Guardians of the Galaxy: What the Flark

[Part of Superhero Stories]

Peter Quill recoiled in pain as he let go of the orange gem sending it clattering off on the metal deck of the abandoned space mining rig, the burning sensation in his hand immediately dissipating as he did so. He quickly drew a blaster with his other hand as he watched a shadowy worm ooze out of this "lucky find" and out a nearby grating and after just five tense seconds the entire (already unreliable) structure began to shake. Without missing a beat he turned tail and ran, back to the hallway where the rest of his team shot him quizical looks while trying to keep upright.

"Peter... what did you do!?" asked Gamora in an accusational tone. "Nothing, I swear! Come on - we need to get back to the Milano before this entire place falls apart!". With more than a little bickering Peter, Gamora, Drax, Groot and Rocket made it back aboard their ship, boosting off the collapsing heap of space debris, out of the illegal quarantine zone and right into a patrolling Nova Corp cruiser just as their engines conked out. An authorative voice came over the comms: "Guardians of the Galaxy, you are under arrest for trespassing into the Quarantine Zone. Prepare to be boarded." The Guardians could do nothing but groan with Rocket muttering "again?" and Groot imparting an unhappy "I am Groot."

Peter named his ship after his childhood crush.

To their surprise, their incarceration only spans a matter of hours before they find themselves back on the Milano, albeit with a new piece of Nova Corps gear attached to the helm. "What did they do to my ship!?" questioned Rocket as he poked at the newly added device. "My ship," corrected Peter. "And that's a disabler. I managed to convince the captain to let us go with just a fine that we need to pay in three cycles. Yeah, she and I go way back."

"What the flark Quill, you sleeping with cops now?" asked Rocket, but Drax's more direct question of "How much is this fine?" is what they all paid attention to. "...seven thousand units," replied Peter with a squirm. "SEVEN THOUSAND!?" exploded Gamora. "Where are we going to get that kind of money!? We'll be lucky to find forty units on board right now." Peter shrugged. "I'm open to suggestions..."