This is getting us Knowhere

I swung my leg up, hitting Johnny's butt so hard he flew into the caged walls of the room. "Ouch! What the shit Pete?!"

"You know what the shit! You know exactly what the shit!" I cried back with a growl, "you realise that right now, you could be in a nightclub on Xandar, I could be in bed with my girlfriend, but instead we're both in a fucking jail cell, because you got itchy fingers!"

Johnny gulped, "well...in my defence-"

"-Shut up in there!" the guards outside cried out banging his stick against the wall, a spark of electricity arcing out, "get changed and move it! Before I make you go in there naked!"

I growled, but said nothing, holding up the clothes they had given us with disdain. We were in a barred room surrounded by guards and drones with weapons, all pointed at us. They had taken us aside, stripped away our clothes and washed us down with some orange sanitizing agent.

"We should just fucking burst out," Johnny leaned in and whispered.

"I maybe able to take bullets to the face and live, but you can't," I whispered back, "besides...with these things on our powers are…." I looked down at the collar around his neck and mine. It had enough voltage to put us down, permanently. And I don't want to risk Johnny's life for something like an escape attempt.

"So what do we do?" Johnny asked.

"We play along," I replied, motiong to the clothes, "change. I'll think of something."

"Right...head's up, the racoon and the gun guy are coming," Johnny motioned as another set of guards pushed Peter Quill and Rocket into the changing cell as well.

"Hey guys, long time no see," Quill smirked, "you staying long?"

"Quill?" Rocket growled, "shut up," he walked past us, ignoring us and walking to one corner where he quietly began putting on the uniform they had given us.

"How come you two got collars?" Quill looking at out necks, "you special or something?"

"Something like that," I nodded, elbowing Johnny to put on the clothes. He nodded, doing just that.

"I'm Quill by the way, Peter Quill," Quill smiled, "but people call me Star Lord."

"No they don't," Rocket grunted.

"Yes they do," Quill smiled back.

"No talking!" the guards cried out as one of them pressed the control key inputted their hand, firing a warning shot into the floor.

"Holy shit! Okay okay! We get it!" Quill grumbled, quietly putting his clothes on as well.

I looked over to Rocket, the cybernetic implants on his back seemed painful to even see, let alone have. I can't imagine what he's going through right now...maybe I could take a look at it later..

After changing we were pushed back out, meeting Gamora and Groot outside. Given a black duffle bag, I assume it contained a sleeping bag, we were then introduced into a large open chamber, the ground floor with tables covered with inmates and levels of cells on the walls with stairs going up all three hundred levels.

"Holy shit," Johnny whispered as he looked around at all the criminals around us, his eyes going wide in shock, "dude."

"I know," I whispered back. My spidey senses were flashing on and off, but I didn't need it to know that everyone here was eyeing Johnny and I with the intention of making us their prison bitches.

Aliens of all kinds were here, most of them looked vaguely human, sans a different skin tone or two, but then the rest looked truly alien. Some had tentacles, some looked like a mix of earth animals and the nightmares made by Lovecraft himself.

All in all, it wasn't a nice place.

We walked down the line to the center of the great open area. We stuck close to the soon to be Guardians of the Galaxy, slowly the gathered prisoners stood up and began approaching us as well.

And then suddenly, someone threw a fruit at my head.

I grabbed it before it hit and then threw it back at the guy who leveled it at me, hitting him square on the jaw. The people began growing louder and louder as they grew restless, most of them however were yelling at Gamora in particular.

"You first bitch! You first!"

"You're dead Gamora!"

They gathered around, throwing everything they could at her, from utensils to food. And she did nothing more than flinch away, walking through them all, almost in an uncaring manner.

"Like I said, she's got a rap," Rocket grunted, "a lot of prisoners here have lost their families to Ronan and his goons. She'll last a day, tops."

"Murderer!" a prisoner cried.

Gamora glared, but said nothing. "The guard's will protect her, right?" Quill asked.

"They are here to keep us in, they don't care what we do to each inside," Rocket grunted.

"Whatever nightmares the future holds, they are dreams compared to what I have been through," Gamora stated, a confident demeanor about her.

"Dude, this is fucked up," Johnny leaned in and whispered, "do you think Earth prison is the same?"

I was about to answer when Quill was suddenly stopped by a hulking blue alien with similar features to that of a hairless gorilla. It smirked, it's flat ears wiggling in what I assume is excitement, "check out the new meat," it said in a tone I recognize, "I'm going to slather you up in Gunavian jelly, and go to- ARGH!"

The alien cire doubt as Groot stuck it's fingers up his nose and hoisted him up.

I sighed, "yup, definitely like Earth prison."

"Let's make something clear!" Rocket cried out, "this one here is our booty!"

Johnny's eyes widened, "does he mean treasure or..."

"Dude!" I smacked him up the head.

"You want to get to him, you go through us!" Rocket roared, "or more accurately," Groots hoisted the man higher, "we go through you," before dropping him down like a sack of potatoes.

The alien withered in pain as Rocket and Groot stepped over him. Quill smirked, "I with them," and he quickly follow behind.

"Hey! What about those two?!" someone asked, pointing at Johnny and me.

Rocket turned around, looked at me, and then shrugged, "go nuts."

"Alright!" a bulky fat aline with rudge on his brow cried out, licking his reptilian tongue, "I want the pretty one."

"He means me," Johnny said with a smirk, before his eyes went wide, "oh shit!"

"Get him boys!"

They charged, I looked at the guards, sure enough, they didn't seem to care, so I rushed the largest one of the crowd, the lizard tongue freak, and sent a sharp kick to hsi temple so quickly he barely had time to widen his eyes in shock.

He went flying back and into a wall, the ones next to him immediately tried to jump me, but it seemed my strength wasn't just super-human, but exceeded whatever standards aliens had as it took only a single punch to knock the others down as well.

"We may not look it, but we aren't ones to be fucked with," I growled, grabbing a standing attacker and throwing him over my shoulder with one hand, "now, anyone else?" They slowly backed away. I snorted, "come on Johnny."

I looked over my shoulder to see Gamora walk towards a nearby empty cell and lock herself in. Hm, this might be my chance to ask her about the Soul stone. Johnny and I reached Rocket and the others, they had commandeered a giant table for themselves, sitting down comfortably with Quill close by.

"What the hell was that?!" Johnny cried out, "you could have helped!"

"What do I look like? A hero?" Rocket snorted.

"Besides, you seem like you had it handled," Quill shrugged, "it all worked out."

"You little-argh!" Johnny cried out, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"You're from Earth, aren't you?" I asked, sitting down opposite Quill.

"Eh, yeah, how did you know?" Quill asked.

"I can feel it," I replied, being a sorcerer allowed me to be mystical like that, "Johnny and I are from Earth too."

"Really?" Quill asked, looking shocked, "how? Did we finally achieve interstellar travel?"

"Something like that," Johnny sighed before he blinked, "wait, you're from Earth? Where?"

"Missouri," Quill replied, "and you guys?"

"New York," I shrugged, "I'm Peter by the way, Peter Parker."

"No shit," Quill looked surprised, "I'm Peter too, Peter Quill."

"Nice, just what we need, another Peter," Johnny sighed.

"So Quill, what's your story?" I asked, knowing the answer, "how did you end up out here?"

"Oh, you know, the usual story. Got kidnapped by aliens, they threatened to eat me, yada yada yada, now I'm in prison."

"Did they probe you?" Johnny smirked.

"Don't' even joke about that," Quill hissed.

I looked over and spotted a lone dark green figure in the corner of the hall. He was looking up at Gamora's cell. I narrowed my eyes, Drax the Destroyer. So it begins…

"Peter," Johnny called out.

"Yeah?" Quill and I replied.

"Eh, Parker," Johnny clarefied, "we need to get out of here, fast."

"Well, we then sent us here they said we need to spend two weeks here, so we could just finish our sentence and go," I replied.

"Bull shit," Johnny hissed, "two weeks for trying to stop a fight? That's stupid!"

"Yes well, it's not our laws Johnny," I shrugged.

"So you're going to just stay here like a good boy huh?" Rocket snorted, "you do that kid. We? We're getting out of here, pronto."

"Can we join?" Johnny asked eagerly.

"Depends, what's in it for me?" Rocket asked greedly.

"We can pay you," Johnny replied immediately.

"Johnny!" I hissed.

"Come on Pete! You know we don't belong here! And I hate this place," Johnny looked around, seeing the few aliens still eyeing us, but not brave enough to approach.

"How much we talking?" Rocket asked.

Johnny was about to speak when I held up a hand, I spoke first, "five thousand credits."

"Ha! You're insane! You can't get shit for five thousand credits!"

"Ten thousand," I battered.

"Fifty."

"Hm...Thirty."

"Forty five, and I ain't going down anymore."

"Forty and you get these collars off Johnny and me," I pointed at said shock collars.

Rocket looked over and hummed, "forty five and I do it."

"Done. When we get out of here, you'll have your money."

"No way, how do I know you won't try to screw me over? Money now or no rescue!" the rodent hissed.

"I have no way to access my bank account now," I replied, "I'll pay after. You can even hold Johnny hostage as incentive."

"Hey!" Johnny cried out.

"Deal!" Rocket held out his hand.

"Deal," I agreed.

"Peter!" Johnny yelled.

"You got us into this mess, you'll get us out."

That night:

At night all the prisoners who weren't in cells slept on the floor of the hall in a giant pile. Johnny and Quill were cuddled together, the two idiotic blondes drooling on each other. Rocket was by one corner with Groot, while I stuck to the side of a wall, overlooking them all.

I was playing around with the collar, trying to find a way to remove them by myself. Sadly, the alien tech was just that, alien, I would need Rocket's help after all. I couldn't activate Sexy without the collar noticing, and I wasn't confident in my suit's activation cycle to pair it up against the speed of lightning for it to insulate me before the surge began.

I was stuck.

Just then though I heard a noise, turning, I noted Gamora being dragged away by knife point and being held by several prisoners. I looked over and noticed Quill wake up, in seconds he was up and following them, and Rocket following him.

I crawled along the sides of the walls and found them just as Gamora escaped from his captures, holding a blade against Drax's neck.

"I'm no family to Ronan or Thanos," she said, dropping the blades and stepping aside, "I'm your only hope at stopping him."

"ARGH!" Drax cried, slamming into her and pushing her up against the wall, "woman! Your words mean nothing to me!"

"Hey! Hey, hye, hey!" Quill stepped in, "you know, if killing Ronan is truly your sole purpose, then I don't' think this is the best way to go about it?"

"Are you not the man this wench attempted to kill?" Drax asked, and they slowly dropped into a banter that played out just the same as the movies. Drax agreed to let Gamora go, Gamora agreed to help Peter sell the 'Orb'.

I wanted to step in at this point, tell them about the Orb's true nature. But...the fact is, I didn't know how to open it to get to the stone inside. I didn't have the time to study it and with time running out so quickly interfering will just deter things for the worse.

So I decided to just wait and see...hopefully this won't turn out to be the wrong move.

The next day:

"This is fucking awesome!" Johnny cried out as Rocket piloted the head of the broken watchtower through the now open jail doors, flying us to freedom.

"And...we are officially fugitives," I sighed.

"Guess I now know how you feel huh?" Johnny chukled.

"Alright, grab your gear and let's blow this place!" Rocket cried out as he crashed our 'ship' into a wall, just as the doors closed behind. We ran out and moved to a storage place, I got Rocket to help me find Johnny and mine things, lucky these assholes hadn't damaged my thriller jacket.

"Peter! Where are you going?!" Gamora cried out, I turned to see Peter pass her his knapsack, taking his clothes with him, promising to be right behind us.

I sighed, is walkman, right, forgot about this. "He'll be fine," I said, stripping out of the yellow prison clothes and into my own, "Rocket, collars."

"Nothing doing kid, credits first, then collars," Rocket snarked.

"Oh come on man! Not cool!" Johnny cried out.

"Shut your whining!"

I sighed, "fine, whatever," I looked around, no guards around, so...I raised my hands up and pressed the knuckles against the collar and released my stingers just enough that they tore into the metal. A flick of the wrist and the metal came down.

"What the-you got claws?!" Rocket cried out.

"Kind of," I replied, quickly freeing Johnny as well, "there we go, feeling hot Johnny?"

The blonde smirked, "damn right, Flame on!" he cried, exploding into flames, "damn it feels good to be red again!"

"Wait, hold up! You mean to tell me, you could have removed those things anytime you wanted?!" Rocket asked.

"Yes, but not without the guards finding out. Don't worry Rocket, you'll get payed, after all, we still need to get out of this place, and we don't have a ship," I smirked, tapping my shirt, making the suit come alive and cover my body, forming my costume complete with mask.

"Your have living clothes?" Drax asked in surprise.

"Nanotech," I noticed Rocket eyeing me, "have something similar?"

"Can't say we do," the rodent grumbled.

"We need to hurry, guards will be here soon," Gamora called out, looking me over, "don't get in our way, understand?"

We nodded, "crystal," Johnny replied.

We ran down the corridor into the prison's hangar where all the illegal ships seized by the Nova corps were kept, and sure enough, Quill's own ship was there, waiting to be taken.

Using the encryption key Quill had in his bag we gained access to the ship and launched out to freedom.

"Where is he?!" Rocket cried out.

"He said he had to get something," Gamora grunted.

"Well we have the Orb don't we? I say we punch it!" Rocket growled back.

Gamora quickly began to search through Quills satchel, only to find it empty, "it's gone!"

"He took it?!" Rocket cried out.

"Look!" Drax called out, pointing to outside, just as Quill came into focus, flying through space in his helmet, using his thrusters to navigate through the void of space.

Everyone quickly went to the hatch and helped him out, Gamora in disdain and Drax in disbelief. "This one shows spirit! He shall make a keen alley in the battle against Ronan!" the green skinned alien claimed, "companion, what were you retrieving?" Quill held up his tape deck, "you are a moron."

"Indeed," I smiled, "those things are so old."

"Is that a walkman?" Johnny looked amazed, "haven't seen one of those in years. Think my mom had one."

"Wait, you guys don't have these anymore? How do you listen to music?" Quill asked in shock.

"We don't," I replied, "music has been made illegal. In fact all forms of entertainment has been made illegal on our home. Art, culture, it's all been lost."

"Yeah, heck, I haven't seen a movie in my life. Is it true it's both moving sound and picture?" Johnny added, catching on quick.

"Wait...are you messing with me?" Quill asked, seeing our stone faced expression he began to grow worried, "what the hell happened?"

"Well, you see, we elected this guy named Palpatine, nice guy, we all liked him, but he turned out to be a dictator and well, things got bad. Turned America into an empire and he became the Emperor and started ruling with an iron fist."

Quill's eyes went wide, "oh my God….shit, I never….I never realised-"

"Ba-haha!" Johnny exploded into laughter.

"Oh very funny guys! Make fun of the kid who hasn't seen home in twenty years!" Quill threw his hands up, "almost had me, damn it!"

"Oh, this is going to be an interesting trip," I chuckled.

We moved to the cockpit and I noted the way he piloted the ship, a human interacting with alien tech was a rare sight, so I recorded it for later use.

After getting us into deep space, Quill put the ship on standby and the crew gathered underneath the cockpit, around the table.

"I'm going to need your buyer's coordinates," Quill said, pulling up a star chart I had trouble recognizing.

"We are heading in the right direction, for now," Gamora replied, handling the orb.

"You know, if this is going to work, you're going to have to trust me a little," Quill smirked.

"And how much do you trust me?" Gamora asked.

"I'd trust you a lot more if you told me what this was," Quill said, grabbing and holding up the orb, "because I think it's some kind of weapon."

"If it's a weapon we should use it to destroy Ronan!" Drax cried out.

"I don't know what it is, but I know it's valuable," Gamora replied, "I'll set the coordinates," she then turned to Johnny and me, "the dock will have ships to smuggle you two anywhere in the galaxy. I suggest you be on your way."

"After you pay me," Rocket grunted.

I nodded, "agreed….tell me Gamora, just how much do you hate Thanos?"

Everyone's ears picked up at the name. Johnny was the first to ask, "what's she have to do with that guy?"

"She's his adoptive daughter, his favorite if my sources are correct," I answered, eyeing the woman, "well?"

"I despise him," she replied.

"Oh...woah...Peter, you sure-" he stopped himself, eyeing the woman with caution.

"She's telling the truth," I replied, "at the very least she won't betray us."

"Who exactly are your sources terran?" she narrowed her eyes, eyeing me, "you are...strange. Well equipped, but you seem weak. At least we know the other one can fight."

"Well, if you must know, we are superheroes," Johnny claimed, puffing his chest out, "I'm the Human Torch, and my friend here goes by the name Spider-man!"

"Pft-what?! Spider-man?! What type of lame ass name is that?!" Quill laughed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Star Lord?" I hissed.

"Better than 'Spider-man'," Peter snorted.

"Bite me Quill," I hissed.

"Hey, do you like shot webbing out of your ass?" Quill asked, "oh, and aren't spiders supposed to have eight limbs of something?"

Skit!

My additional robotic arms popped out of my back, displaying themselves in their vibranium silver glory. Rocket whistled at the sight of them while Gamora and Drax looked weary.

"Yes," I said, webbing Quill's mouth, "and yes. Now then, how long until we reach?" I put the arms away.

"MM!" Quill cried out.

"Soon," Gamora smiled, "and you finally shut him up. Hero indeed."

A few hours later:

"So, you've only listened to songs from the seventies and early eighties?" Johnny asked in shock as he sat in the co-pilot seat.

"Yeah well, don't really have much variety," Quill admitted, "but, it's nice."

Gamora and I rolled our eyes, leaning on opposite sides we watched the two blondes navigate their way through space, Gamora finally giving the coordinates we needed.

"If you want, I have a few songs you could try," Johnny replied, "it's on my ipod back in my ship, but I could totally email it to you or something."

"What's email?" Quill asked.

"What-oh, right, got kidnapped before the internet, got it….woah, just realised you probably never even heard of Home Alone or anything like that...or saw what HD looks like!"

"Wait, HD?" Quill blinked.

I chuckled, "I swear, it's like dealing with Cap all over again, only in this case you happen to use tech dozens of centuries more advanced than ours."

"Who's cap?" Quill asked.

"Captain America," I replied, "Steve Rogers...you do know who that is right?"

"Are You kidding?! That guy's a hero! Wait, didn't he die or something?"

"Close, got frozen in ice, became a capsicle," Johnny shrugged, "Peter there is best friend's with him."

"Met him like three times, cool dude," I replied.

"Bullshit!" Quill cried back, "how did you meet a guy like that?"

"I told you, back home, I am a superhero...or I was..." I rubbed my neck.

"What happened?" Drax asked.

"Holy-what the hell Drax?! I didn't even see you!" I cried out.

"I found that moving slowly or standing still makes me...invisible," Drax explained.

"Sure buddy, whatever you say," Quill said in a dismissive manner, but I had to say, there might just be something to this guy...damn, could he turn invisible?!

"Right," I put the thought out of my head, "anyway...I ah...kind of blew up a building, so I'm a wanted felon."

"What?!" Quill laughed, "seriously?!"

"Don't get him started," Johnny sighed, rolling his eyes, "bane of my life. Anyway, he's not the only hero to you know. I once rescued the President of the United States!"

"Ah-hem?" I cleared my throat.

"With help of course."

"Of course."

"So basically you two are a bunch of do gooders," Rocket grunted, "classy."

"That might be an issue," Gamora stated, "especially with where we are going..."

The ship passed through a dense cloud formation, revealing a giant severed head that I had all but expected, but still took the breath out of me. There it stood, a severed head of a celestial. Knowing what it meant, I couldn't help but wonder just what could kill a god?

Maybe another god? I turned to Quill, the question arises….should I tell him? The truth? Would I even be allowed? The One Above All said I couldn't….that who ever did this to me wouldn't allow it but...damn….maybe later.

"Knowhere," Gamora explained, "located in the head of a dead Celestial, harvested for it's precious and valuable resources….dangerous, deadly."

"Bringing her down for landing," Quill replied, taking us through the eye of the dead creature, inside of which was a city that reminded me very much of a mining town. Heavy machinery were dotting the skyline while carts and ships traveled to and from the place.

We landed and got out, Gamora taking the lead, bringing us to a bar, "we will have to wait here for my buyer to contact us."

"This is nonsense, what is one to do while we waste our time here waiting!" Drax cried.

"Drax, buddy, have you ever heard of this thing called gambling?" Quill asked as he threw his arm around the man's shoulder, pulling him inside.

"Alright you two, end of the line," Rocket turned to Johnny and me, "inside there is a galactic banking service center. Transfer the units, or else Groot here gets handsy."

"I am Groot!" the tree cried out.

"What!? What do you mean you don't want too?!"

"I am Groot!"

"So what if one of them can shot fire balls! You can just regrow!"

"I am Groot!"

"No! We are doing this, you hear me?!"

"Relax Rocket," I held up my hands, "we said we'll pay you and we will. So calm down and show me where this kiosk is, you'll have your money."

A few minutes later, and thanks to my amazing memory for remembering my account number, Rocket walked out richer and we came out free men. Which we already were, technically.

"So, what now?" Johnny asked.

"Ask around there if you want a ride back to Xandar to meet your buddies," Rocket grunted, pointing to a large shuttle terminal at the end of the path, "as for me, I'm getting a drink. See you later 'heroes', next time, try not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong!"

The racoon laughed, walking into the bar, where presumably he was going to get smashed. Johnny turned to me, "so...we just going to go?"

"And miss finding out more about this mysterious object? Fat chance," I snorted.

"There's that inquisitive Peter Parker I knew and loved," Johnny smirked, "so I suppose we just wait until the move again huh?"

"Yup," I replied, looking over, I found a bench across the road from the bar. We walked over and sat down. It was a few minutes later when Johnny spotted them walking out the bar, lead by a red skinned young woman. Of course it was the chick he noticed first.

We followed behind them into the entrance of a humongous structure that took was built against the back of the Celestial's skull, taking up a large portion of the surface area. This was definitely the place.

"How are we going to sneak in?" Johnny asked.

"Activate your suit," I replied, pointing to the band I had given him when we left the Liberty.

He tapped the material and slowly a white UMF suit explode dover hsi body, covering everything below his neck with the now familiar plain white suit.

"Let me just make a few adjustments," I said, having my own suit hack into his, playing around with the settings, before finally, Johnny blinked out of existence, leaving only a floating head.

"Holy! This is awesome! But ah, the head?" Johnny asked.

"Visualise a mask and it'll happen," I replied, activating my own stealth system, turning the both of us invisible, "now the system I put into your suit isn't a full fledged stealth system, it has a limited range and time. Half an hour at best. And since we both are invisible, let me guide you since I am the only one with thermal vision."

"Right...hey Pete?"

"Yeah?"

"You know I'm sorry right? About getting us thrown in jail?"

"I know Johnny."

"Okay...because...damn it man, I'm no good at this," Johnny sighed.

"Relax," I patted his back, "neither am I. Now come on, something tells me we need to see this."

We snuck in through the main entrance. For a guy who loved his collection so damn much, he sure had shitty security. With Sexy now back online I was able to slice my way through the system, making getting inside almost child's play.

I could hear Johnny's heart beat race, he was...amazed by everything around him. And so was I. Amazed and sickness.

"Pete? Is that a dog? Like an Earth dog?" Johnny asked, motion to what looked like a dog in an astronaut suit kept inside a cage.

"Yeah...it is," I was about to ask him to move on when I felt something...stir. It was a tracking shot around my mental barrier, a call. Was that thing psychic?

Sigh, no, can't get distracted, can't….a psychic dog...that would be so cool….Felicia would kill me.

So, ignoring every fiber of my being, I ignored the dogs pleading looks, did it even know I was here?, and moved ahead, taking Johnny along with me.

We came upon Quill and the others just as the Collector was finishing his presentation on the Infinity stones. I looked at the assistant, she was slowly edging towards the stone, he eyes locked on it.

"Johnny, we need to stop the girl, you push her I'll seal the stone," I called out.

"Ah, okay," Johnny replied as immediately his stealth mode deactivated, "wait!" I felt like hitting myself in the head, the idiot just gave up the element of surprise. Lucky though he was faster than I had thought, he managed to tackle the girl away from the table.

I jumped over their heads and closed the two open halves of the orb back into one, sealing the stone once more.

"Who the hell is this guy!?" Rocket asked, drawing his weapon.

"Woah! Rocket! Put the gun down!" Johnny cried out, holding his hands up, his mask moving away from his face.

"Johnny?" Quill asked, "I thought you left?"

"Well, we decided to stay," Johnny shrugged.

Once More I felt the need to hit myself. "We?" the collector asked.

I deactivated my suit's cloaking mode and turned to face the man down, "an Infinity stone. Tell me Collector, who exactly is the price tag for Infinite?"

"Four billion units I should think," the man replied.

"Well, I'm sorry, but this deal can't happen," I turned to Gamora, "you know it can't. A man like this can't have one of the six ingots of creation."

The woman looked startled, it seemed she really didn't know who was inside the orb. She blinked, "y-you're right. I'm sorry Tivan, but the deal's off."

"What?!" Rocket and Quill cried out.

"The Stone is too powerful and dangerous to be left here!" Gamora said, "we need to bring it to someone who can protect it!"

"Gamora! Four billion units!" Quill cried out.

"I'm sorry my dear, but the moment you stepped into this menagerie of mine with something I desired, you forfeited the right to own such a thing," the Collector snapped his fingers and immediately to hulking guards came up, "I insist you all leave, immediately."

"Looks like we're in for an old fashioned fight," Johnny grinned in satisfaction, "Flame on!"

"Ep!" the serving girl Johnny talked cried out.

"Don't worry ma'am," Johnny turned around and smiled, "I'll protect you." I noted her cheeks getting a few shades darker. Well what do you know, Johnny does have game.

"Alright, let's get this over with," I sighed, the two hulking guards were armed with a baton that sparkled with electricity. They didn't look human, rather similar to a bipedal rhino minus the horn. They came charging at us, every step they took a roar. I got ready to blast them with my repulsors, when suddenly.

BOOM!

The entire building shook. The explosion was so powerful my spider sense began working overtime.

Time seemed to slow down for me. I saw everyone moving through the air. Groot had grabbed Rocket and threw himself over the smaller rodent, protecting him. Johnny was standing before the slave girl he saved, Quill was flying through the air, Gamora right behind him.

I moved, my hands reacted instinctively reached out into the shape I made for the last two years every time I was in trouble.

Webs shot out and wrapped around Peter and Gamora. I pulled them away from the flames and debris. They collided into me and we flew into a wall. I shot a web bomb at Groot's back, giving him extra insolation. I then fired one at myself, protecting Gamora and Quill.

And suddenly, like a rubber band, time snapped back into place.

The roar of the explosion around us was almost too much for my hyper senses. It was only my suit's AI cutting out the feed and isolating me from it that allowed me to keep my ears intact.

I was panting, holding onto Peter and Gamora, "are you two alright?"

"What the hell?" Peter gasped, looking around, "are we in your webs?!"

"Yeah, I-yeah," I couldn't believe it. That was the first time my spider sense activating ever slowed down my perception of time. The only explanation was that it was getting stronger...Thor's blood must be working it's wan through my system, finally.

"We must see what happened," Gamora said as she took out her blade and expande dit, cutting through my web cocoon, revealing the now destroyed interior of the Collector's office.

"What the hell?" Quill whispered. Out cacoon had us safe on the ground. Groot, a few feet away, slowly slowly got up, revealing an unharmed Rocket below him.

"Peter!" Johnny cried out.

I turned and followed the sound to him, finding him in a pile of rubble, holding the slave girl in his arms, holding down one of her arms that was bleeding profusely, "she's not stopping Pete," Johnny said frantically, "I could block out the fire and melt most of the debris, but one got through."

"It's alright Johnny, let me see," I replied. He removed his hand and I immediately webbed up her wound, clotting the blood.

"What the hell caused that explosion?!" Peter asked, blasters now drawn.

"It sounded like it came from outside," Gamora replied, "Peter, you and Johnny stay here, we'll find out what happened."

"Be careful," I replied as I turned my full attention to the wounded girl, scanning her to make sure she didn't suffer from other injuries.

Quill and GAmora agreed, and before sh left, the latter ordered, "Peter, the stone?"

I looked at her. She looked at me, for a moment I wondered what she would do if I refused. But in the end I realized this wasn't the time to find out. I handed the orb to her, "be careful."

"I will, save the girl hero," the woman ordered, putting the orb away and walking out.

"Someone's going to pay!" Rocket cried out as he follows the green skinned assassin.

"I am Groot!" the walking tree replied in kind. I think he said 'F $! Yeah'. But that's just a guess.

"Johnny, keep her talking," I told him, turning back to my scans.

"Right, hey, hey pretty girl what's your name?" Johnny asked, shooting off the fake smile I see him use a thousand times before, only this time it seemed more desperate to please and distract than to disarm.

"I-I am called Carina," she stammered. Blocking in her breathing tubes, just the fumes, but have to make sure.

"Really? Wow, that's a pretty name," Johnny smiled, "mines Johnny, not as pretty, but I like it."

"He-he," she giggled, flinching in pain.

"Broken rib," I called out, "not too bad. Keep talking."

"So Carina, do you have like a dream? Something you want to do?" Johnny asked, his smile now more natural.

"Dream?" she asked, "I….I am a slave, slaves have only one dream...to be free."

"Then how about I do that? Huh? I set you free," Johnny smiled "would you like that?"

"He won't let you," Carina whispered, "he won't ever let anything go..."

"Well this time he won't have a choice, won't he Peter?" Johnny asked.

"Of course not. You're coming with us Carina," I stated, "if you want to be free, then you'll be free."

"The others?" she asked, looking around. It was only then when I realised the other trapped 'collections'. Some were free, their glass casing broken to allow them to run, but while a few did, the rats were too tired or too broken in spirit to even try to escape.

I stood up and looked around, only now realising just how horrific a monster the Collector was. As outlaws, the Guardians wouldn't have cared...but I ain't no outlaw.

"Johnny, she's fine, mind her ribs and she'll live to make a full recovery in a few days," I walked away.

"Where are you going?" Johnny asked.

"To free the rest of them...all of them," I replied.

"I-I will help you," Carina replied as she struggled to get on her feet.

"Carina, be careful," Johnny insisted, helping her stand, one hand on his shoulder while he supported her.

"Thank you Johnny, but I must do this," she replied, looking at me, "I know the master's security codes, I can help you free them. Some however cannot be automatically unlocked, so you must do it yourself."

I nodded, "where's the main control panel?"

"There," Carina pointed over the field of smoke and fire.

"Can you get her up there Johnny?" I asked.

He nodded, "piece of cake."

"Good, once your up there, use Johnny's communicator to get in touch with me and guide me, got it?" I asked.

Carina nodded, "I will hurry, let's go Johnny," she replied, a spark in her eyes I saw in the eyes of a few rare women of my time, two of whom I'm currently dating. Johnny better stick with this one, she's a keeper.

As I waited for her commands I moved about putting out fires with my webbing and freeing whatever 'collection' items I could reach. I looked around by the Collector had been through a wall, now pinned under a heavy beam.

It wasn't deadly, I checked, so I decided to leave him there to save me the trouble.

"Ah, Peter?" Carina's voice came through the communicator, "am I saying that correct?"

"Yup, so, ready to free them all?"

"Yes, in three, two, one," there were several clicks as suddenly every single cage in the hall was opened, the creatures inside set free.

There were the savage cries of animals or the murmurings of aliens, either way, they all seemed grateful to be free. Without a second thought they booked it to the exit, can't say I blame them.

"Alright, now what?" I asked.

"There are many cells still locked, though it is probably for the best as they contain the most dangerous of the Master's collection," Carian informed me, "there is one of note, it's unmarked so I cannot tell if it's good or bad, you should see. It's by the North-west corner at the very end, a coffin of sorts."

"Alright, checking it out now," the description caught my attention, so I moved quickly, web swing my way over, flying seemed not worth the effort.

I made my way over to the corner she told and after looking for a few moments, I managed to find just what I was looking for. Tucked away behind a large broken container was a coffin big enough to fit a human being.

It was gold trimming with a red and top and blue bottom. And emblazoned on the middle was...an eight pointed golden star. I ran my hand over the coffin, I recognized this symbol….but from where?

I felt the sides and my fingers hit a switch that displayed the coffin's status on it. There was something inside, someone. Alive. According to the records they had been asleep for at least twenty years now, and from the readings they were female and….part Terran?

"The fuck?" I whispered, slicing into the system and gaining access, turning off the hibernation mode, beginning the process to wake up the person inside.

She was from Earth, how? How did she end up here? Another kidnap victim like Quill? Maybe, but whatever it is, I needed to make sure she got out of her, what happens next could be decided later.

There was a loud hiss as the lid of the coffin began to rise. I stepped back as the figure inside was revealed. She was...older than I expected, blonde hair that came down her shoulders and a face that seemed be the kind I found on Cap or Fury, a serious one that rarely experienced the pleasures of a smile.

She wore a tattered uniform, blue with a red field over the golden star in the middle of her chest. Red boots and gloves with a red belt. The suit looked damaged from cuts and...bullet wounds. But the skin underneath was unscarred in any way. Perfect.

"Captain Marvel," I whispered.

"Eh?" she groaned.

My eyes went wide as I began to panic, "slowly, move slowly, it's going to get some getting used to."

"What?" she grumbled, pulling herself up, holding her head in pain. She opened her eyes and looked at me, blue orbs like the sky's over a clear sunny day, "what the," she looked me up and down, "I'm sorry, but am I still dreaming?"

"Do your dreams involve grown men dressed in a black skin tight suit?" I asked.

"...Is that a trick question?"

"Peter," I replied, removing my mask to show her my face, "human. Like you."

"Oh, right, you're young," she moved her legs, holding her side in pain, "how long was I out?"

"I...I don't know," I replied, looking at the coffin, "according to the records, twenty years."

"What?!" she snapped, "twenty-but I….where are we? Are we on Earth? At SHIELD?"

My eyes narrowed, "how do you know about SHIELD?" She was about to respond when suddenly Quill suddenly ran back inside, with a small army of black armour troopers behind him.

"Peter! A little help here hero!" Quill cried out.

"Hold that thought," I told the woman who I assume is Carol Danvers, jumping away and landing feet first into the backs of the furthest soldiers, dropping them to the ground where I webbed them down.

"Head's up!" I called out, the others turned around, just in time for them get repulsor blast blasting them away into the air. They dropped down and didn't get up, I snorted, "I have literally fought monkey's stronger than these guys...but then again then were interdimensional monkeys so..."

"We need to get going, now," Quill called out, "Ronan is out there and he's brought an army with him. We need to find Drax and get the hell out of here!"

"What about Gamora? Rocket? Groot?" I asked.

"Gamora is having a sibling reunion, Rocket's flying in a ship firing at everything and Groot is holding the rest of them off! We need to go now before Ronan himself gets here!"

"Did you say Ronan?" a new voice asked.

We turned and found Carol walking towards us, limping, holding her side in pain as she did. But on her face was a look of unbridled rage, the kind I recognized on myself every time I faced Doom.

"Ronan the Kree? Ronan of the Star-Force?! He's alive?!" Carol roared, her hair glowing as slowly her eyes began to grow brighter and brighter.

"Ah, Ms. Danvers, maybe you should-"

"YA!" she roared, suddenly bursting into the air like a torpedo before I could even finish another word. She blasted through the walls, destroying everything in her path. Quill and I ran behind her, jumping through the holes she made, coming out to the streets just in time to see her barreling towards Ronan who had Drax on his knees, choking him with one hand while he prepared to swing his hammer down with the other.

"Ronan!" Carol roared as he entire body glowed bright gold.

The Kree warrior turned, his eyes turned wide in shock. I heard him whisper, "no, it can't-"

BOOM!

The explosion sent a shockwave across the road. Groot took this opportunity to fling away all the enemies he was engaging. Everyone slowly gathered and watched, finding a crater where Roan once stood, and standing over his fallen body was Carol Danvers, panting, the aura of energy around her fading in and out.

Ronan lay dead by feet, his entire right arm, including the weapon he wielded, was gone. His blood spilled to the ground, but even he seemed to not notice, as before him, his nightmares had once again been reborn.

"V-Vers," he whispered, "no….no… you died..."

"I won't ever die," she replied, "not as long as I have something to avenge."

"Holy shit," I whispered, it seemed I found a soul mate in action because she just fucked canon right out the window.