Chapter 7:
Untold Secrets of a Dead God

	“...come to me...” Whispered a voice deep inside of his head.
	Rocket sat up with a start, his heart was pounding in his chest. Everything seemed wrong. Something lingered in the air, something terrible. There was no sound in his ears with the exception of his own throbbing heart. The air around him felt wrong, heavy, it made him feel wrong. As hard as it was, he fought the malaise and forced himself to get up from the ground. His eyes scanned the ground where he'd been lying. His blaster was gone. For that matter Alicia and Groot were gone as well. In fact when he looked around, nothing seemed familiar. Thick trunk trees all around him, beyond that he couldn't see because of the morning fog had rolled in. 
	Someone or something must have moved him in the night. He patted himself down, they'd been eager to strip him of anything that could used as a weapon. A creak came from behind him and he swung around. It was nothing, or was it nothing? There in the fog, a shadow moved disappearing behind a tree. Rocket felt compelled to follow it, but not in this state. He bent down and picked up large branch to use as a weapon.
	Slowly he moved, his feet crunching down on old wet leaves underfoot. The sound was painfully loud and was easily giving away his position. No matter what he did, he couldn't lessen the noise. Dead ahead of him was the tree, he raised the stick above his head. When he rounded the tree where he'd seen the shadow, there was nothing. Not even footprints, or disturbed leaves. Rocket smirked and nodded as if he's figured out an obvious puzzle or riddle.
	“It's a dream, I'm in a goddamned dream.” His voice was as low as whisper, but still echoed off the foul air and the trees.
	“Well now that I know, I guess I just close my eyes really tight and when I open them. I'll be awake.” Rocket reasoned with himself, and he did.
	Closed his eyes so tight he was almost seeing white circles behind them. Something unexpected happened when he opened them again. It was night in forest, darker than it had ever been. All around him the leave flowed in the wind, filling his head with a sound not unlike rushing water. An urgency ran through him now hurting deep down in the pit of his stomach. This was not how dreams worked. The hair of the back of his neck bristled. He wanted nothing more than to wake up from this.
	“...you are my sheep, and I shall shepherd you to me...” The voice whispered again in his mind.
	Rocket shook his head freneticaly mouthing the word 'no'. Every ounce of his being was convincing him that this was not where he wanted to be. He rolled his arm over looking at the fur along the underside of it, before he pinched himself hard. Hard enough to cause a welt under his fur. Nothing, he was still trapped in this dream, no, it wasn't a dream at all. It was a nightmare. Somehow he'd been sucked into this alternate universe or something like that. Despite how stupid it sounded, he couldn't rule out that this kind of thing happens. Sometimes a friendly neighborhood Spider-man get involved with an evil symbiotic alien, sometimes a Professor of a school for freaks gets sucked into a shadow dimension. This shit happens now a days, Rocket rationalized with himself.
	“...Don't diminish my worth puny mortal...” The voice boomed from behind him, urging him to make a run for it, through the pitch black forest.
	Rocket hadn't taken more than three steps before he felt the ground underneath him disappear. All of his blood rushed to his head as he was free falling. The rushing sounds were getting louder and louder, until he was engulf in a watery blanket. Not water, something else. Thick, cold, it tasted terrible. Rocket fought to spit it out, but he was once again pulled under by the rushing current, and then resurfaced. It tasted briny, vinegary, like sucking on an Earth penny.
	Blood! Rocket realized. It was cold, viscus blood. It was time to leave Rocket urged as he flailed around against the current. His claws grabbing and digging into anything he could. Relief swept through him once his claws had sunk into the wet dirt  at the bank of this blood river. He pulled himself up out the liquid, gasping in deep breaths of air. The smell was putrid as if something had died in the desert and starting to decomposing. No, even that would smell sweeter than this.
	Rocket fought to blink the blood from his burning eyes. The sun was rising at his back casting the beautiful morning light across something terrible indeed. The blood was black in color, burbling and bubbling over the rocks. Rounding fallen trees in a quagmire of death. The blood was coming from a very large and very old being. 
	Rocket crawled up on the shore rolling onto his back. The dirt was soft and spongy from blood soaking into it. He was panting heavily and pushing himself to get up, forcing himself to stand. It took him a long moment to understand what he was seeing. The jagged rocks that he'd nearly fallen on, on his way down, were teeth. They yellowed and corroded over time, but Rocket knew all too well, what they were. The tall cliff around him were his lips. In the distance in the morning light he saw a slope that could very well be the being's nose. Much like a humanoid's nose, but more piggy. It was covered in mold and gray decaying flesh. The island in the blood river, was nothing more than a giant tongue that had swollen and had flopped out of the side of giant's mouth.
	Rocket's knees gave way and he was down again. He pressed his face into his hands, fighting the urge to scream. This was just a dream, he whispered to himself. Trying to be as rational as he could. Why can't I wake up? He thought to himself. When he sat back on is heels and opened his eyes. He was floating in a vast space. Before him a figure, giant in stature. Giant was such a lacking word for this being. It was larger than a planet, larger than many M-class planets Rocket had visited.
	The being was still alive, but slowly decaying. Black figures crawled  all over it on their hands and feet like wild animals. They were tearing bits and pieces of flesh from it feeding and growing stronger much like a disease. Rocket shook his head slowly in confusion. He was in awe at what he was seeing. This was something not meant for him. He deemed himself  too stupid to understand this.
	“...your nano technology allowed me to find you...” The voice deep and rumbling through him, it was spoken softly, but it still rang in his ears.
	“What do you want?” Rocket asked, his voice muddled, sounding like he was speaking into a bowl.
	“...for you to hear me...” The voice called again, the rumble was so hard Rocket felt like his insides were going to rupture.
	“I'll listen.” Rocket choked, his hands gripping his stomach.
	“...I am old, older than many galaxies that exist now...” The voice continued. “...some would call me a god, but I am too humble for that title...humble and terrible...I did terrible things when I was alive...I devoured planets, stars, suns...all to feed a hunger that did not really exist...” There was a long pause before he spoke again.
	“...I have see heaven, hell, and purgatory in my existence...I had sacrificed my arm for the chance to see other dimensions...but never have I seen or known love before...I gazed into the portal of the dimensions, mine eyes sought to find such a thing...when I did, she gaze back at me...” There was another long pause, from his voice I sounded as if he were slowly dying. 
	“...she had become my life...I had promised her everything...but the only thing she asked of me...was to fill this void in her heart...to feed her, until she was satiated...only then would she be happy...and we could be together...thus I sacrificed everything for her...I created a gem that contained the souls of million humanoids...certainly that would fill a void...when she learned of the gem, she had become obsessed with it...I had given to her...she devoured it, becoming stronger...but it wasn't enough for her...” His voice choked at one point.
	“...I fashioned another, and then another...no matter how many she devoured...she would never be satiated...that is when I discovered, the void could never be filled...and she would never be mine... unless...so then I fashioned a stone from my own soul...irreversible was this ritual...I was left dying...growing weak...I was no longer able to speak with her through the portal...But she told me that she wanted the stone....that it would be the only way we would ever be together...” There was a long pause and Rocket expected it to be the last of the story.
	“...I told her I was too weak to bring it to her...that was when she said...if I could not bring it to her, she would find another...to fetch it from me for her...I knew then that she never loved me...she only wanted the power...I put the stone deep inside of me...it is devouring me as we speak...I can no longer protect it, I am dying...this moon is dying...she had found another...they search for it now...take it away from here...hide it away...let no one have it...if she gains control over it...no one is safe.” The voice faded once more.”
	“What will happen if she gets it?!” Rocket yelled to the being.
	Things around him rushed forward. It felt as if the skin on his face were going to peel off the skull. Then he stopped. He was face to face with a round orb the size of a cantaloup. It shimmered and it shined like nothing he'd ever seen before. It looked like a transparent pearl. Flecks of pink, teal, and lavender danced around the gorgeous stone. Even Rocket felt a great desire to take the stone.
	In the final death throes of the being voice he uttered. “...I have seen what she will do with it...it is thing that nightmares are forge from...”

	“Groot!” A voice tore through the reality and Rocket pitched forward.
	Rocket was falling now end over end. The ground was rushing up to meet him. Then he felt the sudden stop, branches were digging into his back, arms, and legs. Rocket was coughing and breathing hard, trying to recover from the nightmare and the terror of falling. Rocket forced his brain to absorb as much of the information from the nightmare as he could.
	Groot lowered him down, setting him in a dried up riverbed. Alicia was descending the side of the cliff in a quick but careful fashion. Groot was polite enough to offer her hand. Picking her up and lowering her to the bottom. Once she was on the ground, she was quickly at Rocket's side. Groot looked around and jumped from the tall ledge, landing in the dirt bed with a rumble. In no time he'd lumbered to the side of his friends.
	Alicia was doing everything she could to sooth Rocket's hysterical state. He was speaking a mile a minute and the words were just getting lost to her. Quickly she touched his face and kissed it gently, trying to bring him back.
	Her heart skipped a beat, when he looked into her eyes with his crazed gaze. “...the moon...it's a dead god...”

	When Rocket had finished conveying his dream to Groot and Alicia, he just leaned back against her tiredly. His body hurt from head to toe, with the exception of his hand. He felt as it he had done a three day triathlon. Even in his tired state, he couldn't remain calm. Groot had been kind enough to make a hammock out of his limbs, so Alicia and he could relax. Groot and Alicia had been running around all morning looking for him. If Rocket hadn't screamed, they would have never found him. Alicia kissed the top of Rocket's head and hugged him close.
	The whole story seemed like a lot for Alicia to take in, but there was no reason to think that Rocket would make something like that up. With everything she'd seen in her life, there was no way to assume it was just a dream either. Besides that Rocket wasn't crazy and in all the years she's known him, he'd never been a sleep walker.
	With that they needed to plot their next course of action, luckily the energy source she'd picked up on, with her visor, was in the same location that Rocket believed he saw in the dream. That essentially made the choice for them easier. The problem was, how were they going to get down there. Groot had suggested going through the waterfall cave, there might be a way down, back there.
	Alicia shuttered to think, that if the dream had been real, the waterfall was essentially the beings throat. Groot suggested that Alicia stay behind and try to find a way to signal for help, Rocket agreed, but found the idea easily vetoed. All three were going in, just in case there was something dangerous down there. They all agreed, safety first, and then recovering the stone second.
Chapter 8:
Tribunal for a Dead God

	Groot insisted that he go in first. His argument was sound, if anyone or anything was waiting for them in the cave, he could slow them down before they past. Alicia went next, stating that with her headset she'd be able to map a direct path to the object, the stone. Rocket would bring up the rear, packing the fire power. Unfortunately since the crash, his ammo supply was limited. Hopefully there wasn't anything too terrible down in the cave.
	Rocket checked his blaster once again to make sure it was fully loaded and the safety was off. He'd only done it about five times now, but he still wanted to make sure they were fully prepared. Once Groot was ready, he stepped over the smooth stones at the mouth of the dried up waterfall and into the cave. It was dark, and deep. The only sound that echoed up from deep inside was a soft dripping, what was actually dripping was a mystery, and Rocket decided he didn't really want to know.
	Alicia gagged hard and covered her muzzle. “This is terrible, Gods how do you keep from throwing up?”
	Rocket chuckled and looked around the small cave. “Remember the date with that space pirate you set me up with? He smelled a lot worse than this.”
	“No way, Gods, I don't think anything could smell as bad as this.” Alicia looked around, her bug goggles glowing red against the darkness.
	Rocket did have to agree that the smell was atrocious, it was so similar to how it was in his dream.  Alicia panned around and looking down at the ground, trying to get enough of a read out on the cave. A flashing “Unknown” kept appearing before her eyes. This being was very old indeed, dated back before anyone kept records apparently.
	“There should be a makeshift walkway to our left. I think it would be the esophagus if the being were humanoid.” Alicia said stepping down on something, it popped and gooed out all over her boot.
	Rocket aimed his blaster down at the ground trying to get a glimpse of what she stepped on. The item looked like a giant black pimple. There were some firm pieces amidst the goo that flowed out of it.
	“What is it?” Alicia asked, trying to rub the goo off of her boot.
	Rocket coughed and spit onto the ground. “I dunno, it looked like giant black pimple.”
	There was a deep throat swallow coming from Alicia's direction. “Oh my Gods, I'm so glad it's dark in here.” She said fighting the urge to retch.
	“I am Groot!” Their large tree friend stated as he pointed down and around a thick looking cave wall.
	“Good job buddy. You don't think you could spare some light do you?” Rocket asked moving to stand near his friend.
	“What do you think he's going to do, pop out a halogen light baby?” Alicia took a few steps back towards the pair.
	“I am Groot!” He scoffed and shook his head.
	“Alicia, babe. Watch and prepare to be amazed. Show her big guy.” Rocket patted his friend on the leg.
	Groot raised his hand up. A warm glow engulfed it, as it grew brighter, small glowing seed pods started floating out of his hand. Filling every inch of the air around them, illuminating the cave. Alicia stood perfectly still, her mouth hanging open. Even with the visor on, it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Her hand searched around, taking Rocket's and pulling it close.
	“It's so beautiful. Oh Groot you are the most magnificent thing...no I mean person I've ever met.” A smile traced her lips as she found his face in the dark.
	“I am Groot.” Groot smiled back and bowed his head, before starting on down the narrow path.
	“Easy big guy, she's spoken for.” Rocket chuckled and waved Alicia on.
	“What did he say?” Alicia asked as she stepped up close to Groot.
	Rocket moved up to walk close behind her, his blaster out. “Oh you shouldn't worry about that at a time like this.”
	“It was something dirty wasn't it?” Alicia asked, her cheeks flushing under her glowing fur.
	“I am Groot!” Groot sounded indignant as he looked over his shoulder at her. 
	“No that much you can rule out, Groot is a gentleman.” Rocket chuckled. “His parents taught him the finer things in life, right buddy 'ol pal?” Rocket turned behind him looking up at the odd perfectly curved ceiling.
	“I am Groot...” His friend said discouragingly.
	“What is it?” Rocket asked turning around.
	“There's a huge hole in this pathway. Gods only knows where it goes.” Alicia said trying to look down the hole.
	“I am Groot.” He spoke softly as to not raise alarm, and pointed a long stick finger at the edge of the hole.
	“Be very careful, there's something in here.” Rocket said very quietly.
	“The edges are jagged as if chewed through, or clawed. There's not enough saliva to gather data on what did it. This has been here a very long time.” Alicia said, standing up and dusting her knees off.
	“I am Groot...” Groot studied it closer and shook his head.
	“You're right, it does look like a trap. Too bad we don't have time to play with whoever made it. Is there a way around?” Rocket asked to no one in particular.
	“I hope so, or this is going to be a short trip.” Alicia stated the obvious.
	There was a long pause, beside the dripping coming from somewhere deep in the cave. The only sound they could hear was there own breathing. Alicia unclipped her crossbow from her hip and loaded a bolt into it. Not that she thought Rocket couldn't handle it, but a little more fire power never hurt.
	Groot took a deep breath and sighed. “I am Groot...”
	“Are you sure buddy?” Rocket asked, he could see it in his friend's eyes that he wasn't, but truth be told, there was no other way.
	“What did he say Rocket? You know what? From now on, just tell me what he says so I don't have to keep asking 'What did he say' like a damn fool.” Alicia snapped, her voice echoing all around them.
	“Shh...he said he's going to help get us across and stay behind. While we're trying to find the stone, he's going to secure us a way back.” Rocket looked back at his friend, who had already stretched his arm across the gap, making a zip line.
	Rocket drew his 'dagger' and carefully cut off the piece of his leather armor that was protecting his tail. It was firm and strong enough to use on the makeshift zip line, or Groot line. Alicia followed Rocket's example and cut the sleeve off of her make shift kilt. It was going to have to do, she thought and shook her head slowly.
	“Alright, buddy ol' pal. You be careful okay. If things get too hairy, get out of here asap.” Rocket sighed as he sheathed his 'dagger'.
	“Thank you, you sweet sweet creature. Be safe, I hope to see you when we get back.” Alicia said as she reached up and patted his legs.
	“I am Groot.” He smiled and shifting his head, telling them to get a move on.
	Rocket looked at Alicia and cleared his throat.. “He said, he loves us and to be careful.”
	“That much I got.” With that Alicia slide down the long zip line, her visor going crazy trying to suck up information as she went.
	“I am Groot?” Groot whispered softly and glared at his little friend.
	“I didn't have the heart to tell her buddy. Besides that, we all have a bad feeling about this place. We will be back I promise you.” Rocket urged Groot, before sliding away into the darkness.
	Unexpectedly Groot's arm came to an end, sending her falling into some sludge at the bottom of the walk way. It was only a few inches deep. But it was exceedingly cold and thick. It also reeked of decaying flora and fauna mixed together. The urge to throw up had passed a long time ago, but it was slowly working it's way back up into her throat. Alicia stepped out of the sludge onto what felt like a squishy patch of land. It was hard to tell what it was since Groot's light pods had dissipated this far down, so it was much darker at the bottom. Quickly she looked around, the visor could only take in her surrounding in the immediate vicinity. From what she could tell, she was it was a larger chamber. If this being had a human like body, than this could very well be a lung, but that was just speculation. When she panned around, her heart twinged with excitement. Before her, much closer than it had been before was the glowing power source. It seemed to be off to the left through a thick wall, and then down below. She was picking up a few more readings around that area. Some sort of biomass. Then it moved...A loud noise came from behind her.
	Alicia was startled with the clatter of Rocket falling from Groot's arm into the sludge water. Quickly she turned around to see him struggling to get to his feet, flicking the mess off of him as quickly as he could. There was some swearing under his breath and some amount spitting that accompanied it. Alicia shivered as she fought back the want to throw up. Her stomach was already empty, there would be no use in throwing up her actual stomach.
	“Jeez man, I had my mouth open and everything.” Rocket looked around and the only thing he could see was Alicia's glowing form and her glowing red eye in the dark.
	“Gods you scared the shit out of me.” Alicia was panting heavily, trying to contain herself.
	“Sorry about that, I didn't think it was going to end so flarking abruptly.” Rocket spit a few more time. “Where the hell are we, it's so dark I can't even see my nose at the tip of my muzzle.”
	“I think we're in some kind of lung. If I'm correct in my assumption, which I really hope to the Gods that I am. If we can get through that far wall over there, the stone will be right below.” Alicia was starting to get an antsy feeling inside.
	“Great! Too bad we can't flarking see.” Rocket snapped, as he knelt down touching the sludge.
	Alicia grumbled and looked back up at the Grootline. “Groot, can I break off a piece of your arm to make a torch out of?”
	Her voice echoed back up the rounded walkway.  Rocket wiped around, stunned that she would even ask such a rude question. There was a long moment of silence before Groot opened his thin fingers started to glow. One by one a small supply of the glowing seed pods filled the air. It wasn't as much of a supply as it had been the first time, but it was enough to cast the room with a dim light.
	The room was much smaller than she'd imagined. It looked as if the ceiling was sagging in the center threatening to come down, it was only being held in place by large branch looking things, that had long since dried up. At that moment she realized that yelling had been a severely stupid thing to have done. If those branches were to break, then the whole roof could collapse in on them. Rocket was still getting a closer look at the sludge. There was something alien about it, and yet familiar.
	“What do you suppose it is?” Alicia asked as she tip-toed up behind him.
	“I dunno, but once a long time ago. Drax and I were doing some bounty hunting. We were trapped in a cave full of these. Spider-ant-scorpion things. At one point we came across a room just like this. The floor was covered in liquid of this same viscosity. It was a different color though, but what it turned out to be was...amniotic fluid from egg sacs that were hanging on the ceiling.” Rocket shuttered and stood up.
	“Well I'm not getting any readings on any egg sacs or anything biological for that matter. Let's just retrieve this stone and get the flark out of here.” There was as tremble in her voice as she moved off towards the wall that separated them from their prize.
	Rocket followed closely, making sure to turn some circles. He didn't want anything getting the drop on them. The wall was something else all together. It was firm, yet slightly squishy to the touch. Whenever she pushed on it, it gave a little, seeping some of the dark liquid from it. They were going to have to cut through the wall, there was no way around it.
	“Hand me your dagger Rocky, I'm going to attempt to cut through.” Alicia turned around and looked at him.
	“What? That sound like it will take forever.” Rocket turned on his heels to touched the wall, grimacing as it gushed some of the fluid.
	“Fine, do you have a better idea?” Alicia put her hands on her hips haughtily.
	Rocket smirked. “Holy shit, I actually do have a better idea.” Rocket shoved his blaster into the back of his trousers, slipping the double barreled atomizer from his shoulder.
	“Alright, get back. I have no idea how or if this is going to work. But it has got to be faster then cutting our way through.” Rocket explained as he took a few steps back from the wall.
	Alicia moved to stand beside him, watching as he braced the stock of the impossibly large gun against his shoulder. He set his body and took aim. She could hear him breath in deeply his finger on the trigger. It depressed easily with a click, Alicia jolted and nothing happened.
	“Oh, forgot to cock it.” Rocket chuckled and pulled back the heavy slider, hearing a deep click and a soft hum.
	“You're an ass, you know that?” Alicia forced a smile, although she wasn't happy about his flarking around, even if it was unintentional.
	Rocket set up again and nodded as he pulled the trigger. There was a loud whvoop sound, a giant red projection the size of an Earth basketball left the barrel of the gun moving at a slow velocity towards it's target. Rocket was able to lower the gun and watched it creep along. His lips turned to a frown as he was not impressed. At least not until it hit. The wall disintegrated and too did the wall on the other side of it, opening up the second lung. A shock wave ruptured outward. Sending a tidal wave of the disgusting sludge into the air, picking up Rocket and Alicia as if they were rag dolls, casting them down to the ground into the puddle of sludge, before dousing them with the tidal wave of sludge. The light pods were doused as well, plunging them into darkness.
	Alicia sat up, amazed that the ceiling hadn't come down on that one. Many of strange and dangerous things out there in this universe, but none scared her as much as that atomizer had. Rocket sat up and looked over to Alicia who was already scrambling to her feet. Her glowing lenses sparked and faded before they died. Her glowing fur was the only light source left in the room. Rocket could see her pull her helmet off and drop it onto the floor.
	“Well, that was fun.” Rocket said pushing himself up onto his feet, grabbing his atomizer on the way up.
	Alicia voice snapped. “Put that flarking thing on your back and never use it again.” There was a trembling undertone.
	“Come on, admit it. You want to at least fire it once, right?” Rocket joked as he cocked the gun again, before slipping it over his shoulders.
	“No, not in this lifetime, or the next one. What I want to do, is get the stone and get the hell out of here as fast as we can please.” Alicia wasn't playing around anymore, the tone of her voice meant business.
	Rocket watched as she passed through the room, standing at the edge of the giant hole Rocket had just made. There was fresh wave of stink washing over them coming from deep inside the hole, but something else. Something glowing. It was glowing orange. No it was the biomass reading that she'd picked up earlier on her headset. It lay right below the hole. The biomass was wrapped around the power source, not unlike covering a flashlight with a hand.
	Rocket wasted no more time, he jumped down below landing onto the wet spongy surface. 
pitching forward onto it. It was warm to the touch. It was much larger than he'd predicted it to be. The warm light washing over his body as he climbed to his feet. Once Alicia was sure he'd landed safely, she followed him. Landing face down onto the wet pillow, scrambling to get to her feet. Now that they were in the open area, standing a top of this biomass. It swelled and then contracted filling the chamber with a heavy thump that echoed all around them.
	“It's his heart, he's still alive.” Rocket said quietly as he looked down at it.
	“Oh my Gods...what have we done?” Alicia suddenly felt sick, sick from the guilt the was welling up inside of her.
	“...welcome strange creatures...” A voice echoed through their heads, Alicia fell to her knee clutching her rounded ears.
	“...no child do not be afraid...” The voice hummed inside of Alicia's head causing her to stop trembling. “...you have not done anything to me...that I have not caused myself...you are saving me.”
	Tears welled up in Alicia's eyes as she touched the slow beating heart below her. “No one deserves this.”
	“...so much compassion...for one so terrible as I...thank you...I feel my redemption has already been won...but time grows short....” The voice soothed both of their hearts.
	“...listen to my final words...carry them with you...the devourers in black come...they are coming to claim what is left of me...severe my heart...do not let them have me...then take the stone...hide it far away from them...please...right my wrongs...give me peace...” The voice sounded as if it may start sobbing.
	Alicia took the 'dagger' from Rocket's sheath and extended the blade. She hesitated a moment, trying to find herself. Trying to forgive herself for what she was about to do. Then she plunged the 'dagger' into the heart and cut downward. A scream erupted from far away, way inside the large expanse. The glow grew brighter and spilled out into the chamber. Rocket snatched a gaze around the huge chamber...there were black figures moving along the walls. Crawling on their hands and feet towards them, just like from his dreams. Scurrying across the ceiling towards them. Rocket pulled his blaster free and aimed at the beasts.
	“Alicia honey, we're drawing a crowd, we gotta go.” Rocket's voice was starting to panic.  	Rocket fired a few shot, the hit their targets, sending them plummeting downward into the abyss. Alicia hefted the stone from it's cradle and hugged it to her bosom. The heart beat one final time, shuttered and died.
	“...thank you...my...friends...” Was the final whispering of the voice, the body all around them started to rumble.
	Chunks of the ceiling were falling away, casting down the dark creatures that were scurrying to attack them. Alicia retracted the 'dagger' and tucked it into her kilt. Hugging the stone to her chest, she opened fire with her crossbow. Three bolts loaded, flew straight and true. Sticking the beasties to the ceiling. Rocket was blazing up several of the others. With the clip in his blaster spent, he reloaded and went back to work. Sixty rounds, that's all I got, he thought, but didn't have the heart to tell Alicia. She however was dealing with her own problem. Reloading a crossbow with one hand was impossible. 
	Rocket reached behind him and took the stone, cradling it to his chest, still firing one shot after another. “Share the load baby, isn't that what being a couple is all about.”
	Alicia quick loaded three more bolts and shifted around him, aiming for the ones that were closer, her arm around his neck. “Why Rocky, unless I'm mistaken...” she grunted and sent a boot into one that had climbed up the side of the heart. “I think you might be sweet on me.”
	“Well, I wouldn't go that far.” Rocket chuckled, stomping down on one of the dark creatures that was still moving.
	“Too bad we were so hasty in our search for the stone...” Alicia shot the last bolt from her crossbow and started to reload again.
	“Yeah in our rush we forgot to secure an escape route.” Rocket watched her reload before passing the stone back to her, so that he could reload.
	Neither of them wanted to accept that they were most certainly doomed. Maybe they just wanted to ride this last glory straight to hell. It didn't matter though. Rocket had found Alicia despite all the odds. Alicia was fighting back to back with the one she'd always loved. If they could overcome all of that, then maybe there was something to luck and chance.
	Rocket slapped home his final clip, tucking the the blaster back into his pants. Trying to ignore the heat radiating from the barrel. He slid the shouldered double barreled atomizer down into his hand. Sometimes you just have to make your own luck, or perhaps do something foolish. Rocket thought. Alicia looked at Rocket, gripping the stone tighter. Again he shouldered the impossibly large weapon and fired it. Immediately lowering the atomizer to reload. Alicia protected him while he slid the two glowing blue cylinders into the chambers and cocking it hard. The cocking sound was so loud it echoed over the screams of the devourers.
	The blast hit the far wall sending out its incredible shock wave. Thousands of the devours were either disintegrated by the initial blast, torn apart by the heat wave that came first, or thrown into the pit below by the powerful shock wave. It was truly a small victory to be celebrated, maybe if they got through this Rocket just might marry her. Alicia had run dry on bolts. She rocked her body back and threw her crossbow, knocking one of the creatures that was hanging below off.
	“I'm out!” She called to him.
	Rocket chuckled and handed her the large atomizer before he drew his blaster once again. “Yeah right, you probably threw your bow away because you wanted to fire my big ass gun.”
	Alicia passed the stone to Rocket who cradled it closely and took aim with the huge atomizer. “What can I say, I'm a girl who knows what she likes?”
	Again there was a satisfying whvoop, when Alicia pulled the trigger. The projectile was sent off, she cocked the gun hard. Only one shot left, her mind screamed. The shock wave obliterated so many of the creatures, but there just seemed to be an impossible amount of them left. Alicia wiped her forehead and started to aim with the atomizer one final time.
	One of the creatures dropped down from the ceiling onto Rocket pinning him to the ground. The large stone started rolling away. Alicia threw herself down upon it before it could roll away. A devourer took her weakened position as the perfect time to attack. It grabbed at her, trying to crush the life out of her.
	It was the first time either of them had gotten an up close look at the creatures. The black humanoid body was covered in a bone exoskeleton. Long coarse hair poking out between the plates. It's heads was bird-like, long fleshy beaks that were sharp at the tip, a long thin tongue lashing out all around Rocket's head. It's eyes were large, milky white globes in it's head. Pale from being the cave for so long. Rocket hefted the creature up off of him, trying to put some distance between his face and it's wicked tongue. He could see small naked versions of the creatures crawling all over it's chest and stomach. Babies a dozen or more babies. Rocket grabbed one and pulled it free from the beast's scaly chest. The once white eyes started fill with blood and began attacking in a fury. It was threatening to crush Rocket beneath it. It's long bony fingers clawing holes into his arms drawing blood. Rocket arm was pinned so he couldn't aim his blaster. The heart was beginning to be swarmed. At any moment they would over taken and torn apart. This was it, the end for them.
	“I...AM...GROOT!” Boomed a voice from above.
	Long tendrils lashed out crazily. Groot whipped, and smashed as many of the creatures as he could, before reaching down with his other hand. He'd given a good slap to the creature that was grappling with Alicia. It's scrawny body flying through the air and into the abyss below. Alicia picked up the stone and smashed the skull of the creature that had Rocket pinned. It fell limply off and to the side of him.
	Rocket sat up and climbed to his feet, firing crazily trying to gain some breathing room. His blaster clicked empty so he threw it in desperation. Groot growled heavily and scooped up his friends bringing them up and out of the hole. Instead of setting them down, he just lumbered on. If anything got in his way, he crushed it, kicked it, kneed it, and bashed it into paste. Rocket had never seen him move this fast before.
	“Careful buddy, don't forget about the gap ahead!” Rocket screamed, while he was trying to stop the bleeding in his arm.
	“I am Groot!” His voice boomed again as he jumped.
	Rocket screamed in terror. “What do you mean, you got this!”
	They landed on top of a large tree trunk that Groot had brought down into the cavern to cover the hole. Rocket just stared at the tree in surprise and slumped against Alicia chuckling to himself. Alicia lightly ran here fingers along Groot's arm. She had no words to express how she felt about him. Such a majestic being, who cared so much for her little raccoonoid. They continued thundering up the log until Groot jumped down onto the pathway again, it started crumbling behind him, pushing him to run faster. Then they were out into the sunlight, into the fresh air. Free of the terrible nightmare of the caves below. But something else was amiss.
	The wind around them was a torrent, throw dead leaves, grass, and dust into the air. Rocket squinted and looked up, spotting a black shuttle craft. It was hovering over the area, before coming in for a landing on the soft dirt. When the hatch opened. Dr. Adams stood in the doorway with a goofy smile on his face, beckoning them inside. Groot was on it, he carried his precious cargo onto the shuttle setting them down carefully on the floor.
	“Agent 4, put this in a cryo containment for study.” Rocket said, passing of the baby devourer to him.
	Agent 4 took the being and then jumped at the sight of it. It's naked form scrambled against his grip, visually giving him the willies. He picked up a metal object, that looked like a large thermos and dropped the baby devourer inside. There was a bright flash coming from the cylinder and the creature was frozen in cryo sleep. Alicia curled her nose and looked at Rocket, who shrugged and smirked.
	“For study, we've got to make sure those things don't spread beyond this moon.” His voice was weary, and he looked tired.
	Alicia nodded, she knew that studying the creature might help them discover more about their race. But it might also unlock more information about the stone. Right now none of it would matter much if they didn't get out of there quickly. The ground was starting to shake harder. Giant cracks were webbing out across the ground, making it start to sink in. 
	Dr. Adams close the hatch and started back up towards the cockpit. “Get us out of here, there's some bad mojo going on here, man.” 
	Agent 5 nodded and slowly pulled back on the thruster. The shuttle peeling away from the wet earth below. Rocket looked out the side window watching as the ground that they had just been on, fell in. Filling in the caves below, hopefully burying those creatures, buying some time before the devourers escaped. Rocket looked at Alicia who was cradling the stone to her chest as if it were a baby. She looked lost in a train of thought that was so deep.
	He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “Are you alright?”
	“No, and don't think I will be for awhile.” Alicia turned and looked at him, before resting her head against his. “I know what it's like to die. To feel release from a life of burden, worry, troubles, pain. I don't know why, but I feel a little jealous for him? Does that make me a terrible person?”
	“No...I don't think it does. Facing off against mortality is always something we dread. I can't imagine facing, and then being reborn just to have to do it again.” Rocket whispered softly, running his fingers along her neck softly.
	Alicia closed her eyes and sighed deeply, his words soothing her. Rocket kissed her warm cheek and squeezed her tight. He'd not thought about it until now. Dying and going to the beyond was suppose to be a reward. If anyone had deserved that reward, it was Alicia. But the though of being forced to come back was a punishment he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.

Chapter 9:
The Unveiling

	It seemed like forever had passed since they left the ominous moon behind. It had been a terrible place, full of darkness, full of nightmares. Every time Rocket closed his eyes, he couldn't help but see those dark creatures behind his eyes. Their long beaks and white milky eyes...The anxiety welled up inside of him, even by the thought of them. Something to his left clattered to the floor making him jump. Dr. Adams was busy at work on something, only sparing a second to bend down and pick up the item he dropped, before returning to work. Having him aboard the shuttle had helped immensely.
	After Dr Adams administered medical treatment for their cuts and bruises. He'd ordered them to take showers in the small enclosed bathroom facilities. The good doctor offered them clean clothes, they were nothing more than sweat pants and tank tops, Rocket didn't mind one bit as long as they were clean. It felt so nice to be clean and smelling good, Rocket had almost forgotten what it was like to be clean, because it's been so long.
	Dr. Adams saw the stone when they brought it aboard, but was polite enough not to mention it . He seemed only slightly interested in it anyhow. Groot urged Alicia to leave the stone in his care while she caught up on her sleep. He seemed more than happy to guard the precious stone. It was at that point the doctor had lost interest in the stone. Rocket couldn't be sure if he was just being polite, or was afraid of the guardian of the stone.
	Alicia had laid down on one of the gurneys to see if she could get some sleep. Who could blame her after everything that she'd been through? Rocket sat on a bench nearby so he could keep and eye on her. Agent 4 stepped through the door that led to the cockpit. He moved up to sit next to Rocket, pulling his helmet off. The young Ar'leirian's face, didn't seem one day older from the last time Rocket had seen him. Anders was only a little taller now, but he filled out the black armor well. Rocket didn't hesitate to embraced his friend warmly. They had always been the closer, of the two brothers. They had also been the biggest of trouble makers back in the day.
	So much time had passed between them that, they just played the game of questions. It was the same old same old questions back and forth, that two friends asked when it have been so long. Anders didn't mind though, this was the first time in a long while he was able to talk to someone so openly. Rocket remembered the day when Anders had joined the military. It was just a year and a half after Alastair had joined, much to Aisha's dismay. When she pleaded him not to go, Anders just spouted that brothers have to stick together no matter what. It may not have been the explanation Aisha wanted, but she accepted it as all mother's have to when their children was to leave the nest.
	Anders went on to say, that six years after he'd joined. Alicia showed up one night while Alastair and he were on watch together in the Far Reach Nebula. They'd  not believe it was her at first, because last they heard she'd passed on. After a time she proved to be who she said she was and convinced them that something big was coming. Shortly after that, the brother left the military and joined up with the Deadlights Society.
	When Rocket asked about what the true purpose of DLS was, Anders just shrugged and shuffled his feet. Rocket knew something wasn't right with the whole group, now Anders was directly dodging his question and acting strangely. The conversation got awkward for a while, before Anders said he had to go. Anders hugged Rocket tightly, tighter than was necessary. Something opened in the pit of Rocket's stomach. The more and more he thought about the Deadlights, the less they made sense to him as a whole. Without even thinking about it he'd pulled out his pipe pouch and started setting himself with a smoke.
	Dr. Adams passed through the small room without saying anything. He just retrieved a small bag from the shelf next to where Rocket was sitting and then walked away. The good doctor had been quiet for a while now. At least he'd been quiet to him. Earlier he and Groot had been talking an awful lot. Rocket assumed that it must be because Dr. Adams had never seen a living tree before, that happened a lot to his best bud. Rocket took a long drag off of his pipe before laying his head back against the cold metal wall of the shuttle. He blew an azure plume of smoke up into the ventilation system.
	Everyone was right, the tobacco taste terrible. At lead it helped calm his mind. Maybe he was just being paranoid, it wouldn't be the first time. Just as it didn't surprise him that he would be acting this way. It wasn't every day that you got your brain picked by an eternal entity. Alicia started squirming uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye. Poor kids probably having nightmares, he thought shaking his head. Why shouldn't she? He thought, that place down there had been hell.
	There was a soft ping coming from the speakers overhead, Alastair's voice flowed smoothly through the shuttle. “We will be landing aboard the Mothership in T-minus 10 minutes. Dr. Adams, Agent 0 is requesting that you bring Agents 1, 19, and the Groot to him immediately upon landing. Also do not forget to bring the stone.” 
	Dr. Adams nodded to no one in particular before going back to looking at something through a microscope. So the boss wanted to see us, Rocket thought as he took another long drag from his pipe. This would be the first time he got see Artemis the whole time he'd been with the Deadlights Society. What would it be like to see his father figure again? Rocket left those thoughts behind when he heard Alicia sitting up on the gurney next to him. When he looked over, she was leaning over rubbing her eyes. Rocket blushed and cleared his throat as he glanced down her shirt.
	Alicia peered up at him and blushed, a warm green glow around her cheeks before sitting back. “There will be plenty of time for that later, mister.”
	“What?!” Rocket chuckled, trying to look innocent.
	“You know what you did.” She hopped down from the gurney, limping as she walked over to sit down next to him.
	“Did you hurt your leg?” Rocket asked politely, offering a drag from his pipe.
	Alicia turned down the offer cold, before rubbing the backs of her calf. “No, I'm just all stiff right now.”
	Rocket rested the pipe between his smiling lips. “You and me both, huh.” He furrowed his eyebrows playfully at her.
	“Would you stop it, we're going to meet my dad soon.” Alicia giggled and slapped his shoulder.
	Rocket winced and glared at her. “Ow! That is my Swiss cheese arm! Why do you suppose we're going to meet with him? Is it so important that we meet with him before we eat some food or have a nap?”
	“He probably just wants to make sure that we're alright. Usually my meetings with him never last that long anyway. So I'm sure as soon as he sees us. He'll send us on our way.” Alicia rubbed Rocket forearm softly.
	“Well, I really hope so. I am very tired.” Rocket took his final drag from his pipe, before he started tapping it out.
	Rocket watched her out of the corner of his eye. She looked alright on the surface, but he knew something else was going on inside. For a moment he thought about bringing up the bad feeling he was having, but the look on her face told him she wouldn't want to hear it. For now he would shoulder his concern and be there to support her, if she needed it. Rocket tucked his pouch away into one of his pockets.
	The shuttle eased into the bay, landing gently onto the metal floor. Dr. Adams opened up the hatch and started ushering people out one by one. Groot was first one out carrying the stone with him. Rocket came out next, hand in hand with Alicia. Alistair after them, and bringing up the rear was Anders.
	Rocket looked around the shuttle bay in amazement. It was the size of four sports stadiums stack on top of one another. All around him were multiple Warships, Battle Cruisers, Jump Freighters, Personnel Ferries, and Shuttles all docked and well maintained. If this was the docking bay, than the rest of the Mothership must be enormous. Largest ship in the galaxy even. Maybe even the size of a planet itself. Where would Artemis have gotten the resources to build this monstrosity? Rocket thought as he moved through the wide expanse, looking around. Everything was just starting to raise more questions. There were Agents all around them. Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of them. Why did the Deadlights Society need him at all, when they already had an army of this size? 
	“Feel free to take these three to see Agent 0.” Alastair said, as he started unloading some of the supplies from the shuttle.
	“You know what man? I'm in the middle of something here right now. I can't really walk away from. Why don't you and Agent 4 take them for me? If Agent 0 asks, tell him to contact me on my headset and I'll fill him in on why I couldn't do it, man.” Dr. Adams stated before heading back into the shuttle.
	“I don't think Agent 0 is going to like that though.” Anders slumped his shoulders and sighs.
	“Nah I'm sure it will be fine. I'll talk to my father if he really has a problem with it.” Alicia said squeezing Rocket's hand.
	With a surprising amount of strength she pulled him along. Groot slowly lumbered up behind them. Alastair hurrying to the front of the line, with Anders bringing up the rear. Dr. Adams watched them as they went. He waited until they'd all climbed into the elevator, before he smirk and started putting the equipment back aboard the shuttle.
	“Goobers, all of them.” He mumbled to himself.

	It was very cramped inside the elevator. With Rocket, Alicia, and Groot, there was Anders and Alastair and two small Xandarian communications officers. Alicia was pressed tightly against Rocket, his back was wedged against Groot, who was slightly bent over. The elevator was packed tightly and the fact that it was climbing so slowly made the trip almost unbearable. It also didn't help that the two  communications officers were talking a mile a minute. Rocket did what he could to try and block them out, but somehow their voices managed to pierce all of his mental defenses.
	“Oh my Gods Della! Did you hear that we lost communications with Warship Zeta?” The taller Xander woman spoke, her orange hair was cropped tight under her beret.
	“No way, are you serious?” The shorter one, Della who had black hair with purple bangs.
	“Yeah. There was a strange transmission coming from them, and then it cut out, nothing.” The taller, orange haired girl said.
	Rocket rolled his eyes and groaned quietly, Alicia hugged his arm and mouthed the words. 'Be nice' to him.
	Della ran her fingers through her hair, slapping Rocket in the face with it. “You know Shil, I heard about that. I heard that Agent 0 was so angry. I was sure my whole division was going to be vaporized.”
	“Dr. Adams told me, he's putting together a small group of people to investigate the ships last known location. Hopefully no one will need his medical expertise.” Della responded giving her nails a quick look over.
	“If you ask me that guy is a creeper. There are an awful lot of pots he has his hands in.” Shil giggled and shifted, bumping against Groot.
	Finally the elevator came to a stop. The pair of communication officers shuffled out and on their merry ways as soon as the doors were open. The doors closed again, the elevator resumed climbing again. It was nice to have the additional room in the tiny box. Rocket and Alicia moved to stand where the Xandarian girls had been standing. Groot was able to shift away from Alastair and Anders, giving them more room.
	 Anders shook his head slowly. “Talk talk talk, I wish they had to wear these visors like we do. Could you imagine being able to speak so freely.” There was a hint of jealousy in his voice.
	Alastair gripped his little brother's shoulder and squeezed. “Easy, don't get your feathers all ruffled. I'm sure they didn't mean Dr. Adams any harm.”
	The brothers fell silent again. It was painfully quiet in the elevator. The only noise was the soft hum of the gears above them. This elevator ride couldn't be longer. Rocket was starting to think he was in some kind of horror movie. The kind where the elevator reached the top floor. The doors would open into some kind of fiery portal to hell. A demon maniac screaming from the other side about how much he wishes they could join him, right before he pulled them in. Rocket jolted suddenly and looked up at Alicia. A smiles was playing across her lips as she pushed her nose to his cheek.
	“You were sleeping standing up. Quite impressive.” She whispered, Anders and Alastair both exchanged a quiet chuckle.
	“I'm a raccoonoid of many special talents.” Rocket joined into the chuckle, even Groot chuckled.
	The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened into a large dark chamber. They all filed out of the elevator almost in the same order as that they had gotten on. The only difference now was Groot was in the back, which worked well for everyone since he was so large and hard to see around. Groot tucked the blinding stone behind his back. It was so bright in the dark room, that it lit the entirety of the corner of the room. Alicia's cocked her head to the side before stepping away from the group, her glowing fur cast a light green reflection against the cold metal floor.
	“Father, are you here?” Her voice was soft and echoed into the farthest reaches of the walls.
	“Lights up thirty percent.” A horribly distorted voice called out.
	Above them three rows of lights clicked on, casting the room in a dim light. There was a large bulbous thing, or person that was lounging in a large bowl shaped chair. The face of the being was terrifying to look at. Rocket couldn't even tell what it had been. The white fur seemed to be stretched beyond taut. So much so that the fur just seemed blotchy all over a sickly gray skin. There were two empty eye sockets, no wait...there were eyes in the sockets. They'd just become milky white pools that blended into the fur. Something flashed inside his head, Rocket gasped and backed up against Groot roughly, he'd hit so hard that he almost pitched backward onto his backside. Groot reached down and stabilized him with one sturdy hand.
	“Father? Are you alright, you look so pale.” Alicia's tone sounded shaken.
	The cold gaze fell upon her. “Yes, I was just having a lengthy discussion with your mother.”
	Alicia stiffened and cleared her throat. “I hope it was nice talk father.” Rocket could tell she was uncomfortable with this train of thought.
	“Look who I've brought with me. It's Rocket.” Alicia turned and looked at Rocket, whose face was bathed in terror.
	“I see him, good job my on retrieving the stone boy. I knew my faith was well placed in you.” He coughed heavily, greasy black fluid dripped from the corner of his mouth.
	Rocket couldn't bring himself to say anything, instead he looked away. If this thing was Artemis, the man that he once felt was his father, then Rocket was the Pope. Artemis didn't really exist anymore in that body. There was something terribly wrong with, with all of this. All the pieces were there, he just couldn't get his weary mind around to put them together.
	“Rocket, don't be shy, it's dad.” Alicia tried to reassure him.
	“Don't worry about him my child. He looks weary, gaunt, perhaps he needs rest. Bring me the stone and you can all go to your rooms to rest.” His unseeing gaze drifted from Rocket to Groot.
	Groot clutched the stone tighter, but didn't move beyond that, he just looked down at the pitiful creature. “I am Groot!”
	Rocket heart pushed into is throat as he turned and looked at his friend Groot, then back to Artemis. All at once the pieces seemed to fall into place. Rocket could see the big picture. The dead god wanted them to protect the stone from the devourers in black. Rocket thought that he had meant the  things down in the cave were the devourers. No...Groot was right, how had he figured it out.
	“Get away from him Alicia!” Rocket lurched forward, grabbing her forearm and pulling her back. “He's the devourer, the one the god warned us about. They all are, the Deadlights Societies are the devourers, looking for the stone. We can't let them have it.”
	Alicia looked into Rocket's eyes, and knew what he was saying was true. “Is that truth father?”
	There was a long moment of silence in the room. Alastair and Anders slowly backed away from the three of them. They both drew their weapons and activated their helmets. Alicia felt her heart sink into her stomach. How could this be true, how could she not have seen this coming? Alicia thought, she hugged her body against the impending chill moving through her. It didn't seem possible, the Silver Surfer had put her in charge of protecting the galaxy. Instead she'd nearly handed the key to their destruction right to him. The figure that was once her father hovered around the room in his chair.
	“It is true my child, all of it.” The bloated figure rotated around to face her, despite the fact that he couldn't see her.
	“Why? What did you hope to gain from betraying me?” Alicia felt a pain in her heart, her body going limp, going numb.
	“Everything! Let me tell you a story, just one more bedtime story for old time sake. Before you found me, I'd gotten in contact with the most unusual being. A majestic goddess from another dimension, named Gul'loth the Rightous. She was beautiful and knew so much. She told me that you were coming to rescue me, that through you. Our destinies would be won.” He coughed out hard and cleared this throat before continuing his story.
	 “Then she told me of the Silver Surfer Herald to Galactic, a distance brethren to her. Then she told me of Deadlights Society, in that name I would find my reward. We spent hours talking about various things. I told her about your mother. She sympathized, telling me that she knew that pain, she knew what it was like to lose someone she loved. We created a bond, she taught me how to augment this chair so I could tap it's infinite power...” Artemis was interrupted by Rocket.
	“Alicia we don't have time for this, we need to go, now.” His voice sounded urgent.
	“Don't interrupt me!” Artemis yelled at the top of his lungs spattering black goo onto him and the floor in front of him. “She said that this chair would be a great asset when we went forward with her plan. All I had to do was gather the stone for her. It was the last thing that her dying love ever made for her. If I did it, she would give me...give me back my love.”
	Artemis pushed a button on the console to his right. Alicia jolted as something in the room clicked, the sound of hydraulics compressing. Two metal panels on the floor slid away and a beautifully decorated ivory table rose up. Atop the table was a beautiful red satin pad, with the skeletal remains of an Ar'Leirian resting comfortably on the pad. Alicia gripped her stomach and shook her head. Rocket stepped forward, wrapping his arm across her shoulders. Groot's mouth hung open as a soft moan escaping.
	“No...no...mother!” Tears were welling up in her eyes, slowly sliding through the fur on her cheeks. 
 	Artemis ignored the tears of his daughter, continuing his story. “She knew that you would make me the leader of the Deadlights Society, and that you would trust me completely, since I was your dear old dad. I would send you out to find someone I knew I could trust to locate the stone. The person who was devious, sly, cunning, and desired wealth and power more than anything. If that didn't entice him, then perhaps his one true love could dupe him into it.”
	Alicia slowly looked at shaking her head. “I'm sorry...”
	Rocket smiled and touched her cheek softly. “Sounds like a load of shit to me. You couldn't have predicted that we would have been shot down over that moon. No one could have predicted that.”
	“Oh I couldn't, could I?” Artemis mumbled slowly. “I rule the nanomachines that inhabit your clothing, your visors, even the ones that are inside of you. I controlled every move she made. Do you think my daughter would be stupid enough to fly directly into the path of a ripper cannon. Her military training wouldn't have permitted it. No it was me! I just mentally suggested it to her and the nanomites made it happen.” There was a menacing tone in his voice.
	“Sounds a lot like hokey religions and ancient artifacts to me, you tub of shit.” Rocket held his hand out to Groot.
	“I am Groot!” He grunted and handed Rocket the double barrel atomizer.
	“Nothing can beat a good blaster by your side.” Rocket took aim at Artemis.
	“Fool!” Artemis spit angrily.
	Everything slowed down around them, Alicia turned on her heels to look at Rocket. Who was slowly easing back the trigger on the atomizer. Then there was a loud wet pop and a blood curdling scream. At first she couldn't tell what happened, but then it all came to her, Rocket's right arm, from the elbow down exploded. Spraying a fountain of blood everywhere. The atomizer tumbled from his hands to clatter on the floor in a puddle of crimson blood. Rocket eyes wide and horrified his screams growing higher in pitch as he groped around for the limb that was no longer there. Rocket's legs gave way under him as he fell to his back, covering the gushing nub. Agent 4 reached out to him, but his brother pulled him back, shaking his head. Panic was washing over Rocket, he was slipping into shock.
	Time sped back up again. Groot was on the move. He crouched down letting the stone rest at his feet. Quickly Groot wrapped a rubbery tendril around Rocket's arm, tightening it until the blood stopped flowing, before tied it off. Alicia couldn't see what he was pulling out from under a piece of his bark at first, but he produced a syringe of clear liquid that he used to inject Rocket with. Rocket started to calm down. His heart slowing, his breathing becoming more normal, finally he just lay back in a calm, meditative state.
	“I see that we're no longer bullshitting are we?” Artemis said softly, holding his hand out. “Give me the stone.”
	Alicia picked up the atomizer and stood between Groot and Artemis. “If you want it, you'll have to go through me.”
	“You're as much a fool as he is, so be it.” Artemis growled out and reached for her, but nothing happened.
	Alicia winced and covered her face, waiting for the pain to come, but indeed nothing happened. She lowered her hands and looked up at the confused mass that use to be her father's face.
	“I don't understand, why aren't you writhing in pain?” Artemis was blubbering mad. “Those clothes, where did you get them? I can see the nanomites in them, but they will not heed my command.” 
	Dr. Adams, he'd known all about this somehow, Rocket thought as he smiled weakly up at Groot. Groot looked down at Rocket and smiled back, letting him know that everything was going to be alright. That quack doctor is trying to save the day. Rocket was trying to say to Groot, but he could make the words come out of his mouth. Artemis started to laugh a sickly, festering laugh. Black goo bubbling up out of him mouth with each roll in his laugh.
	“There are other ways to take care of you. Agents 4 and 5, take her weapon!” Artemis leaned back in his chair watching as his two nephews moved into position to slaughter Alicia.
	“Don't you dare boys.” Aisha came running up behind Groot, snagging two items from his back on the way passed.
	Quickly she shuffled the items so that she would have one in each hand. She ducked and moved planting both of the devices onto her sons. There was a heavy pop and a crackling sound of electricity surging through Anders and Alastair, both of them dropping to the ground unconscious. Aisha rose up and turned to look into Artemis's dead eyes.
	Rocket gazed at her, she looked different now, than she had when they last met. Younger, stronger, in better shape, no doubt she'd been given the nanomite technology. It had changed her entire physical make up. Only the best for his baby sister, Rocket thought. He would have believe that she'd found the fountain of youth, if it wouldn't have been for the light wrinkles on her face, and the gray flecks of fur peppered throughout the gold.
	“I have not lived this long to see my brother become evil. And for what? A dream, a fantasy of having your wife back. She is dead, dead, dead! To bring her back now would dishonor her, her memory, and dishonor everything you stand for. Do you think she wants to see you like this? A disgusting blob, more machine than man. You are sick, you make me sick.” Aisha's voice was spiteful, and damning.
	Artemis flailed around, his anger welling inside of him with every word his sister spoke. A white hot rage washed over him. He reached out mentally grabbing hold of the nanomites inside of her. Her body lifting up off the floor. Aisha winced and moaned as something was vibrating inside of her. Something was happening burning her, something invisible to the eyes. Aisha's moans became screams. She was fighting against some invisible enemy. Small red bumps started appearing all over her body. Her nanomites were fighting to get out, destroying her from the inside. Alicia covered her ears, unable to stand the horrible screaming.
	In the confusion another small Agent moved up from behind Groot grabbing the stone and darting away before the large tree could react. In the same fluid motion the small Agent toss the stone in the air. Artemis gaze moved away from Aisha, dropping her to the floor in a heap. His stubby hand snatching out, to catch the stone as it sailed over. He rolled his blob head back laughing triumphantly. The sickly sound echoing through the chamber. Groot looked down at Rocket, his face was bent in sadness.
	Rocket reached up with his one good hand and stroked his friend's face. “You did your best, buddy 'ol pal.”
	Artemis swoop down next the skeletal remains of his wife on the table. “My love, come back to me.” He raised the stone high above his head and thrust it down into the chest cavity of the skeleton.
	“NO!” Alicia screamed and the room was filled with a crystal light, brighter than any stun grenade Rocket had seen, it was blinding and hot.
	The forces of the blast pushed Alicia off her feet, onto her back on the floor. She watched in horror as the skeletal arms reached up, hugging the stone tightly as if it were her child. Bit by bit it was becoming flesh again. Blood, muscle, sinew was appearing from out of the stone itself. Growing into something terrible. Once the figure started taking shape, Rocket recognize the face from so many pictures he'd seen from the past. Alexandra, Alicia's mother. Alicia saw it too, deep inside of her chest there was a pain that she'd never experienced. It was a pain that drained all the energy out of her. How could her father do this?, she asked herself, before succumbing to the weakness and fall onto her back defeated.
	“We gotta go buddy.” Rocket whispered, gripping his friend's chest.
	Groot moved from his spot on the floor, picking up the atomizer. It looked so small in his large hands. He aimed it past Artemis and fired. The whvoop sound was lost in the whirling tundra of white noise coming from Alexandra's rebirth. The slow moving projectile was on it's way towards the wall. The red ball shown up in contrast to the white hot light. It couldn't be moving any slower. Artemis turned and watched as the red ball slid through the air. Groot lashed out quickly like he had multiple arms. Gathering up all of the people he had been instructed too. Rocket, Alicia, Aisha, Anders, and Alastair. He pulled them tightly to his chest and started growing a shield around them. Alicia saw out of the corner of her eye, her mother glaring at her. But it wasn't her mother at all. It was something all together evil. The shield Groot had been making, closed around her like a hug.
	The projectile hit the wall and exploded outward in a spectacular display. It opened the chamber to space. The vacuum sucking everyone and everything towards the hole. Artemis wedge himself against the wall, the force of the suction pulling the last bit  of flesh from his globules face. Underneath was a series of wires and hoses that made up the shape of his once face. Alexandra waved her hands over her head conjuring a shield of dark matter that protected her from flying objects and kept her planted in her place. Groot just let himself be taken, being pulled out into space. He exhaled all of his oxygen into the ball shield that he'd made for his friends. All he had to do now was remain calm. Ice was starting to form on his bark skin, cracks were spidering throughout his body. It was more painful than Groot had ever felt before. But he had to keep it together for his friend's sake.
	Just as his vision was slowly growing darker, and the end was upon him. A shuttle appeared as if out of nowhere, the hatch opened quickly and the vessel back up, scooping up the Groot life pod. No sooner had they got into the shuttle, then the hatch closed, and it jumped to faster than light speed. They had escaped the Mothership. But at what cost, Groot thought.
	Inside the shuttle, Groot was groaning and flailing at the freezing pain moving through him. He gasped up the recycled oxygen, pulling it into his system. The dry frozen bark flaked off, the better he was starting to feel. After a moment Groot's branches fell away spilling his precious cargo onto the floor in a heap.
	The cockpit door slid open and Dr Adams stepped through. Two others stepped into the room behind him. It was the two Xandarian communications officers from the elevator. They seemed more serious and less chatty. They started to work on treating Groot's down friends.
	“I am Groot!” Groot said with a hint of panic in his voice.
	Dr. Adams smiled warmly and nodded. “Don't worry my friend, they're in good hands. I will do everything I can to make them well again, you have my word on it, big dude.”
	“I am Groot...” His tone was sad, cracking as if he were going to cry.
	There was an endearing smile on the chubby man's face when he looked at Groot. “No, you did good my friend. You saved them, that is all anyone could have asked for.” Dr. Adams touched the side of Groot's head. “Now, you get some sleep, and leave the rest to me and my people, doctor's orders.”
	“I.a.m.g.r.o.o.t...” He moaned out and lay back on the floor.
	Groot was too tired to move from where he lay. His body ached all over and he was indeed so tired. Maybe when he woke up, he'd be feeling much better...The last thing he saw before his eyes closed, was Rocket smiling at him, raising his nub as if to give him a thumbs up.

Chapter 10:
Friends

	Cool air filtered all around the large room. The florescence lights in the ceiling were turned low, to help keep his patients calm. It was the busiest Dr. Adams had ever seen the sick bay at one time. He took a long sip off of his dark mint tea recounting the number of patients he had now. Alastair lay unconscious on bed six with head trauma falling on the floor. His nanomite reprogramming was in full swing. The same for his younger brother Anders on bed seven. They had been the easiest to stabilize.
	In bed eight was a Krylonian woman that had just been rescued earlier that day, by Agent 12. She was caught in a crossfire, between Nova Corps and a group of underworld thugs. The hole in her chest had presented a little difficulty to patch up. Deadlights Society didn't have her name on file just yet. But they had pushed forward for her to have the nanomite modification. Dr. Adams of course did the modification with reprogrammed nanomites. In truth the only reason she was even on the ship, was because this was where she was recovering when Dr. Adams highjacked the Warship.
	Rocket was laying in bed two in critical condition. The nub that use to be his right arm was packed tightly into a cryo tube while another arm was being fashioned for him. Dr. Adams assured him, that once the backup nanomites had been reprogrammed, they could get started on crafting him a new arm. Alicia lay on bed three. There was nothing physically wrong with her, she just wasn't responding to anything he did. She wouldn't eat, drink, talk, nothing. She just laid there with a glazed look in her eyes. Dr. Adams speculated that it may be a broken heart. Her father turned against her after everything Alicia had done. It was terrible.
	In bed one was Aisha, she had suffered the worse of it. Artemis had turned her nanomites against her. They had caused a large amount of internal bleeding. It would have been an instantaneous death, if Artemis hadn't been distracted and released her before any further damage had been done. Still the damage had been severe. She was in critical condition, but only barely. Dr. Adams didn't foresee her living through the night. If she did however, her nanomites should be reprogrammed soon. Once they were back online, they could repair her.
	“I am Groot...” A deep voice whispered from behind him.
	Dr. Adams turned around startled, but softened into a smile. “Hello my friend. It's a sincere bummer that we weren't able to recover the stone, dude.”
	“I...am...groot...” Groot hung his head sadly.
	“Don't blame yourself my friend, it happens. Now we need to put together a plan of attack. I guess for now we just try to build up our ranks and strike back before crap gets too much more out of hand.” Dr. Adams smiled in spite of the fact.
	“I...am Groot.” The large tree stated rubbing the back of his neck.
	“Sure, you don't have to be sick to be in here, man. Just, you know try to keep it down, while they're sleeping, alright big guy.” Dr. Adams gave the huge tree a shoulder pat before walking towards his office.
	Groot slowly and quietly walked around the room. His dark eyes taking in everything that he saw. There was a lot of stuff he didn't understand about this room, about the things going on in the galaxy. What he'd seen earlier with Artemis and the stone, it was a frightening thing to him. Could someone love another person to the point of forsaking others?
	Groot looked down at the two brothers that he'd never met before. Why had Dr. Adams wanted them saved? He couldn't even venture a guess. They'd tried to kill his new ward, his friend, and himself. Were they not evil? Without knowing them, Groot could feel the good in them. They lay still sleeping on the cold medical room bed. Groot didn't understand why, he just wanted to help them. He wanted to help them all. But how? He closed his eyes and thought really hard. Flowers, roses starting sprouting all over his body. Big, beautiful roses of rainbow colors. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Gifts for his friends to help their speedy recovery.
	One by one Groot pulled the flowers free from his body. He read the names on the charts. A warm orange rose for the young and fiery Anders. A cool blue rose for the level headed older brother Alastair. A salmon colored rose for the Krylonian girl, who Groot named Stormy because of her wind swept hair. A purple rose for Aisha, who had been so brave to stand up to her brother. A pink rose for his newest ward Alicia, because she beautiful and kind. And a red rose for his dearest friend Rocket. Could someone love another person to the point of forsaking others? Groot smiled as he looked at his dearest friend's sleeping face. The answer was yes.
	Dr. Adams walked out of his office and looked around the room with a smile on his face. “Wow, doling out the love. I dig it man.”
	Groot smiled warmly and held out a yellow rose to Dr. Adams. “I am Groot.”
	“Thank you man, I love it...you know this is giving me a great idea. Maybe we can name our new group after these flowers, man. Like we can call ourselves the Flower children or Dolin' Out Some Love. You know something like that.” Dr. Adams tugged on Groot's arm.
	Groot shrugged and smiled. “I am...Groot!” Lightly patting the good doctor on his stomach with the back of his hand.
	Dr. Adams agreed before smelling his flower. “Knights of the Rose huh? Not bad, not bad at all man. I can dig it.”

Epilogue

	The only light that filtered into the large room, came from the large window at the side of the chamber. Stars, planets, nebulas glistened in the black void of space. Gul'loth, no not Gul'loth anymore. She would be known as Alexandra, the Ar'Leirian war hero. She was enjoying her new body, waiting so long for this sensation of being alive. To breath the air of this dimension. Millions of years she's searched for someone foolish enough to give her the power to make the jump. Unfortunately the fool had only wanted her there, because he believed that she could bring back his dead wife. In a manner of speaking Gul'loth had brought her back, better than every, in her opinion.
	The bed clothes rustled under her, as she got to her feet. It was cold in the vast chamber. The cool recycled air flowed over her svelte body from the vents overhead. The silky robe clung to her taut nipples, a sensation she's not had in forever. The fabric draped over her new form leaving little to the imagination. Alexandra, didn't mind being the focal point of desire after all, she thought giggling to herself. It just made it easier to seduce them, bring them close. Then when they were done, she would devour them. It was a rule she'd learned long ago. Eat or be eaten, I am just fortunate for that I can have both. Another cruel giggle moved through her.
	Quietly she padded over to stand in front of the window. The cold, smooth metal floor soothed her hot paw pads. Her dark red eyes traced along the innumerable stars. So many of them inhabited. So much food to take in. It was going to be difficult at first, with her in her weakened state. She'd not expected the transformation to use up so much of energy stored in the stone. I didn't matter though. She had an army now, an armada. One by one the third world planets would fall. Once she'd taken enough power, grown stronger, then she would focus her energies on the larger planets. It was a perfect plan. The door at the side of the room chimed bringing her back from her thoughts. 
	Gracefully she turned, the robe fluttering out as she did. “Enter.”
	Alexandra's voice was lovely, sweet and creamy like melted chocolate. It was so inviting. Many couldn't help but to be drawn to it. The door slid open and an Agent marched into the room. The thin red band on his helmet was the only thing that showed up in the dark room. Alexandra hadn't been expecting any visitors. Not that she minded one bit, it was always good to have company.
	“Ma'am, Agent 12 reporting. Agent 0 requested that I deliver this tablet to you. The information you request has been installed on it for your review.” The large stocky Agent seemed nervous.
	At first Alexandra had thought that the Agent might have been present earlier in the main hall to witness her stunning entrance. It was so hard to tell the Agents apart, since they were always wearing their armor. It mattered little anyway. She was sure that in a ship of this size, word traveled fast. Alexandra smiled warmly offering a curtsy to him. Pulling her robe outward on either side as if it were a dress. In truth she was offering the young male a peak at her treasure, hoping that the youth would be persuaded. Agent 12 cleared and throat and averted his gaze. Alexandra shook her head as if she were disappointed, before walking over to her bed, making sure she added plenty of sway in her wide hips. Playfully she turned and flopped down on the bed, letting the soft glow from the large window lay across her body. Agent 12 said nothing, he just squirmed and walked over to her, holding out the data pad.
	“If you would take this. I can be on my way, so you can have some privacy.” His robotic voice was trembling.
	Alexandra's bright red eyes narrowed, her smile not losing one ounce of charm. “Oh, I don't want privacy, I'd like something to eat.”
	Agent 12 sighed and nodded slowly. “Uhm yes, if you tell me what you want. I can go get it for you from the kitchen. Anything at all. You can order anything and I'll make it happen.” 
	Alexandra could sense that he was losing his composure, and she liked it. “I'm no sure. Why don't sit down here and tell me what your specialties are?” She patted the bed next to her.
	“I'm not allowed to ma'am. Agent 0 said I should not be in here longer than absolutely possible.” Agent 12 felt like he was going to start hyperventilating.
	“Oh phooey, how is he going to know how long you stay?” She asked playfully, her fingers playing with the wrap around her waist, pulling on it so it fell away.
	Agent 12 coughed and looked away. “When we wear our headsets. He sees and hears everything that goes on.”
	“Oh come now, just take your helmet off and sit right down with me.” Her voice was soothing. “You wouldn't want to disappoint me would you.”
	Agent 12 pulled his helmet off and tucked it under his arm, before sitting down next to her nervously. “No, I would never disappoint a lady.”
	Alexandra stood up on the bed, so she could be at eye level with Agent 12. “Aw, you're just a good boy aren't you.” She cooed at him, pressing her body against him.
	Agent 12 was trembling against her, to feel that he was so uncomfortable, so scared of her was turning her on. “Don't be frightened, I don't bite...hard.”
	“I...I...just don't want to get in trouble ma'am.” The big blue idiot looked away from her again.
	“Oh okay, well I won't keep you then. Since you're going, do you think you could bring me a well aged bottle of wine?” Her breath was warm against his face.
	“Absolutely ma'am, what age and color would you want?” He snapped around to look at her, eager to please and be on his way.
	Alexandra slipped out of her night gown letting it fall to the bed around her feet. “Oh, I don't know, how old are you?”
	“I don't understand ma'am!” Agent 12 bit his bottom lip and started to shake again.
	“Oh never you mind!” Her voice rumbled from deep inside of her as she opened her mouth wide.
	Her once short muzzle had grown long and edged. Several rows of pointy teeth lined her dark gums. Agent 12 screamed, but was silence with a long finger claw stabbing through his windpipe, dousing her naked body with his blood. She would have giggled gleefully, if she hadn't been in mid feeding. The only noise he could make now, was the bubbling and gurgling of drowning in his own blood. Alexandra bit down onto his head, her teeth sinking into the flesh, piercing the bone, drawing forth his life essences into her. His body draining, much the same as a juice pouch.
	It was over in a matter of seconds. Her teeth retracted into her gum, her face returning to normal. Agent 12 was nothing more than a drained husk. His complexion was no different than the texture of beef jerky. Alexandra lightly pushed his corpse off of her bed, hearing it hit the floor in a crusty crunch.
	“I hope you don't mind...” Her sensual tone had returned. “I'm not much of a cuddler afterward.”
	She giggled and looked down at her body, covered in his blood. Little by little, finger full by finger full she licked it off of her body. A pleasant mmm sound following each bite she got. When she was satisfied, she fell back onto the bed rubbing her tummy. That was a good snack, she thought to herself as she felt around the bed clothes for the tablet. The bright LCD monitor came up. It was a huge list of all the planets. Their populations, their class, their worth. Some even had a special note by them if there was something unique about them. One in particular caught her eye.
	“Earth...Tera. Population: 7,235,670,325. Oh my a buffet to be sure. Note: 15% Ratio of super humans.” Her pink tongue glided across her lips. “Super humans, oh that would make them the fioe gras of the galaxy, my what a treat.”
	Alexandra dropped the tablet on the bed next to her, and lay out looking up at the ceiling. “So much food, so little time.” She whispered to no one in particular, before she started humming a soothing tune.

Bonus Chapter
Meanwhile Part 2
	
	Sabina sat at the edge of the bed. It was comfortable and soft against her bare backside. Periodically she would look over at the clock and count the time that she'd been waiting for the funny, furry stranger she'd met on the street. Such a nice unique individual, she mused. Paid her triple the nightly rate, upfront to boot. Then turned around and let her have the keys to his apartment, such a sweetie.
	Any normal prostitute would have taken this as a sign of bad things to come. What if he was a sicko, looking for terrible unspeakable pleasures? What if just wanted to kill her and wear her flesh? That kind of thing didn't bother her much, she like to think that her Krylonian blood gave her the ability to read people better than that. Other prostitutes would have just taken the money and run, but she didn't believe in that either. One of two things could happen after an encounter like she had with the little gentleman. One, what if he turned out to be a nice guy and wanted to take her away from her life of sexual servitude. It became ever prostitute's dream at one point or another, thanks to the old Earth vid Pretty Woman. The second option wasn't as pleasant. Sabina had seen that the stranger was well armed, and had the money to pay her upfront. Two main trade marks of a bounty hunter, which made their fortunes hunting down criminals. If she took the units and ran, finding a prostitute on Knowhere would be a piece of cake for him.
	So the type of prostitute that Sabina was, was the type that watched and waited. And boy did she wait. Sabina had indulged in some very nice things while she stayed at his apartment. A hot shower. A nice spin in the hot tub on the deck. Watching some of the vid, he had. Playing some of his video games. Wearing all his clothes, which was odd to her, because a lot of the clothes wouldn't fit such a little guy. Granted she wasn't one to ask questions, whatever the funny furry sweetheart wanted to do in her spare time, was her business. She promised herself, that she would definitely make it worth his while when he came back. After all she was quite the experienced woman.
	Just then, there was a knock at the door. Sabina smiled softly and crossed her legs in a seductive pose, as if she were hiding her sweetest meats for later. After a moment of priming, prepping and getting ready for a wild night of bestial love making, she was ready to receive her funny furry master.
	“Open locks.” She said, before adding in a sultry voice. “Come in my furry love muffin.”
	The door opened and much to her surprise three figures filed in. One a human with blond hair and a long maroon trench coat. The second was a beast of a man with shoulders one and half times the side of the doorway. His skin was light blue in hue, but he was covered with elaborate red markings. The last was woman with a hooded face. The only thing that could be seen about her, was her green skin. The human in the front seemed startled as he looked eye to eye with Sabina. The larger man just turned on his heels averting his gaze from her bare fuchsia body. The woman just stood there stoic like a statue, her eyes not giving anything away.
	“Well, this was certainly the last thing I expected to find when I got here. Hey my name's Peter, Peter Quill, or Star-Lord if you want.” The human stepped forward offering a clumsy gloved hand introduction.
	Sabina smiled softly and covered her breasts with one arm. “Charmed.” It was clear by her tone that was confused about what was going on.
	“I'm Drax the destroyer.” The hulking man stated, but still did not look at her.
	“Very nice to meet you, Mr. The Destroyer.” She said disconcertingly.
	“And I am Gamora, what is the meaning of this and who are you?” The woman with the green skin pulled her hood back revealing her beautiful yet cold features.
	“I'm Sabina. As for what's going on, I don't really know what you're talking about. I was offered a large sum of money to come here and wait for this odd little guy to come back.” Sabina stated as she reached over and grabbed a pillow to cover up with.
	“What manner of a meeting takes place without clothes?” Drax asked craning his neck, relieved that the stranger had covered up.
	“The baby making kind.” Peter Quill chuckled before helping himself to a spot on the bed next to Sabina.
	“I don't understand why the beast would chose a woman of such common birth to bare his children. He's a Guardian of the Galaxy, a noble title to be sure.” Drax crossed his arms over his massive chest.
	“No Drax, not literately baby making. She's a prostitute...he was paying for sex.” Peter Quill tried to explain.
	“She's a whore!” Drax straightened up indignity.
	“Wait, wait! I like to be referred to it as Nightly Companion thank you very much. Are you guys are the Guardians of the Galaxy? Why the hell are you here and not out there, oh I don't know Guarding the flarking galaxy.” Sabina stood up from the bed and paced over to collect her clothing.
	“Yes.” Drax said proudly before covering his eyes.
	“Uh huh.” Gamora said clearing her throat.
	“That's us. Interestingly enough Rocket messaged us, telling us to meet him at his apartment on Knowhere. Which I didn't even know he had an apartment here. Could have saved myself the trouble of crashing here, instead of in an alleyway gutter.” Peter Quill explained, doing a poor job covering up the fact that he was checking the woman out, only to receive a hard kick to his shin for his effort.
	“So the the fur ball is Rocket Raccoon. That makes the walking topiary his tree servant Groot.” Sabina spit angrily as she pulled her top on. “Flark this, I'm too busy for this crap.”
	“Yep, that's them. So what happened to them?” Peter Quill was bent down rubbing his shin.
	Sabina pulled her bottoms on snapping them up at her hips. “I don't know. He gave me a large sum of money and told me to stay here as long as I liked. I wasn't about to tell him no. Units and free room and board, I would be insane not to take it. That was like three weeks ago, however. I was starting to think he was dead.”
	“What was he doing when you last saw him?” Gamora took a step closer.
	“He told me he had some business to take care of in the Gory Hole, paid me and then headed off.” She breathed out heavily, her cheeks were turning red despite her fuchsia skin. 
	“Wait, the what?” Peter Quill was up off the bed now.
	“The Gory Hole. It's a tavern on the edge of town.” Sabina cocked her head to look up at him for a few seconds, before pulling on one of her tall boots.
	“Oh! It's a bar? It's not a...you know what, never mind It's not that important. What IS important is why would Rocket send us here?” Peter Quill asked rubbing the back of his head.
	“Yes, it makes no sense. There are all of these pictures all over the wall. Men, women, children, are all of these people Rocket's baby carriers?” Drax stared in awe at the prowess of the small raccoonoids sexual endevours.
	Then Drax frowned and looked at Peter Quill. “Never mind my thought process. I have figured it out. This is not his apartment, he has stolen the keys.”
	“What?! Oh my gods, what did he do to the real owners?” Sabina screeched, her gaze moving between the other three people in this room.
	“Probably killed them...” Gamora said plainly.
	Sabina clutched her chest and threatened to faint, Peter Quill stepped forth. “Or, or he just paid someone, so he could use their place while they were out of town. Jesus Gamora, what is wrong with you?”
	“There is nothing wrong with me, why do I not look well?” Gamora asked feeling her forehead.
	Just then there was a soft knock on the door. Gamora drew her sword from under her cloak and approached the door. Peter Quill drew both of this blasters from under his coat, aiming them at the door. Drax drew one of his daggers and propped himself by the door on the other side from Gamora. Sabina pulled a tiny stun blaster from her purse. It wasn't much, but it was strong enough to drop the largest of perpetrators.
	Gamora opened the door with her free hand watching as the door slid away. She was poised to attack the visitor, if they showed any malcontent. Much to her surprise, as well as everyone elses. It was the security guard from the counter downstairs. They'd talked with him when they arrived. His gaze darted around the room at all the weapons aimed in his general direction. There was a shaky look on his face, he was obvious intimidated.
	“I'm so sorry to disturb you, but a message just arrived for you.” Tears were welling up in the little man's eyes, he was shaking so hard.
	“No man, don't worry we're not going to kill you. We just thought you were someone else.” Peter Quill holstered his blasters and reached in his pockets, fishing around for something.
	Gamora gave a courteous nod and sheathed her sword. “I will take that message from you.”
	The man extended his shaky hand, it contained a sleek recording device. Gamora took it from him and stepped back. Before the guard could pull his hand back, Peter Quill pressed a units chip into it.
	“Here you go buddy, for all the trouble. Sorry again.” Peter Quill gave the security guard his friendliest smile, it just came off even more creepy.
	The guard smiled nervously and nodded, before tearing down the hall. Away from the room. Gamora closed the door and turned her attention to the device. Peter Quill sat back down on the bed and looked up at her. Drax was standing next to Sabina, studying her scant attire. Sabina sneered and stepped away.
	“So what do you suppose is on the device?” Peter Quill asked rolling his fingers in front of him.
	Gamora shrugged an over exaggerated shrug before she pushed the only button on the side of the device and set it on the floor. A cool blue light shone from a tiny lens on the face of the device, it illuminated the darkened room. The blue light was finally forming into an image, it was full size hologram of Rocket Raccoon. A smile was smeared across his muzzle. The type of smile that said, he knew something they didn't know. His arms across his chest. That was when Peter Quill stood up, Rocket's right arm had been severed and replaced with an synthetic one. The usual jovial attire was nothing more than black leather armor. Despite his smile his eyes were serious.
	“Play hologram!” Peter Quill said as he leaned down to get a closer look.
	“Hey there you douche bags, it's good to not see you. I want to keep this short and sweet, because I've been through a lot the past few days.” With that, he held up his new acquired robotic arm. “I want you three to know that I just feel terrible about not being there to meet with you, but I trust that my entertainment will be adequate for this inconvenience. Gamora I just assumed you're into that girl on girl thing, you just give off that vibe.” Gamora sneered and balled her fists. 
	“Whatever happens don't let Drax go first, I've seen him in the shower and there would be no traction left, right big guy.” Rocket cackled a belly laugh.
	Drax was not amused however, in fact he may have even been blushing. Although since no one had ever seen him blush before, it was impossible to tell. Sabina however appeared to be taking a new interest in Drax.
	“Be good to her guys, she deserves it.” Rocket winked, and clicked his tongue.
	“Oh flark you, you furry nutbag.” Sabina scoffed and headed towards the door, disappearing through it.
	“There is a new threat to the galaxy. A threat that is more dangerous than anything we've ever faced before. I need your help with this one. No guys, the whole galaxy need your help. I've wired the coordinates to the Milano 2.0. The Guardians of the Galaxy are being called upon once more, and it's the big one.” Rocket's demeanor changed, he was more serious than any of them had ever seen him. 
	Then the charming smile was back. “I paid for you all to have some fun. So enjoy yourselves! Rendezvous with me tomorrow. See you then.”
	The hologram stood there for a long moment and then he adjusted himself, his head snapped to the side as someone off hologram spoke to him. “What?! What do you mean it's still running? Ah shit Groot, can you edit it?”
	“I am Groot!” Could be heard in the background.
	“Damnit! Well heh, technical difficulties and all. Everyone Groot says 'hi' by the...” The hologram ended abruptly.
	No one spoke, they were all lost in the thought of what Rocket could have meant. Not that he said anything encrypted, but what could this new threat be. Something so dangerous that would ruffle the little psycho's fur. Gamora slouched down on the bed next to Peter Quill, she stayed quiet save for the heavy swallow. Drax leaned back against the wall shaking his head.
	Peter Quill was the first one to finally speak. “Gamora, is that the reason you won't go out with me because you're into girls? It's okay if you are, I think it's cool.”
	Gamora shot him a glance, that was only slightly faster than the fist that followed it. The punch was solid, laying him out on the floor. Drax chuckled under his breath, not wanting to incur the same wrath from the deadliest woman in the galaxy. Gamora got up from the bed and paced to the door.
	Gamora spitefully grumbling. “Well, since we won't be having any entertainment tonight, we best get a move on.”
	“I agree.” Drax said evenly.
	“I'm in...lets guard this Galaxy shall we.” Peter quill said, peeling himself up off the floor and marching out the door.