AN: A special shout-out to 1_true_believer_3000 on AO3 for giving me the idea for the Watcher opening sequence this chapter!

"With their freedom from the Ravagers secured, Batch 89 set a course to reunite with their friends. But would the tension building in their group finally bubble over before they could-"

The Watcher quirked an eyebrow as a distant screaming came to his ear. "What the hell is that…?"he wondered out loud before a jump portal opened up, Yondu's ship hurdling out of it before zipping right past the Watcher and off into another portal. The Watcher blinked, before shaking his head. "That was… trippy. Now, where was I?"

"You were just about to get to the third act!" said a man wearing an orange space suit sitting next to him.

"Right, thank you for reminding me," The Watcher replied to his informant. "Arriving quickly to Ego's planet, Batch 89 would need to come clean about their own mistakes before they could rejoin their teammates…"

[***]

Yondu's ship finally came to a stop right outside of Ego's atmosphere, everyone toppling over in their seats. Groot even threw up a little, right into Sale's lap. "Lovely…" she growled.

"What the hell you doing, boy?" Yondu questioned.

"I could tell by how you talked about him this Ego is bad news," Rocket replied. "We're here to save Quill."

"For what, huh? For honor? For love?" Yondu asked.

"What? No, I don't care about those things! I wanna save Quill to prove that I'm better than him before I take my crew and leave his sorry ass behind!" Rocket shouted.

The other members of Batch 89 gasped. "Rocket… leave Friend Quill Gamora Drax behind?" Floor asked.

"We didn't need them before, and we don't need them now," Rocket said. "I just don't want his death weighing on my conscience is all."

"Is this about the batteries?" Teefs asked. "Rocket, we know now that it was Sale that stole them. If we just explain that to Mr. Star-Lord-"

"Quill ain't gonna listen to me," Rocket interrupted. "I was going to take the Milano and leave him behind back there, get back into the mercenary business. Of course, then Nebula broke out and we all got captured, but that's just a minor setback."

Lylla frowned, getting out of her seat and marching over to Rocket. "Well, if you're going to continue being mad a Quill, then maybe you should leave me behind as well. Because… I was the one who let Nebula out of her cuffs."

"What!? Why would you do that!?" Rocket shouted.

"Because I thought it was the right thing to do! That should would do the right thing and help us!" Lylla shouted back, baring her fangs in anger. "I know you're scared, Rocket, but just as we finally found others that can be our friends, our family even, you want to run away as soon as they get mad at you. I don't want to run anymore, Rocket! I want to live, to be free… and I can't be free if you're just going to keep me trapped on the run."

Lylla closed her eyes, tears starting to fall before she turned and walked away. "Lady… Lylla, wait…" Rocket called to her.

"Floor agree with Friend Lylla. Rocket… not being good friend," Floor said, following Lylla out of the room.

Rocket looked to Teefs, the walrus sighing before turning his back on the raccoon. "We were all trapped by fear when we lived under Sire… I don't want to keep being ruled by that fear anymore."

Rocket watched his friends leave in disbelief, before his attention turned to Yondu, the blue alien starting to laugh up a storm. "What, what's so funny? You think me losing my friends is worth laughing at?"

"You can fool yourself and everyone else, but you can't fool me," Yondu laughed. "I know who you are."

"You don't know anything about me, loser," Rocket retorted.

Yondu whipped around. "I know everything about you. I know you play like you're the meanest and the hardest, but actually, you're the most scared of all."

"Shut up!" Rocket snarled.

"I know you wanted to steal batteries you don't need, and you push away anyone who's willing to put up with you, because just a little bit of love, reminds you of how big and empty that hole inside you actually is."

"That's not true! Lylla, and Floor, and Teefs, and Groot, they love me!"

"Well you're sure doing a mighty fine job at making 'em hate you, boy… I know them scientists what made you, never gave a rat's ass about you. Just like my own damn parents who sold me, their own little baby, into slavery. I know who you are, boy, because you're me."

Rocket flinched as Yondu got up in his face. From her captive seat, Sale was cackling at the scene. "Good show, you two! Good show!" she laughed. "Sire said you were manipulative and cunning, Subject 89P13, but I didn't know you were as pathetic as this pirate!"

Rocket angerly tossed a lose bolt off the floor as Sale to get her to shut up. "You don't think I know that? That I've had the High Evolutionary's voice in my head all this time? Do you know what he did when I asked if me and my friends could join him on his perfect world? He laughed at me, right to my face, and said that me and my friends would be killed by the morning. I promised to myself after we escaped that I would never let anyone hurt us again after what he did…"

The raccoon looked to the door his friends and left through. "…Flark I've messed up. I wanted to keep them safe, but all I've done is look out for myself… What kinda pair does that make us, Yondu?"

"The kind that's about to fight a planet, I reckon," Yondu replied. "I'd make peace with your friends before we get down there."

"Yeah… Yeah, okay, sounds like a plan!" Rocket nodded, before pausing. "Wait, fight a what?"

"Hey, I didn't sign up for this!" Sale shouted, trying to get out of her seat.

"I am Groot," Groot said.

"What did the little tree man say?" Sale asked.

"He said you're helping us, whether you like it or not. But in much more colorful language," Rocket smirked. "We really need to watch what we say around you, Groot." He turned to the door and raced to find where the others had gone. 'Lylla, Floor, Teefs… I gotta make it up to them.'

[***]

Lylla swung her staff around a few times before retracting it and sliding it back into the loop around her belt. She, Floor, and Teefs were getting prepared for whatever they were going to have to face on Ego's planet, the rabbit spinning a knife around while Teefs checked his own weapons one last time. When Rocket came into the room, they only spared him a glance before turning away.

"…I know you're all mad at me," Rocket said, looking to each of them. "And I know that I've really made you all hurt with what I said back there. And the one thing we all promised after we escaped Counter Earth was that we weren't going to hurt each other… and I broke that promise."

Rocket reached into his pocket and pulling out the keycard he had made all that time ago. "I've always promised to keep you all safe, but I put my own feelings over you guys' feelings, and that's wrong. We're a team, and as captain I have to weigh your feelings just as much as my own. I'm just… ever since we lost Groot, I… let my fear get the better of me. And then Quill started accusing me of stealing those batteries and… I didn't want to get hurt again by trusting someone else."

"But I should be putting more faith in my friends!" Rocket shouted, tossing the keycard to the ground. "And I've been a really, really crappy friend the past few days to you guys, and to Quill and the others… So, I'm sorry for wanting to run away again. The Guardians of the Galaxy wouldn't be the same without us all being together, and I still intend to keep you all safe no matter what… but I can't do that if you all hate me. So… I'm sorry for all the shitty things I've done to make you mad at me, okay?"

Rocket turned around after he finished his speech. Lylla, Floor, and Teefs all looked at each other before the otter stepped forward, picking up the keycard and taking it apart into its component parts. "You know, you spent a long time making this back on Counter Earth… It's the reason we all escaped that day," Lylla said. She took the parts and gave one to Floor and the other to Teefs. "It's the symbol of our freedom, and you've been carrying that burden of keeping our freedom alive all by yourself…"

"But we've grown stronger since back then, learned new skills and made new friends," Teefs continued. "You do not need to hold the weight of our world on your shoulders anymore, Rocket."

"Yes! Friends help friends! And friends forgive when friends act mean!" Floor cheered.

Lylla put a hand on Rocket's shoulder, turning him around and placing the scanner chip into the raccoon's palm. "Batch 89 is a fearless crew that explores the forever sky, looking for adventure and friends, but it's nothing without a captain. And there's no other captain for us but Rocket Raccoon."

Rocket smiled, wiping a tear from his eye as he hugged Lylla. "Thank you… So, you guys accept my apology?"

Lylla smirked and slipped out of the hug. "Well… There is one thing you have to do first."

"Oh, that thing…" Teefs chuckled.

"Apology song! Apology song!" Floor chanted.

Rocket groaned. "Really? You guys are going to make me sing that song?" Lylla responded by pressing a button in the room, turning on the ship's speakers as one of Quill's songs started to play. "Oh geez… Fine, I'll do it, but you have to sing with me too, Lady!"

"I guess I need to apologize for letting Nebula free as well," Lylla laughed, before she started shimmying to the beat, Rocket half-heartedly dancing as well as the words of the song came to his lips.

"Walk out. Girl, don't you walk out, we've got things to say… Talked out, let's have it talked out. Things will be okay…" Rocket sang. "Girl, I don't want to fight… I'm a little bit wrong, and you're a little bit right…" Lylla smiled, taking Rocket's hand as they danced together. "I said girl, you know that it's true… It's a little bit me… It's a little bit you, too!"

Yondu watched from the doorway with a smirk. 'Kid's gonna turn out all right. Just like Quill did,' He thought.

After Rocket and Lylla finished their apology song, Batch 89 rejoined the rest of the rescue team on the bridge. "Wait, so Ego is the entire planet?" Lylla said in surprise. "How are we supposed to fight him then!?"

"That's what I said! You lot are crazy!" Sale shouted.

"Kraglin, make sure the psychotic raccoon doesn't escape from that chair," Rocket said. "As for how we fight Ego… well, maybe we'll get lucky and we can just pick up the other Guardians and book it before he kills us all."

"It's too bad the Hadron Enforcer was broken beyond repair after we fought Ronan…" Teefs sighed. "A planet-buster weapon would do the trick."

"Can we take bug lady with us? I like bug lady," Floor asked.

Rocket shrugged. "Sure, why not. Not like she'll have anywhere else to go after we escape and/or kick Ego's planet-sized butt."

"We're heading down to the surface soon. Kraglin, you're in charge of keeping this ship in one piece," Yondu ordered as he, Groot, and Batch 89 loaded up into a smaller ship, Teefs turning on their communicator to get in touch with the other Guardians.

"Teefs?" Gamora's voice came though the coms.

"Ms. Gamora! Keep your transmitter active. We have arrived and will be at your coordinates shortly," Teefs said as everyone buckled up. "We're using an old construction vehicle that Yondu used in a bank heist on A'askavaria."

"Ego's unhinged," Gamora said.

"We know!" Batch 89 said at the same time.

"Get ready," Rocket said.

"Drop her, Kraglin!" Yondu called out to his first mate, the mining vehicle falling from the ship and flying down into Ego's atmosphere.

"…Huh, Floor didn't see face before," Floor said, looking down at the face on Ego's surface.

Rocket piloted the ship down, following Gamora's transmitter as the surface below started glowing with eerie light. "Looks like that citadel is where the team is. Everyone, hold onto something!" Rocket ordered as he punched it, breaking through the building's ceiling where Ego looked up at them in surprise.

"Hey there, Jackass!" Yondu shouted as they squashed Ego.

Lylla and Floor opened up the doors on the vehicle for the other guardians. "This way, team!" Lylla called.

"Blue lady! You're here too!" Floor called out when she saw Nebula with the group.

"Out of the way dumber, smaller Groot!" Drax shouted as Groot waved to them, the tree punching at the warrior while Gamora helped Quill get back on his feet.

"I take it we missed quite a bit while we were gone," Teefs said.

"What are you doing? You could have killed us all!" Drax exclaimed.

"Uh, "Thank you, Rocket"?" Rocket retorted, crossing his arms.

"We had it under control," Drax replied.

"We did not… That is only an extension of his true self," Mantis said. "He will be back soon."

"What's Smurfette doing here?" Quill asked as he and Gamora got onboard.

"Whatever I need to do to get a damn ride home," Nebula answered.

"Blue lady Guardian of Galaxy now!" Floor giggled.

"She tried to murder us!" Rocket shouted.

"I saved you and your stupid friends, fox," Nebula shot back.

"He's not a fox," Lylla corrected.

"I am Groot!" Groot said.

"Yeah, I'm a raccoon," Rocket nodded.

Suddenly, energy tendrils started popping out of the ground around the ship. "How do we kill a Celestial?" Drax asked.

"There's a center to him. His brain, his soul, whatever it is… some sort of protective shell," Quill replied.

"It's in the caverns below the surface," Mantis added.

Yondu took control of the ship to get them out of there, but the tendrils started wrapping around their vehicle, halting the escape. "Thrusters are out," Yondu called.

"Floor fix it!" Floor called, burrowing into the ship's walls to find the problem.

"Guess I should be glad I was a skinny kid. Otherwise, you'd have delivered me to this maniac," Quill said.

"You still reckon that's the reason I kept you around, you idiot?" Yondu questioned.

"That's what you told me, you old doofus," Quill shot back.

"Once I figured out what happened to them other kids I wasn't just gonna hand you over," Yondu said.

"You said you were gonna eat me," Quill reminded him.

"That was being funny!" Yondu shouted.

Quill gave him a look. "Not to me!"

"You people have issues," Rocket sighed as he pushed a few buttons, Floor popping out underneath his seat.

"Floor done!" the rabbit called.

"Well of course I have issues. That's my freaking father!" Quill shouted as he pointed out the window that the regenerating Ego.

"Thrusters are back online!" Teefs called out as Yondu and Quill gunned the engines, escaping the tendrils and sending the craft plummeting down towards the planet.

"We should be going up!" Yondu shouted.

"We can't. Ego wants to eradicate the universe as we know it. We have to kill him," Quill said. "Rocket!"

"Got it!" Rocket nodded, flipping a switch to activate the ship's mining lasers so they could burrow down into the surface of Ego. "So we're saving the Galaxy again?"

"Looks like it," Lylla grinned.

"Awesome! We're really gonna be able to jack up our prices if we're two time galaxy savers," the raccoon stated.

"I seriously can't believe that's where your mind goes," Quill rolled his eyes.

"It was just a random thought, man. I thought we were friends," Rocket replied. "Of course I care about the planets, and the buildings, and all the animals on the planets."

"And the people," Quill added.

"Meh," Rocket shrugged, getting a playful nudge from Lylla for that.

"The crappy puppy's so cute. He makes me wanna die!" Mantis grinned.

Author's Note

This chapter was mostly the emotional payoff for the tension between Rocket and his friends that's been building the last few chapters. Dealing with Sale, Nebula, and the Ravagers has pushed Rocket to his emotional tipping point, and consequently lash out at his friends in the name of keeping them safe. Of course Yondu can see right past the raccoon's facade and that Rocket is really only looking out for himself, with running away from his problems being his coping mechanism after all the trauma the High Evolutionary and losing Groot gave him.

Of course Batch 89 weren't going to stay mad at Rocket for long. They've been through so much together that an apology and Rocket acknowledging his faults is all they really needed... and singing "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" by the Monkees as well! There's still no sign of the Sovereign showing up, so will the fight against Ego go smoother? Find out next time!