The sweet taste of revenge

Xandar(four months after escape from Halfworld)

I look down miserably at my stomach as it growls again. I'm standing in the middle of a city on a planet called Xandar and I'm starving. I haven't eaten in days and all the bins seem to be empty. I wounder about the city looking for food but I can't seem to find only a few scraps that aren't enough to fill even my young body. I'm about to try knocking on a door to ask for food when I see a shop across the street. Outside the shop is a crate full of apples. I smile to myself and run over, forgetting about the houes I was going to beg at. As soon as I reach the shop I pull the top of the crate off and grab an apple. It looks so big and tastey and I'm just about to go into the shop with it when I remeber I don't have any money. I swollow and look down at the apple in my paws. I want it so bad. Maybe if I'm lucky I can take it without being seen. I shake my head and get rid of that thought. I can't steal it, that would be wrong and tuen me into a thief and I don't want to be a thief. I sigh and reach up to put the apple back but before I can I'm hit hard from behind and smack into the crate. I turn round to see a pink-skinned, bald man glaring down at me.

"I'll teach you to steal you little brat," he roars and grabs me my the scruff of my neck.

"No, I wasn't stealing, I was...," I blurt out but don't get any further as the man cracks me hard across the face.

"Silence," the man snarls then drops me on the ground and begins to kick me, all the while yelling names like, scum and vermin.

"Please," I beg as he kicks me, "Please I was hungry. I wasn't going to steal it."

The monster doesn't care about what I say and contiues to kick me until I'm nothing but a heap of blood and fur.

"Please," I beg through the blood in my mouth, "Please I'm sorry. I'll never come here again. I'll never try to steal again. Please just let me go."

"So you admit you. You're a dirty little thief."

"No! I didn't mean," I insitst, realizing my mistake.

The man picks me up and slams me against the crate.

"Please," I sob, "Please I'm begging you, have mercy."

The pink-sninned man laughs, "Oh I'm not going to kill you. I don't want your dirty blood on me."

The man then spits in my face and drops me to the ground.

The pink-skinned, man glowers down at me and spits, "get out of my sight you flithy child."

After a grate deal of effort and falling twice I manage to stand. I begin to limp away but before I can the man kicks me one last time in the back and sends me sprawling.

I scrable up and run as fast as I can, stopping once I reach a small space inbetween some trast cans. I huddle up there and sob. I have no idea why that man attacked me or why he wouldn't listen to me or why he and everyone eles hates me. The one thing I do know is that I'll never go back to that shop again.

...

Xandar(three years after escape from Halfworld.)

I open my eyes and scowl up at Groot who is tickling my nose with a leaf.

"I am Groot," my best buddy says.

I groan and roll onto my side and mutter, "No, don't want to get up. Too sleepy."

The next thing I feel is that blasted leaf tickling my feet. I try to ignore it but it's driving me crazy.

"Alright, alright I'll get up just keep that leaf away from my tootsies." I yell then sit up. It's a bright day and the hillside that Groot and I are on is bethed in early morning light.

I go over to our supplie bag and look through it then say, "We need to into the nearby city behind us and get some more food."

"I am Groot," Groot adds.

"No we don't also need to find me any socks" I say hotly.

Groot mutters something uder his breath but I choose to ignore it. I sling the supplie bag over my shoulder and we head to town.

...

"Okay Groot we've got all we need," I say as I pay a green woman for the bread I've just stuffed in our bag.

"I am Groot," Groot says loudly, he's excited about something.

"What is it?" I ask and turn round.

Groot is pointing to a hologram about apples and tells me that we have to go get some right away.

"I'm about to refuse but then I see a hologram of a pink-skinned, blad headed man next to the one about the apples. Under his i,age it reads, "Vobin Loss, hia apples are the best in the galaxy."

I clench my right fist and snarl as images from my younger days flash before my eyes.

"You know something Groot," I say with a smirk, "You're right we should get a few apples to eat. See I know this guy and I'm sure he'll be very happy to see me again."

As I walk Groot asks me if I have the mony for them and I told him that this time money won't matter.

It doesn't take long for us to reach Vobit's store and once we do I smile to myself and take out one of my guns. A Nova rocket launcher.

I fire close to the builing and and one of the walls is blown apart.

"I am Groot," My friend gasps in shock and asks me what I'd doing.

"Dishing out some payback," I snarl and walk into what remains of the store.

the store is a complete mess. Food is scattered everywhere and cowering in the middle of it all is Vobit.

"Morning," I say with a sick grin.

Vobin looks bewilleded at first then his eyes widened in fear and he tries to get up.

I take out a hand gun and shoot in the air,telling him not to move.

"Oh so you do remember me," I say joyfuly then add, "Do you remeber when I last came here? You know when I wanted one of your apples?"

Vobin gulps and nodds.

"Good," then I say in a hard voice, "Do you rmember how you kicked me half to death? Do you remember how you told me I was scum?"

"I...I..." Vobin begins but I silence him by shooting a box next to him.

"I'm not done yet," I roar then spit, "I was helpless against you then and you loved that. You know something? i wounder if I'm as helpness now, what do you think?"

I then shoot just past his left ear and then his right while shouting,"Well? You think I'm helpless now. You think I'm helpless now?"

Vobin covers his ears with his hands and sobs.

I grap his shirt and glare down at him before growling, "Oh don't worry I'm not going to kill you. I don't want your dirty blood all over my paws."

I then let go of him and turn to Groot and say, "Groot, buddy, take as many apples as you like. They're free of charge."

Groot and I quickly fill a bag full of apples then turn to leave.

"Oh one more thing," I say to Vobin.

The pink-skinned man looks at me then yells in fear as I pull out my gun and shoot him in the side. I decied not to kill him, just hurt him a bit. I then follow Groot out of the store.

...

Groot and I sit on the same hill we had rested on earlier and eat our fill of the apples he had taken from Vobin.

"Oh man these are good," I say contentedly then laugh and say, "Did you see the look on that idiot's face? I thought I was going to give him a heart attack"

"I am Groot," My buddy replies, asking whether or not I may have gone too far.

I scowl then say, "No Groot I don't think I did. See today I got to hit back at just one of the scum that hurt me and I wish I could get back at them all. You know why?"

"I am Groot?"

"Because a good as these apples taste, that revenge tasted better."