-(.:.)-

"Focus, Quill!" Rocket's brash voice interrupted Peter's daydreaming and brought him back to the task at hand. He gave a tug on the wrench and flipped a valve, listening to the rattling of the pipes.

"That should do it," he said, wiping his hands on a rag and standing up. "How far out are we from Knowhere?"

"How the hell should I know?" Rocket grumbled.

"Ten minutes," Gamora called from the pilot seat. Peter ran through the plan in his head again. The last time they had visited Taneleer Tivan, things had exploded. Literally. This time, with any luck, the collector would never even know they were there.

It had been a month or so since he first found out that Tivan held the Aether. While the potential sales price was a good cover to motivate his team, his real curiosity came from the story surrounding how it had landed in Knowhere. His information came from a slimy little A'askvariian, a race he had tried to avoid since an unfortunate incident a few years back. His informant told him that the collector had recently come into contact with a substance of ancient power, delivered by two Asgardians.

Asgard, he had thought, why does that sound familiar? And then he realized. Darcy Lewis. She had mentioned knowing aliens from Asgard. From that point on, he knew that he would try to find the Aether, if only to find the connection to his fellow Terran.

Knowhere was as crowded and pungent as he remembered it. After securing the Milano in an easily escapable location, he and Rocket picked their way toward the Collector's warehouse. Gamora and Drax had decided to stay behind with Groot and the ship; sometimes Gamora's past made her a less than welcome visitor.

Approaching the door to the Collector's domain, Rocket and Peter hid behind a nearby building and waited. They watched as, like clockwork, the Collector left the building at exactly 8 o'clock and headed toward the gambling hall down the street. His 'constitutional,' the A'askvariian had explained. Peter and Rocket walked stealthily toward the door and entered.

The collection had been reconstituted since their last visit; cages and tanks were back in order and filled with rare species.

Peter zeroed in on a silvery column, suspended in the air with what looked like magnets. A red liquid seemed to flow within the column. The Aether.

Peter reached out to grab one of the handles, but was stopped by a voice behind him.

"And so, we meet again. Why must you always be trying to blow up my warehouse, Peter Quill?"

-(.:.)-

Rocket always had the advantage of size when they were running for their lives. He could dart around in and out of small spaces, and was usually able to avoid whoever was chasing them. Peter, on the other hand, was a larger target. He felt the sting to his calf before stumbling and falling to the ground, quickly immobilized by electronic bindings.

"Sorry to shoot you in the leg, Mr. Quill, but I really hate to run." The collector gestured to him and he was manhandled to his feet by two sentries in dark uniforms. He caught a glance of a striped tail darting away through an alley, and knew that Rocket would try to help him if he could, but wouldn't risk getting caught himself.

As it turned out, Peter was not intended for the Kyln. Tivan must have had other plans for him, likely a sale to Yondu or someone else who would pay to kill him themselves, because he was taken to a holding cell in some kind of warehouse. He sat on the bunk in the cell and glared out at the guards, who took posts by playing cards at a table in an adjoining room. Peter examined the cell thoroughly but he appeared to be stuck, at least for the moment. He lay down on the bunk and closed his eyes.

"I can't say that I understand what all the fuss is about." Peter jumped awake and sat up straight. The voice was coming from very close. His eyes adjusted to the dark and he saw a tall green shadow in the corner of the cell. "You don't look worthy of much thought, certainly no different than an average Midgardian." The outline of the man was becoming clearer; he stepped into the light a bit. Peter's brain was working to connect the dots.

"Midgardian- you are from Asgard?" Peter asked. His visitor tilted his head to the side.

"For one who knows the realm of Asgard, you do not seem versed with recognizing its king," he said.

"I don't know it," Peter explained. "I just heard about it from- a friend. I meant no disrespect." The tall man was visible now; pale skin and green eyes, a long green cloak and shoulder armor, gold. His dress certainly denoted royalty. The man grinned broadly, and it was a combination of humorous and terrifying.

"Loki of Asgard," he said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Peter Quill. Or should I say- Star Lord."

"You know Darcy." It wasn't a question; as much as he tried to further his reputation in the galaxy, there was no way that anyone royal would know both his given name and his moniker. Loki just continued to grin. "Can you take me to her?" At this, Loki's face changed, and became stormy.

"The lady you speak of has become a force to be reckoned with over the past year. You were mistaken when you discarded her with such ease. But she is not to be acquainted with you any longer, Peter Quill. I wanted to see you for myself in case you had redeeming qualities that we were overlooking. But I see that you are just an average Midgardian, and in fact an ass." Before Peter could open his mouth to protest, Loki seemed to shimmer in the air and disappear.

-(.:.)-

"What of this Star Lord, brother?" Thor pounced on Loki as soon as he saw him re-appear. Loki rolled his eyes, it would have been easier being raised with an eager puppy.

"He appears to be in ignorance of his parentage," Loki replied. "Not worth our time, or worth the time of any other Midgardian ants." Thor gave him a disapproving look at the insulting reference to Darcy, but still had questions.

"Jane is so worried about her little friend. Can we not at least let her know where he is?"

"I would advise against it. He is imprisoned in a cell on Knowhere, likely intended for sale. Unless his father discovers where he is and goes after him, we could be chasing him for eons across the galaxy." Thor looked unhappy with this, but nodded at his brother.

"Thank you, Loki. I shall remember your kindness in this matter." Loki left the room, leaving Thor gazing out the window, likely deciding what to tell Jane. Loki had his own agendas to ponder. J'Son would surely pay quite a price to have his son returned to him; and the Spartoi would be excellent allies.

-(.:.)-