Chapter 1:
Friends in Low Places
Knowhere, it's a good name for a place where no one wants to be found. The mining colony was founded on the dead body of a Celestial being, ancient and deadly. Well not so deadly now. Small digger drones and mining pods zipped around the dark sky, harvesting whatever bits and pieces of resources they could muster. Each piece more and more valuable as they became more and more scarce.
The main hub of the planet wasn't a bad place to go to spend some units. They'd made the city a veritable cornucopia of vice and sin. Not a bad idea, when you live on one giant money ball. Individuals flocked to this place with the hopes of becoming rich, only to have it taken awat from them by the merchants and vendors who already are rich and have the know how to become more rich. That's alright though, being broke and homeless wasn't too bad on the face of a celestial being. There were more than enough alleyways to slink off into. More than enough vendors to purchase your organs. More than enough places to sell you drugs, and alcohol. More than enough gutters to lay face down in to die.
Rocket Raccoon knew about that first hand. Having spent many a years slumming in places like this. He would come with a pocket full of units and the determination to spend them all, none too wisely should be added to that determination. Gambling, women, booze, even an occasional hallucinogen to pass the time, but he always woke up face down in the gutter of an alleyway. His best friend Groot slump next to him, protecting him from pickpockets, organ thieves, and all around misanthropes.
“Never again”, could be on the list of top ten things Rocket Raccoons most says. Right up there with “There's no one like me, 'cept me.”, “Blam, murdered you!”, and the all too popular. “I know I said never again Groot 'ol buddy, but this is a celebration. It would be rude not to.” The last one was always one higher than the “Never again!” one.
Those days were behind him now, he was on a new mission. He and Groot had come to Knowhere looking for something far more valuable. Information, it was key to finding what he was looking for. Not what, Who? The mysterious changeling had covered her tracks exceedingly well. The only information he was able to uncover was the term Deadlights Society, which meant nothing to anyone other than Rocket and Groot.
Luckily for Rocket Raccoon, Gamora knew of a deep space trader named Vargus, who knew a lot about underground societies. Many of the societies sought him out for deliveries both legit and black market. Vargus made it a point to keep to himself, and wasn't always a chatty Kathy, but Gamora saved him from a Kree torture cruiser many years back, well saved most of him. So in essence Vargus owed her a big one. After some prodding, Vargus agreed to meet with Rocket, but only if the meeting place was Knowhere, and he was to come alone.
Rocket moved through the dirt streets with ease, his lumbering companion Groot at his heels. His gray poncho was pulled tightly across his chest, despite his fur it was cold in space. It was cold on Knowhere, not just the weather either. The reception Rocket and Groot received was colder than a Space Banshee's nipples in December. Which on record, was very cold indeed.
Rocket knew bringing Groot along would be risky business, but Groot insisted, which made Rocket feel better about meeting a stranger in a strange place. Groot had agreed to wait outside of the establishment once they got there. Although Groot reassured Rocket that if anything when down inside the establishment all he had to do was holler, and Groot would find him. This also made Rocket feel more comfortable, as too did the twin photon blasters tucked at his hips, and the double barreled atomizer strapped to his back under the poncho. It was concealed well enough, but it made him appear as though he had a hunchback.
Rocket rounded the corner and paced down a long alleyway. The pair had been walking since they landed an hour ago. Their meeting place, a tavern known as The Gory Hole. No doubt a tasteless play on words, that Rocket had only chuckled about a few hundred times. It didn't seem that nice of a place, but that hadn't been left to Rocket's choosing, he was there only for the information. Nothing else!
Just then Groot looked down and noticed that he was walking alone, he lurched around in a slow pace to see Rocket leaning against the wall of a building. Before him was a barely dressed, and barely legal Krylorian girl. Her beautiful fuchsia skin shown in brilliant contrast against her dark, leather attire. Her auburn hair was pulled back tightly in a pair of bouncy pigtails. Groot watched in dismay as Rocket was using his charm to work over this naive girl. They were in a hurry, and distractions like these weren't good for negotiations. Rocket slipped the girl a unit chip, a device that carries a certain amount of units, not unlike a prepaid credit card. There was a certain amount of giggling from the girl, before she slipped the unit chip inside of her bra.
Groot shook his head slowly and grumbled. “I...Am Groot!” The tone was low and none too pleased.
“Hang on buddy, this will only take a second longer.” Rocket turned his attention back to the girl who was leaning in closely.
Groot watched as the pair were whispering stuff to each other, he craned his neck trying to hear what they were saying, but the moment he could make it out, all he could hear was, “See you soon.” The girl's whispering voice giving away the fact that she was older, and more experienced than she looked. But experienced at what Groot thought. The Krylorian woman disappeared around the corner and was gone. Rocket moved to rejoin Groot, who was still staring at him in disbelief.
“What?!” Rocket said, his body animation was over exaggerated.
“I am Groot!” Groot shook his head, rubbing two braided finger branches together as if to say “shame on you”.
“Nah me? Come on buddy that was entertainment for a later time. I'm one hundred percent on this one I promise. Trust me okay.” Rocket reassured his giant friend.
Groot just let out a deep sigh and shrugged. There was just no reasoning with Rocket sometimes. It was like trying to convince a Nova Corps computer that the color of the Xandarian sky was green, which is isn't. No matter how compelling the argument you will lose against the Nova Corps computer, so too will you lose against Rocket Raccoon.
They reached the end of the alley and Rocket looked up at his friend. “Alright buddy, you wait right here. I'll call you if and when I get into a spot of trouble.”
Groot crossed his large tree trunk arms in front of him. “I am Groot?”
“No I meant to say if and when. Can you remember any time anything like this ever worked out well for us?” Rocket patted his friend comfortingly.
Groot smirked and shook his head. “I am Groot.”
“You said it pal. I'll see you soon.” With that Rocket disappeared into the tavern.
It was dirty, smoky, and smelled of rotten garbage on a hot day. All around him where bums, hobos, destitute miners, prostitutes, and one clown. One clown you ask, see no one cares about society's downtrodden. Rocket stifled a chuckle that was building inside of him. Carefully he stepped around a fallen patron, laying face down on the floor. There was some sort of VIP room set at the back of the establishment. Rocket could only see one table through a beaded curtain. He was almost certain, that his contact would be back there. Vargus, his name was Vargus. Rocket reminded himself as he made his way through the bodies on the floor.
There was a beaded curtain that separated the two rooms. No doubt the back room was reserved for VIPs and those who didn't want to be disturbed. Rocket slipped through the beaded curtain and was stopped abruptly by a large Badoon in a gleaming set of Silverite armor. The only thing that gleamed more than his armor, where his two beady yellow eyes that seemed to be sizing the raccoonoid up. Rocket observed the gleaming armor. It's origin had to be one of two things, either the Badoon had never seen a moment of combat, or he'd just bought new armor after Vargus paid him a large sum of money for a job well done. Either way, Rocket didn't want to research the point further.
“You have no business here!” The Badoon said, his voice was uninviting.
“I'm...” Rocket started but was interrupted by a voice that sounded sickly and gravelly coming from the back booth in the VIP room.
“Rocket Raccoon, I was told of yer comin'.” The voice called.
Rocket was begrudgingly waved on by the Badoon, but he could still feel it's beady eyes on the back of his head. If those eyes would have been blasters, there would be nothing left, but a greasy hole on his raccoonoid neck stem. Even though Rocket knew it wasn't going to happen, it didn't stop the building shutter that started at the tip of his tail and shot up his back.
The booth at the end of the row was very dark and ominous in a way. There was only one of the two sconces above the table that was lit. Not to mention there was an off putting smell that surrounded it. Com'on! Man up for Drax sake, you're being a wuss. Echoed through his mind. When he reached the booth, he looked over at the bulbous figure planted in the seat. Blue flesh, wrinkled and dried out. Impossibly fat to the point of sloppy uneven breathing. It was such that if this being would have been sun bathing on the Xandar Beach shoreline. Ten or twelve Xandarians would rush to try and push it back into the water before he died. Rocket choked down a laugh as well as urge to throw up.
“Arr ya painting me picture or arr ya gonna stare all day. Sit ye down, you furry bastard!” The accent, mixed with his sickly gravelly voice seemed like it fell right out of a cartoon pirate show.
Vargus had to have been the oldest Kree Rocket had ever seen. Rocket pulled his poncho over his muzzle, the Kree smelled as if he might be the oldest thing in the galaxy. Rocket hoisted himself up on the seat across from the Kree. There was hardly any room for him to sit down, since the table had been moved so far out to make room for Vargus's girth. In a split decision Rocket decided that sitting on the table may be more comfortable.
“Welcome boy, Gamora be telling me yer wantin' ta see me.” A robotic eye swiveled around aimlessly at first, it wasn't until a second later that Rocket figured out that it was scanning him for data.
“I'm looking for information on the a group called the Deadlights Society.” Rocket chocked as the reeking stench was permeating his poncho.
“Dinnit anyone ever tell ya, it's rude ta come ta a secret meetin' packin'” The Kree raised his face to the light, most of the flesh had been replaced with synthetic and robotic parts.
“You just said I had to come alone, you didn't say I had to come unarmed. Now answer my question so I can get out of here.” In truth Rocket just wanted this meeting to end so he could breath fresh air again.
“Truer words were never spokin'.” Vargus reached up and grabbed his stein with one oddly mangled arm, half robot half flesh or a mesh of both it was impossible to tell. “Why would ye be wantin' ta know about the Deadlights?”
Rocket leaned back, trying to keep his head straight against the stench. “My reasons are my own, I was told that you had information.”
“Oh I'm just bein' friendly is all.” Vargus smiled a crooked grin, crooked mostly because all the muscles on the left side of his face were dead.
“Good gods man, what the flark is that smell?” Rocket finally gasped out pulling back his poncho and gagging hard.
“Yer about goddamn rude one ain't ye. I'm rottin' here, that's what that smell be. Me body is rejectin' me implants slowly, makin' the flesh near them corrode in a putrid mass of boils and pus!” Vargus was up out of his seat, a wave of nauseating stink washed over Rocket.
Rocket had to get away, he couldn't concentrate on anything but the smell. It was like someone spent an afternoon cutting and cleaning fish, putting the parts into a plastic bag and left them out in the sun. Rocket fought back the saliva building up in his mouth. That was when he realized that Vargus was blocking his only escape route. Call Groot or wait? Rocket asked himself, as he tried to blink the tears out of his eyes. When he opened his mouth to call for help, he choked on his own spit.
“Yer not goin' anywhere ye furry flark. In fact yer gonna help me. There be a price on yer head so big, I'll be able to get me implants replaced. Maybe get some really nice ones too.” Vargue's smell had Rocket backed against the wall.
“What about your deal with Gamora?” Rocket finally coughed out and clenched his teeth, bile was teasing the back of his throat.
“That bitch be the reason I be like this! If she'd let me die the honorable death, this shit never be happening ta me in the first place!” Vargus growled out, his breath was only slightly less offensive than his body odor.
“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Rocket moved his hands down to rest on the grips of his twin blasters.
“Go ahead boy, you'll be dead before ya have 'em out.” Vargus dared the raccoonoid to make a move.
Rocket swallowed hard trying to choke the bile down. Thanks to the terrible smell he was only working at half of his abilities. He wished he could have called for Groot when he had the chance, but now he was at the mercy of Vargus. If he tried to call for help Vargus would have him dead to right.
Rocket closed his eyes for a second whispering a silent prayer to whatever God would have him. “Come on Gods, gimme a hand here. I know I've not always been a good little coon, but I could really use your help right now. Just send me some help, please.”
Vargus gasped heavily arching his back. A piercing scream coming from his misshaped lips. His distorted face was twisting as if he were suffering from some agonizing pain. Rocket wasn't sure what was happening, but he was drawing one his blaster so he could have it ready. Something popped on Vargus's stomach showering watery blood, and chunks of flesh onto Rocket, the smell seeping instantly into his fur. The scream piqued at an ear piercing tone. From the spot on his stomach that had popped, Rocket could see a bladed tip erupted, splashing Rocket with an even heavier wave of gore this time.
Rocket stared in disbelief at what he was seeing. Then the bladed tip disappeared back through Vargus's stomach. Vargus's towering body teetered causing Rocket to climb up on the table once again. He was slipping and sliding all around from the infected blood that covered him. The body toppled forward onto it's face on the floor, nearly hitting Rocket before he'd managed to get onto the table. There was a figure posed behind the spot where Vargus had been standing. He was clad all in black leather armor cleaning the blood from the blade and shaft of his spear with a discarded bar rag.
The Badoon that had given Rocket trouble earlier was laying face down of the floor as well. It was amazing the similarity that the Badoon's armor had with Swiss cheese. The obvious difference was Swiss cheese didn't bleed. The death of the Badoon was brought by the hand of another black leather clad figure. Rocket looked away from them trying to squint the tears out of his eyes. No one every looked like a badass while tears were streaking down their face, Rocket thought.
Vargus's body quivered on final time and collapsed in on itself. The air escaping in the form of flatulence sending another noxious cloud into the air. A solid wave of the stench hit Rocket hard pushing him over the edge. He hung his head over the side of the table and threw up all over the body. The surge to vomit again followed the first wave hard, but there just wasn't anything left to spew. Rocket closed his eyes tightly and spit, then spit again. It had been a long time since he'd thrown up like that. It only added to the strength of the smell though. Rocket had to get out of there as quickly as possible.
The two dark figures turned their attention to the raccoonoid. Rocket met their hollow red gazes from their visor eye pieces on their helmets. They were almost the exact same height and build, definitely skilled warriors to have been able to sneak up and dispatch Vargus and his crony without making a sound. Rocket aimed his blaster at the pair and held it ready for the attack.
“That would not be advisable Rocket Raccoon.” One of the knights spoke, identifying that he was a male.
There was something familiar about his robotic sounding voice. Then he remembered the woman, not Silas. She had wearing the same type of armor in the holographic message she'd left for him. These two knights must be a part of the Deadlights society. Rocket was closer than he thought to figuring out who they were. They must have also been part of the team that shadowed him around everywhere he went. It was time for him to get some answers, Rocket and Groot style.
Rocket smirked around his blaster. “You are well aware of my capabilities. There is nothing to stop me from pulling this trigger, you know that?”
“True, but to what end Rocket?” The other knight solemnly spoke, revealing that he too was a male, the mystery woman from the holo who had been dodging him wasn't there at least not in the bar.
“To get some Flarking answers! Groot, now!” Rocket yelled aiming his blaster at the ceiling and fired a shot through it.
Rocket waited a second to hear the crunch of the wall collapsing in, the thrashing that his buddy was about to unleash upon these bookends, but there was nothing like that. Rocket sneered and launched himself at the knights, trying to remind himself to only wound them, no killing, and no disintegration. Rocket's body hit the knight standing in the front causing a domino effect. The two knights flailing away from him. It didn't take long for them to be back on their feet and moving to attack position.
“What the flark did you do to Groot?!” Rocket yelled firing his blaster at their legs, they must have had enhance speed modifications on.
“We apprehended him, nothing more. He's safe and sound. Now surrender your foolishness.” A dodging knight shifted away and rounded for another assault.
A spear wiped by Rocket causing him to trip over a patron and roll back onto his knees. The two knights were on the move to apprehend the slick raccoonoid, but Rocket was ahead of them. He'd drawn his other blaster and started unloading both much like a desperado in old Western vids. The photon bolts slamming into the floor beneath the knights. There was a low creaking sound coming from the mesh metal flooring. At this point the two knights looked at each other and then disappeared from view the floor collapsing under their weight. The smell of raw sewage filtering up from the floor. Rocket smirk and twirled his blasters on his fingers before holstering them, much like a Wild West outlaw would do to show off.
“Next time you take me on, bring more help bitches.” Rocket cackled down the hole.
It had been a righteous victory for sure, but now he had to go help his friend. He turned around to dart out the door and for his effort he received a solid chop to his throat. There was a searing pain in his throat, making it hard to breath, making it hard to swallow. Before his eyes went blurry, he saw the very figure he'd been looking for. Judging by the way she wiggled her wide hips it must be the mystery woman that had deceived him. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her movements were fluid and smooth as she grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back and then his other arm joined in. Rocket thought that he might be fighting against her, but at the same time he might not have been. Then the energy cuffs came on, they were set for painless. Easy to escape, he thought to himself, until he felt the magnetic belt around his waist pinning his hands to his back.
“Much harder to escape.” He choked out with a smirk.
The familiar feminine robotic voice called out to him in a teasing fashion. “I'm well aware of your skills Rocket Raccoon, I just want to take the utmost care not to lose you again.”
“Well, you could try not lying to me, that would be a start, Silas.” Rocket choked out, regaining his voice little by little.
“I did apologize for that, but now is not the time for this. We must get underway to the Mothership. For now you may call me Agent 19.” Her voice was professional under the auto tuner. “Let's get a move on, we can talk on the ship.”
“Yeah, let's...” Rockets eyebrows were bend in fury, almost so sharp they covered his eyes.
“Agents 4 and 5 when you're done playing around down there, regroup to the ship we're leaving.” Agent 19 ordered before helping Rocket to his feet and urging him to move.
“Some pretty good soldiers you got there 19. It took me a few moments longer to kick their asses than usual.” Rocket joked, looking back at her over his shoulder.
“They were under my orders to take you in alive. I assure you if there had been no order, you'd be dead now.” Her voice was as haughty as the red eye pieces of her helmet.
Agent 19 led Rocket through the door and into the street. The first thing that Rocket took notice of was the mangled and broken body of his best friend Groot. Rocket lurched free from her grasp and ran to his buddy's side. His eyes raced around the mass of broken limbs and splinters. Rocket felt a rage growing inside of him as he flexed against his cuffs. Tears started streaming down his cheek, soaking into his fur.
“No, come on, come on. Where is it?” Rocket whispered to himself, looking around for the one special limb.
Agent 19 ran to his side. “Easy Rocket, it's alright.”
“You killed Groot, you killed my best friend you mother flarkers.” Rocket screamed as he got up from the ground and charged Agent 19.
Deftly she side stepped and grabbed his poncho collar on the way by, pulling him up off his feet. He landed solidly on the dirt road. A crack in his wrist shot pain up into his shoulders. His back was aching from landing in an arched position. In a smooth motion she knelt down on his chest pinning him to the ground. The feeling of her weight to his chest pushed the air out of his lungs slowly.
“You need to calm down Rocket. I would never let anything happen to your friend Groot. After I spoke to him, he surrendered his heartwood to me. It is in a pot of soil in your room aboard my ship. I'm not here to hurt you, you're not my prisoner. But you're in a state of emotional anguish that would be deadly for me and my people. I'm here to ask you for your help, there is something coming and it's so much bigger than you and I. Now suck it up and get to your feet.” Agent 19 stepped off of him and helped him to his feet.
“How do I know you're not lying to me about Groot, about everything? If you don't remember you have a history of lying to me.” Rocket spit fire, his eyes radiating the internal flame of his emotions.
Agent 19 shook her head. “Think! I didn't search you. I didn't take your guns or knives. I didn't even use force until you attacked my men. I didn't attack you when we were in prison together. I have no intention of harming you. I need your help. Stop being a child!”
Rocket straightened up as he thought about everything she'd said. “About the prison, did you mean what you said?”
“About loving you?” Agent 19 also straightened up, more soldier like in her stance, but relaxed none the less.
“Yeah!” Rocket swallowed hard as they faced each other.
“I do and I have since the first moment I met you.” Agent 19 spoke, her words were even and true.
Around her all the other Agents had stopped to watch what was unfolding. Rocket counted eight, with Agent 4 and 5 being ten Agents in all. There may be more, he thought. It was true that they could have killed him at any moment. She made no attempt to take his weapons. Plus how did she know about Groot's heartwood, the most important piece of his body. If he ever sustained a fatal wound, his heartwood could be used to regrow him. If his heartwood was destroyed than Groot would be no more. Rocket could set aside his pride in this matter, but he still hated her, for making him feel something for a lie.
“Alright take off the cuffs and I'll go with you.” Rocket said with conviction, he was standing his ground against them.
“If that's what it takes.” Agent 19 resigned and moved over to him.
Quickly she took the magnetic belt off and tucked it in the satchel on her back. Uneasily she moved to turn his cuffs off. Rocket rubbed his wrists gently, one of them felt broken from the fall earlier. It was his right wrist too which was a shame, it was his dominate hand. Agent 19 noticed him nursing his wrist, as she stepped up to look at it. A smirk moved to Rocket's lips, he quickly grabbed the back of her helmet and brought it down to meet his knee. Agent 19 was launched skyward from the force of the hit, she sprawled onto her back. Her left eye piece shattered leaving her looking up at the naked black sky with one eye, and the other saw red computer read out of same said black sky. Other than that, she was uninjured. The force had thrown Rocket off balance and he felt. His already stressed wrist hit first. There was another crack and searing pain shooting through his arm once again. If it wasn't broken before, it sure was now. He gasped but refused to make any louder of a sound.
It all had happened so fast that the other Agents hadn't had time to react. When everything had played out, they launched themselves at the raccoonoid to protect their leader. Agent 19 was already up on her feet waving for them to halt their attack.
“Cease, I'm not hurt. Not physically anyway. I assure you all I deserved this and more, now pick him up and bring him to the sick bay, double time gods damnit.” Agent 19 looked down at Rocket who was curled up on the dirt road holding his wrist.
Rocket looked back at her, the anger still there in his heart. His dark brown eyes met her one naked eye. The piercing eye of emerald was familiar to him. Silas! Just then the anger softened, he was feeling something else now. When he opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand and shook her head slowly. They didn't need to say anything. They'd both said sorry and had both forgiven each other in one way shape or form. They were beyond paltry words anyway. More work that words was needed in repairing the damage that had befallen them. Agents 4 and 5 moved to help Rocket to his feet, leading him off towards the shipyard.
