The Avengers, fundamentally a principled organization, faced a moral dilemma. While they had no qualms about dealing with enemies decisively, they struggled with the idea of eliminating Adam, a newly born being—even if he appeared to be an adult. Despite being an artificial lifeform, far removed from what they traditionally recognized as living, the Avengers found it difficult to kill him outright.
However, letting Adam roam freely or bringing him back to their base presented risks. Created by an unknown mastermind, Adam could harbor hidden mechanisms they couldn't detect, potentially jeopardizing their security. Returning him to the Avengers' headquarters might pose the same risk as taking the lab equipment—it could allow their adversaries to glean vital intelligence.
Entrusting Adam to the Guardians of the Galaxy was a safer alternative. The Guardians didn't operate on Earth and had limited access to the Avengers' secrets. Moreover, Star-Lord's newfound divine powers added an extra layer of security. If Adam turned out to be a threat, Star-Lord could potentially handle him, as he was far more cautious and tactical than Drax.
"Let's go. We'll board Star-Lord's ship and head to Ego's location," Steve Rogers announced, sensing no further objections from the team. "It's been a while since the Saiyan and Ego began fighting. If that battle's still going on, Ego must be quite formidable."
However, Steve wasn't planning to bring Adam to Earth or the Avengers' base. Instead, he signaled Kaecilius, who promptly opened a massive portal. The Guardians' ship appeared through the fiery ring, gently lowered to the ground by Susan Storm's telekinesis.
"Come on, Star-Lord!" Pietro called out, snapping him out of his daze. "Don't you want to know what's happening with your celestial dad?"
"Right! Ego isn't dealt with yet. And Ash... I hope he's still alive," Star-Lord muttered, realizing how much had been left unresolved.
The teams quickly boarded the ship, and with another fiery portal, the Guardians and Avengers left the now lifeless Sovereign Planet behind.
The High Evolutionary, watching from a hidden location, didn't reappear even after their departure. With his lab destroyed, he had no way of knowing that Adam had emerged from the golden cocoon. Cautious by nature and wary of the Avengers' strength, he deemed Sovereign and its experiments a lost cause, unworthy of further risk. After all, creating a new batch of Sovereigns would be trivial for him—failed experiments held no value in his eyes.
---
In a remote corner of the universe, the portal opened, and the Guardians' ship emerged. But the scene that greeted them left everyone stunned.
The once-magnificent Ego's planet was gone, replaced by scattered debris floating in space. Even the nearby celestial bodies had vanished, leaving a desolate expanse of cosmic rubble.
"What…? Ego's planet is completely destroyed? And the surrounding ones too? What about the Saiyan?" the Avengers murmured, trying to comprehend the devastation before them.
"I can't see him," Kara said, her brows furrowed with concern. Her enhanced vision stretched far beyond that of her teammates, yet even she found the vastness of space overwhelming.
"Wait, what about Yondu? Is he okay?" Star-Lord's expression shifted as he hurriedly tried to contact Yondu.
A moment later, Yondu's voice came through, and his hologram flickered to life. While Yondu seemed shaken, he was unharmed.
"Yondu! What happened? Where's Ego? And the Saiyan?" Star-Lord bombarded him with questions.
"I'm near the battlefield. I've sent you my coordinates. Come here, and I'll explain," Yondu replied, his voice tinged with disbelief as he recounted what he had witnessed.
---
Yondu, unfamiliar with the Avengers, had stayed behind to observe Ego and the Saiyan's battle from a safe distance. The clash, as he described it, was anything but ordinary.
Both combatants wielded power that defied comprehension. As the fight dragged on, Ego began to falter. Unable to withstand the Saiyan's relentless energy blasts, Ego attempted to flee, moving his planet to escape the conflict.
But no matter how fast Ego's planet moved, the Saiyan was faster. Even as Ego retreated, the Saiyan pursued, his attacks breaching Ego's defenses and targeting the planet's core. Ego, realizing he couldn't sustain the energy clash, was forced to defend and counterattack while continuing his retreat.
Yondu described how the battle's shockwaves obliterated nearby planets, reducing them to cosmic dust. Witnessing such destruction, Yondu could only confirm that these were no ordinary beings. Despite the danger, he stayed, cautiously observing from the periphery.
The Guardians and Avengers arrived at Yondu's coordinates, their ship maneuvering through a field of shattered planetary debris. The scale of the destruction underscored the catastrophic power of the combatants.
"This level of power is catastrophic. If their fight had taken place on a populated planet, it would've been annihilated instantly," Tony Stark remarked grimly.
"Yeah, Earth would've been toast," Rocket added.
---
Meanwhile, on what remained of Ego's planet, the battle raged on.
"You're willing to go this far? What did Peter offer you to side against me?" Ego roared, his anger palpable as his planet continued to crack and crumble under the Saiyan's relentless attacks.
"Peter?" The Saiyan paused briefly, confused. His first thought was Peter Parker, but then he remembered Star-Lord, whose real name was Peter Quill.
"Never mind. I've got a better question—how long can you last under this beating? Unless you've got some hidden trick, this is just a one-sided massacre," the Saiyan taunted, launching another barrage of energy blasts.
"You'll see my trump card soon enough!" Ego's face twisted in fury. His planet began glowing with divine light as he channeled energy from deep within its core.
"Be careful! He's drawing power from someone inside the planet," Kara's voice warned the Saiyan through a communicator. Her vision had detected the source of Ego's new surge in strength.
---
Simultaneously, back on Earth, an alarming phenomenon unfolded. In a remote part of the USA, the ground cracked open, and glowing, branch-like tendrils of energy erupted, spreading rapidly.
"Warning! A massive energy signature has emerged on Earth. Branch-like energy structures are spreading across the terrain…" J.A.R.V.I.S. informed Tony Stark, his voice urgent.
"This is Ego's doing," Mantis revealed. "He planted divine seeds on planets he visited. When the seeds sprout, they begin consuming the planet's life energy, turning it into an extension of himself. It's part of his plan to transform every inhabited world into his own body."
"Get us back to Earth now!" Steve Rogers barked, turning to Kaecilius.
But before Kaecilius could act, J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted with a surprising update.
"The event has ceased. The energy branches have withered, and the ground is returning to normal."
"What?" The Avengers were stunned. "Did the Saiyan stop Ego's plan?"
"Maybe, or maybe Earth's consciousness intervened. It wouldn't let another entity take over its body," Tony theorized.
---
Back at the battlefield, Ego suddenly panicked.
"My seed! My power! It's gone!" Ego shouted, his confidence evaporating. The divine seed he had planted on Earth—his key to spreading his essence—had vanished, consumed by an unknown force.
"Something unknown... What did you do?" Ego demanded, his voice trembling as he looked at the Saiyan.
"I didn't do anything," the Saiyan replied, his brow furrowing. "But if you're this shaken up, I might not have to finish you myself."
Ego, now distracted and terrified of this new, unseen threat, began faltering further. For the Saiyan, this was an opportunity to end the fight—and perhaps Ego—for good.
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