What if Peter Quill and Gamora knew each other and Thanos never got her. But she's still an assassin.

Chapter One

On the abandoned planet of Morag two people exit a ship that has just landed. A man pulls out a device that shows holograms of what the planet used to look like. It leads the pair to an old building, then man opened the door that was keeping the pair out and they walked in. The man's mask disappears and he puts on some headphones and starts to play music. The other pulled off their hood to reveal a woman with green skin and black hair with magenta tips.

The man begins to dance when his music begins as they walk. The woman rolls her eyes at her companion and walks further ahead of him. He runs up to her and twirls her around as he sings (Come and Get Your Love); she never understood his need for involving her in his dancing. They finally make it to a room that holds an orb. The woman placed a triangular device on the ground that opened up and pulled the orb to it.

Right when they turn around to return to their ship, three men tell them to stop and to drop the orb. "Okay, calm down. We are just junkers looking for stuff to sell." the woman says as she puts down the orb. "You don't look like junkers, you two are wearing Ravager garb." The leader of the three men says. "It's just an outfit man. Ninja turtle, you better stop poking me." The woman's companion said. "What are your names?" The leader says.

"My name is Peter Quill and this is Gamora, okay?" Peter says. "Move!" the leader said. "Ronan may have questions for you." "Hey, you know what? There's another name you might know me by. Star-Lord." Peter said. "Who?" the leader said. Gamora just rolls her eyes as Peter says "Star-Lord, man. Legendary outlaw. Guys?"

"Ah, forget this." Peter and Gamora started to fight. (Beginning scene) Gamora is sitting at the table while Peter is watching a reporter on a screen. "Scattered riots broke out across the Kree Empire today protesting the recent peace treaty signed by the Kree Emperor and Xandar's Nova Prime." "Peter, Yondu is calling." Gamora said as she answered the call. "Hey, Yondu." "I'm here on Morag. Ain't no Orb, ain't no you two." Yondu all but yelled at them. "Well, we were in the neighborhood. I thought we'd save you the hassle." Peter said as Gamora got up and stood next to him.

"Well, where are you at now, kids?" "I feel really bad about this, but I am not going to tell you that." Gamora said. "I slaved putting this deal together." "Slaved?" "Now you're gonna rip me off! We do not do that to each other. We're Ravagers. We got a code." Yondu said. "Yeah and that code is steal from everybody." Peter said. "When I picked you both up on Terra…" "Picked us up." "these boys of mine wanted to eat you. They ain't never tasted any Terran before. I stopped them. You're both alive because of me! I Will find you, I Will…" Peter ended the call before Yondu could finish.

"Put a bounty on them! Forty K. But I want them back alive." Yondu said. "Yeah, Cap." "Alive?" a crew member asked. "That's what I said." "I told you when you picked those kids up, you should have delivered them like we were hired to do! They were cargo! You have always been soft on them." The same member said. "You're the only one I'm being soft on! Now, don't you worry about them. As soon as we get them back here, I'm gonna kill them myself. What we need to worry about is who else out there wants that Orb!" Yondu said.

Chapter Two

"They call me "terrorist," "radical," "zealot," because I obey the ancient laws of my people, the Kree, and punish those who do not. Because I do not forgive your people for taking the life of my father, and his father, and his father before him. A thousand years of war between us will not be forgotten!" a dark figure says. A man in chains says "You can't do this! Our government signed a peace treaty." "My government knows no shame. You Xandarians and your culture are a disease." "You will never rule Xandar." "No. I will cure it!" the figure killed the man in chains. "Ronan, Korath has returned." Korath was the man that was the leader of the group that encountered Peter and Gamora. "Master, they're thieves, an outlaw who calls himself Star-Lord and a woman named Gamora. But we have discovered they have an agreement to retrieve the Orb for an intermediary known as the Broker." Korath said.

"I promised Thanos I would retrieve the Orb for him. Only then will he destroy Xandar for me. Nebula, go to Xandar and get me the Orb." Ronan says to a woman with blue skin. "It will be my honor." Nebula said as she walked away to prepare her ship and soldiers.

"Xandarians. What a bunch of losers. All of them in a big hurry to get from something stupid, to nothing at all. Pathetic. Look at this guy! Can you believe they call us criminals, when he's assaulting us with that haircut? What is this thing? Look how it thinks it's so cool. It's not cool to get help! Walk by yourself, you little gargoyle. Look at Mr. Smiles over here. Where's your wife, old man? What a class-A pervert. Right, Groot? Groot?" A talking raccoon turned around to face his companion who was a humanoid-tree like being who was drinking out of a fountain. "Don't drink fountain water, you idiot. That's disgusting!" "Mmm." Groot said. "Yes, you did. I just saw you doing it. Why are you lying?" an electronic beeping comes from the screen in the raccoon's hand. "Whoop. Looks like we got one. Okay, how bad does someone wanna find you two? 40,000 units? Groot, we're gonna be rich."

Peter walks into a building without Gamora and walks up to a man. "Mr. Quill." "Broker. The Orb. As commissioned." Peter said as he put the orb on the counter. "Where's Yondu?" Broker asked. "Wanted to be here. Sends his love. And told me to tell you, that you got the best eyebrows in the business. What is it?" "It's my policy never to discuss my clients, or their needs." Broker says. "Yeah, well, we almost died getting it for you." Peter said.

"An occupational hazard, I'm sure, in your line of work." "By some machine-headed freak, working for a dude named Ronan." "Ronan? I'm sorry, Mr. Quill. I truly am. But I want no part of this transaction if Ronan is involved." Broker gives the orb back to Peter and begins to push him out of the store. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who's Ronan?" Peter asked. "A Kree fanatic, outraged by the peace treaty, who will not rest until Xandarians culture, my culture, is wiped from existence!" "Whoa, whoa! Come on." "He's someone whose bad side I'd rather not be on." Broker said. "What? What about my bad side?" "Farewell, Mr. Quill." Broker managed to push Peter out of his shop and let the door close.

"Hey, we had a deal, Bro!" Peter yelled at the door. "What happened?" Gamora asked as she leaned against the wall eating a piece of fruit. "Ah, this guy just backed out of a deal on me. If there's one thing I hate, it's a man without integrity." Peter wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "You have the bearing of a man of honor." She said in a flirty way. "Well, you know, I wouldn't say that. People say it about me, all the time, but it's not something I would ever say about myself." Gamora laughed at Peter.

"You just had to ruin the moment didn't you?" She said as she leaned up to kiss him. As they walk away they hear someone yelling. "Put them in the bag. Put them in the bag!" (Fight scene except Peter and Gamora work together.). Groot gets them in the bag and turns toward his partner. "Quit smiling, you idiot. You're supposed to be a professional." The raccoon and Groot get caught in a force field and Peter and Gamora mange to get out of the bag.

In Nova Prime headquarters Nova Prime herself is talking to the leader of the Kree. "Ronan is destroying Xandarian outposts throughout the galaxy. I should think that would call for some slight response on the part of the Kree." "We signed your peace treaty, Nova Prime. What more do you want?" "At least a statement from the Kree Empire saying that they condemn his actions. He is slaughtering children. Families." "That is your business. Now, I have other matters to attend to." He says before he cuts the connection.

An officer is reading off information given about their new prisoners. "Gamora. Surgically modified and trained as a living weapon. She's from an unknown planet. She has been seen with the Ravagers since she was a teenager. Subject 89P13. Calls itself "Rocket." The result of illegal genetic and cybernetic experiments on a lower life form." "What the hell?" one officers says when he sees Groot. They call it "Groot." A humanoid plant that's been travelling recently as 89P13's personal houseplant/muscle. Peter Jason Quill, from Terra. Raised from youth by a band of mercenaries called the Ravagers, led by Yondu Udonta." "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know how this machine worked." Peter said when he held up his middle finger at the officers. "What a bunch of a-holes. Transport all four to the Kyln."

Chapter Three

"I guess most of Nova Corps wanna uphold the laws, but these ones here, they're corrupt and cruel. But, hey, that's not my problem. I ain't gonna be here long. I've escaped 22 prisons. This one's no different. You're lucky the broad showed up, because otherwise, me and Groot would be collecting that bounty right now, and you'd be getting drawn and quartered by Yondu and those Ravagers." Rocket says. "We've had a lot of folks try to kill us over the years. We ain't about to be bought down by a tree and a talking raccoon." Peter said.

"What's a raccoon?" Rocket asked. "What's a raccoon? It's what you are, stupid." Peter says. "Ain't no thing like me, except me." Rocket says. "So, this Orb has a real shiny blue suitcase, Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe. What is it?" "I am Groot." Groot says to Peter. "So what? What's the orb?" Peter asked. "I am Groot."

"Well, that's just as fascinating as the first 89 times you told me that. What is wrong with Giving Tree, here?" Peter asked Rocket. "Well, he don't know talking good like me and you. So his vocabulistics is limited to "I" and "am" and "Groot." Exclusively in that order." Rocket said. "I tell you what, that's gonna wear real thin, real fast." Peter said as they walked past impound. Peter sees a guard put on his headphones and plays music on his walkman. "Hey! Listen to me, you big blue bastard. Take those headphones off. That's mine. Those belong to impound. That tape and that player are mine!" Peter said as the door closed.

"Peter get out of there now." Gamora said. The guard got up and shocked Peter and watched him fall to the ground. "Hooked on a Feeling, Blue Swede, 1973. That song belongs to me!" Peter said before the shocked him again. They finally made it to where all the other prisoners were. "You first! You first! Murderer! Coming for you first, Gamora! You're dead! You're scum! You're scum!" Everyone was screaming and throwing things.

"The guards will protect her right?" Peter asked as he moved closer to Gamora. "They're here to stop us from getting out. They don't care what we do to each other inside." Rocket said. "Whatever nightmares the future holds, are dreams compared to what's behind me." Gamora said to Peter. "Check out the new meat. I'm gonna slather you up in Gunavian jelly, and go to town..." some big blue guy said. Groot stuck two fingers up the guy's nose and Gamora grabbed the knives of two people coming up behind her and held them to their throats.

"These two here are our booty! You wanna get to them, YOU go through us! Or, more accurately, we go through you." Groot drops the guy on the ground. "I'm with them." Peter says and follows Rocket and Groot as Gamora goes to her cell. "You're dead! No cell's gonna protect you for long." Prisoners yell at Gamora. Later that night Gamora is pulled from her cell by prisoners. A guard says "Take her down to the showers. It'll be easier to clean up the blood down there."

Chapter Four

Peter hears Gamora grunt as she is pulled past where all the men are sleeping. He gets up to go after her. Rocket whispers "Quill, where you going? Quill. Quill!" Gamora is pushed up to a wall with a knife to her throat. "Gamora, consider this a death sentence for your crimes against the galaxy." A prisoner said.

"You dare? You know who I am, yes?" a deep voice said. "You're Drax. The Destroyer." A prisoner said as they turned around. "Quill!" Rocket whispered as Peter moved closer to the group. "And you know why they call me this." "You slayed dozens of Ronan's minions." "Ronan murdered my wife Ovette, and my daughter, Camaria. He slaughtered them where they stood. And he laughed!" Drax said. "Quill!" Rocket said again as Peter moved even closer.

"Her life is not yours to take. He killed my family. I shall kill one of his in return." Drax said. "Of course, Drax. Here, I..." a prisoner offered Drax his knife. Gamora broke free of the men's arms who had a hold on her and held knives to both Drax's and the prisoner's necks. "Quill! What are you doing?" Rocket tried to grab Quill before he did something stupid. "I have no alliance to Ronan or Thanos." She drops the knives. "I have nothing to do with either of them." She said.

Drax grabbed her throat and pushed her to the wall. "Ah!" "Woman, your words mean nothing to me!" Drax said. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Hey!" Peter said as he came up behind them. "Oh, crap." Rocket said as he hit his head. "You know, if killing Ronan is truly your sole purpose, I don't think this is the best way to go about it. Look, this is from a smoking-hot Rajak girl. Stabbed me with a fork. Didn't like me skipping out on her at sunrise. I got, right here, a Kree girl tried to rip out my thorax. She caught me with this skinny little A'askavariian who worked in Nova Records. I was trying to get information. You ever see an A'askavariian? They have tentacles, and needles for teeth. If you think I'm seriously interested in that, then... You don't care. But here's the point. I've known her, her whole life. She is not involved with Ronan. But he's after an orb that we found. He's going to come looking for it and when he does, that's when you…" Peter explained putting his finger to his throat.

"Why would I put my finger to his throat?" Drax asked. "What? Oh, no, it's a symbol. This is a symbol for slicing his throat?" Peter explained. "I would not slice his throat. I would cut his head clean off." Drax said. "You've heard of this. You've seen this, right? You know what that is." Peter asked a prisoner. "Yeah, yeah…" the prisoner said until Drax looked at him, "No, no." "What I'm saying is, you want to keep her alive. Don't do his work for him." Peter said.

Drax lets Gamora go and she coughs. "I like your knife. I'm keeping it." Drax walks away with the knife. "That was my favorite knife." The prisoner said. Gamora, Peter, and Rocket walk away. "Gamora are you okay?" Peter asks as he grabs her face to see her neck better. "I am fine Peter. I can take care of myself; you of all people know that. You had to say it was a Rajak, Kree and an A'askavariian girl didn't you?"

"Hey, I couldn't say all that was from you. I had to make it believable." Peter said. "Just how close are you two? Why not just let the big guy kill her?" Rocket asked. "She's my wife and I'm not about to let some guy take her from me." Peter said. "Now we just have to get out of here with the orb and sell it." Peter said. "How are we gonna sell it when we and it are still here?" Gamora asked.

"My friend Rocket, here, has escaped 22 prisons." Peter said as he looked down at Rocket. "Oh, we're getting out. And then we're headed straight to Yondu to retrieve your bounty." Rocket said. "I know that Look Gamora, we are not going to him. How much would he even be willing to pay us for the orb?" Peter asked. "Four billion units." was Gamora's answer. "What!" "Holy shit!" Peter and Rocket said together.

"I'll lead us to the buyer directly and I'll split the profit between the three of us." Gamora said as they stopped in front of the cell holding all the men. "I am Groot." Groot said as he came up to them. "Four of us. Asleep for the danger, awake for the money, as per frickin' usual." Rocket said to Groot.

Chapter Five

"Your partnership with Thanos is at risk. Thanos requires your presence. Now!" Someone told Ronan. "With all due respect, Thanos, your daughter made this mess, and yet you summon me." Ronan said as Nebula sat on a rock. "I would lower my voice, Accuser." The same person said. "First, she never made it to Xandar before the orb was moved." Ronan said. "Thanos put Nebula under your charge. You are the one here with nothing to show for it." "I only ask that you take this matter seriously." Ronan said.

"The only matter I do not take seriously, boy, is you. Your politics bore me. Your demeanor is that of a pouty child. And, apparently, you blame my daughter for your failure. I shall honor our agreement, Kree, if you bring me the Orb. But return to me again empty-handed, and I will bathe the star ways in your blood." Thanos said. "Thanks, dad. Sounds fair. This is one fight you won't win. Let's head to the Kyln." Nebula said as she walked past Ronan.

"If we're gonna get out of here, we're gonna need to get into that watchtower. And to do that, I'm gonna need a few things. The guards wear security bands to control their ins and outs. I need one." Rocket said. "Leave it to me." Gamora says. "That dude, there. I need his prosthetic leg." "His leg?" Peter asked. "Yeah. God knows I don't need the rest of him. Look at him, he's useless." Rocket said. "All right." Peter says.

"And finally, on the wall back there is a black panel. Blinky yellow light. Do you see it?" "Yeah." Peter and Gamora say. "There's a quarnyx battery behind it. Purplish box, green wires. To get into that watchtower, I definitely need it." Rocket says. "How are we supposed to do that?" Gamora asked. "Well, supposably, these bald-bodies find you attractive. So, maybe you can work out some sort of trade." "You must be joking."Gamora told Rocket after he said that. "No, I really heard they find you attractive." Rocket said.

"Look, it's 20 feet up in the air, and it's in the middle of the most heavily-guarded part of the prison. It's impossible to get up there without being seen." Peter says. "I got one plan, and that plan requires a frickin' quarnyx battery, so figure it out! Can I get back to it? Thanks. Now, this is important. Once the battery is removed, everything is gonna slam into emergency mode. Once we have it, we gotta move quickly, so you definitely need to get that last." Rocket said before alarms blare and they turn around to see Groot holding the battery next to Drax.

"Or we could just get it first and improvise." Rocket said. "I'll get the armband." "Leg." Peter and Gamora say before they split up. A guard yells "Prisoner, drop the device immediately and retreat to your cell, or we will open fire. All prisoners return to your sleeping areas." Rocket jumps up on the Groot's shoulders as guards shoot at him. "You idiot! How am I supposed to fight these things without my stuff?" Rocket yells.

Chapter Six

"The animal is in control. Fire on my command!" a guard yells. (Escape scene) "Creepy little beast!" Drax yells as he throws Rocket a guard's weapon. Rocket cocks the gun and says "Oh, yeah." Rocket begins to fire on the guards and the guards' robots. Peter is talking to the guy with the prosthetic leg. "You need my what?" the guy asks. Gamora runs up and traps a guard's arm. "I'll need this." "Good luck. It's internally wired." The guard says.

"I'll figure something out." Gamora says before you hear a crack and the guard groaning. "Drop the leg! Drop the leg and move back to your cell!" a guard yells at Peter. Peter hits the guard with the leg and runs towards Rocket. "Rocket!" Gamora yells as she tosses Rocket the wristband. "Move to the watchtower!" Rocket yells to Gamora, Peter, and Groot.

Groot begins to grow so he and Rocket can get to it. Peter begins to climb up Groot's leg to reach them when a guard bot is about to shoot him. Drax takes down the bot so Peter can get to the watchtower. "You! Man who has lain with an A'askavariian!" Drax yells. "It was a lie, man." Peter mumbles.

"We need all available guards in full combat gear…" a guard says as the group walk into the watchtower. Gamora makes him get out of his seat and Groot throws him out of the tower. Before the door closes Drax gets in. "Spare me your foul gaze, woman." Drax says to Gamora when she gave him a dirty look. "Why is this one here?" Gamora asks Peter with a look he knows all too well.

"I promised him he could stay by your side until he kills Ronan. I always keep my promises, when they're to muscle-bound whack-jobs who will kill me if I don't. Here you go." Peter puts the leg in front of Rocket. "Oh, I was just kidding about the leg. I just need these two things." "What?" "No, I thought it'd be funny. Was it funny? Oh, wait, what did he look like hopping around?" Rocket laughed. "I had to transfer him 30,000 units!" Peter yelled.

"How are we going to leave?" Drax asked. "Well, he has a plan." Gamora said as she pointed to Rocket. "Right? Or is that another thing you made up?" Peter asks. "I have a plan! I have a plan!" Rocket said as he started pushing buttons. "Cease your yammering and relieve us from this irksome confinement." Drax says.

"Yeah, I'll have to agree with the walking thesaurus on that one." Peter says. "Do not ever call me a thesaurus." Drax gives Peter a death glare. "It's just a metaphor, dude." Peter says moving closer to the wall. "His people are completely literal. Metaphors are gonna go over his head." Rocket says. "Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it." Drax said.

"I'm going to die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy." Gamora says. "Hey!" Peter says looking at Gamora before saying "Those are some big guns." "On my command! Number One!" a guard yells at others who are holding guns. They start to fire on the windows. "Rodent, we are ready for your plan." Gamora yells. "Hold on!" Rocket yells back.

"Number Two!" the guard yells. "I recognize this animal. We'd roast them over a flame pit as children. Their flesh was quite delicious." Drax says. "Not helping!" Rocket yells. "Number Three! All fire on my command! Three! Two! One!" the guard yells before their guns power down and everyone starts to float in the air. "He Turned off the artificial gravity, everywhere but in here." Gamora said.

Chapter Seven

"I told you I had a plan." Rocket says as he steers the watchtower room through the jail. They get to the impound room to grab their stuff. Peter looks out the window looking for his ship. "Yeah! There it is. Get my ship. It's the Milano, the orange and blue one over in the corner." "They crumpled my pants up into a ball. That's rude! They folded yours." Rocket complains as they get their stuff.

"The Orb's there. Let's go." Gamora says looking over Peter's shoulder. "Wait, wait, wait." Peter says looking through his stuff. "What?" Gamora asks. "That bastard didn't put it back." "Put what back?" "Here. Get them to the ship. I will be right back." Peter said pushing his stuff in Gamora's arms. "Peter, what are you going to do?" Gamora asks.

"Just keep the Milano close by." Peter says before he gives Gamora a quick kiss. "Go. Go!" Peter fights his way through a hallway and shoots guards who get in his way. On the Milano everyone was waiting for Peter. "Well, how's he gonna get to us?" Rocket asked. "He declined to share that information with me." Gamora said.

"Well, screw this, then! I ain't waiting around for some humie with a death wish. You got the Orb right?" Rocket says. "Yes." Gamora opens the bag to see that the bag Peter gave her is empty. Peter finds the guard that took his walkman and hits him to get his walkman back. "If we don't leave now, we will be blown to bits." Rocket turns to look at Gamora. "No! We're not leaving without the Orb or Peter." Gamora says.

Drax looks out the window and sees Peter. "Behold." Gamora and Drax go to help Peter get inside the Milano. "This one shows spirit. He shall make a keen ally in the battle against Ronan. Companion, what were you retrieving?" Drax asked. Peter hands him his walkman. "You're an imbecile." Drax said.

Rocket is sitting on the floor surrounded by things from the Milano humming. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Yo, Ranger Rick! What are you doing? You can't take apart my ship without asking me!" Peter says. "See, what is this?" "Don't touch that! It's a bomb." Rocket says. "A bomb?" "Yup." "And you leave it lying around?" Peter exclaims. "I was gonna put it in a box." Rocket says in his defense.

"What's a box gonna do?" Peter asks as Rocket pulls out the present his mother gave him before she died. "How about this one?" Rocket holds it up. "No! Whoa. Hey! Leave it alone." Peter puts it back and closes the drawer. "Why? What is it?" "Shut up. What is that?" Peter points to a device next to Rocket."That's for if things get really hardcore. Or if you wanna blow up moons." Rocket says as Gamora walks in.

"No one's blowing up moons." She says as she makes her way to the table everyone is at. "You just wanna suck the joy out of everything." Rocket says. "So listen, I'm gonna need his coordinates." Peter tells Gamora. "We're heading in the right direction. For now." "If we're gonna work together, you might try trusting me a little. Now who this buyer is?" Rocket asks. "And how much do you trust me?" Gamora leans down to face Rocket.

"I'm guessing that Orb is some type of weapon." Rocket says. "We don't know what it is." Peter said as Drax picked it up. "If it's weapon, we should use it against Ronan." "Put it down, you fool. You'll destroy us all." Gamora all but yelled at Drax. "Or just you, murderess!" He yelled. "I let you live once, princess!" Gamora yelled back getting in Drax's face.

Chapter Eight

"I am not a princess!" "Hey!" Peter grabbed Gamora by her waist and moved her away towards his side of the table. "Nobody is killing anybody on our ship! We're stuck together until we get the money." Peter says while rubbing Gamora's arms to calm her down. "I have no interest in money." "Great. That means more money for the three of us." Peter says as Groot huffs. "For the four of us." Peter sighs. "Partners." Peter says to Rocket.

"We have an agreement but I will never be partners with you." Rocket says. "I'll tell the buyer we're on our way. And Quill, the ship is filthy." Gamora says as she walks back towards the front. "You should know Gamora. You helped make it filthy." He yelled at her laughing, Gamora laughs along from the front of the ship. "You two have issues, Quill." Rocket says.

Back at the Kyln, "I swear. I don't know where they went! I swear." A guard was pleading to Ronan and his men. "I swear. I don't know where they went! I swear." A prisoner said to one of Ronan's men. "If he knew where they were headed, he would have already told us." Nebula said to Ronan. "The Nova Corps sent a fleet to defend the prison." Korath said.

"Well, then, send Nercocraft to every corner of the quadrant. Find the Orb. Any means, any price." Ronan said. "And this place?" Nebula asks. "Cleanse it!" Ronan walks away as guards and prisoners scream.

"Do you got any other cute little buggers like this one? I like to stick 'em all in a row on my control console." Yondu said to Broker as Yondu liked at a little blue glass frog. "I can't tell if you're joking or not." Broker said. "He's being fully serious." A crew member said. "In that case, I can show you…" Yondu started to laugh stopping Broker from talking. "But first, you gonna tell me what this Orb is, and why everybody cares so damn much about it. And then you gonna tell me, who out there might wanna buy it.'' "Sir, the high-end community is a …" Yondu started to talk gibberish when Broker started to talk.

"It's a tight-knit... Tight-knit... The high-end community is a very tight-knit..." Yondu kept talking gibberish. "I cannot possibly betray the confidentiality of my buyers!" Broker finally said. Yondu whistled and his weapon came to face Broker. Laughing, Yondu said "Now, who again is this buyer of yours?"

"Carina." A mysterious voice said to a pink girl. "Yes, master." Carina said. "Your people have elbows, do they not?" "We do, master." She said. "Then use them. I don't have to remind you what happened to the last attendant who disappointed me. Do I? Chop, chop. Our guest will be here soon." He said.

Chapter Nine

''Heads up! We're inbound." Rocket said. "Whoa. What is it?" "It's called Knowhere. The severed head of an ancient celestial being. Be wary going in, rodent." Gamora said as Rocket flew the Milano into the head. "There are no regulations whatsoever here. Hundreds of years ago, the Tivan Group sent workers in to mine the organic matter within the skull. Bone, brain tissue, spinal fluid. All rare resources, highly valued in black markets across the galaxy. It's dangerous and illegal work, suitable only for outlaws." Gamora said as they walked the streets on Knowhere. "Well, I come from a planet of outlaws. Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde, John Stamos." Peter said as he wrapped his arm around Gamora's shoulders. "It sounds like a place, which I would like to visit." Drax said.

"Yeah, you should." Peter said as a group of kids ran past them. "Excuse me." A kid said. "Watch your wallets." Was Peter's response. "Can you spare any units?" A kid asked Drax. Groot bent down and grew a flower in his hand than gave it to a little blonde girl.

"Get out of here. He's in there?" Peter said. The group walked to a bar where a guy was tossed out of. "We are to wait here for his representative." Gamora said as they walked to the bar. "This is no respectable establishment. What do you expect us to do while we wait?" Drax asked. Inside the bar people are around this table, cheering on the animals on the table.

"Yes! Yes!" Drax was yelling as Rocket yelled "Whoa!" "My Orloni has won, as I won at all things! Now, let's put more of this liquid into our bodies." Drax said to the table. "That's the first thing you said that wasn't bat-shit crazy!"Rocket said as he gulped down his drink. From the door, you can see Gamora looking out at the stars. Peter comes from the inside as the guys started another round.

"Man, you wouldn't believe what they charge for fuel out here. I might actually lose money on this job." Peter said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder."You know how he makes us wait. It's just a negotiation tactic." She said as she leaned back against him. "Where yours is more, "Stab, stab. Those are my terms."." Peter said. "Peter, why would you risk your life for this?" she touches the walkman on his belt. Peter turns on the walkman and a romantic pop song starts playing. (Fooled Around and Fell In Love)

"My mother gave it to me. My mom liked sharing with me all the pop songs that she loved growing up. I happened to have it on me, when I was... The day that she... You know, when I left Earth." Peter said. "I still do not understand what you do with it." Gamora said as Peter unplugged the headphones. "Do? Nothing. You listen to it. Or you can dance." Peter pulled Gamora to him. "I am a warrior and an assassin. I do not dance. You know this Peter, after years of knowing me." Gamora laughed. Peter gave Gamora a quick kiss before he started to talk again.

"On my planet, there's a legend about people like you. It's called Footloose. And in it, a great hero named Kevin Bacon, teaches an entire city full of people with sticks up their butts that dancing, well... It's the greatest thing there is." Peter said noticing that Gamora was trying not to giggle. "Who put the sticks up their butts?" "What? No, that's just a…" "That is cruel." "It's just a phrase." Gamora finally started to laugh and Peter joined in.

Peter and Gamora began to sway side to side as the song continued. "The melody is pleasant." Peter and Gamora begin to kiss before Peter pulled away. "This reminds me of when we were younger and I admitted I had a crush on you." Peter said. "Yes, I was concerned my father and brothers would have killed you before I could marry my Star-Lord." Gamora said as she leaned in for another kiss. As they continued to dance to the music and kiss, they hear a fight going on inside the bar.

Chapter Ten

"Oh, no." they both say before they run inside. "Stop it!" Gamora yells as she and Peter get in between Rocket, Drax, and Groot. "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?" Peter asked as Gamora was holding back Drax while Peter was in front of Rocket and Groot in the middle of the three. "This vermin speaks of affairs he knows nothing about!"Drax yelled as Gamora pushed him back. "That is true!" Rocket yells back.

"He has no respect!" Drax yells again. "That is also true!" was Rocket's response. "Hold on! Hold on!" Peter was trying to understand what was going on. "Keep calling me vermin, tough guy! You just wanna laugh at me like everyone else!" Rocket yells. "Rocket, you're drunk. All right? No one's laughing at you." Peter said trying to calm him down.

"He thinks I'm some stupid thing! He does! Well, I didn't ask to be torn apart, and put back together, over and over and turned into some… Some little monster!" Rocket says looking at the ground. "Rocket, no one's calling you a monster." Peter said. "He called me "vermin"! She called me "rodent"! Let's see if you can laugh after five or six good shots to your frickin' face!" Rocket says as he lifts his gun to Gamora and Drax. "No, no, no, no! Four billion units! Rocket! Come on, man. Hey! Suck it up for one more lousy night and you're rich." Peter says trying to get the gun from pointing at Gamora.

"Fine. But I can't promise, when all this is over I'm not gonna kill every last one of you jerks." Rocket puts his gun on his back. "See? That's exactly why none of you have any friends! Five seconds after you meet somebody, you're already trying to kill them!" Peter said looking at everyone. "We have travelled, halfway across the quadrant. And Ronan is no closer to being dead." Drax says as he walks away and out of the bar. "Drax!" Peter yelled to get him to stop. "Peter, let him go." Gamora said as she put a hand on his arm.

One of the doors to the bar opened to reveal Carina. "Milady Gamora. I'm here to fetch you for my master." She leads them to the buyer; inside is glass cells holding different species. "Okay, this isn't creepy at all." Rocket says looking around. "We house the galaxy's largest collection of fauna, relics, and species of all manners." They walk passed as dog in a space suit that barked at Rocket, who hissed at in response. "I present to you, Taneleer Tivan, The Collector." Carina said as her master turned to face the group.

"Oh, my dear Gamora. How wonderful to see you again." Tivan said as he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. "Let's bypass the formalities, Tivan. We have what we discussed." Gamora removed her hand from his and moved closer to Peter, who put an arm around her waist. "What is that thing there?" Tivan asked when he saw Groot. "I am Groot." Tivan was looking at Groot like he was a prize to be won. "I never thought I'd meet a Groot."

"Sir… You must allow me to pay you now so that I may own your carcass. At the moment of your death, of course." "I am Groot." "Why, so he could turn you into a frickin' chair?" Rocket said to Groot. "That's your pet?" Tivan nodded towards Rocket. "His what?" Rocket said grabbing for his gun. "Tivan. We have been halfway around the galaxy, retrieving this Orb." Gamora said to get his attention off of Rocket and Groot.