The Wall

One Of My Turns

Though the dispute ended on a more solemn note, Rocket felt far from satisfied. His intentions were purely for their shared benefit, and yet she so adamantly denied any attempt for him to lend his aid. Her actions were nonsensical, at least if seen as purely altruistic.

This was not a matter of caretaking, but of enforcing power. Her role as captain was not being used to care for Rocket, but to enforce her superiority. She was the leader of whatever crew she managed, and to see her role challenged by someone as capable as him put her on edge. She needed an indelible reminder to enforce upon him. Solving the issue of his tracker without aid would undoubtedly alter their relationship in such a manner. An irrevocable sigil perpetually exploited to enforce her superiority.

But Rocket had no intention of yielding so easily. She had yet to laud his accomplishments, her only points of levity arising from his failure, but he no longer desired her approval or praise. He would prove without question his capability, even within the field she seemed most competent. Undoubtedly their relationship would be perturbed in tandem with the power dynamic she so eagerly maintained, Rocket had no intention of maintaining their bond. She was extraneous from the moment she brought him aboard the ship, regardless of her attempts otherwise.

Rocket was not supplementary to whatever manner of redemption she sought out, and her incessant attempts to turn him into an accessory for her atonement were uncompelling to the male raccoon. Self sufficiency was easily attainable, hence why she so thoroughly tried to stifle it within him. She had no interest in his success.

His anger manifested both mentally, audibly, and visually as he clenched his hands into fists against his fur, then growled through clenched teeth at his inaction. He should've exited the ship with her, refusing to remain on the vessel regardless of her wishes, but minutes had passed and she had long since entered the facility. Only now was Rocket fully galvanized towards his goal, heading to the weapons cache and fishing out the disassembled components of his weapon, and soon fashioning them into his custom device from memory.

He equipped the weapon's left arm while slinging its other half over his shoulder to leave his right hand bare. He took the blowtorch she so gleefully disregarded, then returned to the medical ward, finding his way up into the ceiling once again. The ship had some manner of energy shield that acted as a barrier from the void of space, thus alleviating any issues caused by small holes within the hull.

Thusly, Rocket had no qualms putting his invention to use, finding a section of flooring on the interior of the vessel close enough to one of the landing appendages for him to exit then reenter at his leisure. He, with turned head and squinted eyes, burned a small opening through the hull of the ship, kicking out the loose metal. Immediately, he felt an astonishing wave of heat flowing into the vessel, though that was far from a deterrent.

He climbed down the landing leg and stood upon the rocky surface of the planet, his body engulfed in a scorching heat. Every motion became sluggish and weighted, as if burdened by a pervasive weight he couldn't possibly offload. Regardless, his persistence drove him forward. He only stopped momentarily upon stepping forwards from the ship, his attention drawn back at the sound of shifting of metal. Mounted turrets, typically stored within the hull, directed towards him as a form of automated defense, though whatever detection mechanism they operated by clearly labeled him as an ally, as they ceased tracking him moments later.

He understood why traveling light was a necessity as he endured heat unlike he'd ever felt, sufficient to turn his vision hazy and his head light. His bare paws burned against the firm rocks beneath them, superheated by the sun, feeling almost akin to standing on a stovetop. Regardless, he maintained a sufficient pace to reach the compound before his body ceased any major functions, relishing the cooler, though far from temperate, atmosphere within the construction.