For Ego, the current predicament was not entirely unfamiliar. Previously, his divine power seeds had vanished inexplicably, and now his planetary extensions were meeting the same fate. While the loss of a divine seed was frustrating, it was ultimately just a fragment of his power. However, the loss of a planetary extension—an integral part of his body—was far more terrifying and consequential.
These planets were not only extensions of Ego's essence but also vital to his survival and escape strategy. With them gone, Ego's options dwindled rapidly, and his fate seemed sealed.
"No!" Ego's mind was a chaotic storm of fear and anger as he sensed an impending life-or-death crisis. He immediately realized Robert had located him again and prepared to strike. This time, Ego knew that if the planet he inhabited was destroyed, he would truly meet his end.
In desperation, Ego manifested a divine projection outside the planet, confronting Robert directly. "Saiyan! Was it you who destroyed all my planetary extensions? If you had the power to do so, why torment me further?"
"What?" Robert initially planned to kill Ego outright, dismissing his words as meaningless. But Ego's accusation made Robert pause and recall the Exterminator's earlier intervention.
"All your planetary extensions are gone? So this is your last one?" Robert's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Under normal circumstances, he would never have believed Ego, but the Exterminator's sudden interference earlier made him reconsider.
"If it wasn't you, then who? Who else would want me dead?" Ego's initial fury gave way to growing dread. It dawned on him that Robert might not be his only enemy—there were unseen forces conspiring against him.
"Do you know the Celestials?" Robert asked after a long, scrutinizing look at Ego.
"The Celestials! Of course, it must be them!" Ego growled, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Weren't you and the Exterminator responsible for destroying the Kree Empire? That group has always looked down on me while fearing I might surpass and replace them!"
"So the Celestials dealt with your planets?" Robert's confusion deepened. "But if that's the case, why did the Exterminator stop me? Were they just stalling for time? Or did they do something else to those planets?"
Ego's words hinted at animosity between him and the Celestials, making it unlikely they'd intervene to save him. However, their actions now seemed oddly redundant—Robert was more than capable of finishing Ego himself.
This led Robert to suspect the Celestials had a hidden agenda, possibly involving Ego's planetary extensions.
"Saiyan, it seems we have a common enemy now," Ego said eagerly, sensing that Robert's hesitation offered him a slim chance of survival. "Technically, I'm one of them—part of the Celestials—but they refuse to acknowledge me."
"You're a Celestial? So, are all Celestials planets?" Robert asked skeptically. He carefully probed Ego's energy signature but found nothing resembling the Exterminator's.
"Not exactly," Ego admitted. "I'm what they call a 'failed seed.' I was abandoned in the cosmos, where my brain developed consciousness and eventually evolved into a planet. True Celestials don't go through this process."
"But if they destroyed my planetary extensions, it means I was a threat to them! That proves I was on the right path. Work with me, Saiyan! Together, we can take down the Celestials!" Ego's desperation peaked as he tried to entice Robert with promises of cooperation.
"Do you still remember the coordinates of your remaining planets?" Robert asked after a moment of silence. "I'd like to investigate. Maybe we'll find traces of the Celestials' involvement."
Ego lit up with hope, nodding vigorously. "Of course! Here, take this." He conjured a glowing orb of divine energy, which contained the coordinates of his former planets. "I'll head off to replant my seeds. With someone like you on my side, I won't have to worry about the Celestials interfering again!"
As Ego handed the orb to Robert, a cunning gleam crossed his eyes. "Now that we're allies, perhaps you could let Peter and Ash help me? I promise I won't chain them up again. With their help, I could replant my seeds much faster across the stars."
A low hum resonated as Robert accepted the orb, his expression unreadable. Ego's face brightened with excitement—until a glowing energy wave materialized in Robert's hand.
"Saiyan?! What are you doing?!" Ego's voice was a mix of shock and indignation as Robert unleashed the energy wave.
"Boom!"
The terrifying explosion echoed across the planet. Once again, Ego's defenses crumbled, and his core brain was destroyed along with the planet itself.
Ego's final moments were filled with disbelief and humiliation. He couldn't fathom why Robert had turned on him after seemingly agreeing to cooperate. Ego's last thought was a bitter realization: in his eyes, Robert had betrayed him, acting more like the villain than himself.
"You really didn't guard against me?" Robert muttered to himself as Ego's consciousness dissipated into nothingness. He was genuinely surprised by Ego's naïveté. Despite having lived for millennia, Ego had displayed a startling lack of understanding of human (or Saiyan) nature.
"After all this time, you still don't understand what it means to truly be human," Robert said quietly, shaking his head before vanishing into the void.
---
Back on the Guardians' ship, Ash's body trembled, and his strength waned. The divine energy within him faded completely, leaving him physically weaker but emotionally overjoyed.
"It's gone! My divine power is truly gone!" Ash exclaimed. "That means Ego is really dead!"
"Your divine power's gone?" Star-Lord, who felt only minor weakness due to his shorter exposure to Ego's energy, quickly tested his abilities. He too found his divine power gone and began celebrating.
"Ego's dead for sure now!" Star-Lord cheered. For him, losing the powers granted by Ego was no loss at all—it was liberation.
---
Kara, observing the excitement, relaxed slightly. But as she looked at Ash, her expression shifted to one of curiosity. "Wait. Are you Kryptonian? Or at least part Kryptonian?"
Ash blinked in surprise. "My mother was Kryptonian. So I guess I am too."
"The universe has so few Kryptonians left..." Kara murmured. Then, remembering the clones Robert had encountered in the Kree Empire, she corrected herself. "At least, not many true Kryptonians from the original lineage."
Kara continued, "But losing divine power shouldn't bother you. Kryptonians are naturally strong. We possess power that rivals, if not exceeds, divine energy."
"Rivals divine energy?" Ash's eyes widened in astonishment.
"That's right. My abilities come from Kryptonian physiology. If you develop yourself properly, you can achieve the same—and maybe even surpass me," Kara said warmly.
"Does Earth have anything special like that?" Star-Lord asked enviously, glancing at Pietro.
"Not really. But Earthlings are great at eating junk food and getting fat," Pietro joked, patting Star-Lord's abs.
---
Ignoring the banter, Kara turned to Ash. "To awaken your abilities, you'll need to absorb energy from a yellow star. Start by basking in its light from afar. Gradually, your cells will awaken, and your power will grow."
"Wait! The Sun is a yellow star!" Star-Lord exclaimed. "Why not take Ash back to Earth?"
Kara shook her head. "Earth has its own challenges. Don't forget the task Robert assigned—finding the last Infinity Stone and tracking Thanos. If we locate him, we might not need to worry about the Stones anymore."
---
The Guardians debated their next steps. With renewed determination, they set off toward a nearby yellow star system to help Ash begin his journey as a Kryptonian. Meanwhile, the looming shadow of Thanos awaited them in the vast reaches of space.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+100 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]