Meeting the Guardians

Gamora looks at the beeping alert on the ship's console, and feels her eyes widen in shock. "Peter, look at this."

The half-terran - or full-terran now, ever since the fight with Ego - looks over, and his expression turns to utter shock. "What? How's that even possible?"

Rocket snickers, and asks "What, there's a big pile of cash floating in space? Or a big ole weapon?"

"No…the ship's detecting an energy signature. High-level, like…"

Gamora finishes "Like an Infinity Stone."

Draxx asks "What? The things Thanos wants?"

Gamora bites her bottom lip and nods, saying "He attacked Xandar for the Power stone some time ago. Now…if he finds this…"

Teenage Groot says "I am Groot." Rocket stares for a minute, then asks "When did you learn language like that? Yeah, we can't let that happen, but…we'll worry about that later."

Peter locks onto the coordinates, and they take off. When they get there though…it's not an Infinity Stone. At least, they don't think an Infinity Stone would make a giant sphere of fire in the middle of space.

Peter taps a few buttons, and the screen turns on - zooming in on the object, whatever it is. "Uh, guys….there's people in there."

They see the fire's continuously moving, and then all get the shocks of their lives when they see three people floating inside the ball of fire. And then again, when what looks like a face turns towards them. A face made from the fire.

Rocket nervously says "You guys are seeing this to, right?"

Gamora says "A face in the fire? Yes, Rocket, I'm seeing that to."

Peter heads out, putting on his protective mask and equipment so he doesn't die in the vacuum of space, and flies about ten feet away from the…he's not sure what to call it - that'd be the distance when he starts feeling the heat radiating off of it. In space, no less. "What is this, a mini star with people trapped inside it?"

The face turns towards him again, looking suspiciously alert - and then it apparently sees the ship…and uncoils into the body of what looks a bit like a Chinese Dragon from Earth. And flies straight in, nearly cooking him in the process when it goes past him. When he gets back in, and the doors are shut, he finds everyone else pointing their weapons at the newcomers - and, the instant the doors are shut, the dragon-like being disappears. Leaving three people behind.

One girl, two guys - the girl's a fiery red-head, and the two guys are blonde and black-haired wearing armor. And the girl was recently in a fight, and lost from the looks of it - ugly-looking bruises, several scrapes and cuts, and she's currently unconscious.

The blonde groans, and says "Bloom, next time you decide to send a genocidal maniac away from home, don't take yourself and us along for the ride…"

Gamora points her sword at his forehead, asking "Who are you? What are you doing here? And what was that thing?"

He looks first at the sword pointed at his face, then at Gamora - taking a full minute to take in her green skin and red-black hair - and says "I am Thor Odinson. And you are?"

She puts the tip of the blade just under his chin, saying "You didn't answer the rest of my questions. What were you talking about?"

The black-haired man groans now, and sits up, saying "That was one powerful spell…" He looks up and sees Gamora, then goes even paler than he already is upon seeing her.

Gamora, for her part, gets a look of pure shock and drops the blade in her hand. "You…"

Thor looks between them, asking "You know each other? Loki?"

The black-haired man, apparently called Loki, immediately says "She's one of Thanos' kids!" He scrambles up, making a dagger appear out of nowhere, and pulls the redhead away from Gamora protectively.

Thor nearly shouts "What?!" His hands start sparking with electricity, and Gamora yells "Not by choice! You know that!"

Peter asks "You know him, Gamora?"

"He was Thanos' prisoner for-"

Loki darkly says "A year. A year, spent getting broken in every way possible. And I remember seeing your face."

Rocket suddenly says "Alright, somebody tell me what's going on here! You two know each other, great! Mind filling in everybody else?!"

Groot adds "I am Groot."

Thor and Loki both raise an eyebrow, and Loki says "If we used language like that, Allfather would have had us punished so bad…"

Thor nods, and says "Alright, time for some questions of my own. Like why you claim to not be one of Thanos' 'Children' by choice."

"He invaded my planet, killed half the population - likely my mother as well - and took me because I was a fighter. Trained me to be a ruthless assassin. I hated my childhood after he took me, so I left. I want nothing more to do with that monster!"

Thor and Loki share a dark look, and Loki says "You may not get that wish of yours, Gamora. In fact, you likely won't. Thanos attacked Asgard earlier, looking for the Space Stone. And me, in all likelihood. Had Bloom not moved it before he arrived, he'd have made a dozen other stops by now. As it is, his face turned about royal purple with rage when she told him he would never be able to get two of the six Infinity Stones and he tried to kill her. Just as she used a spell to send him far away from Asgard. She blacked out as it was being cast, and her magic took over - attempting to take her away from the danger as well. And us as well, since we had physical contact with her at the time."

Rocket nudges her with one paw, asking "So, why isn't she waking up then?"

Thor shrugs, and says "You're the expert in magic, Loki."

Loki snaps out "I don't know why our sister isn't waking up, Thor!"

Peter suddenly asks "Wait just a minute. Asgard? As in, home of the Norse gods? And you two are Thor and Loki, the gods of Thunder and Mischief?"

Loki rolls his eyes, and says "Yes, that's correct."

"Since when do you two have a red-haired sister named Bloom?!"

Thor says "Since she appeared in the Bifrost when her own Realm of birth was attacked and destroyed by three evil witches seeking ultimate power around two decades ago."

"Oh, I can see this is already getting complicated."

Loki picks Bloom's limp body up and sets her on a nearby table, mutters "Come on, sister. Wake up, for Entities sakes." If it wasn't for the steady rise and fall of her chest, they'd think she was dead.

Mantis says "I can wake her."

Both Thor and Loki give her skeptical looks, and Gamora says "Mantis has Empathic abilities. And she can put people to sleep - and wake them back up."

Loki steps a few paces back, giving Mantis a wary look, but lets her put a hand on Bloom's forehead.

"She is…far. Very far away. Not dead, awake somewhere…but not here."

Draxx asks "What?"

Rocket rolls his eyes, and asks "And that means what, exactly?"

Thor and Loki trade looks, and Loki says "It means her consciousness is currently somewhere else."

Mantis says "Wake up. She's…resisting. I'm trying to wake her up, but she's resisting my powers!"

AN: Alright, next chapter! Yes, I did skip the fight with Thanos - decided this story is going to be three hundred chapters long, and this is technically 297. Quick head-count of the Infinity Stones real quick: Time Stone, with Dr. Strange still; Space Stone, in the Legendarium which is currently locked forever; Reality Stone, destroyed; Soul Stone, unaccounted for in the story - yes, I know its on that alien planet in the movie, but all but Gamora don't know that in the story - Power Stone, Thanos' gauntlet; Mind Stone, Vision's forehead. Getting things wrapped up with the story, hope everyone enjoys - want to start some new stories, but I promised myself I'd finish the ones I've already got going. As it is, I've got around a dozen ideas for other stories to try. Including some for another game, though I'm still working that out as well. Enjoy! Last few chapters coming soon! Happy Holidays!