"What—" Dipper started, looking over to where his sister had been standing. He saw a pale green hand with the back of his sister's sweater along with the collar of Dr. McGucket's shirt in its grasp.

"What in tarnation—" Doctor McGucket let out, when the three of them were carried into the clearing.

"I found these spies behind the bushes." A deep, somewhat rough voice said behind them. "How should we deal with them? "

Dipper and Mabel both gulped.

Everyone in the clearing had turned to them. The raccoon-creature folded its arms.

"Seriously? Drax, it's a couple a' kids and an old man. I don't think you'd call 'em spies. "

"Appearances can be deceiving." Came the voice from behind Dipper and the others.

The young man in the leather jacket shook his head. "Drax, put them down, will you? They're hardly threatening. "

Dipper and the others heard a sigh, and they were lowered to the ground. Doctor McGucket straightened his collar and gave the being behind them a glare.

The tree-creature said, "I am Groot."

The raccoon in the orange bodysuit looked back at the tree-being and walked up to the trio. "You three okay?"

Dipper opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Yeah, we're good." He heard Mabel say. "So—I take it you guys are not from around here. "

The raccoon looked over his shoulder at the others. "Yeah, you could say that, kid." He looked over at Dipper. "What's wrong with him? "

Dipper shook his head as if to clear it. "Uh—nothing—I just—who are you guys? "

The young man in the leather jacket came over. "Hey, there, kid. I'm Peter Quill, but you can call me Star Lord—"

The raccoon piped up, "But you don't have to call him that. "

He turned and pointed at the tree creature. "That's my buddy Groot, the lady you don't want to mess with—" he indicated the green skinned woman—"—is Gamora, and I'm Rocket. The big lug behind you is Drax. "

Dipper and Mabel turned to get a look at the being behind them. He was taller than Dr. McGucket, but not quite six foot, very muscular, and with orange—war paint?—on his shoulders, arms, chest, and around his eyes—which were white and had no irises or pupils.

"We're the Guardians of the Galaxy." Peter Quill said with a touch of pride in his tone.

"So, um—what areyou guys doing here? " Dipper asked as he turned back to the rest of the newcomers.

"We were following a criminal called the Collector. "the woman called Gamora said, stepping closer to them. "He is a deranged—hunter—of sorts that 'collects' what he considers unique species from other planets for his 'menagerie'. "

Dipper and Mabel gasped in unison and looked at each other.

"Oh no!"

"Our friends!"

"No wonder it's been so quiet 'round here." McGucket said with a frown.

The members of the Guardians of the Galaxy all looked at each other.

Quill looked back at McGucket and the twins. "Your-friends? "

"This place is chock full of interestin' stuff." McGucket told him. Th' kids and their great Uncles dealt with a lot of it last summer, but—that's kind of a long story. "

"We were friends with a lot of those creatures!" Mabel cried.

"Yeah, and from the sound of it they're just the kind of additions that Collector guy would want for his collection!" Dipper added, equally distressed.

"Well, that explains why he'd come back in time—still don't know how he knew about all of that, though." Quill said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"I am Groot."

"Yeah, pal, I know." Rocket answered the tree-creature. "Regardless of why the Collector came here, he'd still take his 'new collectibles' up to that menagerie of his in space, and we can't go anywhere when the Milano has a busted wing! "

"The Milano?" Mabel said, tilting her head. "Isn't that a cookie? "

Rocket looked at the tree creature Groot. "What's a cookie?"

Groot threw his branch-like hands up. "I am Groot?"

Peter Quill shook his head. "No—my ship isn't named after a cookie—"

"It is the name of a girl Quill used to see on television." The being called Drax said from behind them. "Though how that has anything to do with a craft that flies in space, I do not know."

"Well, like this here little fella Rocket said—" Dr. McGucket said, walking over and examining the Milano's wing, "This metal lady ain't goin' nowhere with this busted wing."

He scanned the top of the wing, then bent over and took a look at the bottom. "I think I've got some things that can fix 'er back at the junkyard-jest need some metal an' my blowtorch. "

He stood and looked over his shoulder at Quill. "That is, if'n that's all right with you, son. "

Rocket came over to McGucket's side and looked up at him. "Never mind Quill, I take care of the Milano. I don't know what a junkyard is, but let's get somethin' that'll fix this old girl and get after the Collector!"