Picking Up The Pieces

27. More Aliens

  "Did you guys hear that?" Rocket asked us later that night. Groot and I looked at each other and shook our heads. "Someone's here."

"Take me out of these bonds," Nebula told the raccoon. "I'll help you look around."

"I'm not that stupid!" Rocket snarled at her before turning back to us. His ears twitched as he listened out again. "I'm guessing about twenty minutes tops until whoever's out there gets within ten yards. I'm gonna grab the traps."

"What do I do?" I asked him as he grabbed random machinery from around the ship, slipping my Guardians jacket on. The raccoon ignored me. "Hey! I want to help."

"Not on my watch," Rocket grumbled. "Quill put me in charge of making sure you stay safe. I'll do the hard work, you watch Groot."

"So I just sit here and twiddle my thumbs?" I said in disbelief, watching him place the items in a bag. Rocket started to walk out the opening of the ship. "Sing pretty lullabies and hope for the best?" Rocket paused, and I didn't have to read his mind to know what idea went through his head. "I was kidding, I wouldn't actually-"

Twenty minutes later...

"Southern skies," I sang along with the music. I could occasionally hear Rocket join in through his radio, screams of his victims coming from all around the camp. "Have you ever noticed southern skies? It's a precious beauty lies just beyond the eye. It goes running though your soul like the stories told of-"

The sound of multiple gunshots made my blood run cold, and I stopped singing. Groot looked at me nervously, and Nebula woke up from her sleep. A few seconds later, a flurry of gunshots, each sounding different, filled the air.

"Stark, now is the time to pound that button!" he yelled, and I grabbed the detonator out of my back pocket. I quickly pounded the button, and I heard several people scream. I looked out the opening to see people flailing above the tree tops. "Good job." I heard muffled grunts through the radio. "Okay, now go grab the..." Rocket paused. "Oh, crap." The radio turned to a soft buzz.

"Rocket?" I tried to reply. "Rocket, can you hear me? Rocket!" I turned back to Nebula and Groot. "He's not responding," I told them, my heart thumping against my chest.

"Your friend..." Nebula thought out loud. "There's too many of them." She looked at me. "He needs my help. If you care about him, you need to get me out of these bonds."

"How do I know you won't stab me in the back?" I asked her suspiciously. "I know that the two of us just met, but based on what the others think of you I need to make sure everyone is safe." Nebula stayed silent, and I sighed. "I'm going out there," I told Groot.

I rummaged around the mess and found a few of my throwing knives, sticking them in my boot for good measure. I quickly cracked my fingers, already anticipating what it would be like out there.

"I am Groot!" the baby tree yelled suddenly, giving me a spook. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You are not going out there," I scolded. "Now stay here." I turned around and started my walk through the forest. It didn't take long for me to find the group threatening Rocket with several guns.

"I tell you, it was pretty easy to find you," a blue alien smirked at the raccoon. I'm guessing he was the leader. "I put a tracer on your ship back there during the war over Xandar." So these people were from a previous battle. I don't know if that made things better or worse. Rocket lowered his head.

"Give me your word you won't hurt Groot or the kid," Rocket pleaded with his paws above his head. "I'll tell you where the batteries are." Aw, he did care about me. The blue alien chuckled.