Author's Note:
I am sorry again that this took a long time. School started back up and carpal tunnel to the max. -_- But! Just finished my first Chemistry exam, so thought I'd get this down and out there. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up before it's time to study for Exam number 2 (and Halloween!)
Anyways, I think you will all love this chapter. :) It ended up being longer than intended, so the major plot point will be in the next one, but this is a very pivotal chapter so... have fun, and tell me what you think!
Love you all, and thanks for R&Rs!
Kallen
Chapter 29
"Finally! A decent job!" Peter quips before tossing a cheeky grin over his shoulder.
"I'd hardly call 'bounty hunting' a decent job, Star Lord." Gamora huffs under her breath while she watches Drax and Groot ahead of them, clearing a path. The former Guardian was having a grand time, hacking at the mucky, large leaves, foliage and web-looking garbage blocking their way.
"Aw… well yea, this place stinks, but think about when you get your lovely hands on this son-of-a-bitch and get to cuff him? I know you like kinky shit like that." He shoots her a wink and she pauses in her hiking to look at him with narrowed eyes. She doesn't know what he meant by that last part, but he was right about one thing.
Gam will definitely be taking out some of her frustration on the prisoner.
At hearing a soft scoff and growl she looks behind her and can't help but smile a little. She hears Peter's advancement through the foliage halt and as he turns to her quizzically Gamora lets go a pretty smile and cocks her head behind her.
Peter denies that his heart skips a beat in his chest and retraces his steps to stand beside the ex-female assassin. Crossing his arms across his chest, he grins over at the peeved, little red mess of fur and grouse.
"What's wrong, panda? You fall?" Peter baits for a reaction, his grin growing. Rocket, who was off to the side in a tree, slides down and approaches, watching the conversation from a small distance curiously.
Gamora and Peter show a knowing look, both noticing their rodent friend, but it goes unnoticed by the irritated panda before them.
"Seriously, if that guy is here, I say we leave him. The prison ship is definitely more habitable than this filthy place. He'll probably get eaten by those nasty, vomiting slug-beasts anyways." Rene grouses, dusting off her front before cocking a small hip and resting her paw on it, a look of mild annoyance on her muzzle as she side-steps a puddle of aforementioned 'slug drool' before curling her lip. "Ugh. Gross."
Rocket's ears and tail perk up, and a funny smile starts to tug at his lips.
He thought it was cute.
And maybe a little sexy. He pauses to look behind him where the ship was in the distance when he hears a squeal of disgust and a curse. He feels a raucous grin pull at his face before he turns back around to see Rene stomp around in a circle, bitching to Gam about the disgusting slim and how it's sticking to her fur.
He notices Peter trying really, really hard not to laugh at the small lady, and when his friend catches his eye they share a grin.
There's a squishing sound that precedes another growl, "Sonofva-!"
Yea, definitely sexy. It shouldn't turn him on to see her like that, but that didn't stop the rodent from twisting his face into a self-righteous, devious smirk - "What? Too good to get your pretty paws dirty, princess?"
He tries to ignore the way Peter looks like he's about to pass out in tears, and how Gamora is biting down hard on her lower lip.
Instead, he tries to contain his own laughter and observes the usually composed panda as her spine goes ridged before she suddenly spins on her heel –
And is instantly in her face. Her glare through sapphire eyes is so intense he's now caught between a primal instinct to play-fight, and a very childish one – to giggle and tease her some more.
He also had the urge to just kiss her, and see how quickly he could dispel her righteous anger.
At that last thought his bravado was threatening to fade into a nervous twitch, but thankfully no one noticed as a loud, chest-rumbling roar emitted from a recently cast shadow.
He turns around to look at the horridly disgusting, giant slug creature about thirty feet from them; reared up and ready to spit. He vaguely hears Drax and a now almost-full-grown Groot roar back at the thing when he feels claws tightly gripping the front of his orange jumper and a smaller body pulling closer to him – frozen in disgusted horror.
Rocket had a second to feel elated before he saw the bubble of acidic vomit start to bubble at the creature's mouth and practically dragged the panda with him as he flung them to the ground and out of the 'splash zone'.
"Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew…"
He had to hand it to the panda. She was dealing with this creature pretty well for being so frighteningly disgusted by it. Rene was flinging electrically charged arrows at the beast with precision and grace, despite the constant look of worry and trepidation on her brow.
It was so cute, Peter was distracted at how absolutely and adorably funny the whole fight and situation was. Especially because of Rocket, knowing that they've fought worse creatures, and knowing Rene can take care of herself, was still sticking close by to his lithe, female companion.
Peter released one of his contraptions towards the beast before diving for cover behind a large boulder to regroup – letting the others fling their own weapons at the beast.
He notices he's not the only one with this idea, and looks down to his right to see Rene hurriedly assembling something.
"What's that?"
Rene answers him without so much as a look of acknowledgement as she mumbles, mostly to herself, "It's something to help neutralize the acid in that thing's bile." She starts to expertly attach the jerry-rigged, capsule-looking thing to one of her arrows.
"I don't have time to make this more aerodynamic," He snorts and she ignores him, "hold on…" She sets her things aside and basically dives into his chest. He grunts at the impact and finds himself with a lap-full of red fur and black cloth. Paws… pawing… at his jacket pockets. He's too stunned to react to the assault before the other pulls away with one of his trapping devices clutched in her grasp.
He's gaping at her, feeling horribly affronted – for whatever reason. "Relax, Quill. I had an idea."
Shaking his head, he grouses, "so you decided to jump on me and molest my chest?"
She looks over at him funny for a second before rolling her eyes and taking apart his device and putting it back together again. "Get over yourself, it was quicker than trying to ask for it and having you question me."
Now he's actually mad, "Why would I question you? Don't just take things! We are on the same side! I would help you if you had an idea!"
She scoffs and rolls her eyes, "You are questioning me now, and this conversation is wasting time. Now listen," she stands up on small legs and grabs his hands, placing the modified device in his palm. "You need to get as close as you can – not too close, mind you. Be safe. – But toss that at the beast and it should trap him long enough for me to get my neutralizing agent down its throat. Once it starts to take effect, we should be able to take it down without getting hurt."
They both hear an unmanly yelp come from their friend. Giving each other a nod, they move from cover, Rene shouting after Peter, "I'll get a better shot from up there! Cover me, then throw that device! Warn the others away!"
She doesn't wait for an answer before she disappears with her bow.
Rocket appears beside him and he tells him the plan before looking around to make sure the others were at a safe distance, he still shouts for good measure.
"Everyone out of the way! NOW!"
He is proud at how well they all work together. They look at him once, see the crazy contraption in his hands, and ask no questions as they all scatter – Groot jogging by Rocket who scampers up his back as they collectively dive for cover. Peter sprints towards the beast, waiting until he passes by a boulder to fling himself behind before chucking the contraption at the belly of the slug-beast.
"Quill! DIVE!" he hears a small, shout and doesn't hesitate to follow the order. He has enough time to peak around the rock to see the odd-looking arrow (more like a small missile) land in the creature's open mouth and travel down its black-hole of a throat.
The electrical prison holds the beast for a few precious moments while it jerks and whines and chokes. The beast starts to turn a sickly green color and is now wheezing and thrashing ferociously. He suddenly hears someone slide into him and pant. Looking down he sees Rene's little white chest heaving from her sprint across the mucky plain.
"Okay. It's suffocating. Good. But we need to blow it up before it recovers. There's not enough substance to neutralize its' acid for long."
"Right." He takes a deep breath before shouting at the top of his lungs, causing Rene to sigh and cover her ears.
"ROCKET! BLOW IT UP!"
Rene and Peter just look at each other and share a knowing grin. Both imagining the devious smirk pulling on his face as they hear him whoop in triumph and see a circular disk being tossed at the giant slug.
Their grins drop as they notice which explosive Rocket chucked half-hazardly.
They were too close. Sparing each other one frantic glance they both sprint for their lives as far away from the beast as they can.
Peter looks behind him when he hears a sharp yelp of pain, his face drains of color and doesn't think when he back-tracks in panic and scoops up the smaller fighter, charging towards Groot, whose extended arms stretched out to envelop them and yanked them to safety in the last few seconds before the ground shook.
"I'm fine you guys, it was just a sprain." Rene huffs, folding her arms across her chest.
"Regardless – "
"Regardless, you guys need to do a job. Don't let me stop you. The path is clear for the moment. Go get the guy." She grins wobbly at them, not really wanted to be left alone, but not wanting to be a burden either. "I'll be fine. I'll stay put and wait for your return."
Rocket growls in frustration, "We aren't just going to –"
"He's right. You are coming with us. Groot?"
"I am Groot."
Rene just looks up at the tree-man and grins ruefully, "well, I can't argue with that logic."
Rocket laughs and looks up at his friend fondly, "Yea, he's quite the argumentive type."
Giggling, Rene reaches out to Groot who bends to his knees as Gamora helps their panda friend onto Groot's broad back. Peter picks up Rene's bow and hands it to her as she settles on the tree-man's shoulders.
Wriggling a little, she blushes, "This is odd…"
Rocket laughs and she peers down at him over Groot's head, "Get used to it, sweet heart."
Rene's tail twitches and she feels Groot grumble something beneath her that sounded like an affirmative.
Poor panda doesn't know if she should be embarrassed or affronted – she was most certain, however, that she shouldn't feel like swooning.
Okay, now she felt affronted and embarrassed at that thought.
Something was definitely wrong with her, but she'd think on it later. At the moment, she was content in watching Rocket argue and quip with Peter and Drax while he carried his large gun and rocket-launcher with no effort at all.
If she sighed a little, Groot simply ignored it.
"Oh my gods!" Peter groans loudly, throwing himself into his pilot seat dramatically, causing it to spin slowly, "We need work! It's been days!"
"We just got rid of that bounty, it was a decent sum – "
"But it was too easy! I mean, the guy put up a fight at first, but then the tiny archer over there had to just freeze him."
Said archer scowled. "Oh my god. I said I was sorry already! Geezus, I didn't know you'd be such a baby about it!" Peter had the presence of mind to look affronted, "I am NOT being a baby! You took him down with like… no pizazz! How could you?!"
Gamora rolls her eyes. I mean, yea – she wanted to cuff the bastard, but even she wouldn't bitch about it this much. Seriously, the guy was too easy to take down, it would've been a waste of perfectly good handcuffs, anyways.
"You are being a baby. Find more worthy foes." Gamora admonished monotonously.
Rocket watches as the light banter continues around him, smiling contently. He's actually happy his human friend and his… whatever… were getting along now. Whatever they had bonded over during that altercation with that monstrous eight-story tall, slug-beast was like a soothing balm on the anxiety he didn't know he was harboring. She was finally fitting in, and it looked like she might be with them for good. Not surprisingly, Rocket was very happy with this development.
"Hey, Drax! Don't go hurting my ship, she doesn't deserve this!" Quill wails, and a frustrated, petty argument ensues, which Rocket inserts himself into. Soon, the boys are at it… again.
Once the argument switched from her intervention (insta-freezing the bounty right before Peter was apparently about to unleash some 'awesome ninja-turtle skills' – whatever the hell that was) to whose weapons were the 'most awesome' or useful in a fight – she slinks out and settles herself against the wall at the side lines by Gamora, who would occasionally give input for the debate.
She's watching her new-found friends thoughtfully, wondering if she should voice her thoughts… they honestly did need money and supplies. Rene should contribute in some way, since she basically infiltrated their lives, and they've graciously let her in… but she wasn't sure how much she wanted them to know about her. The less, the better – but the stuff on the Doctor's old ship could prove useful should something more dire come up, and the old geezer had to have some valuable things they could sell on the black market… it'd be an adequate repayment for their kindness, and hopefully earn her some more time with these amazing people she's grown so fond of.
She also needed some more materials for her disk repairs and arrows… she should also check up on the implants too, she thinks ruefully, – it's been over a year or two since-
"What's the matter, Ren?"
Startled, Rene looks up at Gamora and blinks before she notices that the comment had earned the attention from the room. All the members of the Guardians were now looking at her in question; and she allows herself the chance to feel a bit embarrassed at having all the attention on her suddenly.
She returns her sapphire eyes to Gam, and starts talking – hesitantly at first, but then gaining momentum as she continues.
"Well… I noticed by our coordinates approximately where we are in this star system… if we want, we can take a small detour – there's the remnants of a ship I picked up a few days ago on our radar. It's a ship I've been on before, and could still have some valuable pickings, if you know what I mean." She tries to attempt a righteous smirk but feels it waver a bit in trepidation.
Luckily, her friends didn't seem to notice as their eyes all seemed to simultaneously gleam with interest. Now her smirk was firmly in place. They could be the "good guys" all they want, but at the end of the day, they were all a mischievous, danger-loving bunch of misfits – and she was so fond of them all in that moment, that if she wasn't so proud at the attention, she'd probably tear up a little in sentiment.
But her trepidation must of shown somehow, because after she had given Gam the coordinates, and told her to let her know when they were a light-year off of their target (emphasizing this to her gun-ho comrades, because there may be a chance that the security system was still intact, and would need to be remotely disabled before they could board safely) she was pulled aside gently by Rocket, who was quickly becoming her favorite of the Guardians.
"Hey…" he intoned softly. His gruff voice dropping a few octaves unintentionally, and something in that tone relaxed her completely and made her want to lean into him, boneless.
She fought back the strange reaction, in favor of being a bit more appropriate, met his soft, brown eyes.
"Yes…?"
He clears his throat before continuing, "You said you used to be on this ship we are going to…" Rocket seemed hesitant, and she wasn't sure why… or what he was trying to ask, so she stares at him, confused and voice soft as she replied.
"Yes… I was for a time…" she hesitates before continuing, "what about it…?"
"Well… it's just… um…" Rocket starts to shuffle, scratch at his neck, and shifts his weight from foot to foot. Each twitch pulls at his face and she can visibly see the frustration at being unable to voice himself build within her rodent companion. She takes a deep breath and holds it, waiting. Not knowing if that was the wisest move or not.
Probably not, as Rocket looks now like he's going to stomp away.
"Dammit." He growls and continues to avoid her gaze. He fur starts to rise to stand on end, something she has learned is a sign of aggression, but mostly defense – he's mad at himself or embarrassed and it's making him angry. She quickly thinks of something to do or say.
Really, where have all her genius brain cells go?
"Rocket."
He pauses and meets her eyes now. She tries to convey understanding and compassion with her deep, blue eyes – it seems to work. His shoulders relax and the fur on the back of his neck settles. In turn, she takes a calming breath.
"To answer your question… yes. I was on that ship… no, it wasn't a 'coincidence' that we had passed it either – "
At this he quirks his brow and one of his ears twitch in silent inquiry.
She tries to shut up the voice in the back of her head that thinks it's cute and endearing. Now's not the time.
Hesitating, she tries to continue, "It was my original destination when I stowed away on your ship…" she pauses for a reaction and sees an understanding glint in his eyes, "My plan, as horribly thrown together as it was, was to find a way to re-board that ship for supplies and possible lodging. It was where they had me – where… I…" She swallows thickly, "It was where I had developed some of my weapons and… resided. For a time. Before I had a run-in with Jack…"
At his questioning look she sighs and gestures to her neck where she always keeps a scarf tied, "The guy who stuck this on me."
Understanding dawns on Rocket's face, and she notices his fists start to curl. Hurriedly, she continues.
"This collar was developed and tested at the ship we are going to. I'm hoping the tools there will help me get this thing off."
There is silence for a few moments before Rocket speaks up, his voice a bit gravely. "Can I see?" He asks hesitantly, and at the tender and inquiring look in his chocolate eyes, she can't bring herself to refuse.
Nodding, she walks the rest of the way into the living room and turns around to face Rocket once again. He lifts his paws to her neck and she closes her eyes on instinct. With surprising gentleness, he removes the scarf from her neck and examines the collar. He shifts it and at his sharp intake of breath and the acute spike of anger and protectiveness she can basically smell radiating off of him, she knows he sees the balding spots under the device, and the scarring residing there. She knows the growl that rips from his throat was coming before it was released but that didn't stop her starting at the sound.
Rene knows what he saw then.
He was standing behind her now, and saw the wires leading into her neck, entering into two, welded, metal plates.
She shivers when he touches there, and she feels a pressure build behind her eyes and something thick getting caught in her throat.
"This isn't right." His deep, rumbling voice is soothing but angry. Protective. She feels like she wants to cry at the heavy feeling of safety that surrounds her suddenly. Her raccoon companion continues, gently grasping her shoulders to turn her to face him and lifts her chin up.
Rene opens her eyes and Rocket is captivated. "I will help you. We will get this off, and you'll be free again. I promise."
She swallows thickly and wonders at the reactions her animal body was having to Rocket's protective pheromones. She felt the urge to melt into his arms.
She closes her eyes and takes a steady breath. When she opens them, her face is firmly planted in Rocket's orange clad chest, and his arms are around her.
Sighing, she flattens her ears back against her head in submission and melts into his embrace.
When Rocket feels her melt in his arms, trusting and dependent… he knows this strong, fascinating creature has his heart forever.
R&R? :3
Yea... so much fluff I was smiling the entire time writing this... I honestly wanted to hold off on this stuff a bit more but... it was time. And it fit. And I'm impatient.
Love you all, hope you enjoyed this chappie!
Kallen.
