Difference
The Guardians have been on Earth for about two weeks already.
They had learned about Thanos when they answered the call of the Asgardian ship, carying the survivors after Asgard was destroyed. Their gatekeeper Heimdall had sacrificed himself to call the bifrsot and make the ship escape, just before Thanos could attack.
They headed straight to Earth, along side Dr. Bruce Banner, who was known in the planet and could help spread the news, as well as get people to work. They also took Brunnhilde, the Valkyrie, who insisted that if Bruce went, she did so as well. King Thor and his brother Loki stayed behind so they could make sure all of Asgard arrived.
For Gamora. She had known Earth was gonna be a focal point, ever since that invasion, two years before she left the Titan, Where Thanos had been by a human, Iron Man.
In all her life with him, it was the only time she saw Thanos genuinely fear someone. The fact that someone out there, could make Thanos sweat in fear, it still shocked her.
It had always been on her plans to meet this Iron Man. Dr. Banner said later his name is Tony Stark, both male humans were good friends, so he knew about him.
But what the Doctor didn’t know, is what happened after he got trapped in Sakkar.
There was this “civil war” where the Earth wanted their super heroes to be held accountable. Some, lead by Stark, Agreed. But some of the others didn’t, and basically started fighting with the ones that did.
For her and the Guardians, they didn’t understand. Documents like this are very common in other places of the galaxy. They have signed many of them when working in a planet. Frankly this Sokovia Accords aren’t different from that.
But this Steve Rogers somehow thought he knew best. That things had to go his way.
Then there was the stuff he and his friends made....and it was ultimately disgusting.
Lying to a man about his parents death, and then almost killing him when he gets angry. Rogers insistes that Stark was trying to kill him, but Gamora knows when someone has lethal intent. Someone in that fight did have it, and clue, it wasn’t Dr. Stark.
Dr. Banner had gone mad with rage, brining on the beast, when he saw all of this. He made it clear to his supposed teammates who he sided with.
The Guardians also tended to about the Rouges. It baffled her that they had been pardoned with the excuse on them fitting the invasion. Peter thought it was because this Captain America still had some cloud with the leaders of 5he country, but based on public reactions, those leaders probably regretted it.
Stark thought, Stark was a suprise.
When Rocket is the first to declare that he likes him. You know you have someone special. Both guys bond over their love for machines. Groot soon falls next, as for some reason, Tony Stark can understand him. Peter soon spends more time with him as well.
But the biggest shock is Nebula. When they met, Stark never had the same distasteful look people gave her sister. Instead, he immediately offered to help her. He used his knowledge in machines to make her feel better in her own body.
Her sister had never been more comfortable being her. Which is the reason she was looking for him. To thank him for doing what she failed to do many times.
The AI was helpful with finding him, but what she saw made her curious.
“Please Tony.” A voice she knew as Steve Rogers said.
She saw Rogers trying to talk to the genius, with his team blocking all exits. Except the one she was in.
Stark however didn’t seem afraid.
“For the last time Rogers. Fuck off. I’m not interested in what you have to say.”
“But Tony. We need to be a team again ! You need to work with us.”
“For the love of.....Rogers you can take your team and shove it on your ass. I ain’t interested in being anything with you. Being in the same building is more than enough. I’m fact you being here at my space is enough.”
“Tony...” Rogers tried to say. But at that moment she chose to step in. This man was clearly ignoring the hints.
“Excuse me Mr. Stark. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time,”
“Certainly Ms....Gamora, right ?”
“Correct.” She said, but Rogers interrupted.
“Excuse me, we are talking here.”
“No we are not Rogers. You have been following me all day, since your latest attempt on being leader was thrown in the trash. I have made it clear that I don’t want to talk to you.”
“And...I may not be from Earth, but even I know that blocking all exits. It’s kinda forcing the conversation.”
“Not to mention ilegal.” FRIDAY added.
“We aren’t doing...”
“Oh shut up Rogers. Get it under your thick skull. I don’t want to be with you and your cult. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a person needing me. One that ACTUALLY asked for my time.”
Tony went to leave, but Rogers tried to grab him.
Key work tried. Gamora’s instics kicked in and she held the man by his wrist.
Steve cried in pain. While his followers looked in shock. Specially Natasha. She couldn’t see her movenmets.
“The man has made it clear. Don’t touch him. Unless you want to loose this hand.”
She dropped the stunned criminal and turned to the genius. “Shall we.”
“Let’s go.”
They left the group standing there. She heard the others comfort their leader telling him that he’ll come around.
She clearly owns Peter and Rocket an apology. No matter what, they aren’t the stupidest beings in the galaxy. Not when it has Steve Rogers.
“Apologies you had to see that.” He said once they were alone.
“No worries. It’s not your fault they’re idiots.”
“You tell me.”
“It makes me wonder why you choose to stand up with them. Isn’t this your home ?”
“Eh, I won’t allow my feelings to cost Earth more protectors. Besides in here, they can actually be monitored, or if the case happens, stopped. If I cut them loose and they get some “heroic” idea. Innocents will get hurt. Can’t have that in my conscience.”
She just nodded at that. It took bravery to do that.
“Besides. They might be angry and yell and curse. But they can’t hurt me. They know they can’t. They’re in thin ice. If they step over the line it won’t be ignored anymore. They’ll get a first class ticket to prison if they do something like, actually attack me.”
“What do you mean anymore ?”
“Before the Accords. Rogers was the sole authority of the Avengers. Everything he said went. And despite his insistence that he wasn’t, he took preferences. Those who followed him without question, aka those idiots, could do anything they pleases. While those who dared to challenge him he saw as threats. It’s one of the many reasons he rejected the Accords.”
“And now they see you as their way to get their power back.”
“Correct. But almost dying finally woke me up. I don’t own them, and frankly I want nothing to do with them. So I am happy to let them wine and cry while they finally face consequences. But anyway, I don’t think you wanted to talk about Rogers.”
“No. I wanted to thank you, Dr. Stark. For all you have done for Nebula. It’s no secret that Thanos was specially hard on her and.....well....this is the most comfortable. So thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I’ve been tortured before, and know what is like to not feel comfortable with your skin. I’m glad to help her.”
“Yeah....”
“You were under Thanos as well right ?”
“What I went threw is nothing compared to her. As sick as it sounds, Thanos favored me. In a sense, I did have that going for me. Though that also means I got a very high death toll at my hands.”
“Oh yeah, Rocket said something about that. The Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy.”
“Yep. Not a lot of,people care that either we killed, or we died.”
“I get it. I have a death toll at my hands as well...”
The more they talked, the more she realizes, they aren’t so diferent. Who knew she had a lot in common with Tony, as he likes to be called.
She could see why the others like him. She certainly does as well.
Something weird was happening.
Is as if after his talk with Gamora. The Guardians made it their mission to.....not allow the Rouges to get close to him.
There were only a handful of spaces he could actually run across them. With the majority of the compound off limits to then, but in those places it seemed he was being protected.
Rocket would usually stand in Tony’s shoulder and point one of his massive guns at the Rouges, the moment they tried to get close to him. Groot would just ty them up with his powers and yell at them on his language. Annoying the Rouges to death. Quill and Mantis would come up with any drama when they saw the Rouges. Seriously, Tony would have predicted them being siblings, even if he wasn’t told. Usually they would yell and do ,any things until the Rouges finally got annoyed and left. Gamora, Nebula, And Drax just threatened the Rouges, straight up.
Tony had seen the video. Romanoff had challenged Gamora to a sparring duel, and the Black Widow had been extremely humiliated. In less than two minutes she was out, and she hadn’t been able to even land a single punch. When Nebula later asked for a duel, Romanoff was unable to hide her fear.
Tony as the mature man he is, asked if FRIDAY recorded it. He watched the video for hours, and sent it to Yelena, and then spent another hour talking with her about the video.
And Drax had taken off to show his strength when Clint tries to spit vitol against him. Eating his priced zarnuts while Barton was knocked out in the broken chair.
The Rouges didn’t complain of course. They could have, but FRIDAY threatened to expose all of their rule breaking if they did. They are the ones on thin ice after all.
When Tony asked, the Guardians just looked at him.
“Dude, you’re our friend now. Of course we are gonna help you with those assholes.” Peter said,
“It was actually Gamora’s idea.” Drax said.
Everyone looked at the Green Assassin.
She didn’t really give a reason. And that kinda was enough.
“Besides, this is much better than seeing Quill try to flirt with that mutant girl.” Rocket mumbled.
“Hey !”
“Oh that’s right Quill ! You finally found a woman that is pathetic, like you !” Drax said exited.
Everyone laughed after that.
Of course this wasn’t enough to get to Rogers’s head that he was not wanted. The man still tried everything he could so that they could “talk like they used too” it made him sick. All of them made him sick with their stupidity. Well except for Lang. He had proven himself wiser than his former team and accepted responsibility. Dude’s fun to have around. And Barnes, who after some time, Tony knew was nothing more than the gun that killed his parents, not the shooters.
All of the others can suck it. Specially Rogers.
But, something good was coming out of this.
It realizes him the diference.
The Avengers. The ones under Rogers, never treated him like a person. They treated him like a bank account. And the one that could solve all of their problems.
The Guardians on the other hand treat him like a friend, an equal. Not caring about what he could do, but about who he is.
Bruce had told him he felt a lot more confortable with Thor’s team. Except for Tony, Rhodey, and Vision, he always felt the Avengers treated him like a bomb. While Thor, Loki, And Valkyrie (specially her, come on Bruce, she’s a catch, much better than Romanoff) treated him like their friend.
Maybe Earth geniuses were just meant to be with people of other worlds.
“You are finally warming up to us.” Gamora said. “Good. I hoped you soon realized we aren’t like those people.”
“Yeah you guys have made it clear. And it’s apreciated how you constantly humiliate them.”
“Doesn’t seem to work. But oh well, we’ll teach them as many times as they want.”
“Friday make sure you record all of these attempts.”
Now Tony would admit that from all the Guardians, she was the one he was becoming the closest too.
Frequently they would talk about their less than stellar past, and how to finally move on from it. He found it easy to sleep after that.
Then right now, Tony’s sharp mouth moved before he could figure out what he said.
And he spoke like a school kid asking a girl to prom.
“Are you asking me on a date ?”
Oh crap........well no backing down now.
“Well if you want too..”
“Hm...it’s a date then. Peter always said about dates here in Earth, show me then.”
After a short conversation, and realizing what he had done. Tony did the most mature thing he could think of. He called Rhodey.
“Rhodey, I think I just asked the most dangerous woman on the galaxy on a date.” “Already ! Come on Tones ! If you had waited a couple of weeks.....Dam it, I own Carol 20 bucks now.”