Warning: This story involves scenes of hard vore and death. If this is not your thing then stop reading now. You have been warned! Disclaimer: I do not own Rocket or Groot. Rocket and Groot are property of Marvel Studios. A (Not So) Simple Job "Okay, the job is simple." Rocket explained to his partner "Tethis wants us to salvage as much as we possibly can from one of his cargo ships that's gone dead in the void due to some kind of electrical malfunction." "I am Groot?" Groot questioned him. "No, this isn't a job for the authorities!" Rocket replied derisively "Knowing Tethis, it's probably some kind of smuggler's rig. Why else would he hire a couple of renegades like us?" "I am Groot?" Groot inquired. "I don't really care if his cargo is legal or not." Rocket answered "But it means one hell of a payday for us!" he added excitedly. He gunned the jump drive on their ship, sending them light-years across the galaxy in mere seconds to the location Tethis had given them. Surely enough a cargo freighter was floating aimlessly through space. The ship's lights were on, indicating that it still had power, but its massive engines were completely silent. Rocket brought their own ship closer, looking for some kind of docking port or landing bay. Eventually he spotted what they were looking for, a single hatch docking port near the center of the freighter. After a simple and routine docking procedure, Rocket and Groot stepped out into the cargo ship. They made their way towards the aft of the freighter, where all the cargo was kept. The halls and chambers were all deserted, leaving the ship eerily quiet. It wasn't uncommon for Rocket and Groot to scavenge abandon vessels, but there was always an unsettling air about ghost ships like this. Still, Rocket was not about to let some silly superstitions stand between him and getting paid. After a short journey, the pair arrived at their destination; A door labeled "Cargo Hold". The automatic door slide open, revealing a dark spacious room beyond. "I am Groot." Groot observed. "You're telling me, buddy. See if you can't find a light switch in this place." Rocket instructed. "I am Groot." Groot acknowledged, running a hand across the wall in search for anything resembling a switch. There was a click and the cargo bay was suddenly illuminated by numerous ceiling lamps. Rocket's eyes grew wide with wonder as he beheld the bounty before him. Shelves upon shelves of weapons as far as the eye could see. "Oh hohohoho, jackpot!" Rocket shouted with excitement, immediately running over to inspect the closest shelf "Is that a Serillian ion cannon?! Oh, and Trodainian phase grenades?!" he shoved a few into his pockets. "I am Groot!" Groot scolded him. "What? It's a salvage operation. It's not like they're going to notice a couple of missing weapons." Rocket responded "Hoho, check this baby out." he said in awe, picking up a particularly large rifle. He looked down its sight, aiming it in different directions to get a feel for it. However as he was looking, something else caught his eye. It was a rather large containment unit that looked to be in pretty bad shape. Slowly he approached the unit, getting a better look at it. It appeared to be some kind of stasis unit, meaning whatever it was carrying was either alive or otherwise perishable. He could see some electronic monitors flashing red, likely indicating a malfunction. As he got closer he saw various warning labels all over the container, and as he closed in even further he could make out claw marks marring the surface. Much of the text had been rendered illegible by the scratches, but there was one word he could make out, and it made his blood run cold... "Chimerax" Rocket ducked behind a weapon rack, quickly punching in a number on his communicator. There was a moment of static before a familiar voice came into focus. "Oh, hey Rocket. How goes the job?" Tethis asked in his usual overly friendly tone. "You didn't tell me there was a crutacking Chimerax on this ship!" Rocket exclaimed in suppressed rage. "Oh did I forget to mention that little detail? My bad." Tethis replied with feigned ignorance. "If you knew there was a Chimerax here, why the hell didn't you just wait for it to croak?!" Rocket demanded to know. "And risk losing my cargo to Ravagers or other such unsavory types?" Tethis retorted. "This was supposed to be a simple salvage job. I didn't sign up for a crutacking suicide mission! The deals off! And when I get out of here, you're a dead man, you hear me?!" Rocket shot back. "Now, now, let's not be so hasty. What if I offer to double..." were the last words heard before Rocket cut the transmission. "Of all the low down stunts to pull..." Rocket grumbled "Come on Groot, we're getting the hell off of this death trap." "I am Groot?" Groot asked. "Nah, I'm not actually going to kill him." Rocket assured his friend "Even if the crutacker DOES have it coming." he added under his breath. "I am Groot?" Groot questioned him. "There aren't enough units in the galaxy to get me to go up against one of those monstrosities." Rocket replied. "I am Groot?" Groot inquired further, his curiosity peeked. "Chimerax are genetically engineered abominations that have been outlawed in over a hundred systems." Rocket began to explain as they made their way back towards the docking bay "They are made using random combinations of DNA, so they are complete wild cards. No two are alike, but the one thing they all have in common is an insatiable urge to kill. Their one weakness is their short life span, usually only lasting a couple of astrocycles. That's what makes them perfect for warfare and general terrorism. Drop one on your enemies; Let it reek havoc; Come back after the thing's kicked the bucket; Profit." "I am Groot." Groot commented thoughtfully. "Heh, you and me both partner." Rocket replied. Despite that short diversion, Rocket spent the rest of their journey back in a huff. What he thought would be an easy payday turned out to be a bust. Well at least he wasn't leaving completely empty handed; He had scored a couple of preemo weapons. But that was of course provided that they made it off the ship alive. Rocket wasn't fond of the idea that there was a vicious killing machine roaming the ship, and it had him on edge all the way back to the loading docks. But fortunately their trip was pretty uneventful, until... "Flarg!" Rocket exclaimed as they rounded the final bend. The doorway to the loading dock was covered in some kind of thick webbing, blocking their only exit. "I am Groot." Groot observed. "Jee, do you think?" Rocket replied in annoyance "You keep watch, I'm going to try to make us a way through. He muttered in frustration as he leaned down for a closer look at the substance. Blasters weren't going to work, the web was too fibrous. He questioned if explosives would be any more effective; They would probably be more likely to blow a hole in hull. It seemed like his only choice was to cut through. Pulling a plasma torch from his belt, he got to work burning away the edges of the webbing. He had managed to make it about a quarter of the way through before an otherworldly screech rang in distance. The sound made Rocket's fur stand on end, but he remained focused on the task at hand. He may have been hot headed, but he never let panic get the best of him. He made it about half way before another bone chilling screech reverberated down the hallway. There was a moment of tense silence, and them Groot saw it; A monstrous creature came creeping around the corner. It possessed many features of a Terran arachnid; A sturdy exoskeleton and eight chitinous legs, with two additional scythe-like claws. However this creature had an elongated head with more of a defined jaw and mouth instead of mandibles, and the four eyes lining each side of its face looked reptilian in nature. It truly was an unholy creation of science. As soon as the Chimerax caught sight of Groot, its eyes narrowed and it let out terrifying screech. It charged Groot, who stretched and grew out his arms to catch the creature by the jaws, keeping them pried open as the monster bared down on him, green saliva dripping from its maw and fizzling on the metal deck below. Groot grunted as he tried to hold back the impressive strength of the creature. "I... am... Groot!" the Flora urged his companion. "Hey! I'm working as fast as I can here!" Rocket shot back. "I... am... Groot!" he shouted, digging deep to find the strength to push the monster back. He did manage to force the beast back, and followed up by punching the creature square across the jaw. The Chimerax let out an angry screech and retaliated with one of its scythe claws, cutting clean through one of Groot's arms. However Groot hardly batted an eye at this; The limb would grow back with time. For now he needed to remain focused on the foe in front of him. Using his remaining fist, he delivered a another harsh blow to the Chimerax's face. Then he grew out his damaged arm to ensnare the monster's legs. "I'm almost through! Hang in there buddy!" Rocket updated his friend. Groot administered blow after blow to the armored beast, keeping it locked in a daze. It seemed to be an effective tactic... until the monster had had enough, and regained enough sense to chomp down on Groot's fist, literally disarming him. Then it used its claw to cut through his other arm, freeing its legs. Groot stumbled back, looking with concern at the two stumps that used to be his arms. The Chimerax looked at him with a hateful glare before charging forth once again... "Haha, got it!" Rocket shouted triumphantly, finally managing to carve away enough webbing for the door's automatic servos to force the rest of the way open. With his task completed, he turned about to help Groot, only to see the Chimerax bite down on the Flora's arm and make a hasty retreat back down the hall, carrying its catch along with it. "I am Groooooooot!" Groot yelled as he was swiftly dragged out of sight. "Groot!" Rocket shouted back in dismay. Flarg! If only he had been a little faster; No he should have joined the fight from the beginning, rather than have his friend take on that monstrosity all alone. Well, sitting here kicking himself wouldn't solve anything; The clock was ticking and Rocket was left with a choice to make; Abandon Groot and escape safely on the ship, or risk almost certain death in order to rescue his friend. To him, the answer was a no brainer. He equipped a large blaster from over his back "Oh hoho, you chose the wrong friend to steal." he said resolutely and with just a hint of anticipation. Rocket set out back through the ship, taking a different route that lead towards the bridge. Despite his haste, he moved cautiously down the halls, keeping an eye out for any ambushes by that eight legged monstrosity. The further he went, the more the hallways became covered in that sticky webbing. He rounded a corner and suddenly came face to face with a pair of empty eye sockets... "Wah!" Startled, he fired a shot from the rifle, instantly vaporized the lifeless skull. Regaining his composure, he noticed that it was nothing more than the skeleton of some no longer recognizable species trapped within the webbing. In fact as he looked further down, he could see several such skeletons scattered across the hallway. "Well, I guess I know what happened to the ship's crew." Rocket commented. Though it was a disturbing sight in its own rite, something about it didn't sit right with him. These people had only been dead for a couple of astrocycles, and yet they were already skeletons, not a trace of flesh to be found; Just what exactly had happened to them? Rocket was pulled from his thoughts when he heard muffled cries coming from further down the hall. He readied his weapon and rushed down the hall, emerging onto the ship's bridge. The webbing was incredibly dense here and there were several cocoons scattered about the room. But the one that caught his eye the most was the one straight across from him that was wriggling like mad. "Groot!" he shouted again, racing towards the pod, but he quickly came to a halt as he heard a chitter from overhead. He looked up just in time to see the Chimerax pounce from the ceiling, and narrowly rolled out of the way in time. "Eat plasma, bug breath!" He yelled, repeatedly firing at the monster. The creature flinched and backed away a little with each shot, but otherwise seemed unharmed, its thick exoskeleton easily absorbing the blows. Rocket kept up the barrage until the weapon overheated and he was forced to discard it. The Chimerax let out an angry screech followed by a guttural sound rolling up its throat. It spit out a glob of bright green goo, which Rocket was quick to avoid. The wad splashed across the floor, sizzling and hissing as it ate through the metal. "Acid; Of course this thing spits acid!" Rocket complained. He pulled a pair smaller side arms from his belt, letting loose another barrage of shots at the beast, which had similarly little effect as his last round. The Chimerax charged at him, forcing him to jump back in order to avoid creature's scythe-like claws. Rocket fired off a few more rounds, but was quickly becoming annoyed with how ineffective his attacks were "Oh come on! Doesn't anything hurt this freak?!" If only he had some more heavy ordinance... Wait; His mind flashed back to the cargo hold. He pulled out one of the Trodainian phase grenades he had pocketed. He had hoped he wouldn't have to use one of these so soon, but he was quickly running out of options. "Farewell my darling, our time together was too short." He just needed the right opportunity to use it. He tried to get a little more distance between him and the Chimerax then fired a few more shots at its face to piss it off. Surely enough, he heard the telltale signs of another acid spit. The beast opened its mouth, firing another wad of caustic goo at Rocket, but he quickly leapt up and over the attack. "Choke on this, you crutacker!" he shouted, pressing a button on the grenade before throwing it square into the monster's throat. The Chimerax hacked a few times before swallowing the device. Its eyes narrowed on Rocket, enraged by the unexpected choking hazard. It charged forth, but Rocket just stood there counting down on his fingers. When his last digit lowered, there was a high pitched whine, followed by a muffled blast. Green blood burst from every one of the creature's joints as the pressure sought the path of least resistance. The Chimerax squealed in agony, but still tried to continue forward. It swayed left to right like a drunkard before its eyes rolled back and the monster finally collapsed to the floor. Rocket breathed a sigh of relief. That had been a close one; Definitely within his top ten brushes with death. But at least it was over now, and who knew, maybe he would get something out of this after all. Not just anyone could claim that they had single handedly taken down a Chimerax. This could prove to be a big reputation boost for him. But first things first, he needed to finish what he had come here to do. He made his way over to the cocoon containing his trapped friend. "It's okay buddy, I'll get you out of there." Rocket said, once again pulling out his plasma torch. Groot continued to thrash and shout. He seemed desperate to say something, but Rocket couldn't make it out. "Quit squirming, will ya?! This is a delicate operation!" Rocket demanded as he brought the torch close. It didn't seem like Groot could hear him. Maybe if he was able to free the Flora's head, he could reassure his friend that is was safe. He decided to start by cutting slit near Groot's mouth so that he could finally understand what the Flora was trying to say. "I am Groot!" Groot warned frantically. "What?!" Rocket exclaimed at the distressing news. Suddenly he became aware of several sets of eyes upon him. He looked around and saw them; Five, no six, other Chimerax, all like the one he had just fought, hung from various spots in the room, their predatory gazes all focused on him. "Deewooh, flarg..." Rocket let out a deflated curse. Suddenly he felt a sting in his shoulder, and looked to find a sharp spine embedded in his fur. A numbing sensation quickly spread from the point of impact, making his limbs go limp and his vision go hazy "This is why... I hate... Chimerax..." he stated woozily before passing out... Rocket's eyes fluttered open as consciousness slowly returned to him. Where was he? What had happened? It took a moment for him to regain his senses and collect his thoughts. Then it came back to him... Chimerax! A whole group of them! He immediately tried to get up and move, but his arms and legs would hardly budge, the limbs ensnared in something sticky. As his mind cleared, he became more aware of his surroundings. He found that he was sprawled out on one of the Chimerax's webs, and what's more, he was completely naked, stripped of all clothing, weapons, and gadgets. He started to struggle, trying desperately to free himself. But it was no good; The more he fought, the more his fur clung to the adhesive trap. He let out a snarl of frustration. How could this be happening?! After everything he'd been through?! I mean he had killed a Chimerax for flarg's sake! And yet the universe still saw fit to spit in his face! Now that he had taken a moment to vent his frustrations, it was time to turn his focus back to how he was going to get out of this mess. No weapons; No gadgets; And no movement; It was like prison all over again. The only difference was that in most prisons you were granted some degree of freedom. And even in those that you weren't, there were always guards to trick or prisoners to bribe. But this time he was not dealing with a sentient being he could swindle; This time his warden was a merciless instinct driven killing machine. There would be no talking his way out of this one. Then he remembered; Groot! He looked around the room, trying to locate the pod that he had found Groot in. After reorienting himself to his new position, he managed to spot the cocoon where he had seen Groot. However, the pod that was once struggling for dear life, now lied still and lifeless. Rocket didn't even want to think about what that meant. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his best friend nor the realization that such a fate likely awaited him. He tried to find some way to deny it, to rationalize the motionless pod. But no matter how he sliced it, his situation looked grim. Rocket was shaken from his thoughts when he felt vibrations along the web; Something was moving. He heard the unmistakable hiss and surely enough a Chimerax skittered into view from his hind quarters. It looked down at him for a moment, and he glared back. There was no pity in that monster's eyes; It was like staring into the face of death. It seemed that this was end for him; He could only hope that it would be quick. However the Chimerax did not chow down on Rocket as expected, nor did it butcher him with its claws or dissolve him with acid spit; Instead it... moved forward? Now Rocket was staring directly into the beast's underside, and it perplexed him; Just what was this thing up to? It didn't take long for Rocket to get his answer. His eyes grew wide with horror and a slight morbid fascination as he watched a long thin tube extrude from the creature's abdomen, a viscous clear fluid oozing from the tip. It grew longer and longer, finally settling in just below Rocket's vulnerable tailhole. Was that thing what he thought it was?! If so, then things had just gotten a whole lot worse for him. "Hey, don't even think about it! Keep your crutacking junk away from he!" Rocket protested. But of course his threats fell on deaf ears. Even if the creature could understand him, it had no interest in giving up such a prime candidate for its machinations. The Chimerax started to push forward, pressing the tip of the shaft against Rocket's exposed pucker. "Hey! Hey! No, no, no, no, no..." Rocket's pleas became more frantic and desperate by the second. He cringed and grunted as the appendage relentlessly pressed against his rear, slowly forcing the tight little pucker open. Rocket's groan escalated into a yowl of anguish as the shaft tore into him, the meager droplets of lube doing little to ease the discomfort. His muscles tightened and pushed back, attempting to force the invader out. But all they managed to do was slow the intrusion and make the ordeal that much more agonizing for Rocket. It was true that all the horrible experiments he had been through had force him to adapt a high tolerance to pain, but that did not change the fact that this was excruciating. And even though this was not his first time being probed down there, this was by far the most distressing. After what felt like hours of torture, the tube came to rest deep within his bowels, giving Rocket a momentary reprieve from his torment. But he knew it wasn't over yet; There was only one reason this monster would have stuck such a thing inside him, and it wasn't a pleasant one. Rocket could see the underside of the abdomen twitch and undulate, and soon a large lump was pushed into the base of the shaft, which Rocket could only assume was an egg. The appendage began to pulse, slowly moving the bulge down its length as another lump formed at the base, and then another... A procession of eggs slid through the tube, right towards Rocket's gaping anus. Rocket struggled with renewed vigor, adrenaline pumping hard through his system. But his efforts remained just as futile as ever. With the web holding him firmly in place, he could do nothing but watch in horror as the eggs approached his body. He let out another grunt of discomfort as the first egg pressed against his sensitive rear. The sphincter fought back, protesting the excessive strain being placed on it, but it was to no avail. The relentless force slowly worked the entrance open, allowing the egg to slip into his depths. Rocket cried out in agony as his flesh was stretched painfully beyond its limits. The egg pressed up his anal passage and painfully through his bowels before ejecting from the ovipositioner along with a small gush of fluids. The egg came to rest deep within his digestive tract, finally ending the horrible ordeal, only in time for the next egg to penetrate his abused tailhole, starting the excruciating process anew. Rocket could hardly believe this was happening. It wasn't even supposed to be possible for a Chimerax to reproduce. Their genetic deficiencies always left them impotent and infertile. But the more he put the pieces together, the more it seemed like the only reasonable explanation. The stripped skeletons of the crew; The existence of a group of nearly identical Chimerax; And the one standing over him, currently turning him into a living egg sac; All of these signs pointed towards this particular breed of Chimerax successfully procreating. It would be just his luck to find the only Chimerax in the galaxy that could actually produce viable offspring. The process dragged on for several minutes, with the Chimerax pumping dozens of eggs into its helpless victim. And as the monster's abdomen shrank, Rocket's abdomen grew to unnatural proportions. After a seemingly endless cycle of torment, the last egg was finally deposited within him. The ovipositioner sprayed a final layer of extra thick goo before finally working its way free from Rocket's rectum, allowing a small stream of blood to trickle from the torn tailhole. With its business concluded, the creature simply left Rocket to languish while the eggs incubated within him. The poor vermin groaned miserably. His gut was now a grotesque bulging mass of alien spawn, and it left him feeling horribly bloated. He hadn't felt this violated since his time in the lab. He shivered as memories of those days flashed through his mind. He shook the images away; Now was not the time to dwell on the past. He needed to focus on the present, or else he would have no future. He made another attempt to struggle free from the webbing, with similarly lack-luster results. What it did manage to do was alert the Chimerax, which turned and hissed at him threateningly. Well that option was out; Even if by some miracle he managed to wriggle free, the Chimerax would be all over him in an instant, and with his swollen belly weighing him down, he was in no condition to outrun them. For the second time that day he felt utterly helpless. What could he possibly do to get out of this?! Consumed by pain, panic, and despair, his usually clever mind was at a loss. Rocket suffered nearly two earth days of constant torment. His bowels cramped and ached mercilessly, unable to function properly with the alien obstructions gumming up the works. He tried to distract himself by watching the Chimerax as they roamed the chamber. Occasionally one would come up to him and begin to drool ravenously. He almost wished they would just finish him, but the one that had infested him was always quick to drive them off. He observed how, over time, their genetic deficiencies started to take their toll. The beasts' movements became sluggish and twitchy, like bugs who had been sprayed with poison. Their conditions continued to deteriorate until they finally stopped moving altogether. If there was ever an opportunity for Rocket to escape, it was now. He made another attempt to pull himself free, but after two days without food or water, his efforts were even more feeble than before and the webbing was just as strong as ever. With a heavy sigh of resignation, he slumped back into the web, utterly defeated. With nothing left to distract him from the pain, Rocket let himself become lost in his thoughts as he waited for the end. Truth be told, despite the seedy company he kept and his often hazardous line of work, he never actually though it would end this way. He had always thought that he and Groot would be able to overcome any obstacle together, no matter how dire; That they would one day hit that big score and be able live the rest of their lives in the lap of luxury. It had always been him and Groot against the universe, and he never had any reason to doubt that they would win. That dream seemed so childish now. The product of unspeakably inhumane experiments and the last remnant of a long extinct race; What chance did a couple of misfits like them really have? In a rare show of vulnerability, Rocket cried tears of sorrow, cursing the hand fate had dealt him. He wasn't ready to die yet, especially not like this. He had never believed in any kind of god, but if this universe had one, now was the time to show themselves... Rocket spent roughly another earth day wallowing in pity and terror before things finally changed. His bloated gut began to visibly writhe and squirm as the eggs started to hatch. Rocket could feel movement deep within him; It was an odd feeling, like microscopic feathers were tickling his insides as countless tiny legs skittered about his digestive tract. But the otherwise harmless sensation was short lived; Soon the tickling was replaced with a prickling sensation which quickly escalated into a sharp stabbing pain. Rocket let out a blood curdling scream as the fresh brood gnawed away at his innards. It was like thousands of razor sharp needles were piercing his flesh, tearing him apart from the inside. The Chimerax spawn were ruthlessly efficient, making quick work of his bowels and spreading out through his chest cavity. They stripped away every scrap of flesh like a school of ravenous piranha. All the while, Rocket continued his howls of anguish. He had thought that nothing would ever compare to the torture he had faced in the lab, but this was pure agony. He could feel every bit of tender flesh that was ripped away, and the emptiness that it left in its wake. Intestines, colon, stomach; Liver, kidneys, bladder; The brood devoured them all, throwing Rocket's body into a state of shock. His breathing became short panicked gasps and his bloodshot eyes bulged so much they felt like they would pop from his skull. Time slowed to a snail's pace as adrenaline flooded his system, causing each agonizing moment to drag on for eternity. Most of the young Chimerax had started to go after his muscles and tendons, but a few had turned their attention toward the layer of fat separating his innards from his skin. They devoured their way through the thin layer of flab, soon chewing into the sensitive skin on the other side. Small holes opened up all along Rocket's chest, soaking his fur in fresh blood. Rocket watched in horror as the spawn burst from his belly and began to feast on his outer flesh. They were like tiny spitting images of their mother, complete with scythe claws and powerful jaws, which they used to butcher and consume him. The loss of blood was beginning to get to Rocket, making him feel faint and woozy. His sight grew hazy and darkness swam at the edges of his vision. In his final moments, he found himself hoping that Tethis hadn't sent another unwitting stooge to collect his goods. Otherwise the cycle would repeat itself, and he didn't want to imagine what would happen if these monsters actually reached an inhabited planet. But that was something he would never know. As the Chimerax devoured his heart and lungs, his consciousness faded and his suffering finally came to an end. Soon he would be nothing more than a pile of bones, sharing in the fate of the crew members before him; Doomed to drift through space, forgotten and forsaken for the rest of time. And all because of what was supposed to be a simple job...