Hehe, I know you probably all weren't expecting me to post another chapter so early, but sense I only posted this story a few hours ago, and I already have 4 follows and 2 favs, I was flattered, really. So flattered in fact, that I had to post another chapter for all you lovers out there! (Special shout out my first reviewer! Glad you like the story already!) ;)
As usual, please enjoy the story, and don't hesitate to share your thoughts and smash that review button!
Chapter 2: The Newbie
Dang, that is one hot beast! That was one of the first things that Rocket couldn't help thinking about her. The Raccoon made her way to the group, and obviously, the rest of the guardians were just as surprised as Rocket was that it was yet ANOTHER, raccoon. Rocket couldn't take his eyes off of her, and it was all he could do to stop himself from drooling a little. He had never been the type to be interested in someone at all, but when it came to someone that looked just like him, how could he say no to that?
Peter walked beside the rest of the group, and all except Rocket backed away. "Guys, this is Sam," he introduced, "our new, Guardian of the Galaxy."
Rocket couldn't help chuckling a little at the sound of her name.
Immediately, she turned her furry head in his direction, her icy blue gaze staring into his. "What are you chuckling at?" She snapped right away.
Rocket almost flinched at the sudden tone of her voice, but tried to keep his cool. "Sam? Isn't that a name for a guy?" He said with a small smirk. Of course, being Rocket Raccoon, he couldn't help speaking his mind.
She glared at him briefly, but her expression turned back to normal a moment later. "Hmm, funny. You'd better be careful, swinging smart alek comments like that around me though," she warned, and Rocket couldn't help hiding a chuckle at this. He was starting to like her already.
Peter and Drax both exchanged silent smirks at each other, but they failed to hide them, and Rocket and Sam both turned to them, glaring in unison.
"We'll leave you two alone to get to know each other," Peter decided, as he and the rest of the team walked away.
He gave Rocket a small wink and smirked again, earning a tongue stick out from Rocket in reply. After Rocket was sure that they were gone, he turned his attention back to the new guardian, anxious about what to say next.
"What was that guy's problem?" Sam asked firmly.
Rocket shrugged. "I don't know, you tell me. The guy's practically an idiot!" he replied in a harsh tone of voice, baring his teeth grudgingly. "I have to deal with the kid's whining all day, every day, and let me tell you, it's not fun!"
He was hoping to get some kind of positive response from her, but all she did was nod in confirmation. "So Chuckles, you mind telling me your name, so that way I don't have to keep calling you that?" Sam asked, holding her sniper in her hands casually now.
"Rocket," he told her simply and bluntly. That was when he noticed her sniper rifle she held. "Nice gun by the way," he complimented.
"Thanks," she replied with a simple nod of acknowledgement. "And that's an- interesting name you have their," she pointed out. "Where'd you get that kind of name?"
Rocket felt himself tense up at the question. Of course, he didn't like to talk about where he came from, because of course, it all lead to the one obvious answer: The lab. That's as far as Rocket knew about his past about where he came from, and there was nothing that he could logically point out that could explain why he was a talking raccoon, despite her being one as well. "Birth name," he replied bluntly and swiftly, turning his head away in shame briefly, "What can I say?"
Sam scoffed. "Not much of a talker are you?" She asked with a rude roll of her eyes.
"Maybe I'm not," Rocket replied firmly, starting to feel himself heat up. He was starting to get annoyed and slightly angry at her one-way attitude. Couldn't she see that he liked her? But now, Rocket wasn't so sure about that anymore.
"Maybe you shouldn't keep giving me blunt answers then," she responded, her voice starting to get stern.
"Maybe I don't feel like it," Rocket retorted.
"Maybe you should."
"Maybe I don't think I should!"
"Then maybe I just don't care!" She snapped at once, starting to storm off.
Five sentences ago, Rocket knew that it would end this way. But man, he had to admit, she did have quite a short fuse for being a woman! Not even his fuse was that short!
He couldn't help letting out a smirk and face-palming himself playfully. Alright Sam, I can play that game with you.
After a moment later, Rocket decided that he should return to Peter and the others. But he knew that Sam wouldn't be happy to see him when he did come out. But it was her that had brought up where he was from in the first place! Being a raccoon herself, didn't she know any better than to ask Rocket about that? Clearly, she had to know the answer, didn't she? There was only place that Rocket knew of that Raccoons come from, and that was a lab. But he wasn't proud of it, being considered a test rat and all now. If they were going to get along at all, she had to understand that at least.
Rocket made his way back through the double metal doorway s, to find the group waiting right outside the doors.
Peter was the first one to notice his presence again, and smiled smugly, as if to tauntingly say, "How'd your first date go?" Rocket could literally read the words right off of his lips.
At that moment, he knew right then and there why Peter had been so hesitant about the subject concerning the recruit: He- well, she is this case, was a Raccoon, just like Rocket. Quill owed him a good explanation for his actions at this point, and fast.
"I see you two bonded pretty well back there," Peter said, the sarcasm echoing clearly in his voice, as he looked back at Sam, whom sat on a small, metal crate.
Rocket glanced in her direction as well, only to find her abruptly break off eye contact with him.
Drax looked over to him, then back at the female raccoon, but didn't speak, keeping his thoughts concealed. Groot, however, leaned in behind Rocket to speak. "I am Groot," he said, smiling lightly.
Rocket frowned at him and made a disgusted shooing motion with his paw in reply. "Ugh, I do not! Groot, how would you even know about that kind of stuff? You're just a big ass tree!" He insisted.
Groot whimpered at the insult a little and turned his head away in hurt.
Quill's expression turned puzzled at Groot's same sentence again, and he glanced back at Rocket as if expecting him to answer. "What'd he say?" He asked curiously.
Rocket turned his head away. "Nothing," he replied bluntly in annoyance.
Star-Lord didn't look convinced, but he shrugged in acknowledgment. "Whatever you say Rocket," he replied in uncertainty. Peter glanced to Sam. "I'll be back to show you to your quarters, but for now, you can take a look around, but- just please, don't touch anything!" He begged, clearly referring to the time Rocket had used pieces of his ship to create bombs. He hopped Sam wasn't thinking about doing the same thing.
But before Star-Lord could exit the hall, Rocket spoke up. "Hey, hold up Quill!" he said aloud.
Quill sighed with annoyance and turned his head hesitantly back to the Raccoon. "What now, Rocket?"
"Can I talk to you for a minute? Privately, please?" Rocket asked, trying to stop himself from exploding.
Quill found Rocket's request to be odd, but nodded for him to enter. After all, it's not like anything Rocket said was that important, right?
They both entered the cockpit of Peter's ship, and Star-Lord locked the hatch as they both made it inside. The space-like atmosphere blackened the outside of ship, the only source of light being bright stars many miles away.
Star-Lord sat down in the pilot's, main seat, and glanced back to Rocket. "I already know what you're going to say, Rocket, you don't have to go all Kamikaze Raccoon on me, so just let me explain-"
"Wait, Kami what?" Rocket interrupted in confusion.
Peter rolled his eyes. "Whatever, that's not the point, rodent!"
"You're right idiot, that's not the point!" Rocket restated firmly, feeling his voice start to rise. "The point, is that you brought another gray and black stripped- whatever you Humans call us, onto this ship, without telling me! I mean, I'll give you points for bringing a dang hot one, but still, Quill, really? What the hell! You know how I feel about newbies!" Rocket insisted.
"What's so bad about having another Raccoon like you on this ship?" Peter scoffed. "I would've thought you two would get along pretty well, considering your both hotheads."
Rocket's eyebrows rose. "What did you just call me, Star-Boy?" he challenged.
Peter sighed in distress. "IT'S STAR-LORD-"
"Whatever!" Rocket shouted above him. "Listen Quill, you owe me a darn good explanation for why she's here, I mean it!" He demanded. "I mean, come on man! It's bad enough having a crazy maniac and an insane assassin sleeping only a few rooms across from you, but Sam? She's another story."
Peter shook his head in disapproval and sighed again. "Look, Rocket. I brought Sam along, because I wanted you to be able to bond with someone like you," Peter explained.
The gun totting Raccoon looked at him puzzled. "Bond with someone? The heck Quill, I have Groot! I don't need some, hot headed- well, hot headed and attractive babe, following me around, yelling at me every second she gets a chance!" Rocket insisted in disbelief.
Peter chuckled. "Rocket, you only use Groot to hide behind for cover. Besides, he's just a big tree! You need someone like you around, someone that you can actually connect with, you know? And you're judging her too quick rodent. How do you know if she's really that bad? She's practically a mirrored image of you!"
Rocket growled a little and looked him in the eye, feeling incredibly offended. "Don't you dare talk about Groot that way! For your information, Mr. Star-Lord, I do not use him for cover, I use him as help! And second of all, Sam and I are NOTHING, alike! We have next to nothing in common! Use your head Quill, she doesn't belong here," he spat.
"Really?" Peter's voice echoed in amusement. "Because I'm pretty sure you guys seem to have the same personality type and interests….."
Rocket ignored him and looked away.
At this, Quill smiled smugly and chuckled again. "Rocket, I have to say, I'm disappointed in you. I would've thought you'd be interested in someone like you, but you don't seem to be into the idea."
"I'm not," Rocket snapped, "and honestly Peter, working with her is the last thing I'd rather do, I mean that."
Rocket had to admit, he was interested in Sam, considering that she was a Raccoon too, but she just wasn't his type.
Smiling falsely, Peter said, "Well guess what? Lucky day for you, because I am pairing you two together."
Rocket's fur prickled in alarm and his jaw dropped to the floor. "What?!"
"Yep," Peter continued in a cheerful tone, "You two get to work together during any job we do, from this point on. Doesn't that sound great?"
"No."
"Would it be better if I paired you up with Drax?"
"No."
"How about Gamora?"
"Oh, hell to the no!"
"What if I got you a new gun, new and improved? Would you work with her then?" Peter teased him.
"NO!"
"Well guess what? You still get paired up with her."
Rocket groaned with anger and kicked the seat across from him. "I hate you so much…." He muttered under gritted teeth.
Peter sighed. "I know. But just please Rocket, try to work with her at least once? If things don't work out during the first few jobs, I'll consider resigning her," he begged.
Rocket lowered his head in discouragement.
"Come on man, just once? One try, one try Rocket, just one job I swear."
Rocket kept his head lowered a moment. Then, against the odds, his head hesitantly rose again. "One job?" He restated seriously.
Peter nodded eagerly. "One job," he confirmed.
The Raccoon cocked in head to the side, and winced almost in a painful manner, as if trying to consider his options. "I'll do it," he blurted out finally.
Star-Lord smiled and patted his head lightly. "That's what I like to hear. Trust me Rocket, I know you're going to like her!" He insisted.
The Raccoon sighed in dismay. "Whatever you say Quill," he said sarcastically, before turning to walk away. Yeah right, Rocket thought to himself.
"Wait, hey!"
Rocket glanced back at Peter. "What now?"
"Mine showing Sam to her quarters while you're at it?" Peter offered.
Rocket didn't even try to protest at this point. "Fine, whatever man, can I go now?" He asked miserably. "You've ruined my life enough already…"
"Yeah, go ahead, but don't forget….." Peter nodded, but not before he clicked his tongue and made a gun motion with his finger, putting his thumb down and winking at him in a sly kind of way. "Don't forget to try your luck with her."
Rocket rolled his eyes again and started down the ladder, ignoring what he just saw. "Yeah right," Rocket muttered to himself, as he descended back into the lower deck of the ship, "some day I'm having. Yes sir, some day Rocket Raccoon is having.