Sarka Forestry
Sarka, Tilnast Star System, Milky Way Galaxy

General K’rs walked into the centre of the clearing. A semblance of sunlight shimmered across his dark blue skin, causing it to sliver and glisten like water before it was eclipsed by a dark shadow. Looking skyward with his beady eyes he tilted his hat, his mouth fell slightly ajar.

“Gods,” he murmured inaudibly.

Darker silhouettes of ships covered the sky and an all too real tragedy came to pass as the bombs were launched.

As a soldier his first instinct was to fight and to protect his people but he knew better. That wasn’t what they needed, they needed help. Turning on his heel as he dodged a crater created by a bomb he made his way into the thick of the blue leafed forest, he could see the observation tower ahead of him. General K’rs became aware of the alien’s that followed him briskly.

Rushing into the building he slammed the door and locked it, leaning with his back against it he felt his heart beating heavily.

WHAT IS AND WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE

Part I: Guardians

By Gavin McMahon

Market Place, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

Bright green energy flowed openly in the Market Place and before long the four figures appeared in a line on the decking pad of the severed Celestial head’s port. Fully reformed and slightly shocked that they could be Knowhere, and the true meaning of his message finally came to Major Victory, and he understood a bit further why he had come back in time. A bit was better than nothing.

It was something of a shock to Persephone to see that they were all crouched over when she turned to face them.

“Is something the matter?” she enquired.

Major Victory lifted his hazel eyes to face her.

“It was a bit uncomfortable,” he replied as he forced a smile on his face. “Thanks though, you got us out of a tight spot.”

Debrief Log: Major Victory
(Vance Astro, Time-Displaced Human, Psychokinesis and Combat Genius)

“Really,” he began. “What else was I meant to tell her? I couldn’t say how it really felt. No. Can you imagine if I told her it was a vomit inducing procedure?”

Sitting cross legged with his costume on but the mask off, the attractive man looked away from the camera trying not to concentrate on it too hard. It had been a painful process and he was still reeling from it.

“Believe me,” he continued. “She may have the face of an angel but damn, that girl has a temper.”

Market Place, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

He tried to straighten up and for the most part he managed to force himself upright as he patted her on the shoulder.

“We were never properly introduced,” spoke Beta Ray Bill as he looked towards the two females.

Introductions seemed to be something determined not to happen as a smash was heard from the far corner of the Market Place.

Glass was flung outwards into the crowd as a projectile plummeted through the window. Major Victory’s eyes were wide when he realised what the projectile had been.

Debrief Log: Major Victory
(Vance Astro, Time-Displaced Human, Psychokinesis and Combat Genius)

“I do consider myself quite an open-minded person,” the man began. “I come from a time where aliens are in power.”

He looked slightly confused as he rubbed his chin searching for the right way to phrase it. It was clear that he was wondering if there was even a politically correct way to phrase it, or if political correctness even mattered in space.

“I hadn’t been expecting,” he thought for a moment longer before he continued, “an anthropomorphic raccoon.”

Market Place, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

Landing in a small pile, the raccoon lifted himself to his feet just as his attacker came through the doors.

It was a large, brutish alien with blue skin and four incredibly muscular arms. Major Victory looked at it with awe as it came from Starlin’s. It seemed to have a bit of an advantage on the small, furry and fragile looking raccoon.

Nevertheless, the raccoon rushed forward pouncing just as the alien swung for him. While the alien’s arms folded around himself, the raccoon landed on its head and knocked him stumbling forward. Jumping off as the alien collapsed the raccoon landed on his feet before turning and drawing his weapon.

“Are you willing to put your money were your mouth is?” grinned the raccoon as he directed the weapon at his opponent.

The brute glared at him, but walked off. Returning to the somewhat safer environment of the bar.

“The raccoon is a bit of a spitfire,” chortled Major Victory unaware that Rocket’s ears had spiked at the word ‘raccoon’.

Persephone’s emerald eyes danced as she watched the raccoon with pouted lips and an endless curiosity. Over three million years living and she still found wonder and amazement in the things she couldn’t discover in Hades.

“Or a troublemaker,” pointed out Beta Ray Bill as he addressed the others. “Why are we here, Major?”

It caught the blue-suited man off guard.

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly before continuing. “But it brings back memories. I’m not sure why I needed you here.”

“That makes the goal rather defunct,” retorted Beta Ray Bill as he folded his arms, Stormbreaker hanging by his side.

He hated to have his time wasted, and now he stood in an unknown location in space with no idea why he was there. Bill couldn’t see a constructive ending occurring anytime soon, he had foolishly followed an amnesiac stranger, a former Avenger and a mysterious sorceress into space and it was out of character for him to be so foolish but he had come to the conclusion in recent days that he could no longer sit around and wait for Surtur to strike. He needed to make his mark and the only way to do that was to fight for something.

To believe in something.

An alien construct, Bill hadn’t been born. He had been a creation to act as the saviour to the Korbinite race and that one detail in his life, being a protector against Asgard, had led him to where he stood today.

“This one may not know why we are here,” announced Mantis as they turned to face her.

Mantis felt uneasy as all the attention rested squarely on her shoulders, an unusual personality trait for a former prostitute to feel considering her lifestyle thrived on attention. The room made her pale green skin almost more entrancing and her long black hair rested over her shoulders before falling down between her shoulder blades. Her eyes watched them, void of emotion.

“Something on this ship is almost…” she paused as she searched for the word and with some uncertainty she continued, “…nuclear.”

As the four of them turned into a circle facing on another, they failed to notice Rocket Raccoon walking around them through the crowd.

“What do you mean?” enquired Major Victory.

“There’s an extremely powerful source on this… ship,” Mantis answered as she looked into the masked face of her self-proclaimed leader. “This one is not sure of what it could be but this one is aware of where it can be found.”

“Is it worth the time?” asked Persephone as she folded her seemingly delicate, ivory white arms.

“It could be the reason we’re here,” Bill reminded her as he looked at her momentarily, finding himself entranced.

Standing still only a short distance away, Rocket listened into their conversation with curiosity but also with anxiety as he feared they’d been rumbled.

“It could be something we shouldn’t be involved with,” countered the Goddess tartly.

“Where is it?” ordered Major Victory as he moved to stand between the two of them before an argument started.

Staring at her three companions she answered. “Follow me.”

Debrief Log: Rocket Raccoon
(Rocket Raccoon, Evolved Mammal, Tactical and Demolition Expert)

“Well that is was it,” spoke the fuzzy warrior. “I mean I thought the gig was up. They could’ve been agents of the Shi’ar Imperium for all I knew.”

After a few attempts he had managed to situate himself fully on the designated chair, which he found rather uncomfortable. He wasn’t a camera shy kind of person, but there had been an initial awkwardness to the process.

“So when they went to search for it, what else could I do?”

Market Place, Knowhere
The Rip, Edge of the Universe

Mantis led the way and the other three fell into step as the moved through the crowd.

“You never introduced yourself,” said the Korbinite as he held out his hand too her.

“Persephone,” she replied to him with a smile.

Instead of shaking his hand, Persephone held hers daintily towards him as her wrist was slanted slightly. He took her hand and he kissed it, with a strange expression on his face. It was a peculiar response to a greeting but he guessed she was used to being treated like a princess.

“Bill.”

They turned from each other and followed the others.

Abandoned Sector, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

Arthur Sampson Douglas was not the man he would ever have thought he’d be.

Not that he could really remember who he was but the setting of his new life was more than enough to confirm that suspicion. Reaching a faintly green-skinned hand out towards what seemed like a long forgotten computer, he rubbed his hand across what could only be described as the ‘keyboard,’ moving back as the dust sifted upwards and outwards.

His pale eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder.

She was the spitting image of someone he had never expected to see again, at least not in this life time. ‘Yvette Douglas’ had been his wife and his lover, his life partner. Even in death she was his one and only. Even in amnesia she rang clear.

“Yvette,” he stuttered.

“Although I may appear in the image of your wife, Drax the Destroyer,” said the somewhat metallic, monotonic voice. “I am not the being known as Yvette Douglas.”

“Then who are you?” demanded the green skinned human, aggression tearing through his very words.

“My name is SHEILA,” replied the woman, although the term could be used loosely.

SHEILA had shoulder length black hair and she wore an orange body suit, something similar to what a prisoner would be seen in. Her eyes were blank and emotionless, a foggy white colour. It took him a moment longer to realise that she had been telling the truth. When her body shimmered like a broken connection, disappearing and reappearing a moment later it was clear she was nothing but a holograph.

Arthur’s eye’s drifted back to the computer which he realised was now on.

“I have a message,” SHEILA remarked before she disappeared.

Sirens blasted and echoed around the base as he jumped away from the computer.

“What…?” he muttered before he was cut off.

Mantis entered first, leading the way.

The beautiful green skinned woman stopped at the door as she looked directly into his eyes, moving past him and into the room she stood before the computer. Briefly, she looked over her shoulders but her concentration fell solely on the machine.

Major Victory followed in after her but he was less dismissive of Arthur and he stopped and examined him. His eyes narrowed. He wore a blue bodysuit that covered every part of his body.

Sirens halted and all eyes where on Mantis, as SHEILA reappeared behind her.

“It has a brainwave,” she indicated towards the computer.

Debrief Log: Mantis
(Amanda Powell, Celestial Madonna, Empath, Telepath, Pyrokinetic among others)

“This one finds it quite bizarre.”

Mantis pouted as she looked into the camera. Never before had she come across a creation that was so obviously mechanical, and made by some form of a man yet garnered the life force of a living creature. There was omnipresence to the machine and she couldn’t understand it.

“It’s a difficult situation for sure.”

She had never been fond of the unknown.

Abandoned Sector, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

Beta Ray Bill and Persephone entered the room.

“But it is a machine,” replied Persephone. “I know I do not have a lot of experience with the world of technology but they are not living organisms.”

“This one sensed a power source in this room,” Mantis informed them. “The man beside Major Victory.”

She indicated with her eyes before continuing.

“It wasn’t until this one entered this room that a second brain wave became evident.”

“You’re saying this was from the computer?” Beta Ray Bill enquired.

“Yes.”

“Who is this man then?” Major Victory said. “Introduce yourself.”

Arthur looked taken aback and was just about to speak when he was interrupted.

The small raccoon tumbled into the room.

“He’s no one important,” it chirped as he stood between Arthur and Major Victory.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Major Victory retorted as he pushed the raccoon from his way.

Rocket tumbled to the sides as he fell against Persephone’s legs. Instead of aiding the creature she looked at him with distaste and moved away. Beta Ray Bill leaned forward and lifted Rocket to his feet, who then shrugged him off indignantly.

“My name is Arthur Sampson Douglas,” answered a slightly confused Drax.

“Drax the Destroyer,” whispered Mantis as she narrowed her eyes, obviously having entered the mind of the man.

“Don’t,” warned Rocket as he pulled a gun to her.

In a matter of seconds all three of her comrades were in the defensive position around her.

“Now,” he quickly added. “There’s no need to start anything.”

“You started this,” drawled the Goddess. “Animal.”

Tensions rose between them all.

“There is one outstanding message. Would you like to receive?”

“Uhm,” Mantis began, finally catching an awareness of the situation.

“Yes,” replied Major Victory abruptly.

The other three stood down as the computer screen crackled to life.

A blue-skinned almost amphibian-like creature appeared. He was hairless and he looked both fearful and flustered. There was an almost forest-like area behind him. The leaves of the trees were a light shade of blue opposed to the traditional green.

“Hello,” screeched a voice in an unknown language but subtitles appeared on the bottom of the screen before them.

It was easily assumed that these were the workings of the holographic woman.

“My name is General K’rs of the planet Sarka in the Tilnast Star System,” he continued. “I call for help. We have been breached an assailant of unquestionable destruction. For now only the outer reaches of the planet have been taken. The cities remained unharmed but it is only a matter of time.”

There was a smashing noise from the alien’s left, and the large glass window behind him seemed to implode in around him.

“Please.”

No sooner had the last words left his lips than two hideous purple creatures descended upon him. They devoured him, tearing skin from bone and organs from body before finally one looked at the screen and launched in at it.

White static filled the computer screen.

“That was…” started Beta Ray Bill but he was unable to finish.

“Intense,” finished Major Victory.

As the screen went black, the black haired woman returned.

“Any appearance but that,” Drax warned her in little more than a hiss, as he rattled from the sights he’d seen.

Rocket’s eyes were on him, and because of this he noticed that so were the green woman’s.

“What’s important,” she said in a slight whisper. “Is what we intend to do with this information?”

She looked towards Major Victory; for all intents and purposes she regarded him as the authority in this cosmic adventure. Mantis herself had an extensive history in space but for now she was happy to leave the responsibility to someone else.

“Is there any reason that it has to be our problem?” Persephone enquired.

“We alone saw the distress signal,” Beta Ray Bill replied. “If nothing else, that has now tied us together. This is our responsibility.”

“By ours you mean?”

“All of ours, my furry little comrade,” replied the Korbinite warrior.

Rocket moved closer to Drax as he watched the unlikely group before him. He had just hopped off from one intergalactic adventure, alongside the Starjammers, and now he had been hurtled into another. It wasn’t that Rocket was a reluctant hero, he was happy to fight for the freedom of any race that required help but he didn’t like the sounds of that video or what he’d seen those creatures do?

“That’s what I was worried about.”

Debrief Log: Rocket Raccoon
(Rocket Raccoon, Evolved Mammal, Tactical and Demolition Expert)

Rocket sat quietly for a moment as he collected himself. Deep breaths both in and out were used as a calming technique.

“I would like to know how I manage to find myself in this situation so often,” he said, obviously exasperated. “I must have a homing beacon or something.”

Abandoned Sector, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

“Look,” the Goddess rendered all attention on her. “I know why we are here. We are here to be the heroes and to help those less fortunate but where is here? We do not know anything of these species, or how best to rid the planet Sarka of them.”

There was a temporary silence.

“It would be ignorant and fool hardy to rush in without thinking.”

“She has a point,” replied Major Victory, ignoring the look on Persephone’s face at being referred to as ‘she’. “But so has Bill. You all saw what was going on there. We don’t have time to sit around and read up on our foes, it’s not like we have a name.”

“They are the Uncreated, a savage and atheist race of aliens from the outer reaches of the galaxy,” replied SHEILA.

“Now we do,” Major Victory gave a goofy smile in reply.

“We have a name and not much more,” Bill reminded him. “Still, we cannot leave the planet Sarka in peril.”

“Some of us can go, and the others will stay,” finalised Major Victory. “I mean, Mantis is a telepath so we can communicate and get whatever information on this species we need.”

“And what about when that team is waiting?” enquired the elegant Mantis as she walked towards him. “What will they do if faced with these so called, Uncreated?”

“Brute force.”

“Now that is what I call a plan,” Persephone replied, her voice laced to the core with sarcasm.

Major Victory ignored her.

“It is the best we have under these circumstances,” Beta Ray Bill nodded in agreement.

“I still disagree,” muttered the Goddess as she folded her arms.

Persephone’s long hair fell over her shoulders as she moved her body to stand entirely upright, the green dress flowed gently.

“That’s why you’re heading up the research team,” he said to her somewhat smugly, a facial expression that wasn’t evident underneath his suit. “And because I can’t be bothered listening to you.”

His inaudible whisper was almost heard as Persephone leaned forward.

“Excuse me?” she droned with suspicion in her emerald eyes.

Debrief Log: Persephone
(Persephone, Olympian Goddess, Olympian Attributes, Electrokinetic, Geokinetic and a Sorceress)

“How dare he?”

She sat back in her chair with her arms crossed, but she burst forward with vigour and a passion that wouldn’t have been thought possible from the young goddess who drawled her way with through life, perpetually bored.

“I am a Goddess,” she said somewhat arrogantly. “Does he not realise whom he is addressing? First he refers to me as ‘she’ and now I am regarded as hard work and unnecessary so I am stranded here in space.”

As she leaned on her knees, creasing her green dress she panted and blew a strand of her hair from her face. Persephone knew she was being melodramatic but she didn’t care. She felt angry and she was going to injure Major Victory the next time he made a snarky remark.

She could turn him into a toad with a simple spell if she had wanted.

Abandoned Sector, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

“Persephone and Beta Ray Bill will be our eyes on the knowledge,” he declared.

“Why me?” replied an indignant Beta Ray Bill, upon discovering he was on the bench.

“Honestly? To keep an eye on her. Don’t worry, if we need you we’ll call for you,” he replied hastily.

Debrief Log: Beta Ray Bill
(Korbinite Warrior, Superhuman Enhancements, Regeneration and possessor of Stormbreaker)

Smashing the Stormbreaker into the ground as the Korbinite placed both hand atop of it, using it as a pillar to support his heavy, muscular frame.

“I am a warrior, I was created for battle and now he has me doing research?”

Growling with the intensity of his indignity, Bill glared ahead of him.

“This will not stand. I do not just sit back and do nothing and it will never happen again.”

Abandoned Sector, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

Major Victory moved towards the towering man and the raccoon. “What do you two do?”

“He means are you gifted?” Mantis replied as she walked towards them.

Rocket motioned to Arthur to remain in silence.

“I myself am quite adept with weaponry,” he replied with a toothy smile. “I’ve heard my friend here is quite the powerhouse.”

“You’ve heard?” enquired Mantis as she eyed up Arthur.

Her query was unheard as Major Victory continued.

“Okay. So it’s decided. I will be taking Mantis, Arthur and the Raccoon.”

“Rocket.”

Eying him with annoyance he continued. “Mantis, Arthur and Rocket the Raccoon to Sarka for field study. Persephone and Beta Ray Bill will remain here with the computer and try and get us background. There’s bound to be something on it.”

The holographic woman returned in a flash. This time she had the appearance of a black woman with an afro of black curls and pouted lips. She wore a strangely white lab coat and a mini-skirt. Mantis recognised her as Monica Rambeau.

“Where you in my head?” she snapped at the machine. Mantis had met Monica on one of her many run-ins with the Avengers.

“Not now,” Major Victory calmed the situation before turning the holograph. “Can you help us with information?”

She looked at him blankly for a moment.

“SHEILA is capable of answering any request Vance Astro may have,” replied the holograph.

Major Victory turned away hastily.

It was eerily creepy that that machine seemed to be able to access brains.

“Now we just need to get there,” he said as he rubbed his chin.

“I could always…”

“No.”

Persephone sighed heavily at the rebuff and walked closer to the door.

“If you need a means of travel, the dock has a teleportation bay near the rear quarters,” SHEILA informed them.

“Perfect,” Major Victory smiled broadly. “If you weren’t an image I’d make love to you.”

There was an awkward silence.

“Will you lead the way SHEILA?” Mantis deflected from the situation.

“Of course,” replied the machine. “Follow me.”

SHEILA simply disappeared and left them wondering how they would follow her.

It was Arthur who first noticed the flashing lights as they turned on in the hallway. One by one they followed the direction the holograph had been suggesting.

Teleportation Bay, Abandoned Sector, Knowhere
The Rip, End of the Universe

“And this is the teleportation bay,” SHEILA greeted them upon their arrival. “Originally used to send packages from dock to dock, it has been abandoned since Knowhere’s commercial decline.”

“Who would’ve thought,” Major Victory thought out loud. “A recession in space.”

It was a large ovular room. Crates and boxes were stacked along the silver, metallic walls of the room. It looked similar to a storage warehouse on earth, only it was considerably cleaner despite the dust.

“Do we have the co-ordinates?” called Mantis from a circular podium.

“Sarka in the Tilnast Star System,” the robot echoed as she ushered them towards the large circular pads in the flooring.

Everyone but Persephone and Beta Ray Bill boarded the circular pads, both of which stood behind SHEILA. It was the touching departure scene that would be expected from a team but they were still a young team, still unsure about how the blended together and who they were as individuals.

With a glare of blinding blue light, the four upon the pads disappeared.

Sarka Imperium
Sarka, Tilnast Star System, Milky Way Galaxy

With a glare blinding blue light, the four heroes found themselves standing in the middle of a seemingly tranquil city but they knew the darkness that rested on its borders.