exsilium | 1☆ video; as soon as the network comes back up after transports arrive

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1☆ video; as soon as the network comes back up after transports arrive

[It's been a long time since he's had to think about this. Peter hasn't been an astronaut in years, and at some point he just became so used to space that he didn't even think about how to adapt to all the changes anymore.

So here he is: one very tired looking man, with a chipped mug full of coffee, and a well-worn uniform, because he's got to do something and space is his thing and somebody's got to do something to help, and the person to do something has always been him.]

So, to start this whole thing off, I guess I'd better introduce myself. My name is Peter Quill. I'm the Star-Lord, and the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. I don't expect you to have heard of us around here, what with all the many wonderful alternate universe options available. But we're very much around, and we're going do whatever we can to get some of this mess fixed up.

[Swear to god Gamora and Adam you had better not dare contradict him on that.]

Before I was the Star-Lord, though, I used to be an astronaut. Our space base was a little bit fancier than this, when I was around, but it was pretty much the same set-up, so I figured I would offer up some advice on how to deal with living in a place like this.

First, you might have noticed the moon doesn't abide by Earth hours anymore. Really try to make yourself keep to them anyway, because otherwise you're going to be in for a really rough ride and we'll probably run out of coffee way before the week's out. Repair guys, if we could maybe get something running to simulate a natural cycle, that would help a lot.

[Not that he even notices it anymore. One reason for all that coffee: he's been so many places that his system is probably fucked for good.]

You might have noticed that this place is technically really small. You may start to feel a little bit cramped, or start sleeping a lot, or start getting really paranoid that your roommate might be stealing your stuff or trying to kill you in your sleep. That's called cabin fever, and if you think you have it, try to get the hell out of here and take some kind of mission that gets you back on Earth, because you're doing nobody any favors trying to tough it out or pretend it's not happening. Especially since we're all going to be here for the foreseeable future.

[He can't really pretend he's happy about that, either, but at least he's used to having no privacy and living in close quarters with other people by now. Even people he kind of hated! It's amazing what you can get used to.]

Oh, and all that freeze-dried food is going to get really old, really fast. I'm not kidding. That crap is awful. Trust me, you will get sick of it so fast you won't even believe it was possible. So whoever ends up being responsible for restocking supplies, I beg you to try to get anything that lasts that's not that.

[Pause, for a dramatic sip of coffee.]

If you've got anything else you're worried about, feel free to come ask me about it. I'll be around.

Adam, Gamora- we're going to try to set up base in the first convenient reclaimed space there is, so until then we're gonna have to operate out of someone's bedroom. And so help me Gamora, if you left behind that coffee pot, it's on you to replace it. I don't care if it might not even work, it's the principle of the thing.

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And established a functioning space station, where I come from. But the galaxy is a lot bigger than just getting out to Neptune We'd already had the Kree breathing down our necks long before that, and Hala is a long, long ways off from planet Earth. [Not that it's easy to say just how far. What does the distance matter when you're operating with teleport capabilities and warp drives and basically living in the age of Star Trek? Unless you're on Earth.] Not that it's ever stopped them from trying to get their hands on it or something or other. I keep thinking they're gonna give up, and it turns out they never do.

Sorry, that's probably not relevant to you at all. Point being, we've always had a little ways to catch up, no matter how many geniuses we've got. [Not that he remembers why he was trying to make that point.]

[A faint, sympathetic smirk. She knows from stubborn aliens.] It's amazing, how many people want Earth for something or other.

[Then she shakes her head.] Everything is relevant eventually.

Well, it's not as though there's not a reason for it. When a species that young starts packing loads of proverbial heat that fast, people are bound to take notice. Also it's kind of a strategically positioned galaxy in relation to the other empires? Everybody has good reason to think it might be useful, if it weren't for the threat of humans hanging around.

[He shrugs, grinning slightly.] Can't really disagree with that line of thinking. I was just trying to spare you my tendency to break with my ordinarily laconic nature when we get on subjects like this.

[As though he's ever been brief or not prone to talking endlessly in his life.]

Damn those pesky humans. [She says it quite proudly. Humanity is a lot of things, many of them horrible, but they're resilient.]

And, please, I'm have it up to here with laconic.

Give it up, humanity, nobody needs you fending off galactic armies and cosmic abstracts around here.

[He might not live there anymore, but he's got a lot of appreciation for how Earth can kick some ass.]

Fair enough. So what do you want to know?

Yet. [Vigilance.]

Well, it sounds like there's been a ton of alien interaction. How has that impacted things?

Positively or negatively?

Both.

And I'm going to guess it's not that clear-cut anyway.

It never is. But I'll give it a shot, since you asked so nicely.

On the one hand, Earth's earned itself a pretty favorable impression in terms of being somebody you don't really want to mess with, and that's not a bad thing. It's good to know what's out there and that when they finally make it out past their own galaxy, they're not necessarily going to get immediately crushed underneath the heel of one of the big empires.

On the other, repeated invasions and constant meddling around aren't exactly doing Earth any favors on a couple of levels. There's this strategically placed planet, that everyone has a reason to want for some or other, and it's populated by a species just as aggressive as the rest of the universe churning out superheroes like it's going out of style. And I don't know what your Earth is like, but where I come from, it's like a magnet for all kinds of weird madness. I mean, considerably more so than the rest of the universe, though honestly you can't trip over a mining colony out in space without discovering something off the charts strange. A lot of people are worried about the kind of firepower Earth is packing in terms of its heroes, and its tendency to attract attention, and whether or not Earth is safe for the rest of the universe, you know? People are paying attention. Not everybody thinks humans are a great idea in the long term. And the problem too is now they know they're not alone, but they're vulnerable to attack without being able to go out there and retaliate. Humans as a civilization haven't reached the point where they can even start colonizing the rest of their own galaxy. It's not clear what kind of effect that's going to have, in the long run.

Of course, having said all this, one galactic civilization mucking around with another in the younger stages of development is practically a universal staple, so this isn't anything new. It's just happening so much faster on Earth, because humans are a young species, comparatively, and they're picking up power a lot faster than everyone else did.

[Barbara leans forward, slightly, brow furrowing as she listens. Finally, she nods.]

Mine isn't so different, no - and I've heard that we're...prodigies, so to speak. [A wry, fleeting smile.] I've heard "too big for your britches", too.

I can understand the wariness. We've got a lot of power and not a lot of ways to contain it. Fortunately our heaviest hitters right now are on the side of the angels, but god knows how long that'll last.

Sounds like something the Kree would say, if they went in for figures of speech.

[He shrugs, slightly rueful smile.]

That's the current worry, yeah. It doesn't help that the universe has gotten its ass kicked repeatedly of late, and all the galactic empires are pretty twitchy for the first sign of trouble and caught up in the idea that someone might think they're weak. The universal rule is scared people make stupid decisions, no matter where you come from.

And here I was hoping more advanced species would have gotten over that. [Okay, no, not really.]

Does Earth have any stratagems in place?

People are gonna be people, no matter where you look. If there's some kind of philosophical enlightenment they're meant to be reaching, I'm pretty sure none of us are ever going to get there. [And that includes Earth.]

Probably. You'd do better asking the Invisible Woman about that, though. I'm of the opinion that the Guardians have got bigger problems than checking in on Earth, and none of us are super, uh, gung-ho to head in that direction. They're pretty good at looking after themselves without our help.

[A slight nod.] Makes sense, with a whole universe to look after. How many of you are there?

Guardians or people from a place where we actually exist? Because there were- [It's only a slight hitch, there, because it's so very much were these days.] - twelve Guardians, but only three of us here, and uh...at least two people who know what I'm talking about who I've never met before until now. [Cable and the Invisible Woman, that is.]

[She catches that, and her expression flickers - grim sympathy, showing for an instant - but she doesn't comment.]

That's a big task for twelve people.

[It's an open wound that's probably never going to heal properly. He got people killed. There is no way not to think of it as all his fault. Even if it's not like he twisted Adam's arm into resurrecting his evil future or ordered Phyla to betray them all.]

They're the people I knew I could count on when the lights went out.

[And he didn't have anyone else to ask.]

I have some of those. [Her voice is softer, now.] Lost some, too.

[Can't talk about this can't talk about this can't talk about this.]

That's how the job goes, isn't it? You move on.

[Peter the amount of shit you're full of...]

[A low, wry laugh.] Or so we tell ourselves.

[Yeah okay, there are officially too many feelings happening here.] How's your team here?

Alive, grumpy, and bored. It'll be a miracle if Adam doesn't run off to the other side of Jupiter to brood before the month's out.

[Adam he loves you but you're a disaster.]

Oh, you got one of those? [She's smiling again, dryly amused.] We left our biggest brooder at home.

I think he's the king of those guys. He has three moods- sulking, brooding, and angry. And despite all our best attempts to teach him something like humor he doesn't seem to be capable of anything else.

Ours learned how to smile, but I'm not sure he likes it.

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1☆ video; as soon as the network comes back up after transports arrive

everything has always happened but it doesn't make sense

what do you mean all that totally happened in one year

good job comics it all makes total sense now

yes that you ever so for clearing that up

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