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Soon, the video confirmed everyone's suspicions.
"Now I have only one problem left to solve. With the power of just one Celestial, it's not enough to accomplish this great endeavor," Ego raised two fingers, "But with two Celestials, well, now it can be done."
Peter Quill looked at Ego, his eyes still blue, as if containing a universe within.
"The biggest deception I've attempted in all my work was trying to combine my DNA with another species. I hoped to find enough power through this union to support my expansion plan," Ego brought up his deal with J'Son, "I had J'Son send me some children before, even though it violated the Ravagers' code. But I gave him ample compensation. And to ease his conscience, I told him I wouldn't harm those children. That was true; they died peacefully."
"Quill, I think this is the real reason J'Son didn't hand you over to Ego," Nick Fury told Peter Quill, "He must have discovered Ego's actions and left you behind to protect you."
"Is that so?" Even Peter Quill, foolish as he might be, now realized that Nick Fury was speaking the truth.
"But one after another, they all disappointed me," Ego continued in the video, "None of them carried the Celestial gene, until your birth, Peter. Among so many descendants, only you radiate the light of divinity. After all these years, I am no longer alone!"
Ego grew more excited as he spoke, but Peter Quill's emotions seemed to be low, a somewhat disheartened expression on his face.
"What's wrong, my son?" Ego asked.
"My friends..." Peter Quill was thinking about his eccentric teammates.
"No, you see, this is the weakness of humanity within you, Peter," Ego lectured on the side, "We are Celestials; we are far nobler than they are."
"But my mother..." Peter Quill thought of his mother, "You said you loved her."
"I did love her indeed. My little Lily, she knew the lyrics to every song on the radio. I visited Earth to see her three times. I knew that if I went back one more time, I wouldn't be able to leave. This expansion plan, my reason for existence would be ruined," Ego spoke and accidentally revealed, "So, I did what I had to do. But it was very painful for me when I implanted cancer in her brain."
"What?!" Inside the answer space, Peter Quill was utterly stunned, "He killed my mother!"
"No wonder you wanted to kill Ego," Clint Barton said.
"Ego, you killed my mother." Peter Quill clenched his fist tightly, "I'm going to kill you!"
"What?" As soon as Peter Quill heard this, his eyes instantly changed from blue to normal.
"Alright, alright, I know this isn't a good idea," Ego attempted to explain further, but Peter Quill had already raised his Element Gun and started shooting at Ego.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ego took several shots, his body shattered, his head half blown off, but the missing parts of his body were immediately reconstituted with a blue light, and he was back to normal.
"Who do you think you are!" Ego said disdainfully.
"You killed my mother!" Peter Quill roared.
"I've gone through so much trouble to find you with the best genes. And this is how you thank me?" Ego's form shifted for a moment, first transforming into a different man, then back to his original appearance, "You really need to learn how to be a better person, Peter."
With that, Ego reached out, and a beam of light emerged from the ground, stretching like a snake towards Peter Quill, piercing right through his chest.
"I had thought you would join me in this great endeavor. Now I see that a thousand years later, you'll only be a source of power for me," Ego approached Peter Quill, who was suspended in the air by the light. He reached out and took the cassette player from Peter's waist, pressing a button. Instantly, a song began to play.
"My life, my darling, but the one I love is the sea." Muttering a couple of lines from the song, Ego crushed the cassette player in his hand, "Peter, this is my sea."
The next moment, the radiant light that had pierced through Peter Quill suddenly intensified, enveloping his entire body. It was as if a certain program was being uploaded. Somewhere on Earth, a blue-glowing oval-shaped, egg-like object suddenly expanded, crazily engulfing the planet.
"I thought Quill killing Ego was his own business, but I didn't expect it to involve the fate of Earth as well," Tony Stark said with a hint of annoyance, "If we don't get rid of this guy, Earth will be 'consumed' by him."
"Quill, come to Earth after the quiz is over," Steve Rogers told Peter Quill, "We'll go with you and deal with Ego."
"Give me an address." Peter Quill didn't refuse. This was a Celestial, and he hadn't even formed the Guardians of the Galaxy yet. He didn't have the confidence to confront Ego.
"The blue egg that appeared in the video just now, I'll look for it as soon as I go out," Nick Fury said.
Boom!
As the scene showed Peter Quill struggling, a spaceship suddenly descended from the sky and smashed Ego to the ground.
The radiant light that had pierced through Peter Quill vanished instantly, and he fell from the sky.
Drax, Gamora, and the others appeared out of nowhere. Gamora helped Peter Quill up, and they all boarded the spaceship together.
"What are you doing?" Drax immediately asked Rocket Raccoon as he boarded the ship, "You nearly got us all killed!"
"I'll just take that as a 'Thank you, Rocket,'" Rocket Raccoon replied.
"We've dealt with it," Drax said.
"Not yet," Mantis interjected, "That was just a projection of Ego. He will return soon."
"Why is Nebula here?" Peter Quill noticed Nebula's presence and couldn't help but ask.
"I'm just hitching a ride back home," Nebula said.
"She wanted to kill me!" Rocket Raccoon chimed in.
"I was saving you, you dumb fox," Nebula retorted.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At this moment, several beams of light emerged from the ground, wrapping around the ship and preventing it from leaving.
"How are we going to defeat a Celestial?" Drax asked.
"He has a core, a brain, or something like that, encased in a protective shell," Peter Quill explained.
"In a cave underground," Mantis added.
Peter Quill climbed into the cockpit and was taken aback, "Yondu?"
"Should I be glad that I was small and skinny as a kid? Otherwise, you'd have handed me over to this lunatic a long time ago," Yondu Udonta operated the ship while speaking.
"So you still think I left you behind just for that reason?" Yondu Udonta scolded, "Idiot!"
"You could've just told me that," Peter Quill retorted, "You old idiot!"
"I only discovered what happened to those kids later on, so I decided to leave you behind," Yondu Udonta explained.
"And you said you were going to eat me," Peter Quill said.
"That was just for fun," Yondu Udonta replied.
"It wasn't fun for me!" Peter Quill said.
"You two need to resolve your issues," Rocket Raccoon interjected from below.
"I certainly have an issue," Peter Quill pointed at the blue glowing figure that had just stood up in front of the ship, "That monster turns out to be my dad!"
Then, without hesitation, he piloted the ship and crashed into him, shattering his dad to pieces, and fled the palace.
But instead of flying upwards, the ship descended!
"Shouldn't we be going up?" Yondu Udonta asked.
"No. Now that we know Ego wants to destroy this universe, we have to kill him!" Peter Quill's determination was clear, and he yelled, "Rocket!"
"Got it!" Rocket Raccoon pushed a lever, and small balls on the ship rolled forward, emitting red beams that cleared the obstacles in front of them.
"If we can save the galaxy twice, our value will surely skyrocket!" Rocket Raccoon operated the ship while speaking.
"It's hard to believe that's your only ambition," Peter Quill said.
"I'm just kidding, buddy. I thought we were friends," Rocket Raccoon said, "Of course, I care about planets, the structures on them, and all the animals."
"And the people on the planets," Peter Quill added.
"That feisty little pet is so cute. I'm almost dying of joy watching him," Mantis laughed heartily.
The atmosphere on the ship was full of joy, and anyone unaware would think they were celebrating the New Year.
However, they were unaware that a large group of unwelcome visitors had arrived. The Sovereign had dispatched a fleet of aircraft to exterminate them.
"Tell me, why did Ego send you here?" Yondu Udonta asked Peter Quill.
"He needs the light of divinity within me to help him destroy this universe," Peter Quill didn't hide anything and told Yondu Udonta directly, "He also wants to teach me how to control this power."
"Have you learned?" Yondu Udonta asked.
"A little bit," Peter Quill said, "I managed to create a ball of energy."
"Just a ball?" Yondu Udonta burst into laughter.
"I struggled with all my might to control my thoughts, and all I could manage was a ball," Peter Quill said somewhat helplessly.
"Your thoughts, huh?" Yondu Udonta countered, "Did you think I could shoot my arrows just by thinking about it?"
Bang!
At this moment, the ship shook and arrived near a large sphere.
"There, that's Ego's core," Mantis immediately pointed at the large sphere.
"That core is quite thick," Gamora observed, "Rocket."
"Understood." Rocket Raccoon pressed a few buttons, then pushed a lever. The small balls on the ship all rolled to the front, gathering together.
"We have to be quick. Ego won't take long to find us," Mantis reminded from the side.
"Hold on." Rocket Raccoon moved the ship forward, closer to the core. With a whoosh, the small balls on the ship emitted a brilliant light, shooting directly towards the large sphere.
The destructive power of the light was formidable, rapidly melting away the core's outer shell at a visible rate, on the brink of piercing through.
However, at this moment, a massive swarm of aircraft arrived, descending like locusts, opening fire on Peter Quill and the others.
Even though Ego's core was about to breach the outer shell, Peter Quill had to temporarily abandon the core and deal with the incoming threat; otherwise, they'd be shot to pieces.
The small ship was at a clear disadvantage against the overwhelming Sovereign aircraft. In a matter of moments, the ship sustained hits, leaving a gaping hole in its side. Drax, Mantis, and Gamora were thrown from the ship.
However, all three managed to land safely without injuries.
Cracks suddenly appeared on the ground, and blue energy surged around, accompanied by falling debris from above.
"He's coming," Mantis's face turned pale.
"Didn't you say you could put him to sleep?" Drax asked.
"Only when he wants to be," Mantis replied, "He's too powerful; I can't do it."
"You must believe in yourself," Drax said, "Because I believe in you."
At that moment, a massive face formed on the mountainside, roaring angrily at the group.
Mantis glanced down at the blue energy crack beneath her feet, grit her teeth, and placed her hand on the energy.
"Sleep!" Mantis shouted, using her powers.
She didn't have much hope to begin with, but to her surprise, it worked—the gigantic face on the mountain vanished!
"I didn't expect her to succeed; she looks so fragile," Drax said with some surprise.
"I don't know how long I can keep him asleep," Mantis said.
"Why don't you fire your lasers?" Meanwhile, on the ship, Peter Quill asked Rocket Raccoon.
"The generator will explode," Rocket Raccoon got up from his chair, ran to the side, and pulled out a bag, "I think I brought a small detonator."
"But without explosives, what use is a detonator?" Nebula remarked.
"We have these batteries," Rocket Raccoon attached the batteries to the detonator.
"Can this thing kill Ego?" Peter Quill asked.
"If it works, it'll trigger a chain reaction in his entire nervous system," Rocket Raccoon explained.
"What does that mean?" Peter Quill inquired.
"The whole planet will explode," Rocket Raccoon replied, "We need to get out of here, and the sooner, the better. I've set a timer."
"Let's go!" Peter Quill and Rocket Raccoon jumped from the ship, both wearing spacesuits, and flew up to Ego's core.
"The metal's too thick," Rocket Raccoon shone his flashlight, "To make the bomb effective, we need to place it in a specific spot within Ego's core, but with our bulky bodies, there's no way we can fit through that small hole."
"Alright." Peter Quill's gaze shifted to Groot nearby.
"This is a terrible idea," Rocket Raccoon remarked.
"But it's the only way," Peter Quill said.
"It's hard to believe this," Rocket Raccoon placed Groot on his back and headed toward the hole.
Meanwhile, Peter Quill leaped out, firing at the Sovereign aircraft.
"Press this switch first, then this one, that activates it," Rocket Raccoon positioned the bomb in front of Groot, "Then, press this button, and you'll have five minutes to escape." He pointed to another switch, his expression serious, "Whatever you do, don't press this one. If you do, it'll explode immediately, and we'll all be doomed."
Groot stared at Rocket Raccoon with his wide, innocent eyes, conveying one message: "I don't understand."
"Alright, say it back to me," Rocket Raccoon instructed.
"I am Groot," Groot replied.
"Uh-huh." Rocket Raccoon responded.
"I am Groot," Groot repeated.
"Correct," Rocket Raccoon said.
"I am Groot," Groot pointed to the rightmost button.
"No!" Rocket Raccoon corrected immediately, "That button is wrong! It'll blow all of us up! Let's try again."
"I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot," Groot painstakingly repeated, until he pointed again to the rightmost button.
"No! That's the same as before! How could he possibly get this?" Rocket Raccoon was nearly losing his mind, "Which button should you press, show me!"
Groot once again pointed to the rightmost button.
"No!!" Rocket Raccoon cried out in agony.
"Your approach is only making him more nervous," Peter Quill's voice came from the tunnel entrance.
"Shut up! Get me some duct tape!" Rocket Raccoon yelled, turning his head, "Does anyone have duct tape out there? I want to seal off that button."
"I don't have duct tape; I'll go ask," Peter Quill left.
"Hey, Yondu, do you have duct tape?"
"Gamora, do you have duct tape?"
"Never mind, forget it."
"Drax, do you have duct tape?"
"Yeah, clear tape works too."
"Well, if you don't, why bother asking me?"
The following moments were filled with Peter Quill's voice echoing from outside, and then he peered in, "Nobody has duct tape."
"Isn't there a single person with duct tape?" Rocket Raccoon turned around.
"No," Peter Quill replied.
"Did you ask Nebula?"
"I did," Peter Quill said.
"Are you sure?" Rocket Raccoon asked again, seemingly unaware of Peter Quill's previous conversation with Nebula.
"I asked Gamora when Groot was sitting right next to her," Peter Quill explained.
"I knew you were lying!" Rocket Raccoon exclaimed.
"The problem is, your bag contains not only priceless batteries but also a bomb. You're the most likely to have duct tape, aren't you?" Peter Quill retorted.
"That's the issue, isn't it? I end up doing everything!" Rocket Raccoon turned around, only to see Groot running into the tunnel with the bomb.
"We're done for," Rocket Raccoon sighed.
Rocket Raccoon's attempt to "train" Groot wasn't going smoothly. Outside the tunnel, Yondu and the Sovereign aircraft were also having a difficult time.
Boom!
The ship was hit again.
"Our rear thrusters are out again!" Yondu exclaimed in frustration, "Without the generator, we're screwed!"
By now, the aircraft had completely surrounded the ship.
"Guardians, perhaps this will offer you some solace: your deaths won't be in vain," Ayesha taunted the Guardians, confident that the Sovereign had them trapped, "It will serve as a lesson to those who betray us. Don't mess with the Sovereign."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The aircraft began firing.
With the ship's rear thrusters damaged and unable to fly, were Yondu and the others doomed to await their fate?
Not quite.
Seated beside Yondu, Nebula dismantled her left arm and connected some wires from the ship.
Yondu also started operating controls, causing small spheres on the ship's surface to roll, evenly distributing across its exterior.
"It's going to hurt," Yondu warned Nebula.
"Don't waste words," Nebula replied.
Yondu pressed a few buttons and pulled a lever, causing Nebula's body to be covered in blue electric arcs.
However, simultaneously, the small spheres on the ship's surface emitted a brilliant red light, shooting intense beams in all directions.
The Sovereign aircraft were no match for this onslaught. In the blink of an eye, they were eradicated by the red light.
But in life, as in every endeavor, challenges arise. Sometimes, fate doesn't allow things to go as smoothly as planned.
While Nebula's move successfully dealt with the Sovereign aircraft, it inadvertently awakened Ego.
Mantis had struggled to keep Ego asleep, but the red laser had cut her efforts short, and Ego was on the verge of awakening.
There was, however, one silver lining: Peter Quill, Yondu, and Nebula managed to land safely before the ship exploded, reuniting with Drax and the others.
"When will the bomb explode?" Peter Quill asked Rocket Raccoon.
"If Groot doesn't accidentally kill us, probably in about six minutes," Rocket Raccoon replied.
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
The surroundings once again began to quake and crumble. Blue energy was erupting chaotically, and Ego seemed on the verge of waking.
"Kraglin, we need the escape pods," Yondu immediately addressed his loyal crewmember at the rear, "Set the countdown for five minutes."
"Understood, Captain." Kraglin, ever loyal, activated the escape pods and steered them toward Ego's planet.
"Someone needs to be up there to catch Kraglin when he arrives," Peter Quill removed his spacesuit and pressed it onto Drax, "Drax, take Mantis up."
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
Just as Drax took off, the ground where the group had been standing began to collapse, and tendrils of blue energy reached out.
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[END OF CHAPTER]