The ride to Avengers HQ is a tense 30 minutes for the Guardians, but almost the average Thursday for the Avengers. The Milano just barely fits on a landing pad, and even then with the systems down Thor has to help Iron Man pull the landing ramp out after the manual release is activated.
"Hello, and welcome to Earth," Tony says as he flips up the visor of his armor, smiling like a tour guide. "Your first stop is Avengers HQ, home to a bunch of guys that need a little work around the edges, and you seriously don't wanna piss off. Ask Thor, his brother was the first to try."
Thor sighs softly, and raises an eyebrow at Tony. "...Really?"
"Oh… Sorry bud," Tony clears his throat awkwardly. Then he looks up as the Guardians step out into the sun, and he raises his eyebrows at Gamora. "Whoa, She Hulk?"
Gamora furrows her eyebrows, "Begging your pardon?"
Tony waves a hand, "Nevermind, you just kinda remind me of an old friend."
Quill steps forward, and offers a hand to shake, "Peter Quill, and this is Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy."
Stark blinks a couple times, "...Small galaxy. Just the five of you?"
"I am Groot," Groot shrugs.
Quill smirks, "That's kinda all he can say, but Rocket understands him fine if you need a translation."
Tony looks down at Rocket, "...A raccoon, and a tree. Somehow that makes enough sense not to question it."
Rocket rolls his eyes, "Whatever Humie…"
Tony claps his hands together, "Well then, if we're done here, I have a Christmas party to host."
Peter stands straighter with wide eyes, "Christmas? Is it that time of year? Oh man, I haven't had a Christmas in years! Can we come?"
"Ah… Yeah, why not, it's Christmas," Tony says nonchalantly as he opens his armor, and steps out in his casual clothes. "Thor, feel like sticking around?"
"If only I could dear friend," Thor replies. "I have my own mission, and we Asgardians have our own way of celebrating this time of year."
Gamora tilts her head with furrowed eyebrows, and asks, "What is Christmas?"
Quill explains, "The biggest holiday of the year. It's a time about getting together, and reconnecting with family. Peace, and good will to all!"
Drax frowns thoughtfully with a nod, "This sounds like a good holiday."
"It is indeed! Here," Thor pulls a small metal flask from a pouch on the back of his hips. "A gift of my good will. Take care, this fermented in the cellars of Asgard for a thousand years, it was not meant for mortal men."
Rocket holds up his hands, "I'll take that, thank you very much!"
Thor hands the small cyborg the bottle, and then steps away from them all. With a wave he raises his hammer, and the Bifrost snatches him up in a blast of rainbow energy.
Tony frowns softly, "...That man has no regard for lawn maintenance. Still, I'm gonna miss him. Anyhow, if you'll follow me I got some important folks for you to meet." He turns, and starts walking back into the Avengers' new HQ.
"More people, I assume." Rocket mutters, taking a sip of the stuff. On the spot the first drop that hits his tongue nearly knocks him flat on his ass. Gamora glances down at him with a raised eyebrow, but says nothing.
"I am Groot." Groot picks Rocket up, heading for the door.
"YoU KisS yoUr MOther wiTh thAt moUTh?!" Rocket slurs, clutching the bottle.
Drax suddenly snatches away, sniffing the bottle with a frown. "Interesting…"
Quill looks back, and says, "Oh come on guys at least wait until we meet the people who will probably kick our asses if we screw this up!"
"YouR MouTh is A ScreW-uP!" Rocket retorts.
Rolling his eyes Quill mutters, "Unbelievable…"
When they catch up to Tony the billionaire cups both hands around his mouth, and shouts, "Cap! We got visitors! Hope you made extra Eggnog!" Then he rounds the corner to where a hangar has been decked out for the party, even Falcon helping War Machine carry a TV into a corner where Wanda the Scarlet Witch has floated a couch facing it.
"Always room for more people." Cap comments, setting a bowl of eggnog onto a bigger bowl of ice.
Quill jerks to a stop with wide eyes, "Wait a minute… Y-You?! Are you… Steve Rogers?!"
"That's me, yeah." Steve nods, looking him over. "Nice coat."
Quill clears his throat, and sets his lips. "Thanks! I… Oh my god, I can't believe this is happening."
Gamora furrows her eyebrows, "You know this man Quill?"
He nods, "Yeah! This guy is the first superhero on Earth! Steve Rogers, aka Captain America! The star spangled man with a plan!"
Tony leans in towards Steve as he walks by, "Well I'll be, looks like it's one of your original fanboys…"
"Is it sad to say at least mine don't try and get tattoos of me, or shave to look like me?" Steve counters easily.
Tony stops, and then nods, pointing to Steve. "Touché, point to you this time Cap." Then he goes to oversee the placement of a Christmas tree several feet too tall for the hangar. "Oh come on…"
Quill swallows as he steps up, and offers a hand to shake with a sheepish smile, "I'm Peter Quill… But I go by Starlord. And we're the Guardians of the Galaxy."
Steve studies the others. "Either you and your team are superpowered people like Thor, or it's a pretty small galaxy…"
"That's what I said," Tony calls over.
Peter blinks in surprise, but doesn't drop his hand offered to shake for several more seconds, "Right, um… Meet the team." He puts a hand on Gamora's shoulder, "This is Gamora, entitled the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy."
Gamora nods to him, "Captain, an honor to meet you."
"You too." He notices Quill's hand, and quickly wipes his hands clean. "Oh, sorry." He gives Quill a firm handshake, nodding to Gamora. "Do you have any knowledge on gamma radiation?"
She nods, "Enough to blow a reactor, or leak the energy to poison an army, why?"
"Not She-Hulk, got it." He looks at Draxx. "And who are you?"
"I am Draxx the Destroyer," he says proudly, squaring his shoulders with a smile. "From one man of war to another I extend my greetings on this rejoiced holiday of yours."
"I thank you." Steve smiles. He blinks and turns to Groot and Rocket. "...The mascots, or the specialists?"
"I am Groot." Groot bows, holding onto Rocket as the raccoon-shaped alien snores loudly.
Quill smiles, and says, "That's Groot, and Rocket. Groot is our team's main muscle right alongside Draxx, and Rocket is our tech expert… Um… This is usually the part where he gets snarky, but Thor gave him something from a flask."
Draxx holds it up for them all to see. "Such a strong drink is wasted on one so puny it seems. Only a real warrior is worthy." Then he goes to take a sip only for Gamora to snatch it away, much to his shock.
"I don't know, Thor's drink is pretty strong." Clint comments, walking over. "I've seen a sip waste people bigger than Raccoon boy."
Wanda follows him, and smiles, "Everyone this is Clint Barton, and I am Wanda Maximoff. It is nice to meet you."
"Otherwise known as Hawkeye, and the Scarlet Witch," Tony says. "Thanks for stopping by for the holidays Barton, be sure to tell the family I said hi. At least we get to give you a proper send off to retirement." All the while he's looking over the tree issue with a frown, and heads to the corner of the room, returning with a measuring tape.
"You know what they'd like more than a hi? Some kind of gift basket, maybe something meat and cheese. Or in the kids cases, like ten different kinds of candy. But sure, I can say hi if you're feeling poor today." Clint walks over to get himself and Wanda some eggnog.
"...I see what you're trying to do there," Tony says after he measures out the tree, and turns to point at Barton. "And you know what…? It's working, because dammit this is Christmas, and I am not gonna be called a Scrooge. Go ahead, tell Friday what they asked Santa for, it's theirs." Then he heads out the room to go get some tools.
Draxx whispers to Gamora, "These earthlings are an odd group." To which she nods, and walks over to inspect the Eggnog curiously.
"Hey Steve, Tony said a bad language word~" Clint singsongs as he walks away, pleased his ploy had worked.
"Barton, I will spike this eggnog specifically for you." Steve warns, only to receive a shared distant laugh as a response.
After that the party gets to a slow start, at least until the catering Tony ordered comes in. They literally get their own buffet, all the while Gamora is watching her teammates. She's concerned that Rocket will miss out, and become all the more irritable by the next morning because of it. So she gets out her field medical kit, and smiles as she get out her adrenaline injector, giving Rocket a mild dose just to wake him up.
"Gah!" Rocket springs to his feet, clutching an invisible gun as he stumbles, aiming around. He blinks, dropping the invisible gun as he groans and rubs his head. "Ugh… what happened last night…?"
Gamora puts the kit away, and says, "There is a celebration this evening, I didn't think you wanted to miss it. There is a great feast before us it would seem after all."
He perks a bit at that. "How much of a feast are we talkin' here?" Gamora's only response is a finger pointed over his head at the 30 foot buffet table covered in roasted meats, five star dishes, and the entire end of the table is dedicated to holiday sweets.
His jaw drops, staring for a few second before smirking and dashing over, his hangover ignored in favor of sweet, succulent food.
Draxx meets him at the table, two cups in hand. "Freaky little beast, you must try this nog of Eggs. Never in any corner of the galaxy have I tasted anything like it." Bending down he offers a cup to Rocket.
Rocket snatches the drink as he says dryly, "Don't ever call me that again." Then he takes a drink. "Hm… pretty good…"
Draxx nods with a smile, "It would seem that this holiday is to celebrate the end of the year, and to be merry having survived it. So… Merry Christmas!" He throws his arms wide with a laugh, earning a few raised cups from the Avengers.
Tony calls, "Rhodey, how's it coming hooking up the flatscreen? It's their first Christmas, I don't want them to miss Frosty the Snowman."
Quill smiles, "Ah, childhood memories…"
"I think I got it." Rhodey steps back and turns on the TV. And on it the lineup of Christmas specials is being announced, much to the cheers of everyone.
Gamora pulls a plate off the buffet table, and looks down to Rocket. "Would you like some help selecting your meal?"
"Sure, get me one of everything. Thanks Gamora." He looks at Groot, and starts talking with him. The whole time it seems Groot has been trying to get friendly with the Christmas Tree.
"I am Groot." Groot pets one of the tree's branches.
"Groot, I know she's pretty, but she's not consenting." Rocket comments.
"I am Groot."
"Chill, I'm not saying she's not into you, just that she's not consenting." Rocket shrugs.
"I am Groot." Groot looks at him.
"Yeah? Well since the people on this planet that look like me are savages, I'm pretty sure your waifu over here is a serial murderer." Rocket motions to the tree.
Groot gasps. "I am Groot!"
"No, I don't have proof. But look at her. She's not even talking back." Rocket motions to the tree.
"I think that's more because we cut that tree down, so it's dying." Clint comments.
Groot gasps again, hugging the tree sadly. "I am Groot!"
Tony is watching, and eating popcorn idly. "Hm… This looks like some B List Christmas drama… I'd probably still watch it."
Gamora taps Rocket on the shoulder, and offers the plate. "The orange mush covered in white goo… I'm told these are called Sweet Potatoes. Much tastier than it looks actually."
"Thanks!" He grabs a spoon, and takes a bite. "Oh wow, it /is/ sweet. And fluffy. That's /so/ weird!"
"They come in a desert called Pies as well," she says, letting him sit on her shoulder to see as she points at the far end of the table.
"A sweet potato pie?" He wrinkles his nose. "Eh, I'll try almost anything once."
She smirks at his attitude, standing to go get her own plate. Since they saved the galaxy from Ronin she's found Rocket's attitude to be amusing, which to its credit has its own charm. It makes him one of the people she's happy to have on the crew, in his own way.
Rocket gets himself a slice of the sweet potato pie, trying it. "The crust makes it more bearable."
Quill asks, "You complain about having to breathe too Rocket?"
"It's inconvenient when we literally live in space in your smelly-ass ship." Rocket snarks.
"Hey, she's saved all our hides plenty of times," Quill defends his ship with a frown.
"The air could be fresher," Draxx comments with raised eyebrows while Quill shoots him a scowl.
While they bicker in a good natured way Gamora approaches Steve. "Captain, may I have a word?"
"Sure." He nods and steps off to the side.
When they are out of earshot she asks, "You, and Mister Stark have likened me to something called a She-Hulk. It's made me curious as to just what, or who you are comparing me to."
"We have a brilliant scientist, Doctor Bruce Banner. He was trying to reproduce the Super Soldier serum that was given to me, by using gamma radiation. He was trapped in a room when a gamma radiation bomb went off, and he absorbed it all and survived, perfectly fine. But now, whenever he gets angry, he transforms involuntarily into an 11 foot green behemoth known as the Hulk. Super strong, super angry, and the angrier he gets the stronger he becomes," he explains.
She thinks on this, "And because we are both green you thought us the same?"
He shrugs. "Green isn't a natural skin color on this planet."
She nods softly, and says, "I haven't heard his name mentioned before you said it. Is he not here? I'm interested to meet him." She would be lying to herself if she didn't admit even the slightest bit her mind might wander towards her disagreement with Starlord back on the Milano.
"Banner, or the Hulk?" Steve tilts his head.
"Are they not the same person?" She gives him a confused look as she takes a bite of the mashed potatoes on her plate.
"They are, but usually he's Bruce, and Hulk is an alter ego that only comes out when he's angry or too stressed. And when he's Hulk, it's usually a bad time for everyone nearby." He explains.
She nods slowly, "And so he is not here for ruining a happy celebration?"
"Well… no. He kind of escaped during our last mission." He rubs his neck.
She blinks, "Escaped? Then he is your prisoner?"
"No, we try and get him to calm down because he gets himself and others in trouble when he's the Hulk. So now we don't know where he is, or how to help him." Steve explains.
She rubs her chin, and then asks, "What if we could help? After all we are here on a mission of our own. If you will help us on behalf of the Nova Corps, then we will help you find your friend."
He smiles. "That would be great. He's gotta be somewhere on the planet, though sadly that's not much to go on…"
She takes another bite, and swallows before saying, "You mistook me for someone like him. Perhaps he would too if he were somehow made aware of me."
"It's possible." He nods.
She looks over her shoulder as she hears Draxx laughing a Rhodes' party stories. Draxx claps the pilot roughly on the shoulder, and nods, "You are indeed a mighty warrior! I am glad to count all of you among our new allies in our quest for the Infinity Stones!" Then he downs his cup of eggnog.
"Infinity Stones?" Steve inquires.
Quill nods, and sets his turkey leg back on his plate. "Yeah, you see there's this set of stones with so much power they're known for destroying most anyone that tries to use them. We already saved a planet from getting destroyed by one, but these galactic peacekeepers called the Nova Corps are looking for the rest."
Gamora adds, "We've been commissioned to seek them out, and recover them if needed."
"Stones with immense power… like Vision's head crystal?" Clint tilts his head.
Vision floats over, and Quill stares at the glowing gem. Quill swallows softly, raising a hand. "One way to find out… Mind if I…?"
"I'll permit it," VIsion says, leaning in.
Quill slowly puts a finger to it, and jerks it back when it starts to glow softly. As the glow fades Quill nods with his lips pressed together, "Yeah… That's an Infinity Stone. When you've held one like we have you never forget how the power feels."
Gamora looks from VIsion to the rest of the Avengers, and sets her plate aside. "Well… This stone at least I don't think we should be claiming. So long as we provide proof that it's safe, secure, and in the proper hands the Nova Corps should be able to accept it where it is."
Quill looks to Steve, "...He's on your team?"
He nods. "He's our newest member. He was previously a talkie thing in Stark's machines, but then when Ultron attacked, Tony put him in Ultron's most advanced body and created him."
Tony speaks up, "Okay, first of all I think you're underplaying Jarvis. He was a lot more than a talkie anything."
Gamora asks, "What is this Ultron?"
"A monster of metal," Draxx says, nodding to Rhodes. "War Machine here just explained it to me. It seems it was some form mind in a machine that was going to cause genocide. Crashing down on this planet much like Ronin attempted."
Quill looks from Steve to Vision, and then says, "Well if the Cap vouches for him then that's good enough for me. Good enough for the rest of you?"
"Perhaps," Gamora replies. "But will it be good enough for the Nova Corps?"
"It's as good as they'll get," Quill replies,and looks around. "...I thought it was quiet in here, where's Rocket?"
Tony raises a hand, "I gave him a little Christmas, and Welcome to Earth present. An X Box 360, and one of the more inspirational games of mine. He's set up in the next room so people can still have their christmas cartoons."
Gamora turns on her heel, following Tony's pointing finger to go check on him. "I'll be right back."
Rocket is currently playing some sort of shoot 'em up game, having a blast cursing out other players online. "Hey Grandma, I take shits that hurt more than you!"
Gamora smirks a bit, and walks over,taking a seat on the couch by him, "Enjoying yourself as usual, hm?"
"Yeah, these bitches couldn't hit a wall if their guns were pressed at it. The mobility my guy has is pitiful though." Rocket scowls.
She furrows her eyebrows, and picks up the case for the game, looking it over. Casually she says, "Well, you'll like this better. We've already found the first Infinity Stone."
He perks his ear at her. "Really? Where?"
"It's in the possession of one of the Avengers," she replies. "The one they call Vision. I think it's safe where it is. All we have to do is provide proof of that, and we still get paid."
"Well… I suppose that's decent." He frowns as someone finally kills his character. "Wow, that guy was either lucky or has some skill."
"It is your first time picking up the game," she comments. Then she glances at him, and with a soft sigh she pulls out the flask Thor had given them. "If I return to this to you will you treat it…" She trails off as she considers her next words. After all Reasonable, and Responsible are two words she would rarely apply to Rocket. "...Can I trust you to treat it with moderation?"
Even that word is a bit of a stretch in her mind, but it's the best she can think of.
"Yeah… a sip every few days might keep me out for a few months if I meter it out, right?" He smirks, quickscoping a player. "Ha! Suck it noob!"
She raises an eyebrow as she sets the flask down beside him. "What did you call the player?"
"A noob, someone called me that earlier before I shot him every time he respawned and made him rage quit," he comments. "I assume it's a shortening of newbie."
She nods in understanding a bit, and watches for several minutes. "...This game is impractical, in the heat of combat who moves so stiffly, and expects to survive?"
"I know, right? It's just the most interesting game out of what sloth goatee gave me." Rocket shrugs. "Plus it strokes my ego knowing there are genuinely people in this universe that suck harder than Quill."
She nods as she picks up the other games to look them over. "Yes… A good leader, but as a teammate, or roommate he leaves much to be desired."
He shrugs. "True… then again, these fuckers much louder and more annoying than Quill too, if you can believe it."
She raises her eyebrows, "Really? Is that an achievement award in this game?"
"No, it'd be too easy I would think. Also, who lets ten year olds play this game? I'm talking to you, xXURMomIsDumb96Xx!" He shouts that last sentence as he blows up someone.
She chuckles once, and then looks down at the flask on the couch between them. She's not one for drinking, but she decides to try a bit out of curiosity. Her eyes go wide at the potency, and she clears her throat firmly, licking her lips. "Mm… I can see how you were undertaken so quickly."
"I took a big gulp too. Don't do that by the way, I have genetically altered kidneys," he comments.
She hands it back to him, "A big gulp to you isn't exactly a big one to the rest of us."
"Was that a challenge?" He glances at her.
Deciding to tease him a bit for a taste of his own medicine. "Perhaps it was."
He grabs the flask, and downs half of it in a gulp. "Take that! Ha ha ha! Oh wait… shit." Then it hits him like a truck, and he passes out.
Smiling she takes the controller from his hands, and sets it aside as she picks him up. She doesn't want to risk overdoing the adrenaline shot this time so she just carries him back to the Milano to sleep it off, taking the time to let Quill know where she was going.
It takes only a few minutes to get there, and open the door to his quarters… which makes her stop he room is so littered with mechanical parts that she can't find anything even recognizable as a bed. On top of that she sees a geiger counter clicking away, suggesting something in the room is leaking radiation.
Slowly she backs up, readjusting Rocket on her shoulder. "...Very well then…"
Turning she heads for the other end of the ship, and her own quarters. Once inside she pulls his weapons off him, setting them on a crate where she keeps her own weapons. After that she puts her blanket over him, and sighs softly through her nose.
"Make a mess of my bunk, and you're cleaning it up," she informs the slumbering racoon dryly. A glint in the doorway catches her attention, and she walks over to find the Asgardian flask missing its cap. She picks it up, and sighs again when she finds it empty. It would seem she has an apology to make come the morning.
She notes that his outfit, and himself are filthy, when was the last time he had a bath? She decides to take his outfit too, getting it cleaned up, and leaving the empty flask on a shelf that serves as her nightstand. For the moment she puts his clothes in the compartment she uses for her own laundry before headed back to the party.
"Sir, there's a call for you from your special project." Friday broadcasts to make sure Tony heard.
Tony nods with a bit of a miffed expression from his party being interrupted,and so he taps his earpiece to answer it as he steps out of earshot of the others. "This is Tony, talk to me."
"Mr. Stark, you need to come down here. Your 'prodigy' is back with his space ship. It's at least in one piece this time." a professional male voice states.
"Richy? Uh… Kinda in the middle of something right now, does have to be in person? Cuz I can get to Skype in, like, three seconds."
"We're getting ready to throw him out of the building, Mr. Stark. He's insistent on seeing you in person, or making a ruckus until you show up."
Stark rolls his eyes, and says, "Alright, just give him some fruitcake, I'm on my way." Then he hangs up, and calls over to Steve. "Cap! Something just came up at the office. Make sure to put out the milk and cookies, and I want everyone in bed by eight or Santa might not decide to show up. Looking at you Rhodey, Barton."
"We're adults, Tony. We won't go to bed early just because you-"
Rhodey starts amusedly, but is cut off by Barton calling, "Yes Daddy-o! Bed by eight it is!"
Tony smirks, and heads out where his Iron Man suit is waiting for him. He steps into it without breaking stride, and takes off, arriving at the space center he's been funding almost an hour later.
Once he arrives, a 6-1 foot tall young man with brown hair is waiting eagerly for him. "Mister Stark! Sorry for taking away from your party, but what I have to show you is of the utmost importance." He walks up and offers his hand to shake.
Stark plays a christmas joke by stepping out the back of his suit as it grips the man's hand for a firm shake while Tony heads into the center. "Alright Reeds, show me the goodies."
Reed nods and leads him to a large spacecraft. "Here she is! I've worked hard on making sure she's ready! I'm confident her radiation shielding will protect everyone inside from even high amounts of radiation, and I've adjusted the hyperdrive for interstellar flight."
Tony looks the ship over, and puts his hands in his pockets as he puffs his cheeks out with a sigh. "...Reeds… Be straight with me here, one rocket scientist to another… Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He snaps his fingers, and his suit flies over the ship, running a scan of it while Tony clicks on a pair of thin metal bracelets on his wrists.
Reed blinks, his smile faltering a little. "What do you mean?"
"I mean this…"He pulls up a holographic screen in the air in front of him. "For starters, the retro thrusters you've put in this thing aren't anywhere near powerful enough to put any real stopping power into your re-entry. You'd make one hell of a meteorite impression, but I doubt anyone actually inside the ship would survive the landing, even in water. I'm also seeing a need for reinforcement in the drag flaps, and the compartments for landing gear…"
Shaking his head Tony looks to him, "I'm not trying to kill your darling here Reeds. Looking at this thing though you might, just barely make it to space, but there's no way you'd ever make it back. And I'm sorry to say the deadline for your funding, and the clearance for any launches… The time's just up, no way to sugarcoat that one."
"But I modified the retro thrusters to overclock their performance, giving them much more thrust with the same amount of space and fuel! Sure, you got me on the drag flaps and I can make something real quick for the landing gear, but I just need a bit more time!" Reeds argues, not angry but desperate.
Tony sighs, "Friday run the simulation."
A screen appears in front of them, showing the ship in flight. As it enters the atmosphere a fire break out in the bottom where the heat has melted through the coverings for the landing gear, and in seconds the simulated ship is torn in two, blowing up.
Tony sighs softly, "This reminds me of that one christmas special. You know, the one with the little blond kid that wanted a BB gun for christmas, but everyone told him no cuz they all said he'd shoot his eye out? Well he very nearly did Richards, and I just can't in good conscious let you take this thing into space. The work that needs to be done is already nearly double the budget we agreed on…"
Stark pats him on the shoulder with a sad look, and turns to leave, his suit following him. "I'm saving your life Reed, Merry Christmas."
Reed opens and closes his mouth a few times, following Tony like a lost dog. "But… but…"
Tony doesn't stop to look at him, just getting into his suit. He knows if he turns around he'll give in, after all he hates seeing a creative spirit die. So as he walks he says, "Maybe another day Reeds. After all you know what they said about the guy that invented the lightbulb. He never failed, he just found a hundred ways not to do it."
And then he flies off, leaving Reed staring up at the sky.
Reed trails Tony flying away, before closing his eyes. "...Then I guess I'll have to test it myself." He opens his eyes, a look of determination on his face. "And I know just who to help me pilot it."