A Day Unlike Any Other

- - - - -

In the beginning, six singularities floated in the nothingness. They were powerful, but they were shapeless. When life emerged, thundering into existence, these six extraordinary things were forged into tangible pieces of rock. Each one became the embodiment of a unique aspect of the universe itself — and They were scattered across the cosmos and fell into the hands of powerful beings, who used them to dominate entire civilizations. Individually, the Infinity Stones have been wielded by many, but no one has dared to accumulate them all.

At first, there was nothing.

Followed by everything.

The Sentinel was home.

And it felt good to be back.

Pure, burning cosmic energy absorbed into his body at the speed of light. No, faster than that. It fuelled him. Adorned him with life. The stars welcomed him as if they were greeting an old friend. Eternity smiled a smile consisting of nebulae and solar flares at the sight of his son. It had been too long. The Sentinel felt his mind heal. As well as his wounds, his sorrow. The life bringing creation that swirled within him opened his eyes. His soul. His heart.

Despite being returned to the man he used to be, to the man he feared he would never get back to, he knew what he had to do. He had to fly. He had to see. He had to act fast. He was already behind. He was light years too late. But, he had to try. That was all he could do.

And to Ana, that was more than enough.

She witnessed her father being born again. It was a divine phenomenon that unfolded right in front of her eyes. Borderline miracle. She was afraid Marcus was already lost. That he couldn't be helped. But the cosmos proved her wrong. The universe laughed in her face. And the stars... well, they were more than happy to accomodate the daughter of the Sentinel. A familiar face. With familiar energy.

Marcus looked to his daughter with the galaxies in his eyes, and he smiled.

Ana took his outstretched hand.

Then, they raced to the light.

Xandar was the home of the Nova Corps — an intergalactic militia that harnessed limitless energy known as the Nova Force depending on their rank to enforce law and protect the peace among the galaxies. Their all-knowing supercomputer, Worldmind, was a self-preserving system that contained every piece of Xandarian history, arts, philosophies and consciousness of deceased Nova Corps members. Marcus had fought alongside the Nova Empire for decades and kept returning to Xandar after befriending a young human by the name of Richard Rider. They became brothers-in-arms. Family. From what Marcus could remember, Richard had risen to the ranks of a Centurion — how he did it still stumped Marcus to this day. Rider was young and reckless, yet determined and courageous. He could hold his own against an army. He was smart enough. He was strong enough.

Which is why Marcus was worried about him.

The Cosmic Awareness showed him a side of Richard he never thought he'd witness. The Nova was scared. Vulnerable. Alone. Marcus was beyond grateful for the chance to return to Xandar in light of recent events. And he couldn't thank his daughter enough for everything she had done for him in a short amount of time. He owed her. Big time. As he peered down at her to check on how she was doing travelling at the speed on light, his heart clenched. Their conjoined hands shone in a cosmic blue, but Ana's attention was solely on her father, and she smiled at him when they met eyes.

Despite feeling motion sickness coming on, Ana was overjoyed. There she was, crossing the galaxies with her long lost father. It wasn't what she expected. Before knowing him as the Sentinel, she would've settled for all the normal father-daughter things ordinary people would do. Like dragging him to tea parties as a kid, holding the flashlight as he fixed a car engine, and having him cheer her on at soccer games. But this... this was above and beyond.

This was awesome.

"We're here." Marcus revealed as they passed by one of the three suns that Xandar orbited around.

As Marcus came to a slow, Ana looked down at the planet, and frowned. Something was off. Because of Xandar's increasing population, Ana expected the city to be crowded with all types of aliens species and humanoids. There was supposed to be a bottleneck of aircrafts flying around the atmosphere. There was supposed to be more than this. Marc's mood dampened as soon as his feet touched the ground. Looking around at the barren environment, he only had one question. Where was everyone? It was dark at this time of day. They could only see what the lights on all the buildings illuminated for them — which wasn't much. The power seemed to have been turned off at some points of the city and reverted somewhere vital.

Ana felt her hair being pushed back because of the sudden gust of wind that hit her. That was when Marcus heard it. The sound of a turbine powering up. Followed by more and more turbines. A fleet of them. Ana's eyes widened when Marcus suddenly broke into a run and followed after him as he led them to the Nova Corps Headquarters. The towering skyscraper hid what was on the other side, and Marcus planned to learn what it was. Ana wanted to awe at the spectacular architecture around her. She really did. When the Guardians had described Xandar as a beautifully futuristic world, this wasn't what Ana imagined it to be like. It was better. Showed just how limited Ana's experience in space was. And how much more she wanted to explore.

Soon enough, Ana started hearing the sounds of aircrafts as they whirred awake. "What's that we're hearing?" She asked just as Marcus skidded to a stop.

He held his arm out as a signal for Ana to pause. He raised his head and found the drone. The boxy piece of technology acted as a PSA system. It was one of many. Ana and Marcus watched as hundreds of them filled the air, relaying the same message over and over again to anyone who would hear it.

"Attention. Nova Corps crisis protocols are in effect. Unauthorized pan-galactic transit has been suspended until further notice. Stargates included. Nova Corps apologizes for any inconvenience. Please stand by for transit status updates. Attention. Nova Corps crisis protocols are in effect..."

Marcus clenched his jaw. "They're all getting ready to evacuate." He said.

Ana's stomach churned. She placed her hand over it before replying with, "Why?"

Marcus spotted hundreds of Xandarians fill into large, non-weponised vessels. Even at this rate, with whatever was coming at them, they wouldn't make it in time. There was too many of them. Thousands lined up with a single bag of belongings knowing that there was barely enough room for all of them. The children and elderly were prioritised first from what Ana could make out. The rest of them waited impatiently as panic spread throughout the crowds. Rumors were floating here and there, none true of course, because no one really knew what or who was behind it.

No one except for Irani Rael — the Nova Prime.

The white-haired woman was wearing her formal Nova suit as she directed the soldiers under her command into seperate divisions. She guided her Centurions into their headquarters to talk battle strategies while Ana questioned the whereabouts of the Guardians of the Galaxy at this moment. She had no way to contact them, although she knew she could get her hands on some equipment that can. The communication device given to her by her space family was currently under a guest bed in the Sanctum Sanctorum along with her suits collecting dust. That was unless the Sanctum decided to hide her belongings again like it did last time.

Marcus proceeded to approach the front of the building, nearing Irani as she held back while the rest of the Novas entered the doors. He smoothed down his navy hoodie that had procured a few holes during his race across the stars, feeling extremely anxious about greeting an old friend. Irani had her back to Marcus. She could sense power. And a lot of it. She was hesitant to turn and find nothing but a ghost and an unfamiliar woman. Irani wasn't about to hide from her fear of being disappointed and looked over her shoulder at the man.

Marcus didn't waste any time and bowed his head as a show of respect. His eyes were shut tightly as he began to say, "Nova Prime. There's not a lot of time to explain. It would take years for me to tell you how it is that I've arrived on Xandar after decades of being thought of as dead and gone. But there is one thing that I can say that you must believe. It's me. It's Marcus. And I'm back. Truly. And as always, Irani, I'm here to help in any way I can."

Irani stepped forward, closing the space between them. Without an expression for Ana to decipher, Irani reached out and raised Marc's chin so he could look at her in the eye. Marcus shifted his weight and locked his hands behind his back, allowing Irani to analyse the slight age in his face from the last time they saw each other. After another second, much to Ana's surprise, Irani melted into a motherly smile, cracking through her tough, leader exterior.

"I knew you'd come back to us." Nova Prime declared.

Marcus breathed out a chuckle and pressed a kiss to Irani's knuckles. "You were always an optimist."

Nova Prime's smiled dropped. "Now I'm afraid that part of me has been thrown out the window. Xandar is in danger, Marcus. It seems you've been sent to us by the universe itself."

Marcus indicated with his head in Ana's direction. "Nope, that was my daughter."

Now it was Irani's turn to be surprised. Her eyes enlarged significantly as she took in Ana's appearance for the first time. "Daughter?" She echoed with a slight scoff.

Ana moved two steps closer. She didn't know whether to bow or shake her hand. There was some awkward arm movement, making Marcus grin lopsidedly, before she settled for a nod. "I worked with the Guardians for a while as the Warrior. Maybe you've heard of me?" She offered.

Irani nodded in response. "Yes, you fought Ego the Living Planet alongside Quill and the others. Saved the universe in the process."

The surprised jumped onto Marcus as his jaw dropped at the news. "Ana!" He exclaimed.

Ana waved Marcus off. "I punched a planet in his face, what's up?" She said casually, lifting a shoulder.

Marcus shook his head. He would have to talk to Ana about that later. He turned to face Irani and frowned. "Where's Richard?"

Irani's eyebrows furrowed while her hands took hold of Marc's. Ana could tell by the look in her eyes that her answer wasn't what Marcus wanted to hear. As Marcus prepared for the worst, Irani pursed her lips. She opened her mouth and went to say something when the ground beneath them shook. Ana almost lost her footing and kept herself upright while her father steadied Irani's form from tripping over. The three looked back at the Xandarians as they screamed in horror. A single vessel was a target of one of the biggest laser blasts Ana had ever seen. It seemed to have come from a large spaceship hidden behind the stormy clouds and dark shadows. The deep roar of it's engines made all colour on Ana's face drain and turn pale. She knew that sound well. As did Irani.

Nova Prime grabbed their hands and sternly demanded, "Come with me. Now!"

Ana didn't have time to register that fact that one-tenths of all Xandarians had just been attacked and incinerated. Chaos spread quickly as the people ran from the monsters in the skies while more fire blasts rained down upon them. She felt Irani tug at her when she wouldn't move. Ana whipped her head around and stared at Nova Prime, taking her hand back.

"No! We've gotta get them to safety!" Ana exclaimed.

Irani looked at Ana dead in the eye. "There's nowhere they can be safe. Not anymore." She said grimly, defeated.

Marcus gawked at the leader of the Novas. "Then open the Stargates! Get them the hell outta here!" He fired back. He knew what the Nova Force could do in a time like this. Stargates were stable wormholes that can connect different points in the galaxy which the Novas could create.

"There's no time to create a Stargate of the required magnitude." Irani fumed. "The Xandarian Worldmind won't allow it!"

Marcus shook Irani off of him and stepped back. "If you won't do something, I will." He told her pointing at his chest. He turned to look at Ana, and nodded. "I'll be right back, Ana. Stay here. Stay safe."

Ana huffed, "What? Wait, Marc... wait!" She shouted as her father launched himself into the sky, leaving behind a blazing trail of blue.

Nova Prime caught Ana's attention once again. "We have to get to the vault. We have to protect the Orb from him."

Ana swallowed thickly. "Him?"

- - -

Marcus flew towards the Xandarian vessels with his fists in front of him. His eyes were ablaze from the pure fury that raged inside him. He wondered about the squadron that would attack a simple planet like Xandar in the dead of night. He didn't know much on the question of space these days. He wasn't up to speed on what to look out for. What to protect himself and others from. What he did know was that whoever hid above the clouds, showering the ground with bolts of fire, were about to be greeted with the full force of the Sentinel — and the Nova Empire.

Marcus found that a few Nova Centurions joined him in his path in Star Blaster ships. One by one they lined up on either sides of him in the sky, forming a semicircle of trailblazers. Rhomann Dey was the first to follow the Sentinel. He saluted his old buddy when they caught each other's gazes and powered forward with his group of skilled fighters while the Nova ranks of Denarians, Millennians and Corpsman took the responsibility of ensuring the safety of their people on the ground. Marcus had to smile. He knew he could always count on them. They went too far back not to.

"So, back from dead, huh?" Rhomann questioned, loud enough for Marcus to hear. "Figured the universe wasn't done with you yet!"

Marcus smirked. "It's good to see you, Dey."

"Same here. We need you now more than ever, Marc." Rhomann admitted, glancing at him seriously.

"Anybody got any idea on what we're dealing with?" Marcus asked the group.

"I heard it's Galactus looking for another Xandarian to turn into one of his Heralds!" A Nova was quick to reply.

Marcus shook his head. "Surfer's his best by far. There's no way Big G's looking for another assistant." He shot down that suggestion.

"What about the Kree?" Rhomann Dey added.

Marcus paused. He had seen the true colours of the Kree when it was revealed how they treated Carol and the Skrulls in the past. They were dangerous. Possessive. Self-indulged supremacists. "Could be..." He muttered.

Another Nova spoke up. "Whoever they are, they're gonna get gone as soon as we're done with them!"

A chorus of agreements in the form of whoops and yells followed. Marcus had to hand it to them. Whenever they were in the face of danger, the Novas ended up having a good time. The yells died down when a wave of aircrafts descended from the clouds. They snaked through the air, firing energy bolts from the large overhead weapons attached to the roofs of their ships. Marcus couldn't tell who was in the pilot seats. Whoever they were, they didn't care what they hit as long as a path of destruction was left behind.

The Sentinel felt his plasma energy surge into his fists, and with one final word, the Novas obeyed him and rocketed towards the enemy in a coordinated ambush.

"Attack!"

- - -

"Shit, shit, shit!"

Ana shielded her head when debris fell around her due to the building being targeted by Thanos' army and she continued running with Nova Prime to the vault located at the base level of the Nova Corps Headquarters. After being reassured that the Novas were in charge of protecting the Xandarians, Ana reluctantly agreed to stick by Irani's side until they got to the Orb. Knowing her father was out there, right in the middle of the war zone had her mind reeling. She couldn't focus. She was too concerned about him and what might happen while he was out there. Ana had to remind herself that he was the Sentinel. The Protector of the Universe. Even so, Marcus had just returned to his usual self. He would have to get used to having his powers back.

Speaking of, Ana was too afraid to look down at her own hands. She could feel the tingling sensation at the tips of her fingers get more intense ever since she touched down on Xandar. It only made her force them at her sides. Out of sight. Out of mind. Right? Ana hoped so. She could barely find a second to breathe. She just witnessed a ship of innocent lives being blown to pieces. This wasn't an invasion. This was an extermination. Genocide. All by the Mad Titan's decree. She was learning more and more about Thanos as Nova Prime stopped them at a reinforced doorway.

Ana wondered how far down they were. She lost count of how many staircases they ran down to get to the vault. Judging by the muffled sounds of weapons being fired, they were below ground. Yet, they could still feel the force of the attacks quake the planet to its core. Ana managed to snatch up a radio transmitter the size of a playing card when she entered the building from a guard stationed at this post. He wouldn't need it. He had his gold helmet that was more than capable of communicating with his fellow Novas.

Irani ordered the guards in front of the doors to abandon their posts and join the fight, knowing they were needed on the ground and in the air instead of at a vault. Ana could tell they were more than willing to join their brothers and sisters in battle to safeguard their home. One of them had even dropped their blasters upon leaving. Ana stared at the weapon, debating whether or not to pick it up. It was about a metre long and attached to it was a blue sash. Ana figured what the hell and took the blaster, slinging it over her shoulders.

Irani noticed and sent her a side glance while she unlocked the vault. "You don't know how to use that, do you?"

Ana unzipped her leather jacket to allow her torso to move freely. She was limbering up as she replied. "I'll figure it out. Just point and shoot. Just like every other gun."

"Does every other gun use the Nova Force?" Irani questioned, raising a brow.

Ana pursed her lips and stopped stretching her arms across her chest. "Not necessarily..." She drawled.