A/N: This idea couldn't leave me alone. Damn it…
At least, this is a one-shot.
I watched a playthrough of Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy series, and honestly? There was a moment which I wished that an idea worked, at least partially. Be wary, these are spoilers for people who haven't played/watched Episode Two.
Without further ado, enjoy!
TO LOVE AND LOSE YOU
A Rocket/Lylla one-shot
Halfworld.
I really don't want to remember that place anymore, but it's home. It's home, and Lylla's final resting place…I-I just can't, can't, won't give up on what she's done for me. I can't believe that the bastard managed to off her like that…After days in which we were cut up, stitched up, had devices inserted in us, I just wanted…
…I just wanted to run away with her.
I still remember the day when she came in the lab, when the bastard brought her up for some experiments. I could hear the screams ringing from the other side of the door, and all I could do was shake my head and sigh — survival was necessary in these twisted, sick experiments.
She was beautiful, with those big eyes of hers, that creamy coat. She was an otter, and she had the most beautiful voice I've ever heard — the thought of sitting just right across her in a cage was everything that kept me going — and so, I endured for her.
"Subject 89P13," that bastard's voice rang in the large room where we were prisoners. "Time for another experiment. Let us see how well your brain has improved…"
It didn't matter how much pain I was going through, 'cause I would see her right there.
"89P13!" she would yell, at first, seeing me disfigured and hurt. "Are you okay?"
"My name's Rocket," I said to her, wincing through my pain. "What's your name?"
"Lylla," she replied with no hesitation.
"Lylla…"
Days after days passed, and we'd often share tales of the homeworld — before it looked like this — and once or twice, we were just comfortable sitting in silence, examining one another, looking for old and new wounds. If it wasn't for this guy…I'd probably hug her, lightly kiss her forehead.
"Rocket?" she said to me. "Have you ever felt lighter, when you talk to me?"
"What do you mean, Lylla?" I asked, thinking it was a little strange that she asked me that.
"I-I mean…relieved…that you have someone to listen to. S-Someone that listens to you." She said, slightly blushing…or maybe it was my imagination?
"Uh, yeah?" I replied, a little hesitant, not knowing that the answer to that opened a new world to me.
"Oh, I'm glad," she smiled to me. "I-I thought I was alone."
And then…that awful day came.
We planned to escape the facility together, and with what we learned, we could escape Halfworld altogether. Her ideas and my ingenuity combined were enough to take us out from this dreaded prison, this dreaded cage — I hated cages more and more everyday I was thrown back after a torturous experiment — and I was almost smiling at the taste of freedom.
"Subject 89P14…" the green bastard came down the room, with two robots surrounding him, "You have failed the experiments. Again…You do know what happens to failures, don't you?"
"No! Get away from her, you bastard!" I roared, as one of the robots was closing in on her.
"Subject 89P13, this doesn't concern—"
"Shut up, you green sicko!" I said, gritting my teeth. "Take me, if you want to kill someone!"
"Prepare the lethal injection." he ordered to the robot closing in on her.
"Lylla!"I shouted, trying hard to open up the gate, as I was tinkering with the small computer on my wrist. "Come on, you piece-a-junk!" I thought as the circuits were starting to whirr and whizz at my touch.
Eventually the gates opened, and I saved Lylla in the nick of time by kicking one of the robots down, and slamming the other one in the wall. She looked a little paler to me, and was almost fainting in my arms as I caught her — life was seemingly draining itself away from her.
"Lethal injection…" she could murmur as she was in my arms.
"Lylla, no! Hold on for me!" I said, panicked, as I carried her towards the exit.
With a sudden surge of energy, she jolted out of my arms, and started pushing on the control panel next to her, her eyes betraying what little life she held inside. It seemed she was determined to see the plan through, with or without her escaping this whole facility.
"Rocket, go!" she ordered me sternly as she blocked the green bastard from advancing further, while opening the facility's doors. "No time to lose, go! Survive for me!"
"To hell with it, Lylla, I'm not leaving you!" I roared as I picked her up again in my arms and dashed towards the facility's doors — that threatened to close on us faster than I could pilot a ship — and then I took her somewhere safe, as safe as it could be, then.
"Rocket…"
"Lylla…" I said to her, holding her paw. "I-I love—"
"I-I love y—" she said, before life vanished from her eyes.
Now, as Peter and I stood there, watching the whole thing unfold, the Eternity Forge seemingly useless, I lost it as I started to kick myself in the face, yell uncontrollably, sob as a little raccoon cub — and then Pete just hugged me.
"Calm down, Rocket." he said. "I-I kinda understand what you feel."
"Y-you shouldn't have seen this! She—" I started muttering under my breath.
"You loved her, didn't you?" Peter told me, as he looked at me with a sad smile. "You'd give anything to see her again, don't you?"
And then, the unexpected happened, as the Forge glowed with a green aura in my paw — whatever this crazy thing was, I hoped that it would give me a chance to see her, even if briefly, even if —
"Rocket?" her sweet, tender voice rang behind me, and I could see her.
Her sweet, innocent eyes were gazing at me with tender love, and I rushed to hug her, only to fall on my face. Was it just an illusion? No…she was a just a ghost…she seemed to realize that as much as myself. "Lylla…you're—"
"A mere ghost," she said with a chuckle. "I'm sorry."
"No, no," I said. "I-It's home enough for me."
Silence took the place of all the words I wished I could tell her — how much I loved her, how much I hoped that she'd actually be with me — and she did nothing but smile at me, while I was busy holding back my tears. "I don't have enough time, Rocket. The Forge will not hold me here for too long."
"Lylla," I said with a grave voice, "I'm sorry I couldn't prevent that from happening! If only I could've kicked that robot sooner—!"
"Don't blame yourself, Rocket," she told me, while briefly touching my face. I could feel the ethereal cold of her touch, and it was as if eons and eons separated us, as if it was both a hallucination and reality mixed in a single moment.
"Lylla…" I let out a sigh as I looked into her eyes. "I never got the chance to tell you I love you. I…"
"It's okay, Rocket," she smiled to me. "Know that I love you too, and no matter what happens, I'll always be with you."
The Forge's glow started to fade, as well as her — and I reached out my paw to her as she did the same — "I love you, Lylla." I uttered with a sad smile.
"I love you, Rocket…"
Days later, Peter and I were gazing at the stars, as I let out a sigh. "Pete…I can't begin to thank you for being there, for me— on Halfworld."
"Don't worry, Rocket. I'm sure she was happy to see you again, even if it was—"
"Weird," I finished the phrase. "Yes, definitely weird. The Forge's definitely made my day back then."
"Rocket, buddy?" Pete asked me, as he flashed one of his Star-Lord smiles.
"Yeah?" I replied, looking at him as I let out a snicker.
"There's a song that goes — 'I loved you and then I lost you', but as hard as that loss was for you, you've managed to become stronger." He pointed at my heart. "You're stronger for her, each day. Keep that in mind."
"Sure, will do, Pete. Will do."
