Chapter 7: Determination

"Six Stones... Each one with incredible power... And Father want them all..." Hako whisper to herself while she use the scepter with the mind stone to escape "The Infinity Stones..." She start to make her escape. Hako knew that Thanos was the one that destroy her home world... and he was the one that kill her mother when she was only a baby. Today she was escaping, but she couldn't stop thinking about those Stones. Hako didn't know why but... she want them all. She want them for a single reason... to kill her mother's murderer, Thanos... She hate him, but she still looks at him as a father. She have doubts about it but either way, she was going to do it someday, but today wasn't that day. She was near her freedom but she didn't expect Thanos in the exit. He and a couple of Chitauri were blocking her only way to freedom.

"Hako... give it back and stop what you are doing now. Unless you want a punishment" Said Thanos with an autoritory voice "I'll forgive you if you apologies for this"

"Fuck you. I'm not staying here anymore" She said and point at him with the scepter "If you don't stand aside, i'll shoot you, father. I'll kill you here and now!" Hako wanted to kill him but something stop here.

"You won't kill me, child" Said Thanos and walk toward her "You can kill others but the only one that you can't kill is the one who give you life... you can't kill your father. Your creator, your blood"

"You kill mom..." Hako wanted to cry but she won't do it when he stand in front of her

"... She was weak, Hako. But you are stronger than her" Hako was quiet. She squeezed the scepter and look at him in the eyes. Her eyes were full of wrath

"I am strong... Strong enough to do this" She shoot at the Chitauris, stab Thanos in the shoulder with the scepter and run away to the exit. There she saw a small ship, Hako run to it and enter the ship closing the door behind her. Once inside she press all the buttons until the ship turn on. She look at the window and saw Thanos outside the ship, she think that he'll stop her somehow but he just stand there looking at her and smiling like crazy. Hako take the controls and fly away as fast as she could do it... she escape... "What the hell i just did?" Hako start to cry "Why i didn't shoot at him? Why i didn't kill him? Why i'm such a coward?"


Hako was walking with the Orb in her hand, she exit Tivan's place with Gamora and Peter. They still couldn't believe what just happen moments ago. Tivan's assitant dead, his collection completely destroyed and probably more just because a little gem.

"How could i think Tivan could contain whatever was within the Orb?" Gamora ask. Hako turn to see her and point at her with her finger

"Because you are stupid, Gamora. Tivan can't contain something like this, not even keeping it safe. He only care about his collection"

"You knew what it was from the beginning?" Gamora ask

"Not from the very beginning. When we escape from Kyln i open it a little and saw the gem. It was better to stay quiet and not open my mouth because who knows what Drax or Rocket would do with it" Said Hako and now she realize something "Where's Drax?"

"... I don't know. He left" Said Peter

"You let him go?!" Hako yell "I need him for something" Rocket and Groot appear. Rocket was freaked out

"What do you still have it for?!" He ask to Hako

"What are we gonna do, leave it in there?" Peter ask

"I can't believe you had that in your purse!"

"It's not a purse, it's a knapsack!" Said Peter

"All of you, SHUT UP!" Hako scream and they shut up "What we are going to do now is, grab this thing and throw it into a black hole. Problem solved. Ronan won't have it and by default... Thanos neither"

"Thanos?" Rocket ask

"Believe me. You don't want Thanos with this thing in his power, he already have one. Imagine what he'll do with the six infinity stones"

"We have to bring this to the Nova Corps. There's a chance they can contain it" Said Gamora and everyone saw her like she was insane

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Hako ask "We're wanted by the Nova Corps. Once we give it to them, they'll send us back to prison, maybe worst. I'm not in the mood to die today"

"She is right, just give it to Ronan" Said Rocket

"Are you deaf? I told you we can't do that"

"If we do that he'll destroy the galaxy" Said Peter

"What are you, some saint all of the sudden? What has the galaxy ever done for you? Why would you wanna save it?" Rocket ask

"Because i'm one of the idiots who lives in it!" Peter yell at Rocket

"Alright, you know what?" Hako give the Orb to Gamora "If you are going to give it to the Nova Corps do it yourself. I have better things to do"

"Like killing people?" Rocket ask and Hako was about to punch him

"No... i'm tired of you all. I'm better by myself" Hako turn around and walk away "The next time you heard of me... will be in the news when i rip Thanos head off" She said and leave

"Hako, wait!" Peter try to stop her but she ignore him. Groot look at her, walking away...


Hako enter to a nearby bar. The place was almost empty, she sit down and order a drink. The bartender give her the drink and she swallow it. Hako ask for more, she want to drink and forget everything. Her problems, her job, her "friends" and even who she was. She hate herself now. She was raised by a maniac, she escape and work as an assassin and Bounty Hunter, that wasn't the job she wanted but it was the only thing she knew and the only thing she could do. When she escape, she wanted to take revenge on Thanos but also she wanted a normal life. Instead she go in the wrong direction, eventually she adopted the assassin life.

"I'm a disaster" She say while she drink "Fuck all of this. It's not my problem" She say to herself and repeat it over and over again "It's not my problem" While she say that, she remember what Thanos say to her...

"Your destiny lies with this stones Hako. One day i will have them all on my power and when the times come... you´ll be the one that will use them"

"I will... use them? For what?"

"For whatever you want...The entire galaxy could be yours, Hako"

"I don't need any of them" Say Hako "I don't want the galaxy for myself... i want to live peacefully in it... until the day i die" Hako take the glass and throw it to the ground "But i'm such a bitch... in the end i'm like you, father. A psycopath who only wants to kill to feel alive... I'm done for" Hako only stay there, crying in silence over her life so far and the decisions she made, generally they were bad. Minutes passed and Hako look at the ground, she isolate herself from her surroundings. Something was happening outside but she ignore it, to her it didn't matter if the whole place was falling to pieces. Groot enter the bar and his eyes lay on her. He run at her and shake her until she look at him

"I am Groot!" He said. Hako didn't understand a thing of what he say but his expression tells everything. Something happen and Groot was asking her for help

"Leave me alone. It's not my problem" She said and grab another glass "That group of misfits don't need me. I'm a psychopath and they don't need that. If Peter send you tell him to go fuck himself" Groot gasped. Then he slap her and Hako cut herself to attack him. She stab him in the shoulder "The fuck is your goddamn problem, walking tree?!" Hako yell "Don't you understand?! I'm done! My life is shit! I don't have a purpose. You want help? Go ask someone who care about that! I'm not a hero, i'm an assassin, a psycho, the daughter of a maniac. I can't change that. Don't waste your time with me! I DON'T CARE!"

"...I am groot?" He ask. She didn't understand him

"I don't understand a thing of what you say!" She scream.

"He ask: Then why are you crying if you don't care?" Hako turn around and saw the bartender "I understand another species. I can translate if you want" He said

"I don't need that!"

"I am groot"

"He say: You could leave now but instead you are drinking and crying. You care about what you did. Assassins don't do that"

"... I-I'm not crying. I'm..."

"I am groot"

"He say: You regret killing that man because you knew him. You kill a lot of people and don't feel anything about it. But when you kill someone you knew, even if he hurt you, you still care. You have a heart"

"Heart..." Hako sit in the ground "I..." She look at her hands "I don't have a heart, Groot"

"I am groot"

"He say: You think that assassins don't care about someone else life. You are wrong... Gamora cares and she's an assassin too"

"Don't mention her, Groot. Don't compare me with her" Hako start to feel a pain in her chest. She deny what Groot is telling her but she knows that is true. She don't know why she try so hard to deny it. The part of her that wants nothing but to kill, is the one that is denning everything "I..." Hako gulped and take courage "Y-You are right"

"I am groot"

"He say: Of course i'm right. Everyone have a good side. You are kind in the inside, Hako. You just have to show it, let it out"

"... I'm not that kind, Groot. But you are right, i do care of what happen. I regret what i did, sometimes i wish that i have choose another job. Make something else than just kill people... I have a heart but is rotten, there's no turning back. I have to live with this, that's my punishment. Live with the guilt..." She stand up and slowly she walk toward Groot "... You want my help?" She ask and Groot nodded "... I think that i could help you. Thanks for this Groot. I really need someone to talk... even if you can't talk properly"

"I am Groot"

"He say: You are welcome" THe bartender keep translating. Hako search in her pockets and take out all the Units she have

"Thanks for the drinks and for the translate. I believe that this is enough" She leave the Units in the table

"It is. Thanks"

"Groot. What do you want me for?" She turn to Groot

"I am Groot"

"He say: Drax is in danger"

"What?! Where?"

"I am Groot"

"He say: In the main street. Hurry!" Hako didn't lose time and run to help Drax


Drax was losing a fight against Ronan, the accuser. He make a terrible mistake, he thought that he could handle this alone but Ronan was stronger than him. Drax fall in a matter of seconds, he didn't stood a chance, he didn't even hurt him. Ronan stand before him he was about to kill him...

"I don't recall killing your family" He said "I doubt i'll remember killing you, either" He was about to deal the finish blow but then someone punch him right in the face and send him backwards. Drax get up and saw Hako in front of him.

"Hako" He said

"Let's talk later" She said and make a sword "Ronan, your head will look nice in my wall" Ronan stand up and look at Hako in the eyes

"Hako... You are with him?"

"He's my partner in crime. Now... stay still while i take your head"

"Try it" He said. Hako run at him and swing the sword. Ronan dodge easily, but he didn't expect Hako to hit him in the stomach. She use her left hand to use the sword and the right to hit him. Once he dodge the sword, he'll receive a punch. Ronan stay calm during the fight, Hako try to stab him in the chest but Ronan grab the sword by the blade and stop it. Hako try to punch him but he push aside the blade and punch her before she could. Hako got angry and run at him, she cut herself again and this time she make two sword. Ronan and Hako were almost at the same level.

Ronan was stronger which surprise Hako. She thinks that Ronan couldn't fight at all since he send people to do his job. she was wrong. The fight only last a couple of minutes. Drax sneak from behind and try to take down Ronan. He turn around and grab Drax by the throat. Hako take that chance and stab him in the back. He let go of Drax and kneel.

"I got you" Hako was about to kill him but Ronan smile at her "Why are you smiling?" SHe ask

"You should pay attention to your surroundings" He said. Hako turn around and saw one of the ships shooting at her with necroblasts. She couldn't dodge it in time. The last thing she saw was herself falling to a pool of yellow liquid...


Groot find Drax unconscious in the ground. He shake and try to wake him up. It take him a few tries but he finally open his eyes. He get up and look around, he grab his head in pain, Ronan knock him out really hard. He and Groot saw Rocket arriving on one of the pods he use early. He get out of it, really pissed.

"Blasted idiot. They're all idiots!" He yell "Quill just got himself captured. None of this ever would have happened if you didn't try to single-handedly take on a frikin' army!"

"... You're right" Drax admit it "I was a fool. All the anger, all the rage, was just to cover up my loss"

"Oh, boo-hoo-hoo. My wife and child are dead" Rocket made fun of Drax. Groot couldn't believe what Rocket did "Oh, i don't care if it's mean! Everybody's got dead people. It's no excuse to get everybody else dead along the way! Come on, Groot. Ronan has the Stone. The only chance we got is to get to the other side of the universe as fast as we can and maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to live full lives before that whack-job ever gets there"

"I am Groot"

"Save them? How?"

"I am Groot"

"I know they're the only friends that we ever had, but there's an army of Ravagers around them. And there's only two of us!" Rocket yell. Drax stand up

"Three" He said and look around "Where's Hako?" Then behind him Hako get out of the pool of yellow liquid and throw up. Drax and Groot went and see if she was okay. "Hako, are you okay?!" Drax was worried about her

"... This taste like shit" She said and get out of the pool. She look at herself, most of her clothes were turn apart because of the shoot she receive. "Luckly i can resist those shoot" She said and rest in the ground "... Ronan escape?" She ask

"Yes, Psycho. And he have the Stone!" Rocket yell

"Calm down... Where is Peter and Gamora?"

"I hate to repeat myself! They were capture by the Ravagers!"

"... Okay... let's save them" Said Hako with a poker face

"Are you out of your frickin' mind?!"

"Yes. The fact that i fight against Ronan proves it" Hako stand up "Let's go to the Milano, there we'll think on a plan. What do you say?" Rocket wasn't happy about this. He start to kick the grass

"You're making me beat up grass!"

"... Then that's a yes?" Hako ask