Stooge Man here! I'm back again with another exciting chapter. I would just like to thank those for favoriting and following this story. It makes me very grateful to know how much you are attached to this story already. Anyway, enough talk! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the next chapter, everyone!


2 weeks later…

Like Quill wanted, Rocket and Groot were on vacation. Whether they liked it or not, Quill just had to pick Earth for a vacation spot. Earth was such a complicated planet considering there were too many krutacking Terrans; much to Rocket's annoyance. Anyway, it's been two weeks since they arrived in New York. Not the quietest place to visit but it was Quill's topic choice. Of course there was so much to see in New York: the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and trash cans to eat out of. But it just didn't feel like a vacation considering, the two, were from outer space and the Terrans on Earth treated them rather differently (as in: not in a nice way). Rocket and Groot tried finding places to stay in New York but it didn't work out so well. The hotels, they had checked-in, didn't allow pets or alien trees to sleep in buildings. I gotta tell ya, it wasn't easy for these two. No place would accept them. Well…at least not during the day, I mean.

But Rocket had other plans. Lucky for him, Earth allowed him gamble. Most nights, the raccoonoid and his buddy would go to bars and play cards for money. One thing Rocket was good at: was winning! Sometimes, the guys in the bar, were amazed to have Rocket play with them. But the others…lets jays say it always ends in a HUGE fight.

Groot was doing okay, too. Of course, as you know, like all teenagers he was a moody one. Spending everyday playing his mind-numbing game player for hours while his raccoon father was out stealing and making money.

You know what? Enough of that krutacking bologna stuff with Earth! Let's get back to the story!

It was another day in New York. The sun was out and the streets were roaming with people. The first scene appears in front of a nice apartment building when suddenly blaster shots were shot from the inside. A few more blaster shots were shot through the walls and through the windows. Another thing Rocket was good at doing: GETTING INTO TROUBLE.

"Let me get my hands on you!" yelled the grouchy landlord

(ROCKET AND GROOT YELLING AND CUSSING)

"Get outta here!" yelled the grouchy landlord

(ROCKET AND GROOT SCREAMING)

The raccoonoid and the teenage tree-like humanoid were thrown out the door and into the garbage cans with a BANG!

"NOW BEAT IT!" The landlord shouted, "And you stay on the streets where you belong or I'm calling animal control!"

The two garbage cans tipped over allowing the two to get out. Rocket wiped the trash off his blue, militaristic, with red flashing and gripping uniform; straightening the goggles he wore over his forehead and then wrapping his red scarf back around his furry neck. It's the kind of uniform of the Guardians of the Galaxy, only made from the Avengers. Groot did the same and rubbed the back of his stump head, feeling pain.

"I' am Groot" Groot said, groaning in pain

"Well, this is 26th place we've been thrown out of this week" Rocket said, "What is there left for us?"

"I' am Groot" Groot suggested

"Nah, I don't think so" Rocket replied, "Last time we checked-in they called the exterminator. I don't think I need to tell you what happened to him"

"I' am Groot" Groot pointed out

"Hey, he was gonna chop you with an axe and burn you with a flame thrower. What was I supposed to do? I looked the other way" Rocket protested

"I' am Groot" Groot replied, crossing his tree-like arms

"Yeah…but I sure exterminated him good" Rocket said, proudly

"HEY!"

The raccoonoid and the teenage tree-like humanoid turned to the direction of the angry landlord, who was walking down the steps with a metal baseball in his hand.

"You are guys still here?" The landlord asked, agitatedly

"Listen, Mr. Bernard. Give us another chance" Rocket persuaded

"No! You chased enough people out of my building away," the landlord replied. "You guys are a MENACE TO SOCIETY! Why don't you climb the tallest building in New York and jump off!"

Rocket bared his teeth, "Buddy, if I wanted to kill myself I'd climb your ego and jump to your IQ"

(MR. BERNARD GRUNTS IN ANNOYANCE)

"Get the hell outta here and NEVER COME BACK!" The landlord threatened, before returning back into his building

"We don't plan to. Your rooms aren't worth the pay anyway" Rocket replied back, giving the landlord the middle finger behind his back

"I' am Groot!" Groot said, throwing his tree-like hand at him in disgust

The raccoonoid and the teenage tree-like humanoid began walking away down the empty sidewalk, alone. As said, they were in a tough spot. No one in New York would accept them. Even though Rocket mentioned being an Avenger, most people took his word for a joke. Some had thought Rocket had Hypertrichosis and was putting on an act just to get money from tourists. Either way, no one would believe him or Groot for that matter.


The pair continued walking down the street until they came to a bar that they recognized. The place was called Leery's. No one who frequents the bar can actually remember who Leery was, or why the bar bears his name. But it was the only place in New York where it wouldn't reject Rocket and Groot. To them, it was like a safe haven. You know, to just sit down, relax, and enjoy a little father-son quality time.

"I' am Groot" Groot said

"You're right, bud. At least here we won't be judged by anyone else" Rocket said, winking to his tree-like son

As our talking raccoon and mobile tree enter the bar, Leery's is business as usual. The dancing girls are dancing, the band is playing, and the joint in pumping like crazy.

"Our kinda place, bud" Rocket announces with relish

"I' am Groot" Groot agrees, nodding

The two made their way towards the bar table and the furry critter whistles to the barman.

"Yo, humie! Two Timothies" Rocket declares

"I' am Groot" Groot says

Rocket sighs, "Kidding. Okay, make that one Timothy, and one bitter bark and soda"

"I' am Groot" Groot replied, smiling

"You're welcome" Rocket said, fist-bumping his leafy friend

The drinks arrive. Groot sips his, his little twig finger extended politely. Rocket regards his Timothy with healthy caution and respect, the sort of respect that a veteran tamer of the Denebian face-eaters show for predators he has spent his career taming. Some say, they may let him get into the cage with them everyday, they may be used to him, they may even allow him to scratch them behind the ears or feed them treats, but they are still Denenian face-eaters, and their name is not in any way euphemistic.

Rocket Raccoon looks at his Timothy for a moment, his eyes narrowing. One does not rush into a Timothy. One does not casually knock back a Timothy. A Timothy, from Rocket's perspective, must require a certain degree of mental preparation, a deep breath, and a long run-up. Like a ravine. Or a flying tackle. Or a Kree-Skrull War.

It was worth nothing that a Timothy is the only beverage in the known Universe to have repeatedly made it on to the Shi-ar Imperial Guard's watch list of prohibited and outlawed weapons.

"I' am Groot" Groot says, noting his father-figure's pensive nature

"As a matter of fact, I have got something on my mind, bud" Rocket replied, "I'm worried, Groot. So far, these last two weeks have not been the easiest. If we don't start making money soon we won't be able to afford anything for a meal or a room"

"I' am Groot" Groot suggested

Rocket chuckled, "Yeah, maybe. I sure do miss the good ol' days back when we were bounty hunting criminals. Just you and me, bud"

"I' am Groot" Groot replied

"I'm sure we'd get good money for it, too. That'll put us on easy street" Rocket replied, "But the real questions remains…who are we gonna find worth trading"

"Yo-Yo-Yo! What's up my homies" said the bartender

The bartender was a young black male with hair that was in the shape of broccoli. He smiled at his two favorite customers and greeted them with respect.

"Hey, Anton" Rocket replied, fist-bumping the bartender, "Can't complain, can't complain"

"How's business coming along?" Anton asked

"Not so good" Rocket replied, shaking his head

"Jerk-face kicked you out, didn't he?" Anton asked

Rocket replied with a nod of his head.

"I' am Groot" Groot replied

"No sweat, fellas. My girlfriend kicked me out of her apartment about two days ago because I did one itty-bitty thing" Anton replied

"What you do, pal?" Rocket asked

"I slept with her sister" Anton answered

(ROCKET SIGHS)

"Anton, buddy, let me explain something to you" Rocket said, "At some point you gotta let it go. Some part of you just gotta give it up"

"But that's why I did it" Anton replied, "I gave it up and I let it go"

(ANTON, ROCKET, AND GROOT START LAUGHING)

"Anyway, enjoy your night. Let me know if you need anything. It's on the house!" Anton said, walking away

Rocket and Groot raised their glasses up and made a toast.

"Well Groot, here's mud in your eye" Rocket said

"I' am Groot" Groot replied, smiling

(GLASSES CLINKING TOGETHER)

(SLURPING THEIR DRINKS)

(BOTH SIGH WITH ENJOYMENT)

"I' am Groot" Groot says

"You're right, bud" Rocket replied, "We gotta get some money and make it quick"

Suddenly something caught Rocket's attention and he sniffed the air through his little button-shaped nose.

"Groot, be aware," Rocket says, "I smell trouble"

As if on cue, some motorcycle men appeared from behind them. From the raccoonoid's perspective he smelled five of them. Rocket just turned back to his Timothy.

"Don't make eye contact, lil' buddy" Rocket murmurs to Groot. "We don't want to get involved in any trouble. The last thing we need is a fight with pest control"

"I' am Groot" Groot agrees

"Exactly, pal. A spot of bother is not where we want to be right now. Ignore any provocation" Rocket told him

"I' am Groot" Groot replied

"Excuse me," says the leader of the motorcycle gang from behind them.

Rocket stiffens. He thinks soothing, calming thoughts. Slowly, he and Groot swivel their bar stools to face the over-sized Earth monkey.

"Sorry to bother you. Have you seen a runaway boy?" The motorcycle gang leader asked

"Runaway boy?" Rocket replies, "I don't believe I have. For that matter why should I care about some lost brat?"

The motorcycle gang leader soon dug his finger into his coat pocket and pulled out a photo of the missing child. The boy on the image revealed to have: light brown medium length hair, wearing a pair of glasses over his eyes, wearing a light blue button-down shirt along with some light brown khaki pants.

"Face doesn't ring any bells," Rocket says

So with great self-control that the motorcycle gang leader says, "Sorry to have troubled you…skunk man and twig. Just one quick question"

Rocket sighed, "What is it?"

"Are you an Avenger?" The motorcycle gang leader asked

Still thinking soothing, calming thoughts, the raccoonoid answered, "Yes, yes I' am. Well, I was. What about it?"

Soon the motorcycle gang leader slowly started making his way towards the raccoon and the teenage tree-like humanoid. Rocket sensed he was about to do something very drastic: like pulling out a weapon. Rocket continued to think soothing and calming thoughts. As the motorcycle gang leader reached into his coat pocket, he pulled out his pink-cased cell phone.

"Can we get a picture with you?" The motorcycle gang leader asked

"Huh?"

"I' am Groot?"

"Please?" asked the motorcycle gang leader

Rocket sighed with relief. As much as it irritated him, the raccoonoid didn't mind the appreciation and went off to take a photo with the over-sized bicycle men while Groot stayed by the bar table. At first, it was a group photo…then it was a group photo of them drinking together…then it was more photos of them drinking, gambling, dancing, and arm wrestling. Rocket's face was so lit he was having a good time partying with some over-sized Earth monkeys who knew how to party hard. The last photo of Rocket showed of him passed out on the floor, drunk, with his disconcertingly human-like thumb in his mouth. Groot laughed while scrolling through the photos that he had taken with the motorcycle gang leader's cell phone.

"I' am Groot" Groot said, laughing

"HE IS GROOT!" announced the motorcycle gang leader, wrapping his arm around the teenage tree-like humanoid's neck and raised his drink up

(EVERYONE IN THE BAR CHEERING)


12 hours later…

Rocket was asleep on the bar table snoring very loudly. Suddenly he jolted awake when he fell off the table and onto the hard floor with a BANG!

"I'm up! I'm up!" Rocket exclaimed

(RACCOONOID GROANING AND YAWNING)

"How long have I been out?" Rocket asked

Rocket soon started to hear beeping noises next to him when he saw Groot still sitting on the bar stool playing his little game. The raccoonoid got off the ground and jumped onto the bar stool and waved his finger and yelled, "MILK!"

"Coming right up!"

Rocket's head started hurting from the inside. His thoughts were all woozy as if he were hit by a runaway train. Cracking his neck, the raccoonoid let out the biggest yawn and scratched the lower part of his back.

"Flark, what did I drink?" Rocket said, with sleepy eyes

"I' am Groot" Groot answered

"Oh, yeah. I remember now" Rocket said, touching his empty glass (that once had his Timothy). "Man, that stuff has some kick into it. What a Timothy!"

"I' am Groot" Groot says

"12 hours?!" Rocket exclaimed, "It's morning! Wow, I must've had a hangover"

"I' am Groot" Groot replied

"Glad you stuck by me after all…flark, you know?" Rocket said, to his teenage tree-like son

Groot smiled and nodded, "I' am Groot"

The raccoonoid spotted a white piece of paper next to Groot and he picked it up to blow his nose but paused he saw it was the photo of the missing child (that the motorcycle gang leader had mentioned earlier). Rocket scoffed before licking the photo with his sharp-like tongue and pasted the picture on top of Groot's tree-stump forehead.

"Poor brat, out there all alone in the big city" Rocket said, still feeling a bit drunk. "He won't survive a day out here. I mean, don't get me wrong. I like have conversations with kids. Grownups never ask me what my third favorite reptile is…"

The teenage tree-like humanoid rolled his eyes in annoyance and continued playing on his game player, avoiding the drunken raccoonoid.

"But like I said, we gotta make some money" Rocket prompted, "Starting today"

"I' am Groot" Groot replied, not making eye contact

Suddenly a small figure entered the bar. Its clothes were awfully smelly, all torn up and covered with dirt, and its face was hidden under a green-colored sweatshirt hood. The strange little creature climbed up onto the bar stool when the bartender came by to take its order.

"How can I help you, sweetie?" said a female bartender

"Chocolate milk, cold" said the little figure

"Coming right up!"

"Thank-you" said the little figure

The strange little figure pulled the back of his hood down revealing his youthful appearance. It was a boy: about age 12 and the height of 4' 8" (1.42 m). The boy wiped the dirt off his face and nose and pulled out his cell phone to see what's been happening so far in the big city. Suddenly something caught his attention when he spotted a hairy-looking critter sitting next to a talking log. At first, the boy thought they came from a costume party but never had he ever seen costumes that looked so…real-life like? It was strange yet extremely convincing.

The bartender came walking forward and she placed the boy's drink right on the table.

"Here you go, sweetie" said the female bartender

"Thank-you, ma'am" said the boy, giving her a $10 tip. "Keep the change"

The boy took a mighty sip of his chocolate milk, swallowing it whole. One of the bartenders had just came in to start their morning shifts when one of them turned on the television set.

"Good morning New York, this is NBC New York News bringing you today's updates. It seems it going to be yet another beautiful sunny day" said the news woman

Rocket scoffed, "Lady, if I wanted to hear the weather just ask the lightning to strike me and put me outta my misery already!"

"Police are still investing the whereabouts of a missing boy who had disappeared after his home was invaded by some thugs" said the news anchor

Rocket grunts in annoyance, "Kids, kids, kids! How do people lose their kids in a city like THIS? Seriously, any tips would be appreciated"

"The owner of the apartment building believed that the thugs, who invaded the missing child's apartment room, were impersonating as police uniforms who were brutally beating his wife up and shot her in the head…" said the news reporter, until suddenly the landlord swiped the microphone from her hands

"YOU BASTARDS! YOU SICK BASTARDS!" The landlord on the television, shouted. "You killed my wife! If I ever see your ugly mugs again, I'M GONNA (*beep*) KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU MOTHER (*beep*)…"

Rocket stifled a laugh, "I like that one! It so reminds me of Drax"

The news camera cuts off the angry landlord and back to the news anchor, who had an unpleasant look on his face.

(ANCHOR MAN CLEARING HIS THROAT)

"Anyway, investigators still have no answers on the whereabouts of the missing child or the parents of that matter. But police were able to get a photo of what the missing child looks like…"

"A Helpless Earth Monkey" Rocket said, "WE KNOW, JUST GET TO THE KRUTACKING POINT, ALREADY!"

"Citizens of New York are to keep a look-out for this missing boy" said the news anchor, projecting the photo of the missing child onto the television screen. "The boy appears to be 12 of age, height of 4' 8," with glasses, has light brown medium length hair, wearing a green sweatshirt with a light blue button-down shirt and some light brown khaki pants. If you see him, contact the authorities immediately"

Rocket observed the boy on the television screen before cringing in disgust, "Eek! He reminds me too much of Quill"

"I' am Groot" Groot pointed out

"I know Quill doesn't wear glasses" Rocket replied, "And even if he did, he'd look even more nerdish than that stupid brat in the magic box"

(ROCKET AND GROOT LAUGHING)

Groot detached the photo off his forehead and looked at it for a moment. It would seem the boy sitting three seats away looked like the one from the photo, but also from the picture on the television screen. Groot snickered a small laugh, until he broke into sudden realization, seeing that the boy was actually the missing child from the photo and from the TV. Groot quickly studied the boy; 12 of age, height of 4' 8," with glasses, has light brown medium length hair, wearing a green sweatshirt with a light blue button-down shirt and some light brown khaki pants. The teenage tree-like humanoid looked back into the photo, then back at the boy. Everything was starting to come together. It's him. IT'S THE MISSING CHILD!

Groot quickly started shaking the raccoonoid for attention, "I' am Groot, I' am Groot!"

"Not now, bud. Can't you see I'm drinking my milk here" Rocket replied, slurping his beverage

"I' am Groot!" Groot said, pointing to the boy sitting three seats away

Rocket turned to look at the homeless boy sitting three seats away, but the raccoonoid only snickered and threw his disconcertingly human-like hand at him.

"I' am Groot!" Groot says, continuing to point at the human child

"Groot, I see he's the missing kid from the TV. I get it," Rocket replied, "But that don't mean I'm gonna help him because he's lost. Now shut up and let me have my krutacking milk, will ya"

"I' am Groot!" Groot protested

"One more thing, I forget to mention…" said the news woman

Rocket and Groot turned their attentions back to the television, "The NYPD have confirmed that the missing child's name is Greyson J. Palmer. A large reward is offered for anyone who finds the boy first. Say about: $1,000"

(ROCKET SPITS OUT HIS MILK AT GROOT)

"I' am Groot!" Groot cried, wiping the milk off his wooden face

(ROCKET STAMMERING)

"O-One…t-t-thousand dollars?" Rocket stammered

"That's right!" said the news woman, "$1,000 to anyone who brings Greyson J. Palmer to the NYPD unharmed"

Rocket wipes the milk off his fur and whiskers and smiles big at his teenage tree-like son. Groot did the same and the two nodded in agreement.

"Hey, little humie…" Rocket calling out

But Rocket and Groot had discovered the little Terran boy had left, leaving the bar door wide open.

"I' am Groot" Groot says

"AFTER THE LITTLE BRAT!" Rocket declared

The two hopped out of their bar stools and ran out the door. At first, they didn't catch him running across the street or hopping into a vehicle. The raccoonoid sniffed the air for a scent before Groot caught the boy's trail right up ahead on the sidewalk. Rocket looked into the direction the tree was pointing when he saw the tiny Terran boy dashing away from the bar.

"I' am Groot!" Groot declared

"Let's get him, bud! We gotta claim our prize money" Rocket replied, "CATCH THAT HUMIE!"


Another chapter finished! Looks like Grey's all over the news and Rocket and Groot are after the little biped for the money! Can Grey escape them or will they get him? Anyway, please review and stay tuned for more exciting action soon. See you all there!