Guardian Angel (Guardians Of The Galaxy Fanfiction)

Family

Somber jolted awake as he heard commotion in the front of his crate. He thought it was a Terran but when he did a double take he saw it was Grenade. He was fumbling to undo the lock and Somber could tell he was struggling. Somber pushed himself to his paws and padded toward him. He stretched out a claw to steady the lock so that Grenade wouldn't have such a difficult time.

"Thanks," wheezed Grenade with eyes narrowed to slits. He finally managed to undo it and he nudged the slide and the door swung open. Somber leaped out gently but when he landed her felt the jolt up through his back and spine to his shoulders. He didn't want to complain since he saw how much in pain Grenade was in.

"You didn't have to let me out," Somber told Grenade as he looked down on the pitiful creature. His fur was caked in dried blood and flesh was exposed. One of his eye had a giant scratch on it and was swollen shut, sealed with blood. Somber wondered if Grenade would ever open that eye again.

"I know but I wanted to," Grenade confessed as he limped along. Somber had no idea how Grenade was still walking because of his injuries. "Besides the fresher air is good for me."

Somber didn't say anything more until they arrived at Ashen's crate. She peeked her muzzle from the bars and was about to say something to Grenade before she looked at him. Her eyes widened in shock and she gasped. "Grenade what happened?!"

"It's nothing," lied Grenade as he looked up at the cage with his one good eye. Somber was tempted to give him a lift but he was sure that Grenade would refuse and persist in saying that he was fine. Somber just sat back, shame washing over him.

Ashen didn't ask any more questions since Grenade seemed to be in enough discomfort. She watched as he undid the lock and it fell to the floor. At the sound of the lock falling she saw Grenade's fur bristle a bit in discomfort. She noticed it the other day but she hadn't said anything. Now she was sure that Grenade wasn't as unfazed by everything that was going on around him as he led everyone on to believe.

He undid the latch and Ashen pushed the door open with her head. She leaped down, standing a bit straighter than Somber. Grenade then leaped down, scowling in pain. He then looked up as he saw Whisper, sitting in her cage. He bunched his muscles and leaped for her cage. He clawed gingerly at the lock, shaking madly. Once he undid it he nudged the latch with his nose and he pulled the door open.

Whisper purred and darted out of the crate, landing on the ground with her paws sprawled out. She looked up and when Grenade landed beside her she touched her nose to his ear comfortingly. "You alright? You look awful."

"Thanks for the compliment," joked Grenade, trying to ease her concern. "I'm fine. Just a few scratches."

"Scratches," whispered Somber in Ashen's ear. "They beat him until he couldn't look at them."

"That's terrible," agreed Ashen with a shake of her head, her eyes glazing over. "I wish I would have been there to protect him."

"Yeah," sighed Somber with his shoulders slumped forward. "Me too."

"Hey are you two coming," asked Grenade as he looked over his shoulder with some effort, trying to smile. "If I'm moving faster than you two we have problems."

Ashen forced a laugh while Somber just dipped his head, increasing his speed slightly. Ashen struggled to keep up but she managed. Grenade let the three in the Social Circle again and this time Ashen could pick out those who she had seen before. Some new faces were there but it was mostly ones she had seen the other night.

"Grenade I want you to meet someone," meowed Whisper as she took the lead.

"Oh and who is that," asked Grenade and Ashen detected a hint of fear in Grenade's voice. No doubt he was worried that Whisper had chosen a maniac as a friend. Some of the creatures here had truly lost their minds.

"You'll see," meowed Whisper before she disappeared into a circle of bodies. "I'll be right back."

"We'll be in the corner," called Grenade as he lumbered over before he laid down harshly, his breath heaving in his chest. It sounded raspy and strained and Ashen wondered if Grenade needed anything, like a healer.

Somber sat beside Grenade, looking down on him in despair. Tears suddenly ran down his face and Ashen seemed a bit taken back. "I did this to him," confessed Somber through ragged breaths. "I almost had him killed because I couldn't get into my darn cage! Grenade helped me. It should have been me to get the lashings! Not him."

Ashen's eyes filled in shock at what Somber was telling her. She really didn't know what to say to comfort him. "Would you have done the same thing for Grenade if the situation would have been reversed?"

"Of course," assured Somber as he turned his muzzle in the ground, frowning at what Ashen would ask that question.

"Then don't blame yourself that Grenade saved you. That's what friends do you know," she pointed out as she padded to his side and licked his cheek. "I know we only had each other but I think now it's not a bad idea to make some friends." She looked down to Grenade who drifted off into a light sleep. "And I think Grenade is certainly a good friend to have."

Somber nodded in agreement before Whisper padded forward, a pale gray tom cat with sharp deep blue eyes at her side. He didn't look like he had any cybernetic implants in him yet but Ashen saw his back had wires in it. The implants were probably the next step.

"Grenade," whispered Ashen as she nudged Grenade gently in the shoulder with her paw. He grumbled as he blinked open his eyes and struggled to sit up.

Whisper beamed at him and looked to the tom. "This is Pallid. He's been here two weeks."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Pallid, I'm Grenade,"' purred Grenade and he caught the look of fear in Pallid's eye. "I don't usually look like this. Just bad night I suppose."

Pallid shook his head to clear it. "No problem," he assured as he looked to Ashen and Somber, waiting for them to introduce themselves first.

"I'm Ashen and this is my brother Somber," introduced Ashen as she looked to her bother before dipping her head.

Pallid smiled. "I'm Pallid as Whisper already told you."

"So you've only been here two weeks," murmured Grenade as he looked at some wires that shone in Pallid's shoulder flesh. "They're starting earlier and earlier."

Ashen and Somber exchanged a glance before Whisper broke in. "Yeah well we were hoping we could join your group."

"Group," echoed Somber in surprise. "We're a group now?"

"A group of friends," rumbled Ashen as she butted her head against his shoulder affectionately, forgetting about the injections. He flinched and she smiled apologetically.

Grenade snorted in amusement. "Never had a group of friends before. Actually I've never had friends before."

"Well you do now," barked Ashen as she looked down on him before she look to Pallid, then Whisper, and finally he brother. "We all do. We're friends and also a family!"

Whisper purred. "I like that. It's not like we have anyone else."

"Wow that makes us feel so great Whisper," teased Pallid as he lashed his tail across the ground.

"Okay you know that's not what I meant," Whisper growled quickly as she cuffed his ear and he staggered a bit.

"See we even fight like family already," joked Somber as his eyes lit in amusement as he eyed Whisper and Pallid.

"Together, no matter what the Terrans do it us, we can get through it," vowed Grenade as he struggled to sit up.

Ashen darted to his side and helped him sit up. He purred his thanks and stretched out his paw and grasped Ashen's paw and Whisper's paw. Whisper then grabbed Pallid's paw and Pallid grasped Somber's paw who then grasped Ashen's paw. They all looked to each other, smiling in amusement. They looked like a bunch of losers.

"To family then," purred Pallid as he looked around.

They all nodded. "To family!"