"Looks like some of you couldn't keep your eyes off 89P13, and the clever raccoon figured you out," the burly alien chuckled mockingly, addressing Rocket. "Of course, not everyone here is with Orgocorp. Mercenaries, raiders, bounty hunters—they're everywhere in the galaxy, aren't they?"
"We at Orgocorp have no shortage of money. Whether you approached one of our unmanned drones and got caught or tried to snoop around at a local hub for information about us, you'd still fall into our hands. Lucky for me, I, Aishan, was the one to catch you—huh?!"
"ZAP!" Before Aishan could finish his smug speech, a bright energy beam fired from Star-Lord's blaster, hitting him squarely in the chest and sending him flying.
"Talk about a lot of hot air. You'd think you were some bigshot," Star-Lord sneered, holstering his blaster. He glanced around the tavern and addressed the other patrons. "I get it, you're all in it for the money. But no payday's worth your life. Orgocorp's already paid your deposit; take it and walk away."
Despite Star-Lord's attempt at diplomacy, the mercenaries and raiders in the tavern weren't interested in backing down. For one, these people lived outside the law, and loyalty was a rare commodity among them. Even in Yondu's crew, betrayal was not uncommon, let alone among total strangers.
More importantly, Orgocorp's bounty was far too tempting. Even with Aishan down, capturing Rocket would still net them a significant reward. And Orgocorp's orders were clear: only Rocket was required. The rest of the Guardians could be disposed of.
"You're bold, kid. Think you and your little team can take on all of us?" A raider sneered as several blasters were aimed at Star-Lord. A moment later, the room erupted into chaos as a hail of lasers filled the air.
The battle in the tavern was fierce. The explosion from the concentrated laser fire rattled the walls, shaking the nearby building and sending dust and debris everywhere.
Outside, the group of aliens who had just left flinched at the sound of the blast. Glancing nervously back at the tavern, they quickened their pace, eager to leave the scene far behind.
Inside, Star-Lord emerged unscathed, protected by a sleek suit of armor that materialized over his body. The suit featured a custom-designed energy shield that absorbed the barrage of lasers aimed at him.
The armor was a gift from Tony Stark—a backup model based on a suit Star-Lord had lost during the battle on Ego's planet. While it wasn't as advanced as Stark's latest creations, it remained a highly effective piece of equipment, more than sufficient for dealing with common raiders.
"You don't want to play nice? Fine. Don't blame us when we go all out!" Rocket shouted. He raised his weapon and barked, "Guardians, take them down!"
"I am Groot!" Groot charged forward alongside Drax, with Nebula and Gamora right behind them. Mantis and Adam lingered at the rear, clearly uncertain about their roles in the battle.
"Maybe you two should go back to the ship and look after Ash?" Rocket suggested, noticing their hesitation. His tone was begrudging but practical; there was no time to train them mid-fight.
"No, we can help!" Mantis declared, a newfound resolve in her voice. She called to Adam, "Follow Drax's example! Fight like your dad!"
"Dad?" Adam's eyes widened in realization. With a roar, he charged at a nearby alien, mimicking Drax's fighting style with surprising effectiveness. A powerful shoulder slam sent the alien flying.
Once Adam found his rhythm, he tore through the enemy ranks with ease. His strength rivaled Drax's, and his speed far exceeded it. In no time, Adam was the most effective combatant in the room.
Mantis, however, struggled. Attempting to emulate Gamora and Nebula's lethal precision, she found herself outmatched in speed, strength, and skill. Lacking a weapon only made things worse. Before long, Mantis was overwhelmed, relying entirely on Rocket's cover fire to keep her safe.
"Damn it, you useless bug! Get back here before you get yourself killed!" Rocket shouted angrily after saving her yet again from an attacking raider.
"Useless?" Mantis froze, her antennae twitching as an idea struck her. Her eyes lit up, and so did her antennae. Darting to a nearby alien, she placed a hand on his neck and commanded, "Sleep!"
"Zzz..." The alien slumped to the ground, fast asleep.
"...What?" Rocket blinked in surprise, watching as Mantis began darting between enemies, using her empathic abilities to manipulate their emotions and render them helpless.
"Freeze!"
"Cry!"
"Confused!"
Mantis moved gracefully through the chaos, her touch incapacitating enemies one after another. While she couldn't directly harm them, her teamwork with Rocket turned the tide of the battle. Rocket's precise fire eliminated each stunned foe, making their combined efforts highly effective.
"Nice work, bug!" Rocket grinned, his earlier frustration replaced by admiration.
"Really?" Mantis beamed with delight. Having spent her life under Ego's constant criticism, genuine praise was a rarity for her. The validation from her teammates filled her with newfound confidence.
"Turn into Drax!" Mantis yelled excitedly, placing a hand on another alien's head.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Both Drax and the alien looked equally confused. The alien stood frozen, unsure of what Mantis's command meant, and didn't attack her. Rocket, however, wasted no time shooting him dead.
"Just make them freeze, bug! No weird experiments!" Rocket growled, rolling his eyes.
"Got it," Mantis replied meekly, falling back into line.
Meanwhile, Drax found himself blindsided by a powerful punch from an alien who had managed to crawl back to his feet. The blow sent Drax sprawling, his face swelling almost immediately.
"Drax! You okay? Wait, you're still alive?!" Star-Lord called out, but his surprise wasn't directed at Drax. His attention shifted to the attacker: Aishan.
Having recovered from Star-Lord's earlier shot, Aishan now loomed over Drax, fury blazing in his eyes.
"You pests are all dead! I've already sent out your location. Reinforcements are coming, and none of you are getting out alive!" Aishan roared, swinging a kick at Drax. However, before the blow could land, Groot's vines shot out, binding Aishan tightly.
"I am Groot!" Groot's branches coiled around Aishan, restraining him completely. Drax scrambled to his feet and landed a heavy punch to Aishan's gut.
As Aishan struggled, he realized the grim reality around him. The tavern was a slaughterhouse, littered with the bodies of his fallen comrades and the mercenaries who had joined them. He was alone now, helpless against the Guardians.
"Let me go! You'll regret this! Orgocorp won't let you escape!" Aishan snarled, his bravado faltering as Groot's vines began snaking toward his face, threatening to invade his mouth and nostrils.
"Not so fast, Groot," Rocket said, patting Groot's shoulder. "This one's still got some use. Let's see what he knows before we kill him."
Turning to Aishan, Rocket's voice dripped with menace. "Start talking. How many of you are after us? Where's Orgocorp's base? And who's pulling the strings?"
"Fine! Don't kill me!" Aishan blurted, panic taking hold. "Orgocorp's base is in a massive fleshy sphere in this sector. But the High Evolutionary isn't there..."
Realizing he might still escape alive, Aishan continued eagerly. "There are hundreds of teams like ours scattered across nearby systems, all looking for you. The orders come directly from our supreme ruler, the ultimate life form—the High Evolutionary!"
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