Yondu peeked around the corner of a school building, taking a notice to a loud roaring sound nearby, "Huh. The hell was that?" he asked his other Ravagers, who all shrugged, equally confused as him. The leader of the ragtag group all wandered to the source of the noise, having rested in the woods for the night, since they were unable to obtain a place to stay the night before.
It had felt like an eternity for the Ravagers, despite having only wandered for a day. Taserface had nearly reached his breaking point and he stomped a foot on the ground, "Okay, this is getting ridiculous! We have not found nothin' yet."
The blue alien smirked, "Patience. I think we're reachin' somethin' quite soon, ya hear?"
"I AM GROOT!"
The sound of that voice got the Ravagers' attention and they peeked right outside the forest, noticing a small field, with a track, and soccer field with bleachers on all sides. Yondu chuckled lightly and pointed out something interesting to him, "Looks like the boy's home..."
Kraglin elbow nudged Yondu and pointed ahead, where they saw a bizarre sight. The Guardians and some random girls were fighting off a giant monster and pushing it into a portal, where Groot helped throw it aside. What got the leader's attention was that the two groups seemed to be on slightly good terms, hudging by the way they were conversging and how Groot was behaving.
"Think they're friends?" one of the space bandits asked.
"Probably, knowin' Quill. Now hush... We gotta hear what's happenin'." Yondu ordered. They all remained unseen, but close enough to barely decipher what the group was saying and after a few moments, the leader spoke up again. "Hm. Somethin' big is going on tonight. We can make our move then."
"What?" hissed Taserface. "They're right there! We can snatch the orb off of them while they're weakened!"
The blue leader shook his head, "It ain't that easy. I'm sure with those girls and with the fact they're in a fight, they'd be on edge. No doubt they'd just as much pick a fight if they so much as see us. We gotta catch 'em by surprise and take the orb from there."
Deep down, Yondu knew he didn't want to fight. He just wanted Peter to give him the Orb so that they could call it a day and he didn't have to hurt him. But at the same time he had to fulfill the oath of a Ravager and keep the act going. He just hoped that Quill would listen to reason, which he doubted.
"So, we'll show up when this game begins then." finished the Ravagers' leader. "And then take the Orb to make a profit."
Night fell upon the city, and the field was filled with students excited to see the matchup: Canterlot High versus Crystal Prep. After the fiasco that was the Friendship Games, they hoped to settle their rivalry once and for all during the big game. Those rooting for both teams noticed the intense glare Rainbow Dash and Indigo Zap were giving each other as they passed one another.
The girls all took a seat at the top row of the bleachers, with Twilight looking down, holding Spike in her lap, "When does it begin?"
Applejack shrugged, "Soon enough, Twi. We had to get here fer the best seats after all. Gonna get mighty crowded in a few moments."
"As if it already isn't." Sunset chuckled.
Coming up nearby were Quill, Gamora and Drax. "Excuse me. Pardon me. Whoops. Sorry about your soda, man." an apology was heard from the man after spilling someone's cola on top of them. Casually, he wiped the student's shirt with his hands hoping to remove the stain, "Well, put that in the laundry as soon as possible."
"We were here for five minutes and you already made a mess." Gamora sighed in slight disappointment.
Star-Lord looked back, "That's the worst it's gonna get."
Drax took a seat, "If you insist."
"Oh, the lot of you made it." Rarity greeted.
The assassin rolled her eyes, "Quill and Drax insisted we did."
"I wish to see what qualifies as a sport here." Drax revealed to them in a stern tone, "I am hoping soccer is like the gladiator prison matches I was in many moons ago."
Applejack blinked, "Um... They're nothin' like that, Drax. Fer one thing, they're less... violent."
The Destroyer lowered his gaze, "Oh... That is a disappointment." Fluttershy tensed up a little.
Sunset's eyes wandered, realizing two guardians were missing, "Hey, where's Rocket and Groot?"
Quill pointed a finger downwards, "I'm not sure if a talking tree and raccoon were allowed to show up, so they're somewhere where they won't be spotted."
Spike shrugged, "I mean... I'm a talking dog. I'm sure they're good."
"Sure, Scooby." Peter quipped, earning a confused stare from the purple dog, "But better safe than sorry."
Underneath the bleachers were Rocket and Groot, hiding from the general public, "Can't believe this. We have to freakin' hide as if we're freaks or somethin'." the raccoon mumbled under his breath, sitting on the grass.
"I am Groot." chimed in the tree alien, raising a finger.
"Yeah, I still think it's stupid." grumbled Rocket. "Stupid Earth customs. They're the freaks..."
Rocket's eyes wandered around in boredom. Then, he spotted something behind him near the field. He saw a small group of armed beings, wielding tech that he wished he had right now. Witnessing them moving along, he spotted a familiar blue man with a glowing red mohawk turn around and discuss orders.
"Crap..." sighed Rocket in disbelief, "Our favorite group of asshole bandits are here..." he faced the tree alien, "Come on, pal. Let's see what the frag they want." Groot nodded in response, raising his body slightly to allow the raccoon alien to climb on top, holding on to his neck as the two quietly walked from their hiding spot.
The Ravagers all listened to Yondu's orders as he finished his brief instructions, "...So all we have to do is make a quick scene and get the stone. None of y'all have to fire unless they shoot first, and they may do so. Understand?"
"Yeah, I got a freakin' question!" came a gruff voice in the distance, "What the hell do ya think you're doin' here?"
Yondu's eyes narrowed as he turned around, the bandits all aiming their weapons at Rocket and Groot. He chuckled upon noticing it was just those two, "Well, looks like the two of ya made it just fine, especially yer tree friend there." he clapped his hands together, "Now, listen here... We just want the stone. If ya give it to us, none of you have to deal with us. Understood?"
Rocket folded his arms, "Well, you're lookin' at the wrong place. Cause we don't have it."
Groot clenched his hands into fists, "I. Am. Groot."
Taserface whispered to Yondu, "I done think they're lyin'. What do ya say we just vaporize 'em, eh?"
The leader raised a hand to silence his overeager partner and he chuckled, "This is just gonna be a warnin', critter. Now I'm sure the boy or one of yer other friends have it."
"Even if we did have it, we're sure as hell not giving it up to you." Rocket growled, crouching on Groot's shoulder.
Yondu smiled, "Alright then, guess you're drivin' a hard bargain. Ravagers, knock 'em out. Maybe we can convince Quill to hand it over if we scare him. No killin', though. They're better to us alive." he ordered. And he swore he saw Taserface mutter something under his breath in disappointment.
"I am Groot!" shouted the tree alien, blocking the Ravagers' blasts by morphing his arm into a makeshift shield. The laser blasts broke splinters off his limb, not enough to hurt him badly though. Groot could feel Rocket leaping off his shoulder and onto one of the Ravagers, his claws digging themselves into the alien bandit's skin. He could hear them scream and try to get him off with no luck.
Rocket drove his feet onto his chest, bouncing off him and onto another Ravager, his small claws slashing their faces as he jumped from one to another as fast as he could, "Grah!" he shouted, feeling some blood drip onto his hands. He needed to detain them as fast as he could, and he barely avoided a laser blast aimed for him in midair, his body curling into a flip while doing so.
"Freakin' Ravagers... Just what I wanted tonight." groaned the raccoon alien, noticing more red beams coming towards him. While dodging, he inadvertenly caused some friendly fire, meaning some Ravagers shot their own crew in the process. He let out a quiet chuckle at their stupidity at that, landing on top of a bigger bandit.
However, as Rocket was readying himself, he felt a hand curl his uniform, lifting him up, "The hell do you think you're doin', huh?" asked the smaller Guardian. He got no response and instead tasted dirt. He spat out some grass when he was lifted up, "Huh? Gotta do better than that if ya wanna take me down!"
Taking him up on his offer, Taserface smirked, "All right. If ya say so."
"What wait?!"
He then threw Rocket forward like a ball, knocking him onto a tree, where his sore body slid down to the ground with his bum planted. His head spun, a little dizzy, "Think that'll take me out?!" he shook his cranium, getting his bearings.
Groot lifted a few Ravagers with his growing arms, branches hanging off their shirts before he slammed them into the trees like Taserface did with Rocket, knocking them unconscious. "I am Groot!" he shouted, charging forward and raising his arm uppercutting another Ravager, before using his branch hand to grab him and throw him on the ground as hard as he could, rendering them unconscious as well.
Rocket got back to his feet, his body slumped, "Alright... Let's take care of this, gotta get... Ah!" he wasn't able to move on cause he felt the burning sensation of at least five lasers stinging onto his back, pushing him down again. He fell onto the grass on his stomach.
Groot's eyes widened upon seeing his pal getting injured and he scowled in rage, putting his palms to the ground and entangling all of the Ravagers in thorns, "I! Am! Groot!"
It was then, Groot heard that light sound. The sound of whistling right by him. Turning to the source of the sound, he spotted Yondu, holding Rocket's unconscious body as a floating arrow was pointed directly upon his head before lowering to his chest. "Nah ah ah. You wouldn't want your furry pal to become a pin cushion, hm? Now, yer gonna release my crew if you know what's good for the two of ya." he ordered, whistling again to tease the arrow.
"Zz, h-huh?" Rocket finally snapped away, his body a little sore still.
Yondu knew he wasn't gonna kill Rocket. But if it meant getting the stone to make a sum, then he had to play a little dirty. Groot didn't catch his bluff and he raised his arms, the thorns and branches fading back into the ground, releasing the bandits. His head hung in shame and he sighed out three words, "I am Groot..."
Rocket growled, "Pal! He was bluffin'!" he tried to kick himself free, but Yondu whistled again, using the arrow to poke through the raccoon's uniform, lifting him into the air, "Oh crap..." Groot could only watch as his friend was taken into the sky while the pitch of Yondu's whistling changed once again. He gave chase for his friend.
"Aaaahahhhhh!"
Back on the bleachers, the girls and Guardians watched the game, cheering on their team and Rainbow Dash. "Why are we repeatedly shouting names like they're a trained puppy?" Drax wondered, folding his arms as he refused to join.
"It's an Earth thing to cheer, Drax! You should seriously lighten up and join the fun!" Pinkie explained in glee. The cheering got louder once Rainbow scored another goal.
The Destroyer shook his head, "No thanks."
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Peter blinked, "Is it me? Or do I hear Rocket screaming?"
Gamora groaned, "That idiot doesn't know when to stay quiet... I thought Groot would keep him down."
Twilight gulped and looked to where they heard the screaming, "Uh... I don't think that's the problem."
Above them was Rocket being dragged across the sky, "Quill! If you can hear me, then shut this stupid arrow before I vomit all over you!" he demanded loudly.
Star-Lord activated his mask, pulling out his gun, "That won't be necessary... Please."
Then, before Quill could activate his jet boots to fly, the arrow dragging Rocket lowered and planted itself on the ground, causing the game to halt and the crowd looked in confusion. Star-Lord groaned and thrusted himself downward with his jet boots, landing on a knee before sprinting by the two teams, "Sorry about this, ladies and gents. It seems we have an unscheduled quarter show!" he yelled, hearing the growing murmurs of wonder and awe.
"Rocket?!" Rainbow asked in disbelief.
Indigo glared at her, "You named this thing?! Is this your pet?"
Star-Lord yanked the arrow off of the racoon alien's shirt and looked at Rocket, "What the heck do you think you're doing?" he hissed under his breath.
"Tryin' to save yer life, thank you very much!" Rocket snarled.
Indigo blinked as did the Crystal Prep players, "It can talk?!"
"Frag yeah, I can talk! What's it too ya, huh?!" Rocket grunted to Canterlot's rival team. "And no, I am no one's pet! There ain't no one like me!"
Peter looked at the arrow in his hand, "Something about this looks familiar... Wait... Crap..."
Then, the arrow flew out of his hand and into a blue one that marched right next to him, "Hey there, boy-o. Thought you could get away from us, hm?"
"Yondu?!" Quill gasped, "How did you get here?!"
The crowd suddenly grew stiff in fear, seeing the Ravagers marching into the field one by one as well as a wooden creature, Groot, recognized by his friends. He held up Rocket, checking to see if he was fine and planted him back on his shoulder. "See? That stone you were holdin' created a warp that brought us all here."
"Okay. What do you want, then? You're kinda starting a scene." Star-Lord wondered, a serious heard tone in his voice.
Yondu smiled, "it's simple, boy. With Ronan either dead or not here, our little agreement is rendered mute. We're takin' the stone away from ya, and we ain't afraid to take it by force!" he growled the last part.
Quill crossed his arms, "Sorry to disappoint you again... But we have no idea where it's at. Try again later."
The leader of the Ravagers scowled, but before he could respond, Rainbow pointed at him, "Hey! I don't know who you are, but you completely ruined the game! We were gonna win too!" she shouted, silencing herself once a floating arrow came towards her face, stopping a few inches.
"Listen, girly. I don't want to hurt ya either. So, let us speak." Yondu hissed, retrieving the arrow with another whistle.
Peter extended an arm out, "This is between us and you, Yondu. Do not drag them into this. Please."
The bandit leader, "Alright, boy-o. I'll do that much. But if she or anyone else try anything, well..."
"I had it with this!" Rocket snarled, leaping twards Yondu's face. But before he could attack, a laser shot from Kraglin knocked him back, earning a few scared gasps. Groot caught his friend, who was merely stunned for a moment, "Thanks, pal."
"Rocket!" Star-Lord groaned and pointed his gun at the Ravagers, "Okay, you hurt my friend and threatened the others. I'm done negotiating." he noticed Gamora and Drax running towards him. The five stood all around one another, seeing the bandits gang up against him, and the two teams leaving the field instantly.
Yondu shook his head, "Could'a done this the easy way. Ravagers... Attack. But don't go for the kids in the seats. Only aim for Quill and his friends. But if anyone wishes to intervene, stun and detain, but do not kill, got it?" he ordered, the Ravagers nodded and aimed all their blasters at them.
"So much for an easy night." sighed Star-Lord, he and his team (except Rocket) readying their weapons for the battle.