Guardians of the Galaxy [1]

2

Nova headquarters, Xandar's armed forces

The Nova Corps took the five prisoners - Astra, Gamora, Quill, the talking animal, and the tree - to their headquarters. Now an officer called Dey was explaining them, one by one, to the rest of the Nova Corps about who they were and their criminal records.

"Gamora. Surgically modified and trained as a living weapon. The adopted daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos. Recently, Thanos lent her and her sisters Astra and Nebula out to Ronan, which leads us to believe that Thanos and Ronan are working together," the Nova Corps officer Dey explained, while Gamora stood there in silence with her criminal records and information hologrammed behind her.

Next was Astra.

"Astra. Sister of Gamora and Nebula, adopted daughter of Thanos. Lent out to Ronan along with her two sisters, she is believed to be just as deadly and ruthless, if not more."

Astra's information included that she was a daughter of Thanos, her planet of origin was the dwarf planet Wria, and that her criminal record included two counts of property damage, four counts of theft, and multiple counts of murder from her missions.

Next was the talking creature.

"Subject 89P13. Calls itself 'Rocket.'" Rocket growled in response to the way he was introduced. "The result of illegal genetic and cybernetic experiments on a lower life form." His criminal record stated that he had thirteen counts of theft, fifteen counts of arson, seven counts of mercenary activity, had a tendency to bite - Astra was not surprised at all - and had escaped prison twenty-two times.

"What the hell...?" the officer standing next to Dey said as the talking tree was next.

"They call it 'Groot.' A humanoid plant that's been travelling recently as 89P13's personal houseplant/muscle."

Next was Quill.

"Peter Jason Quill, from Terra. Raised from youth by a band of mercenaries called the Ravagers, led by Yondu Udonta."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know how this machine worked." Astra saw that Quill was raising his middle finger.

"What a bunch of a-holes," said the officer next to Dey. "Transport all five to the Kyln."

The Kyln, high-security prison

Astra and her companions were handcuffed and led into the Kyln prison. They walked in silence until Rocket broke it.

"I guess most of the Nova Corps wanna uphold the laws, but these ones here, they're corrupt and cruel," he said. "But hey, that's not my problem. I ain't gonna be here long. I've escaped twenty-two prisons. This one's no different. You're lucky the broad showed up, because otherwise, me and Groot would be collecting that bounty right now and you'd be getting down and quartered by Yondu and those Ravagers."

"I've had a lot of folks try to kill me over the years. I ain't about to be brought down by a tree and talking raccoon," said Quill, exasperated.

"Hold," the guard leading them ordered.

"What's a raccoon?" Astra heard Rocket mutter.

"'What's a raccoon?'" Quill repeated loudly. "It's what you are, stupid."

"Ain't no thing like me except me," Rocket said proudly. Then the guard opened the door and they kept walking.

Then the talk switched to the Orb. "So this Orb has a real shiny blue suitcase, Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe. What is it?" Quill asked.