Family Matters
By Strega
Rocket is the only Uplifted raccoon. His parents and siblings died in the lab...or so he thought.
This story takes place after Sanctuary.
*****
It was a year since Ego. A year since Nebula and Kraglin joined the Guardians and almost that long since Rocket met his soul-mate Lylla. The Guardians were busy these days, but there were still quiet times. This was one of them. The entire clan - Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Mantis, Kraglin, Nebula, Groot, Rocket and Lylla were enjoying a leisurely dinner around the long table in the Quadrant's meeting room.
"How many are there now," Drax asked. "Of the little fuzzy persuasion?"
Rocket blinked and leaned back in his chair, a half torn apart fish in his little clawed hands and shreds of meat stuck to his whiskers. " 'Little fuzzy persuasion'? You been listenin' to Pete."
"C'mon Rock, I don't use words that long," protested Star-Lord. "Drax has been hanging out with our Speaker for the Uplifts."
Lylla gave him her patented Harmless Otter Big Puppy Dog Eyes, her whiskers twitching adorably. Somehow the fact she was dicing up a fish with her sharp fangs at the same time didn't matter and even Star-Lord, who had years of practice resisting the charms of women (and probably otters, knowing Pete) gave in. "All right, turn it off," he grumbled. "You win."
"Back on topic," Lylla said after eating the last of her fish, scales, bones and all. "Including the ones from the lab we shut down this week there are two hundred and sixty-odd Uplifts and another fifty partial Uplifts at the compound on Xandar. The latter will have their Uplifts finished if the the ethics team recommends it on a case by case basis."
"And we get a bounty on every one we find," Nebula observed. Kraglin nodded.
"Normally I'd laugh if someone wanted me to do this sorta thing for free," Rocket said. "But I would. You guys know that. It's all partly my fault. You know that too. An' someone's gotta get these people out of the labs. We're elected. I'm still happy ta get paid, of course. Keeps us in fuel, food an' bombs."
"I am Groot." Nearly-teen Groot looked up from his plate.
"Groot wants to know what's next on the agenda," Lylla purred.
Everyone waited as the cook - the Quadrant was finally properly staffed, and that included a cook - showed up to take away the roast and set down a dessert plate. Drax promptly helped himself to a generous slice of quivering purple "cake." They'd learned not to ask what the food was made of. It tasted good and didn't make anyone sick, which was enough.
"Pickings are thin on the bounty front," Star-Lord admitted. "Except maybe that Brood hive out on...what?"
"Gone," Gamora said as she accepted a slice of "cake" from Kraglin. "I slipped info about that to the Kree and a task group of their Frontier Fleet glassed half of Borath's north continent from orbit. No more Brood."
"That was our bounty, 'Mora."
"The last time we went into a Brood hive," Mantis observed, "You and Rocket both needed emergency surgery to get their eggs out of you."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Rocket groaned. "If I never see another of those slimy krutackers it'll be too soon."
"And I accepted a bribe for the info," Gamora added. "Only half as much as the bounty, but better than nothing."
"We'll call that a win then," Peter said. "Rock? You got anything?"
Rocket leaned back, his eyes going distant as he thought. With a gesture he summoned half a dozen floating screens. "Between us and Nova we've got every Uplift lab I have good intel on shut down," he growled. "I think there are a couple more in hiding, but I need time and info to track them down. They're getting damn good at compartmentalization as we pick off the stupid ones."
