Built for Destruction

Untitled Part 10

               Peter jumped back a bit as Groot practically tore through the doors, waiting to make sure the force of the furious beast's weight wouldn't send the slabs of heavy wood crashing back into him. It wasn't even a moment later that the man had both blasters clutched in each hand, his mask covering his face and illuminating his vision with a faint red glow.

The place had obviously been abandoned for a good amount of time seeing as though most of the white tile and furniture that covered the facility appeared almost grey with thick layers of dust. Peter had to fight the urge to cough just looking at the clouds of dust that lifted into the air with every step despite his mask's filtering systems.

No one had any clue where Rocket was being held, let alone if he was even still in the facility in the first place, but they continued through empty hallways nevertheless, listening to their footsteps echoing against the walls.

He felt a shudder run up his spine upon the sight of discarded cages and scalpels that littered the hallways and the larger rooms. He kept telling himself it was only his imagination or the red tinted lenses he was staring through, but he could have sworn that there were still spots of blood staining the bars of the cages and the tops of metallic tables.

The initial plan was to be as silent as possible. No one knew how many people would be patrolling about the building or if they knew someone would be coming to the raccoon's aid, but Gamora had made it clear to them that they needed to infiltrate the facility and find Rocket before taking any action.

That plan, however, did not last long. The moment they heard the cry of terror echoing off the white walls, it seemed as though every one of the remaining Guardians has forgotten there was a plan in place at all as they took off down the corridor, Groot and Peter taking up the lead and blasting their way through another pair of doors as they shouted for Rocket.

"Rocket!" Gamora shouted from behind him, her voice echoing loudly through the seemingly empty facility. For as far as they had traveled in, there hadn't been a single sign of life to be found. No lights flickering dimly in the distance, no sound of people talking or even any signs of struggle, in fact, if it weren't for the rest of the team, Peter would have discarded the strangled yelp they had heard moments before as part of his paranoia.

They hadn't heard anything since, and Peter was growing increasingly worried, exchanging glances with Drax and Gamora as they kept on moving, shouting for their lost team mate and listening carefully for a response.

"We need to split up." Gamora offered, pulling her sword from its place at her hip and clutching it firmly in her grasp. "We'll be able to find him faster."

Peter didn't waste a second in whirling around and wrapping his hand around her wrist. "No, no, bad idea. We can't split up, or we'll lose each other in this maze just like Rocket." He said sternly. "We go in teams of two, you and Drax take the left wing and Groot and I will continue this way. Try to make contact with the others the second you find him."

Drax and Gamora nodded curtly, both gripping their weapons of choice tightly and taking off down their designated wing.

...

Gamora halted in her step for the fourth time since having left Groot and Peter to their section of the facility, stopping in her tracks to listen intently to the shifting sounds surrounding the remaining two. It seemed as though no matter how far they tread, however, the sounds never amounted to much more than the tapping of a limp tree branch banging against one of the already broken windows or the rain from outside seeping in through the ceiling, hitting the white tiled floor with echoing drops.