Author: so this tumbled around in my head for a while before I got it
written down. Some cute Pocket fluff. I own nothing except the guards.
"I thought you said it was simple... snatch and grab." Gamora said, glaring at Peter.
It had started out simple.
They went in, killed the guards, got the information, gave the storage device to Rocket then headed back the way they came.
"Why give the device to Rocket?" Drax had asked as Rocket secreted it away.
Peter had looked at Rocket then raised an eyebrow at Drax before asking, "Would you try to take it from a gun-toting, mildly psychotic raccoon who builds bombs for fun and can turn just about anything into one?"
Rocket grinned up at Drax, showing a full mouth of very sharp teeth that not even the Destroyer wanted to have sunk into his skin. "Ya wanna try me ya big oaf?" he chuckled.
"No my small furry friend. I do not believe I do." Drax admitted.
Peter had been quite pleased with himself.
The mission had been going better than he had planned in his head (and not 12% of a plan either thank you very much). Or at least it had been, until...
"So I didn't account for a few extra guards." Peter shrugged as Gamora smacked him upside the head.
"Friend Quil I do not believe eight counts as "a few". Perhaps you should consider re-learning to count." Drax said.
Wild laughter erupted from overhead which made Peter cringe and Drax smile.
"Rocket." Gamora groaned.
"Don't go and try to smack me 'round woman. I'll bite back." Rocket warned, still snickering at he dove from the rafters to land on Drax's shoulders.
"Subject 89P13." one of the guards, a Kree unless Gamora missed her guess, chuckled.
"The name's Rocket." Rocket snarled.
"Why did he call you Subject...?" Drax began.
"Shaddup." Rocket snapped, teeth clicking shut dangerously close to the Destroyer's ear before he jumped down to land on the floor.
"They don't know what a little freak you are? About Half-world?" the guard asked, smirking.
"Shut yer FRACKING MOUTH!" Rocket roared, rushing towards the lead guard.
"Rocket!" Quil shouted.
Rocket jumped onto the guard's chest and dug his claws into his shoulder's. There were scars from four deep claw marks on one side of his face, which Rocket realized were his doing. "Oh... it's you." he snarled before sinking his teeth into the crook of the Kree's neck.
"Fracking RODENT!" the Kree guard shouted, tearing Rocket off him. Blue-grey blood poured from his bite wound and Rocket spat a nice sized chunk of flesh onto the floor.
"I should have gone for your jugular." Rocket growled, fighting the urge to curl into a ball.
He hated his animal instincts sometimes... especially when someone had him by the scruff of his neck.
"I will slit your throat and end your pitiful life vermin." the Kree snarled, pressing a knife to Rocket's throat.
Peter wasn't aware of pulling the trigger of one of his Quad Blasters until the laser hit the Kree guard in the leg, forcing him to his knees.
"Let him go." he snarled.
The Kree released Rocket to let him drop roughly and smirked as his knife blade glittered wetly.
Rocket touched his throat and whimpered at the pain. "Pete." he sobbed, holding out his blood covered paw.
"Shit! Rocket, come here!" Peter shouted.
"Kill it!" the Kree guard shouted.
Laser blasts exploded around Rocket as he raced this way and that, scrambling to get to safety.
"Cowards!" Gamora raged, rushing past Rocket to slam her Godslayer into one of the guard's chests.
Drax saw red as Rocket screeched in pain and tumbled through the air to land roughly at Peter's feet.
Two more guards fell to his knives and another was run through with Gamora's Godslayer.
"Rocket." Peter whispered, crouching to gently touch his furry friend.
"Pete." Rocket whined.
His paws hurt.
His throat hurt.
Everything hurt.
And his back... it hadn't hurt this much since Half-World.
"Shh.. shh.. let's wrap you up. Okay?" Peter whispered, sliding out of his jacket and gently setting it on Rocket.
He expected to be scratched or at least hissed at... because... it was Rocket.
But the quivering and bloodly bundle of fur at his feet... in his arms... only leaned into his touch and while it terrified him, it made his heart ache even more.
Rocket gathered the fabric of the jacket against his throat, trying to staunch the blood flow.
It was impossible to guess who was more terrified: him or Peter.
"Shh... it'll be okay. You'll be okay." Peter whispered, peeking at Rocket's back. He gagged and swallowed back bile.
The wound on Rocket's back was mostly confined to the scar tissue but there was definitely alot of muscle damage.
Even worse though... his cybernetics were damaged.
"Peter." Gamora called.
All the other guards where dead, except two.
The one who had shot Rocket.
And the Kree, who Drax had by the hair with a knife pressed against his throat.
Gamora had the shooter on his knees on front of her with the flat of Godslayer against his throat.
"Bleed him. Then turn him around." Peter growled as Rocket wiggled up his chest to bury his face in the crook of his neck.
The shooter gasped when a line of blood appeared at his throat and Gamora none to gently forced him to put his back to Peter.
Rocket's nose twitched beside Peter's ear and he whined.
Drax looked up at Peter, silently asking permission to kill the Kree.
"Not yet." he snarled, aiming his blaster at the guard who had shot Rocket.
Gamora stepped away as the shooter's body convulsed then fell to the floor, back smoking from the laser blast.
"Why do you care so much for that freak?" the Kree spat.
"His name is Rocket. He's a friend, a part of my team and a member of my family. And you, you asshole, signed your death warrant when you hurt him." Peter growled coldly.
Rocket purred softly in his ear despite his pain and Peter jumped when he felt something warm and wet touch his neck... Rocket's tongue.
As Rocket nuzzled him, he saw the lick for what it was: a thank you.
"You're welcome pal." Peter breathed.
"Now?" Drax asked, pulling his attention from Rocket.
"Now." Peter agreed.
Drax didn't need any prompting to slice the Kree's throat and stepped away so not to get any of the blue grey blood on him.
Peter lowered his nose into Rocket's fur so the smell of blood wouldn't make him retch.
He had never intended to be a murderer... to his knowledge he had never killed anyone except Ronan and his flunkies.
But these assholes had deserved it today.
"C'mon. Rocket needs to be taken care of." he said, stepping over fallen bodies to return to the Milano.
"What about the storage device?" Drax asked.
"Shit." Gamora hissed.
They had all forgotten about it.
Rocket shifted a little and slid the storage device from his jumpsuit, pushing it out of the jacket to show Peter.
"You had it all this time?" Peter whispered.
Rocket smiled his toothy grin briefly before closing his eyes and burrowing down into Peter's jacket.