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Chapter Text

Lost - Part One

Floor knew what the word “nowhere” meant. “Where” meant a place and “no” meant no, so “nowhere” meant a place that wasn't there or wasn't real. So Floor was confused when Rocket said that they were going to “nowhere”. Eventually, the Guardians got within viewing distance of the place, and Floor was surprised to see an unfathomably enormous skull floating in space. Apparently it was the severed head of something called a Celestial, which confused Floor even further. The idea of anyone living on a giant dead head was a foreign concept to her.

But, if her brother said that it was home, then Floor wasn't about to argue. As far as she was concerned, home was wherever Rocket was.

So, after the ship landed at the spaceport, the Guardians stepped out and back into the bustling, chaotic world of Knowhere.

Floor hesitated a moment, stopping just short of stepping off the ramp. She raised her head and looked out. There were so many people, so many races, all milling about, exiting and entering buildings. . .

“C'mon, Floor,” Rocket said, holding a hand out to her. His expression was calm and level, being almost uncharacteristically patient.

Floor took a breath, and her legs tapped their way out of the ship. She bumped her forehead against Rocket’s palm, her nerves calming at the touch.

“Knowhere’s pretty wild, but we got a sweet HQ here,” Rocket said as the pair walked together, “We got a couple more friends here too. You'll be feeling at home in no time.”

“Rocket is here. That all Floor needs,” she replied with certainty.

“Heh,” Rocket said, genuine happiness on his face.

The pair continue to walk away from the ship, along with the rest of the group.

“We must introduce our new ally to Kraglin and Cosmo,” Drax said.

“I am Groot.”

“If only Cosmo had been with us, she would have sniffed her out right away,” Mantis mused.

“In spite of the obvious new developments, the ship still needs repairs,” Nebula said.

“Practical as usual, Nebula,” Peter remarked.

Floor's thoughts focused on the two new names, but before she could ask about them, she heard a clack of something hitting the ground. She turned and saw a vaguely familiar, rectangular device lying on the ground. Floor realized that it was Mr. Quill's music making gadget that everyone called a Zune. Floor looked at Mr. Quill as he walked off, and she saw that it had slipped off of his belt.

Eager to help, Floor stepped towards the device and picked it up in her paws. Floor had never seen the Zune up close, so she couldn't help taking a moment to get a closer look at the screen and buttons. She eventually snapped out of her reverie, and looked up to see that the Guardians had gotten some distance from her. Rocket was looking up at Mr. Quill, and the two seemed to be discussing something or another, and Drax appeared to be adding something, much to their annoyance.

Floor chuckled at this. She was very much used to the dynamic from her time spying on them from in the walls. Floor quickly stepped after them, holding the Zune in her paws. However, the ground wasn't exactly even, and one of her legs briefly got caught. She stumbled, and the Zune fell out of her paws and skidded some distance away from her. 

Floor gasped and hurried after it, but she was too late. A tall male humanoid type with tan paper-like skin reached down and picked the Zune up, intrigued by it.

“Wait! Me drop that! Give back, please,” Floor said urgently.

The man looked around, then finally looked down. He stared at Floor in disbelief, his compound eyes widening and his long thin protruding nose wrinkling as he asked, “What the Hell are you?”

Floor felt unsure for a moment, but the need to get the Zune back overrode her fears and she replied, “Me called Floor.”

The man's face crinkled as a smile formed on it, and he laughed out loud and said, “Seriously? Your name is Floor?!”

Floor didn't have time to be insulted, so she said loudly, “Give back, please. Not yours!”

He looked at the Zune in his hand, and he smirked and said, “It is now.” And with that, he jogged off into the streets of Knowhere.

Floor was horrified. “Mr. Quill be so mad if Floor loses Zune!” she thought. So, she did the only think she could think of and promptly took off after him.

It was all a blur to Floor as she skittered across the ground in hot pursuit of the thief. People cried out in shock, indignation, and even horror as the small furry six-legged cyborg slipped between their legs or nearly knocked them of balance. All the while, Floor was focused on the thief.

Luckily, the thief assumed that Floor must have given up and slowed down to a brisk walk. This gave Floor the chance to close in and ram her metal mask into the back of his legs. He cried out and fell to the ground, knocked into a nearby alleyway. He turned and sat up quickly, and he was legitimately surprised to see that Floor had caught up with him.

“Give back Mr. Quill's Zune!” Floor shouted with an intensity that surprised herself. The fact of the matter was that Floor truly was tired of being the one that hid and had already done much to leave that life behind. She had saved Rocket in the ship. She had saved the Guardians by first energizing Mantis and then using the Nega Bands with Rocket to destroy the attacking fleet. There was no way she was going to let her new friend, her new family, down now by allowing this thief to take Mr. Quill's belongings.

The thief's eyes widened again, and he said, “Wait, Quill? From the Guardians of the Galaxy?”

“Yes!” Floor answered.

“Oh, crap!” He shouted, and he quickly set the Zune down in front of Floor ad said, “Look, I don't want any trouble with them, okay? I'm nobody, really. Protect me, please. You never saw me, okay? You never saw me.”

Then he got back up and ran off.

Floor blinked, surprised to see that he was afraid of the Guardians. Then she remembered that her brother had told he that the Guardians did dangerous things all the time. Nevertheless, Floor smiled behind her mask and grabbed the Zune, slipping into her tool bag. Mission accomplished.

Floor raised her head and looked to the left.

She looked the right.

Her heart sank.

She had no idea where she was.

End of part one

Chapter Text

“. . . I'm just saying that being called a sidekick isn't an insult,” Peter Quill insisted.

“Don't care. Floor ain't a sidekick,” Rocket said in annoyance.

“The rabbit would certainly be excellent at kicking our foes’ sides due to having six limbs,” Drax observed.

Rocket inhaled loudly at this, then he to turned to his right to address Floor and said, “Well, you’re gonna have to-.” Rocket paused when he didn't see Floor. He turned to his left and resumed his sentence, “-have to get used to-”. Again, he didn't see her.

Rocket spun around, eyes widening as he scanned the vicinity for his sister. “Floor!” he shouted out, his cry made louder by how emotionally charged his voice had gotten in a very short amount of time.

Rocket's shout got the rest of the Guardians looking around as well, and it was quickly determined that Floor was nowhere in sight.

“Oh no,” Mantis said worriedly.

Nebula massaged her temples and said in utter frustration, “I don't believe it. You’ve got to be kidding me. We just got here. We just got off the damn ship! ”

Rocket continued to look around, growing more manic by the second. “No. No-no-no. No . This is not happening. No way. No .”

Peter could see Rocket somehow descending into both fear and anger simultaneously, but he couldn’t tell if that anger was directed at himself, the other Guardians, or the entire universe. Rocket’s breathing was so heavy that Peter could hear it clearly from where he stood. “Okay, everyone stop,” Peter said, “Don't panic, that doesn’t help. She can't be far, I'm sure she's close by.”

“Treachery!” Drax shouted, “A foe has dared to make our ally a target of a cruel kidnapping-!”

“Don't say that!” Peter said quickly, currently mindful of Rocket's emotional and mental state. Even as Peter glared at Drax, he could still see Rocket in his peripheral vision. Rocket looked utterly terrified as he continued to turn every which way, his eyes wide and hands trembling. 

“We need to fix this now, ” Peter said in a low voice, then he looked up and said, “Uh, hey you! Yeah, you!”

Peter called out to a random citizen of Nowhere, an orange smooth skinned amphibian looking humanoid. He stopped to look in the Guardians’ direction as Peter approached him and said, “Yeah, did you notice a small furry little rabbit with white fur and gold highlights wandering off somewhere? Oh, and she’s got six cybernetic legs.”

The citizen blinked his bulbous eyes and crinkled his flat nostril holes. “Oh, have I?” he replied, sounding rather annoyed, “That little cretin nearly knocked me over! Does it belong to you?”

“WHERE IS SHE !?”

The amphibian turned and saw with horror that Rocket was pointing a very large gun at him.

“Rocket, you idiot!” Nebula shouted, more frustrated than angry.

“I am Groot!” Groot shouted as he shook his head and waved his arms frantically.

Peter growled loudly and shouted, “Darn it, Rocket, come on! Not this again!”

If Rocket heard them, he didn't care in the slightest. With fury in his eyes, he roared at the unfortunate citizen, “ANSWER ME, OR YOU'RE DEAD!”

“I don't know!” he shouted back in terror, “She just ran past me! Lots of people saw her! I think she was chasing somebody! I didn't do anything! She just ran past me, I swear! She went that way!”

The citizen pointed, and Rocket stowed away his gun and sprinted off in that direction. 

“Here we go,” Nebula muttered as she and the other Guardians followed Rocket. 

But then, Mantis suddenly stopped and turned around. She ran back to the trembling amphibian and touched him on the shoulder. “You have completely forgotten the last two minutes,” she said, and she ran off after her friends.

The citizen blinked his eyes in confusion, then frowned and continued on his way.

I walk a lonely road

The only one that I have ever known

Don't know where it goes

But it's home to me, and I walk alone

Floor had taken Mr. Quill’s Zune out to nervously fiddle with it in an attempt to calm herself down, and ended up pressing play on the song that was playing now. The irony of it was not lost on her, not that she was aware of the exact term “irony”. But she could tell that the lyrics seemed to fit her situation as she aimlessly walked down one of the many streets of Knowhere.

I walk this empty street

On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Where the city sleeps

And I'm the only one, and I walk alone

Floor had basically just started walking this way, hoping it led back to the spaceport. She was done hiding, but even if she wasn’t, hiding wouldn’t help her now. So, she kept moving her legs, walking forward down the street, hanging onto that hope.

I walk alone, I walk alone

Floor squealed as she was suddenly splashed from the right side. Someone had jogged by her and splashed through a stagnant puddle. Floor stared after the citizen and huffed, fuming at her bad luck as she shook the dirty water out of her fur.

I walk alone, I walk a-

Floor took a few more steps across some grating in the street, and a cloud of steam burst upward, enveloping her. She let out another squeal as the steam dissipated, blinking as she stood with her fur fluffed out, the golden highlights on her white coat glinting.

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating

Floor shook her now slightly moist fur, and she tried not to think about anything as she kept walking. She mostly tried to avoid thinking about how badly she has messed up, or about how she has been separated from Rocket again.

Sometimes, I wish someone out there will find me

'Til then, I walk alone

One of Floor’s legs stepped in a puddle of oil or grease or some manner of slippery substance, and down she went, landing face first with a clang.

Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah

Floor grunted as she raised her face, her head ringing from how her metal mask slammed into the street.

Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah

“Stop,” Floor said as she reached into her tool bag and hit a button on the Zune, which mercifully stopped the music.

“No! Don’t stop! Keep it up!” a voice said.

Floor turned to see a smiling Achernonian leaning against the wall of a building, holding a guitar.

“Sorry, but I'm a musician myself, and I know good music when I hear it,” he said, his smile brightening up his scaly face.

Floor just nodded, not sure what to say.

“Name's Bzermikitokolok. Leader of Bzermikitokolok and the Knowheremen . We're going to be a big deal around here very soon,” he said cheerfully, then he leaned forward towards her and asked, “You got a name?”

“Me called Floor,” she replied.

Bzermikitokolok gained a thoughtful expression as he mulled the name over, and he said, “Well, that's a new one. But who am I to judge? I've certainly heard stranger.”

Floor shifted from leg to leg, unsure of what else to say. Bzermikitokolok hadn't laughed at her like the thief, but she wasn't entirely sure if she could trust him. All the same, she knew she had to say something.

“You make music?” she finally asked.

“Do I?” he asked rhetorically, and he began to strum his guitar and launched right into a jaunty song.

Your eyes are the color of red stars seen from outer space

You've got a gorgeous face though it's a little odd

You tell me that you like the songs that tell the story of

Real love 

The kind that's flawed

Let's drink whiskey and do it all night long

Let's get drunk and get it on

Bzermikitokolok nodded as he finished the quick snippet of music with a triumphant flourish of strums. “There you are, I just made that one up on the spot*. You like it right? Sorry, I can't tell if you're smiling or what.”

Floor didn't understand the last two lines, but she quickly nodded and said honestly, “Floor like it! Really good sound!”

He laughed and said, “You know what? I like you, sweetheart. In fact, here, catch! Go buy yourself a drink.” He tossed out a small unit stick**, but Floor was so caught off guard by the random act of generosity that she failed to catch it.

The small digital money holding device landed on the street in front of her. She looked down at it and said, “Oh. But, me couldn't.” She felt rather self conscious about the unexpected gift, seeing as she hasn't done much of anything to earn it.

“Go ahead. Consider it payment for sharing that song with me. I've actually been in a bit of a rut recently, so I really needed the inspiration,” Bzermikitokolok said with gratitude, “And believe me, I wasn't lying at all in that song I sent your way. You are quite a gorgeous little. . . whatever your species is. White fur with a kiss of gold. Not half bad. Majestic even. Nice shade of red in your eyes too. Why not take that mask off and really show off your entire face?”

“Mask no come off,” Floor said plainly.

Bzermikitokolok's smile became strained as an awkward silence fell over them. His eyes darted around a bit, and he finally said, “Okay then. . . Well, go ahead and get that drink. You still seem a little down on your luck, so you could probably use one now.” He made a gesture towards a bar nearby and continued, “The bartender there will take care of you. He's pretty decent guy, for a Centaurian. See ya around, Floor.”

Floor watched the musician leave, then she turned towards the bar in question. She was particularly unsure of what to do at the moment, the weight of her bad luck making her unsure of what to do. So, she picked up the unit stick and decided to just follow Bzermikitokolok's suggestion.

But when Floor walked into the bar, she immediately had regrets. Thankfully, no one was looking at her, but it was still intimidating to be there. Floor nearly backed out of the bar, wondering what she was even doing here. She did not walk into places of business and buy things, she hid away and sneaked things when no one was looking. . .

Floor shook her head and banished those thoughts. She remembered that her time hiding in walls was over. She was better than that. She knew that now. Perhaps she needed to do this, for her own sake.

Floor walked forward, facing straight ahead as she approached a bar stool. She jumped up, and managed to climb onto it and press her six legs around the seat. The bartender, a blue skinned Centaurian with a buzz cut of amber colored hair, currently had his back to her. Floor placed the unit stick on the counter and said, “Drink please.”

The bartender turned around, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Floor. “What. . . are you?” he said.

Floor shrank back a bit, but then gathered her nerves and said firmly, “Me customer .”

The bartender blinked and then nodded and said, “Of course. Sorry miss. We welcome all kinds here, really. It's just interesting to see a new. .  . Well, what can I get you?”

Ironically, Floor felt herself hit a wall at this point. What exactly did they serve here? What should she ask for? She doubted people came here for just water, considering the colorful bottles behind the bartender.

Luckily, Floor was spared from answering by some loud snickering to her left. She turned to see a pair of Xandarians smirking at her.

“Hah! As if that thing could handle anything stronger than milk!” said the heavy set one with the larger nose, and his wavy haired friend cracked up laughing and slapped him on the back.

The bartender scowled and said, “How many times have I told you two lushes to not hassle my customers!”

“Aw relax, Dyffu,” said the one who made the wisecrack, “You know this place wouldn't be the same without us.”

Floor immediately lost all desire to be here, and she suddenly realized that she was wasting a lot of time here. Time she should be using to get back to Rocket, who was definitely worried sick about her right now. Why hasn't she just asked Bzermikitokolok for help? What was she thinking?

“Forget drink. Can Floor have directions?” Floor said urgently as she retrieved her unit stick.

“Directions to where, fuzzy?” said the wavy dark haired Xandarian.

“To where Guardians live,” Floor replied.

“You mean, like, the Guardians of the Galaxy?” the big nosed one said in surprise.

“Yes. You tell me?” Floor asked hopefully.

The first one turned to his friend and said with a grin, “You hear that, Philarris? The little kid wants to meet the Guardians of the Galaxy. Ain't that a riot?”

Philarris laughed and slapped the counter, then he took a breath and sighed, speaking in a quieter voice, “Aw, give the tiny tot a break, Rem. The kid probably just wants some autographs from them. She probably wears that metal thing on her face to try to look tough or something.”

Now getting annoyed with these two, Floor stood up a bit taller on her stool and said angrily, “Floor not little kid! Been through Hell! Was shared Hell, but still Hell! Survived and prepared for years! Now Floor acts! Now Floor does things! No hiding!”

Philarris held a hand up placatingly and said, “Hey, hey, now take it easy, kid. . . or whatever.” He then ran that hand through his curls and said, “Now look, if you really do wanna play with us big boys, then we've got a little game here you might like.”

Dyffu sighed and said, “Here we go again.”

Rem shrugged and said, “C'mon, Dyffu, old pal. You always stop my opponent before they overdo it, and business is business, am I right? So get the glasses out.”

Dyffu shook his head, and he muttered to Floor, “Listen to me, sweetheart. When I say stop, stop. I can always tell when someone’s reached their limit”

Floor looked around at the three of them, confusion replacing her frustration, and she asked, “What game?”

Dyffu set down a tray of shot glasses on the counter, and he began to fill them all with amber liquid.

Rem put his elbow on the counter and rested his chin on his fist. “Just a little drinking game, my cybernetic friend. The one who drinks the most of these wins. Loser buys. And we'll give you directions to the Guardians’ joint if you win.”

Floor's confusion only mounted. What's so hard about drinking? Or was the challenge in what was being drunk? She looked at the innocuous looking liquid in the tiny glasses, and considered Dyffu's warning. Was it dangerous to drink too much of it? She had to be smart about this. . .

“Me play. And me win,” Floor said confidently.

Philarris tossed up his hands and said, “Oh you poor, knave thing!”

“That's naive !” Dyffu said in annoyance.

Dem chuckled and motioned gallantly with his hand. Then he said, “Well. . . Ladies first.” 

Drinking games were not uncommon in Dyffu’s bar, and occasionally a few patrons would gather around to watch. But this time, the entire place was focused on this particular drinking game like it was the Battle for Xandar. 

Rem held a shot glass in a violently shaking hand, and he brought it to his lips and forcibly slurped down the liquor. He slammed down the glass upside-down among 29 other glasses, and the crowd “oohed” in amazement.

Floor still stood on her stool across from him, looking rather calm next to her own 30 empty glasses. With the grace and poise of a queen, she extended her metal prosthetic paw, grabbed her 31st shot, threw her head back as her metal mask snapped open like jaws, and poured in the shot. You could hear a pin drop in the bar, and the smacking of her furry lips seemed to echo. Her mask snapped shut again, and she turned to Dyffu and said, “Another!”

Thump!

The crowd went “OHHHH” in shock as Rem fell off his stool and went down hard.

Philarris stood up fast and shouted, “Did you just drink Rem under the table?!”

Floor kept her head steady and replied with a straight, “Yes.”

Another “OHHHH” echoed throughout the bar.

Philarris' mouth flapped soundlessly, until he stammered out, “I don't understand. . . How can you hold that much liquor? You're so small! Where does it all go?!”

“Me no know.”

Philarris blinked, and he said, “Well, you sound drunk.” He took a closer at her and said in shock, “And as I live and breathe, you got those bloodshot eyes real bad!”

“Floor wins, now give directions,” she said without blinking.

“And don't forget your tab,” Dyffu said with a toothy grin.

Philarris sighed and said, “Might as well add another drink to it, so I can pour one out for my pal Rem's broken winning streak.”

Everyone wanted to pat Floor on the back, shake her paw, or just touch the being who finally managed to beat Rem in a drinking contest. But she managed to make it to the door and back out onto the streets of Knowhere. Floor walked off in the direction of the Guardians's residence, but stopped when she was a fair distance away from the bar.

Floor looked around, making sure no one was looking. Then, she tilted her head just so, opened her mask, and let 31 shots worth of alcohol pour out onto the ground. When she was done, Floor shook her head and took several deep breaths. Holding all that smelly liquor in her mask wasn't easy. She needed to not move her head too much so it wouldn't slosh around, and the smell alone was enough to make her a bit dizzy. But, in the end she endured. She had been through much worse after all.

The dishonesty bothered her only slightly. After all, she had no time to play games. She needed to get back to Rocket and her friends as soon as possible. It also helped that Rem and Philarris were rude and annoying. And seeing what happened to Rem made it obvious that actually drinking the stuff would have left her in no condition to find her friends. 

Floor was positive that Rocket would never touch the stuff. Obviously her brother was too smart for that.

At any rate, Floor put those thoughts aside and went off on her way, confident that she'd be reunited with the Guardians in no time.

Floor glared disgruntled at the many signs that pointed out the obvious road work that was happening. As if the voices of the workers mingled with the sound of power tools and heavy machinery wasn't enough.

Floor was fairly sure that Philarris didn't know about the road work, but either way the directions weren't much use to her now.

Floor tried to hold onto her confidence, and did her best to reorient herself. At least now she knew the general direction of where she needed to go. So, she turned and headed down a side street, hoping this sudden detour would work out.

End of part two

Chapter Text

Fortunately for the Guardians, there was a long line of people who had taken notice of Floor as she had run by, nearly knocking them over. It didn’t take the Guardians long to arrive at the end of the makeshift trail, an empty alleyway.

Naturally, Rocket was the first to arrive. He stood staring down the alleyway, occasionally turning to the left and right as his chest heaved with every breath.

“Which way? Which way? Damn it,” Rocket growled out.

Peter stepped up right behind Rocket and said, “Rocket, what the Hell?! Can you maybe not threaten to murder random people, please ?”

Rocket turned around and shouted back at Peter, “Screw you, Quill! I don’t care about anything but finding Floor right now!”

“Well, being a psycho isn’t gonna help you find her faster!”

“Well, you aren’t helping either!”

“Both of you, shut-up!” Nebula ordered, stepping in between the two. Then she turned to Rocket and said, “If you want to find her so badly, how about we actually think things through. Have you considered actually figuring out why she ran off in the first place?”

“I don’t know!” Rocket said as he reached up pulled at the fur on his head, “That’s why I’m losing it right now. I can’t figure out why she would just. . .”

“We were not told that she was in pursuit of someone?” Drax offered.

“I am Groot,” Groot agreed.

Peter nodded and raised a finger in thought, “Yeah. . . yeah, that’s right." Then he nodded and said, "Alright, I've got it. She must have seen someone she knew and ran off to talk to whoever it was. I mean, she had to have made at least one friend after she escaped. I mean, Rocket had Groot, right? And how many years has it been? She had to have gotten help from somebody during all that time. ”

Rocket shook his head, “Nah, nah. I don’t think- I mean, well, from what she’s told me, I'm pretty sure she kept to herself all that time. I'm also pretty sure she was snapped during that 5-year Blip too, so. . .” Rocket put his hands on his forehead and said, “Ugh. I can’t do this. I just can’t do this again. I need her back. Right Now. I just can’t. . .”

Mantis suddenly spoke up, “We need more help. I’m going to go get Kraglin and Cosmo to help look. This is awful and we need all the help we can get to fix this as soon as possible!” 

As Mantis sprinted off, Peter became a bit frustrated and said, “You know what? I think it’s pretty stupid to just automatically assume something bad has happened. I still say she could be hanging with an old friend, eating a home cooked meal, and wrapped in a warm blanket or something.”

Rocket took his hands off of his head and glared at Peter, “Seriously, Quill? You think this is a fairy tale or something? We’re in Knowhere, dumbass.”

“There are far worse places to be in the universe,” Peter insisted.

“Like where?” Rocket shot back.

“Wherever you and she escaped from?” Peter offered.

“Stop being a smartass!” Rocket snarled, his eyes growing wide and wild.

“Mantis left and I’m still here. That must mean Mantis is the smartest one,” Nebula groused. 

Suddenly, the familiar voice of Bzermikitokolok called, “Hey, what’s the argument about, Guardians?”

The group turned to see the entire four-man band of Bzermikitokolok and the Knowheremen walking their way.

“A member of our group has gone missing,” Drax replied.

“The chick with the antennas?” Phloko the drummer asked.

“No, Mantis went to get help. It’s someone new who is missing,” Nebula replied, but then she thought for a second and said, “Actually, she does have antennas as well.”

“It’s Rocket’s sister,” Peter said.

“The guy’s got a sister?” Sliyavastojoo the guitarist remarked in surprise, “Isn’t his whole schtick that there ain’t no thing like him except him?”

Kortolbookalia the bassist shrugged and said, “I guess not anymore. Wonder what his sister looks like.”

“A female version of him obviously,” Phloko said, then he squinted and said, “But with antennas?”

Bzermikitokolok shook his head and said, “Well, sorry, but I’m pretty sure we would have noticed someone like that.”

Peter sighed and said, “She’s not a raccoon-.”

“Neither am I!” Rocket snapped.

“-she’s a rabbit. She’s got white fur with some gold in it. A whole bunch of cybernetics on her too. Metal mask, six metal legs, and yeah, antennas,” Peter described.

Bzermikitokolok’s eyes lit up and he said, “Ohhh, Floor!”

Everyone became super alert and focused on the bearded Achernonian when he said this.

“How’d you know her name!?” Rocket exclaimed.

“'Cause I spoke with her, of course,” the lead musician said, “She seemed a bit down on her luck, so I gave her some units and suggested she head into the Dyffu’s bar to get a drink.”

Incredulous and enraged, Rocket shouted, “YOU SENT MY SISTER INTO A FLARKIN’ BAR!?”

The other three Knowheremen stepped back as Bzermikitokolok held his hands up and spoke quickly and nervously, panicking as he saw a death glare in Rocket’s eyes, “Wait-wait-wait, she’s fine! Really! Dyffu is a great guy! I know him! He’ll take care of her! I swear!”

Growing impatient, Nebula raised her voice and demanded, “Where is the place?”

“Eight blocks that way and to your left!” he answered quickly while pointing.

Rocket took off once again, and the other Guardians struggled to keep up with him.

How could this happen to me?

I've made my mistakes 

“No.”

Don't they know?

It's the end of the world

It ended when I lost your love

“No.”

But I have grown older 

And you have grown colder

And nothing is very much fun anymore 

“No.”

If happy ever afters did exist

I would still be holding you like this

All those fairy tales are full of-

“No!”

Floor’s optimism was waning again. Her simple detour had split up into a plethora of branching side streets that caused her to lose track of the right direction. Hopelessly lost again, Floor had switched Mr. Quill’s Zune back on, hoping to find something to lift her spirits. Clearly she wasn't having much luck with this, and finally turned the music back off.

“Hey! You! Little cyborg down on the ground!”

Floor turned and saw a burly blonde haired Xandarian in a brown suit leaning out from a building.

“Yeah, you! You ever played a card game before? You don’t look like you ever have,” he said.

“No,” Floor responded, wary of the man.

The man nodded, and he snapped his fingers and continued in a business like tone, “Great. I need you to do me a favor.”

Floor blinked, caught off guard by this. But then she remembered how lost she was and said, “Will you do favor for me?”

He waved his hand and said, “Sure, sure, quid pro quo. What do you want?”

“Need directions to Guardians of Galaxy.”

The Xandarian gave her an odd look. “That's it-uhhh, I mean, deal . Now come on.”

“Wait. What Floor do?” Floor asked suspiciously.

“Floor?” The man echoed, then he shook it off and, “Well, like I was saying, it's a card game. You see, I got a buddy who sucks at the game. Seriously, he's the worst. So I bet him that he couldn't beat someone who never even played before. So, if you'd just join our game and prove me right, that would be great.”

Floor considered this. It didn't sound too bad just to play a game, especially if it meant not being lost anymore.

“Me do it,” Floor said, and she stepped forward towards the establishment. She was mindful that trusting this random person was risky, but it was a risk worth taking in her mind. She figured she could just make a break for it if she felt unsafe.

“The name's Bronson’s,” the Xandarian said, “Come on, I'll lead you in.”

Floor followed Bronson inside and looked around at all the activity. People were gathered around tables, shouting, cheering, and pounding as cards were shuffled, wheels were spun, and numbers were called out.

Bronson led Floor to a table surrounded by four chairs, two of which were occupied. In one chair was another Xandarian, younger than Bronson with a head full of long flowing brown hair. In the other chair was a bird-like person wearing a brown suit and red necktie, covered in white feathers and a big flat orange bill on his face.

The long haired Xandarian laughed and said, “Really, Bronson? This is who you got to beat me? I mean, yeah, obviously it’s never been in a casino in it’s life, but come on! Of course I can beat a baby spider!”

“Floor not it! Floor not baby! Floor not spider!” she shouted back, unbending her legs to stand taller as her antennas stood straight up.

The bird's bill curved slightly in a smile and said, “Hey, she's got spunk. Reminds me of someone. . .”

Bronson took his seat and said, “Ikeo. Howard. We're going to play as we usually do, except for one thing. Me and Howard will only go after each other, we'll leave her and Ikeo alone at first. Ikeo will lose to Miss Floor here, and then either I or Howard will wrap things up, as usual.”

Floor climbed up onto the seat, and she watched as the other players each plugged in a unit stick into the table. Floor took out her unit stick and plugged it in as well.

“Insufficient units,” a computerized voice said.

“Ignore that, I'm lending you the 10,000 units,” Bronson said as he pushed a few buttons on the table.

Floor's eyes widened at this, “What? You give-?”

“Oh, I'll win it all back from you by the end of this,” Bronson said in a cool, confident tone, “Don't worry about that.”

Floor watched as a mechanism in the center of the table dealt 5 cards to everyone. “How does Floor play?” she asked.

Howard passed Floor a laminated card and said, “Here. Cheat sheet. It's all about putting together the better combos.”

Floor looked at the card, and saw how it listed various combinations of numbers, letters, and symbols.

Howard spoke in a friendly manner, and said, “I'll talk you through all the betting, raising, calling, checking, and folding. You'll get the hang of it.”

Ikeo brushed his mullet back and said, “Whatever. I'm not so bad that I'm gonna let her beat me.”

Bronson put a small cylindrical device to his mouth, inhaled, and blew mist out of his nose. “Easy there, sparky,” he said to his friend, then he turned to Floor and said, “Well then, ladies first.”

Rocket barged into the bar, and he made a beeline for the bartender. Before Dyffu could say a word, Rocket demanded, “Where is she?!”

Dyffu was confused at first, but then he was struck by the revelation. “You mean that furry little cyborg that asked for directions to your place, don't you?”

Rocket once again looked incredulous and enraged as he shouted, “YOU JUST SENT HER OUT THERE!?”

The rest of the group walked over behind Rocket, and Peter said, “Will you quit doing that, Rocket? We're not gonna find Floor any faster if you keep doing that!”

Dyffu backed up against the shelves of alcohol and said, “She looked capable enough.”

“I'll say,” a miserable voice said.

The group turned to see Philarris and Rem sitting there. Rem was the one who spoke, and he had an ice pack on his head.

“You Guardians listen to me,” Rem went on, “Never challenge that fuzzy nuisance to a drinking game, she'll destroy you.”

Rocket gave him a blank look, then he exclaimed, “What?! What are you talking about!?”

As Rem hung his head, Philarris cut in, “That fluffy dame put away 31 shots in a row. Ruined poor Rem's winning streak. She threw back the stuff like a champ and walked right out of here. She's probably called Floor cause that's where you'll end up if you go out drinking with her.”

Rocket had never felt so confused in his entire life.

“You're joking,” Nebula said, her cool gaze betraying suspicion, “You're kidding, right?”

Dyffu composed himself and said, “Oh no, you can believe them. Ask anyone here, they all saw your little friend drink Rem under the table.”

There was the sound of general agreement from the other patrons. Some even laughed and voiced their praise for the rabbit.

“What the Hell is going on here?!” Rocket shouted as he brought his hands to his face.

Peter frowned and said, “I Don't know yet, but we'll find out. Come on, if we hurry we can catch her.”

“I am Groot,” Groot urged as he nudged Rocket to get him to move. Rocket groaned and turned to leave with the others.

Drax stepped through the door and declared, “We are off to follow the trail of the drunken rabbit!”

“Not helping, Drax,” Peter groaned.

“Well, that's what we're doing,” Nebula huffed, sounding fed-up with the bizarre nature of the situation, “Floor ran off, got drunk, and is wandering aimlessly. What do you want us to say?”

Peter huffed and muttered, "Well at least she doesn't have a big freakin' gun."

Rocket walked while slightly hunched over as he said aloud to himself, “This is not reality. This is not real. I am not awake right now-GAH!” Rocket suddenly slipped and fell flat on his back in a puddle. “Seriously!? What the frick. . . ? What is-?” Rocket sniffed and caught a familiar scent. His eyes widened, and he stared at the puddle of liquid and dipped a finger into it. He looked back at the bar, then back down at the alcohol on the ground. Then, he seemed to just explode with laughter.

Peter angrily looked down at Rocket and said, “We're not in the mood for your fake laughter right now!”

Rocket calmed down his laughter and said while shaking his head, “Oh my god! Floor, you're a freaking genius!”

“What?” Peter asked.

Rocket stood up and said, “Floor ain't drunk, and she's not wandering aimlessly. Guess I've been so afraid of losing her that I forgot about how capable she is. Look, I'll explain later. Let's just hurry up and catch up to her.” 

Ikeo looked down at Floor’s cards in complete and utter dismay. Realizing that he had just lost two bets at once, he ran his hands through his hair and lowered his head. “I hate everything, right now.”

Floor pulled her unit stick out of the slot in the table. She enjoyed the game, and she felt much richer from the experience, in more ways than one.

Howard was hooting with laughter, and there was a loud crack as Bronson slammed down his smoking device on the table. Bronson cracked the device when he stabbed it onto the table. His pupils were dilated as his eyes looked between his cards and Floor’s cards.

With teeth grinding against each other, Bronson shouted in rage, “AUUGGGHH! SERIOUSLY?!” 

Floor leaned back and said, “Floor give back 10,000 credits Bronson leant Floor.”

As Howard continued to laugh, Bronson took a deep breath and shook his head, “No. You. . . You won fair and square. . . Really. . . Well played.”

Howard stopped laughing and wiped his eyes, “Hoo boy! Like, I got worried for her when she started calling and betting and getting involved in the main pots. I was certain she was gonna get herself knocked out before Ikeo and ruin the whole thing. But then-.”

Ikeo sat up quickly and shouted, “We know, we know! We don't need a play-by-play, so shut your bill, Duckson!”

Eager to get back to business, Floor turned to Bronson and asked, “Directions please? Floor did as Bronson ask.”

“Yeah, and then some,” Bronson scoffed, then he turned to the duck and said, “Hey, Howard Take the lady to the Guardian's place.”

Howard raised an eyebrow and said, “You need to see the Guardians, huh? Well, fine, I got time. Ready to go, Floor?.”

Floor's spirit soared. A guide was even better than directions! Plus, she liked Howard Duckson. He was a very likable person with a good attitude, and she appreciated how he had helped her navigate the card game. It was all very simple once she got all the terms straight, and now she was 40,000 units richer. At any rate, she was certain that she could trust Howard to bring her back to Rocket.

“Yes. Let us go,” Floor said.

Howard grabbed the cup he had been drinking from and drained it in one gulp. He sighed and said, “Ah! One for the road! Well, let's get going, girl. Don't want to get caught flat-footed!”

Howard laughed hysterically at his own joke as he confidently walked out of the casino. Floor followed close behind, not laughing but definitely smiling behind her mask. She really liked this duck.

Chapter Text

The five Guardians met a roadblock in the form of heavy construction in the street.

Rocket huffed and said, “Great. Which way would she go?”

“I am Groot?”

Rocket frowned, “Yeah, I guess we gotta split up-.”

“Here we are!” shouted Mantis’ voice.

The group turned to see Mantis running over with Kraglin and Cosmo.

“Hey, Rocket! Why didn't you tell us you had a sister?” Kraglin asked, looking genuinely curious.

Mantis quickly said, “We just found her in our new ship not too long ago.”

Kraglin made a confused face and said, “And what? You lost her again ? Seriously ?”

“Shut-up, Kraglin,” Peter muttered quietly.

Rocket glared daggers at Kraglin and said, “If you don't want to help, don't. Just stay out of my way.”

Cosmo barked and said through her collar, “I will handle this.” She then padded over to Rocket and began sniffing him all over.

“The Hell are you doing? Cut it out!” Rocket shouted impatiently as he spun around and squirmed as the space dog pressed her cold nose against him.

Cosmo stepped back and said, “I smell the rabbit girl on you.” Cosmo then sniffed the ground, turned, and gestured with her head down a side street. “She went that way.”

Rocket blinked, “Oh. Alright, thanks. If you can find Floor, you’ll get ALL the treats.”

Cosmo made a confused dog sound and tilted her head. “Find the floor?”

“Floor is the rabbit's name,” Drax said with a nod.

“We were told her name was Walls,” Cosmo said.

Peter was visibly annoyed and said, “Mantis, come on.”

Mantis held her hands up and said, “I'm sorry, I was worried and nervous-.”

“Whatever!” Rocket shouted, and he turned to Cosmo and said, “Well, get going! Move! Yah! Mush! Go!”

Cosmo growled and said, “I will overlook that because you are clearly terrified for your sister's safety.” She then ran off, and the group followed her.

Sun is shinin' in the sky

There ain't a cloud in sight

It's stopped rainin', everybody's in the play

And don't you know

It's a beautiful new day? Hey-ey-ey

Floor was in good spirits as she walked alongside Howard, with a much more positive song playing on Mr. Quill’s Zune. It also happened to be her personal favorite as well.

Runnin' down the avenue

See how the sun shines brightly in the city

On the streets where once was pity

Mr. Blue Sky is living here today, hey-ey-ey

Howard bobbed his head to the beat and said, “Not a bad tune, you got there. Star-Lord is a bit of a music fanatic himself. That why you want to see the Guardians?”

Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why

You had to hide away for so long (so long)

Where did we go wrong?

Floor took the Zune out of her tool back, pausing the music as she said, “Floor give Zune back to Mr. Quill.”

Surprised, Howard asked, “No kidding? How'd you get your mitts on it?”

“He drop it after we get off ship,” Floor explained.

“You were on the Guardians’ ship? Why?” Howard asked.

Floor paused for a moment. It was a long story that she didn't feel like reliving at the moment, but she still wanted to give Howard an answer. It was then that she recalled everything that had happened in such a short time. Not to mention everything she had done. Repairing the ship, boosting Mantis’ powers, using the Nega Bands with Rocket, feeling seen and respected by Nebula. She felt a surge of confidence that spurred her to give a short and direct answer:

“Floor is Guardian of the Galaxy.”

Howard's beak hung open a moment as he stared at the determined rabbit. Then he closed it and said, “Ah, heck, I believe it. You've got that look about you, and that attitude you had back in the casino! I said to myself, ‘she reminds me of Rocket.'”

“Howard know Rocket?” Floor said, now her turn to look surprised.

Before Howard could elaborate, a harsh angry voice called out, “Hey, duck! You're out of luck!”

The owner of the voice was an angry looking woman. She had a large forehead topped with moppy dark hair. She wore an odd and very tight fitting black leather shirt with a lot of cleavage. The sleeves of the shirt were long and covered with dark shaggy fur. The woman also wore a very short brown leather skirt, and a pair of long black boots.

Howard groaned and said, “Just great. Marlo .”

The woman scowled, her black lipstick and eyeliner making her look all the more intimidating. “Howard Duckson, we meet again. Today is the day you meet your end!”

“Hold it right there! I beat you fair and square!” Howard shot back.

“I'm not here for a Battle of Rhyme!” Marlo shouted back fiercely, “I am here to make you pay for your crime!”

Howard let out a loud laugh and said, “My crime? Really? You're the one who tried to take over Aladna, and failed!”

Marlo clenched her teeth and said, “Prince Yan would have been mine, if not for Carol Danvers . But I don't want to think of such matters. I am enraged, angered at your smugness. Now, Howard the Duck, you shall taste my vengeance!”

Not content to sit and do nothing after years of doing just that, Floor spoke up in defense of her friend, “What did Howard do to you! Marlo leave Howard alone!”

Marlo finally noticed Floor, and she looked at her in disgust and said, “What are you? A deformed freak? Who gave you permission to speak?”

Floor tilted her head in confusion and asked, “Why Marlo talk like that?”

Howard turned to Floor and said, “She's an Aladnean. Everyone on the planet Aladna speaks in rhyme. You see, I met this big headed broad in a bar a while ago. She had an attitude. I was a little drunk. So she challenged me to a Battle of Rhyme. That's a contest Aladeans do to settle disagreements. How it works is that they just boast about themselves while also insulting their opponent, all in rhyme of course. And, naturally, I won.”

“Your win was stolen and cheap! Victory should have been mine, you creep!” Marlo spat.

Howard shook his head and said, “You know the rules. We battled in public, other people heard us, and they said I won. Majority rules. End of story.”

“Enough of this, hear my demands!” Marlo shouted as she clenched her fists, “I want to tear you apart with my bare hands!”

“So you couldn't take over your planet and dominate everyone, so you wanna take your anger out on me?” Howard said incredulously.

“Doesn't matter why,” Marlo said darkly, “I just want you to die.”

“NO!”

Howard and Marlo turned to look at Floor. The rabbit was trembling, but her gaze was steady and firm as she looked up at Marlo. She briefly saw Sire’s face in Marlo's cold expression. Floor's mind ran through her options, and the most recent thing she was told stuck out, as it was the only thing she could do right now.

“Floor challenge Marlo to Battle of Rhyme,” she said, “Floor wins, Marlo no hurt anyone and leave Knowhere. Marlo wins, Floor. . .do whatever Marlo says!”

It was a completely reckless idea, but then again, so was putting on a Nega Band after a head injury. Floor saw what needed to be done to save a friend, so she was going to do it. Consequences be damned.

An utterly wicked smile spread across Marlo's face, and she cackled with cruel laughter. A small crowd had already formed around the trio, and Marlo's laughter attracted more people. After Marlo stopped laughing, she smirked down at Floor and said, “Fine, you have a deal. But when I win, you both are my next meal!”

Howard gulped, and he muttered to Floor out of the corner of his bill, “You don't gotta do this, Floor. You can run and hide in the crowd. I can buy you some time. Maybe a few minutes?”

Floor shook her head. Her mind was made up. No more running and hiding, if she could help it. Howard was a friend, and Floor did not let friends die anymore. Besides, Rocket and Mr. Quill had introduced Floor to many exciting tunes on the ship. The tunes all had cleverly written lines that rhymed, and beats to go with them. Floor was certain she could use what she's heard to win against this horrible woman.

The surrounding crowd all spoke excitedly amongst themselves as Marlo rolled her shoulders and cracked her knuckles. She nodded her head a few times, fixing her cold, hateful gaze upon Floor. Then, she launched right into her rhymes:

What the Hell? Does this girl like being anonymous? 

Oh wait no, she's just mangled, cobbled together, and hideous

The masked rodent, thinks she's mysterious

But all she’s doing here is making me furious 

Oh, are you an arachnid? Bring me the pesticide

Oh, wait, you want to fight me? That's suicide!

I'll crush you like the little insect you are

You disgusting science project, just one big furry scar

You're just as “sane” as the freak who must have built you

How does looking in the mirror every morning not kill you?

Why not take off the obtuse mask and show your face?

I’m sure even with it off you'd still be a disgrace

I have grand plans, a grand royal ambition

“Me friends with duck!” That’s your life's mission?!

But I know why she follows this quack

The hack must have a big carrot up his butt crack

The crowd shouted and let out various exclamations, shocked and impressed by Marlo's verse. 

For her part, Floor looked more or less unaffected by it all. This wasn't just because of her mask. She genuinely wasn't hurt by the words. If anything, she was confused. What’s a carrot? Why would Howard have one up his rear end? Why would that make her follow him?

Howard knew down closer to Floor, his bill at antennae height, and he said, “You got this, Floor. You ain't stupid. You beat us at cards, you can beat her at rhymes.”

Floor didn't forget her victory at the casino. Being an experienced hider had made Floor very skilled at observation. She could spot her opponents’ tells easily. But she wasn't sure how that could help her now. . .

“Come on, rabbit!”

“Go get her!”

“You got this, rabbit!”

“Take her down!”

“C'mon rabbit!”

“Go, rabbit!”

“Yeah, rabbit! Get her!”

Floor's eyes widened, and she looked around at the people cheering for her. She vaguely remembered some of them from Dyffu's bar and the casino she met Howard at. Confidence swelled within her as she was filled with determination.

She smiled behind her mask, and she confidently strutted towards Marlo. Her six legs clicked and tapped almost rhythmically as she approached the cruel Aladnean. Floor held her head up high as she walked a circle around Marlo, and she channeled every Zune song she ever heard as sang out her rhymes:

Marlo, me think you hard on Howard

Maybe you jealous? He no coward

Marlo need to keep hair on head

Why Marlo put hair on arms instead?

You think Floor care what Marlo said?

Me hear “blah blah blah blah want you dead”

Marlo’s skirt tiny, Floor's mask obtuse

Mask no come off, what Marlo's excuse?

YOU look in mirror, Floor's words all true

Marlo's clothes say, “Marlo, we no fit you!”

You wasting Floor's time, get out of Floor’s way

Floor make 40,000 units in one day

You fail to take over Aladna nation

Floor smash Shi’ar battleship, 28 generation

Marlo so sad and horrible, must have no family

Floor has brother, and he Guardian of the Galaxy!

The crowd burst with cheers and hollers, all in Floor’s favor. Marlo's face was beet red, and she looked ready to pop a blood vessel. But rather than exploding, she turned on her heel and walked off, pushing through the crowd. This left Floor to be swamped by citizens of Knowhere who wanted to meet the one who had just out rhymed an Aladnean. Luckily, Howard had the presence of mind to pick up Floor and carry her off before she was utterly overwhelmed.

Cosmo walked back out of the casino after having led the group into it. She was still sniffing the ground as the Guardians followed close behind.

“Is this a prank?” Peter said, looking like he was going to both laugh hysterically and shout in frustration at once, “I mean, first she goes to a bar, then a casino, is she on vacation or something?”

“Who cares!” Rocket shouted, “Can we just catch up to her, already?”

Kraglin shrugged and said, “Rocket, why are you worried? Howard's looking after her.”

Rocket rolled his eyes and said, “Oh, great, I feel so much better now.”

“Hey, Howard's a great guy!” Kraglin said defensively, “You'll see, your sis will tell you herself.”

Peter patted Kraglin on the back and said, “Yeah, I'm with Kraglin. We don't have to worry, Howard will keep Floor safe.”

Rocket growled and said, “He better. Or it's duck season.”

“I am Groot.”

Mantis shook her head and said, “No, Groot. I’m not going to make him stop worrying. He has every right to worry about his sister.”

Rocket appeared to visibly relax as he kept walking, as if a weight was taken off his back. “Thanks, Mantis. I’m glad someone isn’t criticizing me for not wanting to lose her again. ”

Peter’s face fell. “Crap. That’s right. This must be Hell for you, Rocket.”

Rocket kept up his pace following after Cosmo, even as he took deeper breaths and gained a look of emotional exhaustion. “It hurts. It really does. After everything that’s happened, what I went though, what she went through, what we all went through because of those damn Nega Bands. . .and we can’t even just. . .stay together for any length of time.”

Rocket’s voice was cracking at this point. He needed his sister now . He needed to know she was okay before he reached the end of his rope. He was barely holding it together as it was. Everything in this damn galaxy was conspiring against them, ensuring they did not stay together-.

“Howard is still better than nothing,” Kraglin offered, trying to sound convincing, “He’s not perfect, but at least your sister has one friend in Knowhere.”

“It really is good to have friends.”

Rocket sucked in a breath at the flash of memory. A memory that managed to calm him down somewhat.

“Yeah. . . you’re right,” Rocket said, and he wasn’t quite sure which of the two he was talking to.

Howard and Floor made their way into a small eatery to get away from the hectic crowd. Several denizens of Knowhere had come to congratulate her, but the general atmosphere of the establishment discouraged the congregation of crowds of fans.

Smooth jazz-like music played as Howard and Floor sat at a small table in the cool, relaxing dining room. The place wasn't anything too fancy or elaborate, just a homey and casual place to get some chow.

Howard looked at Floor in admiration, and he leaned forward and tapped the table as he said, “You are dynamite, Floor. You are hot with those rhymes!”

Floor didn't know much about slang, but she had enough awareness to tell that she was being complimented. This made her face feel warm for some reason, and she said, “Floor win because of Mr. Quill’s music. Floor learn how to make words sound nice.”

Howard tapped the side of his head for emphasis and said, “But you hatched those exact words out of your own mind! C'mon, you can afford to be a little prideful. Just a bit. I mean, you certainly know how to come out of your shell from what I've seen.”

Floor stared at the table top and said sadly, “Me not always like that. Floor hide in walls for years. Did nothing. See nothing.” Floor lifted her eyes and continued, “But now, Floor want to see, and be seen! Rocket, Lylla, Teefs want that for Floor.”

Of course Howard only recognized one of those names, but nevertheless he gave a nod if approval and said, “Hey, I get that. Believe it or not, I've spent a lot of time locked up behind glass. When I finally got out, did I choke and retreat? No way! I was still me. So kept being me. I'm the swinging bachelor duck that's here for a good time and a good laugh. And I gotta say, time spent with you is time well spent, babe.”

Floor looked to the side and said bashfully, “Thank you. Howard been very nice to me.”

Howard rested his chin in his hands and said with a grin, “No problem. Now maybe you could give me the low down on that Shi'ar battleship you smashed.”

At that moment, a pink skinned Krylorian waitress approached the table and asked, “Alright, now what can I get the two of you?”

Floor recalled that she needed to get back to Rocket and the others, but she also noticed that she felt a bit hungry. Also, she wanted to talk with Howard a bit more. He was so easy to talk to.

“Something fast?” Floor asked after giving it some thought, then she turned to Howard and said, “What Howard think?”

Howard gave a quick laugh and he said to the waitress, “For the lady, the Cosmic Cream Orb. No question. I'll just get a beer.”

The Krylorian nodded and said with a smile, “Of course. He shouldn't be back here for a couple of days. I'll have it right out in a minute.”

As the waitress left, Floor brought her attention back to Howard. “Howard know what it like to be . . . In walls?”

Howard shrugged, “Eh, sad but true.” He then looked at all of Floor's metal bits and said, “Buuuuut, I'm guessing you had it way worse than I ever did.”

Floor hesitated to answer, but nodded and eventually, “Yes. Floor make it. Rocket made it. Others not make it.”

“Yeah, those two names you mentioned before. Heh, betcha didn't think I could be a good listener without ears,” Howard said, a humorous undertone to his voice, but then he dropped that humor and continued, “But you listen here, Floor. If you're a part of the Guardians, you are set. Maybe you already know this, but those Guardians look after their own. There ain't nothing they won't do for each other. They squabble like crazy, but they're loyal to the death. If you're a part of your family, you won't ever have to worry about being stuck or alone again.”

Floor gazed at Howard, her eyes unblinking as it all sunk in. She supposed she already knew all this in a way from watching the Guardians and interacting with them, but hearing it spelled out like this was a whole new thing.

Howard suddenly leaned back and said, “Whoo! I don't get that deep that often. Am I now. . . someone else ? Oh whatever. Where's my drink?”

Right on cue, the waitress came back with Howard's drink, and a dark round object about twice the size of an adult human fist. It had a rough bumpy surface, giving it an interesting textured appearance.

“That was the last one! Enjoy!” The waitress said as she left.

Floor looked at the Cosmic Cream Orb, not entirely sure what to make of it.

“Alright,” Howard said as he picked up his drink, “Go ahead and cut that bad boy open.”

Floor blinked, and then grabbed the diner knife and used it to cut the bumpy dome in half. Floor was surprised to see that it was filled with bright purple cream. Curious, Floor opened her mask and leaned in to give it a taste.

Floor was almost overwhelmed by the sweet, fruity, creamy goodness. She let out a cry of joy and eagerly ate the confection up. The crispy pastry went perfectly with the luscious mousse inside.

“Perfect!” Floor squealed when she was finished.

Howard chuckled and said, “Yeah, there's a reason why this place keeps running out of them.”

“And I am BACK!” shouted a loud, gravely voice.

Everyone turned to see that a Rydoctylan had just stepped into the restaurant. However, what set this Rydoctylan apart wasn't just the gray and red body armor and the red painted skull on his left shoulder, an outfit common among galactic poachers. The Rydoctylan’s defining feature was his upper lip, or lack there of to be more precise. His upper lip was completely gone, exposing his teeth and gums. Metal bands were hooked to the corners of his mouth, and a third thicker band ran down from the top of his head to his lipless upper gums.

Howard's pupils shrank in horror. “Oh no. Floor, I am so sorry.”

Confused, Floor looked at him and said, “Me no understand.”

The waitress looked at the approaching Rydoctylan and stammered, “Oh, Lipless sir! I wasn’t expecting you back today! I thought you and the other Headmen were out on a long hunt!”

“Mission was a wash,” Lipless gurgled out, a sour expression on his face. But then he brightened up and said, “But all I need is one of your Cosmic Cream Orbs, and all will be right in the galaxy.”

The waitress gulped loudly, fear in her eyes.

Lipless let out a gurgling growl, and he said, “Or did you run out of them. . .”

Howard's feathers were standing on end, and he whispered to Floor, “Okay, okay, we need to casually just get up and-.”

“You!”

“-and he spotted us,” Howard moaned.

Lipless stalked over to the table, his eyes fixated on Floor's purple stained plate.

Howard stood up quickly and said, “Wait, wait, wait! Listen to me, I ordered for her. She's-.”

Lipless pulled out a red gun with a long barrel on it, and he aimed it right at Howard's forehead. “This don't concern you, ‘Oward.”

“No shoot Howard!” Floor blurted out.

“Floor, get out of here!” Howard shouted back.

Lipless swung his gun to aim at Floor, and he said dangerously, “You're going nowhere. . . ‘Loor!”

Floor was shaking as her old fear returned, her confidence draining at the sight of a gun being pointed at her. “Rocket be mad if Lipless shoot,” Floor said with her fearful red eyes meeting Lipless's piercing red eyes, “Guardians get real mad.”

“What guardians? And who the ‘ell is Rocket?” Lipless asked fiercely, still keeping the gun pointed at Floor.

“Floor sorry,” she squeaked out.

Lipless grinned wickedly, and he said, “Tells ya what, ‘Loor. How about we settle this my way. Right ‘ere. Right now .”

Chapter Text

As Floor stared at the barrel of the gun pointed at her, a strange primal instinct rose up against her fear. The unfairness of it all burned inside her stomach. She was not about to have her story cut short like this. She was certainly not about to be ripped away from her brother as Lylla and Teefs had been. The memory of Rocket screaming as he ripped Sire's face apart cane to mind. At the time, she was scared out of her mind and just wanted to go. But now, she understood Rocket's mindset. While she didn't have claws like Rocket, she was more than willing to fight in any way she could to stay alive. Already she was planning on how to throw herself out of the way of the gun, knock Lipless off his feet, and maybe ram his head a few times with the hopes that he would either lose consciousness or be dazed long enough for her to escape.

But before Floor could do anything, Lipless turned around and shouted to the person tending the bar, “Play it!”

The person quickly ran to the device that was playing the smooth jazz. The music promptly stopped, and then the sound of a blaring horn could be heard. There was also a far more energetic beat playing that the horn blared in time with.

Floor stared at Lipless as he began to step and move to the best, still holding his gun and waving it around.

“What Lipless doing?” Floor asked, her red eyes staring at him with a severe lack of understanding.

“Don't just stand there!” Lipless shouted, “Move!”

Lipless aimed and fired, and the shot hit the ground right next to her left legs. She squeaked and leapt to the side, and she watched as Lipless continued to sway side to side. Mindful of the gun, Floor started to sway to the beat in a similar way.

“Lipless. . . dancing?” Floor said awkwardly as she attempted to sway to the drumbeats and horns.

“Dun, dun, dun-dun. . . Dun, dun-dun, dun-dun. . . Come on, ‘Loor!” Lipless shouted, and he fired his gun again, this time hitting the ground to Floor's right.

Floor jumped to the side again, and she looked up at the Rydoctylan and asked, “Lipless want me to dance?”

“You want to eat my Cream Orbs? Then you do my dance!” Lipless shouted, still holding his gun aloft as he waved it like a conductor's baton.

Floor took several deep breaths, and she started to bob her head to the beat. The percussion was prominent and easy to follow, and Lipless’ movements were more or less easy to copy. This brought to mind a certain game* she used to play with Teefs, Lylla, and Rocket back in the cages. Surely she could do it here.

As harsher instrumentation joined the horns, Floor focused on moving her body, or her cybernetic legs to be more precise. With each turn of the chord progression, Floor moved sideways one way, and then sideways the other way, just as Lipless did. Floor noticed Lipless shuffling his feet as he moved back and forth. Knowing that she couldn't do that, Floor decided to take advantage of the fact that she had 3 legs on each side. 

As she stepped sideways, she did a trick where she kept two legs up at all times. She brought them up and down in quick succession like a wave. Front, middle, back, middle, front. Then she brought them all back down and repeated the pattern with the legs on her other side.

The people in the restaurant were instantly invested in the dance battle, banging their glasses and stomping their feet as they watched. The fact that Floor was putting up a decent fight interested them even more. It also seemed that word of Lipless’ early arrival had spread, as more denizens of Knowhere were entering the restaurant to watch.

Lipless’ eyes had a new light in them as he watched Floor's moves. “Not bad, ‘Loor!” he said as he reached into a pouch hanging on his belt with his free hand, “How ‘bout we raise the stakes!”

Lipless then flung out a pair of gray metal spheres the size of medium sized fruits. The spheres turned out to be drones, which floated in mid air, spun around the dancing pair, and emitted glowing red lazer beams towards them. These were standard issue for the poachers of the Headmen.

As Lipless stepped backwards and beckoned, Floor watched the beams form a shifting X in front of her. Her eyes widened as the beams moved towards her. Running was not an option as long as Lipless had his gun. Floor knew the only way out was through. But if she could slip through vents, she was fairly sure she could slip through deadly lazers. 

Floor took a breath, bent her legs, and then hopped over the top of the X when the point where the beams crossed was lowest.

“But is that the best you got?!” Lipless shouted, and he tossed out six more lazer emitting drones. Four rose up towards the ceiling and sent beams downward at constantly shifting angles, while two sent out beams vertically.

For a moment fear gripped Floor's heart, but then she heard the sound of voices shouting words of encouragement her way. She took a quick glance and saw a large audience had formed, with Howard up at front nodding at her with a determined look in his eyes. 

Floor turned back to Lipless and the lazers, but she allowed the music to flow through her as it changed from horns and harsh riffs to a more electronic tone. She began to notice that the lazers had a pattern, and how they more or less kept hitting the same spots. Tapping into all the boldness that she had built up so far, and accepting the encouragement of the crowd, Floor hummed along to the beat and tapped her legs as she stepped in time. She stepped diagonally and hopped sideways to avoid the sweeping lazers. When Howard yelled “Behind!”, Floor ducked under the X as it moved back towards the center of the room. She hopped over the horizontal lasers and side-stepped the vertical ones.

Floor felt strangely giddy in spite of the danger. Maybe it was the music, or the cheers, or just adrenaline. But eventually, Floor finally got it. People were seeing her, watching her, and they liked her. She wasn't hiding, she was seeing and being seen. She had the support of those outside the walls, and it was more than she could have ever imagine. 

After dodging another lazer beam, Floor laughed and actually did a quick twirl before standing up as tall as she could and raising her paws. She then turned to look at Lipless and let out a cheeky giggle, twitching her antennae at him.

Lipless growled in response, and as the music went back to harsh riffs and pounding percussion, he stepped forward, side stepping and skidding around lazers as he got his arms into gear.

Floor bobbed her head as she confidently raised all of her right legs and hopped sideways on her left legs to avoid one vertical lazer, then did the same with the opposite legs to avoid another lazer. Floor was grinning behind her mask. With legs like hers, who needed arms?

“I’m the head dancer here, ‘Loor!” Lipless shouted, and he jumped in front of her to face the crowd.

Floor just leapt in between his legs and stood with her front most legs raised high in a pose.

Lipless growled and actually tried to step on her, but the cries of the crowd gave her enough warning to leap out of the way. Now Lipless was following Floor’s lead as she jumped over lazers, dropped low underneath lazers, and kicked off sideways out of lazers. Lipless angrily jumped and kicked and sidestepped after Floor, until eventually the inevitable happened and Lipless stumbles backwards into a lazer. The beam melted his armor, and he cried out and quickly recovered enough to stumble forwards out of harm's way. But he ended up taking a knee on the ground as the music reached its climax and came to an end. He pressed a button on his belt, and the drones all turned off their lazers and fell to the ground.

Floor nodded and said loud and clearly, “Me called Floor !”

The audience burst into cheers, almost unable to believe that Lipless had just lost a dance battle. But it had happened, and they had all bore witness to it.

With the lazers gone, Floor had a chance to get a good look at the crowd. She recognized some of them from Dyffu’s bar, from the casino, and even from the Battle of Rhyme. As she turned around, Floor at long last spotted who she's been looking for the entire time.

Rocket had pushed his way to the front of the crowd a few moments earlier, and he was still staring at Floor in slack jawed amazement.

Floor's eyes met Rocket’s eyes, and no words were needed. They ran to meet each other, embracing fiercely and fondly. 

Rocket gently stroked Floor’s golden kissed fur, and he looked her in the eyes.

“Floor. . . You idiot.”

Floor giggled at this. It wasn't the first time he'd called her that. If you were a true Guardian of the Galaxy, you would know that for Rocket, idiot was the highest term of endearment you could get.

“Seriously, you trying to kill me or something?” Rocket said, almost laughing as he spoke. That, and the relief evident in his eyes and voice, took the bite out of his words, “You can't disappear on me, Floor.”

Floor felt a bit guilty, and she said, “Me sorry. . .”

Rocket sighed and said, “Just  . . . don't do anything risky at all anymore, okay?”

Floor didn't answer right away. She gave it some thought, then shook her head and said, “No. Floor cannot do that.”

Rocket stared at her, “What? Floor, you-.”

“Floor hide. Floor do nothing. For so long,” Floor said intensely, “But today, Floor hear songs, be more smart than others, win games, make friends, make rhymes, and dance with others watching. See and be seen.”

Rocket’s concern grew, “Floor. . .”

“See and be seen! ” Floor repeated a bit stronger, “People in Knowhere cheer Floor. People like Floor. Me no hide anymore, and me like it!”

Floor’s gaze became gentler, and filled with understanding as she looked up at her brother. “Floor understand. Rocket remember Floor as. . . young and dead. Rocket worried. No want to lose Floor. But Floor not dead. And Floor not young. Floor grown and strong like Rocket. Maybe Floor should take risk. Like Floor took risk with Nega Band.”

Rocket listened to her, returning all of the understanding she gave to him. When she had finished, he replied, “Yeah, that was a risk. But you didn't exactly take that risk alone, did you?”

Floor fell silent, deflating a little.

“Hearing everything you did, I was surprised. Hell, my sister doing all that? It couldn't be real,” Rocket went, a slightly incredulous smile on his face, “So yeah, I underestimated you. But that don't change the fact that. . .” Rocket paused as he tried to find the right words, and he finally said, “. . .I want you to be by my side, or me at your side, or whatever. I want us both to see this galaxy together . To share that adventure. You see that, right?” Rocket sighed uncomfortably and said, “But if you really want to do your own thing or something-.”

Floor leapt closer to Rocket, resting her forehead against his chest. “Me sorry! Got lost. Wanted to find Rocket fast, but things got in Floor’s way. No want to be on own. Rocket and Floor be together, stay together. Promise.”

Rocket felt a bit of relief after hearing this. “Yeah. We're cool.”

At this point, Peter stepped forward and said, “Ah-ah, no. Wait. Floor, you just ran off and didn't say anything. I mean, come on, that's not cool.”

The effect of Floor’s deadpanned expression was lessened by her mask, but regardless she reached into her tool bag and pulled out Peter's Zune.

Peter's eyes widened, and he looked down and saw that it wasn't on his belt. “Oh. Oops.”

Rocket stared at Peter in disbelief, and he said, “You mean, that this was all your fault, Quill?”

“No blame!” Floor said loud and clearly, “Maybe it good thing. Floor learned what she is do. Make friends. And Floor safe. Howard with me.”

At this point, Howard stepped forward and gave Rocket a nervous smile.

Rocket let out a frustrated groan, but he turned to Howard and said, “Alright. Thanks. You kept an eye on my sister and. . . that means a lot. I ain't heartless.”

Howard gave a nod and said, “Eh, it was nothing. Besides, she's a joy to be around.”

Rocket chuckled, “Yeah. Ain't that the truth.”

“Well then, F-'Loor!” came the voice of Lipless as he stood up, rubbing his back. He was unharmed, but his armor would need to be replaced. He had on a smile in spite of everything, “I've got a proposition for ya. You and I make an unbreakable blood oath, and go on to be the greatest amongst the Headmen!” He then raised his arms and high and shouted, “ The Storm Riders! Together till the end!” Lipless settled down slightly, and he nodded and gave Floor a pointed look as he said, “Shall we?”

“No,” Floor said immediately.

Lipless appeared caught off guard by this, but before he could respond, he noticed that the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy had already gathered right behind Floor, and all of them were giving him the stink eye. Drax and Peter were already reaching for their weapons, and Cosmo was growling at him.

Lipless looked disappointed, and huffed and said, “Have it your way, then. But the offer still stands, if'n you change your mind, F-'Loor.” He then took his leave, casually walking out of the restaurant.

Peter stared after him and said, “Well, Floor, you are really something. I certainly can't imagine a universe where I could make friends with that guy.”

Floor turned to Rocket and said, “Floor, Rocket, friends go home now?”

Rocket nodded, his face lighting up as a sense of fulfillment warmed him, “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

At long last, the Guardians returned to their headquarters with their new member in tow. Floor was visibly excited to arrive at the place. Peter jumped at the chance to show her around, perhaps in gratitude for finding his Zune and keeping it safe. Speaking of which, he also made it clear that she was welcome to go ahead and borrow it anytime he wasn’t using it.

After being told that she could help herself to anything in the kitchen whenever, the topic at hand then moved on to where Floor would be staying. This was a topic that lasted all of 2 seconds: she’d be staying in Rocket’s room. The two would not have it any other way.

It took no time for a second smaller bed to be brought in, and night had fallen over Knowhere.

“So. . .” Rocket said as he pulled off his jacket, “You doing okay? You’re comfortable, right?”

There was a nervous tremor in his voice, as if there was a small part of him that wasn’t entirely convinced that the genetically and cybernetically enhanced rabbit nestled on the mattress a few feet away from him would not suddenly vanish the second he blinked. He wasn’t even sure if the whole debacle of losing and finding her had made it worse or better.

For her part, Floor was sitting calmly, her paw gently patting the soft material. “Bed is nice. Me not used to it. . . but like it.”

“Heh. . .” came Rocket’s response, relieved yet with a touch of uncertainty. With an awkwardness completely foreign to him, and nervously paced around a bit, eyes darting around a bit as he said, “So. . .yeah. I was thinking. Up to you though. But I thought. Well. I’m probably being stupid. But maybe. If you want. . .”

Rocket paused, annoyed by his broken stuttering but not embarrassed, a testament to how comfortable he felt around her. He also appreciated how Floor waited patiently for him to get his thoughts together.

Deciding to just go for it, Rocket took a breath and said, “Can I sleep with you tonight? Like we used to before.”

Floor blinked thoughtfully at this, then looked down at her bed and observed, “Bed no big enough. . .”

Rocket did his best to keep himself from looking too obviously crestfallen. He forced a chuckle that he hoped sounded real enough and said, “Yeah. You’re right. Forget I said-.”

Floor climbed off of the bed and said confidently, “Rocket’s bed big enough.”

There was a shimmering in Rocket’s eye, and it didn’t quite go away no matter how many times he blinked. He rubbed under his nose and said with a smile brimming with hope that he assumed had died long ago, “Y-yeah. . . yeah.”

Rocket wasn’t thinking of what anyone would say should they check up on them the next morning to find him in his bed cuddled up with Floor, and if he had, he wouldn’t have cared. He wanted and needed his sister, and there was nothing that was going to keep him from her. 

The fact that this moment was even possible to start with was a cascade of nearly impossible odds. A shot just missing Floor’s heart, years of hiding for survival, and the purchase of one ship out of all the ships in this galaxy. It all seemed so impossible, but in an infinite multiverse, what is impossible merely becomes improbable. Any outcome, any ending, any possibility is guaranteed to happen eventually. Good outcomes and bad outcomes abound, and the desirable ones can be found provided you look hard enough. Though needless cruelty had torn the two apart, even now the hands that guide the hands had begun to move, to reach out to the hearts of those outside of their reality, to steer it towards a better ending.

Let that lesson be well known to us, and all of us.