Simple Unicycle
Izurich
Morden ManTHOR AND STAR-LORD
IN
GIMME SHELTER
The galaxy swam around Thor as he went from point to point, triangulating the location of the nearest Asgardian cache. He used the old way of triangulating the stars, as the Asgardian wayfarer of old. The mortals' computers were impressive, and allowed them to travel in ways Thor had never thought they would be able to obtain. But they still missed the finer details of how the galaxy worked. As always, they were far more interested in how quickly they could do things, rather than doing them correctly.
He studied intently until it clicked for him. The nearest cache was not far at all, and, even better, it held a weapon he was intimately familiar with.
"Finally some good tidings," Thor smile=d to himself. "It is time to begin the hunt."
As he turned to leave the observatory, however, a small tremor seemed to shake the entire station. He steadied himself as Cosmo appeared once again before him.
<Come, god,> the dog's voice permeated Thor's consciousness. <Zhe station is under attack.>
"What foul being would attack a civilian space port!?" Thor raged at the injustice.
<We don't know,> Cosmo grunted. <And that's one of the problems. They jumped in before we could muster our defenses. Our guns can keep the capital ship at bay, but they've dispatched landing ships that have slipped by them.>
"Good," Thor smiled.
<Ve have very different definitions of good,> the do looked at the God of Thunder with confusion.
"If there was no landing party, there would be none to fall by my hands," Thor's smile widened. "And what's the point of a battle if that happens?"
<You need help,> the dog barked. <But if we're going to survive, we'll probably need you.>
"Aye," the god nodded. "I require a weapon."
<Follow me.>
**********
The alarms that began blaring through Knowhere nearly shook Quill out of bed. The pink Kree woman beside him stirred with a fright. He motioned for her to stay in bed as he stood and moved over to the station information screen located in the room. When he turned it on, he quickly found out the situation.
Turning back to her, he asked, "You have somewhere safe to go?"
"Yes, why?" she asked with a tinge of panic in her voice.
"The station is under attack, get there as fast as you can," Quill warned as he made sure his Element Guns were primed for battle. "I've got a job to do."
Peter Quill was nothing if not impetuous. He desired wealth like all pirates, but there was a heroic streak in him. What he desired more than anything in the galaxy was fame. He wanted people to know his name. He wanted them to be in awe of him. Up until this point, that wasn't working out too well, to say the least. But saving the people of Knowhere from some sort of attack? Instant fame for sure.
He twirled his guns and holstered them on his hip, flung his Ravager duster on, and pressed the universal translator unit on his ear, which instantly unfolded and covered his face in a protective mask.
"Time for the legend of Star-Lord to grow!"
With that he kicked open the window, fired his rocket boots, and soared towards battle.
**********
Thor felt the weight of the two Thanagarian swords Cosmo had provided him. They weren't the kind of weapon he'd usually gravitate towards, but they would do in a pinch. Sadly, they were not made of the race's famed Nth Metal. Those would have been a bounty worth celebrating. But in his current state, he could not complain. They would help him fight, and, considering his recent history, he could have used a good one of those.
"Does thou knowest who attacks the station?" he asked the psychic dog as he left the station's armory testing the swing of the swords in his hand. Yes, they would do.
<No,> the dog sounded worried. <Our records don't have a read on zhe larger ship or zhe troop transports. I vas actually hoping you could give us a hint.>
The two of them strode into Knowhere's command center, where aliens of all the different races that called the station home scurried about frantically. Cosmo motioned towards the large hologram in the center of the room, and what Thor saw chilled him to the bone.
There, floating in front of him, was a curved dagger of a ship, which he knew was partially organic. It looked like a wasps nest, with layers of meteoric metals and organic clay folded over top of one another in layers.
"Impossible," he hissed at the sight. "It cannot be."
<Vell it is,> Cosmo retorted. <I take it this is not a happy sight?>
"Aye," Thor nodded grimly. "Those are Chitauri cruisers. The Chitauri were conquering parasites, feeding off one world before moving to the next. They were a powerful fighting force."
<Vere?>
"Aye, my father and I fought what we believed to be the last of their kind defending an Asgardian stronghold," Thor was lost in time, thinking back to that day. He missed his father now more than he had in any moment since Ragnarok. "At least I believed it so."
<Vell, bad news,> Cosmo deadpanned. <You vere wrong.>
"I can see that, dog," Thor gritted his teeth. "But they will not escape this time."
The God of Thunder stormed out onto the streets of Knowhere. Around him the panicked citizens raced for somewhere to find shelter. He could see the defenses of the station firing out towards the cruiser, keeping it from getting close enough to do damage. But he also saw the smaller troop transports making it through the fire, at least some of them. He could see the Knowhere security forces bracing for the troops.
Screams, yelling, and crying filled his ears. Lesser beings would cower at such a situation. Mortal men would have fear in their hearts. But not Thor. Thor felt alive in moments like this. He thirsted for battle.
Raising the swords above his head, he let out a massive war cry.
"CHITAURI! I WOULD HAVE WORDS WITH THEE!"
