included killing the Barracuda's lone survivor & everyone else that were still trying to exit the premises to get to safety, from doctors & nurses to their patients. Debris spilled onto the streets as the entire structure caved in on itself.

Sensing what it needed within the rubble, Dogora began sucking up what remained of the hospital, consuming it into its digestive system as people & other objects were also caught in the updraft, each one screaming for help that will never come. In seconds they were gone from sight, entering Dogora's body & digested.

From above, ships carrying tons of bombs fly 100 meters over Dogora before dropping their dangerous payloads upon the space monster. Dozens of powerful napalm bombs explode on the creature's hide & sets it on fire, each pilot believing they've finally managed to hurt the alien invader. The assault didn't let up: more bomber ships came by & all dumped their packages on Dogora, covering almost all of the creature in a huge fiery holocaust.

The attack went on for several minutes until all bomber ships exhausted their bomb supply.

It turned Dogora into a floating fireball, giving the people & the city hope.

Even the Guardians of the Galaxy stopped to witness the aerial attack on Dogora, hoping that this nightmare will be all over soon. By now, Dogora was completely covered in flames as his tentacles even stopped writhing in the wind before his movements ceased altogether after a minute or two. Even the cacophony of sounds Dogora made stopped.

Gradually, the flames all but burned away, exposing what everyone hoped a charred, burned & dead alien beast.

All hopes & prayers were dashed at the blink of an eye as they bore witness to something they shouldn't be seeing right now: Dogora was still alive & well, his person seemingly unhurt by all the high-intensity flames that bombarded it, leaving no signs of burn marks anywhere.

It still lives…even after all that?!, Star-Lord thought. What is this thing made of?!

Not even Drax, Groot & Rocket could believe what they've just seen.

"All that fire literally rained down on it…and yet this giant beast still survives?!", Drax says.

"I am Groot!", said the humanoid tree.

"Yeah, old buddy!", Rocket said. "They didn't stop it…but I'm betting that they pissed it off!"

Gamora, on the other hand, wasn't too surprised to still see Dogora among the living: she'd once seen it take a beating worse than flames & come out unscathed long ago.

High-intensity flames wouldn't even come close to halting its progress.

But, as Rocket Raccoon stated, it could very well get angry. Very angry.

Rocket's instincts were accurate, as Dogora was infuriated by the flames, & it wastes no time in expressing its utter displeasure: using two tentacles, it wrapped them around a building each & pulled in the same manner it would go & uproot a tree from the ground, roots & all. With unbelievable speed, it threw these broken off structures at the bomber ships that dropped their combustible payloads on it as people still trapped inside screamed while they were being lifted off & thrown by the space monster, many of them hitting the ground below & killed.

Those trapped within died in explosions that killed them & the ships Dogora had aimed for.

Debris scattered everywhere & struck the city below, causing people to resume their trek for safer quarters.

But with Dogora going berserk from the napalm attack, there was no such thing as safety: the space monster had next plowed its tentacle into a building from the bottom & dragged it up, shattering concrete, steel & glass everywhere as people were getting hit by the pieces, many of which were fatal. Pieces of glass have stabbed some, while decapitating others; steel pieces pierced several straight through their bodies, going in one end & out the other; slabs of concrete had acted like instant death sentences as more than a few were crushed like they were insects.

Even Groot & Star-Lord were having trouble catching/deflecting pieces of debris: while Groot was able to catch & toss it away elsewhere so it wouldn't cause any harm & Star-Lord was blasting away at those he could get within his sights, it was still too much at one time.

Drax & Rocket begged Groot to let it go & head back to their ship.

However disappointed & heartbroken he was, Groot knew they were right: growing up literally to 16 feet high, he picked up his two companions in one hand & strolled towards their craft, using his other hand/arm like a shield to keep themselves & others safe from falling debris.

Star-Lord kept on blasting at debris with his dual-barreled guns, urging Gamora to go on as she carried Richard Rider, still unconscious, in her arms while getting through the crowd.

Despite the failure of the napalm attack, the fighter ships & ground forces didn't relent on their assault upon the space monster, as Dogora now headed over to a long & sturdy bridge while causing mass destruction to other buildings on his flight over there, swatting ships & flattening ground vehicles along the way.

What frightened Star-Lord most of all wasn't just because it was heading straight towards the bridge.

It was filled to capacity with people trying to run away from the creature.

No…no, no. no. no. NO!, Quill thought, his heart leaping in his throat.

But there wasn't anything he could do to prevent what was about to happen: with his tentacles from the upper part of its body, Dogora had used these to wrap them around the bridge as it maintained a firm grip, violently crushing a group of fleeing citizens. Using its mighty strength, Dogora pulled on the bridge until the structure broke loose as it lifted into the air, spilling screaming citizens as they plunged to the river below.

Others were tossed onto the streets and/or into buildings, killed on contact.

Fighting the urge to wail out in great frustration & sadness, Star-Lord watched as Dogora then threw away what was left of the bridge like a child throwing away his/her favorite toy in anger. It crashed into several buildings, turning each one into piles of rubble which polluted streets & gave many residents early graves. Dogora soared past the ruins of the bridge & headed towards the edge of the city, smashing/pulverizing whatever buildings that were in its way.

Star-Lord realized exactly where it's heading towards, making him more nervous.

Retracting his face mask, he gets on the communicator.

"Drax! Rocket!", he says. "Are you guys at the ship yet?!"

It was Rocket who replied.

"Just about, Quill! Groot's getting us there in record time, & we should be inside in just a few minutes! How's Gamora holding up?"

Peter looked to see Gamora's progress as the green-skinned Guardian kept on running through the crowd with Rider in tow. While she was making progress, it still wasn't enough: they were a distance away from the ship, & with Dogora tearing up the city like it is, the trip back would delay them further due to both the carnage and the crowd.

Quill would have to improvise something to get them there faster.

"Gamora & I will be heading down to you soon enough!", Peter said. "Just get aboard yourselves quickly & have her started up: this damn thing's heading in the same direction we are!"

He hung up before Rocket, Drax or even Groot could reply.

Another series of explosions from fighter ships making a renewed assault on Dogora got Quill moving again as he re-donned his face mask & headed for Gamora. Streaking towards his fellow Guardian, Star-Lord reached with his hands & scooped up Gamora from underneath her armpits & hauled her & Richard Rider up before putting on an extra burst of speed.

"Peter, what the…?", Gamora started saying.

"My apologies for the sudden life & carry like this, Gamora, but we really need to go!", Quill says. "That thing's heading straight for our ship! Just hang on, & hold tight to Rider!"

As they streaked directly for where their ship was parked, more blasts of bombs & missiles careened across the space monster's body, making it more aggravated than ever: smashing a tentacle into another building close by, Dogora plowed it into the next wave of armed resistance, crushing ground forces & knocking out aircraft left & right. Using its lower tentacles, Dogora picked up vehicles & other objects of all kinds & tossed them over at its aggressors, scoring a bullseye every time & destroying enemies where they lay.

Nobody could get to safety in time, as they all died with their machines.

Sensing more of what it needs to flourish, Dogora began sucking it up into its massive body, taking any unlucky souls with it as they screamed in terror & cried out for help. Their lungs went sour before they disappeared within the alien beast's interior, never to be seen or heard from again.

Dogora didn't relent in his attack or reign of destruction: several nearby buildings were either destroyed by the mass tentacles or uprooted from their foundation & tossed to various parts of the city, smashing into other buildings & raining down rubble/debris upon the fleeing populace. More than a few came close to hitting Star-Lord & company, as pieces of buildings nearly squashed the fleeing trio before Star-Lord put on more speed, exceeding the limits that his jet pack was capable of performing.

One piece even struck him in the back of his head, causing him to stagger a bit before he regained his balance.

Good thing that wasn't too big a piece!, Peter thought. But that damn thing still hurt!

He prayed that Groot, Drax & Rocket were either already at the ship or close to it.

After another minute or two of staying ahead of the carnage Dogora was causing the city, he finally saw Groot heading for their ship, with Drax & Rocket in tow in one overstretched hand while still using the other to block any flying debris that came their way, saving themselves & as much of the populace as he could.

Excellent! They've arrived!, Quill thought. Now we just have to stay in one piece!

Many others were also reaching for their ships parked on the landing platform on the outskirts of the city, many stepping over those who have fallen onto the pavement in their panic & getting clobbered to death by the mass of many feet/legs.

Returning to his normal height, Groot released Drax & Rocket as they open the door to their ship with Rocket & Drax quickly urging Star-Lord to get a move-on. Nodding, Peter pushed his jet pack to its limit as the others went inside.

Thirty seconds later, Star-Lord arrived & retracted his face mask after putting Gamora back onto the ground.

"Inside! Quick!", he called to her, & Gamora didn't hesitate despite her legs feeling like rubber.

Taking a quick look over his shoulder, Peter saw Dogora still advancing towards their position, & his own legs felt like they couldn't support him, his heart palpitating like a galloping horse.

Another piece of rubble that crashed near them & crushed a ship with passengers in it, pushed Peter's motivation as he entered the ship. Closing the rear doors, he saw Gamora placing Richard Rider down on the floor before she had collapsed & fell up against the wall.

"Rocket…", Gamora tried to say, but it only came out as just above a squeak like she'd lost her voice.

Peter, however, didn't have that restriction.

"ROCKET! GET US OUTTA HERE!", he screamed as he made his way to the bridge.

Rocket didn't need to be told twice: he frantically but quickly & expertly started up the craft as it hummed to life, with Dogora looming closer & closer. A face of fear was on the raccoon's face as he fought not only to get the ship up in the air, but also to maintain his sanity & keep his trepidation under control.

But make no mistake about it: Rocket Raccoon was scared.

So were the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy. And for very good reason.

The feel of the ship rising up from the ground gave the team little comfort as Rocket began thrusting it forward, just in time to avoid a larger piece of building from flattening them like an empty soda can. Dogora was practically at arm's length – literally – as its massive form cast an overhead shadow over the Guardians & all other ships in the area.

Several other ships were already taking off in a hurry, but many of them were swatted away by one swipe of the space monster's tentacle, exploding them on contact. Others were snatched in mid-air & on the ground (those that were not so fortunate to have taken off yet), getting thrown at various areas of the city, causing explosions & destruction at everywhere they landed.

Oh, fuck me!, Rocket thought, seeing a massive tentacle of Dogora's heading straight for them.

"Hold on, everyone! Shit is about to get real tight!", Rocket shouted, turning the ship in a sharp curve.

Everyone did as Rocket instructed, holding on for dear life as the ship makes a steep turn to the right before going up & out of Dogora's reach, if barely.

Had Rocket been a split-second slower, they'd all be dead that instant.

Letting out a breath of relief, Rocket looked up at the monitor to watch something that chilled him.

"Guys, I've got some good news & some bad news!", he says.

"Meaning?", Drax asked.

"Good news is, we narrowly avoided death! Bad news…just see for yourselves!"

Pointing to the monitor, Rocket addressed everyone to the screen to see Dogora in hot pursuit of them.

"This creature has got it in for us!", Drax said.

"Maybe we can use that!", Peter said, getting stares of disbelief from the team.

"Are you crazy, Quill?!", Rocket blasted. "We narrowly escaped being swatted, & you say it's a 'good thing' this monster is following us?!"

"Yes! If we can lure it away from the city…"

"And then what, genius?!"

"We'll figure that out once we lure it away! Just do it, Rocket!"

Sighing, Rocket does as ordered, but not without a warning.

"If we die from this, Quill, we're going to haunt you forever in the afterlife!", he says.

"Fine, whatever!", Peter said. "Just keep it trained on us instead of the city!"

Grumbling under his breath, Rocket continued keeping Dogora's attention on them.

Below, the city zoo was also struck by Dogora's rampage as several cages & containment areas where animals were kept broke out from the debris thrown by the space creature, unleashing beasts such as two-trunked & four-tusked elephants, snakes with legs (& even pincers), & other species that were collected & put on display for the public to see.

Even the insects were given freedom from the monster's reign of destruction, including a small but deadly swarm of wasps that were each the size of an Earth chihuahua which took to the air, going straight up.

With every skill he could muster, Rocket kept the ship away & out of Dogora's reach, who was still in pursuit of the Guardians in its berserk fury. Swinging its tentacles at the escaping craft, Dogora came closer to sending both it & its crew to the scrap heap like it did so many others. Only Rocket's crafty skills at the ship controls were keeping them alive.

But even that has its limits: Dogora's determination to destroy the Guardians' vessel was getting stronger as it eluded it further, & each attempt it made to swat it got the creature closer to actually succeeding.

"Quill, I don't know how much longer I can give this thing the slip!", Rocket said, dodging another swipe. "If you got any bright ideas on how to lose this son-of-a-bitch…!"

"Just try & lure it into the stratosphere, Rocket!", Peter said. "Once we get there, we'll see about getting it to…"

"Wait…look!", Drax said, pointing at the screen.

Everyone stared at the monitor to see something unexpected: Dogora ceased its pursuit/attack on the Guardians & went floating off in another direction, moving quick for something that was huge. As it left, several objects fell from its underside as it retreated back into the heavens.

This maneuver left the Guardians puzzled.

"What just happened?", Drax announced. "The thing had us cold, & then it suddenly goes away?"

"I am Groot", the tree-man said, just as perplexed.

"It's bamboozling the rest of us, Groot", Peter said as several systems were abruptly shorting out. "But we can worry about that later. Rocket…go set us back down."

"Yeah, we got a little repair work ahead of us", Rocket replied, stating the obvious.

"Among other things", Peter said under his breath.

The Guardians' ship descended back down to the outskirts of the city.

Star-Base City, a few hours later:

Even though it was sluggish in responding, Rocket did manage to set the ship down without further incident. As he got out of his seat, Rocket checked the circuit board as Peter asked what was wrong. His response was that many of the circuits were fried when they were trying to escape the space creature before & after having its sights set on them.

Ordering Rocket to get to work patching up the damage, he ordered Gamora to put Richard Rider in the med-bay before he stepped out, telling her he'd be away for a bit.

Activating his jet pack, Star-Lord went over to the ruins of Star-Base City & saw a nightmare even before he got close enough: buildings were pulverized as some were torn out like a dentist pulled teeth, with others leaning on angles that were never part of their original design. The streets were littered with debris, rubble & bodies, more deceased than survivors. For the ones that did survive the monster's attack, it was like living in Hell.

When the Guardians of the Galaxy arrived, they were staring at a city of paradise.

Now they were looking at a place that seemed more like a ghost town.

It cringed his heart as if Yondu grabbed at & squeezed it dry.

From eighteen feet away, he heard a child crying for her mother: she was a little humanoid cub who looked to be no more than three or four, if Peter had to guess, attired in a pink dress that now seemed more red from all the dirt along with patches of blood that soiled it.

Peter walked up to the child, who turned to him.

"Hey honey…where's your mom?", Quill asked gently, kneeling in front of the bear child.

"She…she got killed underneath a lot of big rocks", she said, her tears flowing from her eyes.

Unable to hold it in, the child came to Peter, buried her head in his chest & cried.

Quill wrapped his arms around her & let her do so.

After a minute or two when her crying got less severe, Peter gently lifted her head with his finger.

"What's your name, sweetheart?", he asked.

"April", she replied as Peter smiled.

"That's a very pretty name for a young girl. We sometimes use that name back on my planet."

"You do?"

"Yep."

"Do you know of anyone named April where you came from?"

"Not personally, if that's what you mean. But we do use it to describe some people that they're as fresh & natural as the month that's also named April. Meaning…they're just as pretty & full of sunshine, which is how I also see you as."

"Really?"

"Really."

April smiled a little bit, but it was more than good enough for Peter.

It was a small break from all the death & destruction that occurred in Star-Base City, but Peter took it.

He actually needed a respite amid the devastation. Even a little one.

"Come with me, April", he said. "I'll take you over to the first officer we see."

Nodding, April allowed Peter Quill to take her in his arms right after he donned his metal face mask & took to the skies, searching for the nearest figure in an officer's uniform. Star-Lord hits paydirt almost right away when he sees a group of officers getting those injured (& sadly, some deceased) into the proper vehicles to take them to whoever can get them immediate medical attention, or to the morgue.

One of these officers is somebody Peter knows.

"Chief Paws!", Quill called out to him, descending & landing before his face mask retracted.

"Peter Quill!", the Chief says as Quill approached. "Glad to see you're okay, son. And the other Guardians of the Galaxy?"

"Shaken up a bit, but they'll pull through."

Chief Paws nodded before acknowledging Peter's little hitchhiker.

"And who do we have here?", he asked.

"Say hello to April, Chief", Peter explains. "I found her somewhere over at the ruins of a living quarters area. I'm sad to say she lost her mother in that mess."

"My sympathies, April. My men & I will do whatever we can to help you, okay honey?"

April nodded, thanking the officer.

Looking at his crowd of officers, the Chief called over one of his top men.

"Sergeant!", he said, waving him over – a tough but compassionate humanoid saurian with lime-green flesh.

"You called, sir?", he says.

"Yes. I'd like for you to see to the needs of little April here: she's lost her mother when that monster attacked us, leaving her all alone."

The Sergeant looked at April with a face of sympathy.

"Our deepest apologies, April", he said. "I'll help in any way I can."

The Sergeant held out his hands as Peter Quill gently handed her over before the officer walked away with the orphaned child.

"That's one part of the job that never gets any easier, Mr. Quill", Chief Paws said. "To me, nothing's more tragic than when children lose either or both of their parents at such a young age."

"I know the feeling, Chief", Peter says. "Because I've been there myself. And the only thing that could be worse is when parents/grandparents outlive their own kids. Even now, I can never tell which one is worse."

"That certainly goes without saying, doesn't it?"

When Peter didn't reply, the Chief looked to him as Quill stared at all the destruction of the city & the bodies all being loaded into vehicles: some going to be treated for injuries, while others going to be buried at a later time.

Seeing the aftermath of this mayhem caused by Dogora was weighing Peter down, feeling as if Thanos was trying to crush him with his own bare hands.

"Mr. Quill?", the Chief says.

"I should've done more, Chief", Peter said. "My team should've done more. Instead, we ran away with our tails between our legs!"

Chief Paws got in front of the Guardian & looked him straight in the eye.

"Mr. Quill", he said firmly but kindly. "There's only so much that a single man – or even a single team – can do under such strenuous circumstances. This creature – wherever it came from – beat our city's defense forces, a formidable one. What chance would you Guardians of the Galaxy have against it? Nobody will blame you people for high-tailing it out of here. There's a time to be brave, yes, but also a time to know when to cut your losses."

The Chief paused for a moment to let it sink in before continuing.

"It still doesn't mean you're cowards, Mr. Quill: we saw you & your Guardians leading that monster away when it focused its rage upon your ship. I don't know how you did it, but you got that thing away from our city before it could get any worse than what it has already become. Surely you can take comfort in that."

Chief Paws' words had some effect on Peter, & he nodded.

"Yes, Chief. I suppose that is something", Quill managed to say.

The Chief of police nodded, seeing he got through to the man.

"It's certainly more than what we've done", he said. "Look, I need to get back to work, but if there's anything else my men & I can assist you & your Guardians with, we'll do our best to comply. Good enough?"

"We'll let you know, Chief. Thanks again", Peter says before donning his face mask & taking off to go back the way he came. After Star-Lord was out of sight, Chief Paws resumed his duties.

Peter Quill made sure he was at a far distance before he came back down on the ground, retracted his face mask & just stared into space for several moments. The thoughts of Dogora wreaking havoc on Star-Base City, killing many of its citizens, holding the orphaned April in his arms when she was sobbing over the loss of her mother was much too overwhelming for him to take.

With nobody around in the immediate vicinity, Peter Quill could contain himself no more.

Getting down on one knee, he placed his hands over his face & cried, holding back nothing.

Peter Quill couldn't remember the last time he cried like this, probably when he lost his own mother to Badoon warriors sent to kill him as a child.

He just couldn't recall if he did or not.

For a rare instance, Peter felt like he was utterly useless: having to run away from a space monster that had nearly dwarfed the city in sheer size, causing death & destruction he'd not seen since the massacre at Planet Spartax, caused by a woman named Hala, whose own home planet was destroyed by Quill's own father, doing so out of retribution & vengeance.

The only big difference is, Hala was driven by revenge to lay waste to Spartax, while this creature was practically just following its instincts & only got highly aggressive when provoked into an attack. Peter clearly remembered when the thing went berserk with rage after it was assaulted repeatedly & lashed out like any wounded animal would.

But it still doesn't make it all right, & that's one reason why Quill wept.

After his tears & sorrow were spent, Peter removed his hands to reveal still moist tears running down his face as he eyed the area on which he stood, completely covered in rubble of what were once tall & beautiful structures.

In the glint of the late sun, Peter also saw something else that caught his sight.

Wiping away tears, he walked over to see a pair of stones that each had an unusual color pattern – one of them is a gold hue, with the other in an orange-red. Quill knew that stones don't usually come in these shades, unless…

He quickly recalled seeing items dropped from Dogora when it suddenly took off & headed back into the stars as it was in hot pursuit of him & the other Guardians when they were luring it away. In fact, he was the only one on the entire team to notice objects being dropped from the creature as it fled the scene abruptly.

Reaching down & picking the colored stones up, Quill looked at them fiercely & wondered if they were something the monster drops normally like feces from a dog, or if it was something else.

Peter needed answers to this mystery, & he knew just where to start to get them.

His sorrow turned to anger as he started heading back to the ship.

CHAPTER VII

The Guardians' ship, outskirts of Star-Base City:

While Peter went out into the ruins of the city, Rocket Raccoon was hard at work on repairing the ship's console, which was overheating & fried while evading the space monster just hours earlier. With assistance from Drax & Groot when he required it, Rocket got a portion of the ship repaired as certain functions had returned to normal, including the ship's monitor. Taking a break from their hard labor, the trio – including an unusually-quiet Gamora – viewed the thing & saw a heart-wrenching mix of scenes from a news report coming from the ruined city: shots of people being taken to areas of healing & the morgue, buildings knocked over into others, piles of rubble/debris where buildings all once stood proud, & many others that made each team member feel like Galactus was squeezing the very life out of them.

One scene showed what remained of a hospital that got attacked & pulverized by Dogora.

"I am Groot!", the tree-man said, pointing to the monitor.

"Yeah, I recognize it too, buddy!", Rocket said. "That's the very same hospital where Gamora & Quill took the Barracuda survivor to! No doubt the poor fool got buried along with the building, & worse yet, we probably won't even get paid for our damn troubles!"

"It's probably not all that bad, Rocket", Drax said. "At least we can assume that creature which attacked the city is also responsible for both the wreckage of the Shi'ar ship and the Barracuda, judging by the tentacles and the sounds it was making – the exact same ones we saw on the Barracuda's recording we found. But now, that creature is still at large, & nobody even knows where it came from."

"I just might have an idea about that, Drax", Peter said, entering the bridge & startling the rest.

"You do, Pete?", Rocket asked.

"Yeah, Rocket. Why don't we just simply ask her where it came from?", Peter says, pointing to the green-skinned warrior.

"Gamora?", Rocket & Drax say, completely stunned & perplexed.

"I am Groot?", he asked, just as confused.

Gamora looked at Quill like he was on something unpleasant.

"Me?", she asked, placing a hand on her chest. "Why in the galaxy would you ever think that I'd know where this damn thing came from?"

"I heard you say a name back there, Gamora…right before all Hell broke loose", Peter said.

At that moment, Gamora felt like an entire planet was weighing down on her.

"I…you probably only thought you heard me say something, Peter", Gamora says, making herself seem innocent. "You know…it was a spur of the moment thing…when that creature came & showed itself to us, my mind was trying to comprehend on the situation, and…"

Quill wasn't buying it, even for a second: he banged his fist against the wall, silencing her ranting on a dime.

"I heard. You say. A name!", he barked. "What was it, Gamora?!"

Groot, Drax & Rocket all stared at their teammate, just as eager in awaiting an answer as Quill was.

"Gamora honey, if you really know something about this damn thing, then you need to speak up…because what we don't know will kill us, & God knows how many more out there!", Rocket said, pointing to the scenes of mayhem on their monitor.

"I am Groot!", he said, pointing a finger into his palm that said 'out with it!', his face stern.

Looking at the unsympathetic faces of Peter & Drax, Gamora felt outnumbered. And defeated.

Feeling the pressure from her own teammates, Gamora had no choice but to reveal the hidden truth.

She took a seat before beginning, her eyes staring down at the floor.

"Dogora", she said. "Its name is Dogora."

"Does Thanos have anything to do with this 'Dogora', Gamora?", Drax asked firmly.

She looked at him before answering.

"He has everything to do with it, Drax", Gamora replied before turning away again. "He created the thing."

The faces of Groot, Rocket & especially Drax were all masks of astonishment & shock.

Peter's face, however, remained firm.

"Go on!", he pressed.

"It was just one year after Thanos invaded my home, killed my entire race & took me under his wing", Gamora continued as she told her story.

Titan, many years ago:

Home of the Titanian Eternals which was founded at about 250,000 years ago after a devastating civil war among the first generation of Earth's Eternals, Uranos & Kronos. The latter prevailed, forcing the former & his survivors into exile to the planet Uranus. In the years that followed, Mentor & sole survivor Sui-San bore a pair of sons: Eros (later known as Starfox) & Thanos, the latter of whom left Titan to gather & army in order to wage war on & attack it. This assault killed Sui-San, with Mentor imploring his father Chronos to assist in aiding him to stop his renegade son.

Thus, Chronos created Drax the Destroyer – a heated/hated rivalry that will last for years.

In the battles that followed, Titan would eventually belong solely to Thanos, who became fascinated with death (as he tried vehemently over the years to win her affection) & power, gathering up items from the Cosmic Cube to the ever-infamous Infinity Gauntlet – a gold metal glove that, when holding all six Infinity Stones, can alter/destroy reality & life as everyone knows it.

In the years that followed, only the best & bravest of warriors – from Adam Warlock to the Earth heroes known as the Avengers – stopped Thanos in his overpowering desire to control all life everywhere in the cosmos.

On this day, however, Thanos was busy watching his scientists performing work in his laboratory, creating some kind of new life within a specially-designed chamber that was 20 feet long & 15 feet tall, with a singular window that enabled everyone within the room to view the glowing object inside: a rounded object that hovered in mid-air that has a teal hue & created a cacophony of sounds: boiling water, electrical voltage, crickets chirping & a palpitating heart.

Its eerie noises struck the ears of everyone inside the room, from the scientists to Thanos himself.

Thanos was a mighty powerful figure even without any weapons in his possession, standing a good/solid 6 feet, 7 inches tall & weighing in close to half a ton, about 985 pounds. His flesh was purple with a furrowed chin, sporting crimson eyes & a suit/outfit of dark blue & gold.

Standing next to him on his left is a young girl with green flesh, attired in a white outfit most similar to a Japanese kimono & holding a little doll in her hands. A shining diamond ring was displayed on the index finger of her right hand.

Her name is Gamora, & she was taken in Thanos' care one year ago after the Mad Titan invaded her home planet of Zen-Whoberi, killing everyone but her. Thanos developed an interest in her, & thus spared her life in order to make Gamora a living weapon & become somebody greatly feared.

For right now, Gamora was just a child who watches her adopted father take care of business.

"You've all been given a week without interruption in creating my newest weapon of conquest", Thanos says. "I now demand an update on your progress!"

"In short, Lord Thanos, all is going well", said one scientist. "In fact, things are progressing even better than we had hoped: ever since the first day that we've brought life to this single cell organism, its metabolism has grown strong even at this early stage. In only one week's time, it's grown from a tiny spec of life into a completely sentient lifeform with survival capabilities built into it – all on its own, as if by natural instinct."

"So life readings are vast improving, I gather?"

"Without a doubt, my lord", said another. "At the rate this organism is going, it could reach full capacity within a time span of no more than a month!"

Hearing the results pleased Thanos enough to satisfy him, but he offered an ultimatum.

"Very good. But remember: this organism is to receive no less than the best of treatment & care if it is to flourish & become my ultimate weapon against any & all those who oppose me. The penalties for botching up this operation is a swift & decisive punishment for everyone involved. Is that understood?"

A chorus of 'yes sir' was heard from every mouth in the room.

Thanos then looked down at his adopted daughter & smiled a little.

"You've been awfully quiet all this time, my child", he says in fatherly fashion. "Tell me: what do you think of my brand-new bio-weapon of conquest?"

Gamora thought of a few adjectives to describe his creation, but came up with one in just mere seconds.

"It's…really pretty!", she exclaims innocently.

A slight chuckle of amusement came from Thanos' mouth, & he smiled a little bit more.

"Yes, it does have its own…radiant beauty", he says amusingly. "How observant you are."

A question came to Gamora's mind, one that managed to catch Thanos off-guard.

"What will you call your new creation, Lord Thanos?", she asked.

In response to her question, the other scientists in the laboratory paused in their work to look at their overlord.

"Please forgive our own curiosity, Lord Thanos, but…even we are quite anxious to know what name you've given this bio-weapon of yours", said one scientist.

The Mad Titan placed a hand under his furrowed chin.

"I must admit that I haven't gotten so far as to name my new creation", he says in all honesty. "I could give it an ample amount of names I've been saving for just such an occasion, one that rightly fits its persona. But with all the ones I could offer it, I do believe the one I have chosen will be perfect for my bio-weapon. Therefore, we shall go with the name of…Dogora."

The name was mumbled among the fellow scientists as they returned to their stations, seemingly satisfied with the official name their overlord has christened this new life form.

"Dogora", Gamora whispered, but was still heard by her adopted father.

"Yes, my child…Dogora", Thanos said, gesturing with his hand at said creature. "Would you care to go & greet it?"

Gamora looked up at him, unsure.

"Do…do you really think I should?", she asked.

"You will one day be ruler of this domain, Gamora", Thanos explains. "In order for you to do that, you must be fearless & not allow worry or doubt to enter your mind. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by approaching the unknown & show that you are unafraid. But to help put your mind at ease, Dogora is contained by very thick plexiglass & thus cannot escape its confinement, let alone hurt you. So go ahead…say hello to it."

Mustering up her courage, Gamora began walking up towards the containment chamber where Dogora was being kept in. As she got closer, she felt inexorably drawn to the creature, its teal-like glow hypnotizing her.

Before she knew it, Gamora was inches from the plexiglass that kept Dogora separate from the outside.

Seeing its 'radiant beauty' & being bathed by it, Gamora couldn't help but to smile at the organism.

"Hi, Dogora! I'm Gamora! Nice to meet you!", she said pleasantly.

Thanos smiled at the achievement his adopted daughter made, happy to watch as she approached the containment chamber without much fear.

Gamora continued to watch as Dogora shined its vibrant color that dazzled the young girl, causing her to smile wider & even giggle amusingly.

"You're so pretty, Dogora!", she continued praising the thing. "Along with being Lord Thanos' living weapon, I hope you & I can be friends! It'll be nice to have a companion I can talk to & play with!"

Dogora stayed in one spot as Gamora talked, as if intrigued/interested by the young Zen-Whoberian.

"Want to see something neat?", Gamora asked Dogora, showing it the diamond ring on her finger. "Nice, isn't it? Lord Thanos went & had it made especially for me!"

The diamond on Gamora's ring shined from the overhead lights, giving it quite a sparkle that shined almost as bright as Dogora itself. The organism hovered around Gamora's diamond, intrigued by its luminescence. When Gamora moved her ring hand over to one side of the plexiglass, Dogora followed it like an obedient dog.

When Gamora went in the opposite direction with it, Dogora followed again, making her giggle in amusement.

But the fun & games would abruptly stop as Dogora made a quick & sudden move when it rammed itself into the plexiglass, startling Gamora as she backed away & her giggles turned into a scream of horror.

"What happened?!", Thanos barked at the scientists.

"I-I don't know, my lord!", said a female scientist as Dogora continued banging hard against the plexiglass. "One moment Dogora was doing fine & staying stable, the next it's showing signs of aggressiveness, as if Gamora's actions had enraged it somehow!"

"You dare to blame Gamora for its erratic behavior?!"

"O-Of course not, my lord! I'm only saying that something must have triggered it, & now its readings are spiking, like it's yearning for freedom beyond its containment!"

"She's right, Lord Thanos!", said another scientist. "Dogora's sentience is increasing with each passing moment, developing instincts like that of any animal! Its power is also increasing exponentially! If it climbs any further, it could very well escape its confinement!"

"See that it doesn't!", Thanos barked. "I want Dogora relieved of whatever's causing its vehement behavior & get it under control before it has even the slightest chance of making a break for…"

Thanos' statement was cut off by the loudest strike Dogora made against the plexiglass before holding its place where it struck. As it held its position, Dogora started to actually melt its way through the thick barrier, melting it like a flame would do with wax. Seeing Dogora creating a hole in the plexiglass made Gamora scream slightly before she ran over to Thanos, hiding behind the Mad Titan & sticking her head out from behind his leg to see what was happening.

A glob of melted plexiglass puddled upon the floor as Dogora was almost free of its prison from whence it was born in, yearning for freedom as the scientists ran to distance themselves from the thing.

Not on my watch, you won't!, Thanos thought.

"Guards!", he barked, getting instant results from said people. "Your job is to subdue & detain Dogora, but not to kill it! Anyone who causes its demise will answer to me! GO!"

Without hesitation, the guards went over to Dogora & began giving it slight electrical shocks to stun it into a form of unconsciousness, as per their orders. The lab lit up as electric sparks flooded it, giving it a luminous glow. The guards kept the pressure up on Dogora, who was seemingly unaffected by the punishment it was being delivered. Even after a full minute-&-a-half of getting tasered by voltage, the floating organism received no signs of damage whatsoever.

The guards were another story: in a swift move, Dogora soared straight into one guard, melting his armor & him in it. The guard screamed as intense heat made contact with him, literally burning a hole in the intruder as he drops dead onto the floor.

Ghastly as it was, Gamora couldn't take her eyes away from what was occurring.

More guards went down as Dogora attacked & burned each one, leaving a trail of bodies of corpses in its wake.

Soon, it would go after Gamora again, leaving her paralyzed with fear & unable to move.

The young girl couldn't utter a sound, much less scream.

Luckily, Thanos was on hand to give her protection.

It was regrettable for the Mad Titan, but he stuck to his principles: if he cannot control something, then he shall destroy it.

Dogora closed in on Thanos, as the Mad Titan placed his hands upon the glowing organism & cried out in pain as he made contact with it. Even for a week-born organism, Dogora possessed immense strength as it pushed against Thanos' own strength, his hands & fingers burning as they smoked intensely. Gamora put distance from her adopted father & the living organism, realizing that even with his immense strength & power, Thanos might not last much longer in a test of strength against Dogora.

Thanos himself realized this, & he was about to use his last-ditch effort to repel his own berserk creation: using whatever he had, Thanos gave Dogora a mighty telepathic blast which felt like his head was about to split open. But it was worth it: stung by the psionic blast, Dogora raced away & headed straight up, hitting the ceiling of the lab.

As it did with the plexiglass, Dogora melted away a portion of it to make good its escape from the prison it was held in, remnants of it melting & dripping onto the floor below. Before anyone could do anything to prevent it, Dogora created a hole big enough to slip through & rose higher into the air like a living balloon, disappearing from sight in just a matter of seconds.

Everybody stared up at the spot where Dogora vanished, most of whom were disbelieving that their hard work of one week's time would develop a sentience on its own & escape its confines as quickly as it did. Even Gamora was as stunned at what happened as anyone else, nearly losing her life in the process.

Thanos, however, didn't seem too concerned: looking down at his still-smoking hands, he still has resentment of his creation that has all but turned against & hurt him with a fire that rivaled his.

With his vast healing factor, his hands ceased burning & he addressed his scientists.

"I want this place cleaned up & in full working capacity by the end of the day", he ordered.

"You don't want to try & recapture your creation, my lord?", asked one scientist.

"No. Dogora is too uncontrollable & wild for that now, & with any luck, it will die shortly once it reaches the far reaches of space. Therefore, you are all instructed to forget about Dogora & leave the thing to its inevitable fate. No one is to mention its name again, most especially in my presence! Understood?"

Another round of 'yes sir!' went around the room.

"Very good. Now get busy with this lab!", he ordered.

The scientists immediately went to work in getting the lab functioning again in the time span Thanos had given them. Approaching Gamora, he went down on one knee & looked her in the eye, but with more compassion.

"That rule will also apply to you, Gamora", he says firmly but gently. "Will you make a solemn promise to me that you will never mention Dogora & forget all about it?"

"I pinky swear to you, Lord Thanos", Gamora replied, holding out her aforementioned finger.

It made Thanos smile & chuckle a bit.

"That's my girl", he said, extending his own pinky finger & latching it on Gamora's. They held the bond for a few seconds before Thanos broke it & spoke more as he rose up again. "And now's nearly the time for your to attend your daily training exercises, my child. I want you to be ready for them in about fifteen minutes, no later."

"I'll be all but ready, Lord Thanos", Gamora replied as Thanos nodded proudly before leaving the lab.

Gamora took one last look at the hole in the ceiling where Dogora made its escape, holding her gaze for a few seconds before removing it & looking down again.

Dogora, she thought, giving the thing one last thought before wiping it from her mind.

Not wanting to disappoint her adopted father, Gamora headed off to attend her exercises.

Inside the Guardians' ship, present day:

Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon, Drax & Groot listen to Gamora's every word as she retells the day that Dogora was brought into existence by her former adopted father. Mixed feelings of surprise, astonishment, but mostly resentment & hatred for the Mad Titan burned within the four Guardians, with Gamora having mostly regret for two primary things: not being able to stop it herself all those years ago, & not mentioning Dogora to anybody to find out if it really perished as Thanos once claimed it would once it reached space.

It left an open space in her heart & soul like nothing else.

"For all that time, I hadn't any idea that Dogora survived – and thrived, needless to say", Gamora said, completing her explanation.

"That's quite a backstory, I must say", Rocket says. "But then, your maniacal stepfather was a crazy bastard to go & create something even he couldn't control. Too bad that Dogora creature didn't finish him off when they quarreled for that brief time back then."

"It certainly would've saved us a lot of trouble if it did", Drax said. "Me, most of all. But now his creation has come back to haunt the galaxy, big time…and you, Gamora, didn't notify anyone of this damn thing until now!"

"Give me a break, Drax!", Gamora said, turning to him. "Back then, even I thought that Dogora would perish out in the vacuum of space! How was I to know that it would evolve throughout the years into that huge creature that we saw which destroyed the Shi'ar vessel, the Barracuda and Star-Base City?!"

"Drax is right, Gamora!", Peter says. "You should've informed somebody of Dogora's existence the moment you were free of Thanos' clutches to make certain if it lived or not: the authorities, the old Guardians of the Galaxy, even if it had to be your own sister Nebula! But no: you kept it all to yourself until only after it's destroyed two ships and a major city, killing people good and bad! Looks to me like your own past sins have come back to haunt you, Gamora – big-time!"

Gamora rose from her seat, staring Quill in the eye.

"I don't see how it's any different from your past sins, Quill!", she reminds him. "Don't forget: Slasher & Squiggy are still out there somewhere, wanting nothing more than to separate your head from your body & place it over their fireplace for a goddamn trophy!"

"Don't you even think about comparing my past sins with yours, Gamora!", Peter barked, pointing at & getting in her face. "While they were two of the toughest in all of Yondu's old crew, Slasher & Squiggy are still no more than punks & thugs…and we eat beings like them for breakfast! Your past sins concerning Dogora are way worse, leaving thousands of people – bad and good – lying dead & injured! And you got the utmost gall to say that my past sins are no different or better than yours?! Sorry, Gamora, but – there's a BIG difference!"

"Read my lips, Peter: I've all but forgotten about Dogora after it escaped from Thanos' lab all those years ago! He never took the time to go see if it would perish in the vacuum of space once it got there, because he believed it died! Truth be told, so did I! And when Thanos told everybody to forget about the damn thing, we all obeyed his order, me included! In all that time, I really did forget, even when I broke free from his rule for that very reason!"

Even when Gamora gave him a straight answer, Peter still didn't buy it, & he was about to prove his point further.

"Really, Gamora?!", he says. "You honestly expect me to believe that you've forgotten a creature your adopted father made years ago – one that thrived & grew to an exponentially gigantic size – would simply expire once it reached outer space?! I highly doubt that Thanos would ever create something if it weren't capable of adapting/surviving on its own! Do you recall how he once made clones of himself that went rogue, & that the original Guardians of the Galaxyhad to go & help him clean it up?! You believe Dogora was any different?!"

Gamora does remember when Thanos created clones of himself in order to expand his reign of terror throughout the galaxy before getting ambitions of their own, & he had to call upon the old Guardians of the Galaxy (which included Adam Warlock), who forged an uneasy alliance with the Mad Titan to help eradicate them.

And so she thought, why would Dogora be any different?

It was then that she was feeling the heavy guilt, & they both knew it.

"Peter, I…", Gamora started to say.

"Let me show you something, Gamora! Take a good look at this!", Peter said, turning her to face the monitor & pointing at it.

Gamora stared at the scenes/news footage of people emerging from the wreckage in Star-Base City, some being led over to paramedics, while others being placed in body bags & hauled off for the morgue. Some were even weeping over the bodies of those they'd lost from Dogora's attack, needing to be forcefully removed by authorities even though they understood their grief & pain.

Quill let Gamora stare at these images of misery for a few moments before turning her to face him again.

"Why don't you go try telling them that you've 'forgotten all about Dogora'?!", he snaps, pointing at the monitor. "Better yet, why not try telling April, a young child who cried in my arms for over a minute because she lost her mother in Dogora's attack?!"

This piece of news stunned Groot, Rocket & especially Drax, tugging at their heart strings knowing that a young child had lost her mother, & also possibly her father just as well.

Upsetting as it was, the trio kept silent as Peter continued.

"How about I take you over to where April is, Gamora?! Or better yet, how about I bring her over here, so that you can say it directly to her face?! Tell me: which would you prefer?!"

"You know I can't do that, Quill!", Gamora cried, her eyes tearing & a lump in her throat forming. "Don't you all think I don't feel bad enough about what happened?! I'm just as devastated as any of you are, & if I could go back in time & undo all of this, including Dogora's creation, I would! But I can't, dammit! I just…I…"

Gamora couldn't think of what else to say, & the urge to unleash her sadness was overwhelming her, so she ran off with her face in her hands & headed for her quarters in the ship. Peter & the others watched her take off, & once she was inside her quarters & closed the door, Gamora cried her heart out.

Even with the door shut, the quartet could hear every sob she was making.

Peter & Drax were unsympathetic to her cries.

Groot & Rocket, on the other hand…

"I am Groot", the tree-man said softly.

"No, she should've told us about Dogora at her earliest convenience", Drax said. "I am sorry, Groot, but this is all on her."

Groot let out a heartfelt sigh & sagged.

"Whoa, Quill", Rocket says. "I know it was wrong of Gamora to have kept Dogora a secret from everyone & all, including us, but…don't you think you were a bit too rough on her? After all, she was only doing what Thanos told her when she was just a child back then…"

"How are you doing with the repairs to the ship?", Peter asked, ignoring Rocket's own question. "Rocket?"

Rocket let out a sigh & answered.

"We're making progress, but it's still a ways to go before everything's in tip-top shape again", he replied.

"Can we use the onboard scanner at this time?", Peter asked.

"Nothin' doin', Quill: until I get this console up & running properly again, we can't even use the damn kitchen."

"How long?"

"About close to twelve hours, at the earliest. Until then, we're grounded."

Quill cursed under his breath: with them being stuck on the ground, there's no telling how much more destruction & death Dogora can cause until it's found & somehow (hopefully) destroyed.

But there was no use crying over spilled milk, as his mother used to say.

It's all up now to Rocket.

"How's Richard Rider doing?", Peter asked, turning to Drax.

"Still in the med-bay", he replied. "Unconscious but alive, last we checked."

"Make sure he stays comfortable until I return, & give Rocket a hand with the repairs when he needs it."

"Wait a minute there, Pete! Where are you heading off to all of a sudden?", Rocket asks.

"Just get the ship repaired, Rocket! I'll be a while, but I will return!"

Peter left without another word, leaving the trio to do the repairs & watch over things.

Giving each other a look of confusion, the trio got busy.

Five minutes later:

Peter Quill went to his quarters, grabbed a satchel, stuffed it with the two colored stones he found & headed out without even acknowledging Gamora's quarters, his current unhappiness with her limitless. Donning his face mask, he shot up into the sky & headed towards the ruins of Star-Base City, searching for Chief Paws.

He found him almost immediately, standing at a recently-placed barrier that's been erected around the city.

"Chief!", Star-Lord called out to him as he descended, landing right at the marker & retracting his face mask.

"Mr. Quill!", Chief Paws says, approaching the Guardian. "How goes it for you & your Guardians?"

"The ship's needing repairs, so we'll be stranded here for a while, I'm afraid. But I'm hoping you can still help me with something, as you've said you would if ever we needed it."

"And I certainly meant it, my boy. What can I do for you?"

"I need access to any of your laboratories. There's something that needs immediate analyzing."

Chief Paws' face suddenly goes melancholy, indicating to Peter that something's amiss.

"What is it?", he asked.

"I'm afraid there's been a slight altercation, Mr. Quill", Chief Paws says. "The Mayor's just ordered a cordoning off of what's left of the city. Nobody's allowed either in or out without the proper authorization, & we also can't make an exception for anybody, including you & your Guardians. I'm very sorry."

Quill's heart sank like a stone: he was on the verge of trying to find out what connection the colored stones have with Dogora, & now he can't get inside the city on account of the Mayor sealing it off to any & all outsiders.

So close, & yet so far.

"I truly wish there was some way I can help you, Mr. Quill", Chief Paws said.

"Maybe you still can, Chief", Peter says, digging into his satchel & taking out the red-colored stone he found earlier & showed it to the Chief. "This is a piece that fell from the monster my team have christened 'Dogora' shortly before it made its abrupt departure. I'd like for you to have it analyzed by your top scientists & see if a weakness can be found in it. If that can be discovered, then we have a chance."

Chief Paws took the crimson-colored stone & examined it.

"And this came directly from Dogora itself?", he asked.

"You got it", Peter said.

"Lieutenant!", Chief Paws hollered as a humanoid feline came over.

"What can I do for you, Chief?", the Lieutenant – a female – asked.

"Get this thing over to our labs right away & get it fully analyzed. I want to know everything they can discover from it. Understand?"

"Perfectly, Chief. I'm on my way now. Hey, Star-Lord!"

The female Lieutenant gave Peter a smile & a wink before heading off. Quill smiled briefly from the gesture, as it was a nice little break from the tension he was currently under.

Still got it, he thought humorously.

"Is there anything else I might be able to help you with, something that doesn't involve allowing you in?", Chief Paws asked.

"One more thing", Peter says. "Do you have a ship with warp drive I can borrow?"

Thirty minutes later:

It was something of an odd request, but Chief Paws managed to grant Peter's request, getting it to him in fifteen minutes & place it on the outskirts of the city. It was big enough to seat about two dozen people easily, being 12 feet in height & 24 feet in length. Chief Paws gave Peter a quick rundown on the ship's functions, from the onboard weapons right up to the warp drive itself.

Peter soaked the information up like a sponge does with water.

The only ultimatum was that it was property of the city of Star-Base, & that there'd be a fine if it got damaged or destroyed. Quill gave his word that the ship won't get a single scratch.

With that, Peter thanked Chief Paws for the ride & took off for the stars, reaching space in about ten minutes.

Quill had to admit that the ship he was lent flew like a dream: it was a smooth flight, with the pilot seat equally comfortable with fine cushions that absorb impact on a dime. He joked to himself that only those in authority can get smooth rides like this.

He'd have to remind himself to get Rocket in giving their own ship these same upgrades.

But it was business before pleasure: punching in the proper coordinates, Peter put his borrowed ride into a quick hyperdrive jump.

It disappeared in the blink of an eye.

A short time later:

Peter came out of hyperspace almost as soon as he entered it, arriving at exactly where his coordinates were set.

His destination planet was about an hour away, but it was how Quill planned it as he picked up the radio & got on a certain frequency. The response was almost immediate.

"Eh, who's dis on the line?", it said, making Peter smile.

"Hey, big guy! Remember me?", Peter replied.

"Pete? Pete Quill…is that you, Star-Lord, old buddy?!"

"Yeah, it's me, all right! I'm heading down to you right now, & I should get there in about an hour's time!"

"Great! That'll give me time to let the others know you're coming & to order up some pizza for your arrival – no anchovies on yours!"

"Sounds great, old friend! See you soon!"

Quill cut the connection & hung the radio up: the thought of having pizza again after a long absence from it was way too tempting to resist, as to how he hasn't had a good regular-cheese pizza in ages. Plus, he'll have a nice bottle of Coca-Cola or Pepsi to wash it down, just like he used to do before venturing off into space.

In the midst of a crisis, it was a good share of memories Peter will be able to enjoy once more.

He continued on towards the brown, green, white & blue planet in his sights.

His home planet. Earth.

Earth, the Baxter Building, New York City, 7:00 p.m.:

As Peter Quill's ride hit the planet's atmosphere, the craft's automatic shield generator came to life & surrounded it with a light-blue coating of energy as the ship came down to the surface, looking like a comet in the sky before it had cooled off almost instantly & retracted the energy shield once the danger had passed. Quill was very impressed with the ship's auto functions: it was almost like the craft itself was alive & knew what to do, like an artificial intelligence.

Something else to mention to Rocket when the time comes.

In no time, Peter was soaring over the Big Apple aka New York City. He did a pinch of seeing the sights from his vantage point, from the World Trade Center to the iconic Empire State Building which reminded Quill of when he used to see the classic 1933 movie 'King Kong' as a kid.

Hopefully he can get a copy on DVD before heading back out into the cosmos again.

But first things first: eyeing the Baxter Building, Peter landed his craft upon the roof before getting out & entering inside. Heading to the floor right underneath the roof, Peter was greeted by six individuals: four adults & two young kids, one girl & one boy. The first adult male stood 5 feet, 10 inches tall with brown eyes & short-cropped brown hair; the second male stood 6 feet, 1 inch & also sporting brown eyes & hair, although with a little white on the sides; the woman stood 5 feet, 6 inches tall with long blonde hair & blue eyes; the other man stood 6 feet tall, but his skin was comprised of solid orange rock instead of regular flesh, had a bald head & blue eyes.

Only three had on matching outfits of black & blue that covered their entire persons, leaving only their heads & hands bare. The one with the rocky hide wore only a pair of black & blue trunks.

They were the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Susan Richards (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch) & Ben Grimm (The Thing).

The two kids with them are the son & daughter of Reed & Susan, Franklin & Valeria: the former sporting dark hair & blue eyes, the latter with blonde hair & blue eyes. Both were dressed in summer attire & playing the board game 'Mouse Trap', with Valeria about to go next. A trio of giant 20-inch helium-filled balloons were looped around each child's wrists on their left arm.

Upon seeing Peter Quill, the kids smiled.

"Uncle Peter!", they cried, getting up & running to them as Peter gets attacked by kids & balloons.

Each FF member grinned in amusement at the display of affection.

"Uh, hey kids", Peter says, gently pulling the two away. "Did you all just returned from a party or something?"

"Not exactly", Susan said. "It was a nice quiet day here in the Big Apple, so we decided to take the kids over to the Bronx Zoo & see all of the animals. Call it a treat for them being upon their best behavior."

"Wow! Virtue really is its own reward, huh? Good job, kids!"

"And so good to see you again, ya star-hopping Indiana Jones!", Ben said, approaching Peter & wrapping him in a big bear hug that literally swept him off his feet. Franklin & Valeria gave them space – lots of space, & they giggled as they watched the scene unfold.

"Easy there, Ben! Peter's got just one set of lungs, & you don't want to crush them!", Johnny joked.

"Relax, Johnny!", Ben says, putting Peter back down. "I'm a guy who knows his own strength…and when not to go overboard with it." Ben placed a gentle hand on Peter's back. "But all jokes aside…damn good to see you, Pete!"

"Same here, Ben!", Peter says. "You wouldn't happen to have a pie all nice & hot waiting for me, would you? I am so starving!"

"Jes' feast your eyes over yon kitchen table, bud!", Ben says, gesturing to said area where a single pizza box & a pair of Pepsi cans sitting as if to call him over & devour it.

Which he does: racing over, he opens the box & smells the fresh aroma of cheese pizza before taking a slice & eating it up ravenously while opening a Pepsi can & taking a swig from it.

It was a literal taste of Heaven for Peter.

The others also took a box & handed out pizza slices, with Ben having two boxes of anchovies pizza all for him.

As they ate, Ben gave Peter another piece of news.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Pete…we've got another surprise waitin' for ya!", he said before another mouthful.

"And what might that be, Ben?", Peter asked after he swallowed his food.

"That would be me, Peter!"

A new voice – a female one – made Peter turn to see a young woman standing 5 feet, 6 inches tall wearing an outfit of black & gold & sporting brown eyes & hair, the patter done in a ponytail.

For Peter, she was a wonderful sight to see, & he smiled big-time.

She is sometimes known as Shadowcat, but she also goes by a different name.

"Kitty Pryde!", Peter called to her as they ran into each other & embraced, sharing a kiss.

It was a heart-warming moment for the Fantastic Four & their young kids, all of whom smiled warmly.

Breaking their kiss, Peter & Kitty stared at one another.

"I missed you, dear Kitty!", Peter said.

"Not as much as I missed you, dear boy!", Kitty said. "You've got to visit Earth more often!"

"I'll go put that on my 'to-do' list. Since you're here, would you care for a slice?"

"Thanks, but I already finished my dinner when Ben gave me the call over at Xavier Institute to let me know that you were coming. I just had to get here right away."

"So happy that you did, dear Kitty."

The two lovers kissed again until Reed interjected.

"Peter Quill, not that it isn't good to see you again, but…I get the feeling you didn't come all this way just to eat pizza & be reunited with Miss Pryde."

"Observant as always, Reed Richards", Peter said, letting Kitty go & getting down to business as they head back to the table. "The Guardians & I have stumbled onto a major problem, which started when we've accepted to assist the Nova Corps on a little job…"

His explanation of the dilemma he & the Guardians of the Galaxy were in took Peter about twenty or so minutes to give them the full details. Peter's story both astonished & frightened the Fantastic Four, the kids and Kitty Pryde.

"My goodness!", Susan says. "I could never have guessed that a simple favor from the Nova Corps could turn into something more than you & the Guardians bargained for, Peter: two shipwrecks with hundreds dead, followed by a savage attack on a major city that left even more dead – all caused by this giant alien squid you call 'Dogora'!"

"With one of those ships belonging to the Shi'ar Empire, no less!", Johnny said. "Despite how some might feel about them, they did not deserve a horrible fate like that, let alone those pirates!"

"Indeed not, Johnny", Reed said. "And it breaks my heart to hear about what happened to Star-Base City on the planet Magna, leaving thousands dead & injured as Peter had described. It's very reminiscent of 9/11 here at home, but on a scale that's worse."

The group give a moment of silence to honor those lost on the aforementioned city far out into space.

Ben Grimm broke it as he speaks first.

"There's gotta be something we can do to help Peter defeat this Dogora beast, Reed! It makes even my rock-hard skin crawl to even think about what would happen it came over here to Earth!"

"I know, Ben…only how?", Reed asks.

"That's the other reason I came over here, Reed", Peter said, digging into his satchel & taking out the gold stone he placed within. Eyes went agape at first sight of it.

"What is that thing, Peter?", Kitty asked.

"One of two pieces of Dogora that I managed to find", he explains. "I gave one to the authorities to analyze the other one, but because I was unable to enter their labs due to a citywide lockdown, Reed, you were the first person that I thought of to help me get this analyzed – and hopefully, find a weakness in the creature."

As he spoke, Peter extended his hand for Reed to take: since the FF member was on the far side of the table, he literally stretched his arm out to take the offered piece from Quill before retracting & looking at it closely.

"Astonishing", Reed said.

"I thought you'd be interested", Peter said. "Right now, Reed, you're my only hope in beating this thing."

"Let's head on over to my lab. I'll get this analyzed right away."

"If you please."

Reed, Peter, Kitty & even Ben rose up from their seats as they followed Reed over to his laboratory, leaving both Susan, Johnny & the kids in the room alone.

"Yeah, you four just go on ahead! Big Sis & I will clear the table, no problem!", Johnny said sarcastically, placing an elbow on the table & his head in his hand, sulking. "Always leaving us with the dirty work!"

Susan & the kids started giggling.

Reed's laboratory, eighteen minutes later:

Entering the lab of Mister Fantastic, Peter & Kitty looked at all the equipment Reed has set up, from containment units to simple chemistry sets. Quill & Pryde were astonished to see the elastic scientist/superhero well-funded in order for him to conduct various projects & the like in a lab that would put actor Colin Clive's Henry Frankenstein to shame.

Same goes for Ben Grimm: no matter how many times he's entered this area in the Baxter Building, he's always blown away by it.

Reed studied the stone sample Peter gave to him, doing so for nearly twenty minutes before facing the group.

"Well, Reed, what's the verdict?", Quill asked.

"Have you found something, Stretch?", Ben asked.

"A couple somethings, Ben", Reed says. "What I've first discovered in this sample Peter gave me is traces of a mix of living cells & carbon."

Something hit Peter & even Kitty as Reed mentioned the second ingredient.

"Carbon?", Kitty says as Reed nodded.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Reed, but…isn't carbon found mainly in things like coal & diamonds?", Peter asked.

"That's right, Quill", Reed said as he pieces it together, same as the Guardian. "Those two ships Dogora attacked – you mentioned that they both had coal and diamonds as their cargo, yes?"

"Yes! Now we see why Dogora attacked them, and why it was sucking up amounts of debris over at Star-Base City: this monster feeds on carbon, much in the same way why we need to eat food!"

"For energy & sustenance, yes. That's what it was really after. All those poor people caught in its path were just liabilities that got in the way of its own ravenous appetite."

Quill nodded in sorrow, thinking of those lost when Dogora sucked them up in order to sustain itself.

"What's the other something that you noticed within the stone, Reed?", Kitty asked.

"A heavy dose of Hymenoptera, Kitty", Reed said. "In plain English, it means venom…from bees, wasps, yellow jackets & the like."

A sudden sunlight of hope dawned within Peter, & he rushed over to get the golden stone & looked at it.

"We can kill Dogora!", he said softly, but it didn't stop the others from hearing him.

"That you can, Peter", Reed said. "I suspect that even a small dose of venom from said insects would be lethal to the creature. If a piece like that can be formed from just a little of their venom…"

"An overdose would be fatal! Now we have a weapon against it!"

Stuffing the golden stone back in his satchel, Peter began to depart the lab.

"Reed, Ben, Kitty…thanks for everything, from the food to analyzing my little prize!", Peter said as he reached for the door.

"Hold on a minute there, Peter", Reed says, stretching his right arm & placing his hand upon his shoulder, which stopped his departure. He gently turns the space adventurer around. "Something else is weighing heavy on your mind – aside from Dogora. Care to tell us what that is?"

"What makes you think there is something else that's troubling me, Reed?", Peter asks, feigning ignorance. "All I want is to get back out there & kill Dogora before it causes even more mayhem."

The looks on the faces of Ben, Reed & Kitty proved otherwise.

"Pete, while I'm nowhere near as smart as Stretch here, even I can tell that there's something bothering you, big space beast aside", Ben says.

"And I've known you well enough to see it within you, Peter", Kitty says. "There's something weighing heavy on your chest, & you need to get it right off." She gestured to an empty seat for him to sit down upon.

"Many people don't realize I'm just as good with psychology as well as science, Peter", Reed adds. "How about you give us the details of your little problem?"

Quill saw the faces of the trio, which were more pleading than threatening. Especially from Kitty, who gave him a pinch of sorrow that caused him to surrender himself.

Heading over to the offered seat by Kitty, Quill went over & sat, facing them.

"It's like this", he began.

Kitty, Reed & Ben listened to every word intently.

CHAPTER VIII

Outskirts of Star-Base City, planet Magna, 12 hours later:

Quill explained the situation on how Dogora came into being, from its origin to when Thanos had created it right on up to the moment when he & Gamora had a falling out just before he left for Earth. Kitty, Reed & even Ben offered some sound advice to Peter, which he'd took to heart just before he was also offered a place to sleep for a couple hours, as they didn't want him heading off into space before getting a good night's rest, noticing the fatigue on his face.

Even Peter knew he was pushing himself a little too hard, & realized that he'd be no good on this mission if he should collapse from exhaustion over lack of sleep.

He & Kitty shared a bed the Fantastic Four offered for them to spend the night in.

Provided they didn't make any noise, especially of intimacy, on account of the young kids.

Agreeing, they slept like the golden stone Peter had.

When morning came, Peter woke at 6:15 as he & Kitty freshened themselves up before heading to the kitchen & finding the entire Fantastic Four and the kids up & about, already having breakfast. Susan asked if Peter & Kitty wanted to stay for the day's first meal, but Peter politely refused, saying he needed to head back out into the galaxy & his team of Guardians.

Ben expected as much, so he offered Quill a bag of goodies to take with him – and something else.

Quill didn't have any objections to it whatsoever.

In fact, he all but welcomed it.

Getting back to his loaned ship, Peter took off to the stars once more & punched in the coordinates for planet Magna after getting a slight distance from Earth & activating the drive that would send him in hyperspace.

He reached his destination in almost no time.

Flying directly towards the planet after killing the hyperdrive system, Peter braced for reentry as the ship's shields came on automatically & rocked the craft until he was within the atmosphere. Making his way over to where his ship was resting at, he walked over to it.

Within the ship's cockpit, Rocket, Drax, Groot & the newly-awakened & conscious Richard Rider were putting on the finishing touches to the repair work, reconnecting new wires that replaced the burnt-out ones.

Now the time has finally come: Rocket holding a set of wires in his hands as he's about to join them together.

"All right, this is it, guys!", Rocket says just before making the connection.

Like magic, systems were rebooting & coming on again as the ship came back to life after a period of dormancy.

Groot, Drax & Richard gave the humanoid raccoon a round of applause as he soaked up the praise.

"Yeah, that's right!", Rocket cheered. "Can I fix 'em, or can I fix 'em?"

"Ya still got the magic touch there, little Rocket!"

The new voice caught the group by surprise, & they turn to see a huge 6-foot figure in a black & orange jumpsuit with a rocky hide in orange hue. A big smile was adorned on his face, & he spread his arms out in greetings.

It was a familiar face the group recognized immediately. And they smiled right back.

"I am Groot!", he said, pointing.

"Ben!", Richard & Drax said.

"Benji!", Rocket said, running towards & jumping on his shoulder. "You big pile of stones! Are you ever a sight for sore eyes!"

"That's why they call me the ever-loving, blue-eyed Thing, Rocket!", Ben joked. "It has been a while!"

"Hey Ben!", Richard says, shaking Ben's giant hand. "I haven't seen you since I was with the Avengers back on Earth! And while it is good seeing you again, I have to ask: what are you doing way out here anyway?"

"Peter Quill came to Earth to get something analyzed after telling us about this Dogora creature that's terrorizing the galaxy from one end to the other."

"Quill has returned?", Drax asked.

"Yep. He gave me & Miss Kitty Pryde a flight over to lend you all a hand in defeating this alien squid. Having taken a look at the city just now…I'd say we both made the right choice asking him to take us with him. You're gonna need all the help you can get."

"Miss Kitty Pryde's here too?", Drax asked as Ben nods.

"That's something", Rocket says. "Where are Quill & Kitty?"

"They're on their way to see Gamora", Ben said.

"Are you sure that's wise?", Drax asked. "Those two weren't on the best of terms the other day. But then again, neither was I, for that matter."

"It's another reason why Kitty accompanied me, Drax. Don't worry: they're heading to Gamora right now to get it all straightened out. You'll see."

The other four remained silent in Ben's response, each half of them hoping they succeed.

Peter & Kitty stood outside Gamora's room as the latter knocked on her door.

"Please leave me alone, Peter!", Gamora said from within her room.

"Gamora, it's me, Kitty. Kitty Pryde", she said.

"Kitty? Is that really you?"

"Yes. Are you decent?"

"I am. Why?"

Before Kitty answered, she literally phased her head through the steel wall, seeing that Gamora is wearing clothes before phasing the rest of herself into Gamora's room. The maneuver surprised but amused Gamora.

"You know, I pretty much forgot you could do that", Gamora said with a little smirk, making Kitty giggle a bit.

"Yeah, many people don't have the ability to phase through solid objects like me", Kitty says. "But still…under the circumstances, it's very good to see you again, Gamora. Even if you didn't have this current emergency Peter told us about…"

"'Us'? Who else came with you? The X-Men?"

"No, just me & Ben Grimm. Quill explained the situation to us, & we've both come to offer our assistance."

Gamora nodded.

"And is Peter right outside my door?", Gamora asked. "Why? To give me another chewing out like last time? Please tell him…"

"Whoa there, Gamora", Kitty said, raising her arms. "You're only half-right: Peter is right outside your door, but not to give you a second chewing out like you thought."

The door to Gamora's room slid open, & sure enough, Peter Quill was standing right behind it, his face a mask of sorrow & regret.

"Kitty's right, Gamora", Peter said as he entered & sat down, facing her & the door closed shut. "I didn't come here to yell at you again. In fact…I came to apologize for it the other day."

Gamora stared at Peter for what felt like hours.

"You did?", she asked as Peter nodded.

"I did, & here's why", Peter began to explain. "When Thanos invaded your home, killed your entire race & took you under his wing, you were just a child at the time: alone & scared, having lost everything & everyone you loved. In all that time, you weren't given much choice but to follow Thanos' every command without question. Truth be told, my own childhood is not that much different from yours, having lost my mother at that age & being picked up by Yondu & his gang. Like you with Thanos, I was alone, frightened, & for damn good reason: nearly all of Yondu's ravagers wanted nothing more than to eat me – and they probably would have, were it not for Yondu himself. Both of us grew up in the harshest & most unforgiving of environments, with beings who were just as ruthless & dangerous. I should've realized that before, & that's why I'm apologizing for my outburst before. I also should've realized that it's all Thanos' fault for Dogora's creation, not yours: every death Dogora caused in his existence rests on his shoulders, not on yours."

"How come you didn't mention this before, Peter?"

"That's another thing I'm apologizing for, Gamora: seeing all the destruction & death Dogora caused made me so angry that I lashed out without thinking first. You know how anger can at times cloud someone's judgment: Rocket & Drax have been there, sometimes charging in without some kind of plan because their rage overpowered everything else. You, myself & even Groot aren't any different either: we've all had similar episodes where we'd simply lose it in battle, without considering the full consequences."

Peter had a point, & Gamora knew it: when Thanos was captured & she wasn't informed about it, she became so irate that she turned on many of her friends including the super-heroine Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel herself, getting into a brief fight with her before going her own way for a bit. They all reconvened in the end after Thanos was recaught, but it taught Gamora a valuable lesson: people do what they do for a reason, even if it hurts those you love & care for.

It was good to be reminded of it by Peter, who was taught that very lesson himself.

"I guess we're all guilty about that in one form or another, Peter", Gamora says. "But I'm still glad you have the decency to apologize & admit you were wrong. For that, I am grateful, & it also makes me feel somewhat better."

"Glad to hear it, Gamora", Kitty said. "And what Peter has to say next is gonna make you feel even more better."

"And what's that?"

With a smile on his face, Peter leans forward & tells her.

"Dogora can be killed!", he says.

Gamora's face lit up with excitement as she looked at Peter & Kitty's smiling faces as they nodded, giving her a new sense of hope. She grinned a half-maniacal grin.

"Keep talking!", she pressed.

Peter did exactly that.

Four minutes later:

Ben Grimm was sharing a story or two about adventures he's had with the Fantastic Four, getting praise & even some laughs from Drax, Rocket, Groot & even Richard. Rocket did so in return, getting guffaws from the orange rock man as he'd never heard anything so funny in his life.

"You should be a regular on 'Saturday Night Live', Rocket!", Ben says. "I'm good friends with the people on that show, so I can get you a spot on that program, if you'd like! You'll be a natural!"

"I doubt it'd work out for him, Ben! Rocket's no Adam Sandler!"

Quill's voice caused the group to turn & see said person with Kitty & a now-smiling Gamora appear inside the cockpit.

"Peter!", Rider says, shaking his hand. "Good to have you back again – and with great friends to boot!"

"Glad to see you being up & about, Richard!", Peter said. "When I saw your rough landing in the city the other day, I feared the worst!"

"Thanks to you & your Guardians, the worst never happened. I take it everything with Gamora went well?"

"Well as can be, Rider", Gamora replied. "What's more, we now have a weapon that can kill Dogora!"

Gamora's statement made the other Guardians & Richard feel refreshed with new vigor & strength.

"We can finally kill this alien squid-beast? No fooling?", Drax asked.

"No fooling, Drax!", said Kitty. "Peter's discovered its weakness that we can use to defeat Dogora…for good!"

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, Petey-boy! Let's hear it!", Rocket pressed.

"I'll lay out all the details for you as we make our way over to Chandilar, Rocket", Peter says.

His reply stunned the others, leaving them perplexed.

"Wait, let me get this straight", Rocket says. "You want me to pilot the ship over to Chandilar? Shi'ar Empire Central?"

"That's right. Why?"

"You are aware that we haven't been in good graces with these people in recent times, right? Most notably with the Gladiator, the big bad himself?"

"Trust me, Rocket: the Gladiator will be just as interested to hear what I have to say as you all are. And whether or not our relationship with them isn't filled with roses & all, we actually need their help – especially the Gladiator's."

Richard Rider caught on to what Peter was saying.

"I see where you're going with this, Peter, & I fully agree", he says, turning to Rocket. "Rocket…please take us to Chandilar."

"You too, Rider?", Rocket says.

"Don't make me have to court martial you, mister."

Rocket let out a frustrating sigh.

"All right, Rider, fine!", he pouted. "We just better not regret it later on! Strap in, everyone!"

His hands on the controls, Rocket prepped the ship for takeoff as the others do as he suggested.

Due to Rocket's expertise in mechanics, the ship took off & flew like a dream: the repair work he'd done made their ship even better than ever.

Peter reminded himself to tell Rocket about the upgrades to match the likeness of Chief Paws' borrowed craft, which he left for him on the outskirts of Star-Base City, undamaged & without a scratch like he promised.

A quick message to the Chief, & it was all good.

In no time, Rocket got their ship in outer space as the Guardians of the Galaxy were on the move again.

Punching in the coordinates for Chandilar, the ship went into hyperspace.

Chandilar:

Shi'ar soldiers & other abled bodies were busy clearing the wreckage of buildings that have all toppled & tumbled into rubble to rescue any & all survivors that were trapped when Dogora attacked the planet's main city. Despite being intimidated by the creature's sheer size, each Shi'ar soldier fought valiantly to the last, giving their lives to defend their home. Even Gladiator & Nova Corps member Richard Rider fought with all their might against Dogora with everything they possessed.

But even that wasn't enough: in spite of the Gladiator's incredible powers, even he was outmatched by the thing's size & strength. Dogora moved with the grace of a cat that belied its enormity, & while Gladiator gave his all for his home & Empire, he also fell in battle against the space monster before Rider interjected with a weapon the Shi'ar let him borrow that would increase the strength of his blasters to put Dogora down & buy Gladiator time to escape.

His plan was only half-successful: Richard's attack did allow for Gladiator to retreat until he could recuperate, but it made Dogora pursuit the Nova Corps member in pure frustration. The plan nearly killed Rider: in one attack from Dogora, Richard's weapon exploded as he was about to use it by one of the monster's tentacles, the blast sending Rider into a tumble before he corrected himself & flew away from the city & planet when he saw that Dogora was in pursuit of the Nova Corps member.

Rider's flight brought him to Star-Base City on planet Magna, where the terror started anew.

Now, in a makeshift medical center, Gladiator sat on a cot as medics attended to his wounds & that of all those who were fortunate enough to survive the monster's encounter. Even though he was known for his incredible stamina, able to withstand most anything thrown at him, the medics insisted on treating his wounds just to make sure he could be able to stand without any trouble if the need arises at any moment.

Understanding the medics' logic, he allowed himself to be treated.

They did a very thorough & decent job, just as always.

Able to get in a few hours' rest, Gladiator feels refreshed & ready to fight again.

Emerald, with her forehead & left arm bandaged, came into the center & approached her ruler.

"Gladiator!", she called to him.

"Emerald, what are you doing up?", Gladiator asked. "In your condition, you should still be lying down to have medics tend to you."

"With all due respect, my liege, I've stayed inactive long enough. I'm here to tell you that a ship approaches this sector, who all but insisted upon seeing you right away."

This made Gladiator rise from the cot.

"Who would be foolish enough to demand to see me?", he asked.

"None other than Peter Quill…Star-Lord himself", Emerald said.

"The Guardians of the Galaxy…are here on Chandilar?!"

"That's correct."

It was a headache the Gladiator didn't need: bad enough his home was attacked by a huge space monster which all but pounded even the Empire's powerful ruler, & now Peter Quill & his band of galactic misfits dared to approach his home unannounced, let alone demanded that they see him at his earliest convenience.

Gladiator does not take kindly to those who 'demand' that they see him.

Especially not at his own home.

He will make that statement perfectly clear when he meets Quill & his Guardians.

"Let us go & greet them, Emerald", Gladiator says as he & his loyal soldier exit the med center.

Taking her around the waist with one arm, Gladiator took to the air & went over to the landing dock where the Guardians of the Galaxy, Ben Grimm, Kitty Pryde & Richard Rider were escorted by armed guards as they exited their ship once they were ordered to land. Upon seeing the devastation of Chandilar, they couldn't help but to feel great pity for the citizens of the Shi'ar Empire: it was almost as bad as the destruction Dogora caused at Star-Base City, leaving many corpses & injured people.

Even Drax felt terrible about what occurred…and he has little to almost no love for the Shi'ar Empire, let alone for its ruler, the Gladiator. Drax still remembers his brief but savage duel against him, being clobbered with a single punch that had him awoken inside a prison cell for a short period.

Kitty Pryde, however, had more remorse for the Shi'ar & their predicament: the X-Men have had a much better relationship with the Shi'ar, thanks in no small part to Lilandra, who had a longtime romance with the X-Men's founder & mentor Charles Xavier.

To see the Shi'ar city in ruins like this crushed Kitty's heart, & she had no doubt that Xavier himself would be all but heartbroken if he bore witness to this devastation.

Ben Grimm didn't know the Shi'ar too well to be any judge, but alien world or not, he does know that he hated seeing destruction of a scale like this anywhere, be it on Earth or any planet.

He really would hate to imagine seeing Manhattan, Los Angeles or any city on Earth ending up like this.

"It really crushes one's heart, doesn't it?", Ben said to his party.

"That certainly goes without saying, Ben", Kitty said.

"All the more reason why we came here, Kitty", Peter says. "If we're to have any chance of defeating Dogora, assistance from the Shi'ar is crucial to it."

"What makes you think that the Shi'ar or myself would offer you any assistance, Peter Quill?", Gladiator says as he floats down from the air with Emerald in tow before he lands ten feet from the Guardians, releasing Emerald.

"Well well, if it ain't the big kahuna himself!", Rocket said sarcastically.

Kitty & Gamora shushed him. Rocket scowled but stayed silent.

"This must be very amusing for you & your Guardians!", Gladiator says, spreading his arms indicating all of the destruction amid the city. "Tell me something, Peter Quill: does seeing this satisfy you & your band of misfits? Did you come here to gloat?"

"What?! NO!", Peter said in defense. "Believe it or not, Gladiator, we feel terrible about what happened here! In fact, it's one of the reasons as to why we're here: to help you defeat the creature responsible for all this!"

The Shi'ar soldiers mumble to each other about Quill's claims until Gladiator silenced them.

"Help us defeat this creature, you say?", Gladiator says. "Even if I were to believe you in your claim, how could you – a half-human, half-Spartoi hybrid – possibly hope to defeat a hideous creature like the one that attacked us when even I myself could not?! You & your misfit band are mad to think that you could have any chance of bringing down a monster that's capable of defeating me! For announcing such a false & ridiculous claim, I have a good mind to throw you & your band into a prison cell for the rest of your…"

"Gladiator, please!", Richard Rider says, interrupting him. "Peter Quill speaks the truth! Just hear him out!"

"Before I do, Richard Rider, I hope that Mr. Quill here can offer us some proof that this monster can be beat!"

"As a matter of fact…he does!"

Rider approached Peter & reached into his satchel to take out the golden stone & going over to Gladiator to let him see it up close, who takes & examines it.

"And this is…?", Gladiator wondered.

"A solidified piece of the monster that attacked us here", Rider says.

The soldiers chatter again in astonished tones until they are quieted by their ruler.

"This…stone is part of that space monster?", he asked.

"A dead piece of it, but…yes it is", Rider said. "Don't you see, Gladiator? This proves that horrid space monster can be beaten! What more proof do you need than this?"

Gladiator looks to the stone, then at Rider before finally setting his gaze on Quill himself.

"Look, I'm going to level with you, Gladiator!", Peter began. "For the most part, my team & I think you're mostly a big bully & an all-class jerk, always thinking first with your muscles before doing so with your head and/or heart! We still remember when you threw us in a cell during that Mother Entropy incident before any of us could supply any proof of her existence until she was literally in our presence! I could go on & on, but my point is? We're willing to put all of that aside & cooperate with you & the Shi'ar to bring down this horror from space, which we've dubbed 'Dogora'! It's as much of a threat to you people as it is to us, & no offense, but even your muscles didn't do much good against it!"

Peter took a pause in order for Gladiator to soak it all in before he continued.

"But all is still not lost: with the help of a good friend of mine, a weakness – an actual weakness – has been found in Dogora, & that's why we came here! We've had our differences in the past, sure, I get that! But won't you listen to what I have in mind for all of us to defeat this thing once & for all? And if you won't do it for my friends & I, then do it for all the Shi'ar that died at Dogora's hands! They deserve to get justice at least, don't you agree?"

For several moments, Gladiator stood & stared silently at Peter Quill & his Guardians, Ben & Kitty: they weren't anywhere near a close relationship with one another, given their past. But Quill did make several good points: Quill was correct about when Mother Entropy was a danger to the galaxy, especially when he himself was turning into living flora when she set foot on Chandilar, but not before freeing the Guardians for them to deal with the threat when even he couldn't. And when Dogora attacked his home, his phenomenal strength/powers couldn't even slow Dogora down as it ravaged the city & killed many of his fine soldiers, up to & including Sapphire…one of his very best.

Peter Quill was also correct about getting justice done for him & all Shi'ar who perished at Dogora's mercy.

His Guardians also defeated Mother Entropy when no one else was capable.

If he & his team of misfits do have a plan to actually kill Dogora as he claims (& with holding the actual proof in his hand), then maybe he does deserve to be heard out.

"All right, Peter Quill", Gladiator says. "I'm listening."

Quill wasted no time in explaining his plan.

The planet Greensleeves, three days later:

As quickly & best he can, Peter Quill explained both Dogora's need for consuming things made of carbon, which explains as to why the coal & diamonds shipments from both the Shi'ar & Barracuda vessels were cleaned out, solving one mystery. He also dove into the weakness in the space monster's anatomy: Hymenoptera, venom from insects such as bees, wasps, yellow jackets & the like. Gladiator was astonished by this discovery, & when he had his top scientists observe it for themselves, they find that Quill was 100% correct.

The mass of Dogora's solidified piece was a hardened cluster of Hymenoptera – bee/wasp venom.

With even further proof that Dogora can be killed, the Shi'ar & Gladiator himself had the Guardians' unyielding & full cooperation.

Having this allegiance, Peter set out his plan into action straight away.

Over on a remote area on Chandilar, Gladiator, Ben Grimm, Drax, Groot & several Shi'ar soldiers started their chore of gathering up bees & even some wasps that were each the size of a chihuahua, complete with stingers that were 6 inches long & capable of killing a full-grown man in just seconds with one sting. Each one of these deadly insects got collected by large vacuums that literally sucked up these winged insects using tubes that were over a foot wide at the mouth, most of which needed two Shi'ar to hold up & perform their duty.

Drax & the Shi'ar soldiers each wore a protective metal suit to prevent the insects from stinging them.

Groot needed no such covering, as he was basically a living tree & the insects pretty much ignored him.

Ben Grimm & Gladiator didn't need them either, & for the same reason.

Their hides were simply too thick to penetrate.

Everyone spent the entire day gathering up these killer insects & storing them within half a dozen containment ships that gave them food to eat in order to keep their strength up when the time comes.

Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Star-Lord, Kitty Pryde, Richard Rider & Shi'ar technicians were busy getting an exact fix on Dogora's location since its assault on Star-Base City. Pinpointing where Dogora would head off to from planet Magna, they soon spotted the space monster at an area in space which wasn't too far from where they decided to make their last stand with the creature.

It was almost too perfect. Now all they had to do was lure it over to their desired planet, & that meant setting up the bait.

With other cargo ships that were smaller in size but still large enough to carry an ample shipment, diamonds & coal that Dogora didn't manage to suck up during its attack on Chandilar (these were all stored within deep underground chambers to prevent detection) were filled almost to capacity & shipped over via hyperspace to their destination.

Planet Greensleeves.

It was a world that was almost lush with greenery everywhere one looked, hence the planet's name. Forests with wildlife & flowing rivers/streams of the purest waters coursing through them decorated the planet's surface at about a percentage rate of 95%, leaving only small areas of civilized life at certain spots.

The planet reminded Peter of areas on Earth like the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, which he read about growing up in school. He knows that places like these deserve to be protected to the fullest, as they are a part of a planet's very own culture as any metropolitan area like New York, London, Moscow or even Tokyo.

Part of Peter dreads turning even a piece of this beautiful landscape into a battle zone, even though there were a couple beings who have made homes here, including out in the wilderness.

But there was no other choice: if Dogora doesn't get stopped, there'll be no place in all the galaxy that will remain safe from this horrid creature.

Greensleeves was the last stand, & only it or they would be leaving this planet alive.

Quill & his Guardians of the Galaxy, along with Gladiator & his Shi'ar Empire, were all but determined that it will be them that become the victors.

Parking their ship near the Shi'ar vessel, the Guardians stood alongside Gladiator & his people along with Rider as they watch the bait being set: in a secluded area devoid of any life, the ships carrying the coal & diamonds were all getting dumped from trap doors underneath, spilling their contents onto a designated spot, one ship at a time.

Watching this display was painful for Rocket, & he makes it clear to all.

"Man, all those shining beautiful diamonds!", he says with sorrow in his voice. "If only we could be taking those precious pretties instead of using them for bait to snag a giant space squid!"

"I am Groot", the tree man said.

"Groot's right, Rocket: we can worry about getting paid for our services later", Drax says. "After the job is done."

"And this could be the only shot we have at getting rid of Dogora, so let's all make it count", Ben says, putting a fist in his palm, wanting to do some clobbering as per his favorite catch phrase.

"With that, Ben Grimm of Earth, we agree", Gladiator says. "The bees & wasps from our planet have been placed in complete seclusion within the ships we used to capture them. Each one is camouflaged to blend in with the area as a part of this forest world. Upon Dogora's approach, it will neither be able to see nor sense their presence…"

"Until it's too late", Emerald adds.

"Excellent", Peter said. "Now all we need to do is wait for Dogora to arrive to spring our trap."

"I've taken care of that little chore, Peter", Richard says. "I called up the Nova Corps, gave them a quick rundown on our situation, & they're out there now luring the monster here to this place even as I'm speaking."

"So all that's left to do is play the Waiting Game?", Kitty asked as Rider nodded.

"Pretty much Kitty", Gamora says. "But I doubt we'll have to wait long: even if Rider's Nova Corps weren't luring Dogora here, it's probably noticing this coal/diamond pile even from where it is."

"Following its natural instinct?"

Gamora nodded.

I pray you're right on that, Gamora, Kitty thought. I want this fucking nightmare to end, just as much as you & Peter do.

Waiting, however, was all any of them can do: for the next several hours, the Shi'ar were keeping track on their end of Dogora, waiting to hear the first instance the monster arrives in Greensleeves airspace, if not earlier. Peter & his friends kept themselves entertained by playing cards, using their computer screens for online games, & the like. In the evening, the Shi'ar took shifts in guarding their campsite as everyone ate a good meal of freshly-cooked meat from an animal that resembled one of Earth's deer, only with larger horns & claws on its feet instead of hooves.

Drax & Gamora were to thank for this fine meal they've provided for everyone, & even Gladiator was grateful for it. They even scored a couple of large fish that were just as delicious as any when cooked over an open flame.

For Peter, Ben & Kitty, who never tasted this kind of meat/seafood before, it was quite a delicatessen to enjoy.

On full stomachs, most everyone got good night's rests as they eagerly but still patiently wait until the main event arrives.

At about early morning, a call came in from the Shi'ar radio announcing that the operation was a go.

Peter & Richard were up & about as well, & they get everyone up quickly as they can.

"Hey Pete, what's up?", Rocket asked, groggily.

"It's game time, Rocket!", Peter said.

That got Rocket sobered up instantly, & he was already out of bed & heading out of the ship along with the other Guardians, Ben & Kitty. They scramble over to where Richard, Gladiator & the Shi'ar were standing.

"So it's true? Dogora's on its way over now?", Drax asked.

"We just got the announcement over the radio a minute or two ago, Drax!", Rider says. "Dogora's descending to the planet even as we speak!"

"I am Groot!", the tree man said.

"Yeah, pal! Dogora's taking the bait!", Rocket says, grinning fiendishly. "We've got him now…hook, line & sucker!"

"To all Shi'ar vessels!", Emerald says, addressing the troops in space. "Approach the planet while Dogora is on your tail, but do not engage! Remember the plan: let's allow it to drop down & take the bait as we spring the trap & kill this thing!"

"Understood! For all of our fallen comrades of the Shi'ar Empire!", one pilot said, getting roars of approval from all others.

For them, & also for Sapphire!, Emerald thought.

Richard Rider gave similar instructions to his Nova Corps over the airwaves, getting approval from his superiors & fellow corpsmen.

"We're all set, people!", Rider said. "All we need to do is wait for Dogora to show itself, & then we can…"

The sound of Shi'ar & Nova Corps fighters caused everyone to look up as they flew down to the planet before each one levels off & flew away as per their instructions. Only seconds later did the now-familiar cacophony of sounds caught everyone's ears as they went back to looking straight up into the cloudy sky as the noises became much louder in volume, waiting for their adversary to show itself in full.

It was not that long a wait at all: from within the clouds, a black silhouette could be seen by all from both Peter & Gladiator's groups as Dogora soon descended down & became visible once it left its cloud cover. It revealed itself in full as both the Fantastic Four's Ben Grimm & the X-Men's Kitty Pryde get their first real glimpse of their gigantic alien enemy.

Unlike Peter, Gladiator & their peoples with faces of loathing & disdain, Ben & Kitty's were that of surprise & a ton of shock, their eyes & mouths agape.

"Holy shit!", Kitty says, unable to hide it.

"That's Dogora?!", Ben asked anybody.

"That's him, Ben, Kitty!", Peter says.

Ben & Kitty continued staring at the humongous creature drifting down to the planet. Its sheer size alone was all but enough reason to dread Dogora making its way to Earth.

This damn thing dwarfs even Galactus!, Ben thought. And that's sayin' somethin'!

Even Wolverine would quiver in his adamantium bones if he saw this thing!, Kitty thought.

"This is it, Peter!", Gamora said as Peter nodded, still eyeing Dogora. "And I promise: once we deal with Dogora, we'll take care of your problem with Slasher & Squiggy!"

Peter switched his gaze from Dogora to Gamora, startling her.

"What? What's wrong?", she asked, fearing another scolding.

But he doesn't scold Gamora…he smiles at her.

"You know what, Gamora? Maybe we don't have to wait that long!", he says before taking off for their ship.

Gamora & even Kitty run after him, calling his name.

"Hey Pete! Where are you running off to?! The show's about to start!", Rocket called out to him.

"Just stick to the plan no matter what, Rocket! We'll be right back!", Peter called back just before entering the ship with Gamora & Kitty.

Getting into the pilot's seat, Peter gets their ship up & running as Gamora & Kitty strap themselves in just before they lift off & stream away from the group – and the battlefield. In no time they reach to the clouds & disappear from sight.

"They're gonna miss a terrific show", Drax said.

"Well, their loss", Rocket said.

"Dogora's taken the bait! Here we go, people!", Ben called out as everyone watched said space monster begin to suck up the offered coal & diamonds that lay in a big pile on the forest floor.

"Shall we attack, my liege?", one Shi'ar soldier asked.

"No, not yet", Gladiator said. "We'll allow Dogora to enjoy his last meal first, & just before he finishes, that will be when we make our move. Emerald, get the troops on standby. Tell them to proceed with Quill's plan on my say-so."

"Yes sir", Emerald says, carrying out her orders.

Like Ben Grimm said, Dogora took the bait.

Soon, it will be time to reel him in.

They could hardly wait.

Above the planet Greensleeves:

Quill took the ship above the planet's atmosphere & started punching in coordinates & more into the computer.

"Okay, fill us in on something, Peter", Gamora started saying. "While there's a battle going on down below, you want to go look for two guys from Yondu's old crew who'd like nothing better than to either eat you alive or stick your head on their wall."

"Pretty much, yes", Peter says. "Don't worry, Gamora: Richard & the others will stay with the plan, while we go & find Slasher & Squiggy & their crazy crew. In fact, I'm glad you two came along."

"You are?", Gamora & Kitty replied in unison.

"Hell yeah! You're both essential to this new plan of mine! And above all else…it's going to be a real blast!"

"How much of a 'blast' are we talking here, Peter?", Kitty asked.

"I'll explain once we're in hyperspace, & if I know Slasher & Squiggy like I think I do…"

On the screen, a map was displayed that showed a blinking red mark that indicated where Peter's main targets were located. It was something Peter had expected.

"Ha! Just where I thought they'd be!", Peter said with a grin.

"That would be just like them!", Gamora adds, seeing where they're located.

"Where is that, anyway?", Kitty asked.

"You're about to find out, sweetheart! Here we go, girls!", Peter says, activating the hyperdrive switch.

In the wink of an eye, the ship was gone from sight.

Elsewhere in space:

A sizeable floating asteroid the size of Earth's Long Island hovered in space that held a nearly length-long town with a breathable atmosphere, eateries & hotel/house accommodations for those who plan on staying upon the asteroid for a lengthy period of time. It was discovered by a group of travelers who sought to give others refuge in the depths of space if they ever got lost, needed nourishment and/or a place to crash.

It became known soon thereafter as the Milky Getaway, becoming a favorite spot for many.

That also included Slasher & Squiggy's band of former Ravagers, as they were roughing it up over at a famous eatery on the asteroid named Ravenous Ranch. It was a place where one can get the best food, including the juiciest & most tenderest meats anywhere, served however one wished it. Currently, the group were laughing it up to numerous swigs of their favorite brews while watching the ladies of all species work their magic & strut their stuff for the patrons.

Squiggy was getting a little too comfortable with one of the ladies in the place – a humanoid feline in a sparkling dress, who was all but repulsed not only by his reptilian appearance, but also by the stench of alcohol on his breath.

Unfortunately for the feline, Squiggy wouldn't take the hint & leave her be, no matter how many times she's told him that she isn't interested.

"What's the matter, honey? You craving for some more action this evening?", Squiggy asked in mock kindness.

"Not from you, lizard-lips! Now go away!", the feline said.

But Squiggy still insisted.

"Aw, come on, babe…let's head on over to my place & I'll devour all your cares away! And I promise: if you're really nice to me, I'll see that you don't regret it!"

The feline turned to look him in the eye, his smile still present.

"Oh really, sir?", she asked as Squiggy nodded. "Well, regret this!"

With a swipe of her right hand, the feline gave Squiggy a scratch with her claws to the left side of his face, leaving four cuts that bled. The humanoid Allosaurus screamed in pain at the surprise attack, the claw marks actually hurting him. Slasher & the rest of his band start laughing at the display.

"That's another strike against you, Squiggy!", said one gang member. "I guess you really are that bad at getting a date! I don't think you can even get it up no more, old-timer!"

His reply caused them to guffaw louder (including Slasher), & even the feline he was tormenting smiled & started to laugh, seeing him get humiliated by his own peers. Her laughter died in a second when Squiggy stared daggers at her before snatching her by the throat & pulling her towards his dinosaurian face. The laughter died as they see their second-in-command about to make an example of the feline that rejected him.

"Oh, so you think that's funny, do you?!", he growled at the feline, making her shiver in fear. "Do you think that you'll still be laughing when I bite your head off your shoulders?!" He turns to Slasher & the group. "What do you say, boys & girls? Shall I bite this feline bitch's head off in one shot, or do I open her up with my teeth & see what makes her tick?!"

Several of them cry out for the former, with others clamoring for him to do the latter.

He turns back to his intended victim with a toothy grin & ravenous look in his eyes, scaring the feline further.

None of the other patrons or even the employees dared to step on in & put a stop to it all: they were too scared of Slasher & his gang.

"Guess what, kitty cat?", he teased. "I honestly can't decide which one to go with, as they're both great ideas, so I guess I'll just have to do both!"

Fearing for her life more than ever, the feline swiped at Squiggy again, but the saurian was ready for it this time: he snatched it with his free hand & held it in a steel grip.

"Nice try, kitty! But you ain't gonna get me twice!", he teased, opening his maw & lunging forward.

A series of explosions from outside rocked the entire joint, causing everything to stop as patrons ducked for cover from the blasts which shook the ground beneath their feet. That also went for Slasher & his gang, with Squiggy releasing his would-be victim, who ran to escape him and the blasts occurring. Rushing outside, Slasher & company saw heaps of smoldering metal that were still on fire after the explosions tore apart what had been standing there only seconds ago.

Each of these flaming wrecks were known by the former Ravagers.

"Our ships!" one of them cried out in frustration.

"But what fools would dare to…", another started to say before a new voice addressed them.

"Hey! Assholes! Come catch us if you can!", Peter Quill shouted from his ship's rear, standing 30 feet away as he, Gamora & even Kitty wave in a manner that dares them to do just that.

Just the mere sight of Peter Quill boiled the former Ravagers blood, most especially Slasher's as he growled & bared his own teeth.

"You & your two lady friends are fucking dead, Quill!", Slasher shouted, pointing at their former member.

The rear doors of the ship close up as the trio vanish from sight, but not before Peter & Gamora give them all the middle finger just seconds before the doors close. Right after, Kitty phased her left arm out of the metal doors & flipped them the bird herself before retracting it. Laser fire started hitting the rear of the ship, but each shot harmlessly reflected off the shields that surrounded their craft.

In seconds, the ship was off the ground & flying away.

But Slasher was not going to be denied like last time.

"Let's get flying, boys! We've got us a traitor to devour!", Slasher ordered.

"How? We've got no ships!", said one member.

"Oh yes we do!", Slasher says with a grin, pointing to the other patrons' parked crafts.

Grins adorned their faces, & they immediately got to work hijacking these offered rides.

A minute later:

Once the doors were closed, Quill & Gamora ran to the cockpit & got the ship flying again, with Kitty joining up moments later. She & Gamora were giggling like little school girls after playing pranks on their male counterparts.

In a way, they were.

Peter couldn't suppress a big grin, so he doesn't as the ladies give each other a well-deserved high-five.

"You were right, Peter! This was fun!", Kitty said.

"See? I told you!", he said.

"I wonder if Slasher & his gang are really that desperate to chase us after that little stunt we pulled back there!", Gamora asked.

In reply, the ship was rocked by a few laser blasts. While it shook the ship, it wasn't as violent as they thought it would be.

"I'd say they're desperate!", Quill says as the ladies grinned.

The monitor came on, revealing the angry faces of Slasher & Squiggy, each one flying in separate ships.

"Hey fellas! Lose something?", Peter joked as the ladies fought to keep from bursting out laughing.

"You've made fools of us for the last time, Peter Quill!", Squiggy said from his hijacked ship.

"And as for losing…it will soon be you who loses in the end, traitor!", Slasher growled. "You just wait until I get my claws upon you!"

"Well, you've certainly caught up to me! Now let's see if you guys can keep up!", Peter says, pressing the button for hyperspace before his ship vanished from sight.

Neither slasher nor Squiggy were impressed or worried.

"Don't worry, Quill…two can play at that game!", Slasher said, facing his second-in-command. "Squiggy?"

"Got it, boss!", Squiggy said, checking his instruments. "He's heading directly for Greensleeves!"

"Then that is where he dies! Punch it, boys!"

One after another, Slasher's fleet hit hyperspace & disappear in seconds.

The chase was on!

CHAPTER IX

Greensleeves:

Dogora continued sucking up the offering of coal & diamonds like there's no tomorrow, its mind focusing solely on regaining its sustenance & energy. It's been a whole 5 minutes & then some since Dogora had started feeding, & the Shi'ar Empire, Gladiator, Richard Rider, Ben Grimm & the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy watched while the space monster enjoyed what is to be its final feeding.

For the majority of the group, it was the moment they've waited on.

It was now or never.

"The time has come, Emerald", Gladiator says. "Commence."

"At once", she replied, getting on the horn. "All units…commence with the operation! I repeat, commence with the operation! We have a full green light!"

"Right away!", came the response.

From each of the insect's hiding places, the containment units holding them suddenly opened up along the sides, freeing the contained insects as they all swarm out from their holding pens & into the open skies. A boisterous buzzing sound erupts as the insects fly overhead of the party that arranged this gathering, ignoring them completely.

As hoped, the swarm headed directly for Dogora itself.

"Yeah, now that's what we're talking about, baby! Release the hounds!", Rocket shouted, letting out a laugh.

"I hear you, little guy! For these buggers, it's clobberin' time!", Ben shouts, raising his fist in the air.

Richard, Drax & Groot smiled at hearing Ben say his favorite catch phrase.

How I missed hearing you say that, Ben!, Rider thought happily.

Upon hearing & seeing the swarm of bees/wasps, Dogora ceased feeding & started to rise into the air to avoid the deadly cloud of living stingers that were now assaulting it. The space monster started swinging its tentacles, using them like whips or even bug swatters to repel the oncoming swarm that now endangered its being. Many of the insects flew out of harm's way, but a good number were still smacked away & killed before they fell to the ground, lifeless.

Many more, however, were reaching Dogora's main body & began stinging the monster with their stingers.

Dogora felt every stinger that punctured its body, & it wailed its tentacles madly to brush off the invading insects, but for each one it knocks away, several more took their place. The space monster was in great pain from the attacking insects, & seeing it in anguish & agony pleased everyone who viewed the fight between poisonous insects & creature from outer space.

Now it's your turn to suffer great pain, Dogora!, Emerald thought. This is for Sapphire & all the other Shi'ar we lost at your hands!

"How wonderful it is to see this horrific beast in great pain!", Drax says. "Now it knows what the Shi'ar and the people of Star-Base City all suffered through! Let's see how it likes it for a change!"

Gladiator actually smiled at Drax's statement.

Yes, Destroyer, Gladiator thought. For once, we agree on something!

Drax was correct: it is satisfying to see Dogora suffer through severe pain like the ones he put the Shi'ar Empire, the citizens of Star-Base City & others through.

Viewing the monster futilely fending itself from the insect swarm gave Gladiator great pleasure.

"Good to see the enemy suffer as the innocent have!", Richard says.

"Yes, Richard Rider – it is", Gladiator says, turning to him. "But satisfying this may be, they've been battling the creature for over seven minutes now, & we still haven't seen any change in the monster from the insect attack! I'm all but beginning to wonder if our efforts were wasted in getting rid of…"

"My liege…look!", Emerald called out, pointing to Dogora.

Gladiator, Richard & everyone else watched as the movements of Dogora began to slow as the insect swarm all but continue their assault upon the creature, stabbing at it mercilessly as Dogora's reaction becomes slower with every passing moment. In a desperate movement to escape, Dogora used all its remaining strength to reach up into the clouds & out into space.

But even that doesn't save it: the insects were relentless in their attack, & Dogora only got a portion of itself in the clouds, leaving most of it in plain sight as its body stiffens further.

Then, after a minute or two, pieces of the monster started breaking off & dropping down to the planet below.

The outer atmosphere of Greensleeves:

Peter Quill took the ship out of hyperspace & started to descend down to the planet. From behind, Slasher & his gang do the same, staying hot on their trail. He, Gamora & Kitty watch as they come out of hyperspace as they have on the monitor, & they smile.

"Perfect! They're still following us, just as we hoped!", Gamora said.

"Yep! And now, ladies…we commence with Phase 2 of our plan!", Peter said.

"Let's get to it, Peter!", Kitty said enthusiastically.

Nodding, Quill set the ship into the outer atmosphere as the bow started to burn briefly from re-entry, its light all but shining inside the bridge as the trio use one arm to shield their eyes from the luminescence. Slasher & his gang all do the same as they hit the atmosphere, but still having their main quarry in their sights.

After a minute or so, the light dissipates as they broke through into the planet's atmosphere.

They were now in the area of Greensleeves, their view consisting of lush forest everywhere they looked.

In the skies only 300 meters away, the space monster Dogora was fleeing a swarm of deadly bees & wasps as it was now solidifying before breaking up into pieces after repeated stabbings by its smaller insectoid enemies. To make matters worse for the space creature, several ships from the Nova Corps have also entered the atmosphere & began to shoot volleys of dart-like missiles at Dogora. Seeing the bees growing fewer in number due to the space squid's attacks upon them, the Nova Corps pick up where they leave off & continue solidifying Dogora with whatever they were hitting it with.

"There's Dogora…dead ahead!", Gamora says, pointing to the now crumbling monster.

"And just in time, too, Gamora…it's beginning to break apart!", Kitty says. "Their venom really is fatal to it!"

"Ha! Who knew that we'd be teaming up with poisonous insects to help stop a great threat to the galaxy!", Peter says. "And with the Nova Corps filling in, it's now time to put both of our past sins where they rightfully belong – in the past!"

Gamora smiled at that, with Peter & Kitty doing the same: for Thanos' adopted daughter, it will be good to have finally bring this portion of her past behind her forever, along with Quill's own.

Getting 'two birds with one stone', if I remember correctly!, Gamora thought, recalling a phrase Peter once told her & the other Guardians.

From their vantage point, the Shi'ar & other Guardians all see Peter Quill re-emerge to the planet, only this time with multiple crafts following him in hot pursuit.

"Quill?", Drax says.

"Peter?", Richard says.

None of them could believe what they were seeing, as Peter was now steering the ship directly into the shower of pieces as Dogora was breaking up.

"What is that fool doing?!", Gladiator says.

"That's what we want to know!", Rocket says, getting on the radio. "Hey Pete! Come in, you space dog!"

"Hey Rocket! Glad to see my plan is working!", Quill replied.

"Yeah, it's working, all right! Who are these other fools that are following you?!"

"Believe it or not, that's Slasher & his gang!"

"You idiot! You bailed out on your plan just to go see old friends?!"

"Hardly, Rocket! Simply putting a bunch of past sins to bed – forever!"

"Yeah, but…by actually flying into a hailstorm of falling rocks, Petey?!", Ben adds.

"Well, Ben – they'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?", Peter finished, quoting Han Solo & cutting the line before anyone else could say anything.

On the ship, Gamora looked at Quill.

"Another reference to one of your movies, Peter?", she asked with a smirk.

"1980's 'The Empire Strikes Back'!", he says with a grin.

"One of the greatest sequels ever!", Kitty adds.

Gamora smiled as they were about to enter the field of falling pieces which was left of Dogora.

One of Slasher's men saw Peter Quill & his friends heading straight for the hail of falling objects.

"Are they crazy or what, Slasher?", he says. "Maybe we should just let them get pulverized by the falling stones!"

"Not a chance! If somehow they do survive, I want to deal with Quill myself!", Slasher said, getting on the radio. "Squiggy! Get ahead of that hailstorm & wait for Quill to come out! Once he's in your sights, shoot him just enough to force him to land, & we'll take care of the rest!"

"Got it, boss!", Squiggy said.

Squiggy banked a hard right & broke off from the pack, while the rest went after Peter, hailstorm or no hailstorm.

"This is it, Quill!", Gamora says. "If we're going to come through this unscathed, now's the time for Kitty to do her thing!"

"We hear that, Gamora!", Peter says. "You all set, Kitty?"

"Ready & primed, Peter!", Kitty says, placing herself on the floor & wrapping her legs around one seat while she placed her hands upon the floor. "Remember, guys: no matter what happens, both of you stay in your seats until we're all clear! You ready? Here we go!"

Using her mutant powers of phasing through solid objects, Kitty Pryde concentrates on making herself, Gamora, Peter & the ship itself intangible. Kitty worked overtime to push her power to & beyond its limit, making sure that each part & every inch of the ship & them in it to allow the falling pieces that were once space monster Dogora to pass right through them without harm.

It was a strain, as she'd never made anything this large intangible before, but she ignored it & held herself steady.

As Peter entered the falling rocks zone, he & Gamora said silent prayers that his idea would work & have them come out the other end unscathed.

Several of Dogora's remains fell straight towards the ship, & Peter had no time to dodge them even if he wanted to. Richard Rider, Ben Grimm & all the rest watched as colored stones quickly descended upon the Guardians' ship.

Like magic, the stones passed through the ship without a single sign of damage.

"I am Groot!", the tree man said with a smile & pointing.

"Yeah, buddy…they're okay!", Rocket said, grinning. "Now that's a neat trick!"

"You go, Kitty!", Ben & Drax cried out happily before giving each other a high-five.

Way to go, dear Kitty!, Richard thought, impressed by the display.

Emerald, Gladiator & the other Shi'ar just watched & said nothing, but Emerald was also impressed by Peter's antics, though she kept it to herself.

Peter & Gamora were equally intrigued by Kitty's phasing powers, but kept silent: any loss of concentration on Kitty's part, & they'll be heading for an early grave.

Deep down, however, they were crying out inside as they smiled in triumph.

But while the Guardians' ship passed through the falling stones unharmed, Slasher's gang were something else entirely: one by one, their vessels were struck dead-on & exploded into flaming debris, their burning wreckage mixing in with what's remaining of Dogora.

Many of them died screaming during their last moments of life.

Some of them didn't have time to scream at all.

Slasher was infuriated that Peter Quill's ship wasn't pulverized like those in his crew were: falling colored stones were passing through his enemy's ship like it wasn't even there, confusing him.

"They ain't even slowing them down, boss!", said one crewmember.

"I see that, you fucking idiot!", Slasher barked. "You think I'm blind or some shit like that?!"

"You're blind to that! Watch out!", screamed another.

It came at them out of nowhere: a large piece of Dogora came down from in front of their ship, & with no time or chance to avoid it, the piece crashed into & tore apart Slasher's hijacked vessel, killing him & everyone else within.

They only had a second or two to scream before it was all over.

Up ahead, Squiggy got on the opposite side of the falling rocks zone & waited for Peter & his crew to get within his sights. He was devastated to see that Slasher & his gang were getting knocked out of the skies like flies from all the falling colored stones that the monster turned into, while Peter Quill & his two ladies were all unharmed.

It also pissed him off, especially when he sees his boss sharing the same fate as the others.

He intends to make Peter Quill pay for that.

Squiggy intended to give Quill's ship a plethora of laser shots from his rifle to force him to land.

If that doesn't work, he'll give them a full head-on ramming to make him & his ladies suffer the same fate his boss & crew endured, even if it costs him his own life. Getting his weapon, he opens up the cockpit & aims it directly at Quill's oncoming ship.

Quill & Gamora see the display from up ahead even through the falling stones.

"Looks like Squiggy's not quite done with us yet, Peter!", she says.

"Yeah well, is he gonna be in for a surprise!", Peter said, thrusting the ship forward.

Squiggy sees the oncoming craft & has it in his rifle's sights.

This is for Slasher & the boys, Quill!, Squiggy thought. Along with being Yondu's favorite over us all those years ago!

Pressing the trigger, Squiggy fired repeatedly at Peter & his friends.

But like Peter Quill said, he was in for a surprise: his shots passed right through the ship once they made contact with his ship…going right into the bow & out the stern like it wasn't even there. He allowed for a moment of shock to hit him before he continued shooting, but getting the same results every time.

Now it was heading right for him.

With no time to elude what's heading his way, Squiggy held up his arms to his face as Peter's ship came right at & passed through Squiggy like the whole thing was a ghost, leaving him unharmed in every way.

He felt no pain anywhere on his person, & was still in one piece.

Then he felt rage swell within him again, & getting back in, he closed the canopy & started chasing Peter Quill & his band himself.

From their ship, Peter & Gamora saw their quarry make a quick U-turn & head their way, quickly gaining ground.

"Well, we're out of the falling rocks zone, but Squiggy's back on our tail again!", Gamora says as Kitty rose up from the floor upon hearing they were past the danger area, making them & the ship solid again.

Case in point: a couple blasts from Squiggy's rifle shook the ship, which were more powerful than any of them had imagined them to be.

"And knowing him, he won't stop until we've become a flaming wreckage like his pals!", Peter said. "Perhaps I should've asked you to keep us intangible for a bit longer, Kitty!"

Kitty gave the matter some thought & came up with an idea.

"Maybe we don't have to, Peter! I've got an idea!", she says, taking one of Peter's guns & showing him in her hand. "Mind if I borrow this for a while?"

"What are you planning to do with that? Shoot him out of the sky from the rear?", Peter asked.

"Not exactly. Open up the rear doors when I tell you to."

Kitty ran towards the rear of the ship before either Gamora or Peter could say anything.

Getting the stern on the monitor, they see Kitty ready to do what she has planned as she gives Peter the okay.

"All right, Quill…open up!", she says on the screen.

Pressing the button, the rear doors open to reveal to Squiggy a standing Kitty Pryde with one of Peter double-barreled guns in her hand, staring right back at a startled humanoid Allosaurus. Seeing the ship the reptile hijacked was only several meters away, Kitty calculated her move & performed it: she leaped out of the rear of Peter's ship & headed straight towards Squiggy. Acting quickly, the saurian got back inside & closed the canopy, grinning.

"Let's see you go splat on my windshield, you crazy human!", Squiggy shouted, chuckling.

His toothy grin was wiped from his face when Kitty phased right through the cockpit's plasti-glass & landed on behind him, fully solid once again. Kitty then turned to the saurian & placed Peter's gun directly in his face, which was one of surprise.

Kitty's face, however, was one of anger – a face that actually scared the humanoid Allosaurus.

"I don't think so, asshole!", she growled, grabbing his gun & tossing it away. "Land this motherfucker! Now!"

"yes ma'am", Squiggy said in a voice that was filled with trepidation.

With a gun aimed at his face, Squiggy did as he was told as Peter did the same, landing their crafts several meters away from where Dogora was literally shitting stones, staying out of that zone.

Quill & Gamora exited their craft, with Squiggy doing the same as Kitty was right behind him, her gun pointed at his back as they walked over to the two Guardians. Peter had his second gun in hand, with Gamora holding her sword in hers. Pushing the saurian down to the ground on his hands & knees, Kitty rejoined Peter & Gamora, still borrowing his gun.

Squiggy looked up to see Peter Quill, Kitty Pryde & Gamora staring down at him, their weapons drawn & aimed directly at the saurian.

But even in his current situation, Squiggy still refused to give them the satisfaction of groveling at their feet.

"So what now, Quill?", he asked defiantly. "You & your two bitches are going to shoot me, now that I'm at your mercy?! Pull that trigger of yours & you'll be just like Yondu, if not worse!"

"First of all, Squiggy, I am nothing like Yondu!", Peter points out. "If I was, you'd be dead right now! But don't tempt these ladies here – they're not as forgiving as I am! Second, I want to make you an offer!"

"What kind of offer?"

"Only this: all you need to do is simply forget about vengeance against me or anyone in my crew, start a new life of your own that doesn't involve committing any kind of crimes anywhere in the galaxy, & you'll have my word that we'll never give you any trouble – as long as you remain legit for the rest of your days! Fair enough?"

"And? Knowing you, Peter Quill, there's got to be a catch to it!"

Quill shook his head.

"Not this time, Squiggy", he said. "Aside from staying away from crimes and/or committing them, there ain't no strings attached. If people like Gamora, Drax, Rocket & even myself can turn our lives around, who's to say that you can't do the same? What do you say, Squiggy? Drop the life of a fugitive & start afresh?"

"Of course, if you're still eager to stay in your life of crime, we can always ask the Gladiator to see if he can't help you turn your life around", Gamora says. "And he just so happens to be here – just a bit away from where we are!"

Squiggy's eyes widened at that revelation.

"The…the Gladiator is here? On Greensleeves?", he asks.

The trio nodded.

"Not to mention the Nova Corps is here as well, finishing the job of defeating Dogora…with one member who just so happens to be a very good friend of ours!", Peter adds as the ladies nodded.

Squiggy smiled & chuckled nervously.

There's no way he's going toe-to-toe with the ruler of the Shi'ar, much less the Nova Corps.

"Uh…there's really no need to get them involved in this, is there?", Squiggy says nervously, getting up slowly with his hands raised. "I-I can change for the better, no problem! In fact…I'll do that right now, no kidding! A life of clemency & freedom…who wouldn't want that? Let me prove it to you that your deal's acceptable, okay? Look, I'll go toss out my rifle once I get inside the cockpit…and if I don't, you can blow me up right on the spot!"

As he spoke, Squiggy backed away before turning & racing for his stolen ship. True to his word, he tossed out his rifle once he was inside to show he was on the level about starting his life anew.

Neither Peter, Kitty nor Gamora did anything to stop him, let alone fired at his craft.

Seconds later, Squiggy was airborne & turned his ship away before leaving the trio.

All through the moment, he was cheering & shouting at his new lease on life, free from Slasher's crew.

Little did Squiggy realize that he was heading directly back into the zone where Dogora's solidified pieces were still falling as he was too happy to be free of his previous life to pay it any mind.

It would cost him: from out of nowhere, a large piece of Dogora fell down from above & slammed into Squiggy's ship as it brought him down to the planet, crushing it & him, all in the blink of an eye.

Peter & the ladies cringed at the sight of Squiggy getting flattened like a bug in less than a heartbeat.

"Oh man, that's gotta hurt!", Quill says.

"Poor bastard!", Gamora & Kitty say in a sympathetic voice before smirking at each other.

The trio actually felt sorry for the former Ravager: he really was willing to turn over a new leaf & start over, & it got snuffed out in an instant.

With the pieces of Dogora still falling down from the sky, Peter & the ladies hoped there were no one else in the immediate vicinity to suffer the exact same fate as Squiggy.

Over at another spot was a two-story log cabin on a hill that gave a great view of the forest below, complete with windows & sliding doors. A senior in his 90s from Earth discovered this planet many years ago & chose to settle here in a new life away from all the boisterous noise of his home world. Day by day, he made a living providing sustenance by hunting animals for food & clothing, also selling it to others who have decided to make the woods their home rather than in one of the handful of towns/cities on Greensleeves.

For so many years, it was a happy, quiet & peaceful place for this senior citizen.

Until now: from above, another large piece from Dogora crashed down upon the two-story luxury cabin, flattening it completely & everything within. Only the senior citizen was spared a grisly death, as he stood a dozen feet away with his eyes & mouth agape in shock.

"Oh no! And the mortgage was due today!", he cried out. "The landlord is gonna kick my ass, toot sweet!"

Now he wished he'd been flattened along with his home.

Just as the Shi'ar, Richard Rider & the other Guardians have done, Peter, Gamora & Kitty stayed out of the area where what remained of Dogora were continuing to drop from the sky, each piece landing on the ground with impact that shook the vicinity. The hailstorm of falling colored rocks went on for over a half-hour before it slowed to about a trinkle, until finally, it stopped altogether. The Nova Corps ships ceased their attack & headed back into space.

The group waited a few minutes before confirming it.

"Hey Pete!", Rocket said on his radio as Quill grabbed his.

"How goes it, Rocket?", he replied. "Did we win?"

"More or less! Gladiator & Rider both got the confirmation from their people hovering over the planet! Dogora's nothing but shiny colorful rocks now! We fucking did it!"

Turning to Gamora & Kitty, the trio smiled, got into a group hug & cheered.

From their positions, Rocket, Drax, Ben & Groot did the same.

Gladiator & his people didn't do a group hug, but they did cheer & shook hands with one another. The Shi'ar ruler shook the hands of both Emerald & Richard Rider, each one smiling as they did so.

"Now Sapphire & all our Shi'ar comrades who perished can finally Rest In Peace, knowing that we have avenged them, my liege", Emerald says.

"Yes, Emerald. That they can", Gladiator says, turning to the Nova Corps member. "Richard Rider?"

"Yes, Gladiator?", he replied.

"A stunning victory in which Peter Quill & his Guardians of the Galaxy have helped us earn. Were it not for them & Quill's discovery of Dogora's weakness, many more would've perished at the hands of that terrible space monster."

"They most certainly would have. Glad to see that won't be the case."

Gladiator did make an ultimatum to Rider, though.

"However, if you mention to Peter Quill or any of his Guardians that I gave them such high praise in their work", he warned. "I'll deny it."

Richard smiled even when Gladiator didn't.

"Fair enough", Rider said, turning to said people. "They don't need to know everything."

After a minute, Richard Rider received a call from one of his superiors as he listened in.

Peter, Gamora & Kitty released their group hug, each one happy as could be.

"Another one of my father's creations…bitten the dust!", Gamora said. "If only I had sooner discovered Dogora was still alive after it escaped from his lab all those years ago…"

"Gamora, we've been through this", Peter said. "Those deaths caused by Dogora are all on Thanos' hands, not yours. You shouldn't have to pay for his sins, & as long as you have us, you won't ever have to. Remember what the Queen of Tranquil once said to you about using your talents for the greater good that defines you. My only regret is that it was something I should've taken to heart just as much as you should."

Kitty & Gamora take a step closer to Peter & look him square in the eye.

"Peter, you & the others had every right to be angry with me for not telling you about Dogora before", Gamora says. "I deserved that chewing out by you all."

"No, you didn't", Peter said. "We've all had moments in our past that we want staying buried. We should've all realized that no matter what we face, be it from somebody's own personal past or anything else, we would face & defeat it…together."

"As one big happy family", Kitty added.

"Damn straight, Kitty."

The female X-Man wrapped her arms around Quill's neck & kissed him passionately as Gamora looked on, her face in a wide grin at the affectionate display. She watched for a minute or so before Richard Rider came on the radio.

"Hey Peter, are you there?", he says as Peter broke the kiss with Kitty & answered.

"Yeah, Richard! What's up?", Quill replied.

"I just finished speaking with Chief Paws from Star-Base City! He'd like for you & the Guardians to head over there as soon as you can!"

"He does? Why?"

"I told him about what you did – defeating Dogora – and both he & the Mayor want to reward you handsomely for your services!"

Richard's news made the trio's faces light up with glee.

"That's great, Richard!", Peter says. "Let the Chief know that we'll be there later on, in about a couple of hours! There's something that we need to do first!"

Quill cut the connection & pocketed his communicator.

"There is?", Gamora & Kitty ask.

"Absolutely!", Peter says, pointing to the colored stones that were once Dogora. "Let's collect as much of those as we can. Who knows? We could receive a very high amount of credits for remnants of a defeated space monster."

Kitty & Gamora get the picture, & it was a mighty pretty one.

"We can pay back the rest of those we owe credits to back on Knowhere! Now you're talking!", Gamora says.

"I'm thinking of taking home a piece of Dogora back to the Mansion, Peter!", Kitty says. "Just wait until Xavier & the others see what I bring back home!"

"Well, there's plenty to go around, Kitty!", Peter says. "Let's begin!"

Nodding, Peter, Kitty & Gamora all head out to do exactly that as the latter got on her comm link.

A few hours later:

Once Gamora informed Rocket & the others of what Peter had planned, Rocket, Groot, Drax & Ben all came on down to join in with collecting as many of Dogora's remains as they could. Richard Rider & Gladiator have also liked the idea themselves, wanting to collect mementos for all those they lost in the battle against the space monster. Richard did so himself for the same reason (those lost over at Star-Base City & the Shi'ar vessel), but also to store them in many museums for the galaxy to know of Dogora's history, & all those who fought against it.

In return, the Nova Corps will also receive a handsome sum of credits to use on defenses, among other things.

With a couple pieces, Ben Grimm & Gladiator used their strength to punch at large boulders & break them down into average-sized pieces, making it easier for storing into their ships.

The whole process took about two to three hours before they've decided that it was enough, & left whatever else was lying around.

"Hot dog, gang!", Rocket said, giddy as a schoolboy. "With this haul, we'll probably be rolling in credits!"

"As long as we get to keep a few pieces for ourselves, Rocket", Drax said. "Horrible as Dogora was, we should have something of this assignment to remind us of why we all do what we do. Agreed?"

"I am Groot", the tree man said, agreeing.

"Yes, Drax, we certainly should", Gamora said. "It will also remind us that we are a team, & that we're much stronger together than apart."

Drax, Rocket, Groot & Peter nodded in full agreement.

"And…not to mention the fact that you have wonderful allies & friends on hand, ready to offer their assistance in case it's ever warranted!", Kitty said, grinning.

"Kitty, as Isaac Hayes used to say, 'You damn right'!", Peter said, grinning himself as he said the last three words in his best imitation of the late singer who died on August 10, 2008 at age 65 from a recurrence of a stroke only ten days before his 66th birthday.

Kitty couldn't help but to giggle.

"Think I'll keep a few pieces of Dogora for myself as well", Ben said.

"A souvenir for Reed?", Peter asked.

"In part. But it'll also give me a reminder of when I was with you people when it all came down – somethin' to tell the kids, as it were."

"It would make for a very good bedtime story!"

Ben smiled at that, because he knew Quill was right about it.

"Let's get onboard, people. We've got a stop to make", Peter said as the Guardians, Ben & Kitty started back to their ship. They were stopped by Gladiator's voice.

"One moment before you Guardians depart", he said, floating over & landing 6 feet away. "There's something I need to know: do any of you know exactly where this Dogora beast originated from?"

Gladiator's question made Gamora feel like a lead weight, her legs feeling like rubber as she fought to hide her fear. She knew that if Gladiator has any inkling of Thanos' connection to Dogora, he'll trace it back to Gamora, & that will cause problems for which the Guardians – and possibly Ben & Kitty themselves – could be facing imprisonment for a good number of years.

Even Rocket & the others became worried of that very same dilemma, not to mention Richard Rider.

But Peter Quill stood tall & firm, & he answered with a straightforward face.

"I'm sorry, Chief. We can't help you there", he said in an even firmer voice.

He & Gladiator stared at each other for several moments for the Shi'ar ruler to see if he wavered in his speech or his eyes in the slightest. They were as firm & straightforward as he could see them to be.

"Hmm. Very well, then. You Guardians are dismissed", Gladiator says, giving a wave of his hand indicating they were free to go.

None of the Guardians – not even Drax or Ben – wanted to push their luck with the Shi'ar ruler, so without a word they boarded their ship as Rocket sat in the pilot seat & Peter told him where to take them next.

Within moments, they were off the ground & airborne as Gladiator, his Shi'ar & Richard Rider watched them go.

Good for you, Peter Quill, Richard thought. You don't need to know everything, & neither does the Gladiator.

Of all those still on the planet Greensleeves, only Richard Rider knew that Thanos was responsible for Dogora's existence, & that Gamora – as a child – watched as it escaped & hid for many years, forced to keep it confidential from one & all, as per her stepfather's instructions.

He was told of this all once he awoke from unconsciousness after crash-landing on Star-Base City.

It was something he would keep from Gladiator & his people, not to mention his fellow Nova Corps members.

They watched the Guardians' ship until it disappeared within the clouds & out of sight.

Soon, they each departed the planet themselves & headed home.

The nightmare of space monster Dogora has finally come to an end.

CHAPTER X

Knowhere, the next day:

As per Peter's instructions, Rocket headed directly for planet Magna's Star-Base City, where the curfew placed on the city was now lifted once news of Dogora's defeat reached across the galaxy, thanks in no small part of the efforts combo of the Shi'ar Empire, the Nova Corps and the Guardians of the Galaxy. When Peter & company approached the city along with Ben Grimm & Kitty Pryde, they were still heartbroken by all the destruction & death Dogora caused, as their victory against the space monster paid a terrible price.

Both Chief Paws & the Mayor of Star-Base City reminded the Guardians that as horrible as this was, it could've been much worse, & that they shouldn't carry the burden of the incident.

It was a big relief to all, even if a piece of guilt still existed within them.

Nevertheless, they won't allow it to weigh them down.

Quill gave the Chief and the Mayor a gift: a couple pieces of what remained of Dogora, who was now chunks of colored stones to go with the one he gave Chief Paws the other day. The Chief also informed Quill & company on the fact that their scientists also discovered Dogora's weakness in the stone Peter gave him before departing for Earth. Once it was confirmed, Chief Paws alerted the Nova Corps immediately, who were able to concoct a formula that resembled bee/wasp venom in no time.

It explained as to how the Nova Corps' attacks on Dogora were completely effective.

In any case, Chief Paws was delighted to see the actual proof of the monster's death, & when Drax told them they had more pieces of the space creature in their ship, the Mayor gave them an offer, one they couldn't refuse.

An enormous amount of credits, along with their original planned payment for their services, as they would gladly purchase every piece of Dogora's remains.

The faces of the Guardians lit up like Christmas trees.

It was a bonus they all gladly accepted. The only catch was that Ben Grimm & Kitty Pryde would be able to keep at least one piece each for themselves, along with one for the Guardians – as mementos.

Neither Chief Paws nor the Mayor had any objections to their terms.

Gamora & even Ben did ask if they could be of any assistance in helping with the clean-up, but were all politely declined by the officials, saying they had everything under control but thanked them for asking.

With the transaction complete, the Guardians bid farewell to the Chief & Mayor once they handed over most of Dogora's pieces.

Having been worn down from fatigue by all that happened, the Guardians spent the night in the ship.

They left the planet at the crack of dawn.

Straight for Knowhere. Home.

When they touched down over at the landing docks, they were greeted by Whiskers again, stating that the other patrons they owe money to are getting very restless.

Peter assured him that he & his Guardians were more than prepared to pay what they owe, & even showed him just how they intent on paying their debts.

A big smile came upon Whiskers' lips.

Over at the pub, the patrons were rumbling unhappily, jawing about how Peter Quill & his Guardians owe them what was due. When aforementioned people – along with Ben Grimm & Kitty Pryde showed up – at the entrance, they were irritated as can be, & they weren't afraid to display it as they rose from their seats.

"Well well, if it ain't the so-called Guardians of the Galaxy!", said a huge frog-like patron with bulging biceps.

"If you're showing your faces here, Peter Quill, we're hoping you've got what you owe us – for your sakes!", a horned bipedal bison says.

Each of the Guardians weren't intimidated by the patrons' threats, & they were smiling to boot.

Like a well-known magician, Peter Quill displayed a plethora of credits in both hands as if he were dealing cards for tricks. Each patron in the pub gasped at the sight of big money Quill had in each hand.

"Hope this answers your question, fella!", Ben Grimm says, also grinning & gesturing to the credits in Peter's hands.

"Okay folks, whoever else we owe credits to, start lining up to get paid!", Quill announced. "And for the next hour…drinks are all on us!"

Fifteen minutes later:

Right after Quill made his announcement, the patrons' anger dissipated & got replaced by boisterous cheers of happiness as each one needing to get paid received the full amount & then some, thanking Peter & his Guardians. And as promised, their drinks were all taken care of by Quill & company, each one giving their appreciation with guzzles & belches – some soft, others over the top.

It was a current contest Rocket Raccoon was currently in with the big frog-like patron: he let out a belch that had lasted for several seconds, getting nods of approval & even hand claps from those sitting around them.

"Thank you, dear friends!", Rocket saluted. "Now let's see how well you perform, frog-face!"

"You got it, squirt!", Frog-face said, guzzling down his drink in one go & getting 'ooohs' & 'aaaahs' from the others. Throwing his head back & keeping it there for a few seconds, Frog-face then lurched forward & unleashed such a boisterous belch that was heard down the hall & beyond. His belch was so loud that the room shook, & everything in it stopped until Frog-face ceased his blaring noise.

His belch was so powerful, it actually knocked Rocket out of his seat & into/through the wall behind him, leaving a well-made silhouette hole in his shape. Rocket emerged from his self-made hole through the wall, drunk as a skunk.

"Whoa, that was a GOOD one!", he said with a grin as he drunkenly made his way out & back to the table.

Frog-face & everyone else were laughing at the display and seeing how Rocket was able to take a joke & still be standing afterwards, albeit with a wobble.

He returned for another round.

Ben Grimm & Drax were dealing in arm-wrestling with some of the strongest patrons in the place, each one of them meeting defeat by both: Drax was currently in a match with a brute that was scaly & had a mouth filled with sharp teeth, while Ben was arm-wrestling with the big humanoid bison that had horns on his head. Patrons were betting mostly on Ben & Drax, with a few on the other guys.

Once more, it was Ben & Drax who came out on top.

The whole scenario was reminiscent to Ben Grimm of the 1987 action-drama movie 'Over the Top', starring one of his very favorite action stars.

Gotta love that Sylvester Stallone!, Ben thought with a smile.

Patrons that bet on Ben & Drax collected their winnings.

"You & Drax both win again, Mr. Grimm!", Horns said. "Twelve straight in a row!"

"Don't worry, friend!", Ben says. "In my book, everybody's a winner!"

"Meaning, another round for all!", Drax says, getting cheers from winners & losers alike.

"Now you fellas are talking!", Scales said, as he & Horns do a fist bump with Drax & Ben in good faith.

Kitty Pryde was also faring well: she was currently in a game of darts with several patrons who were quite skilled at it, getting high scores from others. But Kitty was different: she used her natural talent to outscore every one of her opponents & she & those that bet on her collected their winnings.

Like Ben & Drax have done, Kitty used her credits to buy rounds for all, whether they won or lost.

Quill & Gamora simply stood next to the bar & enjoyed their drinks, watching others having a good time.

"Not bad, Peter!", Gamora says, taking another sip. "A handsome fee from the Chief of Police & Mayor of Star-Base City for both destroying Dogora and handing over his remains, not to mention what we received from Richard Rider & the Nova Corps like they promised! We've basically got credits to spare! This keeps up, we'll be even richer than that Tony Stark fella, the one who's also called 'Iron Man'!"

Peter smiled at that.

"Trust me, Gamora: nobody's richer on Earth than Tony Stark!", he says. "He's got more money than people like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, or even that stupid, worthless sack of shit Donald Trump! Somebody like me in possession of that kind of wealth? Sorry, sweetie…only in my dreams!"

"But at least we have more than enough to use in case we need repairs, pick up supplies, & the like", Gamora had stated. "Let's just remind ourselves not to go too crazy with the spending on what we've earned, & we should be good for quite some time."

"Relax, Gamora: even Drax, Groot & Rocket aren't that far gone to blow all our earnings foolishly. They know better, even if they don't show it that much. And Gamora?"

"Yes?"

"When the time comes to putting Thanos down for good, I'll personally see to it that Drax and you deliver the coup de grace, which is a French expression for 'the killing blow'."

"You'd do that for us?"

"Absolutely. He's responsible for Dogora's rampage & taking all those lives away needlessly, along with many other atrocities he's committed throughout the years. Who better to send him in Death's grace than the two whose lives were turned upside down the worst by his hands than you & Drax? Hell, I'll even put a big bow on & hand-deliver him right at your feet if you want. Just say it, & I'll do my best to grant it."

Hearing Peter's promise made Gamora feel rejuvenated in ways she'd never been: Quill first admitted he was all but wrong to place the blame for Dogora's existence at her feet, realizing she was only a helpless child when Thanos had created the creature long ago, followed by having her take care of his past sins in return.

Gamora had to admit that there is an honorable gentleman in Peter Quill, even if he is reluctant to show it.

Then again, so is Gamora herself a lot of the time.

"Drax & I will definitely hold to you on that promise, Peter Quill", Gamora says, holding up her glass. "I'll also drink to it!"

Quill smiled & did the same, clinking his glass with hers as they drank.

The rest of the evening on Knowhere went well, & everyone kept on partying until the early hours of the morning.

Life on Knowhere, & everywhere else in the Galaxy, continued.

EPILOGUE

Planet Greensleeves:

Word of Dogora's demise struck in all corners of the galaxy, & everyone who's everyone came over to the planet Greensleeves to collect as many of Dogora's remains as they possibly could, hoping to get top dollar for their discovery. Some worked solo, with others did so in pairs. Luckily, there were still lots of Dogora's pieces even after both the Shi'ar Empire and the Guardians of the Galaxy had taken their share of mementos from the long-deceased space monster.

A certain pair of treasure collectors were getting a good take on Dogora's remains, each arriving at their earliest convenience before competition can get too fierce. With each one possessing a sizeable hover wagon, they store as much as their transports could hold, with each one nearly filled to the brim. The first of these treasure seekers was about 4 feet, 4 inches tall with red curly hair, pink eyes, pointed ears & was attired in a white shirt, brown loincloth & boots. His hands sported only four fingers, & a lit cigar was clenched between his teeth.

He is Pip the Troll, a one-time member of the old Guardians of the Galaxy who, in possession of the Space Gem, can teleport anywhere.

Caressing one of Dogora's pieces in his hands, Pip could hardly contain his joy as he consults with his partner.

"I tell you, friend: when I first heard about this 'Dogora' creature, I thought the media was pulling our legs & all!", he said. "But after seeing actual footage of this thing, following the rumor that the Shi'ar and my old friends the Guardians of the Galaxy had gone & defeated the monster, I just had to come see for myself!"

"Yeah, Pip!", said his friend. "What really drew us here is the fact that the Guardians made a killing from selling pieces of Dogora, making themselves a fortune! It got us to thinking: if they can receive a huge sum from selling remains of a dead space monster, why can't we do the same thing?"

"And how lucky we are to be some of the first ones here, collecting mementos that can set one up for life!"

"That's just what we intend to do, Pip!"

Pip's partner was a humanoid duck, standing 2 feet, 7 inches tall with brown eyes & white feathers. This quacker was attired in a space suit that was made for his size, with a retractable helmet.

He is Howard the Duck, a former resident of Duckworld.

"So…how much do you think these babies will go for on the open market?", Howard asked, standing next to his own hover wagon filled up with Dogora's remains.

His bill grew into a big smile.

MEMORIALS:

Brenda Banks, Pioneering Animator who Worked on 'The Simpsons', 'King of the Hill' & Others, 72 (1948-2020)

William Lauter, Banker & World War II Submarine Veteran, 99

Alice Hoagland, Gay Rugby Godmother & 9/11 Activist, 71

Kerry Vincent, Food Network Judge & Host, 75 (1945-2021)

Barbara Shelley, Actress Best Known for 'Dr. Who' & Hammer Horror Films, 88 (1932-2021)

George Whitmore, legendary Climber, 89 (1931-2021)

Marion Ramsey, Actress on Broadway & Starred in 'Police Academy' Movies, 73 (1947-2021)

Dave Creek, Lead Character designer for 'Bob's Burgers' Animated Series (age not provided)

Jamie O'Hara, Grammy Award-Winning Country Songwriter, 70 (1950-2021)

Michael Apted, Director of 'Up' Documentaries & James Bond Film 'The World Is Not Enough', 79 (1941-2021)

Dearon Thompson, Rapper Known as Deezer D & Starred in NBC's 'ER' Drama, 55 (1965-2021)

John Reilly, Actor Best Known for 'General Hospital' & 'Passions', 86 (1934-2021)

Ed Bruce, Country Music Songwriter, 81 (1939-2021)

Siegfried Fischbacher, One-Half of Siegfried & Roy Magic Duo, 81 (1939-2021)

Angie Jakusz, Contestant of 'Survivor: Palau', 40

Syl Sylvian, Guitarist for New York Dolls, 69 (1951-2021)

Marsha Zazula, Metal Matriarch for Metallica & Other Heavy Metal Bands, 68

Mira Furlan, Actress Best Known for 'Babylon 5' & 'Lost', 65 (1955-2021)

Paul Westphal, Hall of Fame NBA Player & Coach, 70 (1950-2021)

Floyd Little, Hall of Fame Running Back for Syracuse & Denver Broncos, 78 (1942-2021)

Brian Urquhart, Early Leader of the United Nations, 101 (1919-2021)

Gerry Marsden, Lead Singer of 1960s Band Gerry & the Pacemakers, 78 (1942-2021)

John Muckler, NHL Coach & Stanley Cup Winner for Edmonton Oilers, 86 (1934-2021)

Sandra Scully, Wife of Hall of Fame Los Angeles Dodgers Announcer Vin Scully, 76 (1944-2021)

Tanya Roberts, Model & Actress of 'That 70s Show' Sitcom, 65 (1955-2021)

Neil Sheehan, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author & Reporter, 84 (1936-2021)

Tommy Lasorda, Hall of Fame Iconic Character in MLB, 93 (1927-2021)

Nancy Bush Ellis, Sister of Former President George H.W. Bush, 94 (1926-2021)

Iancu Tucarman, One of Last Romanians to Survive the Nazis During World War II, 98

Meredith Anding Jr., One of 'Tougaloo Nine' Protestors, 79

Fred Levine, Florida Attorney who Won Fight Against Tobacco Industry in 1990s, 83 (1937-2021)

Joanne Rogers, Widow of TV's Fred 'Mister' Rogers, 92 (1928-2021)

Dorothy Cole, Oldest Living Marine, 107 (1913-2021)

Philip J. Smith, Former Chairman of Broadway's Shubert Organization, 89

Mary C. Bateson, Anthropologist & Author of 'Composing A Life', 81 (1939-2021)

Benjamin de Rothschild, Heir to Storied Banking Fortune, 57 (1963-2021)

Bruce Headley, Longtime California Thoroughbred Trainer, 86 (1934-2021)

Harry Brant, Model & Son of Supermodel Stephanie Seymour & Publisher Peter M. Brant, 24

Peter Mark Richman, Veteran Actor of Stage, Film & Television, 93 (1927-2021)

Don Sutton, Hall of Fame MLB Pitcher for Los Angeles Dodgers, 75 (1945-2021)

Ted Thompson, General Manager for NFL's Green Bay Packers, 68 (1953-2021)

Bob Avian, Two-Time Tony Award-Winning Choreographer, 83 (1937-2021)

Randy Parton, Brother of Country Singer Dolly Parton, 67

Hank Aaron, Hall of Fame Baseball Icon, 86 (1934-2021)

Larry King, Iconic Broadcasting Pioneer for Radio & Television, 87 (1933-2021)

Walter Bernstein, Hollywood Screenwriter, 101 (1919-2021)

Harthorne Wingo, NBA Champion for New York Knicks, 73 (1947-2021)

Jonathan Brown, Rapper Known Professionally as Baby CEO, 20

Song Yoo-jung, South Korean Model & Actress, 26 (1994-2021)

Jimmie F. Rodgers, 1950s Pop Singer who Had Hits Like 'Honeycomb' & Others, 87 (1933-2021)

Carlos Trujillo, Colombian Defense Minister, 69 (1951-2021)

George Armstrong, Led Toronto Maple Leafs to Four NHL Stanley Cup Champions, 90 (1930-2021)

Frank Shankwitz, Co-Founder of 'Make-A-Wish Foundation Organization, 77 (1943-2021)

Gregory Sierra, Actor Best Known for 'Barney Miller' & 'Sanford & Son' TV Sitcoms, 83 (1937-2021)

Richard Hall Jr., Tuskegee Airman During World War II, 97 (1923-2021)

Cloris Leachman, Emmy & Oscar Award-Winning Actress, 94 (1926-2021)

Harry Beal, America's First Navy SEAL, 90 (19930-2021)

Eleanor West, Woman who Preserved Wild Georgia Island, 108 (1913-2021)

Cicely Tyson, Iconic & Legendary Award-Winning Actress, 96 (1924-2021)

Sonny Fox, Longtime Host of Children's Television Show 'Wonderama', 95 (1925-2021)

John Chaney, Hall of Fame Basketball Coach at Temple , 89 (!932-2021)

George Cardono, Creator of Beloved Rhode Island Landmark Big Blue Bug, 88

Sophie Xeon, Scottish Musician, Singer, Record Producer, Songwriter & DJ, 34 (1986-2021)

Joseph Sonnabend, Pioneering AIDS Doctor, 88 (1933-2021)

Hilton Valentine, Original Guitarist for the Animals, 77 (1943-2021)

Arik Baruer, Surrealist Austrian Artist/Painter, 92 (1929-2021)

Andrew Brooks, Scientist who Developed First COVID-19 Spit Test, 51 (1969-2021)

Abraham Twerski, Hasidic Rabbi, Psychiatrist & Author, 90 (1930-2021)

Duke Bootee, Rapper Known as Edward Fletcher who Co-Wrote Seminal Hit 'The Message', 69 (1951-2021)

Son Chang-il, Rapper Known as Double K of People Under the Stairs, 43

Dustin Diamond, Actor Best Known as Screech in 'Saved By the Bell' Sitcom, 44 (1977-2021)

Grady Gaines, Saxophone Player for Little Richard, 86 (1934-2021)

John Sweeney, Former AFL-CIO President, 86 (1934-2021)

Ricky Powell, Celebrated Hip-Hop Photographer & Honorary 'Fourth Beastie Boy', 59 (1961-2021)

Captain Tom Moore, Highly Celebrated World War II Veteran, 100 (1920-2021)

Hal Holbrook, Award-Winning Actor in 'Into the Wild', 'The Fog', 'Creepshow' & Others, 95 (1925-2021)

Lou Giani Sr., Wrestling Champion & Coach, 86 (1934-2021)

Grant Jackson, MLB Pitcher for Pittsburg Pirates & New York Yankees, 78 (1942-2021)

Rennie Davis, Peace Activist & One of the 'Chicago Seven' in 1968, 80 (1940-2021)

Paul Crutzen, Nobel Prize-Winning Laureate who Warned of Ozone Depletion, 87 (1933-2021)

Loretta Whitfield, Co-Creator of Black Baby Whitney Doll, 79 (1941-2021)

Mike Henry, Actor Best Known as Tarzan in the 1960s & Junior in 'Smokey & the Bandit' Films, 84 (1936-2021)

Dianne Durham, First Black U.S. Women's Gymnastics Champion, 52 (1968-2021)

Danny Ray, Longtime Emcee & Cape Man for James Brown, 85 (1935-2021)

Millie Hughes-Fulford, First Female Payload Specialist in Space, 75 (1945-2021)

Jim Weatherly, Hall of Fame Songwriter who Wrote 'Midnight Train To Georgia', 77 (1943-2021)

Christopher Plummer, Oscar-Winning Actor who Starred in 'The Sound of Music', 91 (1929-2021)

Leon Spinks, Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion, 67 (1953-2021)

Susan Bayh, Former Indiana First Lady, 61 (1959-2021)

George Shultz, Former Secretary of State, 100 (1920-2021)

Ron Wright, Texas Congressman, 67 (1953-2021)

Pedro Gomez, Longtime Baseball Correspondent for ESPN, 58 (1962-2021)

Marshall Cassidy, Former NYRA Track Announcer, 75 (1945-2021)

Joe Allen, NYC Theater District Restaurant Icon, 87

Billy Brown, Patriarch of 'Alaskan Bush People' Reality Series, 68

Marty Schottenheimer, Longtime Head Coach for the NFL, 77 (1943-2021)

Mary Wilson, Founding Member of the Supremes Girl Group, 76 (1944-2021)

Robert A. Altman, Husband of Actress Lynda Carter, 73 (1947-2021)

Leslie Robertson, Engineer of Original Iconic World Trade Center Towers, 92 (1928-2021)

Chick Corea, Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Musician, 79 (1941-2021)

S. Prestley Blake, Co-Founder of Friendly's Restaurant Chain, 106 (1914-2021)

Brayden Smith, 5-Time Champion Winner on 'Jeopardy!' TV Game Show, 24

Katherine Creag, Veteran Television News Reporter for WNBC/4, 47 (1973-2021)

Terez Paylor, NFL Writer & Pro Football Hall of Fame Voter, 37

Carlos Menem, Former President of Argentina, 90 (1930-2021)

Melvin Banks, Founder of Christian Publishing House Urban Ministries Inc., 86

Ari Gold, Trailblazing LGBTQ Musician & DJ, 47 (1974-2021)

Vincent Jackson, Former Wide Receiver for the NFL, 38 (1983-2021)

Johnny Pacheco, Co-Founder of Fania Records, 85 (1935-2021)

Arne Sorenson, Marriott Chief Executive Officer, 62 (1958-2021)

Carman Licciardello, Contemporary Christian Singer & Songwriter, 65 (1956-2021)

Peter Davis, Longtime Classical Music Critic, 84 (1936-2021)

Lynn Stalmaster, Oscar-Winning Casting Director, 93 (1927-2021)

Prince Markie Dee, Member of the Fat Boys Group, 52 (1968-2021)

Bernard Lown, Cardiologist & Anti-War Activist, 99 (1921-2021)

William Joseph Johnson, Tuskegee Airman During World War II, 95 (1925-2021)

Arturo Di Modica, Artist who Sculpted Iconic Charging Bull Bronze Statue in NYC, 80 (1941-2021)

Djordje Balasevic, Popular Serbian Singer, 67 (1953-2021)

Douglas Turner Ward, Actor & Co-Founder of the Negro Ensemble Company, 90 (1930-2021)

Dianna Ortiz, Civil Rights Activist Nun who Survived Torturous Kidnapping, 62 (1958-2021)

Ewart Beckford, Pioneering Jamaican Artist Known Professionally as U-Roy, 78 (1942-2021)

Stan Williams, All-Star MLB Pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, 84 (1936-2021)

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Poet who Helped Launch the Beat Movement, 101 (1919-2021)

James Burke, Five Stairsteps Singer who Crooned Hit Song 'O-o-h Child' in 1970, 70

Bill Wright, First Black Golfer to Win a USGA Title, 84

J. Samuel Hammond, Played Duke Chapel Bells for 5 Decades, 73

Michael Somare, Papua New Guinea's 'Father of the Nation', 84 (1936-2021)

Bruce Meyers, Creator of First Fiberglass Dune Buggy, 94 (1926-2021)

Joseph Duffey, Activist who Inspired Generations of Democrats, 88 (1932-2021)

Dennis DePerro, President of St. Bonaventure University, 62

Margaret Maron, Award-Winning Author of Mystery Novels, 82 (1938-2021)

Vernon Jordan, Civil Rights Leader & Political Advisor, 85 (1935-2021)

Rhea Hurrle Allison Woltman, One of the First Female Astronaut Candidates, 92 (1928-2021)

Sheila Washington, Museum Founder who Helped Exonerate the Scottsboro Boys, 61

Bunny Wailer, Reggae Icon who Co-Founded the Wailers, 73 (1947-2021)

Irv Cross, Pioneering/Iconic Black TV Sports Analyst, 81 (1939-2021)

Jahmil French, Actor Best Known for 'Degrassi: the Next Generation', 29 (1991-2021)

Ian St. John, Liverpool Soccer Star, 82 (1938-2021)

Joe Altobelli, MLB Manager who Led Baltimore Orioles to World Series in 1983, 88 (1932-2021)

Marie Tippit, Widow of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit who was Killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, 92

Larry Wahl, Former Yankees Media Relations Director & Spokesperson, 67

Lawrence Otis Graham, Author who Explored Race in America, 59 (1961-2021)

David Mintz, Creator of Tofutti Vegan Ice Cream, 89

Lance Waldroup, Star of Discovery Channel's 'Moonshiners' Reality Show, 30

Geoffrey Scott, Actor Best Known as Mark Jennings in 'Dynasty' TV Series, 79 (1942-2021)

Carla Wallenda, Member of the Flying Wallendas Family Act, 85 (1936-2021)

Gerald Kogan, Former Chief Justice of Florida, 87

Bill C. Davis, Actor & Activist who Had A Hit with 'Mass Appeal', 69 (1951-2021)

Michael Stanley, Radio DJ & Rocker from Cleveland, 72 (1948-2021)

Olivier Dassault, Fench Billionaire, 69 (1951-2021)

Paul McMullen, 1996 U.S. Olympic Runner, 49 (1972-2021)

Norton Juster, Bestselling Author of 'The Phantom Tollbooth', 91 (1929-2021)

Mark Pavelich, 'Miracle On Ice' Star, 63 (1958-2021)

Lou Ottens, Inventor of the Audio Cassette, 94 (1926-2021)

Roger Mudd, TV Journalist & Network News Anchor, 93 (1928-2021)

Ray White, Veteran WLIR DJ & Colorado Radio Host, 69

Rheal Cormier, Longtime MLB Pitcher & 2-Time Olympian, 53 (1967-2021)

Norm Sherry, Dodgers Teammate of Sandy Koufax, 89 (1931-2021)

Cliff Simon, Actor Best Known as Ba'al in 'Stargate' TV Series, 58 (1962-2021)

Robert Ashby, One of Last Surviving Tuskegee Airmen, 95 (1926-2021)

Goodwill Zwelithini, South African Zulu King, 72 (1948-2021)

Luis Palau, International Evangelist Pastor, 86 (1934-2021)

Murray Walker, Formula One Commentator on British Television, 97 (1923-2021)

Kenneth Kelly, Black Electronics Space Engineer, 92

Allan McDonald, Whistleblower in 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster, 83

Joe Tait, Longtime Cleveland Sports Broadcaster, 83 (1937-2021)

Moses McCormick, Multilingual YouTube Star, 39 (1981-2021)

Jessica McClintock, Renowned Fashion Designer, 90 (1930-2021)

Marvin Hagler, Former Middleweight Boxing Champion, 66 (1954-2021)

Yaphet Kotto, Actor Known for 'Alien', 'Live & Let Die', 'Midnight Run' & Others, 81 (1939-2021)

Dick Hoyt, Iconic Boston Marathoner who Ran with His Son in Races, 80 (1940-2021)

John Magufuli, Tanzanian President & Former Lawmaker, 61 (1959-2021)

Henry Darrow, Actor Best Known as Manolito 'Mano' Montoya in 'The High Chaparral', 87 (1933-2021)

Greg Steltenpohl, Founder of Odwalla & Califia Farms, 67

Sabine Schmitz, Racing Driver & 'Top Gear' Star, 51 (1969-2021)

Matt 'Money' Miller, Founding Member & Keyboardist of Titus Andronicus, 34

Kent Taylor, Texas Roundhouse Founder & CEO, 65

Elsa Peretti, Renowned Jewelry Designer for Tiffany & Company, 80 (1940-2021)

Elgin Baylor, NBA Hall of Famer for Los Angeles Lakers, 86 (1934-2021)

Robina Asti, World War II Veteran & Transgender Advocate, 99

Burtell M. Jefferson, Washington D.C.'s First Black Police Chief, 96

Nawal Saadawi, Trailblazing Egyptian Feminine Writer, 89 (1931-2021)

Adam Zagajewski, Acclaimed & Renown Polish Poet, 75 (1945-2021)

Lin Emery, Sculptor of Nature & Movement, 94 (1926-2021)

George Segal, Oscar-Nominated Actor Known for TV's 'Just Shoot Me' & 'The Goldbergs', 87 (1934-2021)

Joe Boylan, Popular Radio Voice for Rutgers Basketball & Former Coach, 82

Joan Walsh Anglund, Poet, Illustrator & Author of Children's Books, 95 (1926-2021)

Dan Sartain, Garage Rock Singer & Songwriter, 39 (1981-2021)

Taylor Dee, Up-&-Rising Country Music Star, 33

Jose Baselga, Oncologist who Revolutionized Breast Cancer Treatment, 61 (1959-2021)

Houston Tumlin, Child Actor Best Known for 'Talladega Nights', 28 (1992-2021)

Craig Grant, Poet & Star of HBO Drama Series 'Oz', 52 (1968-2021)

Jessica Walter, Actress Best Known for 'Arrested Development' & 'Archer', 80 (1941-2021)

Larry McMurtry, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author of 'Lonesome Dove', 84 (1936-2021)

Beverly Cleary, Award-Winning Author of 'Ramona' Series, 104 (1916-2021)

Bobby Brown, New York Yankees Infielder Turned Cardiologist, 96 (1924-2021)

Richard Gilliland, Prolific Veteran Character Actor, 71 (1950-2021)

Connie Bradley, Longtime ASCAP Executive & Respected Country Music Industry Leader, 75

Howard Schnellenberger, Former Coach for Baltimore Colts, 87 (1934-2021)

Joe Cunningham, Former MLB Player for St. Louis Cardinals, 89

Frank O'Brien, Pianist who Played with Multiple Stars, 78

Bill Brock, Senator who Rebuilt GOP After Watergate Scandal, 90 (1930-2021)

Sarah Obama, Grandmother of President Barrack Obama, 99 (1922-2021)

Brian Rohan, Lawyer to Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Ken Kesey & Others, 84

Morris Dickstein, Influential Critic & Historian, 81

Paul Feinman, First Openly Gay Judge on New York Court, 61 (1960-2021)

Paul Brock, Founder of Black Journalism Group NABJ, 89

Bashkim Fino, Former Prime Minister of Albania, 58 (1962-2021)

Lee MacMillan, Social Media Influencer who Shared Her Adventures, 28 (1992-2021)

Bibian Mentel, Paralympic Snowboarding Champion, 48 (1972-2021)

Don Farmer, One of CNN's Original Anchors, 82

Buddy Deppenschmidt, Jazz Drummer who Propelled Bossa Nova Boom, 85