"Dear Peter,

These days are those when we really question who our true friends are, who is really family. For everything you like about someone, there is usually something about them that you don't like. I am no exception. That is why I have chosen to distance myself from you, at least until the time was right."

Nebula swung her sword, which Gamora blocked with hers. The two continued to pace around the clearing trying to get the edge over each other. Meanwhile, Quill, Drax, Rocket, and Groot were still watching this fight from the bushes.

"Did that blue lady just call Gamora her sister?" Quill asked.

"Okay, those two need some serious family counseling." Rocket said.

"I am Groot?"

"No, we won't break them up." Rocket replied. "If there's one thing I've learned about women, you don't want to get in between them when they're fighting."

The sword clash between Gamora and Nebula continued until the latter ended it by trapping her with her own arms and holding a sword at her throat.

"You had this coming in ways that you can't possibly understand." Nebula said.

"Okay, she's in trouble." Quill said pulling out his blasters and putting on his helmet. "Let's go in."

"Yes. I'm not Drax the Observer, I am Drax the Destroyer!"

"This will get the blue girl off her game." Quill said pulling out his Walkman. He set the volume to high and held it up before pressing play.

Suddenly, Nebula was caught off guard by the booming sound of rock music that echoed from the bushes. The rest of the crew charged out while Gamora took the opportunity to escape the hold. They all ganged up on Nebula while the lyrics to the song began to play.

"I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation

Living in the past, it's a new generation

A girl can do what she wants to do

And that's what I'm gonna do

An' I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation

Oh, no

Not me"

Nebula snarled before backing up to the edge of the clearing. "Next time, you won't be so lucky to have bodyguards, Gamora!" She turned and disappeared into the forest.

"Yeah, you better run!" Quill shouted removing his helmet. He laughed in congratulations. "Not a bad battle if I do say so myself. I mean, sure, we didn't win, but we didn't lose either. That's a win in my book. What do you think, Gamora?" Gamora's only response was a right hook across Quill's face. "AH! HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"For getting in my way." Gamora answered. "I never asked you people for help, did I?"

"Gammy, you had a sword at your throat." Rocket said. "You looked like you needed help to me."

"Do you know how many times I've had a sword at my throat? I actually had a sword IN my throat once!"

"Well, I didn't know that." Quill said. "Kinda like how I didn't know that you had a sister and she's been following us! Mind telling us about that?"

"I don't owe you any explanation." Gamora said. "This is between me and Nebula. Stay out of it next time."

"Forgive me, Gamora, but that seems wrong." Drax said. "If this feud between you and this Nebula affects us as a group, then perhaps it's best for you to tell us why she is after you."

Rocket crossed his arms in astonishment. "Wow. That's actually the first thing you said that wasn't crazy."

"I am Groot."

"It was so. Believe me, I've been keeping count."

Gamora took a moment before sighing in acceptance. "Fine. If you must know, then here it is. Nebula and I aren't biological sisters, but we were both adopted and raised under the same man: Marcus Black."

"Wait! You mean THE Marcus Black? The assassin?" Quill asked. "Is that why everyone referred to you as Gamora Black? Because you were technically his daughter?"

"He's no father of mine." Gamora said. "He killed my real family. He stole me and trained me to be a weapon. He made me and Nebula compete over everything, not just against each other, but also against his actual son, Mercury. I was blinded by my so-called loyalty to him, so I never disappointed him. Nebula and Mercury, however, got punished severely. Whenever Nebula failed, he'd often replace some of her body with robotic parts to make her stronger. She always suffered. As for Mercury, as soon as he unlocked his Semblance, Marcus stole it with his own claiming it was to make him stronger. And I did nothing to help either of them."

"Wow. Sister of the year, you are." Rocket said.

"I was too stupid," Gamora cried out, "So desperate to win, that I didn't even think about anyone who got hurt. That is, until…"

Quill raised an eyebrow. "Until what?"

"…Me, Nebula, and Mercury's first mission together. Marcus tasked us with taking out a target in Argus. I was told to never hesitate, never hold back, and I didn't. I managed to surpass my siblings and kill who I was intended. It was only after his life faded from his eyes that I realized the consequences of what I had done. I didn't know it until just then, but… the target was a father to a little girl. I slipped out before I was seen, but I heard her loud cries over her father who was killed by my hand. I felt instant regret right after that.

"As we left the city border, I stopped and told Nebula and Mercury that I wasn't going back. I told them wrong this life was and I told them to join me. But they didn't listen. Mercury said that there was no going back from this life. Nebula thought this was just a long-term plan against them. I knew they were lost causes, so I went off on my own. Of course, they tried to stop me. They tried to force me back home, but I escaped from them. I didn't see either of them again until today.

"From that day on, I vowed to make everything right. First, I would make up for everything I have done, starting with that girl in Argus. I took some underground jobs so that I could earn enough pay. You want to know what I was doing in Argus the day I was arrested? I was hand-delivering the lien to her. However, before I could reach her, the guards recognized me and arrested me.

"Once I'm done with this Merlot job and repay everything to that girl, my next stop will be Marcus Black. He killed my family, raised me to be a heartless killing machine, tormented my brother and sister in front of me, made me make a girl into an orphan, and now, he's sending my own siblings to finish me off. There's no way I'm going to let him go for all that." She held out her sword. "The next life this blade takes will be that of Marcus Black. He strove to make me the Most Dangerous Woman in Remnant, and he succeeded."

"That is the worst bedtime story ever!" Quill commented. "But I guess I understand why you didn't want to talk about it."

"It's fine." Gamora said sheathing her sword away. "Let's just get going. Mountain Glenn is half a day's walk from here. Let's go before we run into any Grimm or other vengeful siblings."

"No need to worry about me." Drax said. "I'm an only child."

"But you're still a knife-crazy nutjob." Rocket said. "Half a day. What are the odds of you guys carrying me?"

"Not it." Quill said.

"Not it." Gamora said.

"I am Groot."

"What was that?" Drax asked.

"You snooze, you lose, big guy." Rocket said jumping up on the Destroyer's shoulders.

Drax was clearly confused by Rocket's behavior, but the others were amused. They shared a laugh, which might actually be the first time in this entire trip that they bonded. It was good for them to trust each other at this point, because Dr. Merlot was just ahead.

Author's Note: Finally made this. And now, we have Gamora's backstory. Next chapter, we finally meet Dr. Merlot and discover his evil plan.