Because reasons. Enjoy~

Peter had always been good at taking on people that outnumbered him, even if it was six to one. But when he wasn't expecting it or had time to think any of it over, it was a whole lot more difficult. That's what got him where he was now, pinned to a wall by two guys with another one beating the shit outta him. They knew what they were doing too, while the two guys had his arms they used some weird tech to pin his legs to the wall too, leaving all his limbs unusable to fight. He knew why they were beating him of course, he had stolen one of their unit strips, but that didn't mean they had taken him any less by surprise. Zapping him before pinning him had really given them the advantage. He could feel himself about to black out and he knew one more bunch would do it, then he'd be dead. What a way to go.

Without warning the man punching him let out a scream and backed away, trying to grab at something on his back. He turned around and Peter saw Rocket with his claw dug deep into his back, his teeth latched onto his shoulder with a look on his face that was completely animalistic and completely livid. The men holding Peter's arms ran over to help, only to cry out in pain when Rocket scratched both their faces and lept onto one of them, biting down on his arm, hard. Peter watched in a daze as Rocket bit and scratched, snarling and growling and making a weird trilling noise as he attacked them. Rocket landed in front of Peter and snarled at them, his teeth and claws covered in blood.

"No one messes with my pack! NOW BEAT IT!" The men ran off at top speed, not looking back. Rocket turned around to look at Peter, releasing his feet and backing away when Peter collapsed to the floor. "Come on, on your feet. You can do it." Peter nodded and forced himself to stand. "We'll get you some ice back on the Milano. Can you see straight?" Peter shook his head, his vision was blurry and dotted with black blots. "Come on." Rocket grabbed Peter's left index finger and lead him into the crowd, guiding him back to the ship port. Peter followed Rocket's lead through the crowd, not noticing the looks they all got as the little raccoon led him to the port. "Watch your step." Peter was careful as he stepped into the ship and Rocket sat him at the table. "Wait here."

"Ok," Peter mumbled, sitting there and waiting for Rocket to come back. "Rocket?" A grunt was the reply. "What did-what did you mean when you said, your pack?" The answer wasn't immediate and Peter didn't expect it to be. He felt something cold in his hand and he raised it to his face, flinching at the coldness then letting out a sigh of content as it soothed his aching face.

"Because that's what you are, all of you," Rocket said matter-of-factly, sitting on the table by Peter. "It's an animal thing, I guess. I don't know if whatever I was before actually traveled in packs, but I know that a lot of animals did. I also know that it was the job of every member of those packs to protect each other. So, that's what I did. I protected a pack member." Peter smiled but refrained from chuckling, that would give him a headache. He removed the ice and shifted it around in the bag a moment before placing it back on his face.

"Well, thanks," Peter said quietly, getting another grunt as a response. "I guess I owe you one." Rocket snorted and Peter removed the ice when he heard his feet hit the floor. Rocket was walking away. "What?"

"You don't owe me anything," Rocket told him. "It's just a thing friends do." Peter watched Rocket until he was out of sight then slowly put the ice back on his face. Friends. Well, even if Rocket said that Peter still knew that he at least sort of owed him, maybe the only way to repay him was to promise to do the same thing if Rocket ever needed it. Peter nodded softly to himself. Yeah, he'd do that.

And that's a wrap!

Thanks for reading, please review and have a bow chicka bow wow day~

Petchricor, QotG, signing off ;)