"Dear Peter,

In this life, in this world, you are going to come across obstacles and there are those who are going to hate you for what you have to do. So when the world's out to get you, just remember that I will be there with you when it counts."

"What do you mean, no?" Gamora asked. "Dr. Merlot has an army of mutant Grimm that he can control with his mind! He's going to level Argus just to show it off! We have to stop him!"

"We don't have to do anything." Raven said. "It's not our fight. Besides…" She opened up the Walkman battery compartment and pulled out a small microchip that made Peter Quill worry. "We've got what we came for."

"What is that tiny contraption?" Drax asked.

"This right here holds the plans for a brand new airship that's created by the Atlas military." Raven said. "Commander Cordovin was tasked to keep hold of these plans and Quill was sent to take it from her."

All the others glared angrily at Peter Quill, who chuckled nervously.

"Quill, you lying bastard." Rocket said. "No wonder the Atlas Military's been after us. You stole their property."

"I am Groot?"

"Exactly. Why didn't you tell us?" Rocket asked.

"Well… there wasn't any time to?" Quill asked.

"Peter, we spent a few minutes in a jail cell, spent a couple of hours on a train, walked into the slums of Mistral, and walked half a day across a forest." Gamora pointed out. "You had nothing but time to tell us."

"It don't care why you think he should've told you." Raven said. "All that matters is that we now have the plans for a ship that will be of great help in our raids."

"Wait, Raven." Quill said. "Normally, I'd be on your side, but I've seen Merlot and his crazy experiments up close. He's not gonna stop at Argus. He'll send his mutant Grimm everywhere. We do have to stop him before it's too late."

"No, Peter." Raven said. "It's not our responsibility. I am not risking my tribe because you suddenly grew a conscience."

Quill darted his eyes around, but then, an idea popped in his head. "Hold on! I got it! Look, if you don't help, you'll be turning away from a majorly big payload."

Raven turned her red eyes at Peter Quill curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, think about it. What would be our first step in saving Argus?" Nobody answered. "Anybody?" Still silence. "It's warn the people, okay? The citizens are gonna have to evacuate their homes in the event of a Grimm attack. That means a whole bunch of empty homes and fancy buildings just ready for the looting. You help us save Argus, you can take from the citizens, and they'll just assume their missing stuff were destroyed by the Grimm and Atlas will accommodate them. It's a win for everyone. Except Merlot, of course."

Raven took a few steps closer to Peter. She leaned down to stare at him directly to his eyes. "I know you're just saying whatever you have to say, but your point is still valid. But know this. If something goes wrong, things will look bad for you. It will look bad regardless of what happens because you put us into this mess. You're risking the harshest of punishment from our tribe."

"And I'm prepared to pay it." Quill said.

"…All right, Quill. We have a deal." Raven turned to her tribesmen. "Hear that, everyone! We're gonna score tomorrow!" She got a roar of cheer from her fellow bandits.

Quill and his friends gathered alone in a tent sitting in a circle. The Branwen bandits stood outside discussing among themselves while the guys in the tent did the same.

"Oh, great plan, Quill." Rocket said sarcastically. "Convince the bandits to help us fight a psychopathic mutant maker in return for letting them rob a whole city. Killer idea!"

"Hey, I didn't hear you doing anything to convince Raven to help us." Quill said. "It was the best idea I had on short notice."

"And how exactly are we going to stop Dr. Merlot?" Gamora asked. "He's got an army of mutant Grimm under his mental command."

"I have a plan." Quill answered

"You have a plan?" Rocket asked. "First of all, you're just copying me from when I said that I had a plan."

"No, I'm not. People say it all the time. It's not that unique of a thing to say."

"And secondly, I don't think you even have a plan."

"I have… part of a plan!"

"What percentage of a plan do you have?" Drax asked.

"I don't know. Maybe like… twelve percent."

"Twelve percent?" Rocket asked before bellowing out a loud, yet fake sounding laugh.

"Hey. That's a fake laugh." Quill called out.

"It's real!" Rocket argued.

"It's a fake laugh." Quill repeated raising his hand. "Show of hands. Who here thought it was a fake laugh?"

"I thought it was a fake laugh." Drax said raising his hand along with Gamora and Groot.

"That is the most real, authentic, hysterical laugh of my entire life!" Rocket said. "Because that is not a plan!"

"It's barely a concept." Gamora said.

"You're taking his side?" Quill asked.

"I am Groot."

"So what if it's better than eleven percent?" Rocket asked. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Thank you." Quill said. "See guys? Groot's the only one of you who has a clue." He noticed that Groot had started munching on a leaf that was on his shoulder. "Come on, guys. Raven's going to get in here in two minutes and she expects ust o have a plan." He sighed. "Look, guys. I look around at us, and Do you know what I see? Losers." Everyone gave him an off look. "I mean, folks who have lost stuff. And we have, man. We have, all of us. Our homes. Our families. Normal lives. And usually, life takes more than it gives, but not today. Today, it's giving us something. It's give us a chance."

"To do what?" Drax asked.

"To give a darn, for once, and not run away. I for one am not going to stand by as Merlot wipes out hundreds of innocent lives."

"Quill," Rocket said sullenly, "Stopping Merlot… It's impossible. You're asking us to die."

"Yeah. I guess I am." Quill confessed.

After a brief pause, Gamora stood up beside Peter. "Quill, I have lived most of my life surrounded by my enemies. I will be grateful to die among my friends."

"Despite your dishonesty and thievery," Drax said standing up as well, "You are an honorable man, Quill. I will fight beside you. And in the end, I will see my wife and daughter again."

Groot smiled and stood up. "I am Groot."

Everyone looked expectedly at Rocket, who hesitated to give an answer. Eventually, he gave in and stood up with a resigned sigh.

"Oh, what the hell. I don't have that long a lifespan anyway. Now, I'm standing. You all happy? We're all standing up now. A bunch of jackasses standing in a circle."

The group gathered the bandits to the front of the camp where Peter held out his scroll to project the plan to everyone. During the presentation, Quill began to play a song "We Got the Beat" for everyone to hear along with the plan.

"All right, everyone. Listen up." Peter called out. "Our enemy's an evil genius mastermind, but he's too confident in his powers. He doesn't realize his greatest strength is also his greatest weakness."

"His nitro crystal power cell." Rocket clarified. "Merlot's using it to power his mutant Grimm brainwashing transmitter as well as keep his hoverchair afloat. All we gotta do is destroy it and he can't control his monsters no more."

"But won't that just leave us with a hundred mutant Grimm running wild?" Shay D. Mann asked.

"I think of mutant Grimm as paper people." Drax boasted.

"We won't have to deal with them after we destroy the power cell." Gamora said. "It's powerful, but it's very unstable. If it's broken, it'll cause an explosion powerful enough to level an entire city. All we gotta do is lure Merlot and his Grimm out of Argus and to a deserted part of the forest. While you all do that, I'll take a sniper's position at a far off cliff. Once you all gather Merlot and his Grimm to one place, just clear out and I'll fire on the cell. Merlot will be destroyed and he'll take his Grimm with him."

"But first thing's first." Quill said. "We have to clear Argus of civilians. There's no guarantee that we can draw the Grimm away before they make it to the city, so we need to make sure nobody gets hurt. The Atlas military stationed there will issue an evacuation and get everyone out before Merlot gets there. We just have to warn them."

"But Cordovin is not going to listen to us." Drax pointed out. "She is still upset how you stole from her."

"I am aware of that." Quill said. "Fortunately, there's someone in Haven who can make a stubborn person like her more compliant. So Raven, there's a special job for you."

"You—Peter Quill—are giving me a job?" Raven asked. "What is this world coming to?"

"What do you mean you still haven't found those thieves?!" Cordovin asked angrily as she stomped around her vehicle depot. "If General Ironwood finds out I lost his plans, he's going to court-martial me! Find them and shoot them on sight!" She turned off her scroll and groaned angrily.

"You really need better hold on your stuff."

Commander Cordovin turned suddenly finding Raven Branwen standing behind her. She jumped backward in shock. "Who are you? How did you get here?"

"Would you believe I flew in?" Raven asked. "Anyway, there's someone here who has something to say to you." She turned and slashed her sword into the air. A red portal opened up and Peter Quill jumped in along with a certain bug Faunus.

"Whoa. That was quite a feeling." Mantis said. "I've always wanted to know what a portal felt like."

Cordo's eyes widened when she saw Quill. "You! The Star Prince!"

"What? No, it's Star Lord." Quill corrected.

"I don't care what you call yourself! You've got a lot of nerve coming back after you and your riffraff…"

"Hey, I can hear you rant about me and my friends all day, but we don't have that kind of time." Quill said. "There's an army of Grimm coming to level Argus. You have to order an evacuation."

"And why should I listen to a thieving, loathsome, no-good…" Cordovin was interrupted when Mantis placed her fingers gently on the side of her head.

"Listen."

Cordovin rested her body feeling calmness overtake her almost forcefully. She looked over at Quill with more open eyes. "I'm listening."