Before Vision could receive an answer, a voice called out from behind him.
"Friends, we're ready. Kraglin's arranged everything."
Vision turned to see two men approaching, both wearing the familiar maroon coats emblazoned with the flame symbol.
Rocket pointed at Vision. "Hey, Quill, this guy says he's from Earth."
Vision nodded. "Yes, I am indeed from Earth. New York, specifically."
Star-Lord's eyes widened with genuine excitement. "Wait, seriously? You're not messing with me? You're actually from Earth?"
He started firing off questions rapidly. "What's happening there now? What new movies are out? Any new songs? Latest bands? I'm from Missouri, haven't been back in ages." He paused, then asked hopefully, "Is Footloose still the most popular movie?"
Vision tilted his head thoughtfully. "No, that was 1984. There have been many films since then considered significantly superior to Footloose."
Star-Lord looked genuinely shocked. "What?"
"Have you not seen The Godfather? Or The Lord of the Rings trilogy?" Vision began listing notable works.
Star-Lord groaned. "No, my mom never let me watch The Godfather. Told me to wait until I was older. And this Lord of the Rings thing you mentioned, what is that? Some kind of animated movie?"
Before they could continue, Gamora interrupted firmly. "Enough, you two. Pause for a moment."
"I'll explain in detail later," Vision promised. "It's an exceptional series widely praised as transcending previous cinematic achievements. It reignited mainstream enthusiasm for the fantasy genre after many years."
Star-Lord's mind was now clearly racing with endless curiosity about everything he'd missed on Earth.
Everyone's attention suddenly shifted to Kraglin, who stood there looking awkward.
"Oh, right, yeah, almost forgot," Star-Lord said, shaking himself back to the present. "Kraglin and I found a new location. Some of our friends are waiting at a nearby space station, just a quick jump away. We've even established a new base, so we won't need to keep traveling back here so frequently."
"Disappointment: But Master Quill, I genuinely enjoy this location. It's the only place I can shoot someone without legal consequences," HK stated.
Gamora interjected calmly. "HK, you cannot simply attack people who laugh in your general direction."
"Clarification: They were not laughing, but harboring sinister intentions. I am highly proficient at reading meatbag motivations, Master Gamora," the droid insisted.
"Deactivate him, Gamora," Rocket said with a grin.
Vision quietly observed the exchange as the Guardians and their Mandalorian companions bantered, argued, and teased each other. Despite the conflicting words, they eventually circled back to the original topic.
"There's a place Kraglin learned about from some of our contacts called Gravus," Star-Lord explained.
"Gravus?" Fenn perked up immediately.
"You know it, Fenn?" Drax asked curiously.
"We've heard of it," Suji said softly, nearly dropping her cup. "It's supposedly more advanced than Tatooine."
Boba added, "Crime rate's lower, but there's plenty of work. I've been there a few times with my father."
"Look, as a major hub in the Outer Rim, our new contacts gave us the perfect location to establish as our secondary base of operations," Star-Lord said.
Suji raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Kraglin looked proud, puffing out his chest. "That's right. Found everyone a proper new place."
Gamora acknowledged the team's growth with a nod. "We do need it since we've recruited quite a few new members."
"Query: Is that where we store the meatbags we terminate, Master Quill?" HK asked.
Star-Lord shook his head firmly. "No, no, damn it, HK. We're after bounties, not corpses. Why would we keep them?"
"Explanation: We must establish proper deterrents for anyone who chooses to become our enemy. As Master Rocket stated, it is their misfortune to irritate us," HK declared proudly.
Rocket couldn't help laughing at that. Drax nodded in agreement. "HK makes a valid point, Peter. We should seriously consider—"
"Absolutely not," Gamora interrupted the Destroyer. "Don't even finish that thought."
"Hey, a krayt dragon skull would make an impressive trophy," Suji suggested.
Mandalorian Tobbi observed, "Their skulls are extraordinarily dense. Even beskar and strong acids can't easily damage them. Though we're certainly not defenseless against them."
Drax seemed confident. "I believe this is a challenge we could accept. We survived an Abilisk attack, so who's to say a krayt dragon would pose genuine threat?"
Fenn asked the question everyone wanted answered. "What's an Abilisk?"
"It's a dimensional worm with more tentacles than you can count," Rocket explained.
After brief silence, Vision spoke up. "You're saying it travels between dimensions?"
"Yeah, but it—" Star-Lord frowned, then coughed. "Can someone help me out here?"
Gamora shook her head and patted Star-Lord's back.
"We killed it a while back," the Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe stated matter-of-factly.
Tobbi interjected, curiosity evident. "You said it was from another dimension? How does that work?"
"Hey, we just needed to know it was our contract target," Rocket waved dismissively. "Stop overthinking it."
"Lament: What a disappointment! What a magnificent battle it would have been to engage a creature from beyond our dimension. Masters, why didn't you summon me sooner?" HK sighed dramatically.
"I am Groot," the tree-like being rumbled.
"Acknowledgment: You are correct, Master Groot. We may encounter many formidable creatures in our profession," HK conceded.
Kraglin nodded. "Yeah, exactly." He turned to Quill with a smile. "But boss, we should get moving. They're probably waiting for us on Gravus."
Star-Lord grunted and stood. "Right, don't want to keep them waiting too long. Let's move out, everyone."
Dax asked, "Mind if we tag along? I'd like to see what you're building for yourselves."
His two Mandalorian companions quickly agreed, eager to accompany the Guardians.
Kraglin clapped Dax on the back. "Actually, we were hoping to invite you to check out our new setup."
Everyone rose, preparing to depart.
"Vision, let's go," Tobbi called. "It's getting late. We should head out."
Vision looked surprised. "Now?"
Dax asked with curiosity, "Why, you want to stay here longer?"
Vision shook his head. "Just surprised you're leaving so quickly."
"Our job requires us to stay mobile," Fenn explained. "Besides, you're searching for your friends, right? Better to keep moving than sit in one place hoping for a miracle."
The group separated to their respective vessels. The Mandalorians headed toward their ships while the Guardians moved toward their spacecraft.