(Jared's POV)
Morag…
It is an abandoned planet, and it is 26 years later after Peter Quill was taken in by Yondu and the Ravagers. I managed to find Peter Quill with the two of us searching for a mysterious orb, as we entered the cave where the orb is located.
Peter puts on his Walkman as I put on my AirPod Pros to listen to 'Come and Get Your Love' by Redbone, we start dancing and singing along as we find the orb. Just as we're about to take the orb, we are intercepted by Korath and his henchmen.
"Drop it!" Korath said, angrily.
"Uh… hey." Peter said, sadly.
Korath instructs his henchmen to grab Peter and I.
"Drop it, now!" Korath yelled.
"Hey, cool, man. No problem." Peter said, dropping the orb just as the two henchmen came closer to us with their guns pointed at us. "No problem at all."
Korath picks up the orb, "How do you two know about this?"
"We don't even know what that is. We're just junkers, man. We were just...just checking stuff out." Peter said, sadly.
"You both don't look like junkers. You're wearing Ravager garb." Korath said, looking between Peter and I.
"These are just outfits, man." Peter said, looking at the henchmen who keep prodding us. "Ninja Turtle, you better stop poking me."
"And me." I said, looking at the henchmen. "I didn't come from Vacuo to deal with this."
"What are your names?!" Korath exclaimed.
"My name is Peter Quill, his name is Jared Shay, okay? Dude, chill out." Peter said, annoyed.
"Move!" Korath said, angrily.
"Why?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Ronan may have questions for the two of you." Korath said, turning to leave.
"Hey, you know what? There's another name you might know me by." Peter said, while Korath stops and turns back to look at him. "Star-Lord."
"Who?" Korath asked.
"Star-Lord, man. Legendary outlaw." Peter said, as Korath shrugs in confusion. "Guys?"
"They don't know you yet." I said, and I rolled my eyes. "Do you at least know of the Black Pearl?"
"Who?" Korath asked, looking at me.
"The Black Pearl."
"Move!" Korath yelled.
"Ah, forget this." Peter said, pulling out his guns, shoots the two henchmen and Korath. "Let's get out of here, Jared."
"Right." I said, happily. "I was tired of Morag anyway."
Then, just as Peter picks up the orb, Korath rises, shoots at Peter who manages being hit. Peter falls to the ground, puts on his helmet, his boots become like rockets and he propels himself out of the cave.
I changed to my ghost form and turned myself intangible to fly out and get out of the cave. Peter and I then managed to get back to our ship and take off as Korath's henchmen shot at our ship.
The Milano…
After escaping Korath and his men, Peter and I nearly lose control of our ship but manage to pull it back up in time, just then a woman appears.
"Peter? Jared? What happened?" Bereet asked.
"Hey, uh…uh... I…" Peter said, while he tries to remember Bereet's name.
"Peter, her name is Bereet." I said, taking out a box of Pocky out of my sling bag to eat it. "Can't believe you forgot it."
"Bereet! Look, I'm gonna be totally honest with you. I forgot you were here." Peter said, as Bereet looks at him with shock.
Later, as we are traveling away from Morag, Peter and I watch the news on this monitor.
"Scattered riots broke out across the Kree Empire today protesting the recent peace treaty signed by the Kree Emperor and Xandar's Nova Prime." The news reporter said, on the monitor.
"Peter, Yondu is calling us." I said, pressing on the screen to answer the call. "Gonna answer it."
"No, wait, don't!" Peter said, worried.
Peter's partner, Yondu, comes up on the monitor.
"Quill? Shay?" Yondu asked, on the monitor.
"Hey, Yondu." Peter said, frowning.
"Hey. What's up?" I asked, tossing a Pocky into my mouth.
"I'm here on Morag. Ain't no Orb, ain't no the two of you." Yondu said, on the monitor.
"Well, we were in the neighborhood. We thought we'd save you the hassle." Peter said, smiling.
"Well, where are you and Shay at now, boy?"
"We feel really bad about this, but we're not gonna tell you that."
"I slaved putting this deal together…" Yondu said, on the monitor.
"Slaved? Making a few calls is 'slaved'?" Peter asked.
"And now you and Shay are gonna rip me off!" Yondu yelled, on the monitor.
"I mean, really?" Peter asked.
"We do not do that to each other. We're Ravagers. We got a code."
"Yeah, and that code is 'steal from everybody'." Peter said, scoffing.
"And that code is so similar to Torchwood One's. Theirs was 'If it's alien, it's ours'." I said, tossing another Pocky into my mouth to munch on it. "Like that is going to go well for you, Yondu."
"Quill, when I picked you up on Terra, and when Shay approached me…" Yondu said, on the monitor.
"'Picked me up'." Peter said, walking over to me to pick up a Pocky stick to snack on it.
"…these boys of mine wanted to eat you and Shay."
"Yeah?" Peter asked.
"They ain't never tasted Terrans before. I stopped 'em. You and Shay are alive because of me! I will find both of you, I will…" Yondu said, on the monitor.
Peter cuts Yondu off by ending the call.
(Open POV)
Eclector…
"Put a bounty on them! Forty K. Each. But I want them back alive." Yondu said, looking at his men, referring to Peter and Jared.
"Yeah, Cap." Kraglin said.
"Alive?" Horuz asked, looking at Yondu.
"That's what I said." Yondu said.
"I told you when you picked those kids up, you should have delivered them to their respective buyers like we was hired to do! They were cargo! You have always been soft on them."
"You're the only one I'm being soft on! Now, don't you worry about Mr. Quill and Mr. Shay. As soon as we get them back here, I'm gonna kill them myself. What we do need to worry about, is who else out there wants that orb!" Yondu said, angrily.
The Dark Aster…
It is a Kree warship and Ronan is being dressed by his servants.
"They call me 'terrorist', 'radica'l, 'zealot', because I obey the ancient laws of my people, the Kree, and punish those who do not. Because I do not forgive your people for taking the life of my father, and his father, and his father before him. A thousand years of war between us will not be forgotten!" Ronan said, picking up a massive weapon which resembles a hammer.
"You can't do this! Our government signed a peace treaty." A Xandarian Prisoner said.
"My government knows no shame. You Xandarians and your culture are a disease."
"You will never rule Xandar."
"No. I will cure it!" Ronan said, using his weapon to strike the prisoner in the head, killing him.
"Ronan, Korath has returned." Nebula said, walking into the room.
Ronan meets with Korath.
"Master, they are thieves, outlaws who call themselves Star-Lord and the Black Pearl. But we have discovered they have an agreement to retrieve the orb for an intermediary known as The Broker." Korath said.
"I promised Thanos I would retrieve the orb for him. Only then will he destroy Xandar for me." Ronan said, looking over at Nebula. "Nebula, go to Xandar and get me the orb."
"It will be my honor." Nebula said, smirking.
"It will be your doom. If this happens again, you'll be facing our father without his prize." Gamora said.
"I'm a daughter of Thanos. Just like you."
"But I know Xandar."
"Ronan has already decreed that I…"
"Do not speak for me." Ronan said, looking at Gamora. "You will not fail."
"Have I ever?" Gamora asked.
Xandar…
It is the capital of the Nova Empire, where Rocket and Groot, tree-like humanoid, are spying on the Xandarians in the city.
"Xandarians. What a bunch of losers. All of them in a big hurry to get from something stupid, to nothing at all. Pathetic." Rocket said, looking at the Xandarian man with short blond hair walking on the sidewalk. "Look at this guy! Can you believe they call us criminals, when he's assaulting us with that haircut?" He is now looking at the small Xandarian child getting help whilst walking. "What is this thing? Look how it thinks it's so cool. It's not cool to get help! Walk by yourself, you little gargoyle." Rocket is now looking at the older Xandarian man (Stan Lee) chatting up a pretty young woman. "Look at Mr. Smiles over here. Where's your wife, old man? What a class-A prevert." He laughs. "Right, Groot? Groot?" Rocket looks over to Groot and sees he's drinking water from the nearby fountain. "Don't drink fountain water, you idiot. That's disgusting!"
"Mmm." Groot said, shaking his head pretending he didn't drink it.
"Yes, you did. I just saw you doing it. Why are you lying?" Rocket asked, as his tablet starts beeping warning him of human sightings. "Whoop. Looks like we got two. Okay, humies, how bad does someone wanna find you both?" His tablet shows Peter and Jared talking to Bereet, Rocket sees that there's a bounty on Peter and Jared. "Forty thousand units each? That's eighty thousand units. Groot, we're gonna be rich."
Rocket looks over to Groot and finds him drinking from the water from the fountain again, he sighs and shakes his head.
Peter and Jared enter a shop in Xandar and are greeted by the Broker.
"Mr. Quill. Mr. Shay." The Broker said, looking between Peter and Jared.
"Hello. Broker." Jared said, taking the orb out of his sling bag and places it on the counter in front of the Broker. "He's the orb. As you wanted."
"Where's Yondu?"
"Wanted to be here, sends his love. And told me to tell you, that you got the best eyebrows in the business." Peter said, as the Broker picks up the orb. "What is it?"
"It's my policy never to discuss my clients, or their needs." The Broker said.
"Well, we almost died getting it for you." Jared said, clutching the strap of his sling bag.
"Occupational hazards, I'm sure, in your line of work."
"Some machine-headed freak, working for a dude named Ronan." Peter said.
The Broker suddenly looks afraid.
"Ronan? I'm sorry, Mr. Quill, Mr. Shay.. I truly am. But I want no part of this transaction if Ronan is involved." The Broker said, giving the orb back to Peter and Jared and started pushing them towards his shop door.
"Woah! Woah, woah, woah! Who's Ronan?" Peter asked.
"A Kree fanatic, outraged by the peace treaty, who will not rest until Xandarian culture, my culture, is wiped from existence!" The Broker said, pushing Peter and Jared again.
"Woah. Come on!" Peter said, angrily.
"He's someone whose bad side I'd rather not be on." The Broker said.
"What? What about my bad side? What about Jared's bad side?" Peter asked.
"Not the day I was planning." Jared said, as the Broker opens his shop door and pushes him and Peter out.
"Farewell, Mr. Quill, Mr. Shay." The Broker said, closing the door in Peter's face and Jared's face.
"Hey, we had a deal, bro!" Peter yelled, shouting to the Broker through his closed shop door.
"It really wasn't the day I was planning." Jared said, as he steps back, he and Peter notices Gamora standing nearby watching them.
"What happened?" Gamora asked, looking between Peter and Jared.
"Uh...this guy just backed out of a deal on us. If there's one thing I hate, it's a man without integrity. Peter Quill. People call me Star-Lord." Peter said, smirking.
"And I'm Jared Shay. People call me the Black Pearl." Jared said, happily.
"You two have the bearing of men of honor." Gamora said, looking between Peter and Jared.
Peter starts to playfully throw the orb up and down in his hand, "Well, you know, I wouldn't say that. People say it about us, all the time, but it's not something I would ever say about myself."
Suddenly Gamora grabs the orb, kicks Peter in his stomach then kicks Jared in his stomach and runs off.
Peter throws something like a magnetic rope which catches Gamora's legs and trips her up. As Gamora gets the rope off her legs, Peter and Jared catch up to her but Gamora manages to kick them off and starts punching them, she holds up her knife ready to stab them.
"This wasn't the plan." Gamora said.
As Gamora's about to stab Peter and Jared, Rocket jumps on to her and knocks her down.
"Put them in the bag. Put them in the bag!" Rocket yelled, looking at Groot, referring to Peter and Jared.
Groot extends his roots and goes to grab Gamora.
"No! Not her, him! Learn genders, man." Rocket said, as he struggles with Gamora, she tries to bite him. "Biting? That's not fair!"
Rocket is fighting with Gamora.
"Let's go, Peter." Jared said, and he and Peter used this opportunity to grab the orb and run off.
"Take it easy!" Rocket said, struggling to hold Gamora.
Gamora manages to free herself from Rocket and Groot's clutches, she throws Rockets aside, picks up a piece of metal, throws it at Peter's hand, making him drop the orb. Gamora grabs the orb and as she runs off, Peter jumps on to her and knocks her down but Gamora overpowers him again and holds Peter down.
"Fool. You and your friend should have learned." Gamora said, looking at Peter.
"We don't learn. One of our issues." Peter said, grabbing the orb from her hand, attaching a small rocket launcher on Gamora and setting it off, throwing Gamora aside.
"Yeah." Jared said, while thinking he and Peter are in the clear, suddenly Groot places a bag over Peter's head and Jared's head. "Shit."
"What the…" Peter said, at a loss for words. "Jared, you could have warned me!"
Groot starts carrying Peter and Jared in the bag over his shoulder.
"Quit smiling, you idiot. You're supposed to be a professional." Rocket said, as he sees Gamora coming towards them. "You gotta be kidding me." Gamora pushes Rocket aside. "Hey!"
Gamora fights with Groot, cutting off his arms, as she opens the bag, Jared uses his ghost powers to electrocute her and runs off with Peter.
"I love my ghost powers so much." Jared said, smiling.
Rocket gets out his gun and aims it at Peter and Jared.
"I live for the simple things. Like how much this is gonna hurt." Rocket said, shooting his gun, which shoots two balls of electricity at Peter and Jared, giving them an electric shock. "Yeah. Writhe, little men." He looks at Groot, who is looking sadly as his severed arms. "It'll grow back, you D'ast idiot. Quit whining."
Just then they are captured by The Nova Corps.
"Subject 89P13, drop your weapon." A Nova arresting pilot said.
"Oh, crap." Rocket said, reluctantly dropping his weapon.
"By the authority of the Nova Corps, you are under arrest…" The Nova arresting pilot said, at the same time that Peter and Jared are being arrested.
"Alright. Come on up." Corpsman Dey said.
"...for endangerment to life and the destruction of property." The Nova Arresting Pilot said, and Dey arrests Peter and Jared.
"Hey! If it isn't Star-Prince and the Flying Dutchman." Corpsman Dey said, recognizing Peter and Jared.
"Star-Lord." Peter said, annoyed.
"The Black Pearl." Jared said, sadly.
"Oh, sorry. Lord." Corpsman Dey said, looking at his partner. "I picked these guys up a while back for petty theft. They've got code names."
"Come on, man. They are...they're outlaw names." Peter said, letting out a sigh.
"They really are." Jared said, frowning. "The Black Pearl is as cool as the Storyteller."
"Just relax, pals. It's cool to have a code name. It's not that weird." Corpsman Dey said, looking at the Nova Corps.
"Fascists." Rocket said, annoyed.
"Why did I leave Remnant to hang out with Star Lord." Jared said, looking at Rocket, Groot and an unconscious Gamora who are being arrested. "This is like traveling with the Doctor all over again."
Nova Headquarters…
Xandar's Armed Forces, Nova Prime is on call to the Kree Ambassador.
"Ronan is destroying Xandarian outposts throughout the galaxy. I should think that would call for some slight response on the part of the Kree." Nova Prime said.
"We signed your peace treaty, Nova Prime. What more do you want?" The Kree Ambassador asked, as a hologram.
"At least a statement from the Kree Empire saying that they condemn his actions. He is slaughtering children, families."
"That is your business. Now, I have other matters to attend to." The Kree Ambassador said, ending the call.
"Prick." Nova Prime said.
"Well, some good news. Looks like we've apprehended one of Ronan's compatriots." Denarian Saal said, smirking.
After all five have been captured and taken to Nova Headquarters, Dey presents each of them to Saal.
"Gamora. Surgically modified and trained as a living weapon. The adopted daughter of the Mad Titan, Thanos. Recently, Thanos lent her and her sister Nebula out to Ronan, which leads us to believe that Thanos and Ronan are working together." Corpsman Dey said.
Next, it's Rocket.
"Subject 89P13. Calls itself Rocket. The result of illegal genetic and cybernetic experiments on a lower life form." Corpsman Dey said.
"What the hell?" Denarian Saal asked, looking at Groot.
"They call it Groot. A humanoid plant that's been traveling recently as 89P13's personal house plant slash muscle." Corpsman Dey said.
Next up is Peter.
"Peter Jason Quill, from Terra. Raised from youth by a band of mercenaries called the Ravagers, led by Yondu Udonta." Corpsman Dey said.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know how this machine worked." Peter said, winding up his middle finger and flipping the bird at them.
And finally, it's Jared.
"Jared Shay, also from Terra. Traveling with a man called the Doctor. He is apparently the stuff of legends." Corpsman Dey said.
"What a bunch of a-holes." Denarian Saal said, while Dey smiles. "Transport all five to the Kyln."
(Jared's POV)
Kyln…
Peter, Groot, Gamora, Rocket, and I are taken to the Kyln, a High Security Prison.
"I guess most of Nova Corps wanna uphold the laws, but these ones here, they're corrupt and cruel. But, hey, that's not my problem. I ain't gonna be here long. I've escaped 22 prisons, this one's no different. You're lucky the broad showed up, because otherwise, me and Groot would be collecting that bounty right now, and you two would be getting drawn and quartered by Yondu and those Ravagers." Rocket said, looking over at Peter and I.
"We've had a lot of folks try to kill us over the years. I ain't about to be brought down by a tree and a talking raccoon." Peter said, annoyed.
"I wouldn't mind being brought down by a tree and a talking raccoon." I said, happily.
"Of course you wouldn't mind." Peter said, rolling his eyes.
"Hold." A prison guard said.
"What's a raccoon?" Rocket asked, looking between Peter and I.
"'What's a raccoon?'. It's what you are, stupid." Peter said.
"Ain't no thing like me, 'cept me." Rocket said, as we are being led to our cell.
"So, this orb has a real shiny blue suitcase, Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe. What is it?" Peter asked. "Jared, any hints?"
"On the Orb." I said, looking down at the floor. "Spoilers."
"I am Groot." Groot said.
"Of course the TARDIS doesn't translate Groot. I wish it did. But it doesn't."
"So what? What's the Orb?" Peter asked.
"I have no words for honorless thieves." Gamora said, looking between Peter and I.
"Pretty high and mighty coming from the lackey of a genocidal maniac." Rocket said, and Gamora looks at him. "Yeah, I know who you are. Anyone who's anyone knows who you are."
"Yeah, we know who you are." Peter said, looking at Groot. "Who is she?"
"I am Groot." Groot said.
"Yeah, you said that."
"I wasn't retrieving the orb for Ronan, I was betraying him. I had an agreement to sell it to a third party." Gamora said.
"I am Groot." Groot said.
"Well, that's just as fascinating as the first 89 times you told that. What is wrong with Giving Tree, here?" Peter asked.
"Well, he don't know talking good like me and you. So his vocabulistics is limited to 'I' and 'am' and 'Groot'. Exclusively in that order." Rocket said.
"I tell you what, that's gonna wear real thin, real fast." Peter said, seeing a Prison Guard with his Walkman headphones. "Hey. Put that away." He walks inside the room towards the Guard as the door closes. "Hey! Listen to me you big blue bastard, take those headphones off, that's mine. Those belong to impound, that tape and that player is mine!" The guard stuns Peter with a stun baton. "Hooked on a Feeling, Blue Swede, 1973, that song belongs to me!"
The guard stuns him again, as Hooked on a Feeling starts playing, the guard stuns Peter again.
A while has passed, and we are still walking through the prison.
"You first! You first!" A prison said, angrily.
"Murderer! Coming for you first, Gamora!" Another prisoner yelled.
"You're dead!" Prisoner 3 said.
"You're scum! You're scum!" Prisoner 4 said.
Gamora is thrown with a variety of objects by other prisoners.
"It's like I said, she's got a rep. A lot of prisoners here have lost their families to Ronan and his goons. She'll last a day, tops." Rocket said.
"Murderer!" The prisoners said, at the same time.
"The guards will protect her, right?" Peter asked.
"They're here to stop us from getting out. They don't care what we do to each other inside." Rocket said.
"That does make a lot of sense." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag. "I was in a worse prison before."
"Whatever nightmares the future holds, are dreams compared to what‟s behind me." Gamora said.
"Check out the new meat. I'm gonna slather you up in Gunavian jelly, and go to town…" The prisoner said, at the same time.
Groot poked the prisoner's nose and lifted him.
"Let's make something clear. These two here are our booty! You wanna get to them, you go through us! Or, more accurately, we go through you." Rocket said, happily.
"I'm with them." Peter said.
"I hate you." The prisoner said.
"No cell's gonna protect you for long." Prisoner 2 said.
"You're dead!" Prisoner 3 said, angrily.
"Dead!" Prisoner 4 yelled.
Gamora being captured by the other prisoners.
"Take her down to the showers. It‟ll be easier to clean up the blood down there." The prison's guard said.
Peter wakes up.
"Peter? Where are you going? Peter! Get back here!" I said, worried.
"Gamora, consider this a death sentence for your crimes against the galaxy." The prisoner said, looking at Gamora.
"You dare? You know who I am, yes?" Drax asked.
"You're Drax. The destroyer."
"Quill." Rocket said, looking over at Peter.
"And you know why they call me this." Drax said.
"You slayed dozens of Ronan‟s minions." The prisoner said.
"Ronan murdered my wife, Ovette, and my daughter, Camaria. He slaughtered them where they stood. And he laughed!" Drax said, excitedly.
"Peter." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"Her life is not yours to take. He killed my family. I shall kill one of his in return." Drax said.
"Of course, Drax. Here, I…" The prisoner said.
"Quill! What are you doing?" Rocket asked, looking over at Peter.
"I'm no family to Ronan or Thanos. I‟m your only hope at stopping him." Gamora said.
"Woman, your words mean nothing to me!" Drax yelled.
"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Hey!" Peter said, getting in between Gamora and Drax.
"Crap." Rocket said, sadly.
"You know, if killing Ronan is truly your sole purpose, I don't think this is the best way to go about it." Peter said, looking at Gamora. "How much was your buyer willing to pay you for our Orb?"
"Four billion units." Gamora said.
"What?" Rocket asked.
"Holy shit." Peter said, at a loss for words.
"Damn." I said, in awe. "That's a lot of credits."
"That Orb is my opportunity to get away from Thanos and Ronan. If you free us, I‟ll lead you to the buyer directly and I‟ll split the profit between the four of us." Gamora said.
"I am Groot." Groot said.
"Five of us. A sleep for the danger, awake for the money, as per frickin' usual." Rocket said, annoyed.
(Open POV)
Sanctuary Asteroid Field…
The Other is calling Ronan, "You have been betrayed, Ronan."
"We know only that she has been captured. Gamora may yet recover the Orb." Ronan said.
"No! Our sources within the Kyln say Gamora has her own plans for the Orb. Your partnership with Thanos is at risk." The Other said, looking at Ronan. "Thanos requires your presence. NOW!"
Nebula, Ronan, and The Other have all gathered around the warlord's throne.
"With all due respect, Thanos, your daughter made this mess, and yet you summon me." Ronan the Accuser said.
"I would lower my voice, Accuser." The Other said.
"First, she lost a battle with some primitive."
"Thanos put Gamora under your charge." The Other said, looking at Ronan.
Nebula is fixing her arm.
"Then she was apprehended by the Nova Corps." Ronan the Accuser said.
"You are the one here with nothing to show for it." The Other said.
"Your sources say that she meant to betray us the whole time!"
"LOWER YOUR TONE! I MAY BE YOUR…"
Ronan snaps his neck with a Concussive Blast. This gets Nebula's attention, albeit she shows no signs of surprise at the murder.
Ronan turns to Thanos, "I only ask that you take this matter seriously."
The warlord turns his throne around to face the Kree as he speaks.
"The only matter I did not take seriously, boy…" Thanos said, looking at Ronan. "...is you." Ronan looks at him, seemingly surprised. "Your politics bore me! Your demeanor is that of a pouty child. And, apparently...you alienated my favorite daughter, Gamora."
Nebula subtly expresses jealousy.
"I shall honor our agreement, Kree." Thanos said, looking at Ronan. "If you bring me the Orb. But return to me again empty-handed…" He threatens Ronan with death. "...and I will bathe the starways in your blood."
Ronan seems intimidated by his threat. Nebula, on the other hand, has fixed her arm.
"Thanks, dad...sounds fair." Nebula said, leaving the room. "This is one fight you won't win." Ronan looks at Nebula. "Let's head to the Klyn."
Ronan briefly glares at Thanos before departing. Thanos watches on, with a satisfied grin.
(Jared's POV)
Kyln's cafeteria…
Rocket, Gamora, Peter Quill, Groot, and I are entering the Kyln's cafeteria with trays.
"If we're gonna get out of here, we're gonna need to get into that watchtower. And to do that, I'm gonna need a few things. The guards wear security bands to control their ins and outs." Rocket said, while a security guard is operating an armband which allows him to open the prison doors. "I need one."
"Would a sonic screwdriver help?" I asked, reaching for my sonic screwdriver in my sling bag.
"No. That would give us away. Sonic means noise. We need a security band."
"Leave it to me." Gamora said, smirking.
"That dude, there." Rocket said, as a man with a prosthetic leg walked by. "I need his prosthetic leg."
"His leg?" Peter asked.
"Yeah. God knows I don't need the rest of him. Look at him, he's useless."
"All right."
"And finally, on the wall back there is a black panel. Blinky yellow light." Rocket said, looking at a square panel in the back has a flashing yellow light atop it. "Do you see it?"
"Yeah."
"There's a quarnyx battery behind it. Purplish box, green wires. To get into that watchtower, I definitely need it." Rocket said, and Groot is shown walking towards the watchtower, the rest of us are oblivious to his plans.
"How are we supposed to do that?" Gamora asked.
"Well, supposably, these bald-bodies find you attractive. So, maybe you can work out some sort of trade." Rocket said, looking at Gamora.
"You must be joking." Gamora said, scoffing.
"No, I really heard they find you attractive."
"Look, it's 20 feet up in the air, and it's in the middle of the most heavily-guarded part of the prison. It's impossible to get up there without being seen." Peter said, while Groot now begins growing so he can reach said battery.
"Even with my ghost powers, they'll notice that I am missing." I said, letting out a sigh.
"I got one plan, and that plan requires a frickin' quarnyx battery, so figure it out! Can I get back to it?" Rocket asked, as Gamora, Quill, and I said nothing. "Thanks. Now, this is important. Once the battery is removed, everything is gonna slam into emergency mode." In the back, Groot attempts to pull the battery off the wall. "Once we have it, we gotta move quickly, so you definitely need to get that last."
Groot gives a sharp tug, and the lights turn off, an emergency alarm sounding in the back. Rocket, Gamora, Peter Quill, and I turn to see Groot holding out the battery with a pleased smile.
"Or we could just get it first and improvise." Rocket said, in frustration.
"Improvising is what I usually do with the Doctor." I said, happily. "This is no different, Rocket."
"I'll get the armband." Gamora said.
"Leg." Peter said.
Kyln…
Gamora and Quill run off to complete their tasks while Rocket groans in frustration. I took a chocolate Pocky stick out of my sling bag to snack on it. Bots with guns attached to them begin surrounding Groot.
"Prisoner, drop the device immediately and retreat to your cell, or we will open fire." Guard 1 said.
"I am Groot!" Groot yelled, after growing taller.
"Fire!" Guard 1 yelled.
The boys begins shooting Groot, who manages to knock some away as prisoners run around, scared.
"All prisoners return to your sleeping areas." Guard 1 said.
Rocket begins running towards Groot, avoiding bullets while doing so, and climbs up the humanoid tree's back, "You idiot! How am I supposed to fight these things without my stuff?"
A few guards run up, catching the attention of Drax.
"The animal is in control. Fire on my command!" Guard 2 said, angrily.
Drax throws Guard 2 into a wall, and begins attacking the other guards. They try to overpower him but in the end it's useless as he's much stronger than them all. Drax grabs a gun, looking at Rocket.
"Creepy little beast!" Drax said, throwing the weapon to Rocket who catches it and cocks the gun.
"Oh, yeah." Rocket said, beginning to fire his gun, taking down a number of the bots.
"Aww, yeah." I said, sending electrical shocks in my ghost forms at the bots, knowing it will knock them out for the time being. "This is more like it."
Peter Quill is leaning against a wall, smiling at the man with prosthetic leg.
"You need my what?" A man asked.
Gamora is running, attacking guards as she goes along. Once she traps a guard's arm with her leg, she spots an armband.
"I'll need this." Gamora said, happily.
"Good luck. It's internally wired." Guard 3 said.
"I'll figure something out." Gamora said, breaking the guard's arm.
As Peter Quill runs out with the prosthetic leg in his hand, a guard corners him with a gun, causing him to hold his hands up in surrender.
"Drop the leg! Drop the leg and move back to your cell!" Guard 4 said, angrily.
However, Quill manages to hit the guard with the leg, knocking him to the ground. Quill grabs the guard's gun, and begins shooting a bot when it flies his way.
Kyln cafeteria…
Rocket is laughing hysterically as I am laughing hysterically, with the two of us taking down bot after bot. The racoon is still holding onto Groot with one hand. Gamora runs up the edge closest to Rocket.
"Rocket!" Gamora said, tossing the armband to Rocket, who catches it easily.
"Move to the watchtower!" Rocket said, looking at Groot.
As Groot obeys Rocket's orders, the talking raccoon begins attaching the armband to the battery, creating a new object. Gamora jumps from one gate to another to meet them at the watchtower. I used my ghost powers to fly up to the watchtower.
Watch tower…
Groot grows, creating a ladder for them to climb up. I helped Rocket up. Peter Quill begins climbing up Groot, prosthetic leg held under his chin. A bot flies up, halting him, however Drax jumps up to take the bot down.
"You! Man who has lain with an A'askavariian!" Drax said, angrily.
"It was one time, man." Peter said, annoyed.
Drax begins climbing behind Peter.
"We need all available guards in full combat gear…" Guard 1 said, turning, when an alarm began beeping to see Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, Groot, and I standing together as one team.
We wear intimidating looks on our faces, and the guard holds up his hands in surrender as we walk into the room. Groot grabs the guard with his branches, and throws him out of the way. Once we're all inside, Gamora glares when she sees Drax right beside her.
"Spare me your foul gaze, woman." Drax said.
"Why is this one here?" Gamora asked, looking at Drax.
"We promised him he could stay by your side until he kills your boss. I always keep my promises, when they're to muscle-bound whack-jobs who will kill me if I don't. Here you go." Quill said, placing the leg in front of Rocket.
"I'd never leg you go, Rocket." I said, laughing a lot.
"Oh, I was just kidding about the leg. I just need these two things." Rocket said, looking down at the prosthetic leg.
"What?" Peter asked.
"No, I thought it'd be funny. Was it funny? Wait, what did he look like hopping around?" Rocket asked, while giggling.
"I'm thigh-ing of laughter." I said, laughing with Rocket. "That's a thought that won't leave my head for a while."
"I knew you'd like it, Jared. You have my kind of humor."
"This isn't funny, you two. Stop laughing. I had to transfer him 30,000 units!" Peter said, worried.
"How are we going to leave?" Drax asked.
"Well, he's got a plan." Peter said, looking at Rocket. "Right? Or is that another thing you made up?"
"I have a plan! I have a plan!" Rocket cheered.
"Cease your yammering and relieve us from this irksome confinement." Drax said, annoyed.
"Yeah, I'll have to agree with the walking thesaurus on that one." Peter said.
"Do not ever call me a thesaurus."
"It's just a metaphor, Drax." I said, sadly.
"His people are completely literal, metaphors are gonna go over his head." Rocket said.
"Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it." Drax said.
"I'm gonna die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy." Gamora said, as the prison guards surround the watchtower carrying large weapons.
"Those are some big guns." Peter said.
"On my command! Number one!" The head riot guard said, looking at the guards.
One of the guards shoots his weapon which hits one of the watchtower glass windows.
"Rodent, we are ready for your plan." Gamora said.
"Rocket, hurry up." I said, sadly.
"Hold on!" Rocket yelled.
"Number two!" The head riot guard said, and another guard shoots his weapon which hits the other side of the watchtower.
"I recognize this animal. We'd roast them over a flame pit as children. Their flesh was quite delicious." Drax said, looking down at Rocket.
"Not helping!" Rocket said, angrily.
"Number three!" The head riot guard said, while another shoots their weapon which hits another glass window of the watchtower leaving a massive crack. "All fire on my command!" Rocket works as fast as he can to save us. "Three! Two! One!"
Just then Rocket rigs to turn off the gravity making everyone in the prison start floating.
"You turned off the artificial gravity, everywhere but in here." Gamora said, frowning.
"Why did you do that?" I asked, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"I told you I had a plan." Rocket said, disconnecting the watchtower from its base, then uses the security droids to attack to the base of it and uses the droids jets to fly the watchtower out of the prison.
"That was a pretty good plan." Peter said, happily.
We get out of the watchtower.
Kyln…
The others go grab their personal stuff and Peter and I look for our spaceship.
"Yeah! There it is. Get our ship. It's the Milano, the orange and blue one over in the corner." Peter said, smiling.
"They crumpled my pants up into a ball. That's rude! They folded yours." Rocket said, annoyed.
Peter then gets his personal stuff and looks through it, I see the orb on one of his bags.
"The orb's there. Let's go!" Gamora said, angrily.
"Wait, wait, wait." Peter said, as he keeps searching for his Walkman in his stuff.
"What?" Gamora asked.
"That bastard didn't put it back." Peter said, looking over at me.
"Put what back?" Gamora asked.
"His Walkman. Peter's mom gave it to her. She was dying of cancer." I said, looking over at Peter. "It's the last thing he had of his mom. It's his way of remembering her."
Peter gives the bag containing the orb to me, "Here. Get them to the ship, I will be right back."
"How are you gonna possibly…" Gamora said, sadly.
"Just keep the Milano close by. Go. Go!" Peter said, running off.
Peter attacks the prison guards using his weapon taking each one down one by one.
"Ow! My neck!" The prison guard yelled.
Peter shoots him again as he walks past him.
The Milano…
The others and I have boarded the Milano and are waiting for Peter.
"Well, how's he gonna get to us?" Rocket asked.
"He declined to share that information with us." Gamora said.
"Well, screw this, then! I ain't waiting around for some humie with a death wish. You two got the orb, right?" Rocket asked.
"Yes." Gamora said, happily.
"Nope." I said, when Gamora looks in the bag that Peter gave me and finds the orb is missing. "Peter has it."
"You're kidding me."
Kyln…
Peter has kept the orb and is throwing it up and down in his hand as he goes to get his Walkman from the guard that took it, he uses the orb to bash the guard over the head.
The Milano…
"If we don't leave now, we will be blown to bits." Rocket said.
"No! We're not leaving without the orb." Gamora said.
Just then Drax notices Peter flying towards us.
"Behold." Drax said, as we helped Peter board onto the Milano. "This one shows spirit. He shall make a keen ally in the battle against Ronan." He looked at Peter. "Companion, what were you retrieving?" Peter gives him the Walkman. "You're an imbecile."
As we are flying off in the Milano, Peter finds Rocket taking apart parts of the ship.
"Woh, woh, woh! Yoh, Ranger Rick! What are you doing? You can't take apart our ship without asking us! See, what is this?" Peter asked, looking down at Rocket.
"Peter, don't touch that." I said, running up to Peter and Rocket. "It's a bomb."
"A bomb?"
"Yep." Rocket said, smiling.
"And you leave it lying around?" Peter asked.
"I was gonna put it in a box."
"What's a box gonna do?"
Rocket pulls out a box and takes out the wrapped present Peter's mother had given him before she had died, "How about this one?"
"No! Woah! Hey! Hey! Leave it alone!" Peter said, worried.
"Why? What is it?" Rocket asked.
"Shut up." Peter said, sadly.
"Hey!"
Peter is pointing to something else Rocket had pulled out of the ship, "What is that?"
"That's for if things get really hardcore. Or if you wanna blow up moons." Rocket said.
"No one's blowing up moons." Gamora said, sadly.
"I agree. The last time I thought a moon was going to be blown up. It turned out to be an egg for a big bat thing." I said, frowning.
"Gamora, you just wanna suck the joy out of everything." Rocket said, annoyed.
"So, listen, I'm gonna need your buyer's coordinates." Peter said.
"We're heading in the right direction, for now." Gamora said, picking up the orb.
"If we're gonna work together, you might want to try trusting me a little bit."
"And how much do you trust me? "
Peter takes the orb out of Gamora's hand, "I'd trust you a lot more if you told me what this was. Because I'm guessing it's some kind of weapon."
"I don't know what it is." Gamora said.
Peter places the orb on the table and Drax picks it up.
"If it's a weapon, we should use it against Ronan." Drax said.
"Put it down, you fool! You'll destroy us all." Gamora said.
"Or just you, murderess!"
"I let you live once, princess!"
"I am not a princess!"
"Hey! Nobody is killing anybody on my ship! We're stuck together until we get the money." Peter said.
Drax throws the orb to Peter, "I have no interest in money."
Drax walks off.
"Great. That means more money for the four of us." Peter said, while Groot makes a noise indicating he counts too. "For the five of us. Partners."
"We have an agreement, but I would never be partners with the likes of you. I'll tell the buyer we're on our way. And Quill, Jared, your ship is filthy." Gamora said, turning and walks up the stairs.
"Oh, she has no idea. If I had a black light, the place would look like a Jackson Pollock painting." Peter said, annoyed.
"You got issues, Quill." Rocket said, letting out a sigh.
(Open POV)
The Kyln…
Ronan and Nebula are torturing one of the prison guards.
"I swear, I don't know where they went! I swear!" The head riot guard said, worried.
"If he knew where they were headed, he'd have already told us." Nebula said.
"Yeah."
"Ronan, the Nova Corps sent a fleet to defend the prison. Well, then, send Necrocraft to every corner of the quadrant. Find the orb. Any means, any price." Nebula said, looking at Ronan. "And this place?"
"The Nova can't know what we're after. Cleanse it!" Ronan said, angrily.
Broker's shop…
Yondu pays a visit to the Broker to find out what Peter and Jared have done with the orb, "Do you got any other cute little buggers like this one? I like to stick 'em all in a row on my control console."
"I can't tell if you're joking or not." The Broker said.
"He's being fully serious." Kraglin said.
"In that case, I can show you…"
Yondu laughs, "But first, you gonna tell me what this orb is, and why everybody cares so damn much about it. And then you gonna tell me, who out there might wanna buy it."
"Sir, the high-end community is a…" The Broker said, while Yondu interrupts and mocks him by speaking gibberish. "The high-end community is a…" Yondu continues to talk gibberish over him. "It's a tight-knit…" Yondu interrupts him again with more gibberish "Tight-knit…" Yondu interrupts him again. "The high-end community is a very tight-knit…" Yondu interrupts him again talking gibberish making Kraglin laugh. "I cannot possibly betray the confidentiality of my buyers!"
Yondu threatens the Broker by making his arrow float and hover towards his face.
"Now, who again is this buyer of yours?" Yondu asked.
The Collector's ship…
"Carina." The Collector said.
"Yes, Master." Carina said.
"Your people do have elbows, do they not?"
"We do, Master."
"Then use them. I don't have to remind you what happened to the last attendant who disappointed me. Do I?" The Collector asked, as Carina fearfully looks at the previous servant who is now locked up in one of the glass cells on his ship. "Chop, chop. Our guests will be here soon."
Carina quickly goes back to cleaning the glass cells.
(Jared's POV)
The Milano…
"Heads up! We're inbound." Rocket said.
We all watch as we head towards Knowhere which looks like a giant severed-head.
"Woah." Peter said, in awe.
"This should be a spaceship or our home base someday." I said, happily. "I wouldn't mind it."
"Same."
"What is it?" Drax asked.
"It's called Knowhere. The severed head of an ancient celestial being. Be wary headed in, rodent. There are no regulations whatsoever here." Gamora said, while the Milano enter Knowhere, it is a mining colony.
Knowhere…
"Hundreds of years ago, the Tivan Group sent workers in to mine the organic matter within the skull. The bone, brain tissue, spinal fluid. All rare resources, highly valued in black markets across the galaxy. It's dangerous and illegal work, suitable only for outlaws." Gamora said.
We are walking around in the streets of Knowhere.
"Well, Jared and I come from a planet of outlaws. Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde and John Stamos." Peter Quill said.
"Well, I've been to the Old West." I said, happily. "A couple of times, actually."
"Did you meet them?"
"I wish."
"It sounds like a place which I would like to visit." Drax said.
"Yeah, you should." Peter said.
"Maybe I should take you sometime." I said, revealing my vortex manipulator on my wrist. "Vortex manipulator. Cheap and nasty time travel."
"You had that on you. And you didn't use it?"
"Using a time traveling teleport like that is hell with a few to several people."
A bunch of kids surround us.
"Excuse me." A Knowhere kid said, sadly.
"Watch your wallets." Peter said, looking between the rest of the Guardians and I.
"Can you spare any units?"
"Get out of here." Rocket said, while a girl walks up to Groot, he grows a flower in his hand, plucks it and gives it to her before walking off.
"Ooo. A bar." I said, as we walked towards a bar. "Love a bar."
"Your buyer's in there?" Rocket asked.
"We are to wait here for his representative." Gamora said, as we see a bouncer throws a patron out of the bar.
"Get out of here!" The bar bouncer yelled.
"This is no respectable establishment. What do you expect us to do while we wait?" Drax asked.
"We have some fun!" I said, taking out my psychic paper and showing it to the bar bouncer, before walking inside it. "The last time I did something like this. It was with River Song."
"Who's River Song?" Drax asked.
"An old friend of mine."
Bar…
While we wait for their appointment, Drax, Rocket, Groot, and I get drunk and gamble.
"Yes! Yes!" Drax said, angrily.
"Yahoo!" Rocket cheered.
"My Orloni has won, as I win at all things! Now, let's put more of this liquid into our bodies."
"That's the first thing you said that wasn't bat-shit crazy!" Rocket said. "So, Jared. You said you did this with the woman who killed you and the Doctor."
"Yup. We steal the TARDIS to go bar hopping, get drunk, and do some karaoke." I said, and I looked over at Peter and Gamora at the balcony of the bar.
"Man, you wouldn't believe what they charge for fuel out here. Jared and I might actually lose money on this job." Peter said, annoyed.
"My connection is making us wait." Gamora said, annoyed.
"It's just a negotiation tactic. Trust me, this is my specialty. Where yours is more, 'Stab, stab. Those are my terms'."
Gamora smiles, "My father didn't stress diplomacy."
"Thanos?" Peter asked.
"He's not my father. When Thanos took my home world, he killed my parents in front of me. He tortured me, turned me into a weapon. When he said he was going to destroy an entire planet for Ronan, I...I couldn't stand by and…" Gamora said, while she notices Peter's Walkman on his belt and takes it. "Why would you risk your life for this?"
"As Jared said, my mother gave it to me. My mom liked to share with me all the pop songs that she loved growing up. I happened to have it on me when I was...the day that she... You know, when I left Earth." Peter said, taking the Walkman from Gamora and puts it back on his belt.
"What do you do with it?"
"Do? Nothing. You listen to it. Or you can dance."
"I'm a warrior and an assassin. Like Jared's friend River Song. I do not dance."
"Really? Well, on my and Jared's planet, there's a legend about people like you. It's called 'Footloose'. And in it, a great hero named Kevin Bacon, teaches an entire city full of people with sticks up their butts that dancing, well...it's the greatest thing there is." Peter said, happily.
"Who put the sticks up their butts?" Gamora asked.
"What? No, that's just a…"
"That is cruel."
"It's just a phrase people use." Peter said, putting the Walkman headphones onto Gamora's head so she can listen to the music, after listening for a moment she speaks out loud.
"The melody is pleasant!" Gamora said, as she listens to the music, Peter's leans in to kiss her when she puts a knife to his throat. "No!"
"Ow! What the hell?" Peter asked.
"I know who you are, Peter Quill! And I am not some starry-eyed waif here to succumb to your...your pelvic sorcery!" Gamora said, angrily.
"That is not what is happening here." Peter said, and Gamora let go of his throat.
"Peter! Gamora!" I said, watching Drax, Rocket and Groot are all fighting inside the bar. "Rocket's too drunk!"
"Oh, no." Peter said, sadly.
Peter and Gamora enter the bar to help me stop the fight between Drax, Rocket and Groot.
"Jared, I thought you had them under control." Gamora said, while she and I dragged Drax off of Groot. "Stop it!"
Rocket points his weapon at Drax, as he's about to shoot, Peter intervenes.
"Woah! Woah! What are you doing?" Peter asked.
"This vermin speaks of affairs he knows nothing about!" Drax said, angrily.
"That is true!" Rocket yelled.
"He has no respect!"
"That is also true!"
"Guys! Guys!" I said, grabbing the strap of my sling bag.
"Keep calling me vermin, tough guy! You just wanna laugh at me like everyone else!" Rocket said, looking at Drax.
"Rocket, Jared said that you're drunk. Alright? No one's laughing at you." Peter said, sadly.
"He thinks I'm some stupid thing! He does! Well, I didn't ask to get made! I didn't ask to be torn apart, and put back together, over and over and turned into some...some little monster!"
"Rocket, no one's calling you a monster."
"He called me vermin! She called me rodent! Let's see if you can laugh after five or six good shots to your frickin' face!"
As Rocket points his weapon at Drax again, Peter stands in front of him.
"No, no, no, no! Four billion units! Rocket! Come on, man. Hey! Suck it up for one more lousy night and you're rich." Peter said, happily.
Rocket hesitates for a moment then lowers his weapon, "Fine. But I can't promise when all this is over, I'm not gonna kill every last one of you jerks."
"See? That's exactly why none of you have any friends! Five seconds after you meet somebody, you're already trying to kill them!" Peter said, worried.
"We have traveled halfway across the quadrant, and Ronan is no closer to being dead." Drax said, turning away and leaving in anger.
"Drax! Come on!" I said, walking towards Drax. "Don't go!"
"Let him go. We don't need him." Gamora said, frowning..
Just then the Collector's assistant, Carina, enters the bar.
"Milady Gamora, I'm here to fetch you for my master." Carina said, smiling.