Thunder {Thor Odinson}

PROLOGUE

"There he is."

Xandar, a planet known for its exquisite beauty, did not fail to live up to its reputation as its brilliant blue skies shone pleasantly above its famed shopping center, the sun shining down on it. Known for being a place in which one could come by mystifying oddities, Xandar's large outdoor mall was multiple levels of shops out in the elements connected by stone walkways, lined with gorgeous features such as fountains as well as artfully planted flowers and trees designed to make its outer beauty shine. Hundreds of people filled Xandar's marketplace, friendly chattering filled the air.

"That fool has the orb."

Speaking yet again was a rather short yet fierce looking young green woman, no older than twenty one. Wearing a slick black armless bodysuit, multiple knives were strapped along her thighs as she leaned across the ledge of the second level of the marketplace, peering over at a man in the far off distance. Dark hair tumbled to her shoulders in waves, ending in hot pink locks as she spoke, her pale green skin shimmering in the Xandarian as she shifted restlessly on her thick combat boots, turning to the teenage girl beside her.

"Well, Aura? Are you going to say anything?"

Starting beside her, a teenage girl appearing no older than seventeen jumped slightly, having been resting her chin upon the ledge, not listening. Unlike the woman, the girl did not have green skin but pale skin white as snow, straight black hair cropping nearly at her shoulders. Donning a sleek bodysuit similar to the woman's, Aura did not look nearly as comfortable within it as the green skinned woman did, fitting not like a second skin atop of her as it did with the other woman. Pushing one thick lock of her hair out from her face, the girl swallowed nervously as the woman stared up at her expectantly.

"Er -- " Aura tugged at her collar. "Gamora, what am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know why I even thought bringing you was a good idea," muttered Gamora, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment as irritation flashed across her face. "All you're going to do is slow me down. I thought Ailean's were supposed to be fighters."

"Sorry," murmured Aura dejectedly, looking indeed rather sorry.

"He's going into a shop -- " said Gamora suddenly, peering over the edge as she watched the man with the orb disappear within a store. "That idiot's going to try and sell it! But nobody's going to buy it," she continued, mainly to herself as Aura gazed around the marketplace obliviously. "Not when Ronan's looking for it. He's gonna get kicked out. We'd better go down there to meet him and -- Aura!"

"I'm listening, I'm listening!" Aura jolted again, flinching as she saw irritation flicker yet again over Gamora's features. "He's trying to sell the orb, we're gonna go meet him and take it."

"For once you listened," Gamora sniffed disdainfully. "Alright, I'm going to go down there and wait by the door for him to come out and then I'm going to attack him and take the orb. You should wait here and don't come down without my say so. I don't want you screwing this up or getting in my way."

Without waiting for Aura's response, Gamora launched herself over the ledge, landing firmly on the tile below, ignoring the cries of indignation and surprise from idle citizens as she took off for the shop where the orb had disappeared into at a sprint.

"Don't worry, Gamora," Aura was walking backwards, her words a sorrowful murmur as she watched her sister expertly weave her way in and out of people, headed for the door. "I'm not ever going to hold you back or slow you down or screw you up or get in your way ever again."

Aura began to melt into the crowd, her sister's figure growing hazy in the distance.

"You'll be better off without me anyways."