Title is from "Pompeii" by Bastille, though it's modified a bit. The actual line is 'Oh where do we begin; the rubble or our sins?' but this made a better title.

I own nothing. This is made for entertainment.

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Chapter 2: In the Rubble of Our Sins

Despite his physical exhaustion, Peter's mind was racing, and his sleep was uneasy. When Dey and Marlowe came to gather him as promised, Peter wasn't feeling much better than he had when he'd been dropped off. He was happy to find that Dey came bearing a change of clothes. It was just a spare white T-shirt and the jean bottoms to a cadet uniform, but it was a relief to get out of the hospital attire.

In the bathroom where he was getting changed he caught sight of his reflection and had to do a double take. If his friends had looked terrible, he looked like something straight out of a horror show. His face was littered with cuts and scrapes, the worst of which were on the right where a deep gash across his cheekbone proved the shrapnel from his blaster had just barely missed ruining his eye. Deep purple shadows where blood was pooling underneath both his eyes gave him a mask that could have rivaled Rocket's. A dark swollen bruise ran from his temple to the corner of one of his eyes and down towards his jaw. The white of this eye was stained a deep red, giving him the look of some demon.

Someone had obviously cleaned the worst of the blood and dirt off, but under the harsh lighting of the single bathroom, he could still see a faint red tinting to patches of his hair. No wonder the staff had worried there might be permanent damage. His arms and legs were covered with bruises as well, though his clothing had protected him from more abrasions, and his ribs screamed in such protest when he raised his arms to remove the first shirt that his remaining pride almost wasn't enough to stop him from calling for assistance in getting the new one on.

Eventually, clothed and washed as best he could be, he joined his escorts and they made their way down the hallways. As they walked, Dey explained that this hearing was pretty informal, and that Peter himself wasn't on any sort of trial, they were just trying to sort out the facts that had lead him to be in possession of the Infinity Stone, and put him on the top of Thanos's most wanted list. They would also be interested in any proof he may have of his friend's claims that he could indeed wield the stone.

Peter's inquiries after the release of his incarcerated friends had been met with only the suggestion that he bring it up with the Council after the hearing. To distract himself from his frustration, he started asking after the rest of the fleet that had accompanied him to Traxxon III. From Cosmo, he learned that most of the guards from Knowhere had returned, some to relieve the strained guards who had been left behind, and others to heal from injuries in the comfort of their own homes. The Ravagers had done much the same. There had been losses from both crews, six of the guards from Knowhere hadn't made it out, and Chromoly had lost one of his arms in a crash. Cosmo couldn't offer more than a couple of names of the Ravagers that had been lost, admitting to simply not remembering them all after the strain of the last couple days. Peter forgave him easily, remembering the sight of his crumpled body after Ronan had tossed him aside, and figured he could get the full list from Yondu later.

"How did he get you to come?" Peter asked the Nova Corps members, curious not only how the Ravager Captain had known about them, but how he had managed to make them believe such a wild tale. "That was a big risk to take if you're still laying low like you said."

"We owed him. Big time." Marlowe, who was dressed in her uniform and looking much less disheveled today, told him this with a wry smile. "He helped us during our escape from Ronan and Xandar. It was nothing but a happy accident when we stumbled upon each other, but we would have lost at least another half of the survivors, maybe all of them, if it wasn't for his interference. In exchange, we promised him a favor that was undecided at the time. Never thought this would be what he'd ask for in return."

Peter held back a laugh only because he was sure it would agitate his ribs, settling instead for a small snort and a fond smile. That sounded exactly like something the enterprising captain would do.

"Plus," Marlowe continued after some hesitancy, as though not sure if she should confide this next part, "if what he said about you being able to use the infinity stone had any truth to it, and about Thanos being so determined to find you, we couldn't let The Mad Titan get his hands on you."

The hallways were much busier than they had been last time Peter had been out. Occasionally, other Nova Corpsmen would pass them, some gave them quick glances from the corners of their eyes, and others were more open about their curiosity, but none paused in their duties to interrupt the group and they made it to their destination quickly enough.

"Remember," Marlowe repeated as Dey knocked on the door, "you're not in any trouble, so just be honest and direct. Answer all their questions, and this will be painless."

Painless may have been a bit too optimistic on her part. Peter's legs were already aching from the walk over, and he was grateful to find a cushioned seat had been placed in the center of the room which he collapsed into bonelessly as he took in the room around him.

A dais, raised maybe only a foot above the rest of the room but the symbolic gesture was clear, sat directly in front of him. A long desk ran the length of the platform, every inch of the wood polished until Peter could almost see his own reflection in it. Behind the desk sat six decorated officers. Peter wasn't great at telling the ranks apart from the Nova uniforms, but he was pretty sure they must all be Centurians, the highest ranking of the Nova Corps beside Prime. They sat three on each side, with a seventh seat sitting empty between them.

After seeing Peter settled into his own seat, Dey left to take up a position towards the back of the room, standing at attention but out of the way. Marlowe took one of the empty seats to the side of the room, grabbing a tablet and beginning to type something onto it with intense focus.

As peter studied the Council for anyone he might recognize, he realized that they were all much younger than he had been picturing. The oldest looking no more than a couple decades older than Peter himself, and most looking closer to Peter's own age than that. He didn't have much time to dwell on this as, as though possessed of one mind, all of the Council stood at attention. The movement was so sudden and so well-coordinated that Peter actually jumped slightly before realizing that someone had just walked through the door. Garthan Saal hardly paid Peter any mind as he strode across the room and onto the Dais, taking the last seat. Only when he was settled did the other members of the Council sit back down.

Marlowe darted forward to hand Saal a tablet before returning to her own seat and grabbing a second tablet to type on. Peter caught a quick glimpse of the holo screen as she ran past him, and was reasonably certain it contained a profile on him, judging mostly by the photo in the corner that must have been taken while he was unconscious.

After studying this screen for a moment, Saal placed it down and laced his fingers together on the desk.

"Star-lord," he began. "Do you know why we have summoned you here?"

Summoned seemed like a nice way to put it, Peter thought as he realized something was still missing.

"Shouldn't we wait for Nova Prime?" Peter asked. "I'm already tired, and it's a long story. I'd rather not have to start over when she gets here."

The Nova Prime was a fierce woman, but she was a stickler for fairness, and Peter would like his chances at making a case for his friends a lot better if she were here.

There was a disquieted muttering among the Council, but Saal silenced them with a stern look.

"I am the Prime," he informed Peter coolly.

"What?!" Peter sputtered. "But what about...?"

"The previous Prime, Irani Rael, has given her life to the service of her people," Saal, Nova Prime, said with a tightness to his face. "Her sacrifice will be remembered and honored in the actions of those who survive her."

As he finished, he raised his hand up to his heart in a brief but solemn gesture that was mirrored by the Council around him.

"Now that we have that cleared up, will you please answer the question?" The please was said in a way that made it clear it was there as a formality only.

When Peter hesitated a moment more, still adjusting to this new reality of Saal, a man he had known only briefly and who had not seemed overly fond of him then, as the leader of the Nova Corps, the Council began to shift restlessly.

"Do you need me to repeat it?" the new Prime asked, a sharp arch to one of his eyebrows.

"No." Peter gathered himself back together. "No, I was told you wanted to know about the Infinity Stone and why Thanos was after me."

Peter related the tale with the ease of someone who had told it countless times before, though he found himself inadvertently playing up Gamora and Rocket's parts, and glossing over Nebula's role in assisting Ronan. Again, he skipped over the part about confronting his father, moving instead onto his strange awakening on the old Milano, and onto how Ronan and captured him.

None of the Upper Council asked any questions or interrupted. They sat so still and expressionless that only the occasional blinking or glances cast at each other assured him that they were paying attention. When he was done, ending his story on Traxxon III when he had lost consciousness, Dey stepped forward to offer him a glass of water while the Council and New Prime put their heads together to discuss something.

"So it is your belief that you could not competently wield the Infinity Stone of Power without the assistance of these Guardians of the Galaxy?" Saal asked as the murmuring came to a close and the Council turned their attention back to Peter.

"Yes." Peter tried not to squirm under their scrutiny. "I was able to hold it alone, but I couldn't do anything, and it might have even consumed me if my friends hadn't helped. It was only after we were all... linked... that I-we could use it to destroy Ronan."

There was another bout of murmuring.

"I understand you are tired, and still recovering from your injuries, so we will keep this meeting short. I have one more matter I'd like to clear up before we let you go. It's been mentioned several times by your companions and yourself that something about you uniquely allows you to wield powers beyond that of a mortal, and yet, no one has been able, or at least willing, to tell us why that is. So, what are you, Star-lord?"

"My mother was from Earth," Peter stalled. He chewed his lip as he considered the rest of his answer. He could claim ignorance. Even Yondu didn't know that Peter had discovered the truth of his heritage. Still, the truth might serve him better here. "And my father was a Celestial."

"A Celestial?" Saal's eyebrows flew up.

"There are no more Celestials!" barked one of the Council members, a slightly older man who looked like he was made of skin stretched over tightly wound coils. "The last of them vanished millennia ago. Even their remains have been nearly harvested to extinction."

"It is unlikely," Saal muttered, his composure regained, "but not necessarily impossible. The universe is vast. It would explain why there was no match to his DNA when we compared it to every known source in our systems."

While he spoke, Saal had been typing something onto the tablet and now a holographic display appeared above it, looking like a miniature version of the one he had first seen on Xandaar after defeating Ronan. The other members watched with interest as Saal zoomed in and spun the DNA sequence around for all to see.

"Whatever his heritage is, it contains something-"

"Something very ancient you've never seen before?" Peter finished, cutting of the new Prime's sentence.

Saal's eyes narrowed slightly, obviously displeased at having been interrupted. Remembering that he needed this man to like him, Peter quickly continued before his sarcastic quip cost him the man's favor.

"That's what Nova Prime, the last one, told me after we defeated Ronan."

"Yes," Saal confirmed. "Ancient and unknown... and powerful. A Celestial would certainly explain your uniqueness, though it would raise a whole host of other questions. And is Thanos aware of this heritage?"

"I'm not sure," Peter answered honestly. "I don't think so, but I don't know. Nebula has a theory that he doesn't actually know who I am, since I was going by Star-lord and not Peter when I took out Ronan, and the bounties on my outlaw name are from him looking for me. That's why all the other Guardians were under his control, but I was safely on my own ship when I came here, and was only captured when I showed up at Xandar and identified myself as Star-lord. She thinks that if he finds out who I really am, he can restart the clock again, and eliminate the Guardians before we become a threat." Peter left out the part of Nebula's theory where she thought that Thanos might want him for something other than just his life's story. He didn't much understand that part himself.

"Restart the clock again?" Saal repeated, and the Council shifted nervously in their seats. "Is Thanos already in possession of the Time Stone?"

"Not that I'm aware. Nebula thinks-"

"'Nebula thinks?' You put a lot of faith into the words of a genocidal assassin," spat one of the Council members, a severe looking woman with sharp brown eyes and deep grooves on her face that suggested she frowned a lot.

Peter stiffened and met her sneer with a glare of his own.

"I put a lot of faith in my friends," he all but growled back. "And they've earned it. If you give them a chance they could be your allies, too. Nebula, Gamora and Rocket didn't choose to work for Thanos. They were all prisoners following orders."

"And that excuses them from the consequences of their actions?" The severe woman's hands pressed against the desk until her knuckles turned white. "Under those orders they've murdered-"

"Councilwoman Zara." Saal cut her off harshly. "This is not the time or place to debate such matters. Save it for the trial."

Councilwoman Zara whirled on the Prime, her mouth opened in a silent gasp, and for a moment the woman looked ready to snap at Saal. Seeming to remember her place just in time, she closed her mouth into a tight frown and swallowed her next words with her face screwed up as though they tasted bitter.

"The Nova Prime and Upper Council thanks you for your time and your honesty in answering our questions," Saal said, turning his steely gaze back on Peter. "We will release you for now, though we will have further questions in the future. Is there anything you wish to ask before we adjourn?"

"I want my friends released from that prison."

"No."

Peter glowered at Saal, but could tell he wasn't going to be getting that much out of him.

"Then I want to be let in with them to visit whenever I want." He used his best demanding voice and straightened his shoulders as best he could. "And I want to remove Rocket's collar and muzzle."

The Council members began to lean in like they were expecting another conference, but Saal stalled them with a wave of his hand, holding Peter's stare.

"Denerian Dey," he said, still not taking his eyes off Peter. "You were present when Peter Quill visited with the convicts. What would you have to say about their interactions."

There was a nervous cough as Dey stepped forward, but Peter refused to leave his impromptu staring contest with the new Prime.

"It was a brief exchange," Dey reported. "Only the assassins were awake. They were obviously familiar and non-hostile, but I couldn't say much else without letting them interact further."

Peter bit down the burning rush of betrayal he felt at discovering Dey and Marlowe had been meant to spy on him this whole time.

"Very well," Saal said slowly. "Since they have caused no trouble so far, you may be allowed to visit them as you please, with an escort at all times. And you may remove the muzzle, but the collar stays until Experiment 89P13 -your "Rocket"- 's fate is decided. It is much too dangerous to be allowed to remain unchecked on this ship."

Peter opened his mouth but Saal raised his voice and spoke over his protest.

"If you want to argue the point I will rescind my offer to allow you to remove the muzzle."

Peter snapped his mouth shut, but shot Saal a dirty look and muttered something under his breath that made Marlowe, who was sitting nearest to him, blush. Saal either didn't hear it, or he chose to ignore the comment.

"If we have a deal, we will adjourn for now." Saal stood and swept out of the room, not waiting for an answer. The Upper Council filtered out after him while Dey and Marlowe stepped forward.

"You were spying on me?!" he accused as soon as they drew close. He knew that he was more upset with himself for not figuring that out right away and frustrated with the results of this hearing, than he was actually mad at the duo who had just been doing their jobs. That knowledge didn't stop the indignant rage he felt at being manipulated again.

"We had to make sure you weren't a danger to our operations," Marlowe said, having the grace to look just a little sorry. "There's a lot at stake here."

Peter bit back a sharp retort about him knowing the stakes better than anyone. It was the Upper Council and Saal that he was really angry with, these two were just easy targets to take his frustration out on.

"You haven't had anything to eat since you got here," Dey said, changing the subject. "Why don't we go to the mess hall and get you some breakfast?"

At the mention of food, Peter's stomach, which had been pushed the back of his mind from all the stress, woke like a bear disturbed from its slumber. It gave a low rumble and the last of Peter's anger was washed to the back of his mind as a blush covered his face. Food did sound like a good idea.

Outside of the conference room, Peter was surprised to find Kraglin and Saal discussing something at the far end of the hallway. Cosmo, back in his astronaut suit, stood at Kraglin's side, paying close attention to what the other two were saying. They were too far away for Peter to hear what was being said, but as though sensing his interest, Cosmo glanced over his shoulder and gave Peter a quick wave of his tail in greeting. A moment later Kraglin shook hands with Saal and the group broke apart. Saal vanished down the hall while Kraglin and Cosmo joined Peter and his escorts.

"Hey there, Pete'!" Kraglin greeted him with a heavy pat on the shoulder that Peter struggled not to wince at. "It's good to see you up'n about. You looked like a corpse there fer a bit. We was worried we'd be sendin' you out as spacedust. You've always been a scrapper, though."

There was a sparkle in Kraglin's eyes as he spoke, excitement mixed with sorrow, likely over the crew that had been lost.

"It's good to see you, too." Peter returned the greeting with a quick pat of Kraglin's arm as well. "How's Yondu?"

"He's good. Sore as hell, but good. He came into the fight late, but made up for it aplenty. Not sure those assassins a'yours woulda made it out without his arrow to clear the path." Kraglin's hands fluttered while he spoke and a big toothy grin spilt his face. His enthusiasm was contagious and Peter let himself be swept along with the first mate's story. "Those dark soldiers had 'em pinned down so good the Nova Corps couldn't get anywhere near 'em for an extraction, then Yondu jus' leaps outa his M-ship and starts takin' 'em out from the ground. You shoulda seen it Pete', it was like the old days!"

The group had begun moving while Kraglin sang the praises of his captain, Dey and Marlowe quietly leading the way through the halls.

"In the old days," Peter laughed, "he'd be up and bragging about this story to me himself. He must be getting old if he's sending you."

Kraglin gave him a light punch to the arm but his laugh was more sedate.

"He was going to come himself, but he's got some business he couldn't get out of. The crew's a bit riled up and chompin' at the bit after that fight. He'll be around later for the trial, though."

At the mention of the trial, Peter felt the disquiet stirring in him again, but Kraglin bowled on, oblivious to Peter's reaction.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Kraglin dug around in his coat before pulling something small and achingly familiar out. "Thought you might want this back."

"My Walkman!" Peter snatched the device back with a grin so huge the side of his face ached and the cut under his eye threatened to split back open. "How did you get it?"

"After the dust had a chance to clear, we sent some a'the more anxious boys back to retrieve the Milano and the more salvageable M-ships. Gave 'em something to do other than stir up trouble on the ship. We got our work cut out repairin' the fleet, but they scavenged some bits from those sleek black ships and we're workin' on implementin' the tech into our M-ships. Whatever we can't use will sell for a nice price."

Peter thanked Kraglin and tucked the Walkman into a back pocket as the group entered the Mess Hall through wide double doors. The smell of food and clattering of plates was accompanied by the easy murmuring and occasional outburst of laughter of a happy crew.

Food seemed to be provided for free, or at least Dey and Marlowe didn't say anything about paying as they showed Peter where the trays and utensils were and how the food line worked. They chose a table in the back, where they were away from some of the rowdier groups. Even so, Peter could feel the eyes on him while he ate. They always looked away when Peter looked up, but in the moments when he'd catch them off-guard he found that while most seemed just curious, the occasional face would be set to something more hostile before snapping back to their food or a nearby friend when they noticed Peter's returned attention. Feeling a little unsettled, he interrupted the casual conversation about the different kinds of food offered here to question Dey.

"Don't worry about them," Dey said, but he had developed a small wrinkle on his brow that gave Peter the impression Dey wasn't taking his own advice on the matter.

"They're not mad at you, per sey," Marlowe added matter of factly. "It's just, they're not too happy about the prisoners we brought on board with you. Especially the Luphomoid, Nebula. She was there when Ronan..."

"Oh." Peter had almost forgotten, but of course Nebula had been with Ronan in this universe as she had been in his, and the Nova Corps would have known of her involvement. He'd known that, he just hadn't pieced it together yet. Feeling again like he had missed something totally obvious to everyone else, Peter took another bite of his food and chewed it slowly while he formed his next question.

"If saving all of us was part of this deal you made with Yondu, what is all this I'm hearing about a trial?" Peter asked slowly. He knew that they couldn't really be expected to just pardon his friends at the word of an exiled Ravager captain, but he wanted to gauge his chances at getting his team off this base as soon as possible. He still needed to go look for Mantis, and the clock was ticking on his deal with Gamora. His injuries had already cost him two of his fifteen days.

"Yondu's deal was, technically, just to save you from the battle. A technicality that they're using now to say that they're not actually going back on the deal they made by demanding justice for past crimes," Marlowe answered, straightening in her seat and folding her hands together on the table. "The whole thing happened very quickly, and I don't think anyone really believed Yondu's tale about you gathering Gamora and experiment 89P13 to your side and using the Infinity Stone." Marlowe was starting to pluck at imaginary lint on her uniform's cuff, and Peter got the feeling she was among those who hadn't believed it. Peter didn't hold it against her, it was a pretty wild story. "So when we got there and found two of Thanos's daughters, not just one, and were expected to rescue them, the crew was understandably upset."

To Peter's surprise, Cosmo broke in here, his ears tipped back slightly and his eyes searching Peter's.

Cosmo was a little awake by the time our rescue came. Nova Corps was very upset, and assassins were both injured and very hard to get to. They were considering leaving them, or killing them on-the-spot along with soldiers so they could not return to Thanos, so Cosmo made new deal. Cosmo promise them Infinity Stone in exchange for safe rescue of all of Peter's crew, and raccoon, and stay of execution until Peter awoke. Cosmo was still very weak, and time was running out. Was all Cosmo could get. Cosmo lowered his head a bit. Cosmo apologizes. Stone was not mine to give, but Cosmo knew brother Peter would not wish to see his friends lost when he awoke.

Peter gave Cosmo a small smile, trying to convey his forgiveness and appreciation in the gesture. Honestly, Peter felt a little relieved to be rid of the stone for now. The visions of that alternate plane and sensation of something calling out to him whenever he was around it were unnerving. Imagination or not, Peter was glad to put a few walls between the magical stone and himself. Nebula would be livid, though.

"Whatever deal was made in the heat of the moment, they can't just be pardoned after everything they've done." Marlowe took control of the narrative again, looking a touch upset, and Peter wondered what her own thoughts on the prisoners were. "So, we agreed to hold a trial, in part to keep the crew from rioting or trying to seek out justice on their own. We all lost someone that day. Most of us lost everything." Marlowe's deep brown eyes flickered over towards Dey for just a moment before returning to staring at her hands. "That kind of hurt isn't going to just go away because of some deal some of the upper brass made with a crazy person who claims they can hold one of the stones of power.

"Besides, the Council and Nova Prime are all still relatively new to their roles. Most of our top officers were on Xandar, assisting Nova Irani, preparing the citizens for evacuation, and giving orders from the base. No one expected Ronan to have the Infinity Stone. We weren't prepared for something like that. Saal was our commander in the air. We were all used to following his orders and he has a steady mind even in crisis, so it was only natural he took over as Prime. The Council is mostly the older members of the surviving Centurians. They're all still pretty new to their positions, and right now something like this could easily lead to dissent among the ranks or even outright mutiny, and that would be the end of the Nova Corps forever."

Marlowe came to a pause, waiting for Peter's reply with a touch of uncertainty in her body language. Peter stalled again, taking another unnecessarily large bite of food and chewing it slowly. The Nova Corps had given the first Guardians a full pardon before, but that was back when they had just risked life and limb, lost it, in fact, to save the Nova Empire, and proven to all of Xandar and the Nova Corps their alliance against Thanos. Peter wasn't sure how he was supposed to prove something like that if they were all locked up on this ship.

The fact that Saal was the new Prime made things a lot more confusing as well. Irani Rael had been a strict, no nonsense kind of woman, but she had worked her whole life to establish the peace treaty between Xandar and the Kree empire. She believed in peace as the first and best solution, and that had helped considerably in granting him and his friends their new lease on life. Peter had only met Saal once, and while he had not disliked the man, in fact he respected him quite a bit for his sacrifice in the defense of his planet, Peter didn't actually know much about him. So far the man's tenacity and loyalty to his people had been doing Peter no favors.

"So what kind of stakes are we talking here?" Peter finally asked.

"At the best, maybe a modified imprisonment. Freedom, as long as we can keep close tabs on them, at least until they prove their loyalties one way or another."

"Okay," Peter licked his lips, not happy that this was the best case scenario as far as Marlowe thought.

"And at the worst, many of the crew and even a few Council members are still vying for some... more permanent actions."

"I thought the Nova Corps didn't do executions?" Peter said tensely. The Kyln had existed precisely because of this. Even the worst of the worst were sent to the high-security facility rather than facing the more severe punishments they might have in another Empire.

"We didn't," Marlowe answered quietly. "We still haven't, but we don't have a prison that can contain dangers to the universe at this level anymore. The ship's confinement quarters are hardly a maximum security situation, and there are those who argue that refusing capitol punishment isn't a luxury we can afford nowadays. Anyways, those are just mutterings. Nova Prime Irani's legacy won't be discarded so easily, and if you really can use the Stone like you claim, you're too valuable for the Council to want to risk alienating entirely. They're furious, and worried about their positions and the stability of the Corps, but they're not stupid enough to throw away the best shot we've had since Xandar burned. Not over something as petty as revenge."

Marlowe seemed pretty certain of this, even if she was obviously uncomfortable discussing it, probably more from worry that what she was doing would be seen as aiding a potential enemy than from any real concern for his friends.

"So what do you suggest I do?" he asked.

Marlowe chewed the corner of her lip and exchanged a quick look with Dey. Like an old married couple, they seemed to communicate almost telepathically for a moment, and when she turned back she seemed more sure of herself.

"Prove to the Upper Council that you can control the assassins and Experiment 89P13. They're much more likely to release them into your custody if they believe you can keep them in line. Show them that you can use the Stone like you say, and promise to aide us in our fight. The crew wants to believe in their leaders, so as long as they feel a fair choice has been made they'll follow it."

End

Chapter 3 Preview: "...It's not a trick, buddy." Peter lowered his voice a bit, soothing, but not quite crossing over into the pity which Rocket despised so much. "I just need you to hold still and let me take this off..."

Peter had been slowly scooting forward as he spoke, and was almost within reach of the muzzle when he noticed something that froze him in place..."

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Chapter 2. Whoo! A pretty slow chapter overall, but there's a lot of setup to get out of the way here. With Xandar burned and no great deeds to back them up, Peter and the Guardians are going to have a much harder time convincing the Nova Corps that Thanos's children can be trusted. I actually really like(d) Saal. I'm not planning to make him a villain or anything, but he's definitely a bit of an opposing force for our hero's goals right now. Being suddenly put in charge of the last remains of your people can't be easy *coughThorcough*.

I had someone ask about how updates may change over the summer. Summer actually tends to be my busier season. My second job picks up in the summer months so I'll probably be back to seven days a week. The ground is dry enough to work the horses so I spend most of my free time doing that. I also have a couple vacations coming up, including Fanime at the end of this month which eats up more of my time with the prep work involved, so if anything, they might slow down a bit. Sorry. I'll try to keep them up weekly, but just a head's up now.

Thanks as always for continuing to read!

-OMaM