Author's Note:

Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for Earth's Mightiest Huntsmen, and it's time to start a brand-new arc! As always, let's answer a few reviews before getting back to it.

Blackmetalzane22: I can't exactly have everyone be on Earth or wind up with people that would go with Earth, could I? Don't worry though-I do have plans coming up with the Hulk.

CRUDEN: Yondu here isn't exactly going to be like his MCU counterpart. I've based him more after his original comic appearance from decades ago-which actually is a version of him that takes place outside of the main 616 continuity! While the version here isn't going to be exactly like this version, I do think he's far enough away from the MCU version for me to point this out.

SuperSaiyanFever: Yes, and yes.

bjlpcell: If there's any Marvel villain that can recreate Dust effectively, it would be Doom.

Agent K-47: Magneto will be coming soon, though it may not be in the main villain role as you expect. But I will say that he will eventually show up.

Guest: Yeah, it is a little ironic Yang being a bouncer for a bar. But that's what makes it so enjoyable.

Thank you all for your continued support. Now, let's get back to the story.

Knowhere—September 22 (Earth Time)

The girl slowly opened her eyes, blinking them furiously against the dim light of the alley she was lying in. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes and taking in her surroundings.

"Where the hell am I?" she thought. "How did I get here?"

She tried thinking back, trying to recollect anything about how she got in the alley, or where she came from. But nothing came up. Everything was just one big blank.

She started to panic, stumbling to her feet and leaning against the wall for support as her head began to pound. She tried to think back to something—anything—about her or her life.

"Yang," she suddenly realized. "My name is Yang Xiao Long." But, try as she might, she couldn't think of anything else about herself. The more she tried, the more her head throbbed.

She clutched her forehead in pain, trying to shake lose the aching. "Focus," she told herself. "Find out where you are. Maybe someone around here can help."

Yang stumbled out of the alley, looking around the streets. What she saw made her stop, her eyes widening in shock.

What she was looking at was a dark and grimy looking street, populated by multiple buildings and…well, the only way she could describe these people was "alien." There were multiple different beings, all of different shapes, sizes, and various numbers of limbs and teeth. And none of them looked very friendly.

Yang looked around the street again. As she did, several of these aliens passed by, giving her strange looks. But none stopped to help her. They mainly just passed by, speaking in an assortment of languages, none of which she understood.

"Okay, think," she thought, taking a few unsteady steps down the street. "Find a place to ask for help. Which…is going to be a lot harder since I can't understand anyone or anything going on here…wherever here is."

For some reason, Yang found herself being drawn to a medium sized building at the end of the street. She didn't know why. Maybe it was the smell of food coming from inside, or maybe it was the inviting looking atmosphere. Whatever the case, it seemed like it was a good of place to start as any. Plus, she was hungry.

When she threw open the doors, she was met with the inside of a bar packed full of more aliens drinking and talking with one another. Once again, none of them seemed to pay her any mind. So, she moved towards the bar counter, taking a seat there.

The man at the bar looked up at her. He was a tall, blue skinned man with a dark brown jacket and a large red fin on his head. He began speaking to her, but all that came out of his mouth was a series of clicks and whistles.

"I'm-I'm sorry, but I can't understand you," Yang told him.

The man spoke again, but then held a finger up, reaching down under the bar counter and bringing out a small device, which he set on the counter in front of her. He then gestured to his ear.

"You…want me to put this in my ear?" Yang asked. The man nodded, gesturing to his ear again.

She hesitated, staring down at the device, but eventually gave in, slipping the device in her right ear. The minute she did, all the conversations from the aliens around her turned from unintelligible noises to words she could understand.

"Better?" the man asked. "Can you understand me now?"

"Wha—" Yang startled slightly. "How can I understand you now?"

"It's a universal translator," the man explained. "You can speak whatever language is natural to you, and it will translate it into something that anyone with one can understand." He shook his head slightly. "You really should've gotten one before now if you were planning on traveling the galaxy, Terran."

Yang blinked. "Terran?"

"You are from Earth, right?"

"Uh…" Yang paused. "Maybe?"

The man frowned slightly. "Do you not know where you're from?"

"Well…"

"Hey!" Yang turned around as a large, yellow skinned man with feathers donning his head stood behind her, arms crossed. "You're in my spot, human."

"Easy, friend," the man behind the bar said gently.

The other man ignored him. "What's a human doing out here?" he demanded to know. "And what makes you think you can take my spot at the bar?"

Yang knew she was supposed to be intimidated by this encounter, but for some reason, she was calm. "Why don't you just sit somewhere else?" she suggested.

The man got right in her face. "Because you're in my spot," he told her. "And I don't like filthy humans in my spot."

"Well, I'm here right now," Yang said back. "You're just going to have to wait."

The man chuckled. Then he grabbed Yang by the shirt collar and threw her over the counter. She hit the shelf of bottles hard, sliding to the ground.

"Look at that," the man said, taking her spot. "I get my spot after all."

"Enough," the bartender ordered, putting his hands down on the counter. "I want you out of here, Shi'ar."

"Or what?" the man challenged. "You going to kill me? I thought you didn't do that anymore, Yondu Udonta."

Yang slowly climbed to her feet, an anger burning inside her. "Hey!" she shouted, raising her fists. "I'm not done yet!"

The Shi'ar stared her down, laughing. "You think you can take me on, human? The Shi'ar are one of the most powerful races in the galaxy!"

Yang shrugged. "Never heard of you."

"Bah! I'll tear you apart!" The Shi'ar leaped over the counter, reaching out to grab her again. Yang ducked under his reach, throwing a punch into his jaw that sent him flying back over the other side of the counter several feet until he smashed into the far wall.

He was back on his feet in an instant. "You're tougher than you look," he said as Yang stepped out from behind the counter. "But it's not going to save you."

A crowd was starting to gather around them while Yang raised her fists, getting into a fighting stance that felt only natural. "How do I know this?" she thought. "Am I some sort of fighter?"

A high-pitched whistling sound suddenly filled the room, silencing everyone. Yang swung around to see the bartender, Yondu, whistling as a long metal arrow floated next to him. "Enough," he said, catching the arrow as it dropped. "You know the rules. No fighting in my bar."

"The little bitch is asking for it!" the Shi'ar protested. His protest was instantly silenced as Yondu let out another whistle that caused the arrow to fly from his hand, running past his face and embedding in the wall, leaving a thin cut over his cheek.

"Get out," Yondu repeated. The Shi'ar stared him down, but did as he was told, muttering curses as he stormed out the door.

Yondu then pointed at Yang. "You—human. Come with me."

"He started it!" Yang protested.

"Just come with me," Yondu ordered. He gave a sharp whistle, and the arrow flew back to him, which he caught and slipped under his jacket. Yang hesitated, but did as she was told, following the man to a backroom.

When they were both inside, Yondu closed the door and turned to face her. "What's your name, kid?" he asked.

"Uh…Yang," she answered. "Yang Xiao Long."

"And what's your story, Miss Xiao Long?"

Yang closed her fists slightly. "I…wish I knew."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Yang explained, "that I don't really know who I am or where I come from. I just remember my name, and that's about it."

"You don't remember anything?"

"No, I don't!" Yang exclaimed. "I just woke up in an alley! I have no idea where I am or how I got here! Everything is just one big blank!"

"Calm down, miss," Yondu soothed. "Just tell me what happened."

"I don't even know what happened!"

"Calm down," Yondu repeated. "Do you know if you have any family we can try to find?"

Yang leaned her arm against the wall, putting her head against it. "I already told you—I don't remember anything."

"I see." Yondu rubbed his chin slightly. "I think we can help each other, Miss Xiao Long."

Yang turned back to face him. "What do you mean?"

"I have many contacts all around the galaxy," Yondu told her. "I can reach out to them and see if they may have some idea about where you come from. Maybe one of them will have heard of you before, or will have some lead on what world you are from."

"And…in return?" Yang asked.

Yondu flashed a smile. "You work for me here."

Yang paused. "Are you offering me a job?"

"I am. You need a place to stay while we try to find your home, and Knowhere isn't generally a friendly place for the ill prepared."

"Huh? Nowhere isn't friendly?"

"Yes—the world we are on right now is called Knowhere. The name can be very confusing for newcomers."

"Might want to consider changing the name then," Yang commented before saying, "No offense, but I'm not exactly what kind of skills I can use to help you at a bar."

"Well, you're clearly an excellent combatant," Yondu pointed out. "You just punched a Shi'ar halfway across the bar and took a blow from him without so much as a scratch."

"How does that help?"

"I've been meaning to hire a new bouncer after I lost the last one," Yondu explained. "All you would have to do is help keep order in the bar and, if needed, throw unruly patrons out."

"Huh," Yang said, "So, essentially, my job would be beating people up?"

"More or less."

Yang thought about it. "Actually…that sounds like something I would enjoy."

"So…are you in?"

She shrugged. "I guess so."

Yondu smiled and held his hand out. "Then I guess all I have to say is…welcome to Starlin's."

Starlin's Bar—September 29 (Earth Time)

"And stay out!" Yang shouted, punching the Chitauri out the door, where he smashed into the steps of the building on the other side of the street. Shaking her head, she stepped back into Starlin's and slammed the door shut. "Chitauri are even worse than you described," she said to Yondu as she made her way back to her post near the bar counter.

"As species in the galaxy go, the Chitauri are relatively tame compared to what else is out there," Yondu told her. "Species like the Brood, the Badoon, and the Phalanx are all a nightmare to face. Fortunately, none of them have ever been seen on Knowhere."

"Yeah. All we get here are Skrulls, Kree, Shi'ar, and a bunch of other races that I can't pronounce."

Yondu chuckled. "You learn fast, Miss Xiao Long. Now, why don't you help me close up?"

"Sure." Yang hopped over the counter and began to help Yondu wipe down the glasses and set them back up under the counter.

"People seem to be growing acceptive of you," Yondu noted after a few minutes of silence.

"You think so?" Yang asked.

"They've stopped giving you dirty looks just because you're human. I think some of our younger patrons are giving you more…well, romantic looks."

Yang shook her head. "Do they really think they have a shot with me?"

"Young men usually do. But I know that if they try asking you out, you'll just turn them down. Or punch them out the door."

"Probably," Yang agreed. Her face softened slightly. "Do you think I have someone like that waiting for me back where I come from?"

"I don't see why not," Yondu replied.

Yang put down her wash cloth. "Have you heard back from any more of your contacts yet?"

"A few," Yondu answered. "Still nothing. While they are many worlds with humanoid beings on them, none of them have panned out. Quite simply, no one has ever seen someone like you—a young woman with a seemingly unbreakable shield that seems natural for you."

"So you're saying I'm one of a kind?"

"I didn't say that."

"If there's no sign of my home planet, then where the hell do I come from?" Yang's grip on the glass she had been cleaning tightened.

Yondu looked down. "Well…I didn't want to consider this but…it's possible you may be the result of some experiment."

Yang whipped around to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"There are many beings in the galaxy that have conducted experiments on others, most notably the man calling himself the High Evolutionary. It's…possible you could be one of his experiments that managed to escape from his grip."

"So now I'm some sort of lab experiment?" The glass in Yang's hand began to crack as her anger and grip on it increased.

"I personally do not believe so," Yondu assured her. "You showed no signs of being experimented on when you first showed up in my bar. I truly believe you come from a planet. We just haven't found it yet."

Gradually, Yang's grip on the glass loosened, and she set it down on the counter. "Then where the hell do I come from?" she repeated.

Yondu put a hand on her shoulder. "I do not know, Miss Xiao Long. But I promise to continue looking." He paused. "There is…one more thing I can try."

"What?" Yang asked.

"I have a few…let's call them acquaintances. Their methods are a little…unorthodox. But if I can reach them, they might be able to do a better job of finding a potential location of your home world."

"If you can reach them?"

Yondu smiled slightly. "They're mostly busy. But they stop by Knowhere every now and then to resupply. If they do, or if I can get a message to them, they might be willing to help."

"Thank you, Yondu," Yang thanked him.

"On that note, I do have a surprise for you." Yondu reached under the counter and brought out two metal golden gauntlets. "The weapon smith finally finished the modifications to the weapons you had on you when you arrived. He still has no idea what kind of powder was inside, but he managed to switch the gauntlets over to laser power."

Yang reached out and picked up the gauntlets, slipping them back over her wrists. "Not bad," she commented, throwing a few punches in the air to test their weight.

"He also added a few changes," Yondu added. "Twist your wrists slightly in opposite directions."

Yang titled her head, but did as she was told. Instantly, two pairs of blades extended out of each gauntlet, popping out next to the barrels on each one. "He added knives to these?" Yang asked with a grin. "Sweet." She twisted her wrists again and the blades retracted, followed by the gauntlets, which folded back into their natural bracelet form.

"And I got you something as well." Yondu reached into his jacket and pulled out a small device attached to a pair of earbuds.

"What is that?" Yang asked.

"It's an Earth device," Yondu explained, sliding the device over to her. "It plays music. The locals call it an 'MP3 player.'"

"Why would I want that?" Yang questioned.

"Well, Earth music is considerably more pleasing to the ears of humans. And music can sometimes invoke strong memories. Perhaps listening to some of this music may help you regain some memories."

Yang stared down at the MP3 player before taking it. "I guess anything's worth a try. I really want to remember who I am and where I come from."

Yondu gave her another smile. "I agree, Miss Xiao Long. As much as I'd like to keep you around, it's better for you to return home as soon as possible."

Starlin's Bar—October 13 (Earth Time)

The alarm clock began blaring, forcing Yang awake. She let out a moan, rolling over in her cot and slamming her fist down on top of the alarm, silencing it. "Well, here we go again," she thought, sliding out of the cot and stretching her arms.

When she had first been hired by Yondu to work at Starlin's, he had been happy to give her the small room over the bar to live in for the time being. It wasn't that big, with only enough room for a cot, dresser, a small bathroom in the corner, and a punching bag that Yondu had bought for her. But it suited her needs well enough.

Once she had stretched, she went over to her dresser and changed into her work clothes. After realizing that the clothes on her back were the only clothes that she had, Yondu had taken her to a market for some new clothes. Now she was clad mostly in black, with a black jacket running over her golden crop top, a pair of black, fitted pants, and black, knee-high boots. Yondu thought that the look would make her more intimidating, which was important for her role as the bouncer. She still, however, kept her original jacket hanging on the wall.

After changing, Yang picked up her MP3 player and flicked around the playlist for a minute before settling on a song and slipping the earbuds in her ears. Soon "Since You've Been Gone" by some band called Rainbow began playing as she pounded the punching bag repeatedly.

While she had been unsure about the music when Yondu had given it to her two weeks ago, Yang had to admit that it was growing on her. Whoever had been the previous owner of the music player seemed to have at least a decent taste in music—although some of the song titles and band names were a little weird to her.

Her mind began to wander as she beat down on the punching bag again and again. She had been stuck on Knowhere for almost a month at this point, and she still hadn't regained her memory. She was starting to worry that her memory would never come back. Every time she tried to remember anything about her past, all she could remember was her name.

Even more worrying was that Yondu's contacts hadn't come through with any leads on finding Yang's home. A few of them, according to Yondu, had even stated the theory that the planet may not even exist anymore. From what Yang understood, there were many forces in the galaxy that could destroy entire planets, the most prominent being a monstrous entity by the name of Galactus.

But Yang didn't think her world was gone. She didn't really know why, but she had a feeling it was out there somewhere, just out of reach. She just didn't know where.

After giving the punching bag a serious beatdown, Yang moved over to the bathroom, switching the sink on to splash some cold water on her face. As she did, she looked up into the mirror and quickly startled at what she saw.

Instead of her usual blonde haired, lilac eyed appearance, the girl staring back at her was dark haired with silver eyes. Spooked, Yang stumbled back, extending her gauntlets and taking aim at the mirror. But in that same instant, the girl was gone, and her own reflection stared back at her.

Slowly, Yang lowered her arm, trying to calm her racing heart. "Who was that girl?"

"Tell me again what you saw?"

Yang stared down into her drink. "A girl. A girl with silver eyes."

"Did she say anything?"

"No. She was only there for a moment."

"I see."

"What does it mean, Yondu?"

Yondu leaned into the counter. "Well, clearly this girl is important to you, so much so that flashes of her are beginning to break through whatever block is over your memories. Perhaps she is a friend, or maybe even a family member."

"So you think my memories are starting to come back?" Yang asked.

"It's possible. It's also possible that all you will get are flashes of people and events important to you."

"Or my entire memory will come back," Yang countered.

The bartender smiled slightly. "Yes. Or that."

One of the other bar patrons approached the counter—a Xandarian by the look of him. "Okay, I'm heading out," he announced. "Transferred a few extra units for you, Udonta."

Yondu waved him off. "That's not necessary, friend."

The Xandarian shrugged. "Anything for a Hero of the Annihilation War." With that, the man left.

"What does that mean?" Yang asked. "I've heard a few people talk about the Annihilation War. What was that?"

Yondu's face darkened. "A dark time for the galaxy." His gaze turned distant as he thought back on some clearly painful memories. "Years ago, an interdimensional tyrant known as Annihilus broke free from his home dimension, the Negative Zone, and brought his armies to destroy all life in the galaxy. They descended on planets like a wave, wiping out everything in their path. Only a small alliance of warriors from around the galaxy were able to halt the destruction."

"And you were one of these warriors?"

Yondu nodded. "I was."

"And…you decided to open up Starlin's after that?"

Yondu stood up straight. "The Annihilation War taught us all many things. After seeing all the carnage, the loss of life…I realized that I didn't want to fight anymore. So yes, following the conflict, I opened up this bar. I've been on Knowhere ever since."

"I don't think I could ever do that," Yang admitted.

"So I've noticed. I've seen it in your eyes, Miss Xiao Long. You have a warrior's spirit."

"But a warrior's spirit isn't enough, Yondu Udonta," a new voice spoke up. "It takes more than spirit to win a battle."

Both Yang and Yondu turned to the door as a group of people entered, most of whom were wearing ragged, blue and gold uniforms. The only one that wasn't was a figure in full dark, winged armor with a red visor. The one who had spoken appeared to be an alien that looked a lot like a large, humanoid cat with a massive, four barreled gun in place of his right arm.

"Nova Corp?" Yang asked Yondu quietly. "What are they doing here?"

"Those are not Nova Corp," Yondu warned, his face serious. "They are former Nova Corp members who were taken off the force due to charges of corruption. Be on your guard—I do not think they are here for drinking."

Yang tensed up as Yondu moved to block the path of the newcomers. "You're not welcome in here, Titus," he warned.

"We won't be long, Udonta," Titus said back. "We just require some information."

"I have no information that I would want to give to you," Yondu said back.

Titus laughed. "It's not about want, Udonta." He aimed his cannon arm directly at Yondu. "It's a matter of life and death."

"Hey! You can't talk to Yondu like that!" one of the bar patrons shouted, standing up. "He's a hero—"

The armored newcomer shot a beam of red from his vizor that hit the patron directly in the head, incinerating him instantly. As his corpse dropped to the floor, the rest of the patrons quickly ran for the door, leaving the invaders alone with Yondu and Yang.

"What are you looking for, Titus?" Yondu asked.

"Something very simple," Titus answered. "You encountered many plans and weapons during the Annihilation War—including a certain superweapon rumored to be able to destroy entire stars."

Yondu's face darkened even further. "I cannot help you," he said slowly.

"Well, that's a shame." Titus swung with his cannon arm, knocking Yondu aside. He flew into a table, which shattered upon impact. "It looks like I'll have to beat the answer out of you."

"That's enough!" Yang put herself between the invaders and Yondu. "If you want him, you have to go through me."

The invaders all laughed. "Letting little girls fight your battles for you?" Titus asked. "My, how the mighty Yondu Udonta has fallen."

Yang extended her bracelets into her gauntlets. "I'm going to have to ask you all to leave," she insisted. "Or I'll make you."

Titus gave her a toothy grin. Then he swiveled his cannon arm and fired multiple shots directly into her. Each one felt like a gut punch to Yang as she was blasted back into the wall. Titus kept this assault up until pieces of the wall above her collapsed on top of her.

"Now then," Titus said, turning back to Yondu. "Let's talk."

But Yang was far from done. She picked herself up, throwing off the debris that had been on top of her. "Hey!" she called, drawing attention back to her. She slammed a fist into her palm. "I'm not done with you yet!"

"She's not even winded," one of the other invaders, a man that appeared to be made from diamond, gaped. "What the hell is she?"

Titus laughed, not looking the least bit worried. "Diamondhead, deal with her."

"Right." The diamond guy strode forward, cracking his knuckles. "Okay, sweetheart. Let's see what you've got."

Yang flashed a smirk. "Did you just call me sweetheart?"

"In a minute, I'll call you dead." Diamondhead suddenly sprinted at her. Yang went on the offensive, punching the air and firing her gauntlets multiple times, sending blasts of lasers directly at him. Each shot hit him, but did no damage.

"You can't hurt me, sweetheart," he warned as he reached her, throwing a punch that Yang ducked under. "My body is made of diamond! It can't be broken with mere lasers!"

Yang ignored him as she rolled around another few punches from him. She twisted her wrists, extending the blades.

"Those won't help!" Diamondhead yelled, moving in for another flurry of attacks. Yang held her fists up, blocking each strike before ducking under and throwing an uppercut into his jaw that knocked him back.

He recovered quickly. "That's it, you little brat!" Diamondhead shouted, rushing forward. "I'm going to—"

Yang threw a punch into his shoulder, channeling all the energy she had absorbed from the attacks against her into the blow. The diamond cracked and shattered, the arm flying off. Diamondhead howled in pain, stumbling back.

"My arm! That bitch shattered my arm!" he screamed.

Titus growled. "You're pathetic, Diamondhead. Talonar?"

The armored invader sped forward, faster than what Yang could track. Before she realized what was happening, he had grabbed her, pinning her to the wall. She struggled in his grip, but it was useless. Talonar was far too strong for her.

"Saal? Get Udonta to his feet," Titus ordered. The last of Titus' men walked over, grabbing Yondu and hoisting him up.

"Don't try any of your Centaurian tricks, Udonta," Saal warned. "Or I'll ensure that you breathe your last breath on this day."

"Now then." Titus strode forward, facing down Yondu. "Tell me what I want to know."

"I will not allow you to control a weapon of such magnitude," Yondu swore. "You would simply abuse its power for your own purposes—and that of your allies, the Chitauri."

"They want the same thing as I do," Titus said back. "And you will tell me what I want to know." He looked over towards where Yang was being held. "Or your little friend dies."

Talonar raised his talons and swiped at Yang's side. She felt the direct impact of the blow, but it had done no physical damage to her. Whatever invisible force that shielded her from harm seemed to still be active—at least for now.

"Don't give him anything!" Yang called before gagging as Talonar tightened his grip on her throat.

"Brave little girl," Titus noted. "But I'm afraid that won't save you."

FWOOM! A shot of pure fire struck Titus in the side of the head, sending him stumbling back. With a hiss, he turned around, along with everyone else in the bar.

"Drop the weapons and surrender, Titus," a new man ordered. He wore a blue uniform with red trimmings emblazed with gold insignia on his chest. He also wore a silver helmet with glowing red eyes. He aimed his gun at Titus. "Let them go."

Titus growled. "Star-Lord."

"If he's here, then the other Guardians are probably nearby," Saal warned.

"We can take them," Talonar insisted.

"No," Titus decided. "We're leaving. There are other ways to get what we want."

"You're not going anywhere, Titus," the newcomer, Star-Lord, warned. "You and your men are going to answer for your crimes."

Titus laughed. "Not today." He suddenly grabbed a bomb around his waist and threw it on the ground, creating a cloud of smoke. As he did, Yang felt Talonar's grip loosen on her as he ran. A second later a beam of red light shot through the ceiling.

Coughing, Yang fell to her knees, trying to catch her breath. As her breathing slowed, the smoke cloud lifted, showing that Titus and his crew were gone.

"Damnit," Star-Lord swore, holstering his gun before moving over to Yondu. "You okay, Yondu?"

"About damn time, Quill," Yondu told him. "I sent you a message weeks ago."

"I don't always have time to respond to calls from old friends. You're lucky we've been tracking Titus' movements, or we wouldn't even be here."

The two men stared each other down, but then shook hands. "It's been too long, old friend," Yondu told him.

"Yes, it has," Star-Lord agreed.

"Excuse me," Yang interrupted, standing back up. "I hate to break up this moment, but…what the hell is going on?!"

"You can relax, Miss Xiao Long," Yondu told her. "He's a friend."

"Who is he?"

Yondu smiled. "Remember those acquaintances I mentioned a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah…"

He gestured to the new man. "This is one of them. Meet Peter Quill, otherwise known as Star-Lord. The leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy."

And here we go. The Guardians of the Galaxy are now in play. While we only meet Star-Lord here, the rest of the Guardians roster will be revealed next chapter. There will be some familiar faces, and some faces that you may be surprised to see.

Speaking of Star-Lord, I'll take this time to say that, once again, this version of him is not based off the MCU version. As much as I like the MCU's Star-Lord, his tone and personality wasn't really what I wanted to go for. Fortunately, his iteration in the comics works a lot better for my purposes.

All that being said, I did want to pay some tribute to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies in some ways-hence the music player that Yang gets in this chapter filled with music. You can expect to see a lot of rock music on there, including several songs that were used in the GotG movies along with a few others. Expect a few more tributes in the manner going through this arc.

Now, for the villains. After pulling a villain as powerful as Doom out and not even having him be defeated, I certainly didn't want to use anyone too big for Yang's arc with the Guardians of the Galaxy. I went through multiple different ideas of who to use, including the use of the Black Order, J'Son of Spartax, and even the Universal Church of Truth before finally settling in on Titus and a few other lesser known characters that had ties to the Nova Corp. As for what they're searching for, well...it's a device that I stumbled upon in my research that is so obscure that I barely have any information on it. Naturally, this means that I can use some creative liberties when we get around to using it. I briefly considered using the Ultimate Nullifier, but then that would probably draw Galactus into the mix, and believe me, we're definitely not ready for somoene like him. So I settled on this particular weapon.

As for Yang, it was always the plan for her to lose her memories. After several arcs of RWBY characters worrying about what's going on with their friends and allies back on Remnant, I decided to mix things up. Rather than having much of Yang's inner thoughts be about that, it will be trying to remember who she is, which will make things interesting, especially if her memory is still lost when she inevitably reunites with the rest of the RWBY characters.

And, of course, we have the obligatory weapon modifications to avoid dealing with the lack of Dust. Now Yang can shoot lasers and extend small blades from her gauntlets! And if you think that's cool, just wait until more modifications come in. After all, she is going to be with the Guardians...and we all know how a certain member of that team loves to modify weapons.

As a quick, final fun fact, Starlin's Bar is an actual bar on Knowhere in the comics, described as being the best place to get a drink on Knowhere. It's named after Marvel writer Jim Starlin, who helped create multiple beloved characters, most notably Shang-Chi, Drax the Destroyer, and even the Mad Titan Thanos himself.

But anywho, that's all from me! Until next time, this is Guest 1138, signing off.