Rocket had lost count. He had lost count of how many days he had been in this hell-hole of a laboratory. Lost count of how many fucks he gave about living anymore. He was so close to just giving up, it would be so much easier. Why did he have to have so much determination? It wasn't like it was doing him any good.

His fur was matted, his claws cracked and dull from scratching in vain at the metal walls of his cell. He had just gotten through a particularly rough round of surgery and was currently siting in the middle of his tiny cell. He couldn't even lean on the wall with the way his back felt. He could feel every minuscule circuit and bolt they had put in him. He just wanted it to stop. Or better yet for the cage to open so he could kill very damn scientist with his bare hands and then off himself to escape from the misery.

Suffice to say, rocket was not in a good place. So when he heard screams and crashes outside the cell he barely flinched. It was all background noise in this place, you had to learn to drown it out of you'd go crazier than they were already making you.

This time though, the yelling sounded . . . Close. As soon as Rocket started to pay attention to it the moment was over and the lab was more silent than he had ever heard it. Rocket sat extremely still until curiosity got he best of him and he peeked out of the small slot for food in the side of the cell.

The door to the room was utterly decimated, the metal looked as though it had been ripped through like paper. Through the once-door Rocket saw creatures scampering and slithering away quickly. Scientists of various species were strewn on the floor like rag dolls.

All at once the light shining through the slot was blocked out. The scene of carnage Rocket had gazed upon was replaced with a pair of giant, watery eyes. Rocket slammed himself to the opposite side of the cell as if propelled by an ion blaster round. His cybernetics flared in white hot pain and his heart thumped faster than he thought possible. What was this giant . . . Thing? Why was it staring at him so intently?

Rocket didn't think he could be more on edge than he already was but he was proved oh-so-wrong when the entire front wall of his cell was ripped off with a sickening squeal. This was it. He was gonna be dinner to whatever had killed the scientists. Suddenly living didn't seem like such a bad thing . . .

The figure's shadow covered the entire cell and Rocket dared not look up. Maybe if he didn't make any noise or eye contact the beast would leave him alone. He heard the creak of what sounded like wood and could tell that the figure had leaned in closer.

Into Rocket's field of vision came what looked like a twig but when Rocket peered up he saw it was one of four fingers attached to a long, outstretched, wooden arm.

"I am Groot" said a surprisingly gentle voice. The arm beckoned Rocket forward.

"Listen I don't know care who you are but I know you aren't gonna be taking me down like all of those suckers" Rocket snarled, gesturing to the scientists who lay prone on the floor. The rest of Rocket's life lay ahead of him and he wasn't gonna let anyone take it from him. This is who he was, a vicious, determined ball of fur that wasn't ever going to be anyone's plaything ever again.

Rocket pounced to the left of the creature. He made it to the floor but crumpled in pain on contact. His cybernetic upgrade was so fresh that every large movement he made sent blinding pain through his body. He forced himself up on to all fours and tried to take a step but he couldn't without his whole world ripping to shreds of agony.

"I am Groot!"

"Yeah . . ." Rocket huffed out through clenched teeth, "you said that already."

He tried to move again but to no avail. Just when he had this chance to escape from hell he couldn't even get his own damn body to-

The ground was lifted up from under Rocket suddenly. He winced as he felt a wooden hand gently lifting him up.

"Let me go you walking stick! I'll rip your head off! I'll set fire to your whole tree family! I'll personally rip your heart out and eat it! Gahhh!" He snarled, scratching at the hand which held him and realizing how much it hurt to move and how little it seemed to harm the walking log. He kept weakly fighting as he was brought up to rest against the surprisingly soft bark of the tree's chest. Suddenly they were moving and Rocket watched as the cell he had spent his entire life in diminished behind them.

"I mean it, bark for brains! If you don't let me go I'm gonna-"

Rocket was dropped onto the floor abruptly. He yelped in pain. Groot stared down at him. He gestured for Rocket to go ahead and walk. Was this tree giving him sass?

"Look, ya big idiot, I'm perfectly capable of escaping by myself" Rocket said defensively. Rocket tried to get up from the floor but ended up falling flat on his back looking up at a smirking tree. "What are you looking at, bozo?" He winced out.

Groot rolled his large eyes, leaning down to pick Rocket up once again. He paused with his arm outstretched.

"Fine." Was all Rocket said.

Groot immediately scooped Rocket up and cradled him to his chest once more. Rocket was surprised by how delicately the giant held him, his cybernetics barely jostled as Groot ran down the hall.

Rocket flinched and covered his eyes a sunlight engulfed the pair. Rocket opened his eyes to see an outside world he hadn't even known existed. He had been born in the building which he could see diminishing behind them as Groot ran. He was finally free. There was green everywhere, countless shades of it. And above them was a blanketing sky of pink with wisps of white floating calmly by.

Rocket could have stared forever but he was jostled by a huge explosion. The lab behind them was now a pile of ash.

"Now I see why you were in such a hurry."

"I am Groot," the tree said with a smug smile.

"Wait a minute . . . You did that didn't you!?"

Groot chuckled and nodded. The pride was unmistakable.

"Now there's something we have in common. We both like making things go boom!"

"I am Groot!" The gentle giant said, finally slowing down to a jog before stopping completely in a clearing of trees. He placed Rocket on the ground gingerly and turned to admire his handiwork.

"Nice going, big guy. That was a quality explosion."

Groot grinned widely, eyes still fixated on the pile of rubble in the distance.

There was a calm pause with only the sound of settling debris to fill it. It was serene in some sort of sick way.

"Yo Groot." Rocket called.

Groot turned, his wooden body creaking.

Rocket cast his eyes to the side, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I . . . Uh . . . Thanks for busting me out of that place."

Groot sat down net to Rocket with a leafy thud.

"I ain't ever had no one who gave a shit."

Groot lifted the mammal with one arm and placed him on his shoulder. Rocket instinctively grabbed on to Groot's head-crest to ground himself. The unlikely pair looked over the decimation as though they were watching a sunset. This somehow felt just right.

"I guess I owe you one. "