The Milano exited through the last jump point and the world of Xandar, capital of the Nova Empire, filled the viewport. Loki watched as they approached the planet, Quill guiding his ship into the atmosphere.

The Kyln was a Nova-controlled prison, but Tekahionwake had stated the Nova Corp wouldn't just allow them to waltz into the prison to release the tracker. Apparently, the tracker was a high priority prisoner that had angered the Nova Corp after he had once used their own technology against them. Tekahionwake had been brief on the details on what, exactly, he had done.

"So we get the blueprints from the Nova Corp Headquarters, to better plan our infiltration," the sorcerer had told them. "Then we break my tracker out and begin hunting the Älfeneel."

"Approaching Xandar," Quill said, glancing back at the two Asgardians, three sorcerers, and one frost giantess. "I hope this works."

"It will," Tekahionwake said firmly, leaning on the console beside Quill as she gazed down at Xandar. "Have no doubt about that."

Quill guided the Milano down to the spaceport on the outskirts of the capital city, lowering the landing gear. Loki shrugged on an old Ravager's jacket from Quill's quarters, settling the leather trench coat on his shoulders. Thor had similarly exchanged his red cloak for another, shorter jacket, which helped to hide his Asgardian garb.

Hailstohm took Thor's cloak, fastening it around her neck as she wrinkled her nose. "Do you ever wash this?"

Thor looked offended. "Yes, of course I have it washed."

Hailstohm slid her eyes over to him skeptically. "The smell begs to differ."

Tekahionwake, Almarez, and Mordo remained in their Masters of the Mystic Arts tunics, which would be less recognizable than the Asgardian ones. Quill powered the engines down as they all assembled back in the cockpit to go over their plan, one last time.

"Almarez, Mordo, and I will infiltrate the Nova Corp Headquarters using our sling rings to create portals," Tekahionwake explained. "We will take Peter Quill along with us, to help us in stealing the Kyln schematics."

"What about us?" Loki asked.

"You, Thor, and Hailstohm will remain here, with the ship," Tekahionwake told them. "If you wish, you may do some recon in the city, listen in on galactic news, but keep a low profile and be back here in an hour. I do not think it will take us longer than that to obtain the schematics."

Without waiting for anyone to make a comment, Tekahionwake slipped her sling ring on, Mordo and Almarez copying her. The three sorcerers lifted their arms, making circling motions with one hand, and a blaze of orange light cut through the air in front of each of them. Mordo looked at Quill and nodded toward the portal, which was displaying the clean interior of the Nova Corp Headquarters, and the Ravager sighed before stepping through. The sorcerers followed suit and the portals closed, leaving the two Asgardians and the frost giantess alone.

"Well, we might as well go into the city," Thor stated. "Let's see what news we can pick up."

Loki, Thor, and Hailstohm walked down the ramp, Loki closing it behind them. He cast an illusion over Thor's hammer to hide it, and they strode into the city. Within minutes, they were in the center, moving along a raised walkway that overlooked a large plaza, a fountain cascading in the center. As Loki glanced down at it, he saw a large, tree-like humanoid, a Flora Colossus, playing in the fountain. He suddenly remembered Thor learning their language, back when they were children, and how they used three words to communicate a range of emotions and meanings.

"Thor," Loki said. "Look, a Flora Colossus."

Thor looked, his eyes widening slightly in interest. "It has been a long while since I have met one," he remarked.

"We don't have time to introduce ourselves," Hailstohm reminded him. "Stay focused."

Thor glowered at her but didn't reply. Loki glanced back at the tree and started to see it looking back at him. And it didn't drop its gaze.

Why is it looking at me?

Loki shifted his gaze from the Flora Colossus to its surroundings, looking for an explanation. At first, all he noticed was the moving crowd of people, passing around the fountain, but then he saw the small figure standing near the fountain, holding something in its hands. From this distance, he couldn't pick out any details, but like the tree, it was remaining stationary by the fountain.

Rule 39. There's no such thing as coincidence.

The hairs rose on the back of Loki's neck, but they kept moving and lost sight of the tree and his companion. The three meandered over to a newsstand, where Hailstohm and Thor perused reports of recent events while Loki kept a surreptitious watch.

"The Kree Empire is signing a treaty with the Nova Empire after their thousand year war," Thor murmured.

Ronan is Kree, a Kree fanatic. He used to go on long rants against the Nova Empire.

"This one mentions Ronan the Accuser, a Kree who is lashing out against the Nova Empire," Hailstohm said, as if reading Loki's mind. "Quill mentioned a Ronan in connection with the Orb."

"And he wants the Orb," Loki said heavily. "The Power Stone. Perhaps to make an attack against Xandar?"

The three exchanged grim looks. As Thor and Hailstohm glanced back at the reports, Loki looked around, scanning their surroundings. He glanced over the railing of the walkway and instantly paled.

Stepping out of a small shop was a slender Zehoberei, her dark hair tinted with crimson. She wore a tight black leather leggings and a vest over a sleeveless top, which left her green, muscular arms bare. Loki stiffened, his breathing and heart rate quickening at the sight of her.

He knew her.

Gamora, daughter of Thanos, paused in the sunlight, her dark eyes narrowed. The light flashed off the silver implants above her eyes and in her cheeks and Loki wanted to shrink away, he wanted to disappear, but he found himself frozen in place, unable to move.

He had known there was a chance, on leaving Asgard to get vengeance for Frigga, that he would run into Ronan and others affiliated with Thanos. He had known that, and hadn't expected any trouble in his ability to deal with them. After all, Lucas Sharpe or the Space Walker had been a child of Thanos, sent to do his bidding much like Loki or Ronan. But Gamora was Thanos' favorite daughter, his preferred child out of all of those he had adopted into the Black Order.

She knows me.

"What is it?" Hailstohm demanded.

Loki turned away from Gamora, reaching for magic that failed to answer his command. He needed to disguise himself, disguise his face. But in this moment of unexpected panic, his illusions were beyond his grasp.

As if reading his mind, Hailstohm grabbed both his wrists, her fingers digging into his skin. "Don't fight it," she instructed him quietly as he saw the dull blue shade spreading from her fingertips. "Let it hide you." Thor glanced down at Gamora as Loki's skin changed from pale to the dull blue of a frost giant, serving in place of an illusion. "Let's go." Hailstohm released one of his wrists, but kept her fingers wrapped tightly around the other as she tugged him back in the direction they had come.

Thor fell into step beside them as they headed back toward the ship, giving Loki a curious look. "So this is how you look, as a frost giant," he remarked.

"Shut up," Loki hissed.

When they reached the ship, Loki wanted to yank his wrist out of Hailstohm's tight grip, but decided against it. She had helped him disguise himself when his magic wasn't working, to hide him from Gamora. He should be civil, even if he couldn't muster up gratitude.

"Thank you," he murmured to Hailstohm.

Hailstohm nodded, releasing his wrist.

Loki exhaled, bringing his hands up to his forehead. His fingers brushed the cranial ridges, which faded under his touch. He had held the form for longer than ever before, and after the initial discomfort, it hadn't felt as alien as he had expected.

Then a knee slammed into the back of his head, interrupting any further contemplation.

Loki staggered forward, his daggers appearing in his hands as he twisted around. Gamora had appeared out of nowhere, her sword out. He managed to deflect her next strike, and then Thor slammed Mjolnir into her, knocking her backwards.

Hailstohm threw her arms out, ice swords forming in her hands. But before anyone could move, a blast struck the frost giantess and launched her back into the side of the Milano.

"Hey, green chick, blue chick, butt out," a voice sneered. "He's our catch."

Loki narrowed his eyes at the creature who spoke, a grey, furry creature with patches over its eyes and a rifle larger than itself in its arms. "We're claiming the bounty on him," the creature proclaimed, aiming the rifle at Thor and then at Gamora. "Stay down, and the two of us don't give you any trouble."

"I am Groot." The Flora Colossus from the fountain stood behind the creature, looking overall menacing.

"No, you will not be taking my brother," Thor snapped at the tree.

"He's worth over a million units!" the creature retorted. "I'd give my brother over for that amount. You know, if I had a brother."

Thor narrowed his eyes at the creature. "Regardless of the bounty on my brother's head, there are some things that you can't put a price on."

"I can put a price on a lot of things," the creature insisted. He aimed his gun at Thor, who rolled forward to avoid getting shot. Gamora, meanwhile, had jackknifed up onto her feet and attacked Loki again, who lifted his daggers to parry her sword strike.

Her leg hooked around his and yanked him off his feet, but Loki kicked at her other leg, hitting her squarely in the knee and knocking her down. They traded blows as Hailstohm and Thor easily fended off the furry creature and the tree.

"Why are you here?" Gamora grunted.

"Why are you here?" Loki returned, his breath coming short.

Before she could retort, a fiery orange circle cut through the air and the three sorcerers and Quill jumped through. Within moments of their arrival, Gamora, the creature, and the tree were all on the ground, incapacitated with electric shocks.

"Who are these beings?" Tekahionwake asked, looking to Loki.

"The Zehoberei is Gamora, the daughter of Thanos," Loki told her quietly. "The other two – I have no idea. They mentioned something about a bounty on me."

"Oh, yeah," Quill said. "Thanos put a crap load of credits on your head. Under different circumstances, I'd be trying to bring you in for them."

"Thanos," Thor repeated, glancing from Loki to Quill. "I have heard mention of this name before. Who is he?"

"Thanos?" Gamora said, surprising Loki. "He is the Mad Titan. He is a warlord, not satisfied with subduing worlds alone – he must massacre half the population to fit with his insane ideals. And he is searching for something...something he should never be allowed to gain." She glanced at Loki. "You made him quite angry when you failed."

"You think I didn't know that?" Loki replied quietly. "Gamora, what are you doing here?"

"Officially, I'm here because Ronan sent me," Gamora told him. "Thanos found the Orb, Loki. We had it, in our hands. And then it was stolen. I came to learn if there had been any word of it."

"I will not let you bring it to him," Loki said vehemently.

"I'm not bringing it to him," Gamora snapped. "I'm here to keep it far away from him, to escape." Her eyes gleamed at Loki. "Like you did."