𝖲𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖲𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌 -𝖱𝗈𝖼𝗄𝖾𝗍 𝗑 𝖥𝖾𝗆! 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋-

【 K N O W H E R E】

CHAPTER 2

• • •

OMNISCIENT

  Knowhere. 

  The head of a celestial being is discarded into space for different uses than being a severed head. Once, it was a land of thieves and all things bad. The Collector, mainly, who had a few run-ins with the Guardians on previous occasions. Other than that, people begged for money to buy booze to settle their misery. 

  People who lived here often wondered: why?

  Out of all places, they chose Knowhere to reside. Some people have been here since childhood, not allowed to leave or visit outside anywhere else. Others have visited and gotten stuck in a bet that they couldn't afford to lose, getting themselves trapped in such a ruined place. 

  But time went on. Knowhere is now under construction most of the time, with signs being replaced for the newly built shops and homes, and people being a little more friendlier with each other. Since the Guardians adapted to Knowhere, claiming it as their new home, people haven't been as threatening as they were before. 

  Whether it was because of the Guardians or because they were genuinely happy is a question that has yet to be answered. Some feared the group because of their previous encounters with Ronan and the Nova Corps, along with a certain planet blowing up due to Rocket. All for a good cause, of course. 

  Said mammal now sits among the people. They pass by without batting an eye as he sits on the stairs, in his paws, Quill's Walkman. A familiar song plays from the small device, Rocket sings along softly, mumbling the words under his breath. 

  Rocket turns up the volume of the acoustic song. Throughout Knowhere, speakers were placed in different locations. Those speakers were connected to the Walkman, allowing everyone to hear the song playing from the device. Having music around Knowhere helped settle some people. Calming them to a certain extent. 

  While he walked around, Mantis danced to the low-tuned song. ''Come on, Drax. Dance.''

  ''Only idiots dance.''

  Nebula and Groot help put up a sign on a storefront, not too far from Mantis and Drax. Nebula stands on the ladder, while Groot simply extends his arm to the top corner. When it's up, it crackles before the electricity flows through. Bright yellow neon took up the previously lost color of the sign.

  With a certain place in mind, Rocket continues. He sniffles, wiping his nose against the sleeve of his shirt before continuing. Still murmuring words of the song playing over the speakers, he passes by Kraglin and Cosmo. The two of them fighting over something. 

  Jemiah the Analyzer was a frequent place to visit. A bar for the useless and depressed. Inside, Quill hunched over a table, arms thrown across the length of the small tabletop. Another bottle of whatever was clutched in his hands. Rocket dismissed him most of the time. 

  Quill, however, didn't. ''Hey! Uh-uh.''

  The Terran stands from the table, obviously drunk as he knocks everything onto the floor, almost stumbling over his mess. An accusing finger pointed at Rocket as he continued to ignore Quill.

  ''I told you a million times, you keep your grimy raccoon hands off my Zune.'' He slurred, ripping the object from Rocket's paws. 

  Rocket opened the fridge, aggravated by the word. ''I told you a million times, I'm not a damn raccoon.''

  After grabbing a drink from the fridge, Rocket looked back up to Quill. The Terran stood above his small frame, drooling with eyes closed. Asleep, but standing... until he fell over. Nebula watches with the slightest sympathy from the window outside. Rocket sips from the container, amused.