** WARNING! THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS TO AVENGERS ENDGAME! **
was it just me or did anyone else feel their heart physically shatter when Rocket was screaming that he couldn't breathe and when he was drowning? i started to have a panic attack
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You'd lifted your head from where you'd ducked behind Thor. The room was silent in the aftermath of the snap, except for Bruce's heavy breathing and pained moans. Rocket, standing next to you on a table, looked at you first.
"Did we do it?" you asked.
And then your ears picked up on sounds you hadn't heard in your five years of visiting Earth. Phones ringing. Birds chirping.
You gasped softly and stood up straight. Looking at Rocket, a smile made the corners of his mouth and yours turn. After five years of it just being you, him, and the blue chick, they were alive. You could have your family back.
You opened your mouth to speak, but the words never came out. There was a flash of bright blue that blinded you and a deafening sound.
You felt your body falling, and you weren't sure of which direction you were falling in.
You landed in a pool of water, your back cracking against something hard. A cry of pain burst through you.
You slowly peeled your eyes open. Shock filled you; you were below the Avengers Headquarters. On your left was Bruce, breathing heavy. He had debris on him.
Rhodes was on your right, propped up against a pile of rubble. You slowly sat up, turning your body towards Bruce to get him out of there-
"I-I can't breathe! I can't breathe!"
You turned, a sharpness forming in your heart. "Rocket?" you cried.
"I can't breathe!" You saw him squirming out from under a huge piece of broken foundation. You ran through the quickly rising water, grabbing one of the swords off your back. "Get me out of here!"
"Hang on, Rocket. Relax for me." You shoved the sword under and pushed down with all of your strength, a grunt coming out of you-
He hurriedly scrambled out and you collapsed on your knees, breathing heavily. He fell on his back. There was a cracking sound in the rubble.
"That's it," Rocket gasped, "I am getting you out of here now." He pointed at you.
"Rocket..."
A few feet behind you, Bruce shouted. "Rhodes! ___, Rocket - get out of here!"
Your head shot up in the direction of a louder cracking sound. "Rocket-" You grabbed him hurriedly-
And a rush of water exploded from a wall. You gasped, getting hit with it straight on. You were suddenly underwater, your body rolling in the pressure.
Rocket was still in your arms, and as you felt your feet touch the bottom of something, you pushed off of it. Your head broke out of the water, Rocket with you.
You spat out water, spinning around in a circle. Rocket had one paw on your shoulder and the other on the side of your neck.
Bruce was shouting. "Someone help us! We need help in here! Does anyone copy? We're trapped. There are four of us - we're trapped-!"
There wasn't any space for Rocket to stay on your shoulders, and every so often he would push you underwater.
He scrambled off of you and fought to swim hard enough to stay above the water. He looked at you with wide, sad eyes.
"Rocket, I think this is it for us," you said.
"Don't... don't say that."
The water was filling in and you were nearing the top of the pile of rocks you were under. You put your hand on the bottom of it.
"I'll see you on the other side, guys," Rhodes said.
Rocket was panicking again. Swallowing your paralyzing fear of drowning, you grabbed Rocket and held him up as much as you could.
"What - what are you doing?" he asked, gasping. "Stop! You'll... you'll drown!"
Your face was barely able to stay above the surface. You breathed in quick. "It'll be okay. It'll-"
You didn't get to take in a gulp of air. The water washed over you and you were forced to gulp it down. It filled your lungs and burned.
"___!" Rocket screamed. Rhodes and Bruce were under now.
He tried to reach down to grab you, but he gave up, shutting his eyes tight as the water washed over him completely, too.
Underneath the water, you kept your eyes screwed shut tight. Your body convulsed and twitched as your lungs ached for air-
You weren't sure when, but you'd stopped holding onto Rocket.
And then something smacked into your stomach. It wasn't large, it wasn't painful, but something was pushing you out of the water.
Even when you were out of the cold water, you were still drowning.
"Kid! ____, breathe for me. Don't die on me now! We just got them back. I can't lose you, too."
Something pushed your chest. Water came up out of your throat. You coughed it all up, turning on your side after seeing Bruce lift his hand away from you. His eyebrows were furrowed together in worry.
Rocket was leaning over you. "C'mon ___, you big idiot."
"A little rude t-to call me that after I just saved your life," you said.
"Actually I saved all four of you," Scott said. He grinned. "Actually, you know what... whatever. It doesn't matter."
You rolled over on your back again, still coughing up water. Rocket shook his head.
Rhodes sighed. There were loud noises coming from above ground. "C'mon guys, we need to get up there. Who knows what's happening to everyone."
"They're back," you said to Rocket. You smiled, tears in your eyes. "I can feel it. Mantis, Quill, Groot..."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean act like an idiot to make sure I get to see 'em," he said. As you got up weakly, he reached behind you and grabbed one of your swords that you had lost. Handing you your weapon, he put a paw on your knee. "Why would you do that?"
You put the sword on your back. "Rocket, up until possibly three minutes ago, you were all I had. You're the idiot if you think I wasn't - and still aren't - more than willing to risk my life for you." You knelt down in front of him again. "You're my family. And for the last five years, you've been the only remaining part of that little family that I had."
He sighed. "Yeah..."
"We're family. We leave nobody behind," you quoted Drax - something you'd done several times since he'd vanished.
He growled. "I hate it when you use that against me."
You smirked and stood once more. With determination in your voice, you said, "Now c'mon. We've got a defend and avenge our new family."