Brooklyn, 1996
Life at the Raccoon household had always been a chaos. They were a big family all living at the same big house that never seemed big enough for them.
He'd wake up soon after the sunrise, thanks to his paternal grandmother's loud noise (out of all rooms, he got the one closest to the kitchen). He eventually got used to being an early riser, to the point he woke up early even when Grandma would go to the hospital due to her diabetes, but the sound of her making breakfast before 6AM was still a little annoying.
Ron and his grandmother would enjoy some peace and quiet for 15 minutes still, and then everyone else would wake up: his parents, his two uncles and aunts, his grandfather, his mother's aunt and his three cousins. Aunt Teresa was 80 years old and claimed by Alzheimer's; she'd usually scream some nonsense in the mornings, which would be followed by Grandpa telling her to shut up.
(Grandpa would never admit it, but everyone knew he missed the morning shouting contest after Aunt Teresa passed away. They all did, after all.)
He was the oldest of his cousins, followed by Grover, who was 3 years younger. They got along the best of them all, bonding by their love for music and comic books. Ron also loved Grover more because he never screamed much, not even in his infant years.
School was strangely quieter than his house, maybe because he had few friends—not that he ever intended to have more. Since he lived only two blocks away from school, he'd have lunch at home along with his whole family. Grandma always allowed them to bring one friend—but only one friend each day. Ron rarely brought one; his friends were too shy for his home atmosphere.
Georgina's arrival didn't change much on their daily routine, but it did bring some quiet in the first months. In a silent agreement, everyone decided to give her space to grieve, and it included quiet times too. (Naturally, Aunt Teresa didn't follow through this agreement, though she seemed to somehow understand that the new house member was going through intense emotional pain. Demented people seemed to have weird insights.)
Being the two oldest of the new generation, Ron and Grover took upon themselves to help Georgina through her grief. Not that they knew how to do it. In fact, the girl didn't welcome their attempts at all at first.
"Leave me alone", she'd snap at them every three days, after a few attempts to cheer her up.
"Just let me grieve in peace", she said once or twice.
"Look guys", she said another time. "I know you have the best intentions, and I'm sorry for lash out on you of all people, but I really want to deal with my feelings by myself. I've got to get used to being alone."
"But you're not alone", Grover replied instantly. "You have me, Ron and all the fam—"
"Okay, we understand", Ron interrupted his cousin, glancing at him as to tell him to shut up. "But if you need anything, you know where to find us."
She nodded, her expression almost grateful. He grabbed Grover and took him to his room. As soon as he closed the door, the younger one started talking again, "But she isn't alone! This house is big and crowded!"
"Yeah, Grover, but none of us are her family. We're nearly strangers to her. She only ended up here because Mom was her mother's best friend, and she had no family to turn to." He went over to his bed and sat down. "Put yourself in her place. She lost her mother, found out her father is a serial killer and got separated from her twin sister. And on top of all that, she's been watched by the police 24/7, because her father might come to kill her." He looked at the floor. "She doesn't need us pestering her. If she ever feels comfortable with us, she'll come."
He realized Grover might not understand what he meant. The kid was only 11, after all. But then his cousin surprised him with his next words, "When she feels comfortable. We've got to change our strategy. Offer comfort without getting close? I don't know if it makes sense."
After a moment of stunned silence, Ron agreed. "We just need a new plan, I guess."
And a new plan they made. Now, instead of pestering her with questions and offers, they decided for a more silent approach. Ron would sometimes leave a plate of strawberries—her favorite fruit—at the kitchen's table in random times of the day. When he caught her alone , he wouldn't always check her in, and when he did, he always had an excuse.
"Georgina, are you any good in English? I need help with this reading."
"Hey, would you mind hear this solo I practiced in my guitar?"
"Can you help me with timing my runs?"
She'd usually accept his offers, but every now and then she'd either straight up refuse or make up an excuse of her own. Often she used Aunt Teresa, given they shared the bedroom and she felt duty-bound to take care of her.
"Sweetie, you don't have to look after Aunt Teresa", his mother said once. "We are all used to do it."
"It's no problem, Mrs. Raccoon", she replied. "She's the only one I take care of besides myself."
She said it as a way to show she didn't have much to do, but they both understood the real meaning behind her words.
Still, she was half-lying. Georgina didn't take care of herself.
Grover tried his best too. The kid once saw him asking her for a guitar solo demonstration, and decided to do the same—first with flute, later with harmonica as well. He also would ask her to help with the house's garden—a job that had been his since he was 8 and showed great interest in gardening.
They kept like that for six months, relying on her silence as a good sign. One day, though, after Ron played guitar for her, she suggested, "You and Grover should try to play a song together. I'm not that knowledgeable with music, but I think your guitar and his flute and harmonica could sound good together."
He smiled and nodded. "We can try. Any song ideas?"
"Everybody wants to rule the world", she said after some thinking. "By… Tears for Fears? Yeah, that's the band's name."
He nodded. "I know this one. Let me see what Grover thinks of it."
Weeks later, he walked in the kitchen to catch her eating some strawberries. As he grabbed his cup to fill with water, he heard her saying, "Thanks, Ron."
He turned to see her. "For what?"
She gave him a half-smile. "For the strawberries. And the songs. And… everything, really. You and Grover helped a lot."
He just said "You're welcome", and drank his water.
"You've made great progress this past year, Ron. I don't say it often, but congratulations."
Ron smiled wide at his instructor's praise. He had just won a state runner competition, after two years of being in second place.
"Thanks, Coach Gray. It means a lot to me."
The adult gave him a tiny smile. "I'm hard on you because you asked me to help making you the best. But kid, you'd make a fine career on running if you wanted. Maybe even the 2000 Olympics, if we start focused training now."
"I'm honored, Coach, but I'm still aiming for NASA."
"Fair enough. It's a huge goal too. By the way, how's school?"
He shrugged. "I'm having a bit of trouble with English, but it's mostly because most of the readings this year have been boring so far."
"It's still November, Ron."
"Still. I miss Edgar Allan Poe. And 'Phantom of the Opera'."
Their small talk was interrupted by his parents approaching him to hug him tightly. Before leaving, he thanked his coach once again.
"See you on Wednesday, kid", his instructor said as Ron left.
Against his hopes, they managed to find a table big enough for the entire family plus Georgina. Only Aunt Teresa was absent, which was obvious—she couldn't get out of bed for longer than a walk to the bathroom. Her nurse agreed to stay for the night so everyone could celebrate.
The dinner was joyful and loud, as everything his family did. After a few drinks, Georgina was brave enough to go to the small stage where the band was playing and offered herself to sing. She whispered a suggestion, and they seemingly obeyed.
It was only after she started singing that he recognized David Bowie's Starman. Seriously?
Oh well. He wasn't going to complain. It was the best he'd seen of her since she arrived at his home.
Summer of 1997
After a talk with the school's principal, Ron and his family agreed to have him skip 9th grade. He was already on advanced classes for most subjects; according to Mr. Jones, holding him back would be a waste of time.
He was slightly sad that he wouldn't get to see his friends in classes, but it seemed a small detail compared to the benefits. His friends themselves were happy for him, and he agreed to take them to have lunch at his home more often—no one dared suggest he'd start having lunch at school, since they all knew his grandmother's cooking was way better.
Still, jumping straight to 10th scared him a bit. Despite his high IQ, he never skipped school years before; his family was afraid he'd suffer bullying. Now he was older and able to stand up for himself, but the fear was still above their heads.
Georgina sensed his tension and decided it was time to "pay him back" for the help he gave her when she moved in.
"You don't need to do anything", he said at first. "I never expected anything in return for what I did."
"Nonsense", she replied, waving it off. "Besides, this is my last summer before college, and I have a lot of plans."
She'd take him (and sometimes Grover) to karaoke nights often, and also to movies. it's not like I can do this with only him."
"Him who?"
He only got that answer hours later, when they were almost out of town.
"Grover, Ron"—yes, she took Grover along—"this is my almost-boyfriend, Peter Quill. Peter, those are my friends Ron and Grover. I told you about them."
"Yeah, but you've told us nothing about him!" He mentally thanked his cousin for voicing his frustration.
"I'm not your almost boyfriend!", Quill guy exclaimed right after, turning Georgina's attention to him instead of Grover. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"You haven't even asked me on date yet, Starlord", she said, with a mocking tone. "You're lucky I just let it clear that I'd accept if you do."
He sighed and turned to the two teens. "Hey, guys. Like she said, I'm Peter Quill, Georgina and I are… almost dating… which is something not many people know now", he quickly glanced at her, "but they will when we arrive at college hand in hand", on that it was her turn to glance at him, "and anyway, it's not about our relationship we want to talk about to you."
He and Grover exchanged glances. Ron spoke up, "Then what is it, that you had to take us so far from Brooklyn? I don't even know where we are in New York, to be honest."
"This is North Riverdale, on Bronx", Georgina explained. "We're almost out of town. A few minutes by car and we get to Yonkers. We'll tell you soon why here of all places, but first let Peter tell you our proposal."
He looked at her with wide eyes for a second, but then turned to them and talked again. "Georgina told me you two are good with instruments. Ron plays guitar and Grover plays harmonica and and flute, right?" They nodded, and he went on, "Well, she can sing and play violin. I can sing, though not as well, and play the bass. I've been wanting to start a band for ages, but never found enough interested people to join in. Georgina said that, if you two would like, we could. Start a band, you know."
Ron turned to Georgina with a frown. "G, you know I'm about to start 10th grade. And I have to keep up with my schedule if I want to make to NASA."
She gave him a soft smile in return. "I know, Ron. That's what I told Peter. But none of us want it to be a professional band, you know? Just for fun, to play at small events and restaurants. A hobby." She took a step closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Over that last year he finally reached her height. "It's up to you and Grover to decide, but I really think you need something like this to relax."
He bit his lip and looked away. She was right; he barely did anything for pure fun these days. Sure, he read some comics and fiction books, but most of his daily activities were done with a goal in mind.
Besides, he could always drop out if things got too hard.
Grover was looking at him. He knew what that look meant: his cousin would follow him regardless of his decision; to ask him what he wanted would be a waste of time.
"I think I can speak for Grover when I say yes", he said with a small smile. From the corner of the eye, he saw Grover nod.
Georgina smiled gently, while Quill beamed. "Great, guys!", he exclaimed.
"Wait", Grover said before Quill could speak more. "Don't we need a drummer?"
"That's why we're here", Quill promptly answered. "This is where our future drummer lives."
Since they had all gone by subway, they went the rest of the way walking. Meanwhile, Georgina and Quill told them about Drake, their supposed drummer.
"He's lived by himself for a few years", Georgina said. "He lost his wife and daughter… to Thanos."
Silence fell on them for a few moments. Ron could only imagine how it felt for her to meet someone who also lost loved ones to her father.
"I met him at the gym, two weeks ago", Quill continued. "He's my instructor, actually. We talked a lot, and eventually reached the subject of music. He's played drums way before his family died, and has been on a couple bands. He really liked my idea of starting a band, but asked me to find members instead of him, because he used to be the youngest of the bands he joined."
"How old is he?", was the question.
"Thirty", was the answer.
Damn. Twice Ron's age. But he supposed it wasn't a problem, since the two older teens were okay with it. He might not know Quill, but he trusted Georgina's judgement.
Thought it was a good thing he asked for the boy to look for members. If the youngest was 30 by now, he wondered how old his former band mates were.
Quill knocked at a door of a small house. They didn't have to wait for long until a shirtless muscular man answered it. "Hey, Quill!", he exclaimed loudly, ruffing the young man's hair. Then he looked around to see Georgina, Ron and Grover. "I see you brought some friends. Is this about the band you told me about? And oh, please, come inside."
Quill introduced everyone to the man as they got inside, and he closed the door behind them. Politely, he shook their hands, with a 'nice to meet you' for him and Grover, and asked if anyone wanted a glass of water or a cup of coffee. He and Grover accepted water.
There wasn't much left to discuss about the band. Georgina would be the main vocals, Quill would play the bass and be second main vocals (she would play violin if he were to ever lead a song), Drake would play the drums, Ron would play the guitar and Grover would play flute or harmonica. They figured Grover and Georgina's instruments could cover for the lack of a pianist.
"I know a boy in my school who plays piano", Georgina said eventually. "I already talked to him about the band, and he declined my invitation to join. He said he could play as guest member every once in a while, though."
Next topic of conversation was the band's name. Quill already had something in mind.
"Guardians of the Galaxy", he said enthusiastically. Ron raised an eyebrow at that.
"You mean like those Marvel comics few people know about?"
"Exactly! Good to know you are one of those few people, by the way. And Drake. We once talked about it for hours, right, bud?", Beside him, Drake, now with a shirt on, nodded. "I even have codename for each of us!"
"You mean artistic name", Georgina replied deadpan. Quill waved it off.
"You know what I meant. If you guys agree, I could be Starlord, Georgina is Gamora, Drake is Drax, Ron is Rocket and Grover is Groot."
Grover's instant question was, of course, "You're not expecting me to keep saying 'I am Groot' all the time, are you?"
Everyone laughed. Ron thought about his proposed new alias. Rocket had always been a character he related to, more than any other—maybe seconded by Starlord, but a distant second. He didn't know whether Quill was basing on their personalities or their first names for the names, but he liked his.
Besides, Rocket and Groot were close friends, much like he and Grover were the closest cousins.
Drax, like Drake, had lost his family due to—
That's why 'Thanos' always sounded so familiar…
He looked at Georgina to see her reaction. Either she wasn't aware of the similarities between her and Gamora, or she didn't care.
As everyone agreed, Quill—Starlord—mentioned he had an agent in mind for them, if they ever needed one.
"My dad, Yan—let's call him Yondu to keep an aesthetic here—is an expert in business. If we ever need assistance, he's the go-to guy."
Nobody had another name to bring to discussion, so that topic was finished as soon as it started.
"Now", said Quill again, "we should start planning our debut. Places, songlist, this kind of thing."
"It must be somewhere Ron and Grover are allowed to enter", Georgina (Gamora?) warned. He nodded.
"We can look for places and decide the songlist through this week", Drake (Drax?) suggested. "We can meet near your places next time."
Ron suggested a café near their house. They agreed to meet on the following Friday.
Their first performance as a band happened a month later. On their meeting at the café, they had agreed to specialize in songs from 70s and 80s—they all liked songs from that period, and it was the perfect excuse to not have to learn every new song that was released.
"I think I speak for us all when I say we don't have time to keep up with the latest singles released", Starlord said—they all quickly grew used to refer to one another by their aliases. "Gamora and I will start college soon, Rocket has to focus on his training for NASA, Groot has school to worry about and Drax has his work at the gym."
"Why does it sound like something your father would say, instead of your own words?", Gamora asked with an amusing smile. Starlord's blush said it all.
Her friend Loki managed to get them to play on an event at Stark Industries. She once again asked tried to convince him to join the band as the keys, but he declined once again.
"I remember him hanging out with his brother's friends every now and then", she told them during a rehearsal. "The ones who witnessed mom's murder, you know. I don't think he wants to join any group of friends for the time being."
Rocket secretly enjoyed to be called her friend.
Since he and Groot already knew how to play Everybody wants to rule the world—thanks to Gamora's suggestion months before—, it was the first song they picked. They picked other eleven songs: Europe's 'The final countdown' and 'Carrie', Queen's 'Radio Ga Ga' and 'We will rock you', Eagles' 'Hotel California', Survivor's 'Eye of the tiger', Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls just wanna have fun', Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a prayer', Scorpions' 'Wind of change', Kenny Logins' 'Footloose' and, as duet for Gamora and Starlod, '(I've had) the time of my life'.
Quill had insisted to be main singer for Footloose, claiming it was his favorite song from his favorite movie. Though Drax questioned his tastes—with good reason—, nobody opposed.
A week before their big day, Gamora took the two cousins to the mall. "We are performing in a fancy event", she explained, "so we all need to be dressed accordingly."
Loki himself met them there to help the boys. He patiently guided them through many shops until they found something that suited each of them in both size and style.
"None of your choices are ideal", he commented after they left the last shop with Groot's outfit. "But I suppose that being from a band can give you an excuse for wearing less formal attire."
The cousins exchanged glances and shrugged. It wasn't like they knew anything about what Loki was saying, anyway.
His mother was beyond excited when the day came. She had managed to get invites for her, his father and Groot's parents so they all could watch their 'babies' performing for the first time.
"Oh my God, my boys are growing up so fast", she said once, eyes watery. He sighed.
"C'mon, mom, I skipped a whole grade and that's what makes you proud?"
"Oh, my dear, I'm always proud of you", she said with a smile. "But none of us ever thought you'd be part of a band! And performing at Stark Industries of all places! Soon enough you'll perform on Madison Square Garden!"
"Whoa, whoa there", he said when her eyes got too shiny. "We are not professionals, mom. And if the band ever reaches that level, I'll probably have dropped out for ages. NASA is still my top priority."
His mother deflated a little—but soon she was back to talking excitedly about his performance that night. Thankfully, his father just smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. He wouldn't be able to handle both of his parents gushing over him.
They took a cab for each family to get to the main building, where the event would take place. Gamora would go with Starlord and Drax, with most of their instruments. They were welcomed with a red carpet, with many reporters around.
Thankfully, whoever those reporters were waiting for, the Raccoon family wasn't on the list. Although shyly, they all managed to walk in without being bothered. It helped that a young woman was waiting for them at the door.
"Good evening", she said politely. "I'm Pepper Potts, one of Mr. Stark's assistants. Could you please confirm your names?"
"Rocket, Groot and family", he replied instantly. Quill had warned him that he had sent their artistic names.
She checked on her clipboard and nodded. "Follow me. You are to perform at the dinner hall."
Still shy, the family followed her. After an incredibly fast elevator ride to the 16th floor, they arrived at an empty hall. "The first part of the event will happen on another floor, where Mr. Stark will show some of his next releases", she explained. "We assumed you'd rather stay here for adjustments and final rehearsals, but if you'd rather watch Mr. Stark's presentation, I can take you there."
Her face upon mentioning Mr. Stark was bored, as if indicating there wasn't much to see. Before he could answer, though, his father said, "Thank you, Mrs. Potts, but we'd rather stay here. At least until the other band members arrive."
She nodded with a small smile. "Alright. If you don't mind, I'll head back to the entrance." Without waiting much for an answer, she left.
His mother looked at her husband with a frown. "Mrs. Potts? There was no ring on her hand."
His father shrugged. "I didn't pay attention. Besides, it's fun to call someone Mrs. Potts." He grinned. "Do you think there's a Lumiére here too?"
Everyone laughed. The parents took their seats at a table near the stage, and he and Groot went there to adjust their instruments.
"So, the first number will be Footloose", he reminded himself out loud. "You and Gamora stay behind, since you'll only feature from the second song and on", from the corner of his left eye, he saw Groot nodding, "which will be Wind of change."
He let Groot test his instruments before testing his guitar. His cousin would switch between harmonica and flute for the entire performance, unlike the rest of them, who would stick to a single one for the whole night.
Gamora, Starlord and Drax arrived half an hour later, followed by Yondu—who they had been introduced to a week prior. Then, his family (and Yondu) followed Potts to the floor where Mr Stark's demonstrations would take place. "I thought you'd be interested in watching the first part", Gamora said to him as she approached them."
"I'm sure it will show on TV tomorrow", he replied. "Besides, I'd rather make sure our performance will be the best possible."
"That's the spirit!", Starlord said excitedly, ruffling Rocket's hair. "Now, we have a little less than three hours left for a final rehearsal. Let's do this!"
Their performance went by smoothly. Thanks to the three-hour wait, they had time to adjust everything—leading to a show without technical errors and accidents.
Despite the spotlights right above them, Rocket was still able to see the crowd's reaction to them. Some didn't bother much, taking them as background noise to their dinner and chatting. Most of them, though, took their time to watch them perform—and reacted positively to it.
Starlord's opening number was fun; he saw some people standing up to dance. Then, Gamora's cover of Wind of change left a few people with watery eyes. Not only her voice was beautiful, he assumed the song sparked some memories of recent past—if anything he knew about the song was correct.
Another song that sparked reaction from many people was Gamora and Starlord's duet. Many stood up to dance and clap along; the smiles from the couple's faces—Quill had officially asked Gamora to be his girlfriend two days before—helped cheering the crowd.
Starlord and Drax stayed out of Everybody wants to rule the world. It had been a request from Gamora, claiming she had loved his and Groot's version with flute and guitar only. Their audience seemingly agreed, if the loud clapping at the end was anything to go by.
However, the most acclaimed number was the final one. Except for Drax, everybody left their instruments aside and used only their hands and feets to make the melody for We will rock you. As soon as they caught on, half of the crowd went along. As a last-minute decision, Quill was the first to sing, followed by Gamora, backed up by Rocket, Groot and Drax.
The whole audience stood up to clap and cheer. He faintly heard a "That's my boy!", which seemed to come from either from his father or his uncle.
Mr. Stark himself went up to the stage to thank them for their performance. "And let me tell you all", he added, turning to the crowd, "that this is their first performance ever. You all got to see the Guardians of the Galaxy debut! Personally, I'd love to see how their path will go. These guys are promising, I'm telling you."
Another wave of clapping followed that little speech. Only Starlord managed to keep his head up, smiling wide; the rest of them glanced away, blushing or rubbing their necks.
Another hour went by before the event officially ended. It was just enough for them to eat and talk to a few people who showed interested.
"I think we managed to schedule four shows for the next two months", Quill said as they left. "Two still in August and two in September."
"When are the shows in September gonna be?", he asked, worry clear in his voice.
"All in weekends", Yondu was quick to assure him. "I don't think any of you can afford to perform on weekdays, anyway."
"But we have to rehearse on weekdays", Drax said. "Otherwise we won't do as well as we did tonight."
Rocket shrugged. "I don't mind rehearsals after school, as long as I'm able to keep my own schedule in check."
His mother quickly replied, "Darling, you can finish all your studies in two days. You just need to schedule rehearsals after your exercise routine."
Well, she wasn't wrong. "But I want at least three free days to study", he added.
"Man, relax", Starlord said. "We're gonna rehearse three days a week. Gamora and I will start college. We've got to have time to actually do something there. Groot's starting a new school year too, and Drax's got to work. You may have the least free time of us all, Rocket, but at least for now we'all be busy." He patted his shoulder as his said it, and Rocket gave him a tiny grin.
Winter of 1998
"Are you taking drugs?", was Starlord's first reaction upon seeing Rocket.
He rolled his eyes. "Unlike you, I actually stick to my exercise routine. And diet."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Drax nodding. "You're one sandwich away from turning overweight, dude."
"Oh, c'mon, man! I'm not that bad…" Drax raised an eyebrow at him. Quill sighed. "Okay, I guess I haven't been eating as healthy as I should. But college is stressful!"
"If you get diabetes on college, it's going to be even more stressful."
At least Starlord was quick to accept defeat, and didn't give any reply to that statement.
"Now that we're done talking about weight and… diabetes", Gamora said after a short silence. "We've got to talk about that offer."
Rocket grimaced. "What offer?"
"A night club asked us to perform there next Saturday", she explained. "But they won't let any minors in." She finished looking directly at him. "Either we decline, or we try harder to get them to let you in."
He looked at her boyfriend. "You play the bass", he said matter-of-factly. "Can't you switch to guitar?"
Quill sighed. "Well, I can, but nobody else plays the bass here. And the bassist is just as important as the guitarist, you know that."
Yes, he knew that. He also knew, from their own previous talks, that, although most night clubs didn't care that he and Groot were 15 and 12 years old (respectively), some were very strict. He doubted that specific one would concede.
"How much are they paying for a show?", he asked. "It doesn't seem to be worth the dilemma unless they plan to pay well."
Gamora was the one to answer. He nodded in understanding. It was a high price; now he understood.
"You play violin", he finally told her. She nodded. "Don't you think you can learn some bass? If you manage to get the basics within a week, we can have Starlord as guitarist. It's not ideal, but it's what we can do for now."
"Or you guys can avoid any songs that need bass to sound good", Groot added, after spending most of the meeting quiet. "We've managed to play at many places with nobody playing keys, for example. We picked songs where the keys could be replaced by another instrument. Why not doing the same this time?"
Silence fell for a few minutes as the older three thought about Groot's suggestion. Eventually, Starlord said, "We can try both of your ideas. I'll teach Gamora the basics of playing bass, and we'll choose songs based on our situation."
They all nodded. It was the best they could do.
In his summer vacation between 10th and 11th grade, he found a place near his home that gave Russian lessons. Unfortunately, classes happened every Saturday morning, meaning the band had to decline most invites for shows on Friday nights. Granted, being invited to play was a rare thing; Yondu was the one who arranged most of their shows. The only person who called them regularly to perform was Pepper Potts.
"Well, it seems that Mr. Stark is a fan", Drax said once. "We're called every other month to play at his events."
"And he pays incredibly well", Gamora added. "Especially given none of us are professionals."
Rocket had his own theory regarding Howard Stark's liking for the band, but didn't feel like voicing it. He didn't think Gamora would appreciate that he thought that Mr. Stark saw them as a reminder of his son—Tony Stark had been her classmate before getting early college acceptance, after all.
11th grade was easier than 10th, which was likely due to the smoother transition. However, soon he was attending senior classes for half of his subjects, and was still passing with flying colors. By Christmas, the principal called him and his family to talk about college.
"It wouldn't be the first time someone from this school got accepted early", he said. "One of our students graduated at 16 years old."
Tony Stark. He knew about it. Gamora once said he threw a big party to celebrate the fact that he 'got to be an adult before them all'. Nobody took that statement seriously, but they attended the party nonetheless.
"Have you thought about college applications, Ron?", the principal asked. He blinked. It was weird, these days, hearing someone call him by anything other than Rocket. His school friends grew fond of that nickname quickly.
"I've got a few options", he replied. "Columbia, MIT, Harvard…"
"We can start working on those applications right now, if you are willing."
He looked at his parents, who nodded. He sighed, but a small smile escaped his lips.
Spring of 1999
Drax had called it an 'emergency meeting', but they spent a good amount of minutes in Quill's newly bought car until he actually arrived at home in his own car.
"Wait, someone's with him", Groot said quickly, resting his forehead on the car's window to get a better view. Rocket did the same thing.
A tall, slender woman got out of Drax's car shyly. Her black hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a plain white t-shirt and black jeans. Nothing about her appearance gave him any sign of who she could be… but he was certain that she was the subject of that meeting.
"We have to wait for him to call us, anyway", he heard Gamora say, probably to her boyfriend. They didn't have to wait for long, however; he called two minutes later, saying they could get in.
The woman was sitting in the middle of the big couch. They all took their seats while Drax got water for them, greeting the woman—who introduced herself as Mandy—as they passed by. Finally, Drax came back and sat by her side, patting her should before beginning to speak.
"Well, guys… As we know, our beloved guitaris is going to leave New York in a couple months." He smiled at Rocket as if to congratulate him again. He still remembered the man's excited shouts when he announced he was going to MIT. "As great as it is, Rocket's departure is a loss for our band. None of us play guitar as well as him, and… sorry Gamora, you're terrible at bass. You can't replace Starlord."
"None taken", she assured, half-grinning.
"Anyway, I decided to go through my old friends to see if they were interested in filling Rocket's position. One of them told me about a woman who not only plays guitar, but sings and dances too." He glanced at Mandy, as if to emphasize he was talking about her. "Long story short, we met, talked, and she wants to join us."
Mandy lifted her hand and waved timidly. "Hi", she said in a low voice. She looked at Drax, who gestured for her to keep talking. Rubbing her neck, she continued. "My name is Mandy. Mandy Kingsley. I… work at in a night bar. I sing and play a lot of instruments, like guitar, bass, sax, drums… And I dance. It probably won't be a useful skill in the band, but yeah. I love to dance."
There seemed to be lot more than she was letting on, but nobody bothered asking. Drax seemed to understand, though. They likely talked a lot in the meeting he mentioned.
"We can give you some sort of trial period", Gamora suggested. "We have three scheduled shows this month. You can play with Rocket, and then you see if you really want to join us."
Mandy nodded with a smile.
Fortunately, Mandy adjusted to the band dynamics just fine. By the next month, she was an official member, and Quill picked 'Mantis' as her artistic alias.
Meanwhile, Rocket and his parents kept going to Cambridge and back to organize his new life. He was to stay at his own dorm at the institute, and most of his previous extracurricular activities could be done at campus. Sadly, they couldn't find a place nearby to keep with Russian lessons, but he supposed he could find online courses if he really wanted to continue.
He was particularly glad that he discovered he could join AFROTC in the following year. He was afraid that his early acceptance would be a problem, but he was told that as soon as he turned 18 he'd be able to enlist. Good. He wouldn't have to wait two years to get in the military.
So far, things have been fallen into place. One thing, however, still worried him: his family.
It wasn't that he was needed at home. He was just another another member of the Raccoon household, a replaceable one at that. His worries were more emotional and selfish.
His grandmother and Aunt Teresa were getting sick more and more often.
Grandma had gone to the hospital twice this year due to her diabetes, and it was only July. Each time she'd spend at least two weeks interned, and she left last time without a foot.
His father, who was her youngest son, gave her a long lecture on how she was supposed to be taking more care of herself instead of everyone else around her—they were all grown-ups and perfectly capable of doing their own chores—only to be interrupted by her question.
"If I don't take care of my family, what am I going to do instead?" She sniffed. "I won't be useful to anyone anymore."
His dad tried to convince her that she didn't need to do chores to be useful to the family, that she was loved anyway, but failed miserably.
"She'll probably get depressed if she stops doing things at home", his mother told him. "Or maybe she's afraid she'll become another Aunt Teresa."
Speaking of Aunt Teresa, by that point she couldn't recognize anyone. She was vaguely aware that she shared a room with Gamora, but the girl was a stranger to her.
And she wasn't always nice with strangers.
"You don't need to wait for me to leave to move to my room, you know", he told her once.
"I'm still not sure if I should move, Rocket", she replied, glancing at her room's door. "I'm still afraid of leaving her alone."
"Grandpa is healthy enough to assist her", he said. His grandparents slept at the room next door, and, though Grandma walked slowly now that she only had one foot, Grandpa seemed to have stopping aging at 55.
Gamora hummed, but didn't answer. He knew that discussion was fruitless. She wouldn't move before he left. At least he knew nobody would let her stay with Aunt Teresa, though.
His last day in New York was a show night. They were to perform at Stark Industries again, now for a charity event.
"Mr. Stark is aware that this will be your last performance in a while", Potts told him. "So prepare for some heartfelt speech."
"He doesn't even know my birth name."
"Don't trick yourself into thinking it matters."
It really didn't. Howard Stark was great at rhetorics, and managed to talk about Rocket as if he was a long-time friend. Even Rocket himself got moved, though he knew his words were mostly generic.
Privately, he congratulated him for his college entrance. "Kid, it's going to be a little hard at ht beginning", he said. "College always is, and the fact that you'll be younger than everyone else only adds up. My son had some trouble adjusting in first year in Columbia. But it's all worth it. You'll do great, I'm sure."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark", he replied politely.
"And if you ever change your mind on NASA, you can always come here after graduating. Stark Industries will welcome you with open arms."
"I appreciate your offer, Mr. Stark. Thank you." His words were sincere. He hoped to never need it, but just knowing he could secure a job if he wasn't successful in his goal made him feel better.
New York, 2001
One would think that, in the midst of a tragedy this big, all else would stop. But no. People still got sick, hospitals kep working normally—and people died due to things that had nothing to do with the tragedy that was happening on the outside world.
Maybe those sentences didn't make any sense outside of Rocket's head, but they were all he could think about as he watched the doctors and nurses doing procedures to attest Aunt Teresa's brain death, all while hearing the repeated news of the attack.
Howard Stark was at one of the towers, having dinner with a potential investor. All dead now, of course. Just like Aunt Teresa.
Her death was confirmed on the following day. Only then he allowed himself to go back to his old home. He hadn't been there on her last conscious days; it was only fair that he stayed at the hospital as her death approached.
"You haven't eaten well", Gamora said as soon he set foot home. "I'll get you some strawberries."
Later that day, she got a call from Potts. "Mrs. Stark wants us to perform a small tribute to her husband", she said gently. "Do you want to join us?"
He nodded. Of course.
Early 2003
He didn't make it to Grandma's funeral six months before, but at least he was visiting home when they got good news
"Thanos was arrested", Groot said when he closed the front door behind him. "They caught him somewhere in Colorado. It seems that they even managed to prevent a new murder."
Gamora showed up not much later, a wide grin on her face, and confirmed the news. "Let's gather the band to celebrate then", he suggested, just as happy.
She decided to call the band to come to their home, so his family—who, at this point, was just as hers as it was his—could take part of the celebration as well.
Starlord brought most of the drinks, while Drax brought food. Mandy had a karaoke kit at home, and brought it when she found their TV was compatible. His parents, along with one of his aunts, helped set everything.
Everyone was positively surprised when Grandpa went downstairs to join them. Gamora and Groot had told him he barely left his bedroom after Grandma died. That night, he even smiled once or twice.
At one point, Mandy proposed a toast. Grandpa surprised everybody again when he stood up and spoke, "A toast for our beloved Georgina, who can finally have peace." As they toasted, he looked at her. "Better days are coming, child. Keep smiling."
He was sure Gamora's eyes were watery at that, but she was quickly distracted by Mandy's own toast. "To Drax, who will finally see justice for his family."
Drax smiled softly, and Rocket patted his shoulder.
"Can we toast for the fact that Rocket managed to show up this week out of all?", Groot suggested. "I mean, it was the most perfect timing I've ever seen."
They all chuckled and toasted.
In the end, Gamora moved to her boyfriend's apartment with her sister. She announced it on another gathering, but Rocket wasn't in NY anymore. He only met Nikki months later, in his summer vacation.
"I can't believe we finally have someone to play the keys", Quill said in a call once. "You should have been here, Rocket, seriously. My sister-in-law rocks those keys."
"Sister-in-law, huh?", he replied teasingly. "Do you have plans for the near future, Quill?"
A short silence followed. "After we graduate", he said. "I'll probably need your help when the time comes, by the way."
"Sure, sure. Though I don't have a good eye for jewelry. Mandy or Nikki will probably be of more help."
"Yeah… I'll think about it when the time comes, you know? I don't want to get nervous too far ahead."
He chuckled and ended the call.
On his second night in New York that summer, Potts called the band again. Naturally, they were all excited to have all band members together for a performance. They met at the aforementioned apartment, where he talked to Nikki for the first time.
"Hey, Nikki. Nice to meet you", he said, shaking her hand.
She gave him a polite grin. "I think my name for you guys is Nebula. Rocket, right?"
He nodded with a chuckle. Things were doing well, after all.
