Author's note: Hi, and thanks for reading my story! This is an idea, thats been somewhere in my brain for the past few years. I recently found a notebook, where i wrote down a rough framework for the story, but i never got around to writing it. For some unknown reason, after years of lying dormant, my motivation to write something overtook me, so ... here we are.
Since the idea is several years old, the Guardians consist of the "original" 5, Rocket, Peter, Drax, Gamora and Groot. I struggle to meaningfully include a huge cast of characters anyway, and since its not that important for the story i wanna tell, i decided to leave it at that. Groot is the original Groot from the first Movie.
This story will be heavily Rocket-centric as the story progresses, since he is probably my favorite Character of all time.
TRIGGER WARNING! This Story is rated T for now, but will most likely be upgraded to M soon, mainly for graphic depictions of violence. I hate sugarcoating, and there will be mental and physical struggles.
Also, obligatory "i dont own any of the characters", "english isn't my first language", yadda yadda yadda. If you find some glaring mistakes, please point them out, and i will correct them to my best ability.
I've been lurking around FF for years, and if i can just give a few of you readers a nice time for a few hours, i'm more than happy with that. You know, in a "returning the favor" kind of way! =]
Without further ado, i hope you enjoy the story!
A Raccoons' Odyssey
The Guardians of the Galaxy soared through the vastness of space, their ship, the Milano, gracefully approaching the vibrant planet of Caelum V. As they entered orbit, the kaleidoscope of colors on the planet's surface revealed the unique blend of Kree and Terran architecture that marked the existence of the hybrid colony. Outcast from the Kree Empire, since race-mingling is as close as you can get to a cardinal sin amongst proud Kree, the hybrids formed a well functioning, self sufficient home over the years on a planet, that previously only hosted a few primitive animals, and not enough "high-end" resources for the Empire to really care for it.
Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot gathered on the bridge, ready to fulfill their mission. The captain adjusted the controls as he hailed the ground station.
"Guardians, we've arrived at Caelum V. Ready to make the drop," Star-Lord announced through the intercom.
A holographic image of a young, female Kree-Terran official appeared on the viewscreen. Peter sat up straight. "Welcome, Guardians. We appreciate your prompt arrival. The teleporting device you're delivering is crucial for our colony's development. Before you proceed, we need to ensure its functionality. We request a test of the teleporter before finalizing the delivery."
Star-Lord exchanged glances with the team. "No problem. We're here to make sure everything works smoothly."
The holographic official nodded. "Prepare for the test. Follow the coordinates we'll provide, and ensure a successful teleportation. Once confirmed, you can proceed to the delivery point."
The transmission ended, and the Guardians set to work. Star-Lord plotted the coordinates while Rocket grumbled about the unnecessary extra steps.
"Why do they always make it so complicated? It's a d'ast teleporter. Its not exactly rocket science, am I wrong?" Rocket muttered.
Drax, frowning, responded, "Actually, I am pretty sure this is science. I do fail to see though how it resembles anything related to rockets, so I agree on that part. It's more like..." He closely inspects the machine in front of him. Its a cubical metal frame, sealed on all ends but one side, adorned with a plethora of wires and control modules around its corpus. For an uneducated person, it looked a bit like a huge, but heavily overdeveloped dishwasher.
"more like... Box Science. Or cube science. Yeah, that sounds even better."
Ignoring Drax's comment, Rocket grabbed his tools . "Enough talking, more working. Let's get this thing tested."
The team gathered around the teleporter. The device stood imposingly in the middle of the Milanos main hub, the intricate panels and wires awaiting their expert attention.
Rocket lifted up a small metal flap on the left-hand side, and started tinkering with the teleporter's control panel. "I'll make this thing sing like a Kree-Terran hybrid on karaoke night."
Groot, standing nearby, raised a twiggy eyebrow. "I am Groot?"
Rocket smirked. "Yep, even better than that."
With the teleporter prepared for testing, Rocket turned to Peter. "Quill?"
The captain, standing absentmindedly next to his seat, was looking down, chin on his chest, fiddeling around with a lose threat dangling from his uniforms chest protector.
"Hey, Quill, wake up!"
The human raised his head. "Huh?"
"What the flark are you doing?", Rocket asked, visibly annoyed.
"What does it look like, fixing my uniform!" Peter returned. Following the uncomprehending look from his furry friend, he immediately became defensive. "A captain's attire must look flawless to convey the impression that we are a high-class, well organised, brilliantly led group of..."
Rocket groaned, cutting Peter short, his blushed cheeks clearly giving away the reason for his demeanour. "Stop babbling around and snap out of your dream world. I need you to cut power to all unnecessary ship functions. Keep only the bare minimum running."
Star-Lord raised an eyebrow. "Why in the galaxy would I do that?"
Rocket chuckled. "Because this teleporter of ours needs a ton of energy. We need all we can get to make sure it works like a charm. Trust me, you don't want this thing glitching and sending half of us to some distant corner of the universe. And i literally mean half of us."
Sighing, Star-Lord nodded and headed for the control panel. "Fine, but if this messes up my music playlist, you're fixing it."
As Star-Lord adjusted the power settings, the ship's lights dimmed, and the hum of the engines quieted. Rocket cackled in satisfaction. "Perfect. Now, let's get this thing going."
The Guardians, still surrounding the teleporter, were waiting silently as it powered up. The room filled with an anticipatory tension, the only sound being the subtle whir of the teleporter's internal mechanisms.
Minutes felt like hours as the team grew increasingly impatient. Drax paced back and forth, Groot twiddled his branches, and Gamora sighed audibly. Star-Lord glanced at Rocket. "How much longer?"
Rocket shot him a look. "Teleporters don't have timers, Quill. They're ready when they're ready."
As the waiting continued, the Guardians grew restless. Gamora crossed her arms. "This is taking too long."
Groot chimed in with an impatient, "I am Groot."
Rocket rolled his eyes. "Would you all just calm down? This thing needs time. It's not a microwave."
Drax grunted. "I do not understand this waiting. It is inefficient."
Rocket, losing his patience, snapped, "Look, if you want to go back to your rooms and twiddle your thumbs, be my guest. Otherwise, shut it and wait."
The team, realizing they were behaving like a group of impatient children, settled back into a collective silence. The only sound audible was the rhythmic pulsing of the teleporter charging up.
Without warning, the tension abruptly broke as a violent impact jolted through the Milano, throwing the Guardians to the ground. Emergency lights blinked urgently, and the ship's alarm blared, creating chaos in the once calm atmosphere.
"What in the galaxy was that?" Star-Lord shouted, struggling to regain his footing.
As the team stumbled toward the back of the ship, they found a scene of disarray. Smoke filled the air, and the sound of sparks crackled from damaged systems. Rocket furrowed his brow, examining the damage.
"Something... no, someone... crashed into us" he grumbled.
Upon reaching the epicenter of the turmoil, they were confronted with a startling sight. A small, battered space vessel had forcefully collided with the Milano's rear end, creating a sizable breach in the cargo bays hull.
Drax, always eager for a fight, growled, "Who dares to attack the Guardians of the Galaxy?"
Groot gestured toward the intruding ship with concern. "I am Groot?"
Rocket squinted at the wreckage. "Thats putting it mildly. Looks like someone's having a worse day than we are."
Gamora, her sword drawn, scanned the surroundings. "We need to figure out who's responsible for this. Be cautious."
Star-Lord, his frustration evident, pointed accusingly at Rocket. "This is your fault man! Shutting down everything, including the radar, was a stupid idea! We're sitting ducks out here!"
Rocket crossed his arms defensively. "Hey, blame the idiot who doesn't know how to fly straight, not me!"
As the team bickered, the emergency lights flickered, casting an eerie glow over the damaged cargo hold. Star-Lord took a deep breath, trying to calm the rising tension. "Alright, let's focus on figuring... whatever this is out. We can argue later."
The Guardians cautiously ventured into the compromised ship of the uninvited visitor, their weapons drawn and senses heightened. The cockpit appeared empty, devoid of any visible pilot. Remarkably enough, the intruder's vessel was hauntingly quiet, its damaged electronics occasionally sparking, casting faint, irregular illumination across the darkened interior.
As they moved through the lifeless corridors, the team found no signs of the ship's crew. Groot extended his branches in some of the ships cracks, searching for any hidden threats, but the ship remained still and silent.
Drax grumbled, "Where is the one responsible for this mess? I want to crush them."
Rocket, scanning the ship's damaged systems, muttered, "Looks like this heap is barely holding together. No wonder they crashed into us."
They pressed on, guided by the occasional sparks of light. The atmosphere was tense, each member of the Guardians ready for a potential confrontation.
Eventually, they reached the small cargo area of the ship. The sight that greeted them was grim. The room was in disarray, scattered belongings and equipment floating weightlessly in the malfunctioning microgravity environment.
Gamora, with her keen eyes, spotted two Terran men floating lifelessly amidst the chaos. Their faces frozen in a grim tableau of struggle and despair, it was evident that they had been engaged in a fierce fight before succumbing to an unknown fate.
Examining the scene, Gamora spoke softly, "They look pretty scatched up, but nothing life-threatening. Probably suffocated, judging from the damaged oxygen generators."
Rocket approached, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "These guys don't look like any random space junkies. They knew how to handle themselves. Something went seriously wrong here."
The Guardians stood in the cargo area of the damaged ship, observing the remnants of the struggle, that sealed the fates of the now lifeless men. After finding no one else on board, the team argued about what to do with the ship's belongings.
"We should salvage what we can," suggested Star-Lord, eyeing the scattered equipment.
Drax disagreed, "Leave it. We have more important matters to attend to. This looks like a bunch of junk."
"Yeah but you don't know that", Peter argued, a greedy grin on his face. "What if they shipped some super valuable artifacts in one of those crates over there? Are you just gonna leave it here? I mean, maybe someone attacked them because of it!"
Groot, ever the peacemaker, chimed in with, "I am Groot."
As the bickering continued, Rocket, frustrated with the team's lack of focus and rapidly subsiding sense of danger, suddenly shushed them all. The Guardians fell silent, exchanging confused glances. Rocket's ears twitched, his eyes narrowing as if honing in on a distant sound.
"Did anyone else hear that?" Rocket whispered, his gaze scanning the shadows.
Gamora frowned, "Hear what?"
Rocket held up a clawed finger, his attention fixed on an unseen disturbance. The team waited in silence until Rocket's eyes widened. He began shushing them again, more urgently this time.
Each attempt to communicate was met with Rocket's sharp "Shh!" as he moved around the cargo area, pressing his ear against different sections of the ship. The others strained to hear anything, but all they perceived was the occasional creaking of damaged metal.
Suddenly, Rocket straightened, his eyes widening. "Electrovorous Rodentis. Flark."
The team stared at him in confusion, but Rocket's doom-laden expression told them something was seriously wrong. He turned around and exclaimed, "They're in the belly of the ship, chewing through everything. They are little critters, more commonly called techrats."
His eyes were darting around, thinking intently. "They're a nasty species that feeds on different metals, especially copper, lithium, and tin. You know, the good stuff in electronics."
Star-Lord shot a concerned look at the ship. "How bad can they be?"
Rocket grimaced. "Bad. Real bad. A couple of them can turn a well-functioning ship into a total loss in less than 24 hours, even quicker, depending on their numbers. We need to get back to the Milano and deal with this, pronto."
The realization hit the other Guardians like a shockwave. The techrats were not only a danger to the unfortunate ship they found themselves on, but were now threatening their own vessel.
As they burst back onto the Milano, the Guardians were met with a disheartening sight. Techrats, small but numerous, scurried across the ship's exterior, their sharp teeth sinking into the exposed panels. The metallic squeaks filled the air as they voraciously chewed through the electronic components.
Rocket hissed, "Flark. This is worse than I thought."
The team split up, each member grabbing whatever weapons they could find to fend off the invasive creatures. Drax swung a piece of wreckage like a baseball bat, Gamora brandished her sword, and Groot formed his fist into a wooden hammer, playing whack-a-mole with every rodent he could reach.
Rocket, however, was already on the move, darting towards one of the ship's control panels on the cargo bays entrance. "We need to keep them away from the vital systems, or we might suffer the same fate as our honored guests!"
The Guardians, engaged in a frantic battle against the techrats, kept swatting and stomping on the relentless invaders. Despite their efforts, more of the creatures seemed to emerge from hidden crevices within the Milano's hull.
Rocket's eyes darted between the controls and the ongoing skirmish. "I'm rerouting the power to draw them away from the critical systems and keep them here! They are attracted by the energy flow! Don't let them get deeper into the ship!"
As the Guardians fought against the swarm, they could see Rockets plan starting to work. The rats, enticed by the surge of energy, began to follow the redirected currents, away from the critical electronics and the rest of the Milano. They broke out of various spots around them. swarming the crash site like a frenzied metallic horde.
As the Guardians fought to hold their ground, Gamora shouted over the chaos, "We need to get rid of that crashed ship! If we don't, even more of these pests will keep coming!"
Rocket nodded, overlooking the chaotic scene. "She's right. We need get that mess out of here!"
With a determined nod, Groot and Drax joined forces. Groot extended his limbs, wrapping around the wreckage, trying to loosen the wedged remains of the cockpit that kept their visitor connected to their ship. Drax also pushed and strained against the twisted metal, inching the crashed vessel out of the hole in the Milano's hull.
With their combined effort, Groot and Drax's endeavor slowly bore fruit, and the crashed ship groaned as it began to move away from the Milano. The emergency repair systems on the Milano kicked in, sealing off the breached section of the hull with a shimmering force field, as the demolished debris of the ship slowly drifted away into space.
The Guardians continued to exterminate the remaining techrats at the crash site, their makeshift weapons clashing with the relentless invaders. Slowly but surely, they managed to clear the area, and the metallic squeaks faded, leaving behind a scene of scattered rat carcasses and electronic clutter.
Rocket, panting heavily, looked around at the destruction. "Well, that was quite the surprise party."
"Everyone alright?", Gamora asked, sheathing her sword. The crew was scratched up, sweating and out of breath, but nobody seemed to be seriously injured.
"Well, lets clean this up..", Peter said, exhaling deeply.
The team gathered the lifeless techrats into a large box, taking stock of the damage to the Milano. Wires dangled precariously, and exposed circuits sparked sporadically.
As the Guardians continued the tedious task of cleaning and repairing, Rocket seized a moment to slip away. "I'll build a scanner to check the ship's less accessible parts. We can't risk any of these pests lurking in the shadows."
Rocket left the cargo bay to fetch some materials for his makeshift scanner,while Groot and Drax moved around the heavy debris, and Peter assisted Gamora with re-counting their damaged inventory.
Just as the team began to feel a sense of accomplishment, Rocket's laboured shout echoed through the ship. "Guys! I need some assistance. I found more of these d'ast metal munchers!"
Groot and Gamora hurried to Rocket's aid. As they turned the corner, they saw Rocket jumping and climbing around the teleporter, attempting to catch the techrats that had taken a liking to the valuable device. They quickly vanished below the machine, trying to escape the raccoons claws.
"Help me out here, Groot!" Rocket shouted, pointing to the underside of the teleporter. "Lift it up so I can get under and grab those little pests!"
Groot nodded, his limbs shifting into a configuration that allowed him to lift the heavy machine. The Teleporter creaked as it rose a few inches off the ground. Rocket, seizing the opportunity, slid underneath, determined to evict the last remaining rat invaders.
"Stop eating my reward money!" he snarled, viciously making a grab for everything that moved inside the machine.
Just as Rocket was about to pull out the last rat, a blinding flash illuminated the room. Sparks flew, and a strange whirring sound filled the air. The Teleporter emitted a burst of energy, and Rocket felt an overwhelming pull on his limbs as he got sucked into a vortex.
It all happened way too fast. A blinding flash, followed by a tunnel of colours passing by, shinging even through his tightly closed eyelids. He felt pressure building and relieving on his body at a dizzying pace, contorting his frame in ways that defied possibility. His body streched and bent, instantaneously reverting to its original state, only to undergo the relentless cycle anew. The sensations were disorienting, the noise and light overwhelming, his head felt like it would burst at any second...
But just as abruptly as it began, in the blink of an eye, the world reformed.
Rocket, before even comprehending where he was, or what exactly happened, experienced a substantial, agonizing impact, robbing the little raccoon of his breath. He tried to cry out, but no sound left his wide-open muzzle. As darkness encroached upon his blurred vision, Rocket strained to summon the strength to remain conscious, but ultimately succumbed to the overwhelming forces at play.
So that's it for the first chapter, let me know what you think.
[DISCLAIMER] I'm primarily writing this story simply because its fun for me, but positive and negative critiques are very much welcome, as long as they remain constructive. It's always motivating to get some feedback =]. Updates may be a little infrequent, but i'll try my best to complete this one over time. Have a good day!