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Gamora finally withdrew the knife from Star-Lord's neck, allowing him to straighten up.
Just then, Star-Lord glanced through the bar window—and saw Groot being shoved and thrown onto a gambling table. Someone was trying to attack him.
Looking closer, it turned out to be Drax.
Star-Lord groaned. "Oh no..."
Not knowing what had caused the conflict, he and Gamora quickly stepped back inside the bar.
Inside, Drax took two quick strides and tackled Groot again, slamming him to the ground before climbing on top and raining down punches.
But Groot wasn't about to take it lying down. He extended an arm and wrapped it around Drax's neck, trying to pull him off.
With a roar, Drax grabbed at the branches and tore them away with brute force. He stood again, ready to continue the brawl.
Around them, the gamblers gave up on their games and turned their attention to the fight, cheering for the chaos.
Rocket, watching his friend take a beating, pulled out his gun and aimed it squarely at Drax. He didn't hesitate—if things went sideways, he'd fire without a second thought.
Gamora rushed forward and shouted, "Stop!"
Star-Lord saw the gun and jumped in front of Rocket. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—what are you doing?"
He tried to get to the bottom of things. "What happened?"
"This disgusting little bug won't stop talking nonsense!" Drax spat.
Rocket didn't flinch. "That's what I do!"
Drax stepped forward, seething. "Arrogant. Disrespectful."
"So what?" Rocket snapped.
"Alright, calm down—both of you!" Star-Lord tried to intervene.
But Rocket wasn't done. "Call me a bug again, I dare you!"
His hands twitched, ready to pull the trigger.
"You all laugh at me, right?" Rocket's voice cracked slightly as he looked around. "You think I'm just some brainless creature? You think I want to be like this?"
His voice rose. "You think I chose to be torn apart and stitched back together—again and again—until I became this... freak?"
He finally said it out loud. And for a moment, the room quieted.
"No one thinks that," Star-Lord said gently. "You're not a monster, Rocket."
Rocket's eyes narrowed. "He called me a bug," he pointed at Drax. "And she called me a raccoon!"
He turned toward Gamora.
"Let's see if you're still smiling after you get shot, you ugly bastard."
Rocket raised his gun again and started loading it.
Star-Lord moved fast, blocking his line of fire. "No, no, no—Rocket! Don't forget the four billion-unit bounty!"
"Come on, man! Just get through tonight, and you're gonna be rich."
Rocket hesitated. He lowered the gun slowly, the lure of the bounty winning out over his fury.
"Okay," Rocket muttered. "But I'm not promising I won't kill all of you bastards after I get paid."
Star-Lord, who had just started to relax, immediately muttered, "See, this is why you don't have friends."
Then he looked at Gamora and Drax. "Because the moment you get to know someone, you wanna kill them."
Drax, still fuming, finally spoke. "I followed you across half the galaxy... and Ronan's still alive!"
He shrugged off Gamora's restraining hand and walked away.
"Drax!" Star-Lord called after him.
"Let him go," Gamora said. "We don't need him."
Groot watched Drax disappear into the crowd and pounded his fists in frustration, clearly upset he hadn't been able to defeat him.
At that moment, a door to the side opened. A woman stepped out—a maid in a white dress, completely out of place in the grungy bar.
She walked over and addressed Gamora. "Miss Gamora, my master sent me to bring you."
She extended a hand, motioning them forward.
They followed her through the door into a massive hall lined with display cases.
Rocket looked around and snorted. "This place is seriously messed up."
The maid glanced back at him with a polite smile. "We house the largest collection in the galaxy—rare animals, fossils, and species of all kinds."
She seemed proud of it.
Rocket noticed a dog wearing a space helmet and suit, trapped in one of the cases. The dog looked at him. Rocket stared back. Then he moved on.
They were led deeper inside, until they reached the innermost chamber.
The maid stepped aside, gesturing dramatically.
"May I present: Taneleer Tivan, the Collector."
She bowed and waited silently at the edge of the room.
Gamora and the others walked slowly forward, taking in the surroundings.
The Collector turned, removed his glasses, and approached Gamora with theatrical flair.
"My dear Gamora, what an honor to finally meet you in person."
He took her hand and kissed it.
Gamora didn't flinch. "Spare me the flattery, Tivan."