So, Endgame happened, and it was amazing! But for now, let's return to Volume 2 and the touching reunion between Half-Worlders, and father and son. Also, I hope you like the new cover art for this story, featuring Rocket and Lylla in new outfits draw by yours truly!


Somewhere above the planet Contraxia, a small ship sat in wait, its coms linked into the frequency of the Ravagers down below. The pilot of the ship was idly switching between channels until their ears perked up at a regal voice.

"Yondu Udonta, I have a proposition for you," said Ayesha's voice over the radio.

The pilot smirked, typing in the coordinates as the leader of the Sovereign spoke.

[***]

Back with the Guardians, night had fallen as the team, along with Ego, his assistant, and Wal-Rus gathered around a makeshift campfire. "When your mother passed away, I hired Yondu to pick you up," Ego explained. "I would have done so myself, but I was in the midst of an outlandish adventure at the time, battling demonic forces to save this dimension or some such nonsense - I can't quite recall, it all bleeds together after a while. But instead of returning you, Yondu kept you. I have no clue as to why."

"Because I was a skinny kid who could squeeze into places adults couldn't, making thieving easier," Quill replied.

"I've been tracking you down ever since," Ego said.

"I thought Yondu was you father," Drax said.

Everyone looked at the warrior funny. "What?" Quill said. "We've been together all this time and you thought Yondu was my actual, blood relative?"

"You look exactly alike," Drax replied.

"One's blue," Rocket said dryly.

"He wasn't my father. Yondu was the guy who abducted me. He'd beat the crap out of me, so I'd learn how to fight, and he kept me in terror threatening to eat me," Quill explained.

"Eat you!?" Ego and Lylla said in shock.

"Yes," Quill nodded.

"That son-of-a-bitch," Ego said.

"How'd you locate us?" Gamora questioned.

"Even where I reside, out past the edge of what's known, we've heard tell of the man they call Star-Lord," Ego explained. "Say we head out that way now? Your associates are welcome, even the Uplifts."

"Uplifts?" Lylla asked.

"That is what those outside of the Keystone Quadrant call out kind," Wal-Rus said.

"Wait, there's more Rockets out there?" Quill questioned.

"A whole planet, actually," Wal-Rus said with a chuckle.

Rocket couldn't help but snicker at Quill's mortified face, the human imagining an entire planet filled with gun-wielding raccoons. "There's a whole lot of crap we haven't told you about us, Star Munch," the raccoon said.

"Though we only recently remembered most of it," Lylla muttered.

"Anyway," Ego interjected, "I promise you, it's like no place you've ever seen. And there I can explain your very special heritage, and finally be the father I've always wanted to be."

Ego then left to "take a wizz" as he put it, with Gamora pulling Quill aside to have a talk about his father. Rocket was left with Lylla, Wal-Rus, Drax, and Ego's assistant, the bug-like lady with big eyes and antennae. The lady looked to Drax and gave a grin, which was a bit off-putting.

"I am Mantis," she said.

"What are you doing?" Drax asked.

"Smiling," Mantis explained. "I hear it is the thing to do to make people like you."

"Not if you do it like that," the warrior stated.

"Oh. I was raised alone on Ego's planet. I do not understand the intricacies of social interaction," Mantis said. She pointed at Rocket. "Can I pet your puppy? It is adorable."

Lylla stiffened a bit as Mantis approached Rocket. The raccoon was having none of it, though, and snapped at the alien woman. Mantis quickly pulled her hand away, getting a laugh out of both Drax and Lylla.

"That's called a practical joke!" Drax shouted.

"I liked it very much!" Mantis giggled.

Lylla continued to laugh as Rocket grumbled, the otter cuddling up to her mate. "Sorry Mantis, but I'm the only one that Rocky here is okay with getting petted by." She gave Rocket a kiss before moving over to Mantis and hopping into her lap. "You can feel my fur, though. I don't mind."

The alien woman gently patted Lylla's head, the otter leaning into it a bit. "I feel… happiness," Mantis said, her antennae glowing slightly.

"Mantis is an empath, meaning she can feel the emotions of others," Wal-Rus explained.

"That's great, Rus, but what I want to know is why you're palling around with Star Dork's daddy instead of running Half-World," Rocket said, crossing his arms. "Everything hasn't gone to shit while we were gone, has it?"

"No, the reason I came to find you is for another reason," Wal-Rus stated. "Recently, a rouge ship left Half-World, and on it was our friend Blackjack."

"You're friends with a card game?" Drax said confused.

"Blackjack is the name of one of us Half-Worlders, Drax," Rocket replied.

"Blackjack's been kidnapped?" Lylla asked.

"He can take care of himself," Rocket said dismissively.

"Normally, I would agree, but in recent years Blackjack has become… jittery, would be a nice way to put it," Wal-Rus said. He let out a sigh before continuing. "There is also the matter of where the rocket was launched: the other side of the planet."

Lylla sat upright, with Rocket going equally as stiff. "I feel great fear," Mantis whispered, shrinking in on herself.

"You mean those flarkin' robots got Blackjack!?" Rocket exclaimed.

"If they found a way off-world, they might try and start their 'tests' again," Lylla speculated.

"That is why I came to find you," Wal-Rus said. "I know the two of you have found a new calling in life, and even strengthened your love for each other." The two Half-Worlders blushed at his statement. "But for old time's sake, help me bring Blackjack home."

[***]

"You're leaving me with these animals!?" Nebula shouted in rage, currently handcuffed to the remains of the Milano.

"Technically, we're Half-Worlders, or Uplifts if that's easier to say," Wal-Rus replied. He along with Rocket were working on fixing the Guardian's ship while the others got prepared to go to Ego's home planet.

"Shoot her if she does anything suspicious," Gamora instructed Rocket. "Or if you feel like it." The raccoon just grunted in reply, leaving the assassin to turn to Lylla, whom was comforting a sad Baby Groot. "It will just be a couple days," she said to the tree. "We'll be back before Rocket's finished fixing the ship."

Lylla looked to her mate, totally focused on his work. "Is everything okay, Rocky?" she asked.

"Sure, everything's fine," he replied, not turning to look at her. "We'll fix up the ship and go save Blackjack's ass. It'll be a great distraction from Quill's crap."

"You know, the two of you should really try to make up before he goes," the otter said. "You both had equal share in getting us into this situation, so the least you can do is apologize."

At that point, Quill appeared to say goodbye to the Half-Worlders and Baby Groot. "Well, guess this is where we part ways for now," the human said.

"Good luck with your father," Lylla said.

"Hope your daddy isn't as big of a dick as you, orphan boy," Rocket said.

Quill shook his head. "So what's your goal here? To get everyone to hate you? 'Cause it's working."

The human then walked off, Rocket taking a glance at the team before returning to his work. 'I don't need him, I don't need anyone except Lylla,' the raccoon thought to himself.

"He's really changed since we last met, hasn't he," Wal-Rus said to Lylla.

"We've been through a lot," Lylla replied. "I sometimes wonder if he would be worse if I wasn't there for him."

[***]

Lylla awoke with a splitting headache, tied to a chair next to Rocket and… Yondu!? Since when did the Ravagers get invol- Oh, now she remembered. The night after the other Guardians left with Ego, Yondu's crew showed up to capture them and deliver the team to the Sovereign. Rocket had set up traps throughout the forest but was ultimately captured at arrow point by Yondu. Baby Groot then released Nebula, the cyborg convincing him that she could help, only for her to turn around and side with the Ravagers, knocking out Lylla and Wal-Rus in the process.

'Though that makes me question where Uncle Rus is, and why Yondu is tied up,' the otter thought.

"You're the one what kilt those men by leading 'em down the wrong path," said one of the Ravagers, taking Lylla out of her thoughts. He was ugly looking with black facial hair, and currently was punching out Yondu. "Because your weak," the Ravager said, "and stupid. It's time for the Ravagers to once again rise to glory with a new Cap'n... Taserface."

While the apparently turncoat Ravagers cheered for their new captain, Rocket couldn't help but let out a snicker that soon turned into full-on laughing. Taserface turned to Rocket, anger appearent on his face. "I'm sorry. Your name is… it's 'Taserface'?" the raccoon said.

"That's right," Taserface replied.

"Can you shoot tasers out of your face?" Lylla asked, giving a sly smile.

"It's metaphorical!" Taserface shouted.

"For what?" Lylla pressed, starting to laugh herself.

"It's a name that strikes fear in anyone that hears it!" Taserface replied.

"Really?" Rocket asked, doubt in his voice. "Okay, sure."

Taserface screamed at the two Half-Worlders. "You shut up! You're next!" The Ravager took out a blade and held it at Yondu. "Udonta, I been waiting to do this for a long ti –" Rocket laughed again, making everyone face him again. "What? WHAT!?"

The raccoon at this point was in hysterics. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just keep imagining you waking up one morning, looking in the mirror, and, in all seriousness, saying 'You know what would be a really kickass name? Taserface'!"

Lylla chuckled herself, looking around to see that the other Ravagers were starting to laugh. Even Nebula managed to crack a smile. "Really, out of everything you could have chosen, you went with one that is not only ill-fitting, but doesn't even make any sense," Lylla said.

"New plan. We're killin' the animals first," Taserface said. He readied his knife to killed Rocket, the smile disappearing off of the raccoon's face.

"If you do anything to him, I'll make sure your death is ten times as worse," Lylla threatened, struggling within her bonds.

"Well, dying is certainly better than having to live an entire life as a moronic shitbag who thinks 'Taserface' is a cool name," Rocket muttered.

"Not helping, Rocket," Lylla replied.

"That's enough killing for today," Nebula said.

Taserface turned to face the cyborg. "Thought you were the biggest sadist in the galaxy," he said.

"That was when Daddy was paying my bills," Nevula replied. "The Priestess wants to kill the fox herself. And he," she nodded towards Yondu, "has bounties on his head in at least twelve Kree provinces. I assure you, I am not as easy a mark as an old man without his magic stick or a talking woodland beast. I want ten percent of the take, and a couple more things."

"Besides, you forgot about me getting you the information the first place," said a voice with a distinct Scottish accent.

"Wait, that voice…" Lylla said.

"Oh, you've got to be flarking kidding me," Rocket said.

Stepping out from the crowd came Blackjack O'Hare, whom was decked out in an all-black outfit with distinct metallic parts in his arms and legs. He also had a metal helmet that came over his eyes into goggles, glowing an eerie red color. "'Ello, Rocket, Lylla. So glad that Uncle Rus was able to lead us right to you," Blackjack said. "Now then, I'll be taking my payment, Taserface." The hare let out a small snicker, but quickly straightened up and pointed at Lylla. "My future wife awaits her wedding day."


Author's Note

How's that for a cliffhanger!? Blackjack has arrived, and apparently Wal-Rus sold out the Guardians to the Ravagers. Will Lylla really be wed off to Blackjack, or will Rocket manage to save his soulmate?

I skipped over a few scenes from the movie here, mostly for two reasons: either it was a scene where Rocket and Lylla wouldn't be present (AKA anything on Ego's planet) or it was cut due to not much changing (Rocket's traps in the woods. While it was a cool scene in the movie, I couldn't add much for Lylla to do, so I skipped to them being captured on the ship.)

Next time, Lylla has catch-up with Blackjack, and Rocket has a 'talk' with Wal-Rus and Yondu.