[Star-Lord was fiddling with the pulse gun Yondu had given him, practicing a few quick-draw moves in the Milano's hold.]
[Just then, Rocket, at the ship's controls, shouted over the comms, "Attention everyone! We're almost there!"]
[Hearing the call, Star-Lord put the weapon down, climbed the ladder, and returned to the cockpit.]
[Gamora and Drax also walked over to the viewport, where an impossibly huge skull filled their vision.]
[Star-Lord stared at the shocking scene, letting out a low whistle. "Whoa…"]
[Drax, who had never conceived of such a creature, asked in awe, "What is this place?"]
["This is Knowhere," Gamora explained, her voice steady. "It's the severed head of an ancient celestial being. And watch yourself in there, Rocket. It's a lawless world."]
[With her warning delivered, Gamora took her seat.]
[Rocket expertly piloted the ship toward one of the celestial's massive eye sockets. Compared to the colossal head, the Milano was no bigger than a gnat.]
[They flew inside the skull, revealing a sprawling, cyberpunk-style metropolis. Countless buildings clung to the bone, and massive mining machines were constantly digging into the fossilized material.]
["Hundreds of years ago, the Tivan Group sent laborers to mine the organic matter in this skull," Gamora continued. "Bone, brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid… all of it is priceless material."]
["Every high-priced item on the galactic black market originates from here. The work is dangerous and illegal, so only criminals are willing to do it."]
"Whoa…" Bruce Banner breathed, leaning forward in his seat, his eyes wide with scientific wonder. "The universe is truly full of marvels. A head that size…"
The biologist in him took over, his mind racing. "Think about the scale! For most terrestrial life, the head accounts for roughly one-seventh or one-eighth of the total body length. If that ratio holds for a creature like this… its full body would be the size of a small planet. No wonder Gamora called it a celestial being. No ordinary biological process could support a life form that majestic." He shook his head in awe. "Where's the rest of it? What could possibly decapitate something like that?"
As the Milano flew into the skull, the coordinates for Knowhere solidified on screens across the galaxy. On the Sovereign command ship, Ayesha's eyes narrowed. "Set course. Immediately." Far away, Ego changed the direction of his small ship. And aboard the Dark Aster, Nebula relayed the location to her master. Three powerful forces, all now converging on the same lawless speck in the void.
[Gamora led Star-Lord and the others through the chaotic, teeming crowds, explaining the situation as they went.]
[Star-Lord shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, my planet has plenty of criminals."]
[He started listing examples: "Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde… John Stamos!"]
[Drax looked around with interest. "It seems like a place worthy of a visit!"]
["Yeah, it's perfect for you," Gamora muttered.]
[As they walked, a few children approached them, their hands outstretched. "Excuse me! Can you spare some units?"]
[Star-Lord instantly grew wary, warning the others, "Watch your wallets."]
[Rocket snarled at the kids. "Get lost!"]
[Groot, in contrast, smiled warmly and held out his hand. A small, perfect flower bloomed from his palm. He gently plucked it and offered it to one of the little girls.]
[The girl took the flower, staring at it as if she'd never seen such a thing.]
[Groot then turned and followed after Star-Lord and the others.]
"Groot has such a good heart," May Parker said with a warm smile.
"But that raccoon…" another viewer muttered. "Does he really see nothing but money and threats?"
"Quill's reaction is telling," Natasha noted. "His first instinct is to guard his pockets. He's either been a victim of theft a lot, or he's done plenty of it himself."
[Gamora led them to a rowdy establishment called 'The Boot of Jemiah'.]
[Rocket eyed the bar skeptically. "Your buyer is in there?"]
["We're meeting his agent here," she corrected.]
[Drax watched as a bouncer roughly threw a drunk patron out into the street.]
["This is a filthy den of debauchery! What serious business could possibly be conducted here?"]
[The scene cut, and Drax was now standing before a small betting arena, roaring with excitement. "YES! YES! COME ON!"]
[Inside the ring, a large Orloni was chasing the small, lizard-like creatures they had seen on Morag.]
[It suddenly snatched one up and swallowed it whole. Groot, who had clearly never witnessed such a brutal spectacle, looked slightly terrified. This was not the kind of fun he had imagined.]
[A new lizard was released into the arena. It scurried desperately for the safe zone on the other side. So long as it reached the line, it would survive.]
[But it was just a fraction too slow. The Orloni's jaws snapped shut on its tail. The beast whipped the lizard into the air, opened its massive mouth, and swallowed it in a single gulp.]
[Drax was ecstatic. "MY ORLONI IS VICTORIOUS! A GREAT TRIUMPH! NOW, WE SHALL DRINK UNTIL WE CAN NO LONGER STAND! HAHAHA!"]
[Across the table, a dejected Rocket slammed his empty glass down, spilling the last drops of his drink. "Well, for once your metaphors actually make sense! Doesn't make losing any less painful, though!"]
A wave of laughter filled the viewing room.
"Hahaha! He really couldn't resist!" Scott Lang howled. "What happened to it being a 'filthy den of debauchery'?"
"Drax, you got over your moral objections pretty quickly there," Gamora teased the version of Drax sitting with them.
"You got called out so fast, Drax!" Rocket added, cackling. "I thought you were a man of principle, but you turned out to be the loudest gambler of them all!"
The Drax in the room simply touched his nose, offering no defense as his on-screen counterpart celebrated his winnings.
[Outside on a bar corridor, Gamora was methodically cleaning her sword, her eyes scanning the bizarre scenery. Star-Lord sauntered over to her.]
["You know, the fuel prices here are insane," he complained. "I'm already in the hole on this deal, and we haven't even been paid yet."]
[Gamora ignored his whining. "My contact wants us to wait here."]
["That's a negotiation tactic! Trust me, I'm an expert at this stuff. You're good at… well, stabbing things. I'm good at reading people. See? It's a good team."]
[A faint smile touched Gamora's lips.]
["I'm guessing your father didn't teach you much about the art of the deal," he added playfully.]
[Gamora's smile vanished. She looked at Star-Lord, her expression suddenly serious and cold. "He is not my father."]
["Thanos conquered my home world. He murdered my parents in front of me. Then he took me, tortured me, and forged me into a weapon."]
["When I heard he was going to help Ronan destroy an entire planet… I just couldn't stand by and let it happen…"]
[Star-Lord looked at Gamora's face, at the raw pain beneath the tough exterior. He saw that, deep down, she was a kind person forced into a cruel life. He was always very good at judging people.]
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