I’m Star-Lord (SW Xover)

C77 Rocket’s Outburst

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In the labyrinthine corridors of the High Evolutionary's lab, Peter Quill and his stood across from the War Pig. Its absurd, high-pitched voice had momentarily lightened the mood, but the laughter quickly died as the creature transformed its arm into a blaster, turning to fire upon its own allies.  

The shrill alarms still echoed through the lab, announcing the impending planetary detachment. "We don't have time for this," Peter muttered, his gaze locked on the War Pig and the guards scrambling to regain their composure.

Cosmo, her psychic energy crackling visibly around her, nodded in agreement. "Quick and clean, let's end this fast," she said, her eyes glowing brighter.

The team positioned themselves strategically. Peter stood at the front, calling two fallen blasters to his hands. Behind him, Revan's lightsaber hummed ominously, its red glow reflecting on the metallic walls.

Without another word, Peter charged forward, his blasters firing in rapid succession. The bolts of energy zipped through the air, targeting the distracted guards first. One guard collapsed, then another, as precise shots found their marks.

Revan leaped into the fray with ghostly grace, his lightsaber slicing through the air. As he engaged the War Pig, his saber swiftly cut through the beast's blaster-arm. Sparks flew, casting a harsh light on Revan's focused expression beneath his hood, as the severed mechanical limb clattered to the metallic floor.

"Aghhhh!" War Pig screamed in pain, its high pitched voice grating to the ears. 

Cosmo focused her telekinetic powers on manipulating the environment. She ripped a metal panel from the wall and hurled it like a disc, bisecting two guards who were aiming at Peter. The now-bloody panel clanged loudly as it hit the ground, the guards toppling over, blood pooling along the floor.

Groot extended his limbs, his bark-like fingers transforming into sharp tendrils. He skewered another pair of guards who were creeping up on the left, their bodies dropping silently thanks to Groot's swift and decisive action.

Howard took cover behind a bulkhead, popping out to fire precise shots. His Tommy Gun rattled off rounds, each bullet whistling as it sped toward its target. One guard tried to duck, but a bullet grazed his helmet, sending him sprawling before another bullet arrived, taking his life. 

Meanwhile, War Pig, incensed by the loss of its limb, fought back with a wild fury. It barreled forward, swinging indiscriminately, ramming into a nearby console, sending sparks and debris into the air.

Peter dodged a blast, rolling behind another bulkhead. He popped up, firing back with focused intensity. "Cosmo, can you—"

Before he could finish, Cosmo lifted the War Pig telekinetically, its massive body struggling against her psychic grip. "I'm on it, boss!" she shouted, her voice strained with effort.

The War Pig roared, its voice surprisingly fearsome despite its earlier tone. But its roar was cut short as Cosmo slammed it into the ceiling, then the floor. The impact shook the corridor, dust and small debris falling like rain.

Revan took advantage of the moment, dashing forward. His lightsaber danced in a deadly arc, targeting the joints of the War Pig's other arm. With a swift stroke, he severed the remaining limb, which clattered to the ground with a heavy thud.

The War Pig howled, its voice echoing off the walls. Peter used this moment of distraction to aim his blasters at the creature's head. "Sorry, big guy. Game over," he said softly, and pulled the triggers. The shots were clean, ending the creature's life in an instant.

With the War Pig down, the remaining guards, seeing their trump card defeated, began to falter. Groot and Howard moved in, dispatching the last of them with efficient teamwork.

As the last guard fell, the corridor fell silent, save for the continued alarms blaring the countdown. "T-minus 10 minutes to planetary detachment…"

"We have to move, now!" Peter declared, tossing the blasters aside. His team, though weary, nodded in agreement, gathering their resolve.

They moved quickly through the debris-strewn corridor, heading toward the lab's core. Every second counted as they raced against the clock, determined to stop the High Evolutionary's final desperate plan.

————

Inside the control room, tension clawed at the atmosphere as the cold, mechanical voice continued its relentless countdown. "T-minus 10 minutes to planetary detachment..." Each second ticked by with ominous certainty, the numbers seeming to echo far beyond the confines of the metallic walls.

High Evolutionary, surrounded by his rapidly panicking guards and scientists, watched through the multiple monitors as Peter Quill and his team advanced with unyielding determination. 

*BOOM!*

Each explosive sound of the doors being blasted open sent a new wave of fear through the room. The lab's sophisticated bulkheads, designed to withstand heavy assaults and delay intruders, were nothing more than minor obstacles to the surprisingly powerful intruders.

The air was thick with a mix of desperation and awe as the High Evolutionary observed Peter's abilities. His strongest creation yet, the War Pig, had fallen, its defeat sending a clear message: nothing would stop this relentless advance. The sounds of destruction grew closer, the metallic echoes blending with the rhythmic, alarming countdown.

High Evolutionary's hands trembled slightly as he adjusted his view, trying to estimate how much time they had left. "Lock down the final corridors, and activate the energy barriers," he commanded, his voice a mix of command and fear. His minions scrambled to follow his orders, their faces pale under the white lights.

As they enacted his commands, the sounds of their efforts were punctuated by more explosive breaches. 

*BOOM!*

*BOOM!*

*BOOM!*

…

..

.

"T-minus three minutes…" The voice seemed to mock them with its calmness. High Evolutionary's eyes darted around, taking in the faces of his minions—each one etched with the realization that their fortress was about to be breached.

A brief silence fell, a deceptive calm before the storm. High Evolutionary and his team held their breath, hoping against all odds they were safe. But their respite was shattered by one final deafening explosion. 

*BOOM!*

The heavy metal door to the control room erupted inward, twisted metal and debris flying through the air like deadly shrapnel.

High Evolutionary watched in horror as a large piece of the door slammed into a cluster of his scientists, their bodies crushed against the wall with a gruesome finality, their blood painting a stark, vivid mural of their end. Squished like bugs…

Through the settling dust, Peter strode into the room, his expression calm and collected. "Hello there…" He greeted, his team flanking him, each member ready for what might come next. Behind them, Rocket and his group entered, their eyes wide, taking in the scene of carnage.

"T-minus one minute…"

High Evolutionary barely had time to react as he stuttered out an order, "Fire at will!" His remaining guards, their faces masks of terror, obeyed, unleashing a barrage of blaster bolts at Peter and his crew.

With a wave of his hand, Peter absorbed the incoming fire, his eyes focused and calm. As the bolts faded away, he twisted his hand slightly, and the guards crumpled to the ground, their necks snapped by an unseen force.

With the countdown reaching its final seconds, Peter moved swiftly to the control panel where High Evolutionary stood frozen in fear. Placing his hand on the console, his palm glowed with an ethereal light, the force of his will interfacing with the machine.

"T-minus five seconds…"

The room fell silent, all eyes on the glowing digits of the countdown. Peter's face was set, his concentration palpable as he manipulated the controls.

"T-minus three, two…"

With a final surge of power, Peter halted the countdown, the display freezing at a mere second from zero. The room was still, the only sounds were the heavy breathing of those present and the soft hum of the halted machinery.

High Evolutionary, his once imperious composure shattered, raised his trembling hands in surrender, his eyes darting between Peter and the remnants of his crumbling empire.

"I invoke Article 22 of the Galactic Republic," he said, his voice breaking with fear. "I surrender to you, for Republic judgment."

Peter, standing confidently with his crew behind him, chuckled dryly. "Funny, but you seem to have us mistaken. This isn't Republic space, and I'm certainly not here to play space cop and drag you back to Coruscant."

High Evolutionary's face fell, the realization dawning on him that his attempt to cloak himself in legalities was futile. But still, he clung to hope, eyeing Peter with confusion. "But—you're a Jedi, aren't you? You can't just kill me in cold blood. I've surrendered!"

"Maybe I can't, or maybe I can?" Peter's smile thinned as he glanced over at Rocket and his group. "But I bet they might want a word with you. After all, weren't you planning to kill them? I think it's only fair if they return the favor."

Floor flinched at the suggestion, her gentle nature recoiling at the thought of murder. Teefs shifted uncomfortably, clearly conflicted, while Lylla's eyes narrowed, her gaze intense and calculating. 

But it was Rocket who stepped forward, his expression hard as granite. "I… I'll do it…" he stuttered. 

High Evolutionary's desperation grew palpable. He turned back to Peter, pleading. "You can't let this happen. I am your prisoner!"

Peter merely shrugged, his demeanor nonchalant as he summoned a fallen blaster with a flick of his wrist, catching it smoothly. "Don't prisoners get executed all the time?" he shrugged as he offered the weapon to Rocket. "You do as you see fit."

Rocket took the blaster, his hand shaking as he hesitantly aimed it at High Evolutionary. The old man's pleas shifted to furious outbursts, "Remember, P13, I am the one who made you! I'm practically your father! Without me, you'd be nothing but a wild beast!" He shouted, trying to manipulate Rocket by invoking their past.

"I... I..." Rocket's hands trembled, visibly shaken by his father figure's words.

Just as Rocket began to waver, lowering his blaster ever so slightly, Lylla stepped up, her arms encircling him from behind, steadying his aim as she glared at their creator. "Don't listen to him, Rocket."

"Yeah, we're here for you!" Floor and Teefs positioned themselves on either side, forming a circle of solidarity around him. 

Rocket looked into the faces of his friends, finding resolve in their support. "Guys..." he murmured, his furry face breaking into a grateful smile.

With a deep breath, he turned back to their creator and tightened his grip on the blaster, his and Lylla's fingers coiling around the trigger as High Evolutionary's voice cracked into a final plea. "Wait! Stop! I can't die! I have so much—" But it was too late; Rocket's decision was made. Together, he and Lylla pulled the trigger. 

A single blaster bolt surged forward, striking High Evolutionary squarely in the forehead. His body crumpled to the ground, a shocked and fearful look frozen on his face.

As High Evolutionary's lifeless body hit the floor, a stunned silence enveloped the room, broken only by the distant hum of lab equipment winding down. The remaining scientists stood frozen, their expressions a mix of horror and disbelief, eyes locked on the sizzling hole in their leader's forehead.

Rocket held the smoking gun, his eyes darting between the weapon and the lifeless body of his creator. His furry brow was furrowed, and a shadow of what appeared to be conflict danced across his features.

Lylla, having already stepped back, watched him intently, her face etched with concern. She seemed ready to intervene, her body tense as if preparing to comfort or restrain him.

Peter, quick to read the room, took a step forward, reaching out to ease the blaster from Rocket's grip. He could see the turmoil within the little guy, the weight of the action pressing down on him. "Rocket, let me—" he began, his voice gentle.

But Rocket's demeanor shifted before Peter could touch the blaster. The small raccoon turned abruptly, facing the remaining scientists who had collaborated with High Evolutionary. The memories of endless experiments, the pain and fear they had inflicted on him and his friends, flashed through his mind. Power surged within him, fueled by vengeance and a newfound sense of control, which he'd never felt before. 

A vicious smirk sliced across Rocket's face. Without a moment's hesitation, he began firing. The blaster bolts flew with deadly precision, each one finding its mark. Screams filled the air as the scientists were consumed by smoking holes, their bodies crumpling to the ground in heaps.

With each pull of the trigger, Rocket's laughter grew louder—an excited, maniacal sound that seemed to echo off the walls. It was as if a new, wild spirit within him, the gun-wielding maniac who reveled in chaos and firepower, was awakening.

Around him, his crew looked on in shock. Groot's expression was unreadable, his eyes wide as he absorbed the sudden transformation. Cosmo's ears lay back, her tail stiff, her stance guarded. Even the usually unbothered Peter paused, taken aback by the intensity of the outburst.

However, as the laughter died down and Rocket finally ceased firing, Peter's initial surprise morphed into a knowing smirk. This was the Rocket he remembered—the unpredictable, fiercely loyal creature who loved his weapons almost as much as his friends.

A/N: 2251 words :)