"I am Groot"
At this Rocket shot up, fear and surprise overtaking him, the raccoon's breathing was heavy and unsteady, as if he were having a heart attack.
"I am Groot" Groot repeated, causing Rocket to look up to see the gigantic humanoid tree creature standing before him.
"Groot!" Rocket screamed, "What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be back on the ship!"
Groot smiled and pointed down, Rocket followed Groot's finger and noticed that the tree being had wrapped himself around Rocket's body, using his healing properties to do what healing properties do, effectively curing Rocket of his injuries.
"I am Groot" Groot began once more.
Rocket shook his head, he wasn't sure what emotion to feel- angry, happy, sad, or a mixture of all three. He went with the latter.
"I don't care if you were concerned for me" Rocket berated, "You should have just let me die. Now we're both stuck here!"
Rocket stopped for a moment as if he remembered something of great importance.
"How did you get here anyway?" Rocket asked, "There's only one ship. Care to explain that Groot? And please don't let the answer be I am Groot, I'm really getting tired of translating."
Groot laughed and patted Rocket's head as gently as he could before speaking.
"Funny story-"
Before Groot could continue Rocket pulled his gun and shot him in the face, after this Rocket pulled out a machete and began hacking until Groot was nothing more than a mere pile of sticks.
Rocket's com-link went off seconds later; Rocket answered it as quickly as he could.
"Rocket" It was Drax, "We've got ourselves a situation here. Knowhere is in danger. Find Wal-Russ and then get back as soon as you can."
Rocket rolled his eyes annoyingly, "How I am supposed to do that?" he replied, "The gravity's too strong, I could barely control the landing."
Drax sighed, it was the kind of sigh one would give when thinking about a problem he didn't have an answer for.
"Let me get back to you on that" Drax continued, "Oh and Groot says hello."
Rocket laughed to himself as he heard Groot's voice in his ear.
"How you doing you big overgrown plant?" Rocket said playfully, "I just met your doppelganger. He's a real asshole, just like you."
"I am Groot" Groot answered in a hurt tone.
"Kidding" Rocket replied, "But seriously though, that guy was an asshole."
Rocket looked about his surroundings, for he was no longer by the crater in the middle of a desert wasteland, instead he was in a small wooded area with green grass and a small blue lake to the right.
"Put Gamora on" Rocket demanded
A shifting sound could be heard; Rocket guessed that Groot had moved away from the array. Gamora quickly took his place.
"Alright Gamora" Rocket began, "According to the lunatic we're on borrowed time. Now, do you mind telling me where I am? I'm kinda lost here, surrounded in foliage."
Gamora scanned the surface for any signs of greenery on the monitor; it came up with no results.
"You said there was foliage?" Gamora exclaimed, "According to my charts and the large window I'm in front of, everything's dead. There's nothing."
Rocket huffed, for this was the last thing that he wanted to hear.
"Great. Just great" Rocket exclaimed, hating himself for his own stupidity as he began to rant. "None of this would have happened if she had just listened to me when we left Halfworld. But no, she's dead and here I am stuck on this stupid planet with ridiculous gravity, low oxygen and my decreasing level of sanity!"
Rocket was screaming to such a degree that he temporarily lost his voice, becoming hoarse and increasingly sadder with each passing word until he was barely audible as tears ran down his face.
"Everything was just fine" Rocket concluded sadly, "and then she had to go and get blown up in the fucking atmosphere!"
More shifting could be heard, this time it was Quill. From the way he moved into position he seemed to be getting comfortable. Obviously he was intrigued, intently listening to everything Rocket had said since he made contact.
"Who's she?" Quill asked curiously, pressing for information.
Rocket let out a pity laugh.
"That's none of your concern who she is" he replied, trying to compose himself, "She's dead. She died a long time ago. It doesn't matter now. Like I said before, the past is in the past Peter, let it stay there."
Rocket stopped himself, for a moment all he was able to do was cry. Sadness and anger overtook him, it was all he could do to not lie down in the dirt and do nothing.
Quill sighed and began to sing.
"Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand. With an equal opportunity for all to sing, dance and clap their hands."
Rocket growled, for he absolutely hated Quill's style of music despite the fact that it took his mind off of things.
"Come on Rocket" Quill urged encouragingly, "Sing with me."
Rocket huffed annoyingly, insulted that Quill just avoided a topic that he brought up only to start singing to try and make him feel better. It wasn't working.
"You a real dick Quill" Rocket said in distraught, "I'm in the middle of a serious moment and you're belting out Stevie Wonder as if it's some kind of joke! What kind of friend are you?"
Drax pushed Quill aside, at the same time stopping the song mid verse. Drax spat in Quill's general direction and turned back to the array.
"The insensitive kind" Drax answered, "Now, Rocket, if you please. Who is this female you brought up?"
"Forget it Drax the mood is gone" Rocket declared, "I'm too mad to tell you about her anyway. Not like you would care about my life or anything having to do with me."
Drax was about to retort but before he could Rocket went on into a rant.
"You're a liability" Rocket continued, "You've always been one. Crying about your dead wife and kid as if that's the only that kept you going. Guess what Drax, I've lost people too! More than I ever cared to lose! You think you know loss?"
Drax nodded, "When my family was killed, I thought it was over. I wanted to die. I became something that I didn't want to be. Now, I have purpose, to progress humanity's existence."
Rocket laughed sarcastically, "Oh you want to talk about human progress?" the raccoon replied, with equal sarcasm, "Okay then. Here's what's been done in the name of human progress."
The greenery around Rocket slowly began to die; the planet was beginning to react. Breathing could be heard in the nearby tree line, Rocket did not notice it, too angry to give it attention.
"My parents, good innocent people, were killed to perform illegal scientific experiments in the name of human progress" Rocket continued, "I was created in the name of human progress. Ripped apart, over and over and over again, parts replaced, enhanced and taken away. My friends were executed after an escape attempt, in the name of human progress..."
"What was taken away?" Drax asked
The tree line fell to the ground, revealing the owner of the breathing to be a large bear. The bear was not a normal bear, for it was an entity, appearing as a puff of black smoke, formless yet its attacks were as real as Rocket was. The bear's eyes were red, demonic in every sense of the word. Rocket remained oblivious, the bear giving off no scent, a direct result of the planet taking action against Rocket and his behavior.
"Why should I care about humanity?" Rocket asked rhetorically completely ignoring Drax's question. "Why should I protect the people who took everything from me? Who killed the one person I couldn't live without?"
Groot stepped towards the array; he knew that if anyone could get to Rocket it was him.
"I am Groot" Groot said softly, "I am Groot."
Rocket nodded in silent agreement, "I wouldn't know what love is to know if I ever was in it Groot."
Groot laughed, it was warm and friendly, from a simpler time.
"We are Groot" Groot exclaimed, "You are Groot."
Rocket smiled, it was good to hear Groot switch it up a little bit. That and what Groot really said meant the world, if not more.
"Thank you Groot" Rocket replied, "It's good to know that I'm not a complete failure."
The bear raised its hand, ready to attack. Rocket, no longer able to cry, simply began humming to himself, this turned into singing.
"Highway run...into the midnight sun, wheels go round and round on my mind."
Quill, in response to this, joined in Rocket's singing of Journey. At the same time, Rocket began to move in a western direction. Gamora, meanwhile, picked up Rocket's coordinates and gave him directions. Rocket followed them without question and continued singing where Quill left off.
"They say that the road ain't no place to start a family, right down the line it's been you and me. And lovin' a music man ain't always what's supposed to be. Oh, girl, you stand by me...I'm forever yours...faithfully."
The bear, not willing to let go of Rocket so easily, followed the raccoon with every step he made. They reached the crest of a hill, the bear hanging back a few feet to access how best to proceed in the attack, Rocket meanwhile, took his time to look in the distance to see what he was going up against. Drax and Gamora at this point, joined in the song taking up the cue.
"Circus life, under the big top world, we all need the clowns to make us smile."
Rocket shook his head in disbelief that he was singing of his own free will. Nevertheless Rocket picked up the remaining verse, having developed a personal connection to the song. As he sang he continued his way down the hill, from his position he could see several ruins of former starships which told him that he was heading in the right direction.
"Through space and time, always another show...Wondering where I am lost without you-"
The bear was slowly getting tired of the game that it had started with Rocket and so charged down the hill as fast as it could. It was only through luck that Rocket casually turned around, saw the bear and ducked causing the bear to miss that the story is able to continue.
"You've got to be kidding me" Rocket said to himself, "Demon bears, just what I needed today."
Quill, Drax and Gamora continued singing as if nothing was happening. Rocket growled annoyingly, making a personal note never to sing when Quill is around for he had a certain energy that cause others to be sucked into the world of music to such a degree that everything else becomes secondary.
"Hey guys" Rocket said trying to get their attention, "Demon bear in front of me. Give me specs on this thing and I'll faithfully kill it with my faithful gun of killing things...any day now!"
He got no response, just more Journey.
"I hate you people" Rocket continued, grumbling to himself, "If I die, I'm haunting your asses."
Rocket shook his head and pulled out his pistol aiming at the bear, which began to charge a second time. Rocket fired until he emptied the clip, missing five and hitting the other seven, Still despite this, the bear continued, it was not about to be stopped be gunfire. Rocket resorted to his backup plan, a combat knife and prepared himself to be bulldozed. When the bear made contact it went straight the throat, temporarily cutting off Rocket's air supply.
The bear leaned in, letting out a demonic laugh, showing its teeth.
"You are a fool" the bear said in a gruff voice, gargling as it struggled through its limited vocal chords, "You think you can win? That you will survive? You only prolong your inevitable demise; this place will consume you, as it does all things in its path."
Rocket attempted to raise his knife hand, the weight of the bear however, prevented it. The raccoon, seeing no way out, closed his eyes and did the only thing he could do. Desperately and crying at the prospect of death, Rocket began to sing his second song choice, REO Speedwagon's "I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore". He had heard it only once, thanks to a radio that one of the refugees from Halfworld had at the time, but it was significant enough that he remembered it. It was also significant because it reminded him of what he had lost.
"I can't fight this feeling any longer. And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow, what started out as friendship as grown stronger. I only wish I had the strength to let it show..."
The weight lessened, Rocket slowly began to breathe normally again, despite this, he still continued crying.
"I tell myself that I can't hold out forever. I say there is no reason for my fear. Cause I feel so secure when we're together. You give my life direction; you make everything so clear..."
The demon growled, sensing on what Rocket was doing. "You will not win so easily!" it screamed, "I won't let you! No matter what happens here eventually, in time, you will submit. All things submit."
Rocket drowned him out, in his head he was already to the chorus.
"And I can't fight this feeling anymore. I've forgotten what I started fighting for. It's time to bring this ship into the shore and throw away the oars forever..."
The demon got off Rocket's slowly it began to back away. At the same time, a smug smile crept on Rocket's face as he stood on his feet, once again aiming his pistol in the bear's direction.
"Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore, I've forgotten what I started fighting for."
Rocket primed the gun, waiting for it to get to full strength before firing.
"And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crashing through your door, baby I can't fight this feeling anymore."
Rocket released the trigger just as the bear disappeared, evaporating in thin air. The noise from Quill, Gamora, Drax and Groot having stopped as they listened to Rocket's sad and tear filled version of REO.
"Thanks a lot you guys" Rocket said sarcastically as he held his hand up to his com-link, wiping his eyes at the same time, "You're real friends."
Before any of them could respond, Rocket turned off the com-link, deciding to continue forward in complete and total silence, virtually alone.