• Published 26th May 2018
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Infinity Era - JDPrime22



Avengers: Infinity War / Avengers: Endgame crossover. The culmination has arrived. The Mad Titan has waited so long for this moment. Long live the Infinity Era.

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Chapter 7 – Calling all Guardians

7

Andromeda Galaxy

Xandar

Nova Empire

A Chitauri Leviathan tore through a Xandarian superstructure, spewing building debris across the landscape and the terrified Xandarian populace below. The multitude of races scattered in fear as the Leviathan roared over their heads. These races, ranging from across the entire galaxy, of which the planet protected by the Nova Corps was known for, could do nothing as hell and fire rained down from above.

The sky was blotted out, the three suns shielded by the clouds and the Chitauri warships that descended upon the helpless Nova Empire. The brave Nova Corps did all they could, rallying every able-bodied soldier they could to take to the skies and bring down the invading forces. But it was all for not. They came without warning. Without remorse.

And they intended to leave nothing.

Chitauri chariots, Leviathans, and starships took to the air, wiping out any Nova craft that stayed in the skies, trying desperately to hold off the alien forces invading their home. The flaming husks of Nova Star Blasters rained down from the sky, crashing into buildings, hitting markets filled with innocent civilians, and killing even more as they impacted the ground. Xandarians screamed and fled, knowing not where to go in the madness.

As for Rhomann Dey, Denarian rank of the Nova Corps, he knew exactly where he was going: straight home to his wife and daughter and getting as far away from the fight as possible.

The madness and chaos only worsened as the Chitauri drew closer and closer to the Nova Corps Headquarters. Rhomann could see the warfare continue as he ran past several windows lining the walls of the complex. Several Nova Corps ran in his direction, towards the hangar bay to acquire a Star Blaster and join the fight for their survival. And Rhomann would do the very same, as soon as his family was safe. He had caught word that the Chitauri had warships over every major district in the Nova Empire, including the one holding his wife and daughter.

They needed to be safe. He couldn’t continue the fight unless he knew they were safe. Rhomann Dey ran as fast as he could and didn’t stop, even as the Nova Empire crumbled around him.

Throughout his dead sprint through the Headquarters, Dey was constantly thinking of why exactly were the Chitauri attacking Xandar? Why now? All he could deduce was that the Chitauri were on Xandar, laying waste to the city and heading towards the heart of the Nova Empire. There was only one being in the entire universe who controlled the mighty fleet of the Chitauri army.

Thanos.

And he was coming for them.

Rhomann Dey was too old for gunfights, but his piloting skills were nothing short of incredible. Once he acquired a Star Blaster, he could fly over to his wife and daughter, get them to a safe house he knew of, then get back into the fight and aid his Nova brothers and sisters in the sky. Until the bitter end if need be. It was a plan he had set on his mind throughout his entire sprint to the hangar bay.

A plan… that would have to be put on hold as his communicator screamed.

Slowing to a halt just by the control center, and managing to catch his breath in the meantime, Dey activated the communicator on his wrist, gasping, “This is… Denarian Nova Corps Rhomann Dey speaking… What’s going on down there, Nova Prime?”

Nova Prime, Irani Rael, responded quickly, her voice muffled by the static. “Dey! I need word on the invasion above ground! Are you near the control room?”

Turning to his left, Rhomann Dey stepped into the control room, activating the hologram displaying the entire Empire before him. He lifted his wrist, “I got you covered, Nova Prime. What do you need to see?”

As Nova Corps ran right on by him, completely ignoring Dey and proceeding to the hangar bay, Nova Prime asked, “Where are the Chitauri headed?”

Dey tapped away at the hologram, bringing images of the warships in the sky closer for inspection. As expected, as he could see from the large windows surrounding the control center, the warships were headed straight for the Headquarters. Dey shook his head, saying, “Got bad news, Prime, the Chitauri are headed right for us. They’re—”

Then suddenly, the warships halted, then began to rise. Higher and higher. Even the Chitauri Leviathans and starships began to retreat from the surface of the planet. Rhomann couldn’t believe it, not at first, then quickly swiped away with both hands on the hologram, observing the entire Nova Empire. Through every district, the warships retreated and fled to the upper atmosphere.

Dey almost smiled, relief flooding his heart. Just the thought of his wife and daughter still safe kept his mind at ease. He said, “Scratch that, Prime. Looks like the Chitauri are retreating from the fight. The only question is…”

Nova Prime didn’t respond. Not for several seconds.

Then, without warning, the screams erupted from his communicator. But Rhomann Dey wasn’t paying attention to that. At least not at first. The entire Nova Corps Headquarters trembled as if an earthquake was ripping the earth in two directly beneath it. It was followed by an explosion so deafening that Rhomann felt his bones shake, from his feet to his skull.

Holding onto the base of where the hologram originated, Rhomann brought up his wrist and asked, “Prime, what happened?! Are you all okay down there?!”

The screams came back. But he could make them out this time.

And they screamed, “He’s here! Thanos is here!”

Dey’s eyes grew so massive they nearly popped out of his skull. Then, Nova Prime called to him, said to him, “Rhomann, Thanos is coming for the Orb! We’re doing our best to hold him off, but it won’t be enough!”

“If he gets his hands on that Orb then Xandar is gone!” Rhomann yelled, gripping even tighter onto the base of the hologram. The fear for his family’s safety quickly crept back into his heart once the realization came to him. If Thanos got the Orb, and more importantly, the Power Stone, he could wipe out all of Xandar in seconds.

Seconds.

Dey did not have that kind of time. Not enough time to save his family. He needed to leave.

Now.

Until Nova Prime screamed, “We need you to contact the Guardians of the Galaxy!”

Rhomann Dey was already by the exit of the control center when she said that. He stopped.

“We are out of options, Rhomann! Thanos is getting nearer! Send a distress signal to the Guardians right this instant!”

Rhomann stared at the empty hallway. If he wasn’t the last one out of the Headquarters before, then he surely was now. Through the glass windows, he could see the fires ranging across every district, the Chitauri fleeing from the planet’s surface.

“That is an order!”

He could see his district straight ahead, and even though he was miles and miles away, he could have sworn he saw his home. His wife. His daughter. How terrified they were, wondering where Rhomann was. Where daddy was. He tightened his fists, slowly looking back to the control center console where the hologram of the burning empire still shimmered.

Through his communicator, he heard an explosion.

“Shit, he’s here! Open fire!”

Then nothing but blaster fire and screams. Then static. Then nothing.

There was no one else in the control center but him. Everyone had already fled the empire or joined in on the fight that wasn’t there anymore. They would never know that Thanos was there, nearing the Power Stone, and ready to end everything. Not unless someone told them what to do.

Rushing back to the control center console, he deactivated the hologram and flipped a switch, then pressed down on the big golden button on the console with his thumb. He spoke into the console with the clearest voice he could, and he could even hear his own voice echo throughout the cities around him. Its who he addressed, after all. Every city, every district, and every Nova Corps member.

“This is Denarian Nova Corps Rhomann Dey on all frequencies. The war is lost. The Orb is in the hands of our enemy. All Nova Corps members proceed with complete evacuation of the planet. Ready the Arks and get as many Xandarians off the planet as fast as you can.”

He flipped another switch, turned a nozzle, and pressed his thumb down on the big red button on the console, the one they only used for emergencies at levels they haven’t seen since the Battle of Xandar four years ago.

Back when the Guardians of the Galaxy saved their entire planet.

With sweat streaming from his forehead, his heart pounding with fear and adrenaline, Rhomann Dey quickly said, “This is the Nova Corps sending a distress signal to the Guardians of the Galaxy. If you can hear us, if you can get this message in time, then please hurry! Xandar is under attack! We are out of options! I repeat, please hurry!”

He sent the distress signal then took off as fast as he could to the hangar bay.

The rest was practically a blur to him. His Star Blaster was the only one left in the entire hangar bay. He sprinted, never stopping, his sides crying out in pain and his heart working harder than it ever had in years. But he didn’t care. His communicator received nothing and he could only fear the worst. He could only pray that Nova Prime and her soldiers could hold Thanos off for just a moment longer. Just a moment longer…

By the time he fled the hangar bay and took flight, Rhomann Dey was propelling himself through the carnage the Chitauri left, completely ignoring the rest of his Nova Corps brothers and sisters as they fled to the districts, the massive Nova Arks rising from beneath the seas. They fled to get the civilians to the Arks. They fled to save their families. But Rhomann Dey saw them. He saw their sacrifice and pressed his forearm across his heart. It was only a matter of time.

Just a moment longer…

Rhomann Dey saw his home approaching closer by the second. He punched it, the Star Blaster jetting even faster. Dey steadied himself as he drew nearer, needing to fly in for a safe landing, safe enough not to damage the ship so his family could get off the planet. It was a race against time, a race against life and death itself. His home was getting closer. Dey bit his lip, sweat blinding him for a moment.

Just a moment longer…

He made it. He saw his home draw near, his wife and daughter waiting for him. He couldn’t see them, but he could feel them in his heart. He never let that adrenaline die, slowing his Star Blaster down for a smooth landing on his home’s landing pad.

Then it happened.

The sky erupted into a bright, brilliant violet.

Rhomann Dey’s Star Blaster was nearly blown out of the sky, but he quickly regained control, spinning his head around and seeing it.

The Nova Corps Headquarters was gone. It was gone, replaced only with a tower of dark purple. And it quickly spread. Faster than he could have anticipated. A violent and hellish wave of purple washed over the Nova Empire, completely dissolving the Arks and the districts near them. The very earth beneath the cities erupted as if a thousand volcanoes had gone off at once, spewing its purple volcanic rock into the violet-painted skylines. Nova Star Blasters were blown out of the sky instantly as the wave washed over them, evaporating into nothing. And that wave approached him.

Faster and faster.

Gritting his teeth and yanking down on his ship’s steering wheel, he violently pulled it downwards, putting everything he could into the overdrive. His Star Blaster cried out, rocketing straight towards the sky and never stopping. He could barely move as the increased speed forced him back into his seat. But he managed to look back. Just once. And he saw it.

He wished he hadn’t.

His city, his district, his home… was washed away instantly. Vaporized in a violet light.

But he wasn’t.

He kept flying and flying, faster and faster, until he no longer saw the purple skies and burning air. Until he saw nothing but the blackness of space. His Star Blaster sputtered and died, the weightlessness of space following. And Rhomann Dey drifted, he and his Star Blaster, through space. Safe and sound.

He breathed. He lived. He stared back at his burning world. Nothing survived.

Absolutely nothing. The entire surface was quickly consumed in a hellish purple, streaks of blackness stretching from the Nova Empire and throughout the rest of the world. And Rhomann Dey just watched, as his home burned away, as his family became just another number. A single tear fell from his eye.

Fell from the eye of the last Nova Corps. His eyes shimmered a bright purple as Xandar exploded.


The Power Stone shimmered a bright purple as Xandar exploded. Thanos clenched his fist, clenched the Infinity Gauntlet and brought it forward, let it rest near his smile. He and his children watched as chunks of the planet slowly drifted apart, the core of Xandar burning a brilliant violet before slowly, slowly dimming into nothing.

Just… nothing. Thanos looked to his gauntlet, to the second Infinity Stone he placed beneath the middle finger. The Power Stone. Truly and utterly brilliant, its magnitude and strength unmatched by any other, except the remaining Stones, that is. He smiled to it, his gaze then shifting to the three standing before him, watching as the remains of Xandar burned away.

Loki, Thor, and Banner. Loki stood as frozen stiff as he could manage, his eyes still glazed over, but with a purple shimmer glowing in his irises as the planet’s remains burned into nonexistence. Thor was hardly standing, gripping his abdomen in pain, palm pressed to the glass in front of him, glazed eye watching the chaos unfold. Banner remained on his knees, clutching the healing wound over his heart and watching with complete and utter horror in his eyes.

His eyes that were completely clean. No glaze. No control.

He saw and experienced everything.

“Maw.”

Bruce Banner slowly spun his head around, shaking as he did so, watching as the Ebony Maw crept over to them by command of the Titan Thanos. Bruce watched, fear gripping his healing heart as the Maw smiled and whispered, “Return.”

Both Thor and Loki’s eyes returned to normal, the glaze vanishing. Loki and Thor both gasped, as if they had been drowning and had only now come up to the real world. And the first thing they saw were the devastated remains of an entire planet drift away. Thor pressed both of his palms onto the glass, his only wide widening in horror. Loki just trembled, spinning about as he heard that laughter.

That horrible chuckle he knew all too well. Thor spun around, as well.

Thanos smiled at them, his eyes holding nothing but malicious intent. In his gauntlet, the three of them could see a second shimmer of light. A second Infinity Stone. Thor’s mouth fell, not a breath leaving him.

Looking to his gauntlet, then to one of the trio, Thanos said, “You’ve done very well, Loki. So unlike you.”

Loki said nothing. Neither did Thor. He stood and clenched his fists, electricity sparking across his knuckles. Bruce Banner just trembled. Thanos crushed his gauntlet into a fist. “And so, unlike you, I’ll keep my end of our bargain. You give me the world you promised, and in return, I let you go. All of you… go.”

He chuckled, the Space Stone shimmering. “Should’ve specified where.”

A vicious portal of blue and black appeared directly in front of him. Just as viciously, the portal was thrust their way, faster than the trio could react, faster than they could move to get away, and faster than they could even let out a scream.

And even in the vastness of space, when they did scream no one heard them.


“This is the Nova Corps sending a distress signal to the Guardians of the Galaxy. If you can hear us, if you can get this message in time, then please hurry! Xandar is under attack! We are out of options! I repeat, please hurry!”

“Shit,” Rocket Raccoon cursed, watching Star-Lord silence the distress call by pressing a single button on the console in front of him. Both he and Rocket sat side by side, the pilots of the Milano spacecraft, two of the six Guardians of the Galaxy that piloted their ship through the wormhole and towards the source of the distress call.

It was just an average day for the Guardians of the Galaxy. Flying by a few cluster of planets, listening to Quill’s Zune and rocking out to the songs they’ve never heard before in their lives, save for Quill, of course. Then, completely out of the blue, their communicator started to go crazy. It wasn’t just any communicator. It was one specially included with the Milano after they had saved Xandar a few years back. It was a direct line to the Nova Corps, for whenever they needed to contact the Nova Corps or when the Nova Corps needed to call the Guardians.

In this case, they desperately needed the Guardians. Good timing, too. They were running out of units and needed the cash. It had been a while since their last job. Tapping away along with Quill, Rocket kept the Milano in stable position as they soared through the wormhole, growing nearer to Xandar’s location. Rocket thought back to the distress call, smirking and chuckling a tad. Might as well break the awkward tension with some good old-fashioned heckling.

“And I thought Quill cried worse in his sleep.”

Peter Quill, Star-Lord, suddenly turned to the raccoon on his left. With accusing eyes, he declared, “You don’t know that!”

Rocket smiled, keeping his claws on the handles that helped steer the Milano. “Oh, but Gamora does!” he said.

“What are you insinuating?” Gamora asked from one of the front seats beneath where Peter and Rocket sat. Her black and fiery red hair spun as she shifted her heated gaze to the raccoon, her green skin wrinkling as she narrowed her eyes at him.

Rocket turned his head down to meet her gaze. He pointed a claw her way in an accusing manner. “Hey, what did we say about using words we don’t know the meaning of?” Rocket asked, suddenly turning the focus on Gamora. “You know that hurts Drax’s brain!”

“Yeah!” Drax declared, spinning his neck left from his seat directly beneath Quill. He settled back into his previous position, mumbling, “I hate words that don’t come from me.”

“Back to what Gamora was talking about,” Peter interrupted, keeping his eyes on the wormhole ahead. “We are not… you know… that intimate yet.”

“Why doesn’t she sleep in her own room, then?” Rocket asked.

“Because she has nightmares!” Peter said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I thought we established this!”

“Quill, you have nightmares,” Gamora deadpanned.

Peter held out his hand. “We both have nightmares… sometimes… mostly me. The point is that we keep each other company! Nothing more than that.”

“I am Groot!”

“Whoa, slow down!” Peter yelled. Gamora’s jaw fell, turning her disgusted eyes to Groot in the back seat.

The adolescent Groot leaned on one of his seat’s armrests. His stumps for legs lay lazily over the opposite armrest, slowly swinging back and forth. As for his attention, the majority of it was focused on the handheld video game he was enamored with. The name “Arcade Defender” was plastered on the video game’s face, the adolescent Groot’s eyes glued to the bright screen. That is, until, he caught everyone’s attention with his rather vulgar sense of humor.

At least someone found it funny. Rocket laughed out loud. “Hell yeah, Groot, you sick bastard!”

“Pay attention, Rocket! And you, Groot, zip it! And watch your language!” Peter scolded, turning his heated stare back to Groot, who only raised a brow and shrugged before returning to his game. Peter shook his head, focusing ahead. “Teenagers… Jesus.”

“We need to focus!” Mantis said loudly, her seat directly behind Quill’s and right to Groot’s. She closed her eyes, her antennae glowing softly. “We’re nearing Xandar! I can feel it!”

“Yeah, when Bug Eyes is telling us to focus you know something is wrong,” Rocket muttered. Mantis heard him, giggling at the name he gave her.

Groot smirked in his seat, returning to his handheld video game. He nearly reached his high score, tapping away furiously on the screen.

As the rowdiness within the Milano simmered down, Peter Quill assumed his command of the ship once again. And at that moment, he became the Star-Lord once more. Super serious, badass space nomad and fearless leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. “We’re approaching the end of the jump. Hold steady,” Star-Lord addressed to them.

The Milano slowed down as the wormhole neared its end, and as they exited the jump, their eyes lit up in shock and awe. The Guardians of Galaxy paid witness to a massive warship come into focus, then instantly vanish as it jumped to some unknown destination, trails of cosmic dust being all that remained where it once was. They never got a good enough look at it.

Choosing to focus instead on Xandar, Star-Lord said, “All right, Guardians, don’t forget this might be dangerous, so let’s put on our mean faces.”

Mantis tried to, but only ended up puffing out her lower lip and frowning. That expression slowly faded away, as did everyone else’s, when Xandar finally came into focus. Those “mean faces” that Quill wanted never came to be. All that was left on each Guardian’s face was confusion… and horror.

“What the hell?” Rocket whispered, leaning forward in his chair.

Swirls of space dust colored a sickly, dark purple remained, slithering across massive chunks of debris, surrounded only by billions upon billions of asteroids filling the void where Xandar once remained. At its core, Xandar had vanished, and the core of the planet itself was extinguished. Shades of a hideous purple was all that glowed across the debris, eventually fading away into nothing but a dark, dead slab of rock that once harbored life.

Gamora, nearly breathless, said, “It’s Xandar.”

“What’s left of it,” Peter said, eyes gazing to the chunks of the planet beyond the glass and above his head.

Mantis’ large eyes reflected the burning purples from the planet’s debris. An eerie silence followed, encircling the Guardians and trapping them within it. “What happened?” Mantis asked.

Groot slowly looked up from his video game, his eyes glistening from the violet flames of the planet’s surfaces. “I am… Groot,” he said, astonishment in his voice. He lost his last life in his game, but even Groot didn’t seem to care at the moment.

Each of the Guardians were so awestruck by the remains of the planet Xandar, and the Nova Empire as a whole, that they didn’t even notice the three bodies hurtling their way before it was too late. They impacted the glass shield of the Milano, causing almost every Guardian to nearly leap out of their seats. Rocket observed the bodies, waving his claw out in front of him.

Ew! Wipers, wipers! Get ‘em off!”

“Hold up,” Star-Lord ordered, peeking closer at the bodies that hit their glass shield. One was heavily-built, short hair and an eyepatch covering his right eye. He was absolutely filthy, blood stains across his beard and body. The second one was much skinnier, wearing what appeared to be a cape of some kind. His long, black hair and pale white skin were splotched with dark crimson. The third one was shirtless, scrawny, and barely hanging onto life.

Peter Quill needed to know for sure. He leaned forward in his seat, narrowing his eyes at the trio they hit. “Their bodies don’t look frozen over. They may still be alive,” he observed.

The largest one opened his eye.

Mantis screamed. Quill fell back in his chair, saying loudly, “Or they are still alive!”

“Let’s go, Quill!” Gamora said, already up and out of her seat, racing towards the Holographic Space Suits and the exit of the Milano.

Quill wasn’t far behind her. “Right!” he said, hopping out of his seat.

“What did we agree on about not taking in hitchhikers?” Rocket asked, looking back towards Quill and Gamora. He noticed that Mantis went with them, only Groot remaining in his seat playing with his game. Drax was there, too, beneath Quill’s chair, but he was fast asleep in his chair, drooling onto his shoulder.

“Does no one listen to me anymore?!” Rocket exclaimed.

“I am Groot!”

“Oh, screw you, too, you medium-sized asshole!” Rocket said, hopping out of his seat and rushing to join Quill and the others. Groot just smirked at his furry backside, returning to his video game and completely ignoring the three splattered on their windshield.

Author's Note:
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