Hello, it's me again. For this story, I chose to focus on Rocket and Gamora's relationship, as I feel it is not often written about, but very interesting.

Anyway, on with the story!

Cybernetics

"You just had to pick the one jewelry thief who has an army of genetically altered slug people, and stop his operation, didn't you Quill?" Rocket sneered at his friend who was taking aim at the huge mass of slug soldiers surrounding them.

"Well, it's not like I knew about the slug people." Peter responded, angered the Nova Corp didn't give him more information about their assignment.

"Well, maybe next time, do some research on the guy we're fighting!" Rocket shouted back.

"Rocket calm down, this is no time for arguing, it is a time to stop this man from destroying the economies of thousands of worlds." Gamora told her furry friend.

"And to try out my new move that Mantis has been teaching me!" Drax stated.

"And so Drax can do his thing." Gamora said.

"And collect that reward money from Nova!" Rocket smirked.

"And get rewarded." Gamora repeated.

"And too…" Peter began.

"Will you all please focus!" Gamora ordered.

"I am Groot." Groot, near his adult size, stated.

"Thank you Groot." Gamora smiled.

"Mamma's boy." Rocket scoffed.

"I am Groot!" Groot replied.

"Yes you are, stop lying!" Rocket told his tree friend.

"Clarians, attack!" The jewel thief shouted from his platform on the top floor of the circular spire the Guardians currently occupied.

"What he said, except for us!" Peter commanded.

"Such an inspiration." Rocket commented sarcastically while he activated his jetpack and fired on the slugs.

"I thought his performance was quite lackluster." Drax stated while he performed the new move Mantis taught him.

"It was sarcasm Drax, and you're moving like a ballerina down there." Rocket observed.

"I am not dancing in the slightest, and ballerinas don't fight slug monsters." Drax stated.

"That's not what I… whatever." Rocket went back to shooting up the slugs, until his main gun ran out of ammo. He switched to his secondary.

"I am Groot!" Groot shouted as he punched more and more slugs as they approached his friends.

"Groot be careful, don't tire yourself out too quickly!" Rocket shouted.

Rocket heard a chuckle from the platform above him.

"Guys, I'll go take care of Mr. Smiles up there, I think he's controlling these slug things. Feel free to join when you can!" Rocket commented.

"You be careful Rocket, don't underestimate him!" Gamora ordered.

"Got it greenie." Rocket flew upward toward the jewel thief, Vincent Shrawl, and aimed his laser pistol at his head. "Vincent Shrawl, you are under arrest! God I've always wanted to say that!"

"I think not!" Shrawl threw a couple of knives at Rocket, who evaded them easily. The slugs meanwhile, automatically went to protect their master. This freed up the other Guardians to pick them off like flies.

"Yes! The furry one's assault on their leader has caused the slugs to be defeated! We have won the day!" Drax lifted his arms in celebration.

"Don't party yet big guy, Rocket still needs to take Shrawl down." Peter reminded.

"I'm sure the furry one will have no problem." Drax stated.

"Still, I'm going to back him up." Peter said, as he activated his jetpack.

"Come on man, don't be that corny 'hey, I've been defeated, but I won't give up without a fight' villain, and just give up. We might be able to lighten your sentence." Rocket stated.

Shrawl threw another knife, this one almost hit Peter as he was ascending, missing his neck by an inch.

"That does it." Rocket stated simply, and fired a shot into Shrawl's arm, severing it.

"AH!" Shrawl cried as he fell to the ground.

"Rocket!" Peter yelled.

"No one tries to hurt my friends." Rocket said as he landed and approached Shrawl.

Just then, Shrawl pulled out a stun gun, and fired it at Rocket. Electric pulses shot through Rocket's body. He let out a scream and fell to the floor of the platform.

"Rocket!" Peter shouted, almost repeating himself. He saw Shrawl take aim again, and Peter shot his gun right at the jewel thief, ending his life of thievery forever.

The stun had worn off, but Rocket felt odd. He tried to get to his feet, only to fall over again.

"Rocket, are you…" Peter began.

"I'm fine." Rocket said as he tried to stand a second time, before collapsing.

"Do you need…"

"I said I'm fine!" Rocket shouted.

"Alright geez, I was just trying to help!" Peter said.

Rocket took a deep breath. "Yeah, I know. Could you, give me a hand, Pete?"

Peter sighed and smiled.

"Sure bud." Peter took Rocket's paw in his hand and helped him up. They both descended from the platform, and reunited with the other Guardians.

"Where's Shrawl?" Gamora asked.

"Playing his jeweled harp." Peter responded.

"Was that necessary?" Gamora asked.

"No one hurts my friends." Peter smiled at Rocket, who gave him a friendly chuckle.

"Well, we should leave, and let Nova deal with clean up." Gamora said.

"I am Groot." Groot agreed.

As they approached the ship, Rocket stopped.

"Rocket, what is it?" Peter asked.

"Oh, nothing Pete. I thought I saw something. It's fine." Rocket said.

"Alright, if you're sure." Peter continued walking.

Rocket looked down at his foot. "Come on, do it." He said under his breath. The foot finally moved. "Finally."

The team boarded the Milano. Peter went to the cockpit to prepare for departure.

"Hey, Rock, care to pilot us out of here?" Peter called to his furry friend.

"Not today, I'm tired. Maybe some other time." Rocket stated, and continued to his room.

"Oh, okay." Peter raised an eyebrow. That's odd. Peter thought as he climbed to the cockpit.

"Something is off Peter." Mantis suddenly said, startling Peter.

"Mantis! Oh, you scared me." Peter said.

"I'm sorry, I have quite shoes. I sense something is wrong with Rocket. He seems nervous." Mantis said, quickly changing subjects.

"Well, whatever it is, it's none of our business. I'm sure Rock will deal with it, and if he wants help, he'll ask for it." Peter told the new addition to the team.

"I believe, he already is." Mantis commented.

Gamora proceeded down the hall to her bunk, when she was stopped by Rocket.

"Gamora, can I ask you a favor?" Rocket asked.

"What do you need?" Gamora asked.

"Can you come in my room?" Rocket requested.

"This better not be what I'm thinking it is Rocket." Gamora said.

"What? No! Never, I mean, not that you're not attractive, but…" Rocket stammered.

"Just come on." Gamora said as she entered Rocket's room.

It was smaller than hers, barely the size of the small kitchen on the Milano, but it served Rocket well enough, he didn't need as much room as the rest of them did after all. His collection of weapons took up more space than the bed did.

"So, what do you need Rocket?" Gamora asked.

"You're familiar with cybernetics, right?" Rocket asked.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I need help with mine. I think something's wrong. Wound you, um, could you…"

"Alright, let's see what the problem is." Gamora said, sensing how embarrassed Rocket was about this situation. "Take off your shirt, your cybernetic accesses are on your back, right?"

"Oh, yeah." Rocket took off his shirt, and turned his back to Gamora.

Gamora touched his back to get a better read on what was wrong. Rocket winced.

"Sorry, it's tender back there." Rocket said softly.

"I'll be gentle. Okay, you're spinal support has been reset and loosened. I'll have to tighten it to give you full control." Gamora went to Rocket's tool box and found a small screwdriver. "This will feel weird, you ready?"

Rocket gave her the thumbs up, and she proceeded. Rocket winced at the sensation of the tightening. It felt like his back was being twisted into a knot.

"Almost done. Was it Shrawl?" Gamora asked.

"Yeah. The bastard stunned me while I was arresting him. It must've reset my damn system or something." Rocket gritted.

"It's all in the life of being cybernetic." Gamora stated.

"I hate this. Why can't we… I don't know, take a shock like normal people. Not have to wear rubber gloves when plugging in a computer, or when changing a light bulb. You know, normal people shit." Rocket looked down.

"Well, for one thing, you wouldn't be able to do those things without these. You'd still be living in a forest somewhere, searching for food." Gamora commented.

"Actually, I'd probably be dead." Gamora looked at Rocket with confusion. "My cybernetics slowdown my ageing, so I age at a normal rate as a Terran. My lifespan is about seventy-five years, give or take." Rocket stated.

"How old are you, Rocket?" Gamora asked.

"I'm not sure. I only remember things from after the initial experiments were completed. I spent two years in that hellhole, another two as a bounty hunter, and a year with the Guardians. So, I'm at least five years old, probably a bit older." Rocket explained.

"So, you're just a child." Gamora smirked.

"I am not! I'm…" Rocket stopped when he looked at Gamora's slight smile. "Huh, I guess I am. Gamora, you and I, we… we have similar experiences, right?"

"I guess."

"If you ever need to, you know, get some help, you know, I may act like I don't care, but I really do." Rocket cracked one of his rare genuine smiles.

"Thank you Rocket. Same goes to you. Well, I think I've fixed the problem. Does it feel normal?"

"About as normal as a bunch of metal and wires in your body can feel." Rocket joked. "Thank you. Really, thank you."

"You're very welcome. Hey, you better get to the cockpit before Peter's bad piloting runs us into a comet." Gamora joked.

"Oh shit, you're right!" Rocket ran out of his room, before turning back around. "Can you throw me my…"

Gamora threw Rocket his shirt, and he pulled it over his head.

"Thanks." Rocket then ran to the cockpit.

Gamora chuckled at her brother. She smiled at that thought. That was the best way to describe their relationship. He was her brother, and they would always be joined by that bond, that only people who were enhanced will ever share.