Floating in nothingness, Kyln station was a barbaric place. Battle-scarred, dirty, and heavily armored, it held some of the most hardcore criminals the galaxy had ever known.

“They call Kyln the stomach of the prison system,” said Rocket, as he, Groot, Peter, and Gamora were shepherded by the Nova Corps through its halls, “because no matter how good you are going in, you come out pretty messed up.”

The three of his companions shot him sour looks as if to say that fact wasn’t much help in their situation.

“But I ain’t gonna be here long,” Rocket continued. “I’ve escaped twenty-two prisons. This one’ll be no different.” Rocket then focused his attention on Peter. “You’re lucky Gamora here showed up, otherwise me and Groot’d be collecting that bounty right now, and you’d be getting drawn and quartered by Yondu and the Ravagers.”

“A lot of people have tried to hurt me over the years, but I won’t be brought down by a walking tree and a talking raccoon,” said Peter, clearly annoyed.

“What’s a raccoon?” asked Rocket, trying to decide if he should feel insulted.

“It’s what you are,” stated Peter.

“Ain’t nothin’ like me, ’cept me,” huffed Rocket indignantly.

Peter turned to Gamora. “What is that Orb, anyway? Why is everyone so crazy for it?”

“I have no words for a thief without honor,” said Gamora, not even bothering to look at Peter.

“Pretty high and mighty coming from you, maniac,” Rocket responded. Gamora turned and glared at him, but he continued defiantly. “That’s right, I know who you are. Ronan’s little helper.”

“Yeah, we all know who you are!” Peter confirmed, but then he turned and quietly whispered to Groot. “Who is she again?”

“I am Groot,” Groot whispered back.

Peter rolled his eyes. “I know who you are. I’m asking who she is.”

Rocket interrupted. “You won’t get anything out of him. He don’t know good talking like me and you. His vocabulistics are limited to ‘I’ and ‘am’ and ‘Groot,’ exclusively in that order.”

“How do you understand him?”

Rocket shrugged. “I don’t know. We just get each other.”

“For your information, I wasn’t getting the Orb for Ronan. I was going to sell it for myself,” clarified Gamora.

But she didn’t get to explain further, because at that very moment Peter saw one of the guards with his most prized possession—his headphones! While private property was confiscated from all of the inmates, it was supposed to be impounded, not stolen by the guards.

“Hey, those are mine!” Peter shouted. But the guard just ignored him and wandered off, listening to Awesome Mix Tape #1.

Peter was not pleased.

The group was processed, given uniforms to wear, and escorted into the main yard. But as soon as they arrived, all the other inmates heckled them. Some even threw things. Peter bobbed to avoid a rock and a couple of boots.

At first Peter thought the prisoners were trying to hit him. Then he realized the target was actually Gamora. Everyone was aiming at her. Peter looked at Rocket in confusion.

“They don’t like her kind,” Rocket explained. “A lot of the prisoners have lost their cities and families to Ronan’s forces. She’ll last a day in here, at best.”

“No.… The guards will protect her, right?” asked Peter.

Rocket laughed darkly at this. “They don’t care what we do to each other.”

Peter looked at Gamora, seeing that she had heard everything Rocket said. “It’s okay,” she told him, a sad look on her face. “Whatever nightmares my future holds shall be dreams compared to my past.”

Sadly, everything Rocket said turned out to be true. That night, as Peter tried to fall asleep, he heard the sounds of a struggle in the hallway. When he went to the door, he witnessed a large, muscular, green-skinned prisoner with red battle tattoos dragging Gamora, kicking and fighting, down the corridor.

Instinctively, Peter decided to follow. “Quill? Where you goin’, Quill?” asked a bleary-eyed Rocket, awoken by Peter’s stirring.

Rocket turned to find Groot asleep next to him. “Groot, Groot… wake up, Mr. Sleepy Tree…” Rocket said as he shook his friend. “Our bounty is up to something.” But when Rocket couldn’t wake the tree, he followed Peter by himself.

The tattooed man dragged Gamora to an isolated part of the station.

“Ronan murdered my family,” growled the man, anger boiling behind his words. “On that day, every cell in my body united in the single purpose of one day destroying the man who was responsible. Because your master, Ronan, took them from me, I will now take you from him.”

Gamora rushed to explain. “I, too, despise Ronan. And my so-called ‘father,’ Thanos. I have tried my whole life to escape from their grasp. The only reason I’m here is because I finally had an opportunity to be free.”

“Your words mean nothing,” said the man.

“Hey!” someone shouted from nearby.

Gamora and her captor turned to see Peter and Rocket watching them.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” shouted Peter, “but I don’t think you want to do that.”

The man looked astonished.

“Do you know who I am?” the man asked Peter.

“No, but I know you’re pretty scary-looking,” Peter said. “Very intimidating.”

“I am Drax the Destroyer, and no one in this prison gets in my way!”

“You heard the man,” said Rocket, trying to pull Peter from the room.

But Peter shook Rocket off, and said, “I just mean that if getting Ronan really is your sole purpose, then I’m not sure this is the best way to go about it.”

Drax looked confused. “Explain,” he ordered.

“You don’t want to hurt her because she betrayed Ronan,” Peter explained. “And Ronan is a known lover of revenge. You keep her close, and you know what’s going to happen?”

Drax looked at Peter, waiting.

“Ronan will come straight to you.”

Drax realized Peter was right. Gamora was safe… for now.

As they were walked back to their quarters, Gamora spoke. “What you did…?” she started. “Well, you’re not the man I assumed.”

“Let’s get one thing straight,” Peter replied. “I don’t care if you live or die. People who care about other people usually end up on the losing side of things.”

Gamora was confused. “Then why stop Drax?”

“Because you’re the only one who knows where to sell that stupid Orb.”

Gamora nodded. Of course. This so-called “Star-Lord” really was just out for his own good.

“I know where to sell it,” she said. “But since we’re trapped here, what does it matter?”

Peter pointed to Rocket. “This one escaped twenty-two prisons.”

“Yeah,” confirmed Rocket, poking Peter in the gut. “We’re escaping here, too—and headed straight to Yondu to get paid for your bounty.”

“You said you had a buyer for the Orb,” Peter said to Gamora. “How much was he going to pay you?”

“Four billion units,” she replied.

“Four bill—what?!” exclaimed a shocked Rocket.

“Whoa! Seriously?” responded an equally shocked Peter.

“I trust that’s worth more than his bounty?” Gamora asked Rocket.

Rocket just nodded, still in shock.

“Fine, then,” Gamora continued. “Free all of us and I’ll lead you to the buyer. We’ll split the profits between the three of us.”

But then a loud, protesting moan came from behind them. They turned to see Groot, angry. He’d found them and listened to every word.

“We split the money between the four of us,” Rocket said, looking at Gamora.

Gamora nodded. “Agreed.”

They all shared a long look. They may have met as competitors, but now they were in this together.