01. " A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
AND OTHER STAR SHENANIGANS. "

THE RUINS OF TUSULYC,
EIGHT YEARS LATER.

Fast footsteps rumbled through the eerie silence of Tusulyc's graveyard. Ashen skies calmed overhead, letting the crimson sun's rays follow the steps of a figure darting through the desolated hills. With each breath, Heize's lungs filled with the acrid taste of fine dust stirred whenever her feet touched the ground.

She was sprinting with desperate urgency, yet there was excitement bubbling within as she could've been the one finding the last part needed to get them out of there.

Her racing heartbeat was louder enough to drown out the hurling creature she woke up by entering its nest. It was pretty dangerous, but if it meant leaving Tusulyc for good, Heize was willing to do everything (especially if the other person alive wasn't doing so well).

Out of nowhere its wings flapped, swirling a cloud of dust toward her, accidentally propelling her to the other side of the sinkhole. Heize barely made it as the impact crushed her chest. She climbed up with ragged gasps and spat the sand stuck on her tongue, not even thinking about resting.

With a graceful leap, she hurdled over half-buried wreckage that blocked her path. Her body momentarily burst into a shower of sparkling stars before reforming into her human form once more to slide down the hill to the valley.

"I've found it!" Heize cheered, approaching the campsite, "I've got the accumulator!" When no one was responding to her thrill, the big smile stuck on her lips disappeared.

"Dad?" She got worried, passing by the curtains used to block the specks of sand. She noticed a shadow lingering near the ship structure.

"Dad!" Heize rushed to Wraith to grab him around the waist to support his balance, helping him to sit down. Ever since the explosion, he had strange symptoms as if his body was slowly but surely preparing itself for another starburst. "I've told you to rest," the star-girl mumbled as she checked his temperature.

Heize's hands turned purple once she touched his forehead. She was absorbing the interstellar gas heating up every cell in his body, alleviating his pain. "What were you even thinking?" She handed him a bottle of solarcytrin juice to fight off the ignited throat.

"I just tweaked some screws, nothing more, I promise." Wraith declared between the gulps, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. It was an easy giveaway that he did more than he was supposed to.

"Yeah? And what's that?" Heize pointed at the replaced panel leaning against something that was once a pillar. "Stylistic choice?" She chuckled, setting aside the backpack she stole from one of the corpses she encountered along the way.

"Oh come on! I had to do something, the old one didn't even fit properly," Wraith sighed. He became a father figure too quickly to get used to it but he truly adored it. Well, not everything. He was glad she was taking care of him, but all that care was making him think that he was useless. "You can't expect me to do anything, Ze, In fact, the ship won't build itself—"

"What about now?" Heize's lashes fluttered.

She was holding a complex fluid accumulator slightly bigger than both of her palms. Heize raised it a bit as if she was clinging to a trophy. Her victor-like expression was surely brighter than the sun.

Seeing the long-lost part in her hands forced Wraith to stand up. "Where did you get it?" His eyes flashed with relief rather than happiness. There were tears forming in his eyes he didn't even try to hide.

"Remember when you told me to not get near the facilities? Specifically the one on the east side that got infested?"

"Yeah. Why?"

She just smiled.

Heize's cheeks were rosier than usual. Of course, he was angry a little bit, but having a kid like Heize who spoke only in honesty. She was beaming even after being pulled into a hug.

"Don't get too excited—" she uttered in a muffled whisper as he squeezed her too much, making it hard to breathe, "We have to test it out." Ze exhaled loudly once he released her. She didn't want to crush his dreams too soon but it was required. As a matter of fact, this was their last way out of this hell of a planet.

Once it was properly applied, and the lights on the console came on without mechanical overload, the stress dissipated and both had reason to celebrate. After years stranded on a Tusulyc -once serving as a star extraction center-, they were finally ready to leave the planet for good. You could see a shadow of worry being cast on Wraith's face. In truth, he didn't know what it would be like outside. He desperately hoped the universe hadn't changed a bit so that he could see the love of his life unharmed.

And if he and Heize were the only ones knowing Thanos was alive, they had to let the cosmos know.

"So where are we going? Home?"

"No... Not yet."

KNOWHERE,
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HQ.

The atmosphere crackled with excitement over the neon-lit heart of Knowhere. Distinct chatter and laughter could be heard from every corner of the bustling streets; especially the ones near the square. The outpost's karaoke bar was the number one place to stop after work even for the guardians.

Every time the galactic adventures turn to an end; they come to this place to either grab a drink or a few and just ponder about what they've accomplished; to discuss life in general. However, it always ended up with one of them grabbing the microphone and drunkenly singing the Earth's best tunes till the owner decided it was time to kick them out.

"So who's going to tell Drax that the point of the duet is to sing the parts assigned to him, not the whole thing?" Rocket blabbered while finishing a glass. He did his utmost not to lose his mind listening to that monstrosity but it just kept getting worse. He even felt bad for Mantis (which didn't happen that very often). She stood there on the stage and twirled to the melody of Don't Go Breaking My Heart, nibbling to get herself to sing but Drax didn't know where to stop. It almost appeared as if he was out of breath for a second.

The group sat in the booth far away from the podium, but not that far from the bar or exit. It was their favorite place to book, in fact, no one dared to sit there because if they did they would have to deal with the infamous guardians of the galaxy.

"No wait. Why is he kind of good?" Pearl (Peter's girlfriend) already lost the fight with the booze. With her ghost-like complexion and distant look (she had no visible pupils) no one was able to tell if she was actually not feeling good, on the other hand, she was on the right track of rebuilding her alcohol-immunity. The Melusine-speaking blue-haired diva lay on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"You mean awful," Quill scrunched his nose at the remark and also at the pungent smell of the mysterious liquor he ordered from the menu.

"Hey, don't be mean! Not everyone can have the voice of an angel like you," Amethystine's tiny voice yelled across the table. The Eutunian fairy was known for her inability to insult because she thought of everyone as fragile beings. Yes, she was a good medic, treating others' wounds but the ones on hearts were harder to take care of. One time she spent the whole day with Rocket just to learn the art of roasting and it didn't go well (she brought food to roast).

"Well, thank you, Ame. I've been taking extra lessons—"

"So what did you want to tell us?" Nebula's question was enough to stop his ego-boosting to talk about important things. Moreover, it was the reason why all of them met at this place.

Knowhere's favorite couple exchanged looks. Pearl's gaze was stuck on Peter for a while as if she was asking for permission to talk about their plans. Later she fixed her posture and cleared her throat, "We've been thinking..."

"Oh no, here it comes." Rocket mumbled as he shook his head, ready to scratch the pregnancy he had written on their bingo card. They've been a couple for a long time not to think about having a baby. Combining the sizes of their egos would create an abomination.

"We've been thinking about taking off," Star-Lord was all smiles when he finished Pearl's thought. He put his hand around her shoulders, "We discussed it a lot these past months and me getting this great deal on Drekrun's ship was just a perfect sign to finally go for it."

There was something satisfying about his delivery. His smile got wider with every word, influencing everyone to join him. It made perfect sense even for Pearl as she worked hard to get her flying license finally fulfilling one of her biggest dreams.

"I am Groot!" Groot finally got back from his stop at a bar, successfully gathering everyone's order. His branches held multiple beverages, putting them down on the table. He heard just a shard of his conversation but he was able to show some support to his beloved friends. He was more than happy for them and Ame's eager nods were proof of agreement.

Something quivered in the air. Not Amesthystine's fairy wings moving on its own. It was something different. Perhaps it was the unease and uncertainty following their decision.

Rocket's ears drooped, "Are we breaking up?"

"Of course not, buddy," Pearl reassured him, "We'll be on the line if you need us." It broke her heart a little bit letting him think that way. She and Quill weren't the only ones making the Guardians of the Galaxy a thing. Rocket was usually the one taking the lead whenever something went wrong. "We just figured out it will help us to learn more about one another, and what we want in the future. We need space and you do too." She was not far from the truth; Bowie was getting a little bit crowded for their liking.

Nebula looked around, scanning their happy faces and giving a listen to the supportive reactions. She uttered one herself but all she heard was her thoughts that did their utmost to make her unwell. Drax and Mantis went to congratulate them as well after their song. It was a lot to take in.

"Excuse me," she muttered, going outside to clear her mind a little. Once she closed the door, everything quieted down, and finally gained control over her breathing. She didn't know how long she stood there just thinking and looking at nothing but she liked to imagine him being there.

Neb hadn't seen Wraith for ten months, he didn't even bother to respond to her messages. Did he even want to see her, after what she'd done to him?

"You okay?" Mantis popped out of the door, snacking on a skewer she got at the counter.

"Sure I am. Why wouldn't I?" Neb crossed arms on her chest. She didn't want to sound irritated as there were a lot of things running through her mind.

"I dunno," the bug-eyed shrugged. Neb tilted her head in confusion, wondering if she had more to say. "You seem bluer than usual," her lips smacked together at last.

"No, I don't." Nebula checked herself in the window's reflection just to be sure. She didn't know what Mantis' deal was but their causal conversation turned into a staring contest.

Thankfully Pearl came to the rescue.

"I need your help!"

Nebula had no idea that she would spend the evening like this—carrying poor Quill to the safety of his bedroom just because he didn't think twice about drinking. Pearl was going after them indistinctly sharing every piece of their love life. Just a few steps in, Neb learned all about their firsts, and by the time they entered the hallway she already knew how they would name their kids.

"I shouldn't be saying that out loud but I envy you a lot. Not having to deal with shit like this..." She stated, unintentionally raising her voice as she held the door open for them to enter their little kingdom. "You're so lucky!"

The strong smell of lavender punched Nebula in her nose. She was humming to everything she uttered in such a short amount of time. "And here I am, dealing with your mess," she sighed, putting Peter into bed. He snored a little when his back hit the soft mattress surface.

"That's why you're the best," Pearl's tongue twisted as well as her legs when she tripped over the rolled carpet. She burst out laughing, attempting to collect herself from the ground but each movement became harder. Squinting an eye, she looked like a rag doll. "Could you give me a hand?" She waved her hand before lying completely flat on the ground.

Nebula rolled her eyes.

Just as soon she moved, Quill unexpectedly grabbed her hand forbidding her from going away, believing it was his pearlescent girlfriend.

"I love you," he muttered from the middle of dreaming. It took a moment for Nebula to realize what just happened. She was staring at his stupid face before breaking loose from his not-so-tight grasp.

As might be expected, Pearl was watching the whole thing but instead of being angry, she felt this sudden wave of sadness. "You do miss Wraith a lot, don't you?" Pearl queried soft-spokenly. She mustered enough strength to pull herself up but the sorrow was still there.

The shadow prince definitely wasn't on Pearl's list of people she liked but she couldn't help but notice the way Nebula acted whenever they talked about falling in love or starting over. The mood always shifted in different directions.

Everyone was worried about her yet she claimed everything was alright. Guardians tried to believe her yet her behavior was telling something else and the fact they hadn't seen one another in a long time. All this time Pearl envisioned Nebula as a person incapable of loving, yet she was giving it to others the most, especially when they needed to be seen. Perhaps her becoming a people pleaser over the past months was a way to compensate for the loss—she never fully talked about. What happened then was a bigger mystery than how those two fell in love.

"I think we both know the answer..." Neb stood up mumbling, passing by the blue-haired on her way out, coldheartedly brushing against her shoulder, "Good night—!"

Suddenly her words were muffled. Something rumbled in the background. The whole building was shaking; until one of the walls broke and two streaks flew right out of it.

One golden.

One fuzzy.

Rocket?

His screams resounded the area as he was dragged out of his room by this unknown being. They flew right through the windows. The shards loudly exploded, waking up Peter from his nap. The pearlescent girl, all shaken up, searched for Nebula only to realize that they had taken her with them.

"—What the hell?!" Nebula shouted in the air before she hit the ground once she was caught up in free fall. Her head was spinning, unable to process what just happened but she knew one thing: Rocket was in danger.

She got herself back on her feet, running to get her gear. She was probably the only one who hadn't drunk that much and this may have been the reason why. Always be prepared, that's one of the rules she decided to follow as she joined the Guardians.

The golden streak -now entirely formed- successfully captured the target—their beloved raccoon.

Adam Warlock was holding Rocket as if he were a child that's ready to play with his favorite teddy bear. Truth be told, his fur's fluffy texture was still unknown to him thus he held him with the most pure disgust instead as his greyish hair was tickling his fingertips.

"Hey, dickhead!" Pearl yelled out of the window shooting a morphed force field out of her palm. The blueish bubble was the size of a tennis ball. It whizzed through the sky but it flew right past Adam's golden locks.

"Never mind," she stammered, quickly pulling Quill (who was still half snoozing) away from the window before the blond got angry.

Luckily, this quick-witted mistake was enough for Rocket to wriggle out of his grasp. "Where did you go, squirrel?" Adam expressed heavily, looking around as if he was hiding under his feet. With every look, his patience was at the brink of losing and his hands flared. The fiery blasts eventually were shot, once the corner of his eye caught a slight movement.

"On the ground!" The thickened air and a strange buzzing overhead were subdued by Neb's husky voice. Thanks to the new modification, she was able to hover in the air with the fuel-powered jetpack, a reimagination of angel wings. It was one of Rocket's new inventions, the other was her mechanical arm that turned into a destructive weapon.

Adam narrowed his eyes only to be blinded by an energy beam that was fired right at him. The impact of the gleam blasted him through a thick wall that crumbled afterward, doing its utmost to bury him below the ragged debris.

Nebula landed on the roof and stepped into the smoldering red smoke. The metal on her arm crackled to transform itself back. Cautious, she studied Adam standing up without any scratch, stumbling over the scattered junk. Emitting a shallow breath, he surprised Nebula by plowing into her, tackling her down the street far below.

People in the town square ran and screamed. As Nebula hit the ground and hissed with pain, the golden man stood over her, striking her severely with his fits. She groaned when one of them dislocated her jaw yet didn't feel much afterward. The scared-to-death crowd begged the warlock to leave her alone and he did eventually.

He picked her up like a feather by her belt and threw her right through a building.

Adam stepped aside, all upset, losing the target due to an unwanted fight. Suddenly, he was blasted to the dark sky with a nova-sourced blast. He was uncontrollably spinning in the air like a meteor before he was knocked by a passing high-speed ship.

"What was that?" Drax questioned, hearing a dull noise somewhere above his head. Even the uno cards almost fell out of his hands. He instinctively wanted to explore whatever was happening outside but everything (from what he had seen) seemed okay.

"Yellow," Mantis mumbled, totally focused on the game, laying down a color-switch card on the deck.

"Yellow?" Drax repeated, perplexed. "I'm pretty sure that's a color, not a sound."

The nose of the spacecraft pinned shrieking Adam against the metal structure and trailed him along.

The impact stirred the dust and scrap. Adam was squinting as the gust was blowing into his cheeks and ruffling his face. He was screeching, staring into the eyes of his death—the rainbow girl who piloted for the first time. Of course, Heize was screaming with him.

The ship stopped all of a sudden as flames flared at Adam's feet. He was strong enough to stop it for further movement.

He banged on the cockpit's window till it cracked.

The window busted open with shards flying everywhere. His hands were almost touching Heize's neck. She was scared but she didn't panic. Adam's eyes narrowed. In a trice, Heize smirked and burst into stars accompanied by a ship explosion to finalize her great escape.

Soon Knowhere was filled with sparkling dust falling from the sky, marking the fight as a victory.

The cloud of glittering stars and hues swished through the streets maneuvering between people trying to get to safety away from the flying ship remnants.

Wraith stared at his hands which were heated and pulsed with radiance from the breathing light living deep inside of him. Dazed, he stumbled moving toward a place where the love of his life was mercilessly thrown. He was determined to help Nebula despite feeling burning rushing its way out.

"Dad!"

The wind picked up.

"Did you see that?" Heize sounded more pumped than usual once she appeared in front of her dad, blocking his way to Neb. "I totally massacred that guy—!"

At least that's what she thought.

Heize's elbows dug into the clay as a result of being pushed to the ground. Her curls quivered as well as her mouth in confusion. Aiming at the prismgirl, Adam Warlock was forced to mow down her father instead as he voluntarily took her place.

Wraith was dragged backward. His feet sank into the ground creating a long continuous trail. Their tussle stirred up the particles, veiling them in a dust storm. The grime wore out with them stopped in the middle of it.

He groaned, doing his best to stop him.

Unfocused and quite weakened, Wraith missed a punch. Again. And again. His vision became a melange of blurs and flickerings. He staggered backward once Adam's hands turned into beams of light. He was trying to slice him through. Yet Wraith's maneuvers were brisk, Adam's beams were cutting the surroundings instead.

The buildings crackled and crumbled as the rays carved into them.

Adam was clenching his teeth when Wraith blocked the flares by crossing his forearms. The power of his glints collided with the prince's clothes and continued with his skin. The golden man's eyebrows furrowed, perplexed by his condition. The beams went off for a moment when the shadow prince overpowered him in the tug-of-war. Adam growled aloud to push himself beyond boundaries. Suddenly the beams charged up, hitting him eventually.

Knowhere was engulfed in a blinding flash.

Then a high-pressure wave of compressed air hit. The enormous blast pulled them apart with a booming sound reverberating at last.

The glare might've partially cleared out but the shock in blond's eyes remained. All beaten up Adam found it hard to get back on his feet among the rubble. He had to lean against the reeking ruins and the ashes that stuck to his fingers. He wanted to silently hooray but his crooked smile faded in an instant.

As the glittering mist dispersed amidst the wreckage of a market, he finally got to see the dark-haired scanning his arms once emitting signs of scarring caused by his light. Now it was gone.

Not on his watch.

Adam gathered the rest of his strength, even clearing out his throat louder than the awakening flames. He stepped forward slightly dragging his left leg behind and irregular breaths to mask out the susurrating beam-recharge.

He stepped closer but froze. It startled him so much that the charge went to waste. Adam grunted, feeling something burning sticking out of his chest.

He looked down.

"That hurts." He uttered, kind of unhinged with an expression that didn't describe pain at all. The attempt at a grimace looked more like a pout.

"What a pity," Nebula whispered gruffly behind his back. She withdrew the hand-blade and the man collapsed right in front of her.

"Dad!" Heize shouted. The rainbow girl skipped over the debris, running as fast as she could just to get to him. Her heart raced but was soon relieved, spotting him moving. "Here," she murmured, helping him to get back on his feet. He was a little beat up but that didn't matter because he would be always the hero (at least in her eyes). "You were amazing! You'd totally get him if she—"

Nebula stopped dead, finally getting a glimpse at the scar across his eye -the scar she did herself- but why was it a part of someone else's face? That could only mean one thing...

"Wraith?"

As you may see the time skip doesn't fully align with the guardians' POV
and I am going to explain that in the further chapters, so look forward to them!
Also, let me know if you liked this chapter <3 Any interaction will make my day!