A escape.

"I am Groot?!"

"I don't know! I've never piloted my way through a flarkin' asteroid belt while being chased by Doom's fleet before!" Rocket snapped back.

The outlaw group known as the Guardians had just escaped a Doom empire space station, carrying a reinforced box containing... something. All Rocket knew was that it would fetch a king's ransom on the black market, and that's all he needed to know. They had hijacked one of Doom's ships. Rocket was now piloting the ship weaving back and forth, desperately attempting to avoid debris flying at it from all angles... while also trying to dodge laser fire from the pursuing fleet.

"You know, this is a really nice ship. I think I'll call it the Thundercat," Peter Quill pondered out loud.

"The good news is that the shields are up and the battery's charged. With any luck we'll be able to jump to FTL as soon as --

BAM!

"Damn it, we've been hit! We've been flarkin' hit! Quill there should be a gun station around the--"

"This ship has a shower! I've never had a ship with a shower in it before!"

"QUILL WILL YOU SHUT UP AND MAN THE FLARKIN' GUN STATION"

"Fine, fine," Peter groaned, making his way to the guns and shooting at their pursuer.

"Gamora, can you reroute any shield power we might have to the engine?" Rocket asked.

"On it," Gamora answered.

"We do that, and we're dead if we take another hit," Drax pointed out.

"We don't and we're sitting ducks!" Rocket countered.

"Fair point," Drax conceded as Gamora began the process of rerouting the ship's power.

Star-Lord had successfully taken out most of the ship's immediate pursuers, but there were two that the ship just could not shake. Rocket deftly maneuvered the ship between the rocks flying at it, and they were close to an escape -- they would be able to make the jump to FTL as long as they could avoid their two pursuers.

"Take 'em out, Quill!" Rocket demanded.

"I'm trying! These guys--"

"YOUR AIM SUCKS, QUILL!" Rocket snapped.

"Wow, that was rude," Quill muttered in an offended tone.

"I agree," Drax chimed in. "There are plenty of other ways to discuss Quill's terrible aim."

"I am Groot."

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry, but if you could just concentrate--"

BLAM!

Star Lord scored a direct hit on their closest pursuer.

"Yeah! One more to go! And he's right in my crosshairs--"

At that point, the ship made the faster-than-light jump.

"I had him..." Star-Lord pouted.

"Ha! So long, jackasses! Now, time to get this thing on the market!" Rocket triumphantly yelled.

Not long after, the ship they were on received a call. It was from the Queens of X.

"The Queens of X? Calling this ship? What the hell?" Rocket wondered as Quill answered the call.

"Hello, Star-Lord. I see you managed to escape Doom's space station. Not bad," Jean Grey said. "Did you manage to get the artifact?"

"Yeah, I think so," Quill responded, holding up the box. "This it?"

"Yes, yes it is. Very impressive," Jean smiled. "Excellent work."

"What's goin' on Quill?" Rocket asked. "I don't like being left in the dark."

"The Queens of X messaged me just before we got to Doom's station. They offered five times as much as whatever this thing would go for on the black market," Peter explained.

"Huh. Suddenly I'm not even mad," Rocket said.

"We'll deliver it to you ASAP," Star-Lord offered.

"My sincere thanks," Jean said gratefully. "We'll have jobs for you in the future."