C52 New King in Town!
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<span>The sound of a Russian-ented plea filled the quiet that had just settled over the room, turning heads towards the ss case where Cosmo the dog, still d in her quaint Soviet space suit, was bouncing eagerly. "Please,rade, could you let me out? I really need to pee..."
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<span>Peter Quill nced at the Labrador with a bemused expression, feigning confusion. "A talking dog? Are you from Earth?" He asked, stepping closer to inspect the space-suited canine more closely.
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<span>Cosmo nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, are you from Earth as well?" She tilted her head, a curious glint in her eyes. "From your ent, I''d guess you''re a Capitalist American Scum? My owners used to talk about you people all the time…"
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<span>Peter held back augh, detecting no malice in her tone, just a parroting of past conversations. "Yeah…" he replied, trying to keep the mood light. "And based on your ent, I’d guess you''re a Communist Russian Dog?" he teased, a yful smirk ying on his lips.
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<span>"Yes, I am Cosmo!" she dered with a wag of her tail,pletely missing the irony in Peter’s response.
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<span>"I see," Peter chuckled, charmed by her oblivious nature. "It’s nice to meet another Earthling here." He smiled down at her. "I''m Peter, by the way."
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<span>Before they could continue, Carina stepped forward, her tone informative as she exined. "The Collector found Cosmo in a primitive rocket, in the middle of space, and decided to add her to his collection. She underwent enhancements here—increased intelligence, telekinesis, durability, and a prolonged lifespan. Her cor trantes her thoughts into speech, which is how we’re able tomunicate with her."
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<span>Peter turned back to Cosmo, “Did the Russians just shoot you up into space alone?”
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<span>“Yes,” Cosmo nodded her cute little head, a somber whine escaping her throat. “They put me on a rocket, knowing full well I never could return and I would either starve out in space, or die in a fiery ball of death…”
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<span>“I’m sorry you had to go through that…” Peter frowned.
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<span>“I am Groot…” Groot seemed saddened by her admission as well.
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<span>Cosmo pawed at the ss again, her voice taking on a whining tone that tugged at the heartstrings. "Please, can Ie out now?"
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<span>Nodding, Peter ced his hand on the control panel beside the case. Focusing for a moment, his hand took on a dull glow, and secondster, the ss slid open. Cosmo didn''t waste a second; she darted out like a bullet, nose to the ground, sniffing around urgently for a suitable spot.
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<span>The room was silent except for the soft ticking of her ws on the stone floor until she halted in front of another disy case. With no further ado, she lifted her leg and relieved herself.
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<span>As the sound of trickling echoed off the walls, a deep, raspy voice with a thick New York ent cut through the silence. "Hey! What did I tell you about pissing on my case? Bad dog! Very bad dog!"
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<span>Walking over, Peter, Carina, and Groot found an Anthropomorphic Duck, martini in hand, d in a silk robe, ring out from his own enclosure at the disrespect being shown to his residence.
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<span>[Insert picture of Howard the Duck here]
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<span>Cosmo, taken aback by the reprimand—never before having been called a bad dog—lowered her ears, looking guiltily at the puddle she''d made. Yet, her voice conveyed a touch of indignation as she retorted, "I''m not a bad dog! I just really had to go!"
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<span>Walking up to Howard''s case, avoiding the puddle of dog pee, Peter couldn''t help but marvel at the absurdity of the situation. First a talking dog and now a talking duck. ‘My life just got even weirder than it already was…’ He crouched down to meet Howard''s eye level, finding the duck visibly peeved.
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<span>"What are you looking at?" Howard asked, his voice gruff, the annoyance palpable even through the ss.
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<span>“A talking duck…” Peter replied simply.
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<span>“Damn right.” Howard nodded, sipping his martini as he turned to Carina. “Hey, baby. Do you want to see what this beak can do? You know, once you go duck, you’ll always get a good fu-“
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<span>“I am Groot…” Groot interrupted with a re, taking a protective step in front of Carina, who seemed confused.
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<span>“Woah, let’s all just calm down, okay?” Ignoring Howard''s disgruntled remarks from his disy case, Peter rested a hand on Groot’s shoulder, calming him down. ‘He really does have a crush on her, doesn’t he?’
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<span>Suddenly, as Groot calmed, an idea began to crystallize in Peter’s mind, an audacious n that sparked a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Hey, Carina," he called over his shoulder, "do we have, like, a list of everything here?"
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<span>Carina, who had been watching him with a measured curiosity, nodded and retrieved a sleek datapad from her robe. "Everything is cataloged here," she said, handing it to him.
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<span>Taking the datapad, Peter thumbed through the digital files, his expression a mix of wonder and calction. Groot peered over his shoulder, his eyes widening at the images of strange and powerful artifacts shing across the screen.
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<span>Peter’s thoughts raced. The Guardians had bought their own space station from the Collector in another life, another story. Why not here? Why not him? "We could actually run this ce," he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else.
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<span>Of course, Peter had no intention of keeping any of the living beings from the Collector''s collection. In fact, he nned to set them free, unless they posed a significant danger if released. ‘I’ll have to carefully go over all of the files…’
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<span>As Peter turned to leave, nning to explore the pce and fully piece together his ns, Howard''s voice carried across the room, tinged with indignation. "Hey! You let the mangy dog out but what about me? What, are you racist or something? Ducks are people too, you know!”
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<span>Peter paused, half-turning to look back at the irate duck. "I’ll be back to check on you in a bit," he called back, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Gotta see what we''re working with first." And as Peter strode off, Groot and Carina followed closely behind, eager to see what he was up to.
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<span>Cosmo, tail wagging, shot Howard a smug look before trotting after Peter. Her nose was held high, ted to be free from her cage and equally pleased to see Howard still confined. After all, no one gets away with calling her a bad dog!
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<span>Shortly after his tour of the pce concluded, Inside thete Collector’s study, Peter perused the digital files on the sleek datapad Carina had given him.
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<span>‘There’s so much junk on this list… like what the hell is a Krylopian trash bundle?’ He thought, Cosmo snuggling up at his feet, her tongue hanging out as she panted contentedly.
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<span>Peter’s eyes flicked across the screen, meticulously categorizing the living beings in the Collection. ‘Fomalhauti’s, Poppupian’s, Xeronian’s, Hurctarian’s, Kylorian’s, Frost Giant’s, Chitauri, Dark Elves, and even a Sovereign Cocoon, whatever the hell that is…’ He was determined to release those that weren’t dangerous—a promise to himself and to his newfound sense of responsibility as the new owner of this odd assortment of gctic treasures.
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<span>Groot, exhausted from his recent ordeal, was sprawled out on a nearby couch, snoring softly, his wooden fingers twitching asionally in sleep.
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<span>As he slept, suddenly, the door slid open with a soft whoosh, and Carina entered, her steps soft against the marble floor. In her hands, she carried a steaming mug and another datapad, which she offered to Peter. “Thought you might need a boost,” she said, handing him the drink before presenting the second datapad with a slightly hesitant gesture.
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<span>Peter epted the mug, sipping cautiously, then looked at the new datapad with a raised eyebrow. “What’s this for?”
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<span>“If you’re nning to take over the Collector’s role,” Carina exined, “you should be aware of everything that it entails. This contains information about the Tivan Group.”
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<span>Peter scrolled through the new files, his brow furrowing as he read about the numerous shady dealings: smuggling, ck market auctions, and worse, much worse…
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<span>The Tivan Group is basically the Collector’s criminal Empire, which is deeply entrenched in the gxy’s underworld, a fact that makes Peter uneasy. He quickly made up his mind, stashing the datapad away. “Sorry, but I’m not interested in running a crime syndicate,” he dered firmly. “I just want the station. That’s all.”
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<span>Carina nodded, clearly relieved by his decision. “Understandable, but you should know—others mighte looking to im what the Collector left behind. Not just the Tivan Group, but the Hutts have been interested in his collection and the coaxium mining operation for a very long time.”
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<span>Peter’s response was a nonchnt shrug. “That’s certainly worrying, but have you seen the kind of security and artifacts we’ve got here? Just the security system alone should be enough to scare away any potential invaders.”
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<span>Though visibly apprehensive, Carina nodded. “Just be cautious, Peter.”
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<span>He saw the worry etched on her face and softened his tone. “Hey, Carina, if you want to leave, you can. I’m not about keeping people against their will here.”
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<span>“No,” to his surprise, Carina shook her head emphatically. “I want to stay. I want to help you make this ce something good. And… I-I want to repay your kindness.”
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<span>“Alright then,” Peter said, allowing himself a small smile. He paused, then asked another question that had been nagging at him, “Does this ce have a deed of ownership or something?”
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<span>Carina chuckled, a sound that echoed slightly in the vast room. “This is the farthest end of the Outer Rim, Peter. There are no Republicws here, no documents. The strong take what they want. The Collector was strong, so he owned Knowhere. Now, he’s gone, and you’re here.”
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<span>“So, I just… take over? Just like that?” Peter’s voice was a mix of amusement and incredulity.
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<span>“Exactly like that,” Carina confirmed with a nod.
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<span>Peter stood, stretching his legs and ncing around the opulent study. “Well then, since we’re the strong ones now, why don’t we start cleaning this ce up, shall we?”
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<span>…
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<span>Minutester, Peter stood on the front balcony of the Collector''s grand pce, surveying the bustlingndscape of Knowhere. The view before him revealed a stark contrast of dingy buildings and vibrant marketces, vividly disying the city''s gritty vitality and evident poverty.
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<span>In his hand, Peter clutched a microphone scavenged from the Collector''s assortment of oddities. It was a powerful device, capable of amplifying his voice across the entire city.
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<span>But before he could activate it, Carina approached him, her steps echoing slightly on the metallic floor. She held out a metallic face mask, its surface sleek and eyes glowing an intimidating red.
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<span>"What''s this for?" Peter asked, eyeing the mask curiously.
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<span>Carina''s voice was serious, a rare tone for her. "Since you''re a Jedi, you could get in trouble for what you’re doing. It''s best if you keep your identity hidden, just in case the news reaches the Republic."
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<span>Peter nodded, understanding the gravity of her advice. Slipping the mask over his head, he felt it adjust snugly around his features, leaving his tousled hair free. He activated the microphone and turned to face the city, his voice now distorted thanks to the mask.
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<span>"People of Knowhere," he began, his amplified voice echoing off the metal structures, grabbing the attention of everyone from the career criminals to the downtrodden homeless. "This city is under new management—better management. As of today, Knowhere no longer condones crime, nor will it harbor any criminals. So, that leaves many of you with two choices: leave or reform and stay. And believe me, once you see the wages I’m offering, you’ll definitely want to stay…”
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<span>After all, he didn’t n to stop mining the below. The Coaxium trade is just too lucrative to stop.
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<span>The crowd murmured, a blend of skepticism and curiosity in their eyes. Peter cleared his throat, signaling for quiet, his voice steady andmanding.
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<span>"But be clear, any act of crime or rebellion will be met with a swift and painful death.” Of course, not all crimes would result in death; the consequences would vary depending on the severity, but he would exin thatter. “And if anyone has a problem with that, then feel free to lodge aint with our Sentient Rtions Department…”
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<span>At his cue, highly advanced turrets emerged from every street corner and rooftop, their barrels swiveling ominously. The disy of firepower was met with a mixture of awe and fear.
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<span>Peter paused, allowing the gravity of the moment to settle over the crowd, before retracting the turrets back into concealment. Then, with a firm nod, he concluded, “Thank you for your attention. And stay tuned for more details, as there will be other announcements like thising soon.”
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<span>With that, he stepped back from the balcony, leaving the frightened, angered, and confused popce of Knowhere behind.
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<span>A/N: 2214 words :)<span><span>