"I am Groot."
The little tree nodded from the side, delivering the finishing blow.
"Shut up, Groot! Whose side are you on?!" Rocket exploded in frustration, hopping angrily in place.
"That old bastard was just sticking his nose where it didn't belong!"
"Seriously! I had a hundred ways to deal with those gold-plated idiots!"
Rocket leapt onto a rock, pulled out his oversized energy rifle, and struck an outrageously arrogant pose while aiming at the sky.
"As long as those glittering sissies show up again…"
"…I'll show them what the wrath of the galaxy's number one bounty hunter looks like!"
"I am Groot."
Baby Groot suddenly looked up and pointed at the sky.
"What is it, Groot?" Rocket followed his finger.
At the same time—
"Bzzzt—bzzzt—"
Jessica's communicator suddenly crackled to life.
It was an emergency call from Friday, the AI aboard Homelander One.
"Warning. A large number of unidentified star fighters have exited warp and are entering Ego's atmosphere at high speed."
Antony raised an eyebrow and stepped forward.
"Put the image on screen."
"Whumm—"
A holographic display unfolded in front of them.
The image came from Homelander One's deep-space radar.
Outside Ego's atmosphere—
Countless golden lights had appeared.
Dense as falling stars.
The camera zoomed in.
Thousands of golden drone fighters descended in attack formation like a swarm of angry bees.
"Oh… shit…"
Rocket still held his rifle in his cocky pose, but his expression had completely frozen.
"So these are the 'petty gold-plated idiots' you mentioned, Mr. Rocket?"
Jessica shoved the camera right into Rocket's face.
"They seem to miss you very much."
"That's… what, three thousand ships?"
"Maybe… maybe four thousand…" Rocket forced a dry laugh as his ears drooped.
"Don't they have anything better to do? Over a few batteries?!"
-----
Meanwhile — Inside Ego's Celestial Temple
Above the vast hall, the domed ceiling displayed a flowing map of nebulae, as if the entire universe rotated within the chamber.
Ego's human avatar—a bearded man with the appearance of a refined gentleman—gently pressed a finger to Peter Quill's forehead.
"Can you feel it, Peter?"
To Ego, this moment was both a father teaching his son—
And a god enlightening a mortal.
"This power…"
"It flows through your veins."
"This is the Light."
"The essence of life itself."
"And you are the only child who inherited my genes and can connect to it."
Quill stood in a trance-like state.
His eyes had turned completely black, speckled with star-like lights.
His body felt like it was expanding.
His consciousness stretching endlessly—
Becoming one with the universe.
"I can see it…"
Quill murmured.
His voice sounded distant, almost alien.
"Eternity…"
"Yes. Eternity. We will exist everywhere."
"Your friends. Your family."
"They will all die eventually. Turn to dust."
"But we will remain."
"That is the difference between Celestials and mortals."
"We are superior."
Quill's expression flickered.
Images flashed through his mind—
Gamora.
Yondu.
The man who raised him.
"But…"
Quill whispered.
"…you said you loved my mom."
"Oh, my little Lily…"
Ego sighed softly, nostalgia crossing his face.
"Yes, Peter. I did love her."
"Her singing."
"Her smile."
"I even returned to Earth three times because of her."
He paused.
"I knew that if I returned a fourth time…"
"I'd never be able to leave her."
"I would abandon my mission."
"So… I did what I had to do."
"But…"
His voice softened slightly.
"When I put the tumor in her brain…"
"I was truly sad."
"I knew it wasn't the best method…"
"You killed my mom?!"
The moment Quill heard the word tumor—
The haze shattered.
His eyes snapped back to normal.
Rage exploded within them like a supernova.
"I know it sounds cruel, Peter," Ego continued calmly, still trapped inside his own twisted logic.
"But it was necessary—"
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The answer was a barrage of gunfire.
Quill whipped out his dual blasters and unloaded them into the face of the "loving father."
No hesitation.
No speeches.
Just pure fury.
"That was my MOM!!"
Quill screamed.
Energy blasts shredded Ego's human body.
But instead of blood—
Blue light scattered.
The destroyed body rapidly reassembled itself in glowing particles.
Ego stood again.
Now furious.
"What a pity, Peter!"
"I had hoped we would complete this grand purpose together."
"But since you refuse to cooperate…"
Ego swung his arm.
"SHHHK—!"
Blue energy tendrils burst from the temple floor.
They pierced straight through Quill's chest—
Pinning him helplessly in midair.
"Then for the next thousand years…"
"…you can serve as my battery."
"AAAAAAHHHHHH—!!!"
Quill screamed in agony.
"Begin!"
"Expansion!!"
Ego spread his arms wide, shouting with manic excitement.
The temple erupted in blinding light.
Then—
The entire planet began to shake.
-----
Outside the Temple
"What's happening?!" Gamora shouted as she steadied herself.
"An earthquake?" Rocket asked.
"No."
Antony stared at the glowing temple.
"That bastard just made his move."
"BEEP—BEEP—BEEP!"
Jessica's communicator buzzed again.
This time it was Skynet sending an emergency alert.
"Sir."
"The seed in Missouri has erupted."
A holographic projection appeared.
In the footage—
A blue jelly-like energy substance surged violently out of the ground.
Like a bursting dam.
In seconds it swallowed trees, houses, and cars.
Back on Earth—
Wanda stood in the middle of the town, both hands forming seals.
Scarlet chaos energy poured from her body like a raging ocean, desperately suppressing the blue tide.
"All sorcerers!"
"Reinforce the barrier!!"
Dozens of Kamar-Taj sorcerers chanted together.
Golden Vishanti magic circles layered over each other like a giant lid trying to seal the catastrophe underground.
But Celestial power was not easily contained.
CRACK—
As the divine energy surged stronger—
The golden spell formations began to fracture.
Outside the sealing zone—
The Vought heroes were already assembled.
Steve Rogers raised his shield, his face grim.
"But right now, the jam is trying to eat people."
"Everyone!"
"Form defensive lines!"
"If anything leaks out—"
"Whatever it is…"
"Open fire immediately!"
--------------
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