"Wow! That woman really knows how to make an entrance!" Garfield's Spider-Man marveled at Ayesha's elaborate procession.
"Isn't she embarrassed? Everyone's staring at her!" Gwen shook her head in bewilderment. While she was used to being in the spotlight herself, she'd never go to such theatrical lengths.
The whole carpet-laying ritual before she'd even take a step seemed absurd—as if the ground itself might contaminate her golden perfection. Gwen couldn't wrap her head around the Sovereign mindset.
When Garfield saw the carpet dispenser jam, he burst out laughing. "I hate it when the silence gets awkward like that!"
"Oh God, that's so embarrassing! I'm getting secondhand cringe just watching!" Gwen shuddered. "What if that thing had stayed stuck and she'd just had to stand there? Ugh..."
"Even Yondu couldn't bear to watch," Dr. Connors chuckled, making his first appearance in a while. "I bet he was thinking some choice words about golden idiots."
"Pride comes before the fall," the second Harry observed, shaking his head. "This whole performance is completely alien to normal people."
His girlfriend Felicia whispered, "Perfect example of why they say nobility can't be faked."
Since returning from the MCU universe, Harry had kept his promise to his alternate self and clarified his relationship with Felicia. They'd been blissfully happy ever since.
["When your mother died, I hired Yondu to pick you up, but he didn't bring you back to me... He kept you! I don't know why!"]
[On the planet Berhert, everyone sat around a campfire sharing a meal. While eating, Ego explained why he had never met Star-Lord until now.]
["Well, I'll tell you why—because I was a scrawny kid! I could get into places adults couldn't! Made me perfect for stealing stuff!"]
[Ego looked at Star-Lord apologetically, "Well! I've been searching for you ever since!"]
[Drax said matter-of-factly: "I thought Yondu was your father!"]
[Star-Lord frowned and turned to stare at him, "What?!! We've been together this long and you still think Yondu is my biological father?"]
[Drax shoveled another spoonful of food into his mouth, "You look exactly alike!"]
[Rocket reminded him flatly: "Yondu is blue!"]
[Star-Lord threw up his hands in exasperation, "No! He's not my father! Yondu kidnapped me! He beat the crap out of me and taught me how to fight! He threatened to eat me and made me live in constant terror!"]
[Star-Lord was carefully watching Ego's reaction as he spoke. Despite Ego's charming demeanor, Star-Lord remained wary.]
[After hearing Star-Lord's words, Ego looked surprised, "Eat you?"]
["That scumbag!" Ego immediately cursed Yondu.]
[Gamora asked: "How did you find us?"]
["Well! Even though I live in isolation, I've heard of the legendary Star-Lord! How about we head there now? Your friends are welcome to come with us! Including the triangular-faced monkey!"]
[Rocket glanced at Ego after hearing this, then subconsciously began touching his face to check if it really was triangular.]
[Ego stood up and said to Star-Lord earnestly: "I promise, it's a place unlike anywhere you've ever seen! There... I can explain your unique heritage!"]
["Finally, I can be the father I've always wanted to be! Excuse me! I need to take a leak!" With that, Ego walked off.]
[Gamora silently watched him leave, then turned her attention back to Star-Lord.]
[Star-Lord shook his head, "I don't buy it."]
[Gamora glanced at Ego, who was whistling while relieving himself against a tree, and said, "Let's take a walk."]
[Mantis sat by the campfire and said to Drax, who was still chewing: "My name is Mantis!"]
[Then she opened her large, doll-like eyes and gave Drax the fakest smile imaginable.]
[Drax looked at her with confusion, "What are you doing?"]
["Smiling! I heard it makes people like you!"]
[Drax lowered his head and continued eating, "Not like that, you can't!"]
[Mantis dropped her artificial expression: "Oh! I grew up alone on Ego's planet. I don't understand social interactions!"]
[Then she looked at Rocket, who was grooming the fur on his arm, and asked hopefully.]
["May I pet your puppy? He's so cute!"]
[Drax looked between the eager Mantis and Rocket, grinned mischievously, and nodded, "Sure!"]
[With permission granted, Mantis reached out and stroked Rocket's head.]
[Rocket immediately flew into a rage and whirled around to snap at her hand, startling Mantis so badly she jerked back in panic.]
[Drax's prank was a complete success, and he burst into delighted laughter, "That's called a practical joke! I just came up with it!"]
[Mantis looked overwhelmed. She glanced around uncertainly, then focused on Drax.]
[Seeing his genuine joy, she began to laugh along with him.]
[Nebula watched the pair and shook her head, her expression a mix of helplessness and disbelief, before turning away to avoid getting caught up in their nonsense.]
"You've got a new nickname! puppy! Hahaha! And you're still touching your face! Hahaha!" Drax's laughter echoed through the woods.
Rocket snarled in fury and nearly lunged at him.
"Don't forget trash panda and puppy!" Star-Lord added with a grin, earning himself a murderous glare from Rocket.
Strange interrupted their banter sharply. "Quiet! I'm trying to cast a spell here!"
"Right, sorry!" Star-Lord immediately grabbed Rocket's head to hold him back. Rocket angrily slapped his hand away and moved aside to watch.
A golden magic circle materialized in Strange's palm, tiny points of light dancing across its surface. He turned his hand palm-down, and the circle slowly descended toward Ego's flower.
The moment the magic touched the plant, golden light began spreading rapidly downward, probing the depths of this strange organism.
As minutes passed, Strange's frown deepened. The scope of this thing was far beyond anything he'd anticipated.
His magical scan had already extended dozens of kilometers down—past the Earth's crust entirely—yet still hadn't found the bottom. The implications were staggering.
Strange couldn't fathom how deep this thing's roots actually went. At minimum, it had definitely penetrated into the mantle. Whether it reached all the way to the core remained terrifyingly unknown.