01:37 AM
Budapest, Hungary
"I got eyes on the bogey. He's exiting the Aether's back entrance with a few of his entourage. Keep a close eye on him, Nat. Sam, Bucky, tail him until you can nab him. I'll provide cover from up here and hold off any interlopers who think they are daft enough to pursue an Avenger."
Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, surveyed Hydra agent Petr Marek, a Sokovian national, and a few of his personal security team walk out of one of Hungary's prestigious night clubs and slide into a sleek black Mercedes as he maintained contact with the three others that were operating on the same plan: to capture Marek. During his 5 year tenure as the vigilante Ronin, Hawkeye gathered information on rogues like Marek and hunted them down like dogs. This time, with the aid of the Winter Soldier, they would nab Hydra's few remaining operatives.
"Copy!"
Natasha Romanoff's voice came in as a black-clad figure on a motorcycle, identified as a Harley-Davidson Livewire, drove off after the glowing red taillights of their quarry's escape vehicle. Not long after, he spotted a head stick out of the open upper window on the second story, spilling some blue light onto the street. He could bet a thousand of his trick arrows that it was Zoltan Dalah, the Aether's owner whom they had suspected of knowingly harboring an international terrorist and being sympathetic to Hydra's cause. The Hungarian club owner then took out what appeared to be a handheld radio and started to speak into it.
"Not on my watch, scumbag."
The master archer drew an arrow and let it loose, piercing the radio and nailing it and Dalah's hand to the wall. Hawkeye only had time to hear the man cry out in a combination of shock, pain, and rage before he spotted a few mover trucks appear from the side streets and alleys to pursue Marek's van and the Avengers on his tail. Activating his comms, the archer contacted the rest of his teammates.
"Sam, Bucky, Nat! There is some unwanted company heading down your tail. Just a head's up. I will be joining you for the fun in a bit."
"Copy that, Clint!" His closest friend replied.
"Yeah, I got this!" The Falcon's voice came next.
It was Bucky's turn to pitch in. "Sounds like a good time alright."
As Clint Barton leapt from his hiding place and hopped over parked cars, he spotted a white and blue shape swoop down from the sky like a falcon and land on top of one of the trucks lit brightly by the city's lights. A smirk formed upon Hawkeye's lips as he leapt onto the roof of a banana-colored Suzuki Vitara stopped in traffic and made his way toward the trucks ahead by vehicle-hopping.
I can see why you chose the name Falcon, Sam. It really suits you.
"Yo, Robin Hood! Extra help would be welcome."
"Almost there. Just ask the Winter Soldier to back you up," Hawkeye responded to the latest replacement for Captain America.
"I already got my hands full with the ruffians in the first tipper," Bucky Barnes replied. The super soldier's grunts and various thumps were heard on his earpiece as Hawkeye had one car remaining before he made it to the trailing truck.
"On my way, Barnes."
As he landed on the hood of the silver-blue Astra, the Avenger noticed a young brunette girl about Nathaniel's age stick her head out of the vehicle behind him and wave. He returned the gesture on a half wave, half salute gesture before turning to leap onto the back of the truck and attempting to climb up to the roof when the back slid open, leaving the hero hanging on the bottom of the roof. Glancing downward, he noticed several henchmen dressed like they were either going to rob banks or smuggle contraband across the borders stare up at him.
"Nice to see you too, boys. I need a good fight to keep me in shape."
With that, Clint Barton hurled himself inside the bed of the truck and started to engage the Hydra agents in good old hand to hand combat. Gripping one man's fist, he flipped him and forced the ruffian to knock over a few of his comrades like bowling pins. The Avenger's next step was to take a flying leap at the next balaclava-clad agent and strike him in the chest with a kick. Once the wind was was knocked out of the man, Hawkeye turned his attention to the remaining henchman who had his CZ-75D drawn, but before his finger pressed the trigger, the archer seized the thug by the wrist and tried to wrestle the weapon away from him. A discharge shattered the window separating the cab from the passengers.
As the Hydra agent shouted in Sokovian, Barton got the upper hand and whacked him on his carotid artery, knocking him out. As one of the agents in the truck's passenger seat aimed his weapon through the shattered window, Hawkeye noticed from the corner of his eye and nocked an arrow, letting it loose in a blink of an eye. The Hydra agent screamed as the arrow pierced his right shoulder and the gun went off, striking the driver and spurting blood over the truck's windows.
Time to bail.
The Avenger leapt out of the truck as it careened out of control and ran into a commercial parking lot, crashing into parked cars. As he scanned the streets for the other vehicles, a bright flash erupted from the northeasterly direction.
"My bad, I got too carried away with the charges."
Hawkeye only chuckled, shaking his head. "Those were some great fireworks. How are you holding up, Bucky?"
"Any helping hands would be welcome."
"On it!" Hawkeye and Falcon simultaneously replied. "Jinks! Super jinks!"
"Guys, really?" Natasha grumbled in the comms. " I need this one truck that is left off my tail so I can get our guy. Hard to nab Marek when I am focusing on shaking off my pursuers. Not only are they trying to ram me off this road, but putting bullets in my torso as well. I'd appreciate it if you save your bickering for some other time and back me up."
"We comin' on your 6!" Falcon responded. "Clint, prepare yourself for the lift. You can buy me a drink later."
Before the Avenger's adept archer could respond, he felt arms slip under his and soon he was levitating above the traffic.
"Dayum! You are heavy!"
Hawkeye glanced up to see the avian superhero giving him a boost above the buildings. It was obvious that Sam Wilson was straining and had reached his peak in altitude, but as they flew over the burning truck, courtesy of Sam himself, the remaining Hydra vehicle was closing in on Agent Romanoff. It tipped the back of her ride once, giving her a jolt, but with sheer skill and luck, the Black Widow managed not to lose her grip on the bike's handles while simultaneously closing in on her target's van. Muzzle flashes from her hand and a window of Marek's vehicle signified the gun battle between Nat and the Hydra agents.
"Barnes, do you copy?"
"Loud and clear!" The Winter Soldier replied to the archer. The sounds of grunting and banging were heard on the mic. "You both took your sweet time."
"Well, now we are here," Hawkeye responded. "I'd advise you to bail out immediately."
"You don't need to tell me twice."
As Clint readied an arrow, he watched a hole appear on the side of the truck as the supersoldier hurled himself out of the moving vehicle, taking an agent with him. Taking a breath, he let the arrow loose and once it made its way inside, a bright flash lit the street as flames engulfed the truck. The final Hydra vehicle was taken care of now thanks to the archer's demolition arrow.
"Alright, Imma let you down now. Where you land is on you."
Once Sam let him loose, Hawkeye landed on the street before the truck he destroyed, burning on its side, and glanced ahead at Nat and the van she was pursuing. A staccato of bangs were heard and yellow-white flashes struck Marek's Mercedes, sending it careening off the road and overturned at the tip of a hill next to a bridge lit by blue lights.
"Redwing sends his regards."
Clint glanced over to the Falcon as he landed beside him, crossing his arms. A triumphant smirk played upon his lips as the red and white drone hovered above the American hero.
"Show-off," Clint muttered.
He gazed ahead to see the door to the back of the tracked van open and one of the Hydra escorts stumble out, dressed in a black suit that failed to differentiate him from a Secret Service agent, and raise his gun as if he was drunk, only to take Natasha's boot to the back of the knees. As he tumbled down the hill to the canal below, Bucky reached in and threw the first man's workmate out of the car, sending him screaming to join his buddy. Immediately after, their quarry was before them, restrained and bleeding from all over.
"Petr Marek, we finally meet at last." Hawkeye strode toward him, Falcon at his side. "Now are you going to spill the beans on the last of your fellow Hydra cell members or perhaps you some time with the Winter Soldier would loosen your tongue?" He nodded at Bucky, who forced the captured Hydra Agent to his knees. Before the man could open his mouth, a beeping sound on the pager caught everyone's attention. All eyes glanced over at the Black Widow as she reached for her pocket and pulled out the pager. Once she clicked the activation button, a familiar voice they hadn't heard in ages rang out.
"Hey sports fans, long time no see. What's shakin'?"
The Avengers all locked eyes with looks of bewilderment on each other's faces as they heard Director Fury's voice for the first time in a while. Sam was the first to break the silence.
"Yo, Director man, now you decide to break radio silence? Where the hell you been all this time? We haven't seen you since the battle for Wakanda. "
"Let's just say I am enjoying the view from up above."
What does that supposed to mean? Hawkeye wondered.
"Listen Fury, we are glad to hear your voice again, but may I ask why you are contacting us now of all times?" Natasha Romanoff asked.
"It's nice to see that you chumps are back together even after the defeat of the big purple wannabe Darkseid with severe hubris issues. In time as well as I got a message for y'all. An urgent one at that."
Urgent? Is this another Thanos-level threat?
"You might want to watch how much information you describe to us. We have an extra among us," Natasha informed SHIELD's director.
"An extra? Who we got as the Avenger's and SHIELD's honored guest? Don't tell me.... a hopeful? Do they have powers? Perhaps they can fill out your depleted ranks. If not, then SHIELD can use another agent. "
"Nah!" Sam objected. "We do not bring in Hydra Agents like these punk here."
Hearing the high-tech flyer's mocking voice, Petr Marek spat at him and was about to speak, but Bucky's mechanical fist silenced him.
"No, you do not have permission to speak!" Sam Wilson taunted the unconscious Hydra agent. "Director Fury, you can tell us now why you are contacting us. Our special guest won't hear a thing."
Fury's laugh echoed through the device. "Just like old times. Now, what I am about to tell you is urgent. I would love to be there myself to brief you all at the Mansion, but I am off-planet for the time being. If you all could get in touch with T'Challa, Parker, Danvers, Strange, or the others that remain following the Thanos spectacle, that would be great. We need all hands on deck for this new threat we face."
Cydonia, Mars
Roughly the same time
"Glad we stopped by Arrako. I really need a drink. I am sure you all feel the same, right? "
As they exited the Benatar, which was situated between a Saakaran yacht modified with a laser turret emplacement and a blue-black quinjet , Peter Quill, commonly known by his moniker Star-Lord, glanced over at Rocket. The ragtag team of adventurers, known across the galaxy as the Guardians, made their way from the M-class shuttle to the intergalactic pub on the planet ironically known as Face on Mars. This was the location that Earth's astronomers had referred to as the Face , but turned out it was only a rock formation that weathered away over the decades. Or so they thought. Ironic that a certain being known only as He Who Remains decided to open a pub on this exact spot that resembled a Martian cathedral with a cosmic twist.
"Maybe we all need a breather after our last run, but not all of us prefer that piss-flavored cocktail you always guzzle after each visit. What is it called again?"
The anthromorphic space raccoon scowled and crossed his arms. "Hey now, don't be insulting the Grand Klepton Panda. If you only had a taste, you'd see yourself in another world. Well, not literally, but you get what I am trying to say."
Star Lord rolled his eyes as the doors slid open like the mouth of a wyrm and two aliens, one with gray leather skin and dark pupil-less eyes and the other with cyan skin and tentacles for hair, chattered among themselves as they exited. As the Guardians made their way into the Martian pub, the Cydonians turned to watch, their eyes widening. Whether they recognized the ragtag group of heroes or were curious about the motley crew, Quill wasn't certain, but he knew he had to issue a rebuke to the space critter he thought of as his close pal.
"Trust me, I know how I feel about it. After all, it was me who tried it at first, felt like I drank Orloni waste, and gave it to you. I don't know how you can stomach that garbage."
As they entered the wide sleek and stony room, Rocket scampered across the shiny gray floor and up on a red stool before turning to reply to his comrade.
"It's because I am a connoisseur for galactic drinks. When have I ever been wrong, Groot?"
The tree-like extraterrestrial turned from the counter of the bar, glowing purple, blue, and green from the windows, and smiled.
"I am Groot!"
Rocket proudly motioned to his root-sized companion. "See? Even the little guy knows who's an expert on quality cosmic cocktails."
Drax, the muscle of the group, just snorted as he took his seat between Mantis and Nebula. "How do you know he didn't say that this furball has radioactive waste for brains?"
"Flark, big guy!" The raccoon-like extraterrestrial placed his paws on his hips, frowning. " Watch your mouth. I know perfectly well what he is saying. We are the best of buddies, aren't we?" He gazed at the plant alien who only smiled and repeated his catchphrase. Rocket then gave a 'you see this?' look to the rest of the Benatar's crew.
"Guys, are we really doing this?" Nebula rolled her eyes. "How about we stop sparring over a drink and just select whatever suits your tastes? Each to their own."
"She has a point, you know." Mantis stated before she motioned one of the bartenders, a human with a dark complexion bearing a magenta tunic, arrived to take her order. "I'll have an Arrakis Spice Rush."
"Perhaps I can offer my two Solars to resolve this matter once and for all? I will request this Kleptonian Panda and judge it's taste."
All eyes landed on Thor, the newest addition to Guardians, as he made his suggestion in an effort to resolve the debate. Ever since the Asgardian joined the crew, he began to behave like he was the captain instead of Quill, issuing demands upon entrance. It felt to the embattled smuggler like a constant tug of war match for power and it was getting to his head, but he brushed it aside for the time being. He would personally confront the so-called God of Thunder once the time was ripe about knowing his place as a member of the Benatar's crew.
The fair-haired Asgardian prince received the orange and black drink from the gothic bartender and drained his booze. "Cheers!"
Upon finishing the drink, Thor let out a satisfied belch and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well, I must say that it may not add up to the Asgardian ale , but I can sure use another helping." The golden-haired Asgardian motioned to the bartender.
"Ha! What did I tell you?" Rocket smirked at Star Lord. "Now will you concede defeat and admit you were wrong about the Panda?"
"Hey now, he didn't say it was the best drink he had, he only-"
Quill stopped mid-sentence as he noticed a familiar face that was plastered on all the holograms across the galaxy. Down the aisle from them, seated upon a stool and relaxing with a cocktail, was Niko the frog-eyed reptilian. A former Galactic trade business representative, Niko had left his position to join up with Thanos and his army, the villainous Black Order , also known as the Children of Thanos, essentially becoming his personal treasurer and chief financial executive, securing business deals and handling the financial expenses of the crusading villain's intergalactic operations. Ever since the purple titan's defeat and demise, he and what remained of Thanos's children and the Black Order fled and went into hiding. One by one, Thanos's followers were hunted down all over the galaxy and it was only a matter of time until Niko's time to face justice for his involvement with the Black Order's genocidal campaign.
"Something catch your eye, Quill?" Nebula asked, noticing his fixation on the amphibian-looking alien.
Rocket sipped his Panda, chuckling. "Perhaps a woman who is way out of his league?" The furball started to cough after choking on his cocktail. "Flark! Look what you made me do!"
"Groot!" Rocket's floral extraterrestrial friend chirped.
Star-lord gave his fellow Guardians a look. "Very funny, guys. In fact, I saw someone that has a bounty out for him from the Galactic Council. Look closely and tell me you don't recognize Niki the frog face."
The Benatar's crew turned their heads to the where their captain was pointing and spotted Thanos's financial manager trying to remain inconspicuous and gasped. Quill smirked as he drained his drink and set it down on the opaque counter with a loud clink.
"You all thinking what I am thinking?"
Thor belched as he set his tankard down beside the spot Groot was perched on a second before. "If it isn't asking him to atone for his crimes by paying our tabs for the next round, then I am not."
Drax rose from his seat, knocking his seat back. "Forget that! I am going to pound him to pulp for being a dog of the executioner Thanos. "
Before anyone could speak up or restrain their pal, Drax marched over to the frog-like alien and yanked him from his seat, hurling him across the room. All conversations in the room quieted as all eyes fixed upon the Destroyer as he assaulted the frog-like reptilian. Niko glanced up in horror as the angry bald humanoid advanced onto him like an angry shark, a look plastered upon his face that could send a Vrellnexian scamper away for its mommy. Drax hoisted Thanos's former financial manager up by the collar of his crimson and black robe and pulled his fist back. As the jittery alien whimpered and flinched, anticipating the incoming punch, the Destroyer's fist was inhibited while several hands pulled him back.
"Hey Drax, just chill for a moment." Star-Lord tried to de-escalate his shipmate's wrath. "We don't want to create a scene in front of everyone. Look around you. We want to be as discrete as possible."
"Uh, I hate to break it to you, but a group such as ours is far from discrete," Nebula stated.
"This slimebag was responsible for the deaths of my wife and daughters," the Kylosian hissed. "He deserves to feel at least half the pain that I do."
"L-let me e-explain myself if you will allow me," Niko stuttered. "You see, I was only the office person-"
"Can it!" All the Guardians shouted in unison at the lamenting reptilian. Quill then addressed his friend once the former Black Order administrator complied.
"Look, I know you want to pummel the slimeball to dust. Believe me, I'd like to do nothing more myself, but we need to pull it together in front of these Martians-Excuse me, Cydonians. Besides, Thanos the genocidal prick is dead, along with his pack of slobbering hounds. Come to think of it, there were some intergalactic mutts and they did slobber enough to create the Great Lakes, but that's beyond the point. Let's take him back to the Benatar and contact the Galactic Council. He will never see the light of the Cat's Paw Nebula. "
Drax stared into his old friend's eyes intensely, his breathing hitched before he relented and dropped the treacherous alien to the floor where he clutched at his throat, gagging, coughing, and sputtering. As Nebula and Rocket restrained the former Child of Thanos, with Groot climbing up on his shoulder and 'introducing himself' to the reptilian, Thor decided to speak up.
"Laddies, why the hurry? I need another round of the the good stuff. This round is on me!" The Asgardian king turned to the bartender and raised his arms. "Bring out some more of that Kleptonian Panda for the good sirs and madams in this establishment. " He then glanced at their captive. "You will have the pleasure of trying one too."
Rocket nodded and flashed a thumbs up. "That's more like it! What did I tell ya, sport?" The raccoon glanced at an exasperated Quill. "The Panda is the most bomb drink of all time!"
"Guys, we need to get back to the ship now," Mantis informed them. "We have an incoming transmission."
"Thank you," Star-Lord muttered as he motioned for them all to make their way out of the pub. For some odd reason, he enjoyed seeing the disappointed look on the Asgardian royal's bearded face. "Perhaps it's a potential client for a run or it could be someone who knows Gamora's whereabouts or knows someone who knows how to find her. Only one way to find out. Let's hurry our butts to the Benatar! And don't forget our package."
A couple minutes later, the Guardians plus their captive were on board their flagship and once the transmission was activated, Nick Fury's face appeared on the screen, much to the surprise of all onboard. Peter Quill felt a bit apprehensive yet hopeful at the same time.
Perhaps he knows something about Gamora's location. Or maybe he has a high-paying job that the Ravagers would kill to accept. We are really low on cash and need what we can get.
"Director Fury!" Thor belched. "Pardon me. It's been a while. What do I owe the honor to?"
Quill's fist clenched. The fallen king keeps forgetting who the captain is. SHIELD's eyepatch-clad leader only chuckled.
"Well met, Thor Odinson. You may be wondering why you are just seeing my face after so long so here is my answer to that. Earth is having another Thanos-level threat mere months after his demise and I am asking for your assistance in lending support for the Avengers in their fight against these hostile life forms. "
"What could be more menacing to Earth and its defenders than Thanos?" Drax inquired. "Whole galaxies fell to the butcher masquerading as a god. These beings that threaten one planet is too much for the Avengers?"
"It seems like it would make more sense if I could show you the clip of a city under attack by these alien invaders."
Once the clip was shown, everyone in the ship's bridge was silent. It was Rocket who broke the tense silence.
"Flark! Those skull-faced bastards aren't messing around. I say we go down to Earth and kick their flarkin' butts! Who's with me?"
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