"I don't know why he's being that way." Bruce tells Shuri, who has his arm wrapped around her shoulder as they walk toward the dining hall. "He's never been that bad before."
"A lot has changed since you were last on Earth." Shuri says.
"I'll say." Bruce answers. "There are all these heroes now, your brother included, and I didn't even know Wankanda was such an amazing place."
"You have a lot of catching up to do." Shuri says pulling Bruce in lightly for a hug. "Don't worry, I'll fill you in, but you have to tell me everything about your adventures too."
Bruce looks up, surprised at Shuri's interest.
"You've been to space Bruce!" Shuri says excitedly. "You've seen cultures, creatures, and civilizations that most people could only dream of. I want to know everything!"
This excites Bruce a little more than she expected. "Yea, I'd love to talk about that."
Bruce is eager to continue the conversation, but they are suddenly distracted by a lot of noise coming from around the corner. Shuri makes a confused face, lets go of Bruce's shoulder, and steps ahead to open a door leading to the dining hall.
"Whoa!" T'Challa says as she almost bumps into Shuri on the way out. Despite seeing a face almost exactly like her own used to be, it takes her a moment to recognize her sister, now brother.
"T'Challa, what is going on in there?" Shuri asks, a little startled.
"Shuri?" T'Challa asks. "What are you wearing?
Shuri looks down at his vibrant Wakandan uniform, thinks for a moment, straightens it, and stands tall. "It looks good on me."
"I would think so," T'Challa responds. "It's mine... Why are you wearing men's clothes?"
"Oh, come off it, brother." Shuri defends himself. "It's not everyday we get a chance to experience life as another gender."
"And what have you done to Bruce?!" T'Challa asks, seeing her sun dress. "Is that the dress Mama gave you?"
"It is." Shuri answers. "It looks cute on her, and Mother won't mind. In fact it was her idea to share."
"Ay, Orisha..." T'Challa says in Wakandan before continuing. "I assume you're here to eat?"
"That we are." Shuri says.
"Very well, come meet my guests." T'Challa says, turning back around and into the dining room.
The chatter of occupants gets louder as Shuri and Bruce walk into the room. A tall green man with antennas is sitting closest to the door, "Hi." He says excitedly, waving as they walk in. Shuri waves lightly, with a surprised expression.
"I believe you have already met Rocket and Groot." T'Challa gestures to the two in the center. "This here is Mantis." He gestures to the green man. "This is their captain, Star-Lord."
"Hello, nice to meet you." Star-Lord stands and offers a handshake. Shuri is somewhat captivated by Star-Lord's beauty.
Mantis gently grabs Star-Lord's bicep as she shakes hands with Shuri. "He's my fiance." Mantis says excitedly.
Star-Lord pulls her arm away from Mantis abruptly. "What?! No! I told you to stop telling everyone that!"
Mantis looks down with a very sad expression for only a moment before looking back up at Shuri. He immediately gets super happy again and reaches out for a handshake as well. "Nice to meet you."
Shuri hesitantly shakes Mantis' hand. Mantis makes a surprised face then looks at Bruce. His eyes dart between the two and he says, "Ohhh..." Shuri pulls his hand away abruptly with concern. Mantis does not seem to notice as he is quickly reaching to shake Bruce's hand.
"And this mighty warrior is... wait, don't tell me." T'Challa passes Rocket and Groot to Drax at the end of the lineup. She takes a while to guess the name "Drex?" before turning away from the person, with an odd smirk on her face. Shuri looks around her king and notices a topless well endowed alien rising from her seat.
"Close enough, my friend." Drax says with a deep heavy and feminine laugh, which causes her bosom to bounce hypnotically. "You may call me Drax."
Despite knowing it's rude, Shuri can't help but stare directly at Drax's breasts. The combination of color and scar tattoos really emphasize the alien nature of her. Even the feel of her skin is rough, like a mechanics. Shuri caught himself wanting to know everything about Drax.
"Impressive aren't they?" Drax interrupts Shuri's thinking, who blushes at being caught staring. "On our planet, we earn our tattoos through feats of strength, honor, and battle." She tries to flex her muscles, but it only makes her breast protrude more.
Shuri is trying hard not to laugh, but when he peaks at T'Challa they both begin to chuckle. Drax watches them laughing for a bit before deciding it was a friendly gesture and joins their laughter. Despite the awkwardness the two siblings continue to laugh.
"Hey guys." Bruce interrupts. "What's going on?"
"Oh, sorry." T'Challa says remembering Bruce. "Bruce, this is Drax." T'Challa introduces them expecting a similar reaction from Bruce.
"You're Kylosian aren't you?" Bruce asks, to everyone's surprise.
Drax looks at Bruce with a look of pride. "Yes, little one. You are well informed, for a Terran."
"I met some of your people on Sakar." Bruce tells Drax. "Your warriors are amazing. They always gave me a hard time in the battle arena."
Drax has to think about what Bruce said for a bit before responding. "I apologize, for my people." Drax tells Bruce. "We are not usually in the habit of harassing spectators and those who are weaker than us."
Bruce contemplates revealing the truth, but she realizes it would be a long story, so she accepts the apology.
"So can we get some food here or what?" Rocket interrupts the greetings.
T'Challa looks away from Drax and Bruce to answer Rocket. "Ah, yes! I will have stuff sent to us at once." T'Challa rushes back to the exit and is intercepted by a couple of servants coming in at the same time. She begins placing orders.
"He must really like you." Shuri says studying Rocket with curiosity. "My brother is usually not so quick to take orders from others."
Rocket looks up and shrugs her shoulders. "What can I say? I have that charm."
T'Challa comes back, clearly still enthusiastic about their guests. "I have ordered us a variety of food and drinks that I'd like our friends to try." She tells Shuri. She takes a seat across from Star-Lord. Bruce joins her, sitting across from Rocket, and Shuri sits across from Groot, who is distracted by his new video game.
"Finally, some food!" Star-Lord exclaims. She reaches into her jacket and pulls out a small bottle of black spherical pills tossing it on the table aggressively. "If I had to survive another day on those, I think I would have killed myself."
"Yes," Drax comments. "He has been suicidal for days. He has not taken lightly to the change."
"I'm not suicidal!" Peter raises her voice, before looking back toward T'Challa. "Sorry about him. His race takes everything literally, so they're really bad with metaphors."
"Yea, it can be mind blowing at times." Rocket adds as an example.
"My people are incapable of causing cranial explosions." Drax responds. Rocket just points and gestures with amusement.
T'Challa is hardly paying attention to the conversation. She is looking at the bottle of pills Star-Lord threw on the table. She reaches out and picks it up. "What are these?" she asks.
Star-Lord looks at the bottle. "Oh those?" She asks. "Those are supplemental pills. You can get them at most interplanetary ports."
"Supplemental Pills?" T'Challa asks, studying the pills closer.
"Do they work for all races?" Shuri asks, now intrigued.
"Well, yes, and no." Star-Lord answers. "You have to get a biometric scan among other tests. They customize them for everyone. They're specifically designed to prevent starvation and malnutrition in case you're stranded in space or traveling for a long time."
Seeing their intrigue, Star-Lord offers. "You can have one if you want to try it. It's mostly sugars, and calories."
Shuri, eager to see the pills, opens the bottle. He pours a couple onto his hand and hands one to T'Challa. T'Challa lifts the pill in front of her face and studies the familiar black sheen.
"This isn't a universal translator?" T'Challa asks.
Star-Lord looks at the pill, then up at T'Challa. "Those? No? How would that even work?" She tells T'Challa. "I wish Universal translators were that easy. Both the surgery and external equipment are very expensive."
"You don't say?" T'Challa says palming the pill and turning to give Rocket a disappointed glare. Rocket responds with an embarrassed grin and chuckle as she waves.
Star-Lord catches the look and chuckles. "What did you do?" she asks Rocket playfully.
"I might have said something about them being a translator..." she chuckles. "And a suppository." Her chuckle grows into a laugh, and to her surprise Star-Lord begins to laugh out loud also.
T'Challa blushes as they continue to laugh and she turns to see Shuri laughing as well.
"You didn't take it did you?" Shuri asks.
"No!" T'Challa responds. She reaches into her coat and pulls out the other pill. Showing both in her hand. "I'll have to warn my Dora Milaje before she does, however." T'Challa can't help but chuckle at the thought also.
"Don't feel bad." Star-Lord says. "The first time I met Rocket, she convinced me to steal someone's prosthetic leg so we could break out of prison," Star-Lord pauses for effect. "Because she thought it was funny." They all start laughing.
"Wow! What were you doing in prison?" Shuri asks.
"Well, you can call it disturbing the peace." Rocket says. "Groot and I were bounty hunting, and Peter here was our bounty."
"Peter?" Shuri asks and turns to Star-Lord. "Are you from Earth?"
"Oh yes." Drax chimes in. "Peter here is half Terran.
"And half Celestial." Mantis adds. He is now holding onto Star-Lord's arm again.
Star-Lord smirks with pride. "Yep, born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri. Right here on Earth." T'Challa and Shuri look on in awe. "I was picked up by ravagers when I was eight, and have been saving the galaxy ever since."
"So you guys are super heroes, too." Bruce asks.
"That we are." Star-Lord answers vainly.
"Tell 'em about the time you danced to save the Universe!" Drax chimes in.
"Oh yes! I love this story!" Mantis adds.
"Well I..." Star-Lord is suddenly interrupted by loud conversation coming from the dining hall exit.
The door flies open abruptly and four figure slowly make their way in.
"So this idiot runs past the controls and tries to tackle his brother." Nick Fury says in her high pitch and somewhat sassy voice.
Valkyrie, who is carrying a large jug, laughs in a hardy voice. "Did they both go flying into the trap then?"
"No, it was an illusion!" Fury answers loudly. "Loki wasn't even in there. He was hiding next to the controls the entire time."
Valkyrie laughs even louder now. "That must have been so embarrassing!"
"Yes, that was definitely one of my more shameful gaffes." Thor says as he enters behind them, followed by Nebula. They are also carrying large jugs. "Loki's always had a way of making me look the fool." Thor reminisces on Loki for a moment before saying, "I'll miss him!" He takes a large swig from his jug.
"Too Loki!" Valkyrie says, taking a large swig from his jug as well.
Nick Fury glares at them before responding. "You'll have to excuse me for not feeling the same sentiment." Thor and Valkyrie lower their drinks when they notice the shift in tone. "The last time I saw him, his actions resulted in 177 deaths, and countless injuries. I can honestly say, F..."
"Hey guys!" Bruce says loudly, distracting the four new arrivals. Thor and Valkyrie turn to the others while Nick Fury contemplates finishing what she was going to say.
"Hey Big Guy!" Valkyrie says, rushing ahead to greet Bruce.
"Rabbit!" Thor says, noticing Rocket. "How are you?"
Nick Fury takes a deep breath and decides to let the conversation go as she and Nebula approach the table.
"Are you guys drunk?" T'Challa asks loudly with concern.
Thor stops and looks toward T'Challa after thinking for a moment. "No. No. We've only had a few." Thor answers.
"A few what?" Shuri asks. "Jugs?" He points at the jug in Thor's hand.
Thor looks at the jug, almost surprised at how it got there. "Oh yes. Just enough to take the edge off." He says.
"Where did you even get those?" T'Challa asks in shock.
"Those are for cooking." Shuri adds.
Thor points over his shoulder at the door. "We stopped at the kitchen on our way in, and ordered some food."
Almost as if it were timed, several kitchen workers come rushing in with trays of food. Nebula and T'Challa have to step out of the way for them to bring the trays in.
"Ah! There you are my fine Midgar friends." Thor says in Wakandan. "Another round of drinks for everyone!" He gestures to the bottle.
"You can speak Wakandan?!" Shuri asks aloud, in shock.
"Yes," T'Challa answers. "Many of them have universal translators."
"Really?!" Shuri asks, still completely baffled.
One of the servants turns to T'Challa and asks, "My King, should we?"
T'Challa waves "no" to the servant before confronting Thor. "No more wine!" she says. "Finish what you've got first."
Thor thinks about this for a moment then studies the jug. T'Challa watches him with concern that he might actually try.
"That's easy enough." Valkyrie declares, and flips the jug to drink the entire contents.
T'Challa wants to ask who this person is, but she is utterly surprised by his ability to keep drinking.
"Whoa!" Rocket chimes in.
"Yea!" Star-Lord says. "That's what I'm talking about!" Mantis chuckles and claps.
"My man!" Thor shouts. "Chug! Chug! Chug!" He turns toward the Guardians. "This is what they say on Earth. Chug! Chug! Chug!"
The others join in the cheer as Valkyrie empties the entire bottle. T'Challa and Shur look on in amazement. Bruce just shakes her head with a grin.
Valkyrie raises the jug over his head in victory and shouts happily. After gloating for a moment he shouts, "Another!" and smashes his jug on the ground.
T'Challa is about to protest, but Valkyrie becomes distracted by a table full of food. He sits in Shuri's spot and starts looking through the variety, excitedly.
"Who else wants a drink?" Thor asks excitedly.
"I'll have one!" Rocket responds. Peter Quill raises her hand in response also.
Thor grabs a handful of cups, recently set on the table, and begins to fill them. He hands one to Rocket, Peter, and Mantis who happily takes it. He is about to hand one to Groot, but his jug is empty.
"We need more!" He lifts his jug to show the nearest server, who looks to T'Challa for approval. T'Challa just shakes her head.
"It's ok." Rocket responds. "He doesn't like the stuff."
"I am Groot." Groot responds without looking up from his game.
"I would like some." Drax says with a hopefully grin.
Thor shakes the empty jug hoping it would have magically made more, and is left disappointed. Drax looks down in disappointment also.
"He can have some of mine!" Nebula says as he approaches. His height difference compared to Thor is glaringly obvious. He is almost half a foot taller.
As Nebula sits, Drax observes all the details of his muscular physique. Thor places a hand on Nebula's shoulder and it looks small by comparison. Drax grins excitedly as she lifts her cup. "I think I would very much enjoy that." She says.
Thor sits between Valkyrie and Nebula excitedly talking to Rocket. Bruce sits next to Valkyrie who is already stuffing his face. Nick Fury sits next to Bruce while Shuri and T'Challa speak with the dining hall servants.
Bruce manages to catch Shuri's eye and has to shout over the noise. "I guess we're having a party after all." Shuri smiles and nods happily.
"How you doing, Bruce?" Nick Fury asks as she leans in and studies the table of food.
Bruce is about to answer when she notices Fury pull a small flask out of her coat.
"Are you drinking too?" Bruce asks Nick Fury, in surprise."
Fury looks at the table to see if anyone had noticed, then back to Bruce. "Just enough to take the edge off." she responds as she takes a swig, revealing the SHIELD logo on the front.