[center][h2]THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY[/h2]
[b]IN[/B]
[h2]RAMBLE ON[/h2][/center]
[hr]

The chips clattered across the table sitting in the middle of the Hasselhoff's common area as Hawk raised her bet. The Guardians of the Galaxy, as they had decided to call themselves, sat around the table, and everyone looked at their cards again. Well, everyone save for Groot, who had already went bust and was now stacking the chips in the center of the table, a visor hanging cockeyed on his head. The tree-being was a spectacularly bad "poker", as Quill had called it, player, but he was a surprisingly adept dealer. Quill claimed that a good dealer was invaluable to the game of poker, but Quill had also been lying the entire time they had been playing. Of course, he also claimed that was an integral part of the game, so Thor had little idea what to believe.

"Well, gentlemen?" Hawk had a confident, wry smile painted across her face. "We gonna dance or do I get to take everything you own? It's the least I deserve after deciding not to kill you."

Thor had to admit that in the short time they had been together, he had taken a liking to Hawk. She had yet to tell them her real name, nor had she really opened up at all, but Thor knew what hid behind her eyes. It was the same thing that she probably saw behind his. A pain of failure, and that made sense. Thanagarians were a noble, warrior race, and very rarely were they out on their own, let alone as a bounty hunter. She had been exiled. It was obvious. He hadn't broached the subject with her, nor would he until the time was right. But it made total sense why she was so standoffish.

"Oh would you stop holding that over our heads?" Quill protested. "Every time there's one slice of pie left. 'Remember when I didn't kill you?' Every time someone else wants to sit co-pilot. 'Remember when I didn't kill you?' Honestly, sometimes I wish you just had. That way I wouldn't have to hear me tell about you hadn't."

Quill had fallen hard for Hawk. Another obvious fact Thor knew that none of the others had realized. Maybe the fact that mortal's lives were so short that they fell in love so quickly. But Quill had certainly fallen for the beautiful warrior. Thor thought that was a good decision. She was very beautiful, and very deadly. She reminded him of his own Sif. Still, Quill was hilarious ill equipped to woo such a strong prize. Thor would have to help him if he stood any chance.

Peter took another look at his cards before tossing them into the center of the table, "Fold."

"You have no balls," Rocket snorted and pushed his chips into the center of the table. "Whatever those things are I saw in the shower must be decoys or something."

"I told you to stop looking in my stall!" Quill growled.

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm like three feet tall. You're at eye level! Blame the damned universe for making me like this," Rocket laughed to himself.

"Trust me, creation didn't make you the way you are," Peter shot back. 

Rocket merely snarled at Quill. He was sensitive about his origins, probably because he had no idea what those origins were. It was what kept him from really connecting with any of the others on the ship. Save for Groot of course. The two were like family, and Thor had to respect that. The tree was a gentle giant, at least until one of them were threatened.

They had been traveling together for weeks, and the one place where they always worked well together was in battle. They were quickly making a name for themselves in the outer reaches of the universe. Embarrassing Mongul in front of the entire galaxy's black market certainly helped. Thor's escapades had made sure to impress that the crowned prince of Asgard had survived and was fighting for the downtrodden of the universe. While it was nothing more than a cover story to draw their adversary out of the shadows, Thor had to admit that he was enjoying it. He forgot how fun mortals could be, and helping them made him feel alive after the loss of Asgard.

It's something he probably should have been doing all this time. That much he knew now. But at the very least, now maybe he could make up for lost time.

"What about you, your highness?" Hawk arched her eyebrows at him.

Thor smiled lightly at her, and looked at his cards again. Two of the Kings of Cards, with two more of them sitting on the table. Thor pushed the remainder of his chips into the center of the table, "The Mighty Thor calls."

"ha!" Rocket exploded in sarcastic laughter. "You may be some bigshot where you're from, but around here I'm top dog. Ain't no question about that."

"Sure, you think that, little guy," Hawk responded. "But Thor isn't just a bigshot where he's from. He's one of the damn rulers of the universe. Did whatever he wanted for thousands of years. Didn't care who he stepped on, either. At least until someone, or mysterious hunter, stepped back. Maybe it was karma catching up to them for using the universe as their playground?"

The words hung in the air. He could see Quill in his peripheral vision, and his eyes were like saucers. Thor himself wasn't angry. Hell, he thought that she was probably right. Whoever had started Ragnarok prematurely had done so to hurt the gods, probably due to some slight. But Thor knew that they were going to have to work together if they stood any chance of winning this fight. Outbursts like this weren't going to help any of them.

"You are probably correct," Thor nodded at her. "At least that is my running thought on the matter. Whoever killed my world, and whoever is attempting to have us killed, is doing so because we Asgardians failed to help when we should have. Which is why we're not just going on a wild goose chase to find them. We're helping people as we go. At least I can have that penance."

"Fair enough," she shrugged and flipped over her cards. The others did the same, and cursed when they saw Thor's hand.

"I believe the game goes to me," he smiled and scooped up the chips. "No dishes duty for me for the next standard month."

Before the rest of them could react, the holographic projector in the middle of the table sprang to life. Heimdall's face appeared, "Odinson, was just passing by a quadrant near you to pick up a group of refugees, and our ship intercepted a distress call. Thought you'd want to know."

"Well, Guardians," Thor looked at his companions. "Looks like we have a job to do."