Escape
Rocket woke with a start to find Groot jumping on the bed beside him. After a groan he got up and immediately walked over to grab a coffee. He could just feel that he'll need a strong one today.
Something in his gut felt off. Maybe it was because of Peter's justified moping or maybe because He's the reason Yondu never made it off Ego's planet.
As he poured a black coffee into his tin cup he sighed. Things haven't been the same since Ego. Quill wasn't the expressive leader he usually was and Gamora is still very obviously upset that he shocked her and left without Yondu or Quill. He didn't want to, but he had too.
Quill on the other hand seemed to have no resentment towards him but then again he was so drunk he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Rockets tail and his head.
Rocket walked through the Milano. Groot was currently eating and from what he could tell everyone else was still asleep. He walked into living quarters where he was currently busy building a new weapon. He didn't have a name for it. Once finished it was supposed to be a sort of railgun they could attach to the ship. He stood over it debating on whether or not to continue working.
Groots little footsteps came behind him and he looked up at Rocket waiting for something to do.
"We either build and wake the assholes up which might get me killed by Gamora," he took a long sip of his coffee, "Or we let the assholes sleep and find something else to do."
"I am groot."
Rocket almost spit out his coffee, "Whoa mister, you can't call them that. But yeah we'll let them sleep."
With Groot now on Rockets shoulder they walked up the ladder, aiming for the pilots chair where he could change their destination for supplies and such at the nearest planet. But when he finally got up and looked towards the chair he saw someone already sitting in it.
Someone green.
He thought of the best approach to make, maybe just act nonchalant. Like they still cared for each other when he knew she didn't.
He walked up and sat in the co-pilots chair. Taking a sip of his coffee. They passed many planets a red one catching his eye.
"What kind of losers do you think live down there?" he smiled and looked over at Gamora, "every red planet I've ever been to is hot as balls. It's straight up torture in my-"
Gamora not paying any attention to him got up and started to walk away. He was infuriated, he understood why she was mad but he didn't understand why she didn't see why he had to do it. He had to leave or else it was all of their lives he was putting at risk. He made the hardest decision of his life. Peter was his damned best friend, didn't she think it hurt him to make that choice? He had to tell her. He had to tell her how weak it had made him feel. He wanted them to be ok again.
But he couldn't, every time he opens his mouth, his false bravado and anger comes out. He was hurt before and was scared of getting hurt again. So when he opened his mouth to tell her he was sorry, instead he thinks he made it worse.
"If it counts for anything. Shooting you then didn't feel as good as I thought it would." He plastered on a fake grin and watched her reaction.
She stopped in her tracks just a few feet from the ladder and paused. Just for a few seconds and then jumped down the hatch. He must have not even been worth the air to say anything.
"I am Groot."
Rocket clicked on the pad and started a new course to the nearest habitable planet.
"I know, Groot. She's very angry with me."
"I am Groot?"
"Yeah...I'd be angry too if I were her."
He stared down at his little plant. The longest friend he's had and a wave of sadness washed over him. Groot died saving them all, he was scared for when Quill would be next. Or maybe that stupid oaf Drax would sacrifce himself. The thought hurt Rocket.
He gave a deep sigh. These assholes were turning him into a mushy little piece of shit.
The nearest planet was a little shithole called Xio. There was cheap gas and a market there though so for the few minutes they will be there it will be fine.
He expertly landed the Milano near a big building designed to fuel up ships. He gave a sigh and sent the station around 500 Units to fully fill up the Milano. It physically hurt him to press that send button and be 500 Units shorter.
His Unit balance was getting short which no doubt means so we're the others. Right now he only had around 8,000 and after this trip to the market he was sure that would go down even more.
Rocket climbed down the ladder and was met by Drax and Mantis who were deep in conversation about something idiotic.
"Where's Gamora? Im sure she wants to get out of this ship too." Rocket asked opening the Milano's hatch to the outside world.
"She is in Peter's room." Mantis chirped.
"Well go get her." Rocket barked while grabbing a rifle and attaching it to the back of his suit.
"Friend Mantis is scared. She does not want to go into his room." Drax said with a laugh.
"Scared? Of what? Quill? I know he's drunk but he's just a mushy little bitch."
She shook her head, her antenna swinging, "I'm scared of what I might see."
She looked at her feet and twiddled her thumbs.
Drax had a big smile on his face and was now laughing.
Rocket was getting annoyed now. He wanted to get off this planet and find a job to make some Units as quick as possible.
"Just go grab her? What's so hard about-"
"Mantis is scared of catching friend Quill and Gamora in the middle of intercourse." Drax howled in laughter holding his stomach.
Rocket looked at the two.
He snorted and walked by them, "idiots."
Rocket knew that Gamora and Peter had feelings for each other and every time they were in a room together the sexual tension was annoyingly obvious. Like he isn't even kidding he is genuinely scared that one day they'll just start fucking infront of him. But he knows they aren't there yet. He knows they are both just now getting used to the whole "i like you" thing.
Their relationship was weird, but he was happy for them. He wished he could have that, but that was all destroyed a long time ago. Right now he was content with just having his friends.
He made his way to Quills room and knocked on the door. Gamora opened it and stared down at him with the cold eyes only a daughter of Thanos could have.
"I thought I should get you lazy jackasses. We landed and there's a market in case you want to grab something yourself."
Gamora stared at him and he shifted uncomfortable.
"Just grab Quill. I need to talk to him and try to keep him sober." With that he walked away.
He did need to talk to Quill. He was the captain of them and it was his ship. Rocket had some ideas for how to make Units that he wanted to discuss with Peter.
Rocket walked out of the Milano with Groot on his shoulder and Mantis and Drax behind him. While she ship was stationary and getting refueled they would make their way to the market.
The planet had no plant life (except for Groot now) and the houses were all made of tin and various metals. It was depressing. The people of this planet resembled the people of Kree. Except they were all shorter, about Rockets size.
The people of Xio watched them pass with curiosity. Rocket was sure that these people knew who they were and it was all but confirmed when they started to clap and cheer at something behind Rocket. When he turned he saw Peter amd Gamora a few yards behind him, Drax, amd Mantis.
Peter looked awful Rocket thought. He had bags under his eyes and by the way his smile was strained he could tell he was having one heck of a hangover. A feeling all to familiar for Rocket.
The people started to get closer and surround them all. They grabbed the other members legs and pants, but for Rocket being the same size as them they touched his face and he felt them grab his tail.
After multiple attempts to get them to stop, Rocket had enough. He pulled the rifle off his back and shot it into the air with a loud crackle the electricity flew into the air and all the people backed up.
"Yes, yes, I know we're awesome. Now can we get some food?" Yelled Rocket.
Drax came up from behind and held out one of the small blue people.
"According to Quils story about the small blue people they taste like fruit...maybe we could eat them?"
Peter came up and took the blue guy from Drax setting him down on the ground.
"You're talking about smurfs and no. I said they looked like blueberries not tasted like them." He shouted at Drax.
Peter crouched down and looked a few of the Small blue Kree in the eyes. He raised his hand and made motion of him eating.
"Can we get food?" He asked.
Their cheering stopped and changed to some language none of us understood. Some of the people left and just a few minutes later a couple of them returned with baskets filled with fruit and more. Where they got it from Rocket had no clue. Groot hopped off his shoulder and dived into the basket.
"I am Groot."
"Just don't get your dirty little feet all over the fruit."
Rocket gave them a couple hundred Units and then left to go back onto the ship. The other 5 members of the Guardians of the Galaxy stayed outside doing God knows what.
Rocket took a purple furry fruit from a basket and made his way back up to the cockpit. He sat in the chair and watched as the others walked somewhere, following the little blue guys.
Rocket only got a few minutes of peace and quiet before all hell broke loose. Suddenly a large red message displayed on the ships control pad.
# Emergency lock down activated
"Huh?" Rocket asked puzzled.
He heard the ships door close and not long after a metal sheeting went over all the windows wiring as curtains. The ship was dark and the only source of light was the small red Emergency lights that did a pisspoor job of doing what they were supposed to do.
And then a hologram appeared in front of Rocket.
"What the fuck?" He yelled.
The hologram was of a humanoid shaped figure but it was completely black. A black as dark as the night, and in various places it seemed to ripple like disturbed water.
"How did you lock down my ship?" Rocket ordered, "and what do you want?"
The figure was faceless but it's head moved to the side showing curiosity.
"This is not your ship." The voice was deep and gravely sounding. How it talked without a mouth he didn't know.
Rocket stood up and walked closer to the hologram. He eyed it up and down.
"Who are you, dickhead?" Rocket asked.
"I am an ancient being in need of help."
"Why us." He asked as if he didn't already know the answer.
"Because you are the Guardians of the Galaxy, no?"
Aaaaand there it was. Just like that he knew he wouldn't like what he was about to hear. It was probably going to be a shit job that would get them all hurt.
"Alright spit it out. What the hell do you want."
"I am a being whose sole purpose is to keep the universe in a functioning state. I do not interfere with the dangers in it unless they could be catastrophic to the universe itself-"
"What does any of that have to do with us? Are you going to tell me how your parents met next?" Rocket interrupted.
"There is a dying star, within its core is a material so raw, so powerful it will rip the universe apart."
Rocket scratched the hair under his chin deep in thought.
"Ok that's bad but..." Rocket took a deep breath and then shouted, "WHAT THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT THAT?"
The hologram watched him and never answered.
"How are we supposed to stop something powerful like that?"
"You have done it with a similiar stone before. I think you know what will have to be done. It will be almost certain death."
Rocket growled and walked over to the wall of the Milano.
"When...is...it...not." He yelled kicking the wall between each word.
After a few more keeps Rocket sighed in defeat. Something this dangerous and important only they could do. Because they were the only ones stupid enough to willingly risk their lives like this.
"Where is this stupid star?" Rocket asked.
"I have entered your ships programs so I have stored it in your database. I may also appear more times in the future to be of assistance and guide you all."
"Great..." He trailed off.
"Goodluck. Do not get the universe destroyed."
And with that the ship exited its lock down protocol and Rocket just stood there. He looked out of the window and all of his friends staring up at him through the cockpit window in confusion and shock. They must have noticed the ships lock down.
Rocket put his head in his hands and gave an exasperated sigh.
"We're so fucked."